Chapter 8: 8

Late Rebellion

Ming Qin secluded herself for five consecutive days after returning from the Hidden Moon Tower, and whenever someone sought her, they were met with a closed door and her weak voice.

This unusual behavior caused the entire shadow guard camp to become anxious, and upon Song Shu Qing’s return from her mission, she was aggressively urged by everyone to locate Ming Qin.

“Qin Qin,” Song Shu Qing tapped the door softly, “It’s me. Can you please open the door?”

There was no response.

“Qin Qin, if you don’t open the door and let me in, I’ll have to find my own way in and you’ll be sorry,” Song Shu Qing’s words were delivered in a gentle tone, but with an unmistakable hint of threat.

“…”

The door to the room creaked open, revealing Ming Qin standing there with her sleeves tightly clutched. She whispered, “… you promised you wouldn’t pull my ears when I grew up.”

Song Shu Qing made her way to a stool and sat down heavily. She gazed at her sister with a sorrowful expression, her once bright and sparkling eyes now clouded over. Ming Qin looked worn out, with her head drooping and an air of pitifulness about her.

“What’s the matter?” Song Shu Qing furrowed her brows upon seeing Ming Qin in such a state.

“…Nothing,” Ming Qin replied, perched on the edge of the bed and avoiding eye contact with her sister.

“Who has upset you?” As soon as Song Shu Qing returned, she learned that something significant had happened to Ming Qin. Not only did she seclude herself in her room, but she also refused to come out even when her senior peers coaxed her with all sorts of delicacies.

A senior sister leaned in to whisper in Song Shu Qing’s ear that she had seen Ming Qin alone in a corner of the room, brewing medicine for her dying beloved, sighing and weeping.

Initially, Song Shu Qing had dismissed the story, but upon seeing Ming Qin’s current state, she felt inclined to believe it to some extent.

“Everyone in the camp is deeply concerned about you,” spoke Song Shu Qing in a gentle tone, “Even Master He Jingshou is worried about you.”

At the mention of He Jingshou, Ming Qin buried her face in the blanket and let out a muffled sound.

“What did you say?” asked Song Shu Qing, unable to hear.

Ming Qin sat up abruptly, pounded the bed with her fists, and yelled, “Master is a nuisance! I hate him the most!”

Ming Qin deflated in resignation.

Hearing Qin Qin, who had always been obedient and the apple of her master’s eye, say something like that left Song Shu Qing shocked.

Regretful of not having read enough parenting books and magazines in her past life, Song Shu Qing reached out to stroke Ming Qin’s head and said, “Qin Qin, you’re a good girl. Tell Sister how Master has been mistreating you.”

Ming Qin looked at Song Shu Qing as if she were a lifesaver, and repeated the conversation she had with her master that night, pouring out her heart to her always smart and resourceful sister.

After hearing the conversation, Song Shu Qing pondered for a moment and asked, “How did Qin Qin get to know County Princess Chongwen?”

Ming Qin then explained how she had been chased by the Crown Prince’s soldiers in the capital and how she had no choice but to climb the stairs and seek refuge with the County Princess.

“In that case, this County Princess Chongwen is also a person of love and righteousness,” said Song Shu Qing, carefully listening even though Ming Qin was speaking incoherently.

Looking at her sister, who was still worked up after sharing her story, Song Shu Qing said with amusement, “Do you know why Master won’t let you meet with the County Princess?”

Ming Qin shook her head in resignation.

After stroking Ming Qin’s hair, Song Shu Qing sat up straight and asked, “What else do you know about County Princess Chongwen?”

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Ming Qin tilted her head and thought for a moment before continuing, “The County Princess Chongwen, Murong Yan, is twenty-eight years old. She is the first daughter of Prince Yu, the current Emperor’s younger brother. Her eldest brother is the ever-victorious General Murong Qingcheng.”

As Ming Qin spoke, Song Shu Qing nodded in encouragement.

“County Princess Chongwen was born in the north along with her brother in the fifteenth year of Yong Tai, and was named by the late Emperor himself,” Ming Qin shared. “In the ninth year of Shun Tian, she and her mother, Prince Consort Yu, moved to the capital. At the age of 28, she wrote a poem about peonies for the Chinese New Year poetry fair, using the flowers as a metaphor for the beauty of the landscape. This won her the title of County Princess Chongwen, and she was to be married to the Prince of Chang Ping by His Majesty.”

