The Princess’ Shadow Guard – Chapter 19

Assassination of the Princess Consort of Prince Yu

Ming Qin’s entire spring was exceptionally delightful, leading to a scorching summer where the deafening cicada songs persisted, yet she remained radiant.

Murong Wan felt a bit awkward, but he was an easy person to get along with, a good child. Her master and senior brothers were incredibly busy and didn’t have time to lecture her, and the rogues and ruffians in the market no longer harassed the vendors.

The best part of it all was Murong Yan!

Not only did she always share her food box with Ming Qin, but she would also pat her head and allow her to rest on her lap for a nap.

No matter what was said, whenever Ming Qin came back to her senses, she would find Murong Yan smiling gently at her. If she had any worries, Murong Yan would patiently provide advice.

Recently, she heard that whenever she played Go with her senior sister, she would always lose. But this time, Murong Yan personally went through Go records with her, allowing her to finally win against her unsuspecting senior sister.

“Hey, you have a backing now, so you dare to bully your senior sister?” Song Shuqing raised an eyebrow and asked.

“This doesn’t count as bullying!” Ming Qin laughed triumphantly, then exclaimed in surprise, “The princess is truly amazing. She predicted every move that senior sister would make.”

Song Shuqing snorted, “You little thing who forgets your senior sister for a pretty face, next time I won’t let you win so easily.”

Although she always underestimated Qinqin’s Go skills and was caught off guard this time, the Chongwen Princess, merely by analyzing the game with Qinqin, was able to grasp her habits, see through winning opportunities, and it was truly astonishing.

“Good Qinqin, when are you going to introduce me to the Chongwen Princess?” Song Shuqing propped her head up and asked.

Ming Qin looked at her cautiously and nervously said, “Senior sister, what do you want to do? I’m telling you, you can’t bully the princess, okay?”

Song Shuqing exaggeratedly sighed, “Qinqin, this heartless little one, forgets about her senior sister once she has a beauty by her side. I’ll go play Go with the princess. Who would dare to bully her then?” She pointed to her slender arm, expressing her vulnerability.

Moreover, only her silly junior sister would think that the Chongwen Princess was harmless.

This is what they call having a 『built-in filter』, right?

“Oh, right! Tomorrow, the Imperial Academy is having a school event. Our master wants you to secretly enter the palace and serve as a guard for the eleventh prince,” Song Shuqing mentioned the main matter. She put away her smile and her expression turned serious. “After that, there’s another task. I won’t be in the capital, so I’ll have to entrust it to you. The prince’s security will be temporarily handled by Cao Yun.”

“Why suddenly enter the palace? Is there something important?” Ming Qin asked, puzzled.

Song Shuqing hesitated, as if she had something to say, but then she just shook her head and said, “Be cautious tomorrow. If you encounter the Crown Prince, remember to be careful and, above all, don’t act impulsively. Think twice before taking any action.”

The next day, with her face covered, Ming Qin saw her master’s wife, Gu Yun, whom she hadn’t seen in a long time, on the beams of the study.

Master’s wife revealed her smiling eyes, with faint crow’s feet, and happily waved at Ming Qin.

Ming Qin also waved back with a smile, as if it was not surprising at all to see her master’s wife here.

As a member of the Shadow Guards, Gu Yun was not only skilled in poison but also proficient in hidden weapons. She often accompanied the Emperor, responsible for covertly protecting him.

The two of them silently communicated on the beams, with gestures and movements, while below, the Emperor interacted with the eleventh prince in a friendly manner, just like an ordinary father caring about his son’s studies. The atmosphere was harmonious.

After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Ming Qin heard some commotion outside, and instantly her spine straightened.

Gu Yun’s eyes also became alert, her hand reaching into her sleeve to retrieve a hidden weapon, as if she was ready at any moment.

“The Crown Prince has arrived!” the eunuch at the door shouted.

After a while, two figures slowly walked in.

The young man at the forefront, who could barely be described as handsome, had a pale complexion without a trace of color. A jade hairpin adorned his jet-black hair, and a crown with embedded jade rested neatly on his head. His purple robe was embroidered with golden threads depicting nine dragons, and he entered the room with a dignified posture and an arrogant demeanor.

The man following behind wore armor, with a scar stretching from his forehead to his jaw, crossing his left cheek. He silently trailed half a step behind the young man.

Upon entering the study, neither of them paid their respects to the Emperor seated on the dragon throne. They simply stood there, their gazes absent-mindedly drifting.

A heavy silence hung in the air, making the young and still inexperienced Murong Wan nervously swallow.

After a while, Murong Xiao, seemingly bored, spoke up in a soft yet sticky voice, “Father, what brings you the rare occasion of summoning me today?”

His voice was gentle but cloying.

“Crown Prince, your eighth brother in Qiongzhou, has died,” the Emperor stared at Murong Xiao as he slowly spoke, as if struggling to extract a trace of guilt from his own child’s face.

