The Golden Hairpin

Huang Zixiao pondered for a moment before speaking slowly, "Speaking of which, Qi Teng's luck has been remarkable. I checked the records—last year, he was still languishing in obscurity, serving as the lowest-ranking aide under General Fan. But since the beginning of this year, he has caught General Fan's favor and has risen rapidly through the ranks. In just a few months, he's already been promoted to the position of military judge!"

Yu Xuan nodded and said, "Indeed, who would have thought?"

"His promotion was so swift—could he have had influential relatives helping him?"

"Perhaps, but I wouldn't know," Yu Xuan replied.

The last flowerbed was planted with a large patch of roses. Scorched by the summer sun, the roses looked wilted, their leaves sparse, with only a few lackluster blooms hanging limply from one or two branches.

"This variety of roses is excellent. I remember back in spring, each rose bloomed as large as a bowl, perfect in shape, color, and fragrance," Yu Xuan said as he watered them. "I recall Qi Teng loved these flowers the most."

Huang Zixiao asked casually, "Qi Teng liked roses?"

"He loved all bright and beautiful flowers. Wen Yang, on the other hand, despised roses, peonies, hydrangeas, and hollyhocks—anything large and vividly colored."

Huang Zixiao immediately recalled the embroidery of hydrangeas and butterflies in Wen Yang's study.

She nodded slowly and asked, "How did Wen Yang and Qi Teng usually get along?"

Yu Xuan thought for a long time before answering slowly, "They didn't interact much."

"And what about you?" Huang Zixiao hesitated for a long while but finally asked, "Between those two, who did you associate with more?"

Yu Xuan's expression darkened, but he forced himself to speak. "Qi Teng once saved my life. Wen Yang and I discussed calligraphy together. But as for the two of them... to me, they were just passersby. Their presence or absence made no difference."

Huang Zixiao pressed further, "Qi Teng saved you? What happened?"

"After my adoptive parents passed away, I... lost the will to live. Qi Teng happened to pass by and saved me." He didn't elaborate, glossing over it briefly.

His cold, detached words left Huang Zixiao stunned. It felt as if all the strength had been drained from her bones, and for a long time, she didn't know how to react.

After a long silence, she finally asked hoarsely, "You... why?"

"I... couldn't bear it. I just wanted to escape..." He turned his head away and whispered, "In this lifetime, I've already endured the pain of losing loved ones once. I never want to go through it... a second time."

Huang Zixiao felt a burning pain in her eyes, a deep ache slowly simmering inside her, threatening to spill over in tears.

Li Shubai, seeing her on the verge of breaking down, said softly, "It's getting late. Ziqin is still waiting for us at the yamen."

Huang Zixiao nodded, tilting her head back to take a deep breath and hold back her tears.

As she prepared to leave, Yu Xuan asked quietly, "This case involving Wen Yang... does it have anything to do with my adoptive parents' deaths?"

"In Chengdu Prefecture, there are very few who could obtain poisoned wine. And among those, even fewer could get close to the governor's residence." Huang Zixiao shook her head and added, "But it's just the same poison. I don't know if I'm overthinking it." There was another connection—the bracelet he had given her. But after some thought, Huang Zixiao chose to leave that unsaid.

Yu Xuan said slowly, "Speaking of this, I suddenly remembered something."

"What is it?""I know someone who might have connections to the palace and could obtain the poison."

Huang Zixiang immediately asked, "Who?"

"Qi Teng."

Not only Huang Zixiang, but even Li Shubai became alert and asked, "Qi Teng has contact with someone in the palace?"

"I don't know about that, but a few days ago, Wang Yun from the Langya Wang family arrived..." When he mentioned this name, he couldn't help but glance at Huang Zixiang.

Huang Zixiang, already in low spirits, only showed a slight flicker of emotion before quietly waiting for him to continue.

Yu Xuan hesitated for a moment before adding, "The day before yesterday, Qi Teng brought him to visit me. That's when I found out Qi Teng's mother is surnamed Wang, making him a distant cousin of Wang Yun."

Huang Zixiang nodded slightly and murmured to herself, "The Wang family..."

Empress Wang was in the palace, so if someone had the intention, they could certainly gain access.

Li Shubai pondered for a moment beside her, casting a thoughtful glance her way, his eyes filled with even more complex emotions.

Huang Zixiang understood his meaning. Wang Yun coming to Chengdu to find Yu Xuan couldn't possibly be for matters related to the court or the Wang family—there was only one reason.

The situation at the time must have been extremely awkward.

Huang Zixiang couldn't quite grasp her own feelings, her thoughts too tangled to sort out. She could only look up at the unreachable blue sky and let out a long sigh before saying to Yu Xuan, "Thank you for telling me this. It's a serious matter, so I'll go to the yamen first to discuss it with Zhou Ziqin."

