The Power of a Young Person’s Direct Approach
On the second day of the Lunar New Year, a few retired Shadow Guards visited their master’s house to pay their respects and have a reunion dinner together.
Due to their assignments, Lin Yan and Cao Yun were absent, leaving only Song Shuqing, who was familiar with Ming Qin.
Although the food prepared by her master’s wife paled in comparison to the meal she had at Murong Yan’s place, Ming Qin, who cherished every blessing, ate it without showing any dissatisfaction.
After finishing her own portion, she even ate Song Shuqing’s share, burping contentedly as she stood in the courtyard, watching her senior sister and master playing Go.
“Ming Qin, after the New Year, there will be a new mission for you,” said the master, his white Go piece in hand, casually rolling up his sleeve.
“Will I have to leave the capital again?” Ming Qin approached the Go board.
After making a move, He Jingshou touched his beard and said, “No, it’s not that. It’s the task of protecting the eleventh prince on a daily basis.”
Protecting a prince within the palace? Ming Qin scratched her head in confusion.
Previously, most of the assignments given to her involved delivering messages or carrying out covert assassinations outside the city. Her master was always concerned that if she entered the palace, she might accidentally offend someone of high status. Therefore, he had always entrusted palace tasks to his wife or Cao Yun.
Even if she went through the entire rotation of the Shadow Guard camp, she never expected to suddenly be given the responsibility of protecting an imperial heir today.
“This is the Emperor’s intention,” He Jingshou said while continuing to make moves on the Go board. “The Eleventh Prince is ten years old, and from the sixth day of the New Year onward, he will begin his studies at the Imperial Academy. Your new task is to protect the prince in secret.”
Seeing Ming Qin still somewhat puzzled, He Jingshou cast a sideways glance and said, “Rest assured, when I say ‘daily,’ it actually means only half a day. It won’t hinder you from meeting the County Princess.”
The Emperor had no intention of taking away the affection of the esteemed Chongwen County Princess. He also didn’t want to receive another letter from the princess, seemingly gentle in words but filled with underlying threats.
“Oh no!”
He Jingshou exclaimed in shock, his face filled with frustration as he held his head, wanting to move a piece on the Go board.
Looking at the old man’s downcast face across from her, Song Shuqing said with a beaming smile, “Still distracted, Master? A true man never loses from the beginning.” She made her move while speaking.
He Jingshou, seeing the inevitable defeat, wore a helpless expression. “I shouldn’t have taught you how to play Go in the first place. I shouldn’t have been called a true man.”
“Don’t say that, Master. Besides me, who else can you play Go with… right, Qin Qin?” Song Shuqing looked at Ming Qin standing beside her.
Ming Qin nodded honestly and straightforwardly said, “After all, everyone says that Master is a terrible Go player. Only Senior Sister is willing to play with Master.”
“You… you all…!” He Jingshou fumed, blowing his mustache and glaring at the playful and smiling Song Shuqing and the straightforward Ming Qin, unsure who to vent his anger on.
Song Shuqing extended her hand with a bright smile, “Master, this marks your one hundred and fourteenth loss against me. May you accept defeat gracefully.”
He Jingshou looked around, reluctantly took out a bag of coins, and handed it to Song Shuqing with a resentful expression. “…Please don’t tell my wife about this.”
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“Absolutely, I won’t say a word.” Song Shuqing weighed the bag in her hand, wearing a satisfied expression. Then she turned to Ming Qin and said, “Qin Qin, care to play a game with Senior Sister? It’s been a while since we played Go together.”
Ming Qin vigorously shook her head, “No, no.”
Although she had decent Go skills, she relied mostly on intuition and seldom calculated variations.
However, Song Shuqing excelled at multi-faceted calculations, taking unconventional approaches to create complex situations on the Go board. Whenever her opponent showed the slightest carelessness and exposed a weakness, she would pounce on it like a rabid dog.
