The Golden Hairpin

A faint sound, a flowing breath—she suddenly grew extremely nervous. That sensation that made her tense and flushed once again rose in her chest.

As the two walked out of the shop, the night was deep. Strolling along the desolate street where the crowds had dispersed, Huang Zixiao finally couldn’t hold back and asked, “Your Highness… surely you had already considered this matter?”

He gave a low hum in response, his deep, serene eyes shifting slightly beneath his lashes to look at her.

Hesitating, she still asked, “Then why… did you only tell me now?”

“Because now, we are different,” he said.

Puzzled, she looked up at him.

The bright moon rose in the east, the sky a dark blue. Standing before the moonlight, beneath the night sky, he gazed at her intently. Though he spoke no words, she understood perfectly what he meant to say.

Yes, they were different now.

She remembered clutching his feverish body tightly, pressing her face against his neck in the darkness; remembered slicing open his clothes and pressing her hands against his bare skin to bandage his wounds; remembered keeping vigil by his side all night, only to wake groggily at dawn and find his clear, unwavering eyes fixed on her in the dim morning light—

Just as he was looking at her now.

And now, he had let her in on this secret, drawing her once more into the conspiracies surrounding him. From this moment on, even if her family’s wrongful conviction were overturned and her name cleared, she would likely have no choice but to walk by his side, unable to break free.

Because everything had changed.

She and he—they were different now.

“Prince Kui! Brother Yang!”

Just as they reached the inn’s entrance, a hurried voice suddenly rang out, shattering the silence between them.

Huang Zixiao turned to see Zhou Ziqin sprinting toward them, a small vial in hand. His expression was a mix of pride, excitement, and panic, making for an oddly peculiar sight.

She couldn’t help but ask, “You’ve already finished the examination?”

“Yes! Because I never expected—” He paused, glancing around before pulling them inside with a mysterious air. “This is serious—come quickly, I’ll show you!”

Zhou Ziqin was a master at building suspense. After tightly shutting the doors and windows, he even checked the gaps to ensure no one could eavesdrop. Only then did he place the vial on the table and whisper, “Do you know what this is?”

Huang Zixiao took it and examined it—just an ordinary vial of liquid, colorless and odorless, like water.

“Careful, careful! This is deadly poison!” Zhou Ziqin hastily warned.

Huang Zixiao asked again, “What is it? Where did it come from?”

“From that lock of hair, of course. Though she died immediately after drinking the poison, traces of it still reached the ends of her hair. I burned a bit of it, dissolved it in water, filtered it, and ended up with this vial of potent poison.” Zhou Ziqin proudly displayed it. “Be careful—just a drop in water killed an entire tank of fish.”

Huang Zixiao silently mourned the fish in his household.

Li Shubai frowned slightly, taking the vial and studying it for a long while before finally asking thoughtfully, “Zhen poison?”"Yes! It's the poison of the legendary Zhen bird!" Zhou Ziqin couldn't contain his excitement, yet couldn't speak too loudly either, nearly bursting with suppressed energy. "That poison made by dipping a Zhen bird's feather in wine!"

"That's just a myth," Li Shubai said calmly. "There's no such thing as a Zhen bird. It's because after being killed by this poison, every part of the victim's body becomes highly toxic. Even birds that peck at the corpse get poisoned, making their feathers deadly too. That's how the legend came about—people could make poison from the victim's hair or feathers."

Zhou Ziqin stuck out his tongue and said, "Such a potent poison! Thankfully, no one knows its formula, or the world would be in chaos."

Li Shubai nodded. "This poison exists in the palace, originally concocted in a previous dynasty. It's said to be primarily made from arsenic, supplemented by aconite, love pea, heartbreak grass, hook-kiss, and instant-death sap. After Emperor Yang of Sui died, Yuwen Huaji found it in his Yangzhou palace, and it eventually ended up in Emperor Taizong's hands. Deeming it too cruel, Emperor Taizong burned the formula and kept only a small vial, which is nearly gone by now."

"But wait—if the victim's body becomes poisonous after death, couldn't you make another batch from their hair?"

Li Shubai shook his head. "Though potent, the poison gradually loses its strength with each use. The first batch kills instantly upon contact, leaving no chance of survival. The second batch, refined from the blood or hair of a victim, acts more slowly—taking one or two hours to take effect—but once it does, death is instantaneous, often without even time to cry for help. A third batch, made from such a victim, is still deadly but much slower, causing hours of agony, and can no longer be refined further, making it no different from ordinary poison."

