The Princess’ Shadow Guard – Chapter 17

On Strength, Shadow Guards are the Strongest

When Ming Qin arrived, she smelled a sour odor in the room and saw Murong Yan lying on the bed, covered in cold sweat and looking uncomfortable.

“Oh no!”

Ming Qin touched the woman’s forehead and felt an abnormal warmth. She quickly carried her onto the bed and found a towel and cold water to gently wipe her forehead.

Looking at Murong Yan trembling all over, with an unnatural blush on her cheeks, Ming Qin regretted not coming earlier. Seeing that it was already late outside, she felt anxious and put down the towel, intending to go out to find medicine.

“Ah Qin… Ah Qin,” the woman weakly called out from the bed.

Ming Qin quickly approached and said, “I’m here, I’m here.”

“Don’t go, Ah Qin,” Murong Yan weakly held onto the sleeve of the person in front of her.

“But… the medicine?” Ming Qin hesitated as she looked at the woman gripping her hand and glanced outside the window.

Murong Yan struggled to open her eyes, her eye sockets slightly red. “Stay with me, Ah Qin, okay?”

The tender and pitiful sight before her made Ming Qin unable to bear it. She could only nod slightly and remove her prosthetic limb, tucking her in the blanket once again.

The woman closed her eyes again, relieved that Ming Qin agreed, and drifted back into a deep sleep.

Knowing that Murong Yan was particular about cleanliness, Ming Qin swiftly tidied up the room, opened the windows for fresh air, and periodically replaced the cool towel on her forehead.

After about four hours, Murong Yan gradually stopped sweating and slowly woke up.

Ming Qin gently lifted Murong Yan’s neck and patiently fed her water.

Droplets of water fell from the woman’s lips, trickling down her slender neck and seeping into the clothing that covered her collarbone.

Using her thumb to wipe away the watermarks, Ming Qin waited for Murong Yan to regain her senses before anxiously asking, “What happened all of a sudden? Weren’t you fine yesterday?”

Murong Yan had a calm expression, with a hint of disgust concealed in her tone, as she casually replied, “Just encountered a disgusting snake.”

Seeing Ming Qin attentively scanning the surroundings, she pursed her lips and added, “Don’t worry, the snake is gone.”

Only after hearing this did Ming Qin relax and look at Murong Yan, speaking frankly, “Next time you encounter a snake, let me know, and I’ll help you crush it.” It was as if she was talking about something extremely easy.

Upon hearing Ming Qin’s words, Murong Yan, whose face had been gloomy all day, couldn’t help but burst into laughter. She felt warmth in her heart and then curiously asked, “Ah Qin, just how strong is your martial arts in this capital city?”

There was no doubt in her mind about Ming Qin’s ability to effortlessly climb up the Cangyue Tower, but she didn’t know how she compared to other people in the capital city.

“Very strong,” Ming Qin answered without hesitation, then tilted her head in thought. “In terms of martial prowess, I am the strongest among the Shadow Guards.”

Although her master had once berated her, comparing her to a stupid donkey with a straight face, and even said her brain was smaller than chicken droppings when teaching her military strategies, those were words only spoken in the context of the martial field.

During sparring sessions in the training grounds, her master always said she was a natural hunter, with a keen sense of danger like a wild wolf and a berserk fearlessness like a grizzly bear.

If she got too immersed, she would unknowingly beat her colleagues mercilessly, leaving them wailing in pain.

In the camp, unfamiliar junior disciples would even avoid her.

“If we’re talking about the top experts in the whole capital city,” Ming Qin pondered, then cautiously said, “Probably on par with General Xiao He of the Crown Prince’s Guard and Commander Luo Jun of the Forbidden Army.”

She had once accompanied her master to the palace and caught a glimpse of the two. Ming Qin, with her animalistic intuition, rarely felt a chilling sensation from the depths of her heart, which excited her greatly.

If she had the chance to spar with the two at full strength, it would undoubtedly be a life-and-death battle on the line. Just thinking about it, Ming Qin couldn’t help but feel a surge of battle fervor.

Murong Yan couldn’t hide her surprise upon hearing this.

Setting aside Commander Luo Jun of the Forbidden Army for now, Murong Yan knew well the strength of Xiao He, the lackey of the Crown Prince. It truly astonished her that Ming Qin, at such a young age, possessed equal combat prowess to him.

“However, if we’re talking about Qinggong,” Ming Qin said with a somewhat childish smile of pride, “In the whole capital city, Ming Qin is the top.”

Murong Yan couldn’t help but burst into laughter at the sight of her expression, causing Ming Qin to grow a bit anxious. “It’s true! My Qinggong skills are considered the strongest among my senior brothers and sisters!” Not just anyone can freely come and go on this slippery Cangyue Tower, carrying a food box.

“Okay, okay, I know, Ah Qin is very strong,” Murong Yan said, half consoling and half laughing.

She was feeling somewhat pleased now, and her body felt much better.

The sky gradually turned a pale fish belly white. Ming Qin felt guilty as she fidgeted with her fingers. “I have to go. The Eleventh Prince is waiting for me.”

“I know, go quickly,” Murong Yan reassured her with a pat on Ming Qin’s leg, her eyes indicating that she was already fine.

“I’ll come back later,” Ming Qin said, still somewhat worried. But after glancing at the sky, she gritted her teeth and hurriedly left.

Once Ming Qin was gone, Murong Yan breathed a sigh of relief and called someone to assist her in bathing and changing clothes.

