The Princess’ Shadow Guard – Chapter 60

Have You Seen Ah Qin? (Assist from the Crown Prince?)

At night, Murong Yan sat quietly on the bed, letting her maid comb her hair, her gaze drifting to her almost faded fingernails.

“Did you all help me apply nail polish while I was unconscious?” she asked absent-mindedly, but the movement of the girl behind her stiffened.

“The th-the-they… indeed helped the princess with her nails,” the young maid glanced at the sister standing next to her, responding in a flustered and trembling voice.

“That’s quite thoughtful.”

Murong Yan thought the girl was just too nervous and didn’t mind, merely dismissing the people in the room after having her hair tied up.

She still wasn’t accustomed to the touch of strangers, alone she took off her robe, and untied the belt on her right knee.

How long has it been since she experienced phantom pain?

It seems the last time she felt such grinding agony was long ago, before she was left all alone.

Though the ghostly pain had vanished from her leg, it appeared to merely have shifted to her chest… otherwise, how could one explain the empty, suffocating pressure that lingers in front of her heart?

Looking at her mutilated leg, Murong Yan reached out her fingers, lightly touching the amputation, ugly, nauseating.

In the past, even looking at it would make her feel bitter and distressed, even when putting on or taking off a prosthetic, she always glanced at it quickly.

Now, she could directly look at the place she once despised so much, and even when gently touching it, she didn’t feel disgusted.

Why?

She asked herself, but was amused by the answer that couldn’t be more obvious.

It could only be because of Ah Qin.

Ah Qin always gently rubbed the skin on her body that was red and swollen from the belt, her slightly rough palms were always warm, and her clear eyes looked straight at her, never showing a trace of disdain.

Murong Yan recalled the intimacy they shared in the carriage, and couldn’t help but close her eyes.

At that time, how cunning she was, taking advantage of Ah Qin, who was so obedient to her, making her so tenderly love her, so easily bringing herself to her climax.

Every inch of skin that touched Ah Qin felt as if it had been burned by a great fire, burning hot, every nerve trembling fiercely and shouting for more, bringing her an unmatched exhilaration.

Could it be because of those stolen moments of beauty that angered the heavens, taking Ah Qin away from me?

Is it because happiness always has a limit, and if it’s withdrawn in advance, it needs to be repaid with endless pain afterward?

Outside, the snow was getting heavier, and the warmth from the underfloor heating and the silver thread charcoal in the stove made the room cozy and warm. Hu’er, having just eaten a chicken, was sprawled under the bed, comfortably purring. However, the warmth in Murong Yan’s heart was no higher than the cold outside.

Her thoughts churned.

Self-blame, doubt, sorrow, and anger mixed together, making the woman toss and turn.

It wasn’t until before the sunrise that she finally succumbed to exhaustion and fell into a deep sleep.

On the day Murong Yan stepped into the Ministry of Justice with the Emperor’s edict, she was draped in a snow-white fox fur cloak, yet the robe inside was the celebratory bright red.

Holding a paper umbrella painted with vibrant peonies, the lady and the beast proceeded to the dungeons with the newly appointed Minister of Justice, Mu Gun, amidst the light snowfall.

“The Emperor has already instructed me; the disposition of the disposed Crown Prince is entirely up to Chongwen Princess. Everyone in the Ministry of Justice will follow your orders,” Mu Gun said respectfully, bowing his head.

“How is the disposed Crown Prince doing in the dungeon?” Clutching her paper umbrella tightly, Murong Yan asked as she looked towards the entrance of the dungeon.

“…The disposed Crown Prince has been completely silent since being brought to the Ministry of Justice.”

After a slight pause, Mu Gun continued, “My orders were to treat the disposed Crown Prince like any other ordinary prisoner, with no special treatment required, just to ensure that his wounds do not worsen until your arrival, Princess.”

“Wounds?” Murong Yan asked, a hint of confusion in her tone, “Did he sustain them while being captured?”

“I’m not sure about that. The disposed Crown Prince was captured by the shadow guards and was only brought here a few days ago,” Mu Gun gestured for his subordinates to open the iron gate, shivering as if imagining some bloody scene, “Perhaps the shadow guards interrogated him too harshly, and his wounds are somewhat gruesome. Please be careful, Princess, and don’t get frightened.”

Unfazed by Mu Gun’s concern, Murong Yan folded her paper umbrella, using the umbrella spine as a cane, and stepped into the semi-underground cell block.

Seeing that the visitor was a woman, several prisoners hungrily pressed against the bars, reaching out and scratching, their mouths constantly uttering foul language and clamoring.

Before Murong Yan and the other guards could speak up to stop her, the tiger following the woman suddenly leaped forward, opening its huge, snow-white maw in a threatening manner at several dirty men leaning on the railing.