Zhou Ziqin asked, "So, does death by Zhen poison resemble arsenic poisoning?"

"Naturally, since arsenic is its main component. But their lethality is incomparable. A tiny accidental dose of arsenic might do nothing, yet a single drop of Zhen poison could kill a hundred." Li Shubai glanced at the poison Zhou Ziqin had extracted and said, "It seems Fu Xinruan and Wen Yang died from the second-refined batch."

Huang Zixia then asked, "The question is: why would a courtesan from distant Sichuan and her lover, who never held office, use a poison exclusive to the imperial palace?"

"And according to Prince Kui, even the palace barely has any left now. Where did they get it?" Zhou Ziqin's eyes sparkled as he looked at Huang Zixia. "Chonggu! This might be another earth-shattering mystery!"

Huang Zixia nodded silently. "Yes... it seems there's more to this than meets the eye."

After seeing off Zhou Ziqin, who was buzzing with excitement over the case, Huang Zixia also rose to take her leave from Li Shubai.As she reached the doorway, she gazed at the swaying hollyhocks before her. Their vibrant colors under the moonlight suddenly dazzled her eyes. Dazed, she stood before the flowers for a long while when a chilling thought struck her, turning her face deathly pale.

The late summer night breeze carried a hint of coolness. Li Shubai stood behind her and noticed her body beginning to tremble slightly. He asked softly, "What's wrong?"

She turned to look at him slowly, lips parting but no words coming out.

Seeing occasional passersby in the courtyard, Li Shubai took her hand and led her inside, closing the door behind them. "What did you think of?" he asked.

"My parents... and my brother... grandmother..." Her lips trembled, her voice barely audible.

Understanding dawned on Li Shubai. He whispered in her ear, "You suspect your parents might have died from poisoned wine too?"

She bit her lower lip hard, forcing herself to stay composed. Her hands gripped the table edge so tightly her knuckles turned white then purple. "Yes... I want... to confirm it..."

"Drink some water first." Li Shubai poured her a cup of tea and stood before her, his unwavering gaze fixed on her face. "Are you certain you want to confirm this?"

She looked up at him. Under the lamplight, her eyes gradually misted with tears, appearing lost and dazed, crystal clear like glass.

Clenching her teeth on her lower lip, she nodded firmly. "Yes."

Without another word, he gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze before striding out of the inn and rushing to the alley entrance.

Under the distant moonlight, Zhou Ziqin wasn't riding his horse but leading it cheerfully toward the prefectural office, bouncing every few steps as if unable to contain his joy.

"Zhou Ziqin!" Li Shubai called from behind.

In the quiet night on the empty road, Zhou Ziqin heard the call and immediately came trotting back with his horse Xiaxia. "Your Highness! What else do you need?"

Li Shubai said quietly, "We need to make a trip."

Zhou Ziqin brightened instantly. "Wonderful! Let's call Chonggu too! I'll take you to try Shu Province's best fish! With Sichuan peppercorns sprinkled on top, the aroma is—"

"She's not coming," Li Shubai interrupted.

Zhou Ziqin blinked. "Then where are we... going?"

"To dig up a grave."

Zhou Ziqin's face lit up with excitement. "I love this! Chonggu and I make an excellent team! We're absolute masters at grave digging and corpse examination, our coordination is flawless—"

"Keep your voice down," Li Shubai reminded him.

Zhou Ziqin hastily covered his mouth.

Li Shubai added, "She's been exhausted these past few days and needs rest tonight."

"Choosing to rest at such an exciting moment... truly lacking the dedication of a master detective," Zhou Ziqin pouted, then suddenly remembered something. "But Your Highness has just recovered from serious injuries... perhaps I should handle this alone? I promise perfect execution!"

Li Shubai gazed at the deep night. All roads in Chengdu were paved with bluestones, worn smooth over the years. Under the moonlight, they reflected a faint, cold glow.

Slowly, he said, "This might be the first piece of evidence in this case that works in her favor. I must go."

Zhou Ziqin looked puzzled. "Her? Which her?"Li Shubai remained silent for a moment before asking, "Can you get out of the city?"

"No problem at all. Although I haven't been here long, I'm buddies with everyone at the city gates. I'll just say we're going out at night to investigate a case—they'll definitely open the gates for us." As he spoke, he leaned in closer to Li Shubai's ear and whispered, "Where are we digging?"

Li Shubai turned his gaze toward the mountains outside the city. His eyes reflected the moonlight—cold and serene.

He said, "At the grave of Huang Shijun and his family."