“Is that so? It’s truly heartbreaking,” Murong Xiao pretended to be surprised, placing a hand over his heart, but there was a faint smirk at the corner of his mouth as he lightly said, “But how did the eighth brother end up in Qiongzhou?”

“Why he was sent to Qiongzhou, aren’t you well aware of that?” the Emperor gritted his teeth, forcibly suppressing his anger.

Seeing the facade of indifference on his son’s face, the aging Emperor felt only a chilling emptiness. Finally unable to hold back, he angrily rebuked, “You have gone too far in your pursuit of what you desire!”

“Too far?” Murong Xiao stared at the Emperor like a venomous snake eyeing its prey, coldly asking, “Is it far enough for Father to decide to give me what rightfully belongs to me?”

“When you ordered someone to kill the Princess Consort of Prince Yu eleven years ago,” the Emperor’s gaze filled with sorrow as if witnessing a heart-wrenching scene. He breathed slightly heavily and continued, “It was destined that you would never obtain what you desire.”

On the beam, Ming Qin’s suppressed breath became slightly chaotic upon hearing this. She tightened her grip on the sword in her hand.

Below the beams, Murong Xiao stared at the Emperor with widened eyes, as if his father had said something absurd and laughable. He exclaimed loudly, “If I didn’t kill the Princess Consort of Prince Yu and let my sister observe mourning, wouldn’t you have betrothed her to someone else, Father?”

Then, Murong Xiao’s expression darkened, his eyes filled with shadows. Through gritted teeth, he uttered each word with venom, “I pleaded with you, begged you to give me my sister, but you always refused. It forced me to resort to such means, to imprison my sister, to make her hate me.”

His voice grew increasingly impassioned.

Upon hearing the Crown Prince’s words, Ming Qin’s pupils trembled. The repressed killing intent within her seemed ready to burst forth, but she met her master’s wife’s restraining gaze and could only grit her teeth to suppress it.

“You madman!” The Emperor slammed the table, his entire body trembling. He coughed with agitation.

Murong Xiao laughed, completely indifferent to the Emperor’s accusation. It was as if he had thought of his greatest masterpiece. His eyes reddened, filled with excitement and madness. “But soon, it will happen.”

Approaching the dragon throne and caressing it, Murong Xiao had a satisfied expression on his face. His voice was cold and sticky as he said, “I will soon become the most esteemed person in the world. Naturally, no one can stop me anymore, right, Father?”

He reached out his hand, intending to touch the Emperor’s reddened neck from coughing.

『Clang!』

Suddenly, a piercing sound of metal collision rang out as the man behind the Crown Prince drew his sword and deflected the small knife aimed at Murong Xiao’s hand from above. The knife deviated from its trajectory and lodged itself halfway into the wooden table, its poisoned blade emitting an eerie purple hue.

The man holding the sword stood protectively behind the Crown Prince, his gaze fixated on the beam where Gu Yun was hiding.

“Calm down, Xiao He,” even in the tense atmosphere, Murong Xiao’s voice remained cold, devoid of warmth. “They wouldn’t dare to kill me.”

Murong Xiao leisurely stepped backward, then suddenly turned around, revealing a discordant smile. “Seeing Father today brings me great joy.”

He paused for a moment, then cracked a chilling smile that reached his ears. “To witness Father’s impending demise, I am truly exhilarated beyond measure.”

Throughout the encounter, Murong Wan, who was trembling slightly in the corner, was never looked at.

Once Murong Xiao and Xiao He left, the Emperor slumped back against the chair as if relieved of a burden, appearing inexplicably aged and weary.

He softly comforted Murong Wan a few times, mustering his strength until the boy had left. Then, the Emperor wearily rested against a soft pillow, closing his eyes to regain his energy.

After a while, He Jingshou and Gu Yun suddenly appeared by the Emperor’s side. The man respectfully spoke, “Your Majesty, why do you subject yourself to such unnecessary suffering?”

The Emperor remained with his eyes closed, not responding, and then he spoke, “Do you think your disciple will inform Chongwen about what she heard today?”

He Jingshou and Gu Yun exchanged glances, somewhat uncertain. He Jingshou replied, “The depth of the relationship between the Princess and Ming Qin is unclear to me, so I cannot be certain.”

“If we can deepen Chongwen’s hatred towards the Crown Prince, then our plan will have an extra layer of assurance,” the Emperor said, followed by a hollow cough. “Will you blame me for manipulating your disciples?”

“We dare not.” He Jingshou and Gu Yun hastily kneeled. “Everything is for the greater cause.”

The author has something to say:

Regarding the CP (couple pairing) involving Senior Sister, I think it will indeed exist. Currently, I plan to include it as a short side story.

After all, she is the best support for the donkey-headed shadow guard and paranoid Princess, making for a fantastic resolution.

LP: Re-translated on January 28, 2024