Raising Wolves CHAPTER 18

 

 Raising wolves  

 Chapter 18

Translated by : DANMEI HEAVEN

   Chapter 18

When Lu Qingze arrived at the West Garden, most of the officials had already gathered.

The entire day of the Dragon Boat Festival was anything but relaxing for everyone. They had to rise early for roll call, pay respects to the emperor, and then participate in activities like dragon boat racing and willow shooting, followed by a grand banquet in the evening.

Lu Qingze mentally compared it to a combination of an elementary school field trip, a large-scale team-building event, and a corporate year-end awards ceremony.

After a short wait, Ning Juan also arrived from the Qianqing Palace and led the officials to the imperial gardens.

Lu Qingze walked at the front, right next to Wei Herong.

Wei Herong seemed to be in a bad mood today. Though his face showed nothing, he usually exchanged a few hypocritically polite words with others, but today he kept his sleeves tucked and ignored everyone, as if lost in some scheme.

Lu Qingze merely glanced at him, but the old fox abruptly turned his head, keenly catching his gaze, and offered a sinister smile: "Grand Tutor Lu, long time no see."

It was a rare good day, and Lu Qingze had no interest in bantering with the old fox. He decisively lowered his head and coughed violently, appearing extremely frail: "I’m doing quite well, thank you for your concern, Chief Grand Secretary Wei."

With that, he continued coughing so hard that even those around him couldn’t help but look sympathetic.

Wei Herong: "..."

Wei Herong could tell Lu Qingze was faking it, but as he watched him cough until his lips turned pale, he seemed to recall something. With a low snort, he surprisingly let it go, flicked his sleeve, and put the matter behind him.

Having finished his performance, Lu Qingze slowly put away his handkerchief.

Aside from the conflict five years ago over the young emperor’s lectures and court attendance, they had remained inactive these past few years. Wei Herong had not suffered any setbacks since then and had grown increasingly audacious in his actions.

Yet he was also extraordinarily cautious, leaving no traces behind. His entire residence was tightly guarded, impenetrable as an iron fortress, making it difficult for the Ministry of Personnel to infiltrate new personnel.

In the original novel, the perspective followed the protagonist, so there weren’t many details about Ning Juan’s life. The story merely glossed over Ning Juan’s overthrow of Wei Herong at the age of nineteen without elaboration.

Fortunately, some officials in the court had secretly aligned themselves with Ning Juan, and with the overt support of Grand Secretary Feng, Ning Juan’s situation was now much better than in the original story—no longer isolated and helpless.

All they needed was the right opportunity to eradicate Wei Herong’s influence in the court.

Lu Qingze lifted his gaze, watching the young man’s straight back.

The tyrant in the original novel was too lonely, his short life rushed and abrupt. Even seated on the throne, receiving the worship of the people and officials, he remained solitary, leaving behind only infamy and scorn after death.

Lu Qingze wanted Ning Juan to be embraced by the masses and remembered honorably in history.

As they boarded the dragon boat, the officials lined up on the shore, waiting. Lu Qingze suddenly noticed Wei Herong was missing.

After waiting under the rising sun for a long time without seeing him return, the crowd grew increasingly impatient, exchanging dissatisfied glances about Wei Herong’s absence.

He was usually domineering and rude, but how dare he act like this today!

With so many people in the gardens today, the capital garrison and the Imperial Guards were patrolling, and Zheng Yao was among them.

Ning Juan casually shot him a glance.

The two of them never interacted in public, having developed a high level of tacit understanding. Upon receiving Ning Juan’s glance, Zheng Yao blinked and, after a moment, found an excuse to turn and leave, sending someone to investigate.

Ning Juan withdrew his gaze, his expression calm. "Chief Grand Secretary Wei must have been delayed by some matter. Let us proceed first."

Once aboard the dragon boat, Lu Qingze stood beside Ning Juan.

The wind over the lake was strong, and the morning breeze carried a chill. Lu Qingze’s thin frame made his sleeves billow dramatically, the jade belt cinching his slender waist even more pronounced, to the point where one might worry he’d be blown right into the lake.

Ning Juan frowned at the sight and shifted to block the wind for him.

The officials: "..."

Various glances swept over, and a few censors coughed lowly, their expressions stern.

