Raising Wolves CHAPTER 05

 

 Raising wolves  

 Chapter 05

Translated by : DANMEI HEAVEN

The commotion came to an end, and the onlookers dispersed, satisfied with the spectacle. Though many were curious about the appearance of the man inside the carriage, the oppressive presence of Chief Grand Secretary Wei weighed heavily on their minds, leaving few bold enough to approach.

Chen Xiaodao chuckled inwardly and continued driving the carriage.

The rocking motion made it hard to sleep soundly, and Lu Qingze soon jolted awake from the jostling. Rubbing his temples, he asked groggily, "Where did that person from earlier go?"

"You scared him off, Young Master!"

Lu Qingze: "?"

What had he done?

Afraid that Lu Qingze might doze off again, Chen Xiaodao struck up a conversation: "Young Master, I saw a familiar face earlier."

Lu Qingze: "Oh?"

"I’ve seen him a few times when picking up medicine for you at Shanren Pharmacy. They say his surname is Fan. The physician, Zhang, mentioned that he’s owed money several times. Who’d have thought he was an official? Are officials really that poor?"

The founding emperor of Great Qi had risen from humble origins, and even after ascending the throne, he lived frugally. Believing in sharing hardship, he set modest salaries for court officials—especially low-ranking ones, who could barely make ends meet without embezzling.

This led to a plague of corrupt officials, like unkillable locusts. In the original novel, Ning Juan had expended considerable effort to purge the rot from Great Qi.

By the time they reached the Lu residence, Chen Xiaodao lifted the carriage curtain, swiftly draped a heavy cloak over Lu Qingze, and carefully helped him down, chattering all the while: "Physician Zhang said that Official Fan’s mother is suffering from some illness and needs medicine daily. Last time, he even knelt before Physician Zhang to beg for it. Tsk tsk, what a filial son..."

Lu Qingze paused mid-step and slowly turned his head. "What did you say? Say it again."

Chen Xiaodao scratched his head, baffled, but obediently repeated himself.

Lu Qingze pondered for a moment, then smiled. "So that’s how it’s solved... Xiaodao, I owe you thanks this time."

Chen Xiaodao’s eyes widened slightly in surprise.

When the young master smiled, he was truly breathtaking—like that saying, "a single glance eclipses all beauty!"

The early spring chill lingered, and Lu Qingze, sensitive to the cold, tightened his cloak as he stepped through the gates of the Lu residence. Softly, he instructed, "Send someone to keep an eye on Shanren Pharmacy. If that Official Fan comes to buy medicine again, give him some silver." After a pause, he amended, "No, just buy the medicine he needs and give it to him."

Directly offering money might seem presumptuous and would likely be refused.

Chen Xiaodao blinked, sensing that Lu Qingze’s intentions weren’t purely charitable, but wisely refrained from probing further. "Understood, Young Master."

With a major problem resolved, Lu Qingze was in high spirits. Summoning his remaining energy, he finished dinner, took his medicine, and then taught Chen Xiaodao a few more characters.

But that night, his joy turned to sorrow.

Perhaps it was the wind he’d encountered on his solitary walk from the Qianqing Palace to the palace gates, but shortly after lying down, Lu Qingze was seized by alternating chills and fever. Before long, he was burning up and vomiting uncontrollably. It wasn’t until dawn that he managed to swallow a bowl of medicine and drift into a fitful sleep, his mind wavering between lucidity and delirium.

By the time he could rise from bed, three days had passed.

Chen Xiaodao was both heartbroken and worried, unable to resist cursing the eunuch faction again.

Lu Qingze no longer had the energy to dwell on the eunuchs. Instead, he gazed sorrowfully toward the imperial palace.

What had he told Ning Juan three days ago?

That he would arrive on time for lessons.

Though he’d only skimmed the original novel, what was the tyrant’s greatest hatred? Broken promises.

In the original text, the tyrant had a saying: "Even if your legs are broken, crawl to me."

This is bad. After painstakingly bridging the gap between them, would they now revert to square one?

