The Princess’ Shadow Guard – Chapter 26

Let’s Go! I’m Taking You Away From Here (Leaving the Tower)

On the day the last leaf fell from the treetops, the sky was a hazy gray.

Several crows, like black shadows, let out eerie caws that shattered the unusual silence in the capital.

            

As Ming Qin was leaving the Imperial Academy with Murong Wan after their lessons, she heard a high-frequency whistle from a small alley—the secret language of the Shadow Guard Camp.

Shielding Murong Wan, Ming Qin saw her Shiniang, Gu Yun, in the dim alley.

“Qinqin.” Gu Yun, who was usually kind and gentle, now looked tense. The moment she saw them, she rushed to Ming Qin’s side and whispered, “His Majesty the Emperor has just passed away.”

            

Taking a deep breath to steady herself, she handed Ming Qin a bundle of rope and pulled an oil-paper package from her robes. “Give the Eleventh Prince to me. You take this, find Commandery Princess Chongwen, and get her out of here quietly. Then go to Wanjia Lane. Your Senior Sister will meet you there.”

Ming Qin took the heavy oil-paper package, her mind still struggling to process everything.

There was no more time to talk. Gu Yun took Murong Wan into her arms, her eyes fixed on her beloved disciple as she gave her a final, grave instruction. “Qinqin, this concerns the imperial succession. It is also His Majesty’s final edict. You must be careful!”

            

Ming Qin lowered her head in a solemn promise. As she turned to leave, a small, damp hand tugged at the corner of her clothes.

Seeing Murong Wan’s panicked, trembling body and his reddened eyes, Ming Qin knelt to look the boy in the eye. “The Eleventh Prince and I will be heading to different battlefields now,” she said gently. “We will both win, right?”

Watching the boy stubbornly bite his lip and nod forcefully, Ming Qin gave a seemingly relieved smile before turning and departing.

            

But the smile vanished the moment she vaulted onto the roof tiles, her heart a chaotic mess.

Now that His Majesty is gone, what will become of this perilous situation in the capital? His Highness the Crown Prince holds immense power; he is surely determined to claim the throne.

The situation was incredibly complex, but one thing was certain.

            

She had to get Murong Yan out of here.

She had to help her escape this prison the Crown Prince had built, before the situation spiraled out of control.

Ming Qin picked up her pace, and in a few moments, she nimbly scaled the high tower she had climbed countless times with joy in her heart. Today, however, she hoped it would be the last.

            

Hurriedly slipping into the room, she looked at Murong Yan, who was reading with a tranquil expression, and called out, her voice thick with suppressed emotion, “Let’s go! I’m taking you away from here!”

Murong Yan looked up, her consciousness surfacing from the sea of words in her book. Seeing the person who had suddenly burst in, her expression remained as serene and unruffled as it had been on Ming Qin’s first visit.

“Alright.”

            

She nodded, only the slight hoarseness in her voice betraying any emotion.

Time was short, but as Ming Qin helped her into a robe lined with sheep’s wool, she still asked in a low voice what she wanted to take with her.

From a hidden compartment under the tea table, Murong Yan took out another garnet earring hidden in a tea caddy, as well as a black cord. She had Ming Qin put the earring on for her and tie up her hair.

            

Everything else was just worldly possessions.

She didn’t need them.

Ming Qin drove the iron hook at the end of the rope deep into the wooden window frame. With one hand on the rope and the other around Murong Yan’s waist, she stood on the windowsill.

            

Under the dim sky, Murong Yan gazed at the scenery below the tower. This was the freedom she had yearned for for six years. It was liberty, but also the unknown.

Her body began to tremble slightly.

She laughed at herself.

            

So I’m not as brave as I thought.

To think I’d actually feel fear.

Sensing the emotion of the person in her arms, Ming Qin looked at her with her clear eyes and asked considerately, “Afraid of heights? Don’t be. I won’t let go.”

            

As she spoke, she tightened her embrace, trying to let Murong Yan bury her head in her neck to shield her from the view.

“I’m fine,” Murong Yan said, her throat tight as she listened to the reassuring voice in her ear.

She defiantly raised her head and stared at the vast expanse below her feet, all fear suddenly gone. “Let’s go.”

            

She would not hide. She would keep her eyes open and watch herself break free from these shackles.

Taking a deep breath, Ming Qin jumped backward, her back to the ground, holding the rope with one hand. The slick tiles made it difficult to find a foothold, especially with two people.