Lu Qingze opened his mouth, wanting to tell Ning Juan not to attract so much attention, but accidentally inhaled a gust of wind. He frowned, turning his head to cough quietly.

There was no cabin on the dragon boat to shelter from the wind, so Ning Juan decisively turned away. "We suddenly have a headache. Bring the boat back to shore."

The officials: "..."

Numb.

They hadn’t even gone halfway!

This wasn’t a headache—it was heartache, more like.

Lu Qingze rubbed his temples.

Now it was his turn to have a headache.

The dragon boat quickly turned around and returned to shore.

Ning Juan grasped Lu Qingze’s hand, finding it icy cold, like a handful of snow. His frown deepened, and he ordered Changshun to fetch a robe.

Lu Qingze hesitated. "Your Majesty, it’s May."

With such a glaring sun overhead, are you trying to roast your teacher to death?

Ning Juan: "Then let me warm them for you."

"Improper," Lu Qingze retorted firmly, pulling his hand back. "What kind of spectacle would this make in public?"

A shadow of frustration flickered in Ning Juan’s eyes.

Was it because he lacked power that he couldn’t even warm his teacher’s hands in front of others?

If he held real authority, who would dare gossip?

Lu Qingze didn’t notice Ning Juan’s expression but could sense the young emperor’s displeasure. Glancing around, he rose slightly on his toes and leaned in to whisper by Ning Juan’s ear, "We’ll talk tonight. Go do what you need to do—don’t be willful. Be good."

Warm breath brushed Ning Juan’s ear, carrying the familiar faint scent of plum blossoms. His ears instantly flushed red, and he obediently fell silent, nodding.

Normally, Wei Herong kept a tight watch, making it difficult for Ning Juan to interact with officials outside the court. The Dragon Boat Festival banquet was a rare opportunity, and with Wei Herong absent, they had to seize the moment.

The list of officials to approach had been carefully selected by Lu Qingze based on his memories of the original story, then vetted by Zheng Yao’s investigations. These were individuals destined for prominence but still obscure enough to have escaped Wei Herong’s notice.

It was better for Ning Juan to handle this alone. If Lu Qingze followed, it might give the impression that the emperor still relied on his tutor to act.

Shortly after Ning Juan left, a loud splash erupted from ahead, followed by panicked shouts: "Someone’s fallen into the water!"

"Who can swim?!"

"Guards—where are the guards? Hurry, save them!"

As chaos erupted, a dark figure suddenly rushed to the shore and leaped into the water without hesitation. He hauled the struggling person out, pushing them onto the bank before climbing up himself.

It was a young man with a lean, athletic build, dressed in the uniform of the capital garrison.

Lu Qingze stepped forward through the crowd, catching snippets of whispers around him:

"Isn’t that Qin Yuan’an, the son of Censor-in-Chief Qin?"

"I heard Young Master Qin preferred martial arts over scholarship. He passed the military exams two years ago and had a falling-out with his father..."

"Instead of being a proper civil official, he chose to be a crude military man. If I were Censor Qin, I’d beat this unfilial son too."

"Tch, all you do is talk nonsense. Without military officers defending the country, would you even be standing here spouting such drivel?"

"..."

The person who had fallen into the water was a low-ranking official, his face deathly pale. Someone bold stepped forward to check his breathing, their voice trembling: "H-he’s dead?"

A death at the Dragon Boat Festival banquet was no small matter.

Lu Qingze pushed through the crowd, crouched down, and yanked open the unlucky man’s collar.

Even those who didn’t recognize Lu Qingze knew who he was by the mask: "G-Grand Tutor Lu?"

"How can you undress the deceased? This is improper, utterly disgraceful!"

Ignoring the murmurs of disapproval around him, Lu Qingze located the correct pressure point and began chest compressions.

Qin Yuan’an, realizing Lu Qingze wasn’t just making a scene, wiped the water from his face and coldly interjected, "Quiet, all of you. He’s trying to save a life."

After a few moments, the man on the ground suddenly coughed up water, his chest rising and falling once more.

The crowd erupted in astonishment: "He’s alive again?"

"Hey, hey—the imperial physician is here, make way!"

"What’s the point of crowding around? Aren’t you afraid the Censorate will take note?"

"Take note of what? The one who fell in was just a minor censor."