The tiger’s roar in the narrow, dark dungeon seemed particularly terrifying, causing the previously arrogant prisoners to withdraw their hands in fear, not daring to make another sound.

As if rewarding the beast, Murong Yan rubbed the soft head of the wild animal and signaled to Mu Gun to continue leading the way. The sound of her wooden cane tapping on the ground was especially pronounced in the silent underground.

Not only the prisoners were frightened by the tiger’s fierceness; Mu Gun’s face turned pale as he quietly pulled out a handkerchief to wipe his sweat, then led the team to the depths of the dungeon.

He signaled one of the guards to open the cell in front, “Princess, the iron cell holding the deposed Crown Prince is right ahead.” Mu Gun glanced at the tiger sniffing around nervously and tried to calm himself, “Do you need someone to go in with you?”

“No need.” Murong Yan patted the soft fur of the tiger beside her, “Just let him follow me.”

“Then…I’ll leave a few people outside the cell, just call them if you need anything,” Mu Gun said, nodding as he arranged for the guards, looking at the wild beast protector, which was several times more formidable than a human.

The rusty iron door made a “creak” as it was opened, and the guard hung the oil lamp he was carrying on the wall, the yellow light illuminating the originally dark cell.

『Tap』

『Tap』

Murong Yan, holding a bamboo umbrella, walked in, followed closely behind by the tiger. She raised her head and sniffed the damp and cold air.

In a corner, under a dirty blanket, accompanied by the sound of shackles clanking, a man’s figure wriggled.

His long hair was disheveled and hadn’t been washed in a long time, looking greasy. The rough prison uniform couldn’t even cover his shoulders, let alone protect him from the cold winter.

Murong Xiao tightly closed his eyes, as if it didn’t matter who the person coming was.

His once straight nose seemed to be broken and crooked. His face was asymmetrical, with bruises and swelling.

The bottom part of his right pants leg was empty, with blood seeping out. All his fingernails had been pulled out, revealing the raw flesh underneath.

There seemed to be several holes on the back of his hands, typical wounds from interrogation.

Looking at this miserable man, Murong Yan remained indifferent in her heart, even mocking him inwardly.

The person who had destroyed her entire life was now cowering there, pitiful and weak. Wasn’t this appearance even more ridiculous, highlighting the person she had defeated in the past?

Taking out a decree, the woman said without any emotion, “Chongwen Princess Murong Yan, on the orders of the Emperor, has come to convict the deposed Crown Prince.”

At the moment the newcomer spoke, Murong Xiao suddenly opened his eyes, his face filled with disbelief, and then crawled forward.

He reached out his hand, wanting to grab the woman he had longed for, but he was restricted by the chains. Suddenly, a large tiger appeared in his field of vision, baring its teeth and growling, its sharp claws ready to pounce on him.

“Hu’er, don’t eat him,”

Murong Yan calmly spoke, “Filthy.”

Murong Xiao looked at the person he had been yearning for, appearing before his eyes, and couldn’t help but reveal a manic smile. “Sister, sister! You’re alive, and you’ve come to find me. That’s great, that’s great! Are you here to spend the rest of your life with me?”

Ignoring the man’s nonsensical words, Murong Yan asked quietly, “Before I make the final decision on your punishment, you can tell me how you want to be executed.”

“I will consider it accordingly.”

“Sister, sister, I knew you would come back. I knew you loved me,” completely disregarding what the woman had said, Murong Xiao muttered like a madman.

“Only I can be with you again, only me!”

Murong Yan furrowed her brows tightly, her temples throbbing with pain. Right now, she just wanted to call someone to drag the man out and behead him to stop his foul mouth and delusions.

With a vicious expression, Murong Xiao suddenly burst into uncontrollable laughter, “That despicable woman still dares to be so arrogant, even though, in the end, sister chose me alone.” He laughed maniacally, “And that cheap person, whether in life or death, she will only be alone. But I, I have sister.”

The man lying on the ground in front of her truly made Murong Yan feel disgusted, yet, somehow, she found herself somewhat concerned by his words, barely containing her discomfort she asked, “Who? Who are you saying will be alone?”

“Of course, it’s that damned shadow guard, who dared to covet my sister.”

Murong Xiao gritted his teeth, the pain in his right leg’s missing limb faintly aching again, but then he suddenly put on a pretentious act, “However, she dared to sacrifice herself to extend sister’s life, I must admit, she really was as devoted to sister as a dog… foolish and pitiable.”

“Shadow guard? Are you talking about Ah Qin?” Amidst the fractured words, Murong Yan seemed to grasp a straw that could break at any moment, bristling with thorns.

She grabbed Murong Xiao by the collar, trembling.

“Could it be, you, have seen Ah Qin?”

LP: Re-translated on April 02, 2024