I Thought We Were Friends
After the Double Ninth Festival, Ming Qin, in addition to pastries, gradually brought Wang Ji’s meatballs, Tingyu Ge’s steamed buns, and Nanjie Wangye’s sesame pancakes for Murong Yan.
During the ten-day break, she went to Cangyue Tower for seven days.
She noticed that the young shadow guard suddenly appeared at the window, but Murong Yan didn’t seem annoyed. She calmly took the things from her hand without saying a word.
Watching Murong Yan delicately tasting her food with chopsticks, Ming Qin could only stand at a distance with her hands behind her back, hoping to discern some different expressions from her indifferent face.
After observing her for these few days, Ming Qin discovered that Murong Yan likes sweet flavors but dislikes spicy ones. She prefers vegetarian dishes compared to meat dishes.
If she encounters a food she likes, she would squint her eyes as if enjoying the moment.
If the food is too spicy, she would stick out a small part of her tongue against her upper lip, and the corners of her eyes would turn red.
When she eats something that doesn’t suit her taste, she would calmly put down her chopsticks and silently drink tea.
At noon, Ming Qin walked out of the room, thinking about what kind of food she should bring for the princess before leaving the capital for a mission tomorrow.
Her senior martial brother, Lin Yan, walked towards her along the corridor, followed by her senior martial sister, Song Shuqing. The two of them brightened up when they saw Ming Qin, and Lin Yan patted her shoulder and asked, “Qin Qin, are you going out?”
Ming Qin nodded, but before she could speak, Song Shuqing shouted, “Qin Qin, you’ve grown up and don’t play with us anymore. During the Double Ninth Festival a few days ago, our Master said we would go to Tingyu Ge together for a meal, and you were late!”
Her exaggerated expression seemed as if the sky would collapse in the next moment.
Ming Qin seemed accustomed to it already and just smiled as she asked, “So, where are you senior martial brother and sister going today?”
Lin Yan replied, “I made an appointment with our Master to go to a restaurant for a small drink. As for your senior martial sister…” He paused, his expression showing disgust as if he remembered something unpleasant.
“To the Flower Street, Flower Street! Qin Qin, do you want to come along?” Song Shuqing continued loudly, turning her head to ask Ming Qin.
“Don’t even think about corrupting Ming Qin! What’s a young girl like her doing at the Flower Street?” Lin Yan’s stomach churned at the thought of the absurd things Song Shuqing had done in the past.
“What’s wrong with the Flower Street? The girls there are fragrant and delicate, and their guqin playing is enchanting.”
Song Shuqing’s tone was unabashed and unashamed, instead she looked at Lin Yan with disdain. “You old fossils with your conservative thinking. I bet you’ve been there plenty of times too, haven’t you? What? Men are allowed to go to the Flower Street to listen to music, but women aren’t? Do you understand women’s rights?”
“What nonsense are you talking about again?” Lin Yan’s head throbbed from her peculiar logic. “And what on earth is ‘female spring’?”1
(Originally translated on littlepandatranslations.com, let's go!)
Having grown accustomed to Lin Yan’s nagging and Song Shuqing’s ramblings, Ming Qin had no desire to get involved in their war of words. As she hurriedly walked towards the camp gate, Lin Yan turned to give her instructions. “Ming Qin, don’t stay out too late playing around. Tomorrow morning, you have to set off to meet Cao Yun.”
Ming Qin nodded to indicate that she remembered, while Lin Yan turned back and immersed himself in a heated debate with Song Shuqing.
Being a shadow guard was extremely risky, with a significant casualty rate.
Among the disciples whom the Master had brought up in the past ten years, only senior martial brothers Lin Yan, Cao Yun, and senior martial sister Song Shuqing, along with Ming Qin, were of similar level and still alive.
The four of them cherished each other and treated Ming Qin, the youngest among them, like a little sister.
During their leisure time, they would occasionally play flower cards together. Straightforward Ming Qin could never outwit the cunning Lin Yan and Song Shuqing, so she could only retaliate during martial arts sparring. When their missions were completed and they had a long break, Lin Yan and Song Shuqing would often take their rewards and go to “Xiaoyao Kuaihuo”2 for some enjoyment.
Ming Qin had followed along a few times when her senior martial brother went out drinking, and she would join in as well. However, she didn’t enjoy it much because the alcohol was bitter and spicy, leaving her feeling dizzy and heavy-headed.
She had also accompanied her senior martial sister to the Flower Street to listen to people playing the guqin, but the melodic tunes made her feel drowsy.
Although her senior martial sister told her not to only focus on the music, she tried diverting her attention to the peanuts on the table. However, whether they had been stored for too long or not, they were soft and lacked any delicious flavor. They were terribly unappetizing.
The restaurants and the Flower Street, where was the joy to be found?
She didn’t like them at all.
Ming Qin gazed at the vendor selling sticky rice dumplings. The various soft and chewy spheres had just been taken out of the steamer and were skewered on bamboo sticks, drizzled with golden osmanthus honey that shimmered with a radiant glow. They were incredibly enticing.
