The Princess’ Shadow Guard – Chapter 61

I Will Take You to See Qinqin (Discovering the Truth)

In the gloomy and cold semi-underground prison cell, the woman’s frail body shivered uncontrollably.

She leaned over and grabbed the hateful man before her, raising her voice to ask, “Where have you seen Ah Qin? Where is she?”

“Her?”

Murong Xiao, with his hair disheveled, lay collapsed on the ground, writhing like a maggot. He laughed madly, his presence in the grim prison cell emitting a hair-raising aura. “After eating the Five Poisons Pill¹ personally concocted by Gu, there is no possibility for anyone to survive.”

“…That bitch dared to hit Gu, dared to smash Gu’s leg!” Murong Xiao gritted his teeth, as if about to crush his molars. “Her! And that needle-using Shadow Guard woman, they both deserve to die!”

“You poisoned Ah Qin?”

Murong Yan’s hand clamped onto the man’s neck, her five fingers tightening fiercely. “Where is she? Where is she now?!”

“Jiejie thinks it was Gu who did it?” His originally unfocused eyes came into focus. Murong Xiao, completely unconcerned by the suffocation in his chest, looked at the panicked and frustrated woman before him and tilted his head. “For jiejie’s antidote, she voluntarily took the poison. It has nothing to do with Gu.”

A smile that split to the roots of his ears radiated pure malice.

“The time limit has been reached. She is already dead. Could it be that jiejie doesn’t know?”

“No, impossible!”

“You… you, you’re lying, you’re lying!” Releasing her grip, Murong Yan propped her hands on an umbrella to barely keep her weak body from collapsing. “Where is she? Where is Ah Qin?”

Murong Xiao tilted his head back, his face filled with pleasure as if enjoying the sight of the person before him in a state of utter devastation. “How could jiejie ask Gu? Jiejie should go ask the other people who dare to lie to her.”

“The New Year is almost here. In the Shadow Guard Camp’s graveyard, she shouldn’t be too lonely.”

The poisonous snake prostrating on the ground flicked its tongue, sticky and sinister.

Feeling the world spin, Murong Yan pressed a hand to her forehead, her entire body turning cold. She turned around and, ignoring the stunned expressions of the guards outside, stumbled out of the dungeon, leaning on her umbrella.

I was in a coma for a month, I should have suspected long ago.

Why is it that whenever I talked about the period when I was unconscious, the servant girls would just stammer and mumble?

Why is it that when I asked for the details of my rescue at Cangyue Tower, my older brother was always evasive?

Why is it that whenever Imperial Physician Wang came to check my pulse, he would look like he wanted to say something but would stop, even though my condition was clearly stable?

And there were more, even subtler details that I ignored.

Murong Yan looked at her own fingernails.

Clearly, all sorts of small yet obvious clues all pointed to one thing.

Ah Qin had come back.

But why didn’t Ah Qin come to see me after I had already woken up?

Where is Ah Qin now?

Could it be that everything is truly as the deposed crown prince said?

Staggering, she got onto the horse carriage. “Shadow Guard Camp. Go to the Shadow Guard Camp, quickly!” She could barely catch her breath as she anxiously commanded the driver.

Murong Yan bit her lip tightly and hugged her shoulders with both arms, as if this could soothe her collapsing self. Hu’er’s soft fur pressed against her side, worriedly rubbing against the woman who was clearly not right.

Beside the carriage, Murong Yan could not wait for the driver to set up the steps. She hurriedly jumped out of the carriage, falling wretchedly in the snow. The umbrella slipped from her palm, but she paid it no mind and stood up, forcing her body to enter the Shadow Guard Camp.

“Song Shuqing! Song Shuqing!”

She saw Xu Jun practicing with a saber outside and immediately rushed forward to grab his sleeve. “Where is Song Shuqing? Have Song Shuqing come out.”

“Commandery Princess!”

Xu Jun recognized the person before him and was greatly startled. He hastily put away his saber, afraid of injuring the noble person. Looking at the Commandery Princess tugging at him, he said nervously, “O… Okay, this subordinate official will immediately have someone summon Song-shijie.”

He shot a look at a colleague beside him, and that person immediately ran towards the camp’s exit.

“Commandery Princess, Song-shijie is still at the Imperial Medical Academy. It might still be some time.”

Noticing that the person beside him was trembling incessantly, Xu Jun respectfully suggested, “It is cold outside. How about this subordinate official lead you into the corridor first? The Commandery Princess has only just recovered, you mustn’t catch a cold.”

Murong Yan lowered her head in silence.

Standing there in the fine snow, she seemed not to have heard Xu Jun’s words. After a long while, she suddenly asked, “Is Song Shuqing injured? Is it serious? Why was This Palace not notified, to let This Palace go and offer condolences?”

Xu Jun scratched his head, clarifying, “No, no, Song-shijie is not injured, she is very well, Commandery Princess need not worry.”

“Since she is not injured, why go to the Imperial Medical Academy?” Without pausing, the woman threw out her next question.

“This… Shijie… she…”

The cunning question caught the honest Xu Jun completely off guard. He stammered, unable to give a coherent answer.

Her ploy to extract information having succeeded, Murong Yan raised her eyes and stared fixedly at the young Shadow Guard beside her. “You also know what happened to Ah Qin, don’t you?”

Xu Jun was stunned, and just denied it awkwardly, “I… I, I, this subordinate official does not know.”

