The Princess’ Shadow Guard – Chapter 39
by Little PandaA Relationship Deeper Than That (Tying the Hair1)
The deep snow submerged more than half of the carriage wheels.
Even an outstanding, fine steed could not pull the carriage forward in such snow that filled the sky.
Ming Qin said to the person inside the carriage, “I estimate we will have to spend one or two days waiting for this heavy snow to stop before we can continue on our journey.”
Murong Yan did not answer. There was no sound from within the carriage.
Feeling that something was strange, Ming Qin pulled up the curtain and turned to look, only to discover the woman was limp on the seat, her entire body shivering uncontrollably.
She also had no reaction to the little tiger at her feet that was biting the hem of her skirt.
This is bad!
Ming Qin jumped down from the driver’s seat, quickly opened the carriage door, and touched Murong Yan’s forehead, only to be startled by the scalding temperature.
The woman who had fallen into a coma had a high fever all over her body, her lips were deathly pale, and even though she was wrapped in a thick, heavy blanket, she still trembled fiercely.
Holding the slender wrist, Ming Qin’s face turned ashen as she took Murong Yan’s pulse2. The pulse was floating, slow, and faint; an evil cold had already entered her body3, the lung qi4 had lost its diffusion5, and there were faint signs of it worsening.
It cannot go on like this.
Seeing Murong Yan in the carriage panting for breath with her consciousness blurry, Ming Qin’s heart grew anxious. She took out the map from her bosom and quickly looked at it.
Afterwards, she wrapped the woolen blanket around the woman’s body and tied it tightly with a belt, then picked up the rolling, fluffy ball at the side and stuffed him into Murong Yan’s arms.
“Be a worthy furnace, understand?” Ming Qin said, glancing deeply at the little tiger who was about to become restless, while draping a wide fox fur cloak over the woman and tying the hood tightly.
Ming Qin carried the comatose Murong Yan out of the carriage, striving to shield the person before her from the wind and snow. With one hand, she held her sword and cut the carriage’s frame and leather ropes, leading the horse out by itself. Holding the one person and one tiger, she flipped onto the horse’s back.
She clamped her legs against the horse’s belly and cut through the cold wind, heading east.
Below a tree-covered slope, a house built with stone slabs was emitting wisps of green smoke.
In the deep of a winter night, a burst of rough pounding on the door rang out, shattering the tranquility of the hunter couple inside.
The husband nervously shielded his pregnant wife behind him, picked up the iron shovel placed by the door, and carefully opened a crack in the door to look outside.
As soon as the door opened, a hand, red from the cold, immediately clung to the crack. Not caring that the hunter was pointing a sharp iron shovel at her chest, the black-clothed person with the sharp weapon pressing against her chest and holding a woman barged right in.
The hunter looked at the tall woman before him. Her neck was wrapped with an iron chain and her shoulders were covered in accumulated snow. As soon as she entered, she walked directly to the bed plank6, gently laid down the woman she was holding, and then turned to add more wood to the furnace.
“Hey! You… ahh!” Facing the uninvited stranger, the man puffed out his chest, posturing to threaten her, but was startled into jumping backwards by the little tiger that suddenly rolled off the bed.
Ming Qin pressed the back of her hand to Murong Yan’s forehead. She glanced without much concern at the couple who were holding each other and shivering, and asked in an anxious tone, “Is there any medicine here for treating wind-cold7?”
Looking at the longsword at the intruder’s waist, the man swallowed his saliva and answered, “Yes, yes, yes… we have some.”
Still holding the iron shovel in his hand, he slowly walked towards the earthen jar beside the stove and tossed the oil-paper8 packet from inside to Ming Qin.
The black-clothed person before them and the woman lying to the side did not seem like bad people. The hunter’s pregnant wife emboldened herself to ask, “Dare I ask, did you two encounter mountain bandits?”
“Mountain bandits?” Sniffing the dark, ball-sized medicinal pill, Ming Qin raised her head to glance at the woman, somewhat puzzled.
“This area has been troubled by bandits recently. Six or seven big men are robbing everywhere, and even after reporting it to the officials, no one has come to handle it.” The man put down the iron shovel in his hand, but was still too scared by the little tiger baring its teeth to move recklessly.
“Those mountain bandits have already been killed by me,” Ming Qin said flatly.
