The Princess’ Shadow Guard – Chapter 13
by Little PandaThe Power of a Younger, Straight-Shooter Suitor1
On the second day of the New Year, several graduated Shadow Guards visited their master’s home to pay their respects and share a reunion dinner.
Lin Yan and Cao Yun were away on missions, so the only one Ming Qin knew well was Song Shuqing.
Although the food was a far cry from the contents of the food boxes she received from Murong Yan, Ming Qin, who cherished her blessings, ate everything her Mistress made without a change in expression.
After helping Song Shuqing finish her portion as well, Ming Qin let out a satisfied burp and stood in the courtyard, watching her shijie and master play Go.
“Qinqin, once the New Year celebrations are over, I have a new assignment for you,” her master said, holding a white stone and adjusting his sleeve.
“Do I have to leave the Capital again?” Ming Qin asked, approaching the Go board.
After placing a stone, He Jingshou stroked his beard. “Not at all. It’s the daily duty of protecting the Eleventh Prince.”
Protect a prince in the palace? Ming Qin scratched her head, confused.
Most of the assignments she’d been given before involved delivering letters outside the city or carrying out assassinations. Her master always worried that she would accidentally offend a noble if she entered the palace, so he had always given palace duties to her Mistress or Cao Yun.
Even if they went through the entire Shadow Guard Camp roster, she probably wouldn’t be chosen. Why would the task of protecting an imperial heir suddenly be given to her today?
“This is His Majesty’s will,” He Jingshou said, his hand never pausing its movements over the board. “The Eleventh Prince is ten years old. After the sixth day, he will begin his studies at the Imperial Academy. Your new assignment is to protect him in secret.”
Seeing Ming Qin’s lingering confusion, He Jingshou shot her a sidelong glance. “Don’t worry. It’s a daily task, but it’s only for half the day. It won’t stop you from seeing the Commandery Princess.”
His Majesty the Emperor has no intention of stealing the Chongwen Commandery Princess’s cherished favorite, and I have no desire to receive another one of those seemingly gentle letters from her, where every line is laced with threats.
“Dammit!”
He Jingshou cried out. He stared at the board, clutching his head in frustration and wanting to move his piece back.
Seeing the old man’s crestfallen expression, Song Shuqing said with a beaming smile, “Still getting distracted, Master? A gentleman makes no take-backs,2 you know.” She placed her own stone on the board.
He Jingshou looked at the lost game, his face a picture of resignation. “I never should have taught you how to play. And I shouldn’t have bothered being a gentleman.”
“Don’t say that, Master. Who else would play with you if not me? Isn’t that right, Qinqin?” Song Shuqing said, looking at Ming Qin who stood to the side.
Ming Qin nodded honestly and said bluntly, “Everyone says you’re a stinky chess basket,3 Master. Shijie is the only one willing to play with you.”
“You… you two…!” He Jingshou was so angry he was huffing into his beard and glaring, looking back and forth between the grinning Song Shuqing and the dead-serious Ming Qin, unsure of who to unleash his temper on.
Song Shuqing held out her hand with a grin. “Master, this is your one hundred and fourteenth loss against me. A bet’s a bet.”
He Jingshou glanced around before reluctantly pulling out a pouch of copper coins and handing it to Song Shuqing, his expression aggrieved. “…Just don’t you dare tell your Mistress.”
“Of course, of course.” Song Shuqing weighed the pouch in her hand with a satisfied look, then turned to Ming Qin. “Qinqin? Care for a round with your shijie? It’s been a while since we played.”
Ming Qin shook her head vigorously. “No, no.”
Although her Go skills were decent, she relied almost entirely on instinct and offense, rarely calculating variations.
Song Shuqing, however, excelled at multi-faceted calculations, preferring unorthodox strategies to create complex situations. The moment an opponent made the slightest misstep and revealed an opening, she would pounce like a hound.
Every time Ming Qin played against Song Shuqing, the process was agonizing, her head would throb, and she never gained anything from it. She had no desire to empty her coin pouch on New Year’s.
According to her shijie, beating her at Go was as easy as 『a piece of small cake』.4
Though she didn’t quite understand her shijie’s nonsense, Ming Qin guessed it probably meant it was easy to “eat her up in one bite” during a game.
