The Princess’ Shadow Guard – Chapter 46
by Little PandaThe Crown Prince Has Fallen, the Imperial Throne Changes Hands
Murong Yan had a very long dream.
In the dream, she was riding a horse on a dark and gloomy forest path, her back not feeling the familiar warmth.
She was all alone.
In her heart was an inexplicable fear and panic.
『Don’t be afraid.』
『I will protect you.』
Inexplicably, a reassuring voice sounded from the distant behind, driving her to continue forward.
Gazing past the intertwined tree trunks beside her, she could faintly see the lake water in the distance.
The distant and familiar voice sounded again.
『I hate lake water, no matter how I learn, I just can’t learn to swim.』
It’s Ah Qin!
The woman’s hand holding the reins tightened, and she hurriedly wanted to turn the horse’s head to search for that figure that she was concerned about.
『Yanyan, be obedient, you must not turn back.』
This time, she chose not to obey, but instead pulled on the reins in her hand and resolutely looked behind her.
The ice-cold lake water was churning, surging from the end of the pitch-black path, and a bone-chilling cold climbed up from her feet straight to her neck.
A black shape was bobbing up and down on the water, slowly drifting towards her. Fixing her gaze to look, it was a bloodless Ming Qin.
It was her Ah Qin.
It was the one who was bright as sunshine, the Ah Qin who represented her everything.
It was all her fault! This was all her fault!
She shouldn’t have left back then, she should have stayed, and been with Ah Qin!
She should have accompanied Ah Qin on the Yellow Springs Road1, instead of letting the non-swimming Ah Qin drift alone in the lake, like this now…
Drowned.
Despairing.
Lonely.
Her Ah Qin.
On the bed, Murong Yan’s eyes suddenly flew open, her expression terrified. Panting heavily, bead-sized sweat dripped from between her brows. The annoying nightmare had been constantly hunting her these past few days, as if wanting to devour her last bit of clarity.
“Brother! Brother!” Murong Yan shouted towards the outside of the tent, but her tone was faint and weak.
Murong Can, who was guarding outside, hurriedly lifted the curtain and walked in quickly, bending his knees to look at eye-level at his younger sister who was struggling to sit up from the bed.
“Brother, today… was anything found?” Swallowing her saliva, Murong Yan asked nervously and with some hesitation.
Murong Can firmly shook his head, “No, Yue’er. A thousand men have been sent to search day and night, and there is nothing.” He held the woman’s trembling hand and comforted her.
Hearing the man’s words, Murong Yan breathed a sigh of relief.
Today was the day the great army was breaking camp to head south, and five days had passed since the initial order to search the entire forest and dredge the lake surface. Not the slightest news representing Ming Qin’s death had come, which brought a sliver of dawn light to her nearly despairing heart.
Ah Qin had said she would not die.
Ah Qin did not lie.
Ah Qin must still be alive.
She must be alive!
Once all this is over, Ah Qin will come back. She never goes back on her word to her.
Murong Yan tightly gripped the hair ribbon in her hand, kissing it, silently chanting in the bottom of her heart.
That night, in an ancient temple on a hill outside the capital city, Murong Yan sat alone at the highest point.
As far as the eye could see, she could see the lights of the capital city, restless and unusually noisy.
Today was the day of the decisive battle.
Yet Murong Yan was indifferent, staying alone in the quiet little temple in the mountain forest, as if all the disturbances and clamor outside over deciding the imperial throne had nothing to do with her.
The boiling water made fish-bubble sounds2, breaking the silence. The woman, dressed in a red robe, sat upright before the Go board, her posture elegant. Her eyes swept over the black and white stones that were already laid out as she poured the water into the teapot.
She felt the fatigue of her body, yet her mind was incomparably clear; she had been unable to sleep these past few days.
It wasn’t that she was worried about the victory or defeat of the battle, but rather just disgust at the invasion of endless nightmares.
Thinking of the open strife and secret struggle3 centered on the capital city today, Murong Yan was not particularly concerned.
Although she despised her father’s inaction regarding the family, she had every confidence in ‘Prince Yu’ who protected the borders and defended the country, as well as in Murong Can, who was an ever-victorious general.
Moreover, she, with her meticulous mind, had run through dozens of sand table exercises4 with the men of her family. No matter how the situation changed, their side had a countermeasure for it.