Ignoring the hunter couple’s shocked faces, she grabbed a handful of the medicinal pills, opened her mouth, and chewed them to pieces. Then, she bent over, supported Murong Yan’s neck, and fed the mixture into the high-fevered woman’s mouth.
Gently coaxing the drowsy person to swallow the medicine mixed with her saliva, Ming Qin lovingly caressed Murong Yan’s face. She then turned to the terrified couple standing at the side and said, “For the next few days, until my companion recovers, please permit this one below9 to stay.”
Then, she took a pouch out of her pocket and tossed it to the man.
Looking at the heavy silver taels in his hand, the man was somewhat at a loss. He just nodded his head dryly and said, “Okay… okay, okay.”
The little tiger must have been hungry. It started sniffing all over the house and then began to chew on a table leg. The pregnant woman sitting on the wooden chair was startled at first, then said to Ming Qin with some hesitation, “There is a goat in the backyard that just gave birth. Would it be alright if I have my husband squeeze some goat milk for the little tiger cub?”
Ming Qin touched Murong Yan’s hand, which was no longer trembling, and sighed slightly in relief. She then turned, nodded to the couple, and thanked them in a low voice.
That night, the woman, who was with a child10, slept together with Murong Yan on the bed plank. The man went to the stable to make a bed on the floor, while Ming Qin sat ramrod straight on a wooden chair, not closing her eyes the entire night.
She looked at the weak woman before her, her heart filled with self-blame.
As expected.
I only know how to kill; I fundamentally cannot do the work of a guard well.
If I had let Shijie and Shixiong take care of Murong Yan, she probably would not have had to suffer like this.
Ming Qin held her head.
Rarely had she been so disheartened.
The next day.
The hunter’s wife, who had woken up early, was cooking thin congee11. She glanced at Ming Qin, who was braving the wind and snow while nimbly chopping firewood in the open space in front of the stone house. In less than the time it takes for a stick of incense to burn12, bundles of neat firewood were piled up beside her, and she could only click her tongue in wonder.
A slight, faint movement came from the bed plank. Ming Qin immediately threw down her axe and went into the house to check.
Murong Yan, wrapped thickly in furs, opened her eyes with difficulty.
Her somewhat chapped lips slowly parted. Murong Yan looked at the person with a nervous expression before her and called softly, “Ah Qin…”
Ming Qin half-supported her into a sitting position, repeatedly checking the woman’s forehead temperature. “Are you any better?”
“En…” Her throat was still constricted, her weak voice somewhat hoarse. “Ah Qin, don’t worry.”
Taking the bowl handed over by the hunter’s wife, Ming Qin carefully blew on the steaming congee to cool it, and brought the spoon to Murong Yan’s lips. “Eat some, alright?”
The woman obediently opened her mouth. The warm, thin congee had no other flavors, only the slight sweetness emitted by the rice that had been cooked until soft. Swallowing it, it went down her throat and directly into her empty stomach, letting Murong Yan’s body feel a warmth she had not felt in a long time.
Only when she could eat no more did she wave her hand to signal to Ming Qin.
Ming Qin put down the bowl, took out a few medicinal pills, and threw them into her mouth, chewing them to pieces. Then, she reached out with both hands, cupped Murong Yan’s face, and lowered her head to cover the mouth of the person before her.
Murong Yan tilted her neck back and swallowed the chewed-up medicine. The taste was extremely bitter, but she, who had always liked sweet things, did not care in the slightest, obediently swallowing everything Ming Qin sent into her mouth.
After a long moment, the shadow guard finally rose, gently wiping away the trace of moisture left on the corner of the woman’s mouth with her thumb.
Just then, the hunter, who had just gone out to check his traps, opened the door. Seeing his annoyed expression, it seemed he had returned empty-handed again.
Holding Murong Yan’s wrist, Ming Qin turned her body slightly to shield her, as if afraid the strange man in front would frighten the newly-awakened patient.
Murong Yan squeezed Ming Qin’s fingertips reassuringly and spoke to the couple with some difficulty, “Regarding your kindness in taking us in, I am truly endlessly grateful.”