“Ah, so boring.”
Song Shuqing toyed with a black stone, then her eyes lit up as they swept past Ming Qin’s right ear. “Hey! Qinqin, when did you start wearing an earring? And look at that color and craftsmanship… it must have been quite expensive.”
“The Commandery Princess gave it to me.” Ming Qin subconsciously touched her earlobe. “Is it really that expensive? I probably should give it back to her, then.”
Hearing this, Song Shuqing laughed inwardly. She tilted her head to look at He Jingshou with a meaningful, ambiguous smile, leaving him rather baffled.
Seeing her slow-witted master failing to grasp her meaning, Song Shuqing sighed, turned back, and patted Ming Qin’s shoulder. “Since the Commandery Princess gave it to you, how could she possibly take it back? You should just keep it safe.”
“But…” Ming Qin was still hesitant.
“The Commandery Princess is a person of high status; gold, silver, and jewels are commonplace to her. Compared to expensive gifts, I imagine there are other things she cares about more, don’t you think?” Song Shuqing said slowly, trying to guide Ming Qin while observing her expression.
“Now that you mention it, shijie, I should bring the Commandery Princess some rare and interesting little trinkets!” Ming Qin clapped her hands as if suddenly enlightened.
“What do you think of crickets,5 shijie?”
He Jingshou, who was sipping his tea, choked in alarm at Ming Qin’s words. A few drops sprayed from his mouth as he coughed wretchedly.
Song Shuqing put a hand to her forehead, speechless. She sighed. “If you brought me crickets, I’d flatten you against a wall first, let alone the Commandery Princess.”
“The Commandery Princess isn’t mean-spirited like you, shijie,” Ming Qin retorted, then clutched her head in frustration. “Then what on earth should I give her?”
He Jingshou, terrified his little disciple would actually give the Commandery Princess crickets, was about to speak when their Mistress called Ming Qin from the kitchen to help.
Watching Ming Qin’s retreating back, He Jingshou said dryly to Song Shuqing, “I think I’m starting to understand what you meant. The Commandery Princess really has it tough.”
“Right?” Song Shuqing said with a hint of pity. “Qinqin might be our little treasure, but when it comes to some things, she’s a complete idiot. The fact that she still managed to win the Commandery Princess’s favor… could this be the power of a younger, straight-shooter suitor?”
Although He Jingshou didn’t quite understand the last sentence, he simply remained silent in agreement.
It wasn’t until the fifth day of the New Year that Ming Qin saw Murong Yan again.
The food box in her hands was stuffed to the brim with all sorts of snacks. Ming Qin took them out one by one and arranged them on the table.
“This is the peanut crisp Granny Li made. She secretly slipped it to me when I went to the market today.”
Ming Qin presented her treasures to Murong Yan, then took out a cloth pouch embroidered with an orchid and opened it. “This is rice candy from Miss Jiang. Wow! Miss Jiang’s embroidery is so beautiful.”
Ming Qin didn’t notice Murong Yan’s tightly pressed lips and continued on her own. “This is the scallion pancake from Fang-dage. The sesame seeds on top smell amazing! Here, eat it while it’s hot.”
She offered a piece of the scallion pancake wrapped in oil-paper. It gave off a wonderful aroma, but Murong Yan didn’t take it, merely staring at Ming Qin with a blank expression.
“What’s wrong?” Ming Qin asked, a little worried by the woman’s unusual behavior.
But Murong Yan suddenly smiled. “Ah Qin is just so very likable. How else would so many people give you snacks?”
“They are! They’re all very good to me,” Ming Qin said frankly.
“Ah Qin seems to be popular everywhere she goes!” Hearing this, Murong Yan’s smile grew even brighter. “Could it be that everyone who meets Ah Qin becomes her friend?”
Though Murong Yan was smiling, her tone was ice-cold. Oblivious, the big-hearted Ming Qin explained, “Not everyone is my friend. Those stinking hooligans in the market aren’t my friends.”
At this thought, she puffed up her cheeks. “A group of local thugs used to always cause trouble in the market. They saw that Granny Li was a widow with a good business, so they were always threatening her for money. And they’d harass Miss Jiang because she’s pretty. I taught them a lesson!”