Looking at the Go game, seeing the white stones besieged layer by layer by the black stones, they were already an arrow at the end of its flight5.
The game was about to end.
She poured tea for herself. The light brown tea soup mixed with white foam added a pleasant fragrance to this small room.
The Crown Prince’s faction controlled the majority of the civil officials and were corrupt and decadent, but fortunately the country’s foundation was solid and could still hold up. There had long been many indignant men of integrity who could not stand it, but were simply unable to resist due to the powerful authority.
This time, Prince Yu carried the imperial edict and the tiger tally, like the long-awaited morning sun, attracting everyone to gather towards the light, ready at any moment to arrest and strangle that group of netherworld6 rats that specialize in eating rotten flesh.
Looking at the white side, whose situation was already lost, she sipped her tea, took the few remaining white stones from the board, and casually tossed them aside. The sound of the Go stones scattering on the floor could not affect the tranquility and indifference of the woman’s expression.
Draining the tea in her cup, she raised her head and looked at the cloudless sky.
It was a black velvet so deep it seemed to be devouring people, yet it was inlaid with brilliant points of light.
Originally, this game, to herself, was fundamentally of no consequence.
Murong Yan thought.
But she still hoped to be able to seize victory, not for anything else, but only for Ah Qin.
If, one day in the future, she saw Ah Qin, she hoped to be able to nestle in that familiar and warm embrace, and smilingly tell Ah Qin that she had not wasted her painstaking efforts.
Ah Qin, you are a good shadow guard, a good shadow guard who can receive a pension and retire.
So, take me away.
If…
If… she really could never see her again, then on the road to the Nine Springs7, she would also take that hand that has already grown cold one step ahead, and tell Ah Qin that the mission was complete, and there was no need for any more lingering concerns.
Ah Qin, be with me, whether it be the underworld court8 or the cycle of heavenly reincarnation9.
This time, don’t be separated from me again, okay?
The wooden door panel creaked slightly, interrupting the woman’s melancholy. A big, furry head poked in through the crack in the door. The little tiger, almost half a year old, had a strong and agile physique, already possessing the embryonic form of a fierce beast.
It walked over with elegant steps, its lean shoulder bones moving up and down with each pace.
Murong Yan looked at the uninvited intruder, her eyes still holding an unconcealable sorrow, yet she still revealed a loving and tender smile and extended her arms.
Hearing the call, the seemingly steady tiger couldn’t help but wag its tail and walked quickly towards the woman, affectionately rubbing against Murong Yan’s face, and then obediently prostrated itself at her feet, as if both accompanying and guarding.
Seeing the beast’s posture, Murong Yan recalled the figure of its master, and her heart was once again filled with boundless sorrow.
She stroked the furry head by her feet again and again, while gazing at the towering city walls.
For the entire night, she occasionally lowered her head to drink tea, but more often, she was simply immersed in gloomy thoughts.
The dark night retreated, and dawn arrived with the rising sun in the east. The tiger’s half-closed eyes suddenly widened, staring in the direction of the capital city.
Murong Yan blinked her eyes, and fixed her gaze.
On the distant city walls, they were covered with bright red banners, fluttering in the wind like ribbons, illuminated brightly by the morning light of the rising sun.
It’s done.
This was the sign of success.
The Crown Prince has fallen, the imperial throne changes hands.
The mission, is complete.
In an instant, all sorts of emotions flashed through her heart, but it was not wild joy, nor was it relief.
But rather a feeling of even greater loneliness, even greater emptiness.
The image in her mind froze on the day she left the city, when Ming Qin gently tightened the fox fur cloak on her, and solemnly swore an oath to her.
『I will protect you well.』
Ah Qin, you have already successfully protected me.
The mission is also complete.
So, quickly come find me like before.
The author has something to say:
(There will be a second update later)
Also, um… the angsty11 part isn’t over yet, but just as I said before, a little angst now will make it sweeter later!!! I’m writing the ending now, it will definitely be a sweet HE!
Don’t be heartbroken~ (Helping to soothe everyone’s breath12)
LP: Re-translated on August 13, 2025
Footnotes
- 黃泉路 | huáng quán lù | Literally “Yellow Springs Road.” In Chinese mythology, the Yellow Springs (黃泉) is the underworld or the realm of the dead. This road is the path that souls must travel to reach it. The term is a common metaphor for the journey into death and the afterlife.