Looking at the awake woman before them, whose face was even more extraordinary than when she was asleep, the hunter couple was stunned. After coming back to their senses, the man’s face flushed slightly, and he nervously waved his hands, saying, “It’s nothing, it’s nothing. Your… companion gave us money.”
The little tiger played with some fur scraps on the ground, pouncing and jumping around the house.
Although the stone house was simple and crude, its advantage was its warmth. Murong Yan once again drowsily fell asleep.
Looking at the shadow guard sitting by the bed, the hunter’s wife, who now believed Ming Qin was not a bad person, stuck out her large belly, leaned against the doorframe, and asked, “Was your master very good to you before?”
“Master?” Ming Qin, who was tidying the strands of hair on Murong Yan’s forehead, revealed a puzzled expression at the woman’s words.
The woman pointed to her own neck, gesturing towards the chain on Ming Qin’s neck. “If it were not because your master is extremely good to you, why would you, as a slave, be able to care for her so meticulously?”
Ming Qin did not refute it, merely remaining silent for a moment before saying, “Master has shown this one below a great kindness.”
“A drop of kindness is repaid with a gushing spring13. Even if I haven’t read books, I still understand that.” The woman nodded to express her understanding, then smiled and said, “It’s just that, your master must have bestowed upon you an immense grace. Looking at the two of you, you don’t look like a master and servant at all.”
“We don’t look like master and servant?” Ming Qin tilted her head and said in confusion.
But Murong Yan was clearly the person she had decided to protect for a lifetime.
“Yes, not like master and servant,” the hunter’s wife said softly. “I always feel that it is a relationship deeper than that.”
The way their eyes flowed between them was more like lovers with mutual affection14*. The woman did not finish speaking the strange thought that had suddenly emerged in her heart.
That night, when the others were asleep, Ming Qin looked at her somewhat long hair that was obscuring her vision by the light of a dim oil lamp.
She gathered a lock of hair from her forehead and raised her hand, about to slice it off with a dagger, but was stopped by Murong Yan, who had opened her eyes and patted her on the leg.
Tilting her head to look at the awakened person, Ming Qin’s hand that was holding her hair had not yet been lowered. In Murong Yan’s eyes, she looked completely dazed and silly.
The newly-awakened woman beckoned, signaling for Ming Qin to pick her up.
Murong Yan sat astride Ming Qin, facing the messy-haired shadow guard. She took the dagger from her hand, cupped the face of the person before her and studied it carefully, then, little by little, she trimmed short the long, stray hairs that were poking her in the eyes.
Ming Qin supported the person on her lap to prevent her from slipping, lowering her head and obediently letting Murong Yan fuss over her face.
The woman’s focused expression was illuminated by the oil lamp, making her eyes seem to sparkle. Lowering her neck, she could feel the breath of the person before her on her face. A warmth emanated from where they were pressed together through the cloth, and Ming Qin suddenly felt her mouth and tongue go dry.
After a long moment, the woman who had been leaning forward slowly pulled back and said with a smile, “If I make Ah Qin’s hair look ugly, will Ah Qin be annoyed with me?”
Ming Qin shook her head. Her throat could not make a sound, so she only mouthed the words to the woman before her, “Of course not.”
Murong Yan chuckled silently, reaching out to touch the shadow guard’s newly-shortened hair. Then, she also gathered a lock of her own hair from the nape of her neck and cut it.
She mixed her own hair with the hair she had just cut from the shadow guard and held it up before Ming Qin’s eyes.
“Can you tell which strands are mine, and which are Ah Qin’s?” Murong Yan asked, raising an eyebrow with a somewhat pleased tone.
By the dim light, Ming Qin’s jet-black hair and Murong Yan’s soft yet grayish-white hair seemed to merge together; even the shadow guard with her excellent eyesight could also distinguish them.
Looking at Ming Qin, who was staring blankly and shaking her head, Murong Yan laughed softly.
Murong Yan put down the items in her hand, wrapped her arms around Ming Qin’s shoulders and neck, and slid her fingers into the jet-black strands of the person before her. Gently and solemnly, she kissed her on the lips.
First, she traced the shape of her lips little by little, savoring them gently, before opening her mouth in invitation.
Ming Qin understood, invading obediently and compliantly, only her hands that were caressing the woman’s body unconsciously tightened their grip.
