Raising Wolves CHAPTER 02

 

Raising wolves  

 Chapter 02

Translated by : DANMEI HEAVEN

Lu Qingze's residence was bestowed upon him by the late emperor after he achieved the top honors in the imperial examinations. It was located very close to the imperial city.

The carriage rattled along toward the imperial city. Already plagued by hidden ailments, Lu Qingze found the jolting ride excruciating. Thinking it better to endure short-term pain than prolonged suffering, he weakly leaned out and said, "Go faster."

Chen Xiaodao immediately overtook another carriage on a bend.

Struggling to keep his thoughts from scattering due to the shaking, Lu Qingze continued to ponder the original plot.

In the original story, the tyrant Ning Juan treated his enemies with extreme cruelty, but he wasn't the type to kill loyal subjects without reason. So, what was the deal with the eunuch who fished him out of the pond?

There must be other references elsewhere.

Lu Qingze regretted skimming through the novel too hastily. Frowning, he searched his memory and finally recalled another brief hint in the text just as the carriage came to a stop.

The eunuch's name was Xiao Fuzi, and he had been planted by Chief Grand Secretary Wei.

Ning Juan had fallen into the pond because Xiao Fuzi pushed him!

Lu Qingze's heart skipped another beat. The carriage stopped. As the Grand Tutor and with his palace entry token, Lu Qingze was allowed through the imperial gates after the guards inspected his pass. However, Chen Xiaodao couldn't enter, nor could the carriage proceed further into the palace.

Left with no choice, Lu Qingze had to drag his sickly body into the palace alone, moving as quickly as his labored breathing allowed.

After the eunuch uprising and the subsequent purges, coupled with the late emperor's mass execution of concubines before his death—apparently believing in "misery loves company"—the palace was sparsely populated. The corridors were eerily quiet. After walking for a while, Lu Qingze finally encountered a young eunuch.

He didn't recognize the eunuch, but the eunuch knew him and bowed respectfully. "Greetings, Grand Tutor Lu."

Lu Qingze, pale-faced and leaning against the wall to catch his breath, got straight to the point, his voice hoarse: "Eunuch, where is His Majesty now?"

The young eunuch stole a glance at his face and smiled. "The weather is lovely today. His Majesty wished to visit the imperial gardens and should be there now. If you wish to see him, this is the perfect time."

Time was of the essence. Lu Qingze quickly pulled out the silver he had stuffed into his pocket before leaving home and pressed it into the eunuch's hand. "I'm not familiar with the palace routes. Please lead the way—quickly, the faster the better."

The eunuch weighed the silver in his hand, his smile growing more genuine. "You flatter me, Grand Tutor Lu. Please follow me. I know a shortcut."

Seeing Lu Qingze struggle to walk, the eunuch even offered to support him, though his pace remained leisurely.

Anxious, Lu Qingze's heart pounded wildly, fearing that halfway there, he'd hear shouts of "The emperor has fallen into the water!" Unable to bear it any longer, he said, "Can we go faster?"

The eunuch recalled the weight of the silver. "...Of course."

The pace did pick up slightly. Lu Qingze pursed his lips, his mind racing. "Are you one of His Majesty's attendants?"

The eunuch sighed. "I'm new to the palace and not qualified to serve His Majesty directly. I only assist the senior eunuchs. His Majesty is attended by Eunuch Fu. You'll meet him shortly." After a pause, and seeing Lu Qingze's frail state, he added in a hushed tone, "Eunuch Fu has a terrible temper. He's killed many palace maids and shows little respect to court officials. Grand Tutor Lu should be careful."

So it was Xiao Fuzi.

Lu Qingze took a deep breath and quickened his steps.

The eunuch gave him a puzzled glance.

This Grand Tutor looked sickly, as though he had suffered greatly in prison and hadn't yet recovered before rushing to the palace. What could be so urgent?

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In the imperial gardens, Ning Juan dismissed the crowd of eunuchs and maids, sitting alone on a large rock by the lotus pond.