A light laugh.

“You’re just like Ah Qin, you can’t lie.”

There was no hint of a smile in Murong Yan’s eyes. The hand grabbing Xu Jun’s sleeve tightened even more as she said in a low voice, “Are every single one of you deceiving This Palace? Is that it?”

“Where is Ah Qin?”

At the side, Hu’er also bared its teeth at Xu Jun, lifting its paws to circle around the two of them.

The poor young Shadow Guard was at a loss, so anxious that his head was covered in sweat.

As the new generation’s pillar of the Shadow Guard Camp, Xu Jun did indeed know where Ming Qin was. But anyone who had the chance to come into contact with the Commandery Princess had long been strictly instructed not to mention Ming Qin in her presence, and he was no exception.

“I… I, I really don’t know.” Xu Jun forced himself to tell the clumsy lie.

“You all… you won’t even listen to This Palace’s command?” Murong Yan’s voice was cold, feeling both resentful and powerless about everything. “Why does no one listen to This Palace’s words?”

The woman took a deep breath, and in an instant, drew the scimitar from Xu Jun’s waist, pushing the man away with one move. The fox fur cloak draped over her body slipped off, revealing a bright red dress amidst the snow-filled sky.

But the sharp blade was not pointed at others; instead, it was pressed against the blade-holder’s own snow-white, slender neck.

Smiling coldly, the frigid weapon gave off a silver glint, ready to draw blood at any moment.

“Commandery Princess! Commandery Princess! You absolutely must not be impulsive!” Xu Jun cried out in alarm, annoyed at his own lapse in concentration.

The other Shadow Guards around them all rushed forward in a panic, but none dared to get close.

The beast at the side was confused by the situation before it. The crowd of people surrounding them had no hostile intent, yet its own master’s beloved was holding a weapon and threatening her own life. Hu’er flicked its tail and let out a coquettish-like purr at Murong Yan.

But even when faced with her beloved pet, the woman remained unmoved. “Where is Ah Qin?” Her sharp gaze swept over the people around her.

Upon hearing the question, the faces of several less experienced Shadow Guards darkened, their expressions holding an unconcealable sadness. They guiltily lowered their heads when their eyes met Murong Yan’s.

The woman took in all of these reactions, and it made her heart turn cold, inch by inch.

“Commandery Princess, please put the saber down first.” Xu Jun’s tone was dry, his face pale as he tried to persuade her.

“Where is Ah Qin?” She pressed the scimitar tighter against her skin. The sharp blade cut through the soft flesh, and bright red blood dripped down along the edge, falling onto the snow. “I don’t care if she’s dead or alive, where in the world is Ah Qin!”

Her voice was hoarse and strained to the limit.

“Commandery Princess Chongwen.”

A familiar voice sounded as Song Shuqing came rushing in from outside the camp.

Seeing her, the others let out a collective sigh of relief and quickly made way for her.

Murong Yan’s hair bun was in disarray, a few loose strands of white hair obscuring her eyes. “Song Shuqing, where is Ah Qin?”

The newly arrived Shadow Guard glanced at Xu Jun. Seeing him give a slight nod, she sighed and said, “This subordinate official… no… I cannot tell you.” Before the woman in front of her could speak, Song Shuqing added, “This is Qinqin’s wish.”

“Why… why… why is Ah Qin unwilling to see me?”

Far from having any intention of putting down the saber, Murong Yan gripped the hilt even tighter. “Could it be that Ah Qin… is really going to die? Or is she already dead?”

Her throat was hoarse, her tone choked with sobs.

Song Shuqing spoke, “Qinqin hopes the Commandery Princess can let her go. She hopes you… can live in peace and happiness, and not worry about her.” She forced a stiff smile, but it was exceedingly bitter.

“Peace and happiness?”

Repeating the woman’s words, Murong Yan couldn’t help but laugh. Her shoulders trembled, and her free hand covered her face. “Without Ah Qin, how can This Palace be at peace and happy? And how could This Palace not worry about her?”

“Commandery Princess…”

Song Shuqing was about to speak again but was interrupted by Murong Yan.

“Song Shuqing, you understand This Palace, don’t you?”

She looked up, her eyes, visible through the gaps between her fingers, shimmered with tears, yet were filled with resolve. “If Ah Qin is alive, I will be by her side. If Ah Qin is dead, I will be buried with her.”

A few more drops of bright red dripped onto the snow.

“So, let me see Ah Qin…”

“Consider it me begging you, okay?”

Unlike blood, a transparent trace of water snaked down the back of Murong Yan’s hand from the gaps between her fingers, disappearing into her sleeve.

Looking at the woman who had, for the first time, lowered her pride, Song Shuqing felt only sorrow, her thoughts a complete mess.

These two people…

Why on earth must they go through all this?

The anguish in her heart had nowhere to be vented, making her chest ache dully and her eyes burn.

Forget it.

I knew this day would come sooner or later.

After all, the Commandery Princess is so clever, and I am so bad at lying.

Qinqin, it’s not like I personally promised to keep your secret for you, right?

“Okay.”

Song Shuqing sighed as she spoke.

“I will take you to see Qinqin.”

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The author has something to say:

They will meet in the next chapter (By the way, the Crown Prince’s punishment will not be forgotten, don’t worry)

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LP: Re-translated on September 02, 2025

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