The Princess’ Shadow Guard – Chapter 8

Late Rebellion

ter returning from the Cangyue Tower, Ming Qin secluded herself in her room for a full five days without going out.

Every time someone sought Ming Qin, they could only hear her weak voice and encounter a tightly closed door.

This abnormal behavior caused anxiety among the junior brothers and sisters of the Shadow Guard Camp. As soon as Song Shuqing finished her mission and returned to the camp, she was pushed by everyone to go and find Ming Qin.

“Qin Qin, it’s me,” Song Shuqing patiently knocked on the door. “Open the door.”

A moment of silence followed.

“Ming Qin, is it you who opens the door and lets me in, or should I find my own way in and then you wait to have your ears pulled by me?” Although Song Shuqing’s tone was gentle, her words carried an undisguised threat.

“…”

The door slowly opened, and Ming Qin stood by the door, clutching her sleeves as she spoke softly, “…You promised not to pull my ears when we grew up.”

Song Shuqing walked straight to a stool and sat down with a thud. Looking at her junior sister’s troubled face, her usually bright eyes were now clouded with sadness, her figure haggard as she hung her head, emitting an air of pitifulness.

“What’s wrong?” Song Shuqing furrowed her brows, observing Ming Qin in such a state.

“…Nothing.” Ming Qin sat on the edge of the bed, avoiding Song Shuqing’s gaze.

“Who made you feel wronged?” As soon as Song Shuqing returned, she heard that something major had happened to Qin Qin. Not only did she lock herself in her room and appear sickly, but even when her junior brothers and sisters tried to coax her with various foods, she refused to show herself.

One junior sister even quietly whispered in Song Shuqing’s ear that she had seen Ming Qin hiding in a corner of her room, preparing medicine for her terminally ill beloved while shedding tears and sighs.

At first, Song Shuqing didn’t take this seriously, but seeing Ming Qin’s current state, she felt herself starting to believe it.

“Everyone in the camp is very worried about you,” Song Shuqing said softly. “Even our master is concerned after hearing about your situation.”

When He Jingshou is mentioned, Ming Qin buries her face in the blankets, mumbling something incoherent.

“What did you say?” Song Shuqing couldn’t hear clearly.

Ming Qin suddenly sat up, pounded the bedboard, and shouted, “Master is a nuisance! I hate Master the most!”

She pouted in grievance.

Hearing Ming Qin, who had always been obedient and regarded as the apple of their master’s eye, say such words, Song Shuqing was shocked. Could this be the so-called delayed rebellious phase?

Regretting not having read more books on parenting in her previous life, Song Shuqing gently reached out and touched Ming Qin’s head. “Good girl, tell your senior sister how Master has been mistreating you.”

Ming Qin looked at Song Shuqing, treating her quick-witted and clever senior sister as a lifeline. She repeated the conversation she had with their master that night to Song Shuqing, like spilling out a bag of beans.

After hearing the story, Song Shuqing pondered for a moment and asked with some confusion, “How did Ming Qin get acquainted with the County Princess Chongwen?”

Ming Qin then explained how she had been pursued by the crown prince’s soldiers in the capital and how she reluctantly sought refuge on a tower, where the county princess came to her aid.

“In that case, this Princess Chongwen is also a compassionate and righteous person.” Despite Ming Qin’s jumbled narrative, Song Shuqing nodded and listened attentively.

As she watched Ming Qin, who remained sulky even after speaking, the woman sitting down chuckled and said, “Do you know why Master doesn’t allow you to meet the Princess?”

Ming Qin shook her head in frustration.

Straightening her hair, Song Shuqing sat up straight and asked, “What do you know about Princess Chongwen?”

Ming Qin tilted her head and thought for a moment. “Princess Chongwen is Murong Yan, 28 years old. She is the legitimate daughter of the current Emperor’s younger brother, Prince Yu. Her eldest brother is General Murong Can, known as the Ever-Victorious General.”

Listening attentively, Song Shuqing nodded as if encouraging her.

“In the fifteenth year of Yongtai, she was born in the northern region, and she was personally given her name by the late Emperor,” Ming Qin continued, “In the ninth year of Shuntian, she and her mother, the Princess Consort of Prince Yu, moved to the capital. At the age of 28, during the Spring Festival poetry gathering, she composed a poem about peonies to symbolize prosperity. It received great acclaim, and she was bestowed the title of Princess Chongwen. She was then married to the Crown Prince of Changping, bestowed by the Emperor.” Her tone, which had been steady like reciting a book, paused for a moment.

“In the winter of the eleventh year of Shuntian, her mother, the Princess Consort, passed away, and she observed mourning for three years at the imperial mausoleum. In the autumn of the fourteenth year of Shuntian, during a royal hunting expedition, she encountered assassins and killed three of them at the cost of her right leg. She was rewarded for protecting the Emperor with the Changning Palace, but her engagement was annulled due to a shortage of land.” Ming Qin’s mouth felt dry, and her speech began to quicken.