Early spring had just arrived, and the pond was still barren. With the palace in chaos, the gardeners had neglected their duties, leaving the entire imperial garden devoid of spring colors, desolate and bleak. There wasn't much to see.

The only redeeming feature was the tranquility.

A faint trace of annoyance flickered in Ning Juan's dark eyes.

Ever since the late emperor remembered he had a son languishing in the cold palace for over a decade, Ning Juan had been surrounded by all sorts of people. Each looked at him with different expressions—contempt, disdain, amusement, indifference—masked behind seemingly respectful smiles, as if he wouldn't notice.

But he saw it all clearly.

An unloved prince in the cold palace lived worse than a servant, especially since his mother had offended the empress. Ning Juan had survived this long thanks to his acute sensitivity to others' emotions.

He had been named crown prince only because the late emperor had no other choice. From being named heir to ascending the throne, it had taken barely ten days—a rushed formality. Now, with Wei Herong as Chief Grand Secretary and Minister of Personnel, wielding immense power, no one cared about the puppet emperor's survival.

Ning Juan pressed his lips together, his small face darkening.

Lost in thought, he suddenly heard a sharp shout from behind: "How dare you! What are you doing?"

Startled, Ning Juan's body involuntarily tilted toward the pond. Just as he was about to slip into the water, a warm presence enveloped him from behind, pulling him back. A faint, cool plum fragrance mixed with the bitter scent of medicine wafted over him.

Meanwhile, the young eunuch who had accompanied Lu Qingze lunged at the treacherous Xiao Fuzi, shouting, "Eunuch Fu, you brought this on yourself!"

With that, he headbutted Xiao Fuzi with a loud thud, stunning the struggling eunuch into submission.

Lu Qingze was slightly surprised when he picked up the little emperor.

According to the novel's timeline, the child should have been eleven or twelve by now, so why was he so light?

Despite his frail body, holding the boy didn't feel particularly heavy.

Treating the future tyrant with caution, Lu Qingze carefully set him down and knelt to speak gently. "Your servant arrived late to protect you. Is Your Majesty unharmed?"

Ning Juan turned his head and found himself gazing into a pair of eyes soft as spring.

When Lu Qingze had arrived at the imperial gardens and seen Xiao Fuzi sneaking up on Ning Juan, his exhausted body had summoned a final burst of energy to sprint the last few steps.

His pale face was flushed from the effort, his light-colored eyes glistening with unshed tears, his breath uneven. He looked like a fragile porcelain lantern, delicate and beautiful.

His demeanor was cool and detached, but the upward curve of his eyes and the tear mole at the outer corner added a touch of allure to his sickly appearance.

Ning Juan stiffened, stepping back warily. "Who are you?"

While being scrutinized, Lu Qingze also studied the child.

The boy was thin and small, his bones delicate, looking no older than ten. He lacked the baby fat typical of children his age, suggesting he had suffered greatly in the palace.

His face, however, was adorable—delicate features, fair skin, and large, bright black eyes. His furrowed brows made him look like a sticky rice dumpling, evoking instant sympathy.

Noticing the blatant distrust in Ning Juan's eyes, Lu Qingze sighed inwardly.

The child was clearly frightened and uncertain. Gaining his trust would take time.

His throat burned from the rush, and he swallowed dryly before speaking calmly. "This subject is Lu Qingze, appointed by the late emperor as Your Majesty's Grand Tutor. I was unconscious for some time and haven't yet had the chance to meet you."

Ning Juan silently observed him.

So this was the young top scholar?

He had heard that Wei Herong, valuing talent, had approached Lu Qingze several times. Was today's incident orchestrated by Wei Herong to earn his trust?

As they sized each other up, the young eunuch yelped again. "Y-Your Majesty, Grand Tutor Lu, can we deal with this first?!"

Xiao Fuzi, realizing he had been discovered, panicked and tried to flee.

The young eunuch clung to him desperately as they rolled on the ground, his face scratched bloody.