- 鱼泡声 | yú pào shēng | Literally “fish bubble sound.” A descriptive Chinese term for the gurgling or simmering sound of water that is about to reach a full boil, resembling the sound of fish blowing bubbles.
- 明争暗斗 | míng zhēng àn dòu | A Chinese idiom (chengyu). Literally “open strife, secret struggle.” It describes a situation of intense, multifaceted conflict involving both overt confrontations (明争) and covert scheming (暗斗). It is often used to characterize complex power struggles, particularly in politics, court intrigue, or business.
- 沙盘推演 | shāpán tuīyǎn | Literally “sand table deduction/simulation.” This refers to the military practice of using a sand table or a three-dimensional model landscape to simulate battles and strategize campaigns. In a broader sense, it means to war-game or run through various hypothetical scenarios to plan for all possible outcomes.
- 強弩之末 | qiáng nǔ zhī mò | A Chinese idiom (chengyu). Literally “an arrow from a strong crossbow at the end of its flight.” It means that a powerful force has been exhausted and is no longer effective. Originating from the ‘Records of the Grand Historian’ (Shiji), it is used to describe something or someone that was once formidable but has now lost all momentum and is on the verge of collapse.
- 阴间 | yīnjiān | The netherworld or underworld in Chinese folk religion and mythology. It is the realm where souls go after death, conceptually similar to the Greek Hades. It is distinct from the Buddhist concept of hell (地狱, dìyù), though the terms are often used interchangeably in popular culture.
- 九泉 | jiǔquán | Literally “Nine Springs.” A poetic and ancient term for the underworld or the land of the dead in Chinese mythology, synonymous with 黃泉 (Huángquán, Yellow Springs). The “nine” refers to the great depth of the earth where the afterlife was believed to be located, signifying the finality of death.
- 阴曹地府 | yīncáo dìfǔ | The Underworld Court and Earthly Palace. This is the comprehensive term for the organized bureaucracy of the afterlife in Chinese mythology, which is modeled after the imperial government of the living world. It is where souls are judged for their earthly deeds by various kings and officials before being sent to their respective punishments or reincarnations.
- 天道轮回 | tiāndào lúnhuí | The Cycle of Reincarnation of the Heavenly Dao. A concept blending Taoist and Buddhist ideas. 天道 (Tiāndào) is the “Way of Heaven,” the natural, cosmic law governing the universe. 轮回 (lúnhuí) is “samsara,” the cycle of death and rebirth. Together, it refers to the belief that all beings are subject to a cycle of reincarnation governed by cosmic law and karmic justice.
- 虎儿 | Hǔ’ér | “Little Tiger.” An affectionate name for the tiger. The character “虎” (hǔ) means “tiger,” and the suffix “兒” (-er) is a diminutive used to express fondness, similar to calling a pet “Tiger-y” or “My little tiger.”
- 虐 | nüè | Literally means “to abuse,” “cruel,” or “torment.” In the context of modern Chinese webnovels and fan communities, “虐” (nüè) is a genre tag used to describe stories or scenes that are emotionally painful, heartbreaking, or filled with suffering for the characters (and by extension, the reader). It is the direct equivalent of “angst” in English-speaking fandoms.
- 順氣 | shùn qì | Literally “to smooth the qi/breath.” In Traditional Chinese Medicine and culture, “氣” (qì) is the vital life force or energy that flows through the body. An agitated or upset emotional state is believed to disrupt or block this flow. Therefore, “順氣” means to calm down, regulate one’s emotions, and restore inner peace so that the qi can flow smoothly again.
I love the imagery here, really well done by the author and translator. Thank you for translating this series!!
I love the imagery here, really well done by the author and translator. Thank you for translating this series!!
Pleaaaase let her come back already, I need to see them together.
Thanks for the chapter!
Pleaaaase let her come back already, I need to see them together.
Thanks for the chapter!
So is she still alive? Qin qin.. 😭
Wonder where she’s been and what she’s been doing, also hope the other shadow guards aren’t dead.
Thanks for the chapter!
Huhuhu, find your wife now and thank you for the chapter!
So is she still alive? Qin qin.. 😭
Wonder where she’s been and what she’s been doing, also hope the other shadow guards aren’t dead.
Thanks for the chapter!
Huhuhu, find your wife now and thank you for the chapter!