The Princess’ Shadow Guard – Chapter 49

The joy of raising sons and daughters (appearance of senior sister CP)

Watching the person sitting across from her, the chopsticks hadn’t moved for quite a while, her eyes blankly staring at the food in front of her, Song Shuqing sighed with some helplessness.

“Qinqin! Qinqin!” The older woman waved her sleeve, and seeing that her junior sister had no reaction, she blew air towards her face.

“Huh!?” Ming Qin shuddered, snapped back to reality, and asked with her head tilted in confusion, “What’s wrong, Senior Sister?”

“Stop daydreaming and eat,” Song Shuqing pushed the roasted chicken that Ming Qin loved to eat in front of her, gesturing.

Ming Qin nodded absently and took a few bites of rice before drifting off again.

Song Shuqing really had a headache, as her junior sister, since coming to Shu, often fell into this state of distraction.

At first, Song Shuqing didn’t take it seriously, but the disasters Ming Qin caused while distracted included, but were not limited to almost burning down the entire teahouse when lighting an oil lamp, giving an entire bag of copper coins from the chest to a customer as change, and mixing two different types of tea leaves together while sorting new stock.

If it weren’t for the fact that their normal conversations still made some sense, Song Shuqing would have thought Qinqin had been knocked on the head and lost her wits.

With a sigh, she put down her bowl and chopsticks, grabbed Ming Qin by the collar, and dragged her out of the teahouse, “Let’s go! Senior Sister is taking you out to clear your mind.”

“Eh! Are we going to listen to music again?”

Ming Qin muttered to herself, yet still let the woman drag her along obediently. “But Brother Ah Yun said we don’t have any extra silver this month.”

“Who cares about that stick-in-the-mud old fogey!” Grabbing a packet of tea leaves from the cupboard, Song Shuqing locked up the teahouse, “We’re going to find Zi Yan.”

“But Senior Sister, you’re also twenty nine, the same age as Brother Ah Yun,” Ming Qin said earnestly, standing obediently to one side. “If Ah Yun is an old man, then you’re an old lady too.”

The woman rolled her eyes at this comment, “Qinqin! You’re already twenty four, why can’t you learn to read the room?”

Without waiting for Ming Qin’s response, she used Qinggong to leap onto the roof, with the person behind her soon following suit.

Two figures, cloaked in moonlight, leaped through the dark night, racing toward a tall building adorned with red lanterns in the distance.

Zi Yan was the most sought-after courtesan in the brothel.

She was a woman whom Ming Qin and Song Shuqing had inadvertently rescued from the clutches of some ruffians when they were strolling around the main street corner upon their return to Shu.

To be more precise, it was Ming Qin who had acted to chase away the scoundrels, while her Senior Sister had simply stood by with arms folded, uttering words that left those men in a state of mortified, indignant self-contempt.

Song Shuqing would call this a “team effort.”

『You handle the physical attacks, I’ll take care of the magic ones, that’s a perfect match.』

As the woman came back to her senses from the shock, trying to suppress her panic and trembling while she began to thank the two, hesitating, not knowing how to express her gratitude, Song Shuqing, who had been coolly watching from the side, didn’t even wait for Ming Qin, who had exerted herself in the scuffle, to speak. Her eyes lit up as she directly took the woman’s hand.

『Do you… play the qin well?』

The woman seemed a bit taken aback by the sudden question but replied simply, 『Passably.』

『No need for a thank-you gift, if you’re free, let us listen to your qin playing.』

Totally shameless.

It was practically like looting a burning house.

But with the back and forth of half a spring and summer, the two of them became familiar with each other. From then on, whenever Cao Yun deducted silver coins from her, Song Shuqing would listen to Zi Yan play the guqin for a good half hour whenever she was free.

Two nimble women scaled the eaves to the rooftop, and to any onlooker, these two former 『shadow guards』 would seem like lechers intent on taking liberties with a courtesan.

They tapped lightly on the window frame.

“Come in.”

A subdued and melodious voice responded, allowing the two listeners to push open the window and enter.

Zi Yan looked up at the newcomers, her face betraying no particular emotion, just a detached calmness, cold as an autumn night.

She sat upright in front of the guqin, her posture impeccable, draped in a gorgeous cloak that seemed at odds with her serene demeanor. The wide purple mantle, embroidered with fluttering petals, rested on her slender shoulders, where elegance and allure collided, exuding a discordant splendor.