“In the sixteenth year of Shuntian, the Crown Prince assumed administrative duties on behalf of the heavens. Under the pretense of recuperating from her injuries, he built the Cangyue Tower as a means to control Prince Yu. He imprisoned the Princess within it to this day.” Ming Qin licked her lips and let out a sigh.

“You may be slow, but you’ve memorized the book quite well,” Song Shuqing nodded in satisfaction.

“A few days ago, the Crown Prince sent someone to kill the Eighth Prince in Qiongzhou. Now, among the imperial heirs, besides the Crown Prince, there are only the Fifth Prince, who is sickly in the capital, and the Eleventh Prince, who is just nine years old. The throne seems to be within the Crown Prince’s grasp,” Song Shuqing’s expression grew serious. “Now, most of the court has developed dissident thoughts. As a small group of Shadow Guards, all we can do is work hard to protect the lives of the Emperor and the remaining princes, observe the situation, and understand these principles. Do you understand?”

Ming Qin nodded in confusion. She understood the principles, but what did they have to do with her inability to see the Princess?

Seeing the perplexed expression on her face, Song Shuqing sighed helplessly and explained, “The only person the Crown Prince, who has gained control over most court officials, fears is Prince Yu, who commands a powerful army in the northern region.”

She poured herself a glass of water and continued, “I’m afraid that until the Crown Prince successfully kills Prince Yu or neutralizes his forces, he won’t make any rash moves. After all, Prince Yu, who defends the border and protects the country, holds great prestige among the military.” She took a sip of water slowly.

“If there is suspicion that we have connections with Prince Yu, the cautious and discreet Shadow Guard Camp will practically be announcing to the Crown Prince, 『Hey, hello there! Prince Yu has clearly taken our side!』 If the Crown Prince becomes desperate, it won’t be good for the Emperor, the Shadow Guard Camp, or even Princess Chongwen, who is held as a hostage.” Song Shuqing looked at Ming Qin, whose face had turned pale.

Shocked by the twists and turns of the situation and the unexpected complexity behind a seemingly simple matter, Ming Qin felt as if her mind had been filled with paste. “So that’s why. So Master isn’t a nuisance after all.”

“Master is indeed quite annoying at usual times, but this time he is just concerned about causing chaos,” after saying so much, Song Shuqing felt a bit tired. “However, after listening to your words, I do think that Princess Chongwen is someone worth getting in touch with.”

Ming Qin looked at her senior sister with a puzzled expression, “But didn’t you say that we shouldn’t let the Crown Prince suspect any connection between the Shadow Guard Camp and Prince Yu? And wouldn’t it bring danger to the Princess?”

Song Shuqing looked at her junior sister with disdain, “Not wanting to be suspected is one thing, but we still need to establish contact.”

Prince Yu may be far away, but he still makes the Crown Prince, who is like a mad dog, wary. If we can take the opportunity to establish a good relationship with Princess Chongwen, it might be beneficial for the future situation.

Moreover…

As Song Shuqing looked at the foolish person in front of her, she thought to herself.

It seems that this Princess Chongwen has a special place in Qin Qin’s heart.

“As for the safety of the Princess,” Song Shuqing blinked, “Are you really so easily detectable? Aren’t you supposed to protect her?”

“Of course, I won’t be detected! I will protect the Princess!” Ming Qin nodded excitedly. Within a radius of 20 zhang(66 meters or 216 feet), she was aware of all movements and was skilled at stealth without ever failing. She had never lost a fight, and she was confident that she wouldn’t let any harm come to the Princess.

“Of course, I know you will,” Song Shuqing replied absent-mindedly, listening to Ming Qin’s incessant chatter while her mind was deep in thought.

In fact, from a certain perspective, Princess Chongwen is the safest person in the entire capital.

She had secretly investigated the Crown Prince’s residence and discovered that all the women who were sent to the palace bore a resemblance of about 60 to 70 percent to Princess Chongwen’s portrait. Combined with various rumors and whispers circulating privately, her intelligence had already pieced together the general picture.

“But,” Ming Qin suddenly became despondent, “Last time she told me to leave, I’m afraid she doesn’t want to see me anymore.”

Song Shuqing watched her junior sister anxiously drawing circles on the bed board, and comforted her, “That was a misunderstanding. She was upset and angry when she blurted those words. Just tell her what’s in your heart, and she won’t be angry anymore.”

After pondering over these words, Ming Qin nodded vigorously and stood up abruptly, 『rushing』 towards the door.

“You go and take a bath first.”

Song Shuqing hurriedly grabbed her and looked at the disheveled and agitated Ming Qin. She said, “Forget about the Princess, if you dare to barge into my room all smelly like this, even without you saying a word, I will kick you out first.”

The author has something to say:

Is senior sister really worried sick?

Also, I’m not sure if it’s too late to say this, but the background and settings were randomly thought up without any historical basis. Just enjoy the story and thank you all.

LP: Re-translated on December 6. 2023