Lu Qingze closed his eyes and shook his head, dizzy as he stood. He nearly stumbled, but Qin Yuan’an, still nearby, steadied him: "Be careful, sir."

The commotion was loud enough that Ning Juan, who had been meeting with a few officials in the back, suddenly heard shouts about someone falling into the water, interspersed with cries of "Grand Tutor Lu!" His heart nearly stopped, his mind blanking out. By the time he regained his senses, he was already running over. Seeing Lu Qingze standing there unharmed, he realized he’d broken into a cold sweat.

Only then did it dawn on him that he’d overreacted out of concern.

He had assigned people to secretly protect Lu Qingze—how could Lu Qingze have fallen into the water?

Noticing Qin Yuan’an still holding Lu Qingze’s arm, Ning Juan’s expression darkened. He strode over and subtly shouldered Qin Yuan’an aside, taking Lu Qingze’s arm himself before asking, "What happened?"

Lu Qingze briefly summarized the situation, then gestured to Qin Yuan’an, who stood with his head bowed: "It was mainly thanks to Young Master Qin diving in to save him."

Ning Juan reluctantly glanced at Qin Yuan’an.

Had this man touched his teacher’s hands with both of his?

The young emperor’s heart soured with jealousy, though his face remained impassive. "Well done. What reward would you like?"

Qin Yuan’an kept his head lowered, his tone indifferent. "Thank you, Your Majesty. This was merely my duty. I dare not ask for a reward."

Qin Hui had also rushed over and stood nearby. Though a flicker of paternal concern crossed his face at the sight of his drenched son, Qin Yuan’an’s lack of deference quickly reignited his anger.

Ning Juan narrowed his eyes but showed no displeasure at the young man’s attitude. Calmly, he said, "We’ll discuss rewards later. Go change your clothes first—Censor Qin is worried about you."

Only then did Qin Yuan’an, who had seemed indifferent until now, pause slightly. Still, he didn’t look at Qin Hui, merely bowed again before turning to leave.

The minor censor who had fallen into the water was carried off to see the imperial physician. With the crisis averted, the crowd gradually dispersed.

Ning Juan glanced down and noticed Lu Qingze’s robes were damp in spots. Worried he might catch a chill, he ordered Changshun to bring ginger tea and a fresh set of clothes, then pulled Lu Qingze into an empty room to change.

Lu Qingze couldn’t help but laugh. "I’m not that delicate."

In what way aren’t you delicate?

Ning Juan couldn’t help but retort inwardly, In what way aren’t you delicate?

He said aloud, a bit exasperated, "Teacher, you always say that self-awareness is a virtue."

Lu Qingze choked on his words: "..."

This little brat.

Fresh clothes and ginger tea were quickly delivered to the room.

His robes were damp and uncomfortable, so Lu Qingze took the clean clothes and casually began undressing, stripping down to just his inner garment.

The inner garment was also slightly wet, so he prepared to remove that as well.

Ning Juan hadn’t expected Lu Qingze to undress so casually in front of him. His mind blanked for a moment.

When that slender, snow-white waist was revealed, he felt as if something had pricked him. He abruptly turned around, his throat dry and tight, his thoughts a chaotic mess.

Back in his university dorm days, during hot summers, the guys would strip without hesitation. Seeing Ning Juan suddenly turn away, Lu Qingze was momentarily puzzled.

Shy? Or does he dislike seeing another man’s body?

Ever considerate, Lu Qingze calmly moved to change behind the folding screen when his gaze suddenly caught on a spot of blood on the floor.

His expression changed instantly. Without bothering to drape his outer robe, he hurried around the screen. "Guoguo, why are you bleeding?!"

When he circled to the front, he found Ning Juan covering his nose, blood trickling between his fingers, his eyes watery with confusion and helplessness.

At the sight of Lu Qingze, Ning Juan felt utterly mortified. His gaze inadvertently dropped to Lu Qingze’s half-open inner robe, where glimpses of fair skin peeked through—partially concealed, yet somehow even more...

The nosebleed worsened. Ning Juan’s mind buzzed, and he spun around again, terrified that Lu Qingze might come closer. He faced the wall and slowly, slowly crouched down.

Lu Qingze: "..."

Lu Qingze: "......"

He couldn’t hold back a sudden laugh.

Author’s Note:

Ning Guoguo: Don’t look at me. I’m just a little mushroom with a nosebleed.

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