Before she knew it, she found herself holding three skewers of halved bamboo tubes filled with sticky rice dumplings.
Imagining the scene of the princess squinting her eyes while savoring the dumplings, Ming Qin eagerly headed towards the Cangyue Tower. Compared to the restaurants and the Flower Street, this was where she truly found joy.
As she stepped onto the window platform, what caught Ming Qin’s eyes was the figure of the princess sleeping on the couch.
Her hair was disheveled, her body curled up, and she was draped in a thick fox fur. Even so, her frail body trembled in the cold wind that blew in.
Several ancient classics were scattered under the couch, their pages visibly creased, to the extent that it would give renowned collectors a heart attack.
Ming Qin quietly set down the sticky rice dumplings and gently closed the window behind the princess.
As she was about to leave, she hesitated once again.
After a moment’s pause, Ming Qin turned back and added some charcoal to the brazier next to the tea table. Despite being top-quality silver thread charcoal, it still made a faint crackling sound when being moved.
The sudden disturbance in the silence startled the sleeping princess. Ming Qin nervously met the princess’s open eyes and was about to apologize, but the princess waved her hand dismissively and rubbed her temples, sitting up.
Ming Qin boiled some water and took the tea leaves from the tea table, imitating Murong Yan’s brewing method to make a cup of tea. She presented it to the princess in an attempt to please her.
Murong Yan, who had just woken up, remained silent. After regaining her composure, she took a sip of the tea handed to her by Ming Qin.
But as soon as it touched her lips, she spat it out.
“Are you trying to poison me?”
Ming Qin was startled and hurriedly clarified, “No! I really didn’t mean to!”
After speaking, Ming Qin intended to pick up the tea cup that Murong Yan had used, preparing to test the poison herself.
“The tea you brewed is truly awful,” Murong Yan remarked, an unusual hint of strong emotion in her tone, filled with disdain and disbelief. “This is not tea at all. It can only be called water steeped with withered branches!”
Murong Yan took the tea set from Ming Qin without paying her any further attention. She casually poured the remaining withered branch-infused water out of the pot and skillfully refilled it with fresh water. With practiced movements, she carefully brewed the tea, observing its color and inhaling its fragrance.
Once the tea was ready, she poured it into two white porcelain cups, gently pushing one of the cups toward the opposite seat.
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Savoring her own craftsmanship, the sweet and fragrant tea flowed down Murong Yan’s throat, and a satisfied expression appeared on her face. Only then did she gesture to the petrified Ming Qin to sit down and enjoy the tea.
Ming Qin regained her senses and carefully held the tea cup, taking a sip. This was the second time she had tasted the tea personally brewed by the princess.
Honestly, she couldn’t discern any difference between this tea and her own withered leaf water.
While she might have her own opinions about food, when it came to tea tasting, all she could offer were shallow responses like “bitter” and “less bitter.”
Fearful that Murong Yan might inquire about her thoughts on the tea, Ming Qin hastily offered the sticky rice dumplings she had just bought. “These are Osmanthus Sticky Rice Dumplings from Tianhe Street. I waited in line for a long time.”
Murong Yan carefully examined the honey-coated sticky rice dumpling and took a bite, using the bamboo tube.
The aroma of osmanthus enveloped the smooth and tender texture, and the sweet taste couldn’t help but make the princess squint in satisfaction. Seeing this reaction, Ming Qin felt delighted, knowing that her efforts in selecting the treat for today had not been in vain.
Murong Yan finished eating a string of dumplings and then calmly wiped her fingers, no longer glancing at the remaining sticky rice dumplings.
Ming Qin was somewhat puzzled. “Princess, don’t you like them?”
“Not at all,” Murong Yan replied. “These pastries are acceptable.”
Hearing the princess’s explanation, Ming Qin became even more puzzled. “Then why…”
Murong Yan interrupted Ming Qin’s question and licked the remnants of honey from her lips as she explained, “Sticky rice is not good for the spleen and stomach. It should not be consumed excessively.”
Observing the astonished expression on Ming Qin’s face, Murong Yan raised an eyebrow. “You have tasted all the delicacies of the capital without any restrictions. Have you never experienced indigestion?”
“Never,” Ming Qin honestly shook her head. “I have a very healthy body.”
She then thought for a moment and proudly added, “Once, during the Lunar New Year, my master’s wife prepared a table full of dishes. The next day, my martial brothers and sisters all had stomachaches, but I was still energetic and fine.”
Murong Yan found it somewhat amusing and suppressed a smile as she took a sip of tea, pressing down the corners of her mouth.
Ming Qin glanced at the bamboo tube and instinctively reached out to take the remaining sticky rice dumplings. With just a few bites, she finished them off. However, Murong Yan looked at her strangely, furrowing her brow slightly.
“What’s wrong?” Ming Qin asked, her cheeks puffed as she chewed determinedly.