Lu Qingze finally remembered the background noise and glanced at the wrestling pair. "Your Majesty must have guessed who sent him."

The little emperor's long lashes fluttered. He shot Lu Qingze a suspicious glance but remained silent.

Though Ning Juan was an emperor with no backing, young and raised in the cold palace without imperial education, Wei Herong still viewed him with caution.

Pushing Ning Juan into the icy pond today—whether it left him with lasting ailments, fever-induced stupor, or deep-seated fear—would benefit Wei Herong greatly. Even if Ning Juan died, it wouldn't matter.

But the problem was, while it was obvious Xiao Fuzi acted on Wei Herong's orders, they couldn't afford to openly antagonize him. Neither Ning Juan nor Lu Qingze had the power to resist yet.

As for others in the court, few officials cared about the young emperor.

Lu Qingze stared at Xiao Fuzi, who had finally been subdued by the young eunuch's kick to the stomach.

They couldn't let Xiao Fuzi return.

If he hadn't arrived in time, Ning Juan might have drowned—this wasn't the modern era with advanced medicine. Waterborne bacteria were rampant, and children's bodies were fragile. Drowning was no joke; the mortality rate was high.

If not for the drowning incident, the original tyrant wouldn't have died young in his twenties.

Lu Qingze lowered his gaze. His eyes, gentle as spring water, also carried a hint of its chill. Slowly, he said, "Today, Your Majesty accidentally fell into the pond. Xiao Fuzi drowned while trying to save you."

Ning Juan, who had been brimming with suspicion, froze.

Lu Qingze suppressed another cough and continued, "I happened to pass by and witnessed it all."

Was he pledging loyalty?

At a time when everyone hesitated to take sides under Wei Herong's shadow, this seemingly half-dead scholar was openly declaring allegiance to him?

...Then again, this was the man who had dared to remonstrate against the eunuch faction at the height of their power. Perhaps he had always been a little unhinged.

Ning Juan studied him, confusion giving way to malice.

The dynasty's youngest top scholar, with clean hands and a pristine appearance—was he truly as pure as he seemed?

The little emperor's lovely face suddenly broke into an innocent smile, his cold demeanor melting into something adorable. "Then Grand Tutor Lu shall send Xiao Fuzi on his way."

Lu Qingze: "..."

He wasn't yet mentally prepared to kill someone with his own hands.

This little brat was already a black-hearted schemer?

A black sesame filling wrapped in a sweet dumpling skin.

This was likely the first step to gaining the little emperor's trust.

To push or not to push?

Xiao Fuzi was Wei Herong's man. During their walk, the young eunuch had mentioned that Xiao Fuzi had blood on his hands and was no saint.

As Lu Qingze hesitated, the young eunuch internally wailed: If neither of you will do it, I will! Can we hurry up?!

Lu Qingze clenched his fist and finally made up his mind. "...Then please close your eyes, Your Majesty."

Ning Juan blinked. "What?"

Lu Qingze smiled gently. "Your Majesty is still a child. Children shouldn't see such things."

Ning Juan was stunned.

The young eunuch, seeing they had finally reached a decision, dragged Xiao Fuzi to the pond's edge, waiting for Lu Qingze to deliver the final push.

Lu Qingze stepped forward, closed his eyes, and raised his hand—only for his sleeve to be tugged.

His eyelashes fluttered as he turned.

The little emperor, barely reaching his shoulder, gripped his sleeve and glanced at the ashen-faced Xiao Fuzi before nodding to the young eunuch. "Kick him in."

The eager young eunuch didn't hesitate, delivering a powerful kick.

Xiao Fuzi splashed into the water, and the young eunuch grinned triumphantly.

Lu Qingze: "..."

The little emperor turned to him and said coolly, "Grand Tutor Lu shouldn't watch such things either. Keep your eyes closed."

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Author's Note:

First meeting:

Lu Qingze: He's not normal.

Ning Juan: He's not normal.

CONTINUE