The Princess’ Shadow Guard – Chapter 27
by Little PandaYou Must Be Alright
The carriage left the main road and stopped in a dense forest.
After Cao Yun lit the oil lamp and pulled open the carriage door for the two women to get out, Ming Qin, who had been curled up under the seat, was finally able to stand. She twisted her neck, her joints cracking with a kaka sound.
Seeing that Song Shuqing and Cao Yun seemed to have much to say, Murong Yan thoughtfully made the excuse of not wanting to stand for long and returned to the carriage, leaving space for the three comrades from the Shadow Guard Camp to be together.
Finally able to catch her breath, Ming Qin seized the opportunity to ask her Senior Brother and Senior Sister in a panicked tone, “What’s going on? Where are the others?”
“The situation in the capital is urgent. Lin Yan and the Senior Martial Uncles have taken the other Shadow Guard trainees and scattered, going into hiding before the Crown Prince could purge the Shadow Guard Camp,” Cao Yun said hastily, his expression anything but optimistic.
“Shifu and Shiniang will be responsible for protecting the Eleventh Prince, while the remaining Shadow Guards have all dispersed into the city streets, ready to provide support secretly as the situation develops.” The man turned to look at Song Shuqing, who nodded at him as if confirming something.
After a moment of silence, Cao Yun sighed. He looked directly at Ming Qin and said in a solemn tone, “Qinqin, listen carefully. The item Shiniang gave you is an imperial edict issued by His Majesty the Emperor before his death, appointing the Eleventh Prince as his successor, along with the Tiger Tally1. Both are extremely important.”
He took a deep breath. “Your mission is to take those items and protect the Commandery Princess on her journey to the North Border. Remember! You must ensure the Commandery Princess meets with Prince Yu in person.”
Ming Qin had no particular reaction, merely nodding obediently and repeating, “Protect the Commandery Princess, and ensure she meets Prince Yu with the edict and the Tiger Tally. No problem.”
Protect the Commandery Princess and get her safely to the North Border.
Protect the Commandery Princess and get her safely to the North Border.
It’s simple, not complicated.
In fact, this was what she had always wanted to do.
Ming Qin looked up at the two people before her and asked, “Then what about you, Senior Brother, Senior Sister? Where are you going?”
Seeing Cao Yun hesitate, Song Shuqing spoke for him, “I will pose as the Commandery Princess. Together with Cao Yun, we will leave a false trail to delay them, and along the way, see if we can weaken the Crown Prince’s pursuing forces.”
“How can you do that!?”
Ming Qin exclaimed. Luring the enemy into an ambush was fraught with danger; it should be undertaken by her, the one with the highest martial skills. “It should be me…”
“Absolutely not!”
Cao Yun cut her off, stating firmly, “We have no guarantee of success either. You should stay by the Commandery Princess’s side as the last line of defense.”
Before Ming Qin could speak again, he took a map from his robes and spread it on the ground. “We will take the waterways north. In a naval battle, the Crown Prince’s forces, though numerous, won’t have much of an advantage. We can still delay them for a while.”
Ming Qin’s mouth was dry. She watched as Cao Yun pointed to a corner of the map and said, “You will first take the Commandery Princess west, then head north all the way. We have already spoken with the Prefect2 there. He is trustworthy. He will send people to help you meet Prince Yu.”
Seeing that Ming Qin wouldn’t answer, Cao Yun looked directly into her eyes and said, “Qinqin, this time, you are the key. Your will must be firm. If this is accomplished, everyone back in the capital will be safe. Do you understand?”
Only after Ming Qin slowly nodded did Cao Yun put away the map and walk over to the carriage, tinkering with something. The originally magnificent carriage instantly became old and dilapidated, dusty and unremarkable. He then led two horses, which had been prepared in advance, out of the woods and placed the bundles from their backs into the original carriage.
Song Shuqing looked at the silent Ming Qin and patted her shoulder. “You can’t stop him. This is the best way.”
“But… it’s too dangerous,” Ming Qin said, her expression gloomy.
Song Shuqing smiled. “It’s strange for you to say that now. Isn’t your mission dangerous? A Shadow Guard’s work is like walking on the edge of a blade. We both know full well that this is a job where we could lose our lives at any moment. Every breath we take is a life we fought to have.”
She paused, then whispered in Ming Qin’s ear, “Besides, don’t feel too burdened. Cao Yun is doing this to repay the life he owes you.”
“Owes me?” Ming Qin was confused, having no clue what her Senior Sister was talking about.
“Yes, owes you.”
Song Shuqing had no intention of giving Ming Qin any hints. She just changed her tone and said, “But don’t you worry, you still have me. I have no intention of dying so young.”
When He Jingshou and Song Shuqing heard Cao Yun’s plan, they also understood that despite the danger, it was the most reliable method.
Originally, Cao Yun had planned to execute it alone, likely with the resolve that it would be a one-way trip. In the end, Song Shuqing managed to persuade him to let her go with him.
『You’re a grown man, all by yourself. It’d be a miracle if the Crown Prince’s men thought you were the Commandery Princess and were lured into chasing you.』
『…』
『This plan can only work if I’m there.』
『But…』
『Don’t worry. When things get critical, I’ll ditch you and run.』
Song Shuqing had confidence in herself.
She believed that even in a critical moment, she could fight for a sliver of a chance to survive.
Of course, she meant bringing Cao Yun along with her.
Someone who has lived two lives should understand survival better than someone who has only lived one, right?