Lu Qingze closed his eyes, mustered his strength, and struggled upright. Weakly, he said, "Xiaodao, take me to the palace."

Chen Xiaodao hesitated. "But Young Master, your health..."

Lu Qingze waved a hand, his tone gentle but firm. "Go."

Chen Xiaodao opened his mouth, knowing he couldn’t sway him. Further protests would only waste time, so he reluctantly went to prepare the carriage.

Before Lu Qingze woke, Chen Xiaodao had only seen him once or twice—then Lu Qingze had been arrested by the eunuch faction. It was only through these past few days of interaction that he’d gradually come to understand Lu Qingze’s temperament.

Lu Qingze was undeniably gentle. Even when he was firm, it was a gentle firmness.

Which made it all the harder to refuse him.

The carriage rumbled its way to the palace. Bundled in his heavy cloak, Lu Qingze made his way to the Qianqing Palace with practiced ease, only to sense an unusual tension the moment he stepped inside.

A crowd of servants knelt at the palace entrance—likely all those who attended the Qianqing Palace. Changshun paced back and forth, his expression stern. "Whoever stole the item, confess now, and I may beg His Majesty to spare your life. If we have to find out ourselves..."

Changshun let the implied threat hang in the air, then turned and spotted Lu Qingze. Hurrying over, he said, "Master Lu, you’ve finally arrived. His Majesty has been waiting for you for days."

Lu Qingze glanced at the trembling servants. "What’s going on?"

Changshun looked as if he’d lost his parents. "Ah, Master Lu, you wouldn’t know. His Majesty lost something and is furious."

Petty theft was common in the palace, especially during Emperor Chong’an’s reign, when he neglected governance and allowed the eunuch faction to run rampant.

After the new emperor’s ascension, the palace staff, seeing Ning Juan’s youth, grew lax and dismissive, daring to steal even from the Qianqing Palace.

Lu Qingze frowned, suddenly remembering.

The original novel mentioned that during their years in the cold palace, Consort Jing had traded away anything of value for food and clothing, leaving only a hairpin behind.

That hairpin held immense sentimental value for Ning Juan—yet it had gone missing.

Though just a hairpin, it was the last vestige of warmth in the tyrant’s heart. Its loss meant the final ember of kindness within him had been extinguished. Even when others later pledged loyalty, no one could ever truly reach him again.

So it was lost at this time.

The thief was a palace maid who had already left the palace upon reaching marriageable age—she wasn’t among this group.

Fortunately, the novel had mentioned how she disposed of the hairpin.

Without hesitation, Lu Qingze turned and left.

Changshun gaped. "M-Master Lu? Aren’t you going to see His Majesty?"

Lu Qingze quickened his pace. "I’ll be back soon. These servants didn’t steal anything—let them rise."

With that, he vanished.

Changshun was dumbfounded.

Master Lu, usually so frail he seemed sculpted from snow, liable to collapse at the slightest touch, who coughed violently at the merest breeze—how was he walking so briskly now?

He glanced again at the kneeling servants.

His Majesty had also said the thief was no longer in the palace, but Changshun had stubbornly insisted on interrogating them further.

Yet Lu Qingze had said the same. Suppressing his unease, Changshun ordered the servants to rise, sighed, and went to report to Ning Juan.

Lu Qingze quickened his pace as much as he could. Upon exiting the palace, he was surprised to find Chen Xiaodao still waiting outside the gates.

He’d instructed Chen Xiaodao to return home after dropping him off—there was no need to wait idly outside the palace.

The boy must have been worried about his health, fearing something might happen to him inside.

Seeing Lu Qingze emerge so soon, Chen Xiaodao was puzzled. "Young Master, what’s wrong?"

Business came first, but Lu Qingze couldn’t suppress his curiosity. "What’s wrong with you?"

Chen Xiaodao: "?"

"Why aren’t you chatting with the imperial guards today?"

Chen Xiaodao snapped to attention, scratching his cheek sheepishly. "The guard captain from before isn’t on duty today. This new one looks like the type to draw his sword at the slightest provocation."