“Zi Yan, did you miss me?”

Song Shuqing was the first to vault into the room, looking at the woman whose forehead seemed to bear the words “Free Guqin Music Player” in bright, shining letters. She flashed a pleasing smile, shaking the tea leaves in her hand, “I’ve really missed you, look what I brought for you.”

“I haven’t.”

As Ming Qin was about to say something upon seeing the tea leaves that were taken from their own shop, the woman seated before the guqin spoke up first, “Whatever you’ve brought is only going to be drunk by yourself anyway.”

“Hey! Good Zi Yan, how can you be so heartless?” Song Shuqing grumbled playfully as she prepared cushions for herself and Ming Qin to sit and brew tea, while complaining in a mock-pitiful tone, “Dammit, no good deed goes unpunished!”

Zi Yan didn’t respond to the complaints of the person in front of her but simply nodded towards Ming Qin, the young shadow guard a little farther away.

With a simpleton’s smile, Ming Qin also settled down against the wall.

She enjoyed coming to Zi Yan’s place.

It’s not actually because of the fondness for music, but rather the frown that the woman before her slightly shows when playing the guqin, coupled with her indifferent attitude towards her senior sister, that occasionally makes Ming Qin feel like she’s returned to Murong Yan’s side.

When silent, both of their faces exude the gentle grace typical of Jiangnan women—frail in frame yet holding their necks straight and heads high, their detached expressions occasionally betraying a hint of indifference to their surroundings and a mocking sneer at the ways of the world.

However, when she bow her head to play the guqin, her expressions cannot hide the deep sorrow, as if the woman who’ve ended up in the brothel is protesting against the tricks of fate, expressing her helpless grief.

It really is.

Too much of a resemblance.

Listening to the guqin while sipping tea, Ming Qin got lost in thought, feeling as though she had returned to the capital city.

Back to the night when Murong Yan had resurrected all her elegance just for her.

Time slipped away unnoticed, and as the last note fell, Song Shuqing stood up to pour tea for Zi Yan, clapping her hands fawningly, “Amazing! Amazing! You are truly the world’s number one guqin player.”

Lifting her gaze, Zi Yan glanced indifferently at the cheering woman and silently sipped her tea. Then looking at Ming Qin, who was in a daze with a vacant look in the corner, Zi Yan tilted her chin, gesturing towards Song Shuqing.

Song Shuqing turned around, “Qinqin. Qinqin, snap out of it!” She waved her hand in front of Ming Qin and then threatened, “If you don’t come back to reality, I’m going to pinch your ears.”

Upon hearing her senior sister’s words, Ming Qin leapt up, failing to notice the jade vial that tumbled from her sleeve. She protectively covered her only remaining left ear and said with an aggrieved tone, “We agreed no more ear-pulling when we grew up!”

Seeing her junior sister, Ming Qin, looking pitiable with one ear gone, Song Shuqing poured her some tea, softening her voice to console her, “I was just kidding. I noticed you were zoning out again.”

The white jade bottle rolled to the edge of Zi Yan’s guqin. The renowned beauty reached out to pick up the jade vial, intending to return it to Ming Qin, but suddenly, she became captivated and examined it closely.

Unable to resist, she opened the vial to take a whiff, and then addressed the young shadow guard bending over her tea, “Qinqin, have you pledged your life to someone else?”

Looking up, Ming Qin shook her head in confusion.

“Could it be… perhaps, someone has taken a fancy to you?” Zi Yan glanced at the fragrance cream in her hand, posing the question tentatively.

Ming Qin shook her head again, her face a picture of total bewilderment.

Song Shuqing looked back and forth between the two, propping her head up, and put forth a question to the courtesan, “What’s the matter? Is there something odd about that jade vial?”

“Not at all. It’s just that…” Zi Yan hesitated, then changed her approach when addressing Ming Qin, “Qinqin, do you know who gave you this item? Could they be from Jiangnan?”

“I know. The Prin… Her mother indeed came from Jiangnan,” Ming Qin set down her teacup, meeting Song Shuqing’s oddly looking face.