As time passed, Murong Yan unconsciously clenched her fingers, slightly tugging at the roots of the shadow guard’s hair. Unable to bear it any longer, she forcefully pressed Ming Qin’s head down and tightened her legs.
Their tightly pressed bodies trembled lightly and unconsciously. They did not wake the pregnant woman sleeping at the side; it was silent, yet scorching.
“If only there were a piece of red cloth for a head covering15,” Murong Yan murmured to herself as their lips parted, panting weakly.
“Never mind.”
“This is already extremely good.”
She took Ming Qin’s hand, their fingertips interlocking tightly.
LP: Re-translated on July 27, 2025
Footnotes
- 结发 | jié fà | Literally “to tie the hair.” A traditional Chinese term for marriage, originating from an ancient wedding ceremony where the bride and groom would each cut a lock of their hair and tie them together. This act symbolizes their eternal union, lifelong bond, and pledge to grow old together.
- 把脉 | bǎ mài | A fundamental diagnostic method in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) where a practitioner feels the patient’s radial artery pulse at three different positions on the wrist. The quality of the pulse (e.g., speed, depth, strength) is believed to reflect the state of a person’s qi and blood, as well as the health of their internal organs.
- 邪寒入體 | xié hán rù tǐ | A Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) diagnosis meaning that an external pathogenic “cold evil” has invaded the body’s systems. This is believed to disrupt the flow of qi and blood, leading to symptoms like fever, chills, body aches, and a weakened pulse.
- 气 | qì | A fundamental concept in Chinese philosophy and medicine, referring to the vital life force or energy that flows through all living things. The balance and circulation of qi are considered essential for maintaining health.
- 肺氣失宣 | fèi qì shī xuān | A Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) term describing a dysfunction where the lung’s function of dispersing and circulating qi, body fluids, and defensive energy (wei qi) is impaired. This can lead to respiratory symptoms and a weakened immune response.
- 床板 | chuáng bǎn | A simple bed, often just a wooden plank or platform, common in rural or modest households. It contrasts with more elaborate, furnished beds.
- 风寒 | fēng hán | A common diagnosis in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), often translating to the “common cold.” It is believed to be caused by an invasion of “wind” and “cold” pathogens, leading to symptoms like chills, fever (often with chills predominating), headache, and a lack of sweating.
- 油纸 | yóu zhǐ | Paper treated with oil (commonly tung oil) to make it waterproof and durable. It was traditionally used in China for wrapping food, medicine, and other goods to protect them from moisture.
- 在下 | zài xià | Literally “this one below.” A humble and formal first-person pronoun used in historical contexts, often by martial artists or scholars to show modesty when speaking to others.
- 身怀六甲 | shēn huái liù jiǎ | A classical Chinese idiom meaning “to be pregnant.” Literally, it translates to “body carrying the six jia,” which refers to specific cyclical signs in the traditional Chinese calendar associated with yang energy and the conception of a male child.
- 稀粥 | xī zhōu | A thin rice porridge or gruel, also known as jook or congee. It is a common staple food in China, often eaten for breakfast or by those who are ill because it is simple, warming, and easy to digest.
- 一炷香 | yī zhù xiāng | “One stick of incense.” A traditional Chinese method of measuring time before the advent of clocks. The duration varies but is generally estimated to be between 30 minutes to an hour.
- 滴水之恩，当涌泉相报 | dī shuǐ zhī ēn, dāng yǒng quán xiāng bào | A famous Chinese proverb that means a favor as small as a drop of water should be repaid with a gushing spring. It emphasizes the importance of showing immense gratitude for any kindness received, no matter how small.
- 郎情妾意 | láng qíng qiè yì | A Chinese idiom that literally translates to “the young man has feelings, the concubine has intentions.” It describes the mutual love and affection between a man and a woman.
- 盖头 | gàitou | The traditional red silk veil that covers a bride’s head during a classic Chinese wedding ceremony. It is typically removed by the groom in the bridal chamber, symbolizing the beginning of their married life together.
Demnn. I hope they’ll go home safely
you jinxed it
Demnn. I hope they’ll go home safely
you jinxed it
Touch wood
The pregnant woman is sharp. Tough I also think they are pretty obvious.
Thanks for the chap!
Touch wood
The pregnant woman is sharp. Tough I also think they are pretty obvious.
Thanks for the chap!