Ming Qin’s tone, which had been steady like reading from a book, suddenly paused. She continued, “In the winter of the eleventh year of Shun Tian, her mother consort passed away from illness, and County Princess Chongwen spent three years mourning at the imperial tomb. In the autumn of the fourteenth year of Shun Tian, she was attacked by assassins during the royal hunt and lost her right leg while killing three of her attackers.”

Ming Qin’s mouth became dry as she spoke faster and faster, “In the sixteenth year of the Shun Tian era, the Crown Prince built the Hidden Moon Building in the name of helping her recover from her injuries. However, it was actually to suppress Prince Yu, and he imprisoned the County Princess in it until now.”

“Despite being slow, you’ve done a good job of memorizing the book,” praised Song Shu Qing.

“A few days ago, the Crown Prince ordered the assassination of the Eighth Prince in Qiongzhou. Currently, only the sick and weak Fifth Prince and the young Eleventh Prince, who is only nine years old, remain in the capital. With most of the court in chaos, the shadow guard camp can only focus on protecting the Emperor and the remaining princes while we wait and observe the situation. Do you understand these principles?” added Song Shu Qing with a serious expression.

Ming Qin nodded, feeling perplexed. She understood the reasoning, but failed to see how it was connected to her inability to search for the County Princess.

Noticing Ming Qin’s confusion, Song Shu Qing let out a sigh of helplessness and explained, “The Crown Prince, who already has most of the courtiers under his control, fears only Prince Yu, who holds a powerful army in the North.”

After pouring herself a glass of water, she continued, “I’m afraid that the Crown Prince won’t act recklessly until he manages to eliminate Prince Yu or disband his army, as he has a high reputation among the military for his role in protecting the country.” She took a slow sip of water.

Song Shu Qing explained to Ming Qin, “If the shadow guards were suspected of being in contact with Prince Yu, it would be like waving a flag that says ‘Hi, how are you? Prince Yu is clearly on our side!’ This would not be good for the Emperor, the shadow guards, or even County Princess Chongwen, who is a hostage.”

Ming Qin was shocked by the complexity of the situation and blushed furiously as she realized that she had misunderstood the reasoning behind their actions. “So it’s because of this. So Master is not a nuisance,” she said.

Song Shu Qing replied, “Master is indeed quite annoying normally, but this time he is just concerned.” She sighed and continued, “However, after hearing your words, I do feel that this County Princess Chongwen is a worthy contact.”

Ming Qin regarded her senior sister with a look of suspicion, “I’m confused. Didn’t you say that we can’t risk being suspected of having contact with Prince Yu? And that it would be dangerous for the County Princess?”

Song Shu Qing responded with a look of disdain, “Avoiding suspicion is one thing, but making contact with Prince Yu is still necessary.”

Even though Prince Yu was far away, he still managed to intimidate the Crown Prince, and if they could establish a relationship with County Princess Chongwen, it might prove helpful in any future conflicts.

Additionally…

As she gazed at the idiot standing before her, Song Shu Qing pondered inwardly.

It appeared that County Princess Chongwen held a certain affection for Qin Qin.

“Regarding the safety of the County Princess,” Song Shu Qing blinked, “Aren’t you at risk of being discovered? And will you be able to protect her?”

“I won’t be discovered! I’ll definitely protect the County Princess!” Ming Qin nodded eagerly. She was confident in her ability to detect any movement within a twenty-foot radius, and she had never lost a fight or a sneak attack. She was certain that she would keep the County Princess safe from harm.

“Of course, I know you will,” Song Shu Qing humored Ming Qin’s enthusiasm while thinking to herself.

In reality, the County Princess was one of the safest people in the entire capital.

After conducting a covert investigation of the Crown Prince’s palace, she discovered that all the women sent there bore a resemblance to County Princess Chongwen’s portrait. With the help of various private rumors, the astute woman had pieced together a general idea of what was going on.

“But…” Ming Qin’s mood suddenly dampened. “Last time, she told me to get lost. I’m afraid she doesn’t want to see me again.”

Observing her sister’s distress as she drew circles on the bed board, Song Shu Qing attempted to comfort her. “Those were harsh words spoken in a moment of misunderstanding, and she was upset and angry at the time. If you speak to her honestly and share your true feelings, she’ll understand and won’t be angry with you anymore.”

After hearing these words, Ming Qin paused for a moment, then nodded eagerly and quickly made her way to the door.

“Wait, wait,” Song Shu Qing called out, pulling Ming Qin back. She looked at her disheveled appearance and restless behavior, and added, “Before you go anywhere, you need to take a bath. Not just for the County Princess, but even for me. If you come into my room smelling like this, I’ll kick you out before you can even speak.”

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