Murong Yan’s expression remained unreadable. She only asked faintly, “This Miss Jiang is very pretty?”
Still fuming, Ming Qin found the sudden question a bit odd. She tilted her head and thought. “Miss Jiang is quite pretty, yes. But not as pretty as my shijie, and not as pretty as you.”
A bit of warmth finally returned to her face. Murong Yan straightened her sleeves. “Is that so. And how did you come to know this Fang-dage?”
“A horse got spooked in the market a while back. I happened to be passing by and saved Fang-dage’s son, and I calmed the horse while I was at it.”
Thinking of this made Ming Qin angry all over again. “And speaking of which, are the people from the Capital Prefecture just eating plain rice?6 They don’t care about the safety of the common people, they’re too busy taking sides and being the Crown Prince’s dogs. It’s ridiculous! The next time I see them, I’ll chop them to bits!”
Watching Ming Qin’s indignant face, Murong Yan finally relaxed her tightly pressed lips. She comforted her in a soft voice, “Don’t get angry over them, Ah Qin. It’s bad for your liver.” She picked up a piece of peanut crisp and began to eat it slowly.
“Oh, right! Starting tomorrow, I have to accompany the Eleventh Prince to the Imperial Academy for his studies. I’ll only be able to come see you after the You Hour,”7 Ming Qin said suddenly, chewing on a piece of scallion pancake.
“The Eleventh Prince?” Murong Yan repeated, a look of recollection on her face.
She had seen him once, when he was still in swaddling clothes.
“I heard the Eleventh Prince’s mother passed away three years after giving birth to him. Since he had no maternal family to support him, he managed to grow up in the inner palace all on his own,” Ming Qin said after swallowing her food.
“Fortune and misfortune are intertwined.”8
Murong Yan’s voice was tinged with bitterness. “If his mother hadn’t been of such humble birth, posing no threat, they wouldn’t have just let him live.” Her voice was faint with emotion. “To think he’s actually survived to the age where he can attend the Imperial Academy.”
Seeing Murong Yan lost in thought, Ming Qin assumed she was worried about the Eleventh Prince’s safety and said reassuringly, “I’ll do my duty and protect him well.”
Looking at Ming Qin’s earnest face, Murong Yan returned to her senses and gave a soft smile. “I know.” Then she held out her arms. “Ah Qin, hold me.”
Ming Qin reached out and gathered Murong Yan into her arms, gently stroking her thin back. “Tired? Shall we go to the bed?”
The woman shook her head and rested it in the crook of Ming Qin’s neck. Looking down, Ming Qin could see the black cord tied to the hairpin, trailing down into long hair threaded with silver. “Just for a little while. Let me rest.”
Ming Qin said nothing, only continuing to pat her back, gentle stroke after gentle stroke.
LP: Re-translate on June 10, 2025
Footnotes
- Original title: 年下直球攻的威力 (niánxià zhíqiú gōng de wēilì). This is a modern Chinese internet slang term, often from fandom spaces. ‘Niánxià’ refers to the younger person in a relationship, ‘zhíqiú’ (straight ball) means someone who is very direct and blunt, and ‘gōng’ (top/seme) refers to the pursuer. It describes an archetype of a younger, straightforward suitor.
- Original: qǐshǒu wú huí dàzhàngfū. A common saying in board games like Go or Chinese chess, meaning once a move is made, it cannot be retracted. It implies one should stand by their decisions.
- Original: chòu qí lǒuzi. A colloquial and affectionate insult for someone who is very bad at board games.
- This English phrase appears in the original Chinese text.
- In traditional Chinese culture, crickets were kept as pets for their song, and cricket fighting was a popular pastime, especially among the wealthy. A prized fighting cricket could be a valuable and interesting gift.
- A colloquial insult implying someone is useless and doesn’t do their job properly.
- The You Hour (yǒushí) is a traditional Chinese time measurement corresponding to the period from 5 PM to 7 PM.
- Original: fú huò xiāng yī. A well-known concept from Daoist philosophy, particularly the Tao Te Ching. It suggests that fortune and misfortune are interconnected and can transform into one another.
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