Her sweat had soaked through her clothes, and the cold, sticky sensation bothered her greatly.

Sitting in the bathtub, Murong Yan looked at the flower petals floating on the water’s surface.

She wondered if Ming Qin had smelled her sweat just now, and she pondered with a troubled expression as the steam rose from the water.

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“You’re late,” the Eleventh Prince questioned Ming Qin, crossing his arms, at the corner gate of the Imperial Academy.

“I apologize,” Ming Qin looked at the boy whose height didn’t even reach her chest but had an old-fashioned demeanor, and obediently bowed in apology.

“For today’s lunch, you’re exempted,” Murong Wan turned his head, secretly observing the woman’s reaction.

As if struck by lightning on a clear day, Ming Qin lowered her head, revealing a pitiful gaze.

Murong Wan spoke slowly, “Unless…”

Ming Qin hadn’t eaten breakfast today and didn’t have time to buy lunch. As soon as she heard there was a chance, she immediately asked, “Unless what?”

Murong Wan cleared his throat a few times, “Unless… you accompany me to the palace to meet Father.”

Seeing Ming Qin’s puzzled expression, he hurriedly added, “Of course, I will go in by myself, but can you wait for me outside? This is the first time Father has summoned me alone…”

Murong Wan nervously tugged at his sleeve.

“Alright!” Ming Qin readily agreed when she realized it wasn’t a difficult task.

The boy quietly breathed a sigh of relief, “Then it’s settled!”

So, after school in the afternoon, Ming Qin followed Murong Wan back to the palace. When Murong Wan entered the study, she waited outside on the roof, bored, while dangling her feet.

As she pondered whether the clouds in the sky resembled roast duck or roast goose, she suddenly caught a faint rustling sound by her ears.

“…What are they up to?”

“…Blaming the Crown Prince…”

Two men in the distance spoke in hushed voices.

Ming Qin paused for a moment, then quietly approached, holding her breath to listen carefully.

“…How can I explain this to the Crown Prince?” an armored guard said anxiously.

A eunuch beside him nervously wiped his sweat with a handkerchief and explained, “…The Emperor’s shadow guards are always by his side, so it’s quite difficult to make any moves inside the palace.”

“All the silver the Crown Prince spent on you lot was wasted. Useless bunch,” the guard’s tone carried some irritation.

“Why is the Crown Prince suddenly so anxious?” the eunuch was puzzled. “The Emperor’s health is deteriorating… it’s likely that his ascension to the throne is imminent.”

“Hush! Lower your voice.”

The guard made a shushing gesture, warily looking around, afraid of being heard uttering such disrespectful words. Then he spoke in a low voice, “The Crown Prince had a major outburst yesterday and was fixated on the progress inside the palace.” He pointed to the bruise on his face.

The eunuch sympathetically remarked, “It must be exhausting for you to follow the moody Crown Prince.”

“Yes, yesterday he seemed ready to devour someone, but today he suddenly became happy and started selecting birthday gifts,” the guard said helplessly.

“Oh? Whose birthday is it? It must be someone important for the Crown Prince to be so concerned,” the eunuch curiously asked.

“You entered the palace only three years ago, so you wouldn’t know,” the guard replied matter-of-factly. “The Crown Prince is naturally most concerned about Princess Chongwen.”

After the two parted ways, Ming Qin turned and walked towards the study.

She heard their conversation clearly, and she wasn’t surprised that the Crown Prince was making moves within the palace.

With her master’s wife and other shadow guards taking turns to watch over Him, Ming Qin wasn’t really worried.

There was another thing mentioned by the two individuals that caught Ming Qin’s attention.

“Ming Qin!” Murong Wan exited the study and ran towards her, bouncing and skipping, interrupting Ming Qin’s thoughts.

It wasn’t until they were close that Murong Wan hurriedly halted his steps and composed himself, trying hard to suppress the corners of his mouth that were threatening to curl up.

“Eleventh Prince, what did the Emperor say to you?” Ming Qin asked with concern.

“Father asked about my performance at the academy and praised me,” Murong Wan said with a straight face, but there was an unmistakable pride in his tone that he couldn’t hide.

Ming Qin smiled and patted the boy’s shoulder. “That’s wonderful! The Emperor must be proud of you.”

Murong Wan, as if avoiding Ming Qin’s hand, took a few steps forward, almost running. “Naturally,” he said with an air of entitlement.

However, with his back turned to the woman behind him, the petite boy didn’t let her see the slight redness in his eyes.

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The author has something to say:

Regarding the sensitive review mechanism of this green app, I’ve thought of a solution after careful consideration.

In the story, of course, the characters won’t be racing on highways in a flashy manner (I’m not a race car driver either), but maybe some toy cars.

Because, to be honest, the character development of these two protagonists is full of tension regardless of what they do, and I really enjoy describing the details.

It’s very likely that even if I only write about the area above the neck, this green app will still make a fuss.

If the toy car’s tires are still locked, I’ll see if I can make some deletions in the main text.

Then I’ll ask everyone to leave comments on that chapter, and I’ll post some small details in the comments section.

This way, it can better ensure everyone’s reading experience.

This is the best method I can come up with for now. However, I’m not entirely sure if it will work. (If it really doesn’t work, I’ll have to switch platforms (crying))

I’ll trouble everyone with that when the time comes.

P.S. Can you guess what the next chapter will be about? It’s probably going to be a bit sweet.

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LP: Re-translated on January 15, 2024.

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