“In my hometown, this homemade fragrance cream is a token of commitment that a woman gives to her beloved. I was thinking it doesn’t look like something you made. If the person who gave you this is indeed from Jiangnan…”

Zi Yan paused, sniffed the substance in her hand again, and then slightly raised her lips with a dawning realization.

“I think she’s quite taken with you.”

“Moreover, she probably wants to declare to everyone that you belong entirely to her, with that kind of domineering affection.”

The fragrance cream in her hand released a rich peony scent, so intense as if it wanted to crush and consume any other flowers nearby. Its aggressive aroma seemed to warn all those coveting this forest that it holds absolute dominion.

Ming Qin scratched her head, doubtful, “This… can’t be, right? You must be mistaken? The Prin… that person couldn’t possibly have such feelings for me.”

“Wait a minute…”

Song Shuqing, who had already figured out what was going on, couldn’t stand the naivety of her junior sister and couldn’t help interjecting, “Wait, Qinqin… you… don’t you know that the Princess likes you?”

“Ah?” The person with the scar on her face blinked her innocent eyes, seeming not to quite understand.

“It’s not the kind of liking between a sovereign and a subject, nor between friends,”

Song Shuqing looked at her clueless junior sister and didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, speaking bluntly, “It’s the kind of affection where the Princess wants to sweep you off your feet, wants to marry you, doesn’t want others getting too close to you, and if you were a man, she might want to tie you to a bed and have kids with you, night and day! Do you understand?”

She was at her wit’s end.

“You really are as dense as a national treasure, a divine tree that’s been around for a thousand years.”

Unable to help herself, Song Shuqing, speaking to a petrified Ming Qin, said helplessly, “The Princess’ affection for you is so obvious, how have you not noticed?”

Then she gasped as if she had just thought of something, “Wait, don’t tell me that after protecting the Princess and hanging onto your last breath, now that you’ve recovered you still haven’t sent word to her?!”

As Song Shuqing listened to the person in front of her stammer and whimper, she felt a headache coming on.

According to the secret reports from the capital, the new Emperor had ascended the throne smoothly with the support of Prince Yu.

There was no news of the Chongwen Princess committing suicide, nor were there rumors of her transforming into a great demon, swearing to burn down the world in a funeral pyre. So, Song Shuqing assumed that Ming Qin had already been informed and had corresponded with the Princess.

But to think that…

She reached out and pinched Ming Qin’s left ear, twisting it half a turn as she lectured, “The girl is in love with you, you know? She’s nearly gone mad from it—do you realize that? To her, you’re missing, possibly dead. Can you imagine how distraught she must be?”

“But… but…”

“I’ve already completed the escort mission properly, I just thought there was no need to…” Ming Qin, who felt no pain, didn’t understand why she still feared her senior sister, Song Shuqing, and explained with a sense of grievance.

“I told you to be careful, not to just sacrifice yourself and then dust your hands off and leave. At the very least, let her know that you’re still alive!” Song Shuqing massaged her forehead, cursing frustratedly, “You stupid donkey!”

Ming Qin’s face flushed, standing at attention like a child who had done wrong, subjected to scolding by her senior sister who was half a head shorter than her.

Zi Yan, who was to the side, felt as though she’d inadvertently learned some royal secrets, took a sip of tea to calm her shock, and spoke up, “However, what is Qinqin thinking?”

“Does Qinqin have the same feelings for that person?”

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The author has something to say:

Let me tell you all, this beautiful courtesan is none other than Senior Sister’s CP (clap your hands, welcome!)

However, she will only make an appearance once or twice in the main story. The story about her and Senior Sister will be reserved for the spin-off.

I know some people might be a bit concerned about the concept of both characters remaining ‘clean’ in their relationship, but this CP is not like that (although personally, I believe this doesn’t affect how I portray their relationship, but I still want to clarify here).

Considering her profession, insisting on such purity seems rather forced. Plus, Senior Sister, with her 21st-century mentality, doesn’t care about whether her wife is ‘clean’ or not.

So, when it comes to the spin-off, I will clearly mark it. For those who mind, feel free to skip it as it won’t affect the main story.

But really, I think no matter who it is, even a courtesan deserves to yearn for love. After all, many times, people can’t help their situation, especially in chaotic times. I hope everyone can understand and be kind.

Here’s wishing everyone a pleasant day ahead.

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LP: Re-translated on March 10, 2024

Qinqin, you donkey!

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