Not only socially fearless but also highly observant.

Lu Qingze felt the boy had great potential and patted his shoulder. "Good timing. Take me to the pawnshops in the eastern city."

Chen Xiaodao helped him into the carriage. "Young Master, there are many pawnshops in the eastern city. Which one are we going to?"

Lu Qingze uttered a few words: "Every single one."

Until they found what they were looking for.

By the time Lu Qingze returned to the palace, it was already afternoon.

Fortunately, the emperor’s tutor enjoyed special privileges—as long as the emperor permitted, he could enter the palace freely.

Lu Qingze hurried back to the Qianqing Palace. As he stepped inside, he paused,敏锐地 (sharply) noticing that the servants’ faces were unfamiliar and their numbers reduced.

It seemed Ning Juan had taken action in his absence.

Using the theft as an excuse, he’d replaced all the palace staff who might have been planted there.

Changshun was sweeping the floor with a broom when he spotted Lu Qingze. "Master Lu, where did you go earlier? His Majesty was furious when he learned you’d left again."

Lu Qingze’s expression remained relaxed and unruffled. Unfazed by the news, he waved a hand reassuringly at Changshun. "I’ll go see him."

Changshun watched him enter the bedchamber with deep concern.

The weather was still cold, yet no charcoal burned inside, leaving the room icy enough to chill one’s bones.

As Lu Qingze stepped in, he saw the little emperor sitting alone by the window—a small, solitary figure, exuding loneliness and sorrow.

Hearing footsteps, Ning Juan spoke coldly: "Get out."

Suppressing the itch in his throat, Lu Qingze blinked. "This subject was merely delayed by illness. Surely Your Majesty wouldn’t dismiss me so hastily?"

Recognizing Lu Qingze’s voice, Ning Juan turned his head slightly, his gaze fierce. "You left without a word—why come back now? Get lost!"

His lips pressed into a tight line, his eyes reddening like a young wolf baring its fangs, warning that the next step would invite its claws and teeth.

But he was still just a child.

No matter how hard he tried to hide it, Lu Qingze could see the flicker of委屈 (grievance) in his eyes.

The thief, thinking herself clever, had taken what seemed an insignificant hairpin, bypassing obviously valuable items that would invite pursuit.

But it was the last memento Ning Juan had of his mother—something he’d treasured so deeply he’d rather starve than trade it for food.

Faced with that look, Lu Qingze’s heart melted entirely. Unfazed by the little emperor’s threatening aura, he stepped forward, bent slightly, and pulled something from his sleeve. Casually, he tucked it into Ning Juan’s hair, smiling. "So fierce, Your Majesty."

Ning Juan froze, then reached up and removed the object.

It was an exquisitely carved white jade plum blossom hairpin.

He knew this hairpin all too well.

His hands trembled slightly as he clutched the recovered treasure, looking up at Lu Qingze.

Lu Qingze, who had scoured every pawnshop in the eastern city and rushed back and forth despite his illness, now looked nearly transparent with exhaustion, his lips pale, his body chilled from the journey.

Ning Juan’s lips moved. "How did you..."

Lu Qingze wagged a finger, teaching him basic manners. "Your Majesty, what you should say now is ‘thank you.’"

To prevent this little wolf cub from veering onto the tyrant’s path, he’d spent the entire morning searching.

Just as he was planning a moral education session for the little emperor, he felt a sudden weight against his chest.

The small, slender body leaned into him, light as a feather. Lu Qingze blinked slowly, feeling an unexpected warmth in his chest. A faint smile touched his lips as he gently patted Ning Juan’s back.

Fine, no ‘thank you’ is fine too.

But then, a tiny voice came from his arms: "Thank you."

Lu Qingze paused, then smiled wider.

Still won’t call me ‘teacher,’ huh?

No rush. It’ll happen eventually.

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Author’s Note:

Future:

Little Emperor: "Teacher! Teacher! Teacher! Teacher! Teacher! Teacher!"

Lu Qingze: "Shut up."

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CONTINUE