Playing Go against Song Shuqing was always a painful and mentally exhausting process for Ming Qin. Moreover, she never managed to gain any advantage. It was the Lunar New Year, and she didn’t want to end up losing her money just like that.
According to Senior Sister’s claims, winning against her in a game of Go was as easy as “a piece of cake.”
Although Ming Qin didn’t fully understand Senior Sister’s nonsense, she guessed that Senior Sister probably meant it was effortless to devour her in a single move during a game of Go.
“Sigh, how boring.”
Song Shuqing absentmindedly toyed with the black piece in her hand, and her eyes lit up when she suddenly noticed the pomegranate stone earring on Ming Qin’s right ear. “Huh! Qin Qin, why are you suddenly wearing an earring? And the craftsmanship and color… it must be quite valuable.”
“This was given to me by the County Princess,” Ming Qin instinctively touched her earlobe. “Is this earring really that expensive? Perhaps I should return it to the County Princess.”
Song Shuqing inwardly chuckled upon hearing this. She glanced sideways at He Jingshou, who had a meaningful smile on her face, leaving him slightly puzzled by the look.
Seeing her clueless master, who didn’t understand the implication, Song Shuqing sighed and turned back to pat Ming Qin’s shoulder, saying, “Since it was a gift from the County Princess, there’s no reason to take it back. Just keep it safe.”
“But…” Ming Qin still hesitated.
“The County Princess is of noble status, accustomed to seeing gold, silver, and precious jewels. Compared to valuable gifts, I believe there are other things that the County Princess cares about more, right?” Song Shuqing spoke slowly, observing Ming Qin’s expression while subtly guiding her.
“Now that you mention it, Senior Sister, I should give the County Princess some rare and interesting trinkets!” Ming Qin suddenly clapped her hands as if a light bulb had lit up in her mind.
“What do you think about… crickets?”
He Jingshou, sipping his tea, was taken aback by Ming Qin’s words and choked, spewing a few drops of tea from his mouth. He coughed awkwardly.
Song Shuqing held her forehead, her expression speechless for a moment. She sighed and said, “If you bring crickets to me, I’ll squash you against the wall first, let alone the County Princess.”
“The County Princess isn’t as malicious as Senior Sister, you know,” Ming Qin retorted. Then she hugged her head in distress and said, “But what should I give the County Princess after all?”
He Jingshou, fearing that his young disciple might actually give crickets to the County Princess, was about to speak up when Ming Qin was called by the mistress in the kitchen to help.
Watching Ming Qin’s figure disappear, He Jingshou dryly said to Song Shuqing, “I think I understand what you mean now. The County Princess indeed has it tough.”
“Yeah,” Song Shuqing said with some sympathy. “Although Ming Qin is our precious little egg, she can be quite foolish in certain matters. Yet she managed to gain the favor of the County Princess. Is this the power of a straightforward attack?”
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Although He Jingshou didn’t fully grasp the meaning of the last sentence, he remained silent, indicating his agreement.
It wasn’t until the fifth day of the Lunar New Year that Ming Qin saw Murong Yan again.
Her hands were filled with a food container, packed to the brim with various delicacies. Ming Qin took them out one by one and placed them on the table.
“This is Li Dama’s1 homemade peanut brittle. She secretly slipped it to me when we went to the market today.”
Ming Qin introduced the treats to Murong Yan as if presenting treasures. Then she took out a cloth pouch embroidered with orchids and opened it. “This one is the rice candy given to me by Miss Jiang. Wow! Miss Jiang’s embroidery skills are amazing.”
Ming Qin didn’t notice the tightly pressed lips of Murong Yan and continued excitedly, “And this is the scallion pancake from Brother Fang. The sesame on top is so fragrant! Hurry up and have some while it’s hot.”
She handed her a piece of scallion pancake wrapped in oil paper, emitting a delightful fragrance. However, Murong Yan did not accept it. She simply looked at Ming Qin with an expressionless face.
“What’s wrong?” Ming Qin grew worried, observing the woman’s unusual behavior.