Murong Yan was about to speak but, seeing her looking so slow-witted, she shook her head in resignation, hinting with her words, “It seems that not only is your spleen and stomach as strong as a bull, but you also have a big heart.”
“You’re saying the same thing as my master,” Ming Qin mumbled, her voice muddled, completely unaware of the hidden meaning in Murong Yan’s words.
“By the way!” Ming Qin suddenly remembered something and slapped her thigh. “I won’t be able to come here anymore.”
Finally swallowing the food in her mouth, she continued, “My leave of absence is over, and tomorrow I have to leave the capital.”
Ming Qin couldn’t reveal the details of her mission, so she couldn’t tell the princess any more than that. “But next time, I’ll bring delicious treats back! I promise!”
Murong Yan’s hand, which was playing with the tea cup, suddenly paused. She listened to Ming Qin’s fervent assurance and calmly said, “You don’t need to bring anything for me.”
Her expression was indifferent, and her tone suddenly turned icy. “You have no reason to come to this Cangyue Tower, and you don’t need to explain your comings and goings to me.”
“But…” Ming Qin hesitated, not understanding why the princess seemed annoyed. Her fingers, nervously intertwined, gripped tightly until they turned slightly pale. “I thought we were friends.”
Upon hearing these words, Murong Yan, who usually had a calm face, was momentarily taken aback.
“Isn’t that so?” Ming Qin tilted her head and asked, “My master told me that if you want to meet someone and feel happy together, then you’re friends.”
As if afraid that Murong Yan wouldn’t understand, Ming Qin explained slowly, “I want to see the princess, and every time we meet, I’m very happy. So, I come to Cangyue Tower. Is that not a valid reason?”
She cautiously observed the expression of the woman in front of her. “Or does the princess not want to see me?”
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Raising the cup seemingly calmly, Murong Yan replied after a pause, “Hmm.”
Afraid that Ming Qin might misunderstand, she added, “We can be friends.”
About to take a sip, she didn’t notice that the tea cup was already empty, leaving her awkwardly holding it.
“If you want to come, then come,” Murong Yan finally compromised and set the tea cup down.
Ming Qin’s eyebrows relaxed upon hearing this, and she smiled with joy. “That’s great!” she exclaimed, while attentively pouring boiling water into the teapot.
“How is your name Ming Qin…” Murong Yan began, her tone hesitant. “How is it written?”
Using the water stain on the table as a reference, Ming Qin gestured on the table.
“Sun and moon are bright3, but surnames are quiet rare,” Murong Yan pondered, tilting her head in thought.
“That’s not my surname,” Ming Qin waved her hand dismissively, using her sleeve to wipe away the marks on the table. “I don’t have a surname. When my master found me nearly drowning in the lake during the transition between day and night, he gave me that name on a whim.”
Her tone was indifferent, making it sound like she didn’t care at all.
However, Murong Yan felt a tinge of guilt and cleared her throat. “I am Murong Yan,” she introduced her own name, although she suspected that Ming Qin already knew.
“I am Murong Yan,” she wrote on the table with her finger dipped in water, stroke by stroke.
As the hour approached rooster time4, after Ming Qin left, Murong Yan stared at the partially concealed window, supporting her forehead as she contemplated.
Although she already knew that this shadow guard was straightforward and spontaneous, daring to call herself a friend of a noble princess was either impulsive recklessness or audacious boldness.
Impatiently dismissing the maidservant who wanted to bring her dinner, Murong Yan lazily reclined, playing with a white jade hairpin in her hand.
When Ming Qin said she couldn’t come anymore, there was indeed a sudden dull ache in her heart, causing her to feel somewhat unhappy.
It seemed that she had been confined in this cage for too long, as a few words from a lowly shadow guard could shake her emotions.
Murong Yan chuckled self-deprecatingly.
She adjusted the fox fur cloak draped over her and still felt a chill.
Whether Ming Qin really came back or never returned again, it didn’t matter, Murong Yan calmly reassured herself.
Yes, nothing mattered anymore.
LP: Re-translated on November 30, 2023
- Lin Yan thought it’s ‘female spring’ instead of ‘women’s rights’. I won’t spoil but this it a hint to a relevation :)
- “Xiaoyao Kuaihuo” (逍遥快活) is a Chinese phrase that can be translated as “carefree and happy” or “leisurely and joyful.”
- literal translation of Ming Qin
- “Rooster time” refers to the time period associated with the Chinese zodiac sign of the Rooster, which is typically around sunset.
Thank you for the chapter!!
[…] <TOC> Categories The Princess' Shadow Guard Cannot Be Too Clever Tags chinese, gl, The Princess' Shadow Guard, The Princess' Shadow Guard Cannot Be Too Clever, yuriThe Princess’ Shadow Guard Cannot Be Too Clever – Chapter 3Blame the Villain For Being Too Beautiful Chapter 82 […]
My heart is so soft for these two. Ming Qin’s bright personality like the sun in contrast to the cool personality of Murong Yan like the moon.
I am really a sucker for the intellectual yet physically weak and simple yet physically strong pairings in Baihe.