Worried that Murong Yan would be frightened, the Shadow Guard slowly let the rope out. The coarse surface of the rope scraped against her hand, which was already red from the cold, drawing faint trickles of blood.

            

The moment they landed, Ming Qin whipped out a small knife and threw it, severing the dangling rope at the window frame, hoping to delay their discovery.

After tightening Murong Yan’s robes, Ming Qin swept her up into her arms and, using her Qinggong, bounded toward Wanjia Lane without a backward glance.

Ming Qin’s movements were light and silent. When she arrived at Wanjia Lane, she saw a small, exquisite carriage. Standing beside it were Cao Yun and Song Shuqing, disguised as a coachman and a maidservant.

            

“Senior Brother! Senior Sister!” Ming Qin breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing them and gently set the person in her arms down.

After a quick bow to the Commandery Princess, Song Shuqing turned to Ming Qin and asked urgently, “Have you kept the item Shiniang gave you safe?”

Ming Qin patted the cloth bundle at her waist and nodded.

            

“We can’t stay here long. Let’s get out of the city before we talk.”

Song Shuqing and Cao Yun exchanged a glance, and the latter immediately opened the carriage door. “Please wait a moment, Your Highness. Let Qinqin get in first.” Song Shuqing pointed to a panel that had been lifted from under a seat inside, gesturing for Ming Qin to duck down and hide.

Once Ming Qin was hidden, Cao Yun lowered the panel. “Your Highness, if you please.”

            

Murong Yan wasted no time. Supported by Song Shuqing’s hand, she slowly entered the carriage. Though small, the interior seats were thoughtfully covered with soft cushions and fox fur, making it quite comfortable.

Song Shuqing followed her in, sitting opposite Murong Yan. She closed the carriage door and knocked on the wall behind her, signaling for Cao Yun to depart.

Feeling the carriage start to move, Song Shuqing took a brush pen out of her sleeve. “Pardon my rudeness,” she said, and then began to meticulously draw on Murong Yan’s face.

            

In her past life, all the beauty bloggers said the most important part of makeup was the eyebrows. Eyebrows determine a person’s entire aura!

So, Song Shuqing focused on drawing Murong Yan’s originally elegant brows thick and black, altering the arch of the brow peak. The change made the stunningly beautiful woman look less sharp and more foolish.

It’s a good thing there’s no bronze mirror​¹ in this carriage, she thought. If the Commandery Princess saw my masterpiece, my life would probably be forfeit.

            

Just then, a commotion was heard from outside the carriage. The gruff voices of soldiers checking travel permits mingled with Cao Yun’s smooth replies.

“What’s this? Trying to leave the city when the gates are about to close.”

“Please, Sir, be so kind. We truly have an urgent family matter.”

            

“What kind of urgent matter? It’s already dark!”

“This afternoon, my Young Mistress heard that her great-grandmother at home has fallen ill. She’s anxious to rush back to see her, which is why we decided to leave the city so hastily.”

“Oh! Quite the filial daughter, then. Fine, let me see.” With that, the man pulled open the curtain and peered at the two women inside. Seeing nothing out of the ordinary, he stepped back.

            

The sound of Cao Yun fumbling with his money pouch followed.

“Thank you for your hard work, Sir. This is a token from my Young Mistress.”

“Aiya! Your young mistress has some really thick eyebrows, but she seems like a good person. Alright, alright! Go on.”

            

The carriage slowly began to move again, and everyone inside breathed a sigh of relief.

A moment later, Murong Yan stared at the person disguised as a maidservant before her, her face expressionless. She took out a handkerchief and began silently wiping her face.

In the cramped space, Song Shuqing felt awkward and guilty under that gaze. She could only force a laugh. “Hahaha, desperate times call for desperate measures, Your Highness! Please don’t be offended, please don’t!”

            

It’s a good thing Qinqin didn’t see the Commandery Princess like this, she thought, beads of sweat forming on her forehead. Otherwise, the Commandery Princess would definitely kill me with her own hands.

None of them saw the cloud of dust kicked up at the checkpoint as a portrait of Murong Yan was hastily delivered, not long after their carriage had departed.

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The author has something to say:

            

Congratulations on the escape.

Senior Sister: I really didn’t mean to make you look ugly. I swear to the heavens I wasn’t getting revenge.

Commandery Princess: If Ah Qin saw me looking this ugly, you’d really be finished.

            

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LP: Re-translated on June 28, 2025

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