Unexpectedly, Murong Yan suddenly smiled and said, “Ah Qin, you really know how to charm people. Otherwise, why would so many people give you snacks?”
“Yeah! They are all very kind to me,” Ming Qin replied sincerely.
“Ah Qin, you have such a hearty appetite!” Murong Yan’s smile grew even more radiant upon hearing her words. “Perhaps anyone who meets Ah Qin instantly becomes Ah Qin’s friend.”
Despite Murong Yan’s smiling expression, her tone remained cold. Oblivious to this, the bold Ming Qin explained, “It’s not like anyone can become my friend. Those scoundrels in the market, for example, are not my friends.”
Thinking about it, Ming Qin spoke in a somewhat indignant manner, “There was a group of ruffians who always caused trouble in the market. They targeted Li Dama because she’s a widow with a thriving business, constantly threatening her for money. And they would harass Miss Jiang because she’s beautiful. I gave them a good beating!”
Murong Yan’s expression remained devoid of emotion as she asked in a detached manner, “This Miss Jiang is beautiful?”
Caught off guard by this sudden question while still feeling annoyed, Ming Qin tilted her head in thought and replied, “Miss Jiang is quite pretty, but not as beautiful as Senior Sister, nor as beautiful as you.”
Finally, Murong Yan’s complexion warmed slightly as she adjusted her sleeves. “Is that so? And how did you get to know Brother Fang?”
“During the market commotion, I happened to pass by and saved Brother Fang’s son. I also calmed down the startled horse.”
Speaking of this, Ming Qin grew angry again and said, “In the end, are the officials in the capital just eating rice? They don’t care about the safety and well-being of the people. They’re only busy taking sides and acting like dogs for the Crown Prince. It’s truly absurd! The next time I see them, watch as I give them a piece of my mind!”
Murong Yan watched Ming Qin’s frustrated face and relaxed her tightly pursed lips. She spoke softly to console her, “Ah Qin, don’t get so worked up. It’s bad for your liver.” She picked up a piece of peanut brittle and slowly started eating it.
“Oh, by the way! I have to accompany the Eleventh Prince to the Imperial Academy to study starting tomorrow. I’ll only be able to come find you after the Rooster Hour(After 7PM),” Ming Qin said to Murong Yan while chewing the scallion pancake.
“The Eleventh Prince?” Murong Yan repeated, her expression seemingly lost in reminiscence.
She had seen him once when he was still a baby.
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“I heard that the mother of the Eleventh Prince passed away three years after giving birth to him. Since he didn’t have any maternal family to take care of him, he barely survived on his own in the harem,” Ming Qin said, swallowing what was in her mouth.
“Blessings and misfortunes are intertwined.”
Murong Yan said with a touch of bitterness, “If his mother hadn’t come from a humble background and posed no threat, they wouldn’t have let him live like that.” Her voice was weak, tinged with a hint of emotion. “Now he has managed to live safely to the age of going to the Imperial Academy.”
“I will fulfill my duty as a guard.” Seeing Murong Yan lost in her thoughts, Ming Qin thought she was worried about the safety of the Eleventh Prince and reassured her with those words.
Watching Ming Qin’s earnest expression, Murong Yan snapped back to reality and smiled gently. “I know,” she said, extending her hands. “Ah Qin, come here.”
Ming Qin reached out and embraced Murong Yan, her hands gently stroking Murong Yan’s slender back. “Tired? Shall we go to bed?”
The woman shook her head and leaned her head against Ming Qin’s neck. Ming Qin lowered her head and could see a black knot tied on a hairpin, hanging amidst her silver-threaded long hair. “I’ll be fine in a little while. Let me rest.”
Ming Qin didn’t say anything, just continued to pat her gently.
LP: Re-translate on January 10, 2024.
Footnotes
- “Dama” is a term of respect and familiarity used to address an older woman. It is a Chinese term derived from the combination of “Da” (大), meaning “big” or “older,” and “Ma” (妈), meaning “mother” or “woman.”