“So, instead of worrying about clever me, you should just worry about yourself.”
Song Shuqing raised an eyebrow at Ming Qin, then sighed and said in a low voice, “You must be alright…”
For some reason, the ever-sensitive sixth sense within her was sending faint signals of unease.
Ming Qin misunderstood her. She patted her chest and guaranteed, “Senior Sister, don’t worry! I will definitely complete the mission well. I would not shrink from ten thousand deaths to protect the Commandery Princess and the edict.”
She had the expression of someone ready to die a noble death at any moment.
Song Shuqing looked at this big fool before her and could only sigh.
She stared wide-eyed and said helplessly to the person before her, “Forget the edict. But if you sacrifice yourself to protect the Commandery Princess, then you might as well not protect her at all.”
I have a feeling the Commandery Princess would either follow her in death, or she’d go dark and become a world-hating archdemon, the kind that grows wings and breathes fire to burn everyone to a crisp.
She couldn’t help but shudder at the thought. She wanted to say more, but hearing Cao Yun’s urging, she hastily instructed, “In any case, the Commandery Princess, you, the edict, and the Tiger Tally—every single one of them must be alright.”
Taking the reins, Song Shuqing swung herself onto the horse.
Her breath fogged in the cold air. She gave her junior sister one last look, raising an eyebrow dashingly, and said, “Qinqin, do you remember where we said we’d go after we collected our pay and retired someday?”
Ming Qin tilted her head in thought, then smiled knowingly and nodded firmly.
“Then I’ll see you then!”
With a flick of the whip, Song Shuqing and Cao Yun rode off without a backward glance. The sound of hooves gradually faded, leaving behind a deep silence.
Staring blankly as their figures disappeared, Ming Qin took a deep breath and said, “Now it’s my turn.”
Ming Qin opened the carriage door. Murong Yan, wrapped in a fox-fur cloak, was sitting patiently on the seat, two bundles left by Cao Yun at her feet. They were carefully packed with daily necessities for the two of them, as well as a few sets of commoner’s winter clothes, dry rations, a dagger, and several bulging pouches of broken silver3 and copper coins.
Taking stock of their supplies, Ming Qin looked up at Murong Yan, whose eyes were clear, and said apologetically, “We’ll have to travel as far as we can these next few days. We won’t be able to stay in inns for now, so you might have to endure some hardship.”
She truly didn’t want Murong Yan to suffer, but the circumstances left her no choice.
“I’ll be fine.”
The woman shook her head. Her cold hand reached out to touch the warm cheek of the person before her as she said gently, “Ah Qin, don’t worry. This is already very good.”
“I will protect you.” Ming Qin tightened the fox-fur cloak around her, afraid she would catch a chill, her heart making a solemn vow as if swearing a deadly oath.
“I promise.”
The author has something to say:
I originally chose the “sweet text” tag for this novel, but I want to let everyone know first, just as the summary says, there will be a little (?) bit of hardship in the middle. After all, this is still a plot-driven drama.
But it is absolutely a HE (Happy Ending), so everyone can rest assured~
PS. Regarding the Crown Prince, it seems I might have made his character a bit too well-developed, too successful (?)
There are still some things that haven’t been explained. For the sake of emotional development and plot progression, he won’t be “offline” (defeated/gone) until Chapter 62.
I have deleted and revised some descriptions that people might not like, but I’ve kept some of the Crown Prince’s scenes because he still has a role to play.
(To some extent, the Crown Prince’s life or death determines the length of this book, so…)
He will do one more villainous thing later. If everyone gets really angry at him, just think of him as a little paper person4, and that will be fine. Please don’t get so angry you hurt your health5 on his account!
If you guys get really angry, there’s nothing I can do. I’m terrible at comforting people and telling them not to be angry. I can probably only say tearfully, “Don’t be angry, okay?” like that. (Damn! Why do I sound so useless!)
Anyway, don’t be angry~ Be happy!
LP: Re-translated on June 29, 2025
Footnotes
- 虎符 | hǔ fú | A two-piece tiger-shaped token used in ancient China. One half was kept by the emperor and the other by a general. Matching the two halves was required to authorize and verify the movement of troops.
- 知府 | zhīfǔ | The head government official of a prefecture (府, fǔ), an administrative division in imperial China.
- 碎銀 | suì yín | Literally “broken silver.” In imperial China, silver was a form of currency, but rather than standard coins, it was often in the form of ingots (sycees) that were cut into smaller pieces for transactions. The weight of the silver determined its value.
- 小紙片人 | xiǎo zhǐpiàn rén | Literally “little paper person,” a modern Chinese internet slang term used by fans to refer to fictional characters (especially from 2D media like anime, manga, and games). It’s an affectionate, slightly detached way of acknowledging their fictional nature.
- 傷肝 | shāng gān | Literally “injure the liver.” In Traditional Chinese Medicine, strong emotions are believed to affect corresponding organs. Anger is specifically thought to damage the liver.
Thank you for the update 😊
Thank you for the update 😊
As she exhaled mist in the cold air, she gave her junior sister a final glance and raised an eyebrow, asking, “Do you remember when we were young and talked about where we’d retire with our pensions?”
—
That line Song Shu Qing said brought feels. the parting of bestfriends T_T
As she exhaled mist in the cold air, she gave her junior sister a final glance and raised an eyebrow, asking, “Do you remember when we were young and talked about where we’d retire with our pensions?”
—
That line Song Shu Qing said brought feels. the parting of bestfriends T_T