"Wait a moment," Yu Xuan said, carrying the bucket and ladle to the small hut by the garden gate. After putting them away, he followed them out and said, "I'd like to come too, to hear about the progress of the case. After all, you said this case might be related to my adoptive parents' case."

Huang Zixiang nodded, and Li Shubai showed no objection, so the three of them left Qing Garden together.

Thinking about the incident with Monk Mershan earlier, Huang Zixiang hesitated but finally asked, "Yu Xuan, tell me—do you know if Monk Mershan might... know soul-hypnosis?"

Yu Xuan frowned in surprise. "What?"

"You might not believe it, but just now in his meditation room, he really tried to probe something from me." Huang Zixiang studied his expression calmly as she said, "The people of Chengdu say Monk Mershan possesses boundless Buddhist power and saves all living beings—but in reality, these so-called miracles might just be the effects of his soul-hypnosis."

"Soul-hypnosis..." Yu Xuan opened his mouth as if to say something but stopped, standing motionless, his breathing gradually growing heavier.

Seeing him frozen in place, Li Shubai explained, "Soul-hypnosis is an art from the Western Regions. It's said that during Empress Wu's reign, a sorcerer came to the capital who could drive people into madness with just a glance. There were even palace maids who fell under his spell, sneaking into Empress Wu's chambers at night to attempt assassination. Fortunately, Shangguan Wan'er, who was by the empress's side, grabbed a dagger and threw it, killing the assassin and ensuring the empress's safety. Later, Chief Minister Di Renjie unraveled the mystery and exposed the sorcerer's soul-hypnosis. After the truth came to light, the Western sorcerer tried to resist but was shot to death by a volley of arrows. Since then, it seems no one in the world has been known to practice soul-hypnosis."Huang Zixiao nodded and said to Yu Xuan, "Yes, and Monk Muxian seems to be a master at it. So, although Monk Muxian hasn’t shown any misconduct yet, you should still be cautious when interacting with him in the future to avoid being manipulated by him."

Yu Xuan silently nodded but said nothing. His face was pale, and under the sunlight, his skin took on a translucent, almost luminous whiteness, making it stand out starkly.

He followed them quietly for a long time before finally calling out to her, "A-Xia..."

Huang Zixiao turned to look at him.

He hesitated, his pale face filled with uncertainty and lingering fear. After a long pause, he said, "I mentioned to you before that there’s something I’d like you to see."

Huang Zixiao nodded and asked, "What is it?"

He pointed southward, not far away, and said, "It’s in my study. If you have time now, you can come with me."

Huang Zixiao glanced at Li Shubai, who gave a slight nod. Seeing Li Shubai’s approval, Yu Xuan turned without another word and headed toward his residence.

Shu Commandery had always been a land of talented scholars, and to encourage academic pursuits, rewards were offered by counties and townships. After scholars from Chengdu Prefecture passed the provincial examinations, the government would allocate them residences and provide monthly stipends to support their studies.

Yu Xuan had become the top candidate in Shu Commandery before even turning nineteen, earning unparalleled acclaim. Though Huang Zixiao’s father was reluctant, he still allowed Yu Xuan to move into his assigned residence—perhaps also because her father felt it inappropriate for his daughter, who was already betrothed, to remain so close to Yu Xuan as she grew into her mid-teens.

The residence built for Yu Xuan by the commandery was located east of the city, near Hanyuan Bridge. Willow trees and peach blossoms lined the banks in front of the house, creating a beautiful scene in spring.

Huang Zixiao couldn’t recall how many times she had come here, lightly knocking on the door. But she knew that aside from Yu Xuan himself, she was the person most familiar with the layout of the place—past the main gate was a whitewashed screen wall, followed by a narrow courtyard with a small square pond about four or five feet wide, where water lilies thrived. By late summer, they should be in full bloom. Beyond the pond was the main hall, with side rooms and winding corridors on either side. Further back was the rear courtyard, where three rooms had been merged into one, with the study and bedroom connected, separated only by bookshelves—a spacious and open arrangement.

She had once teased him, saying such a small residence was hardly worth it, and he might as well sneak back to live in the commandery office. Even the Biluo Courtyard he had stayed in before was more spacious and refined than this place. But he had lain on the couch, covering his face with a book to block the sunlight, and replied in a low voice, "Someone of my background is already fortunate to have a roof over my head in this lifetime. This place is fine. In life, how much space do even kings and generals truly need for their daily lives?"

Looking back now, it was indeed after he moved out that they began to drift apart. She was busy with various cases, and he was occupied with gatherings and lectures. They often went ten or fifteen days without seeing each other, and even though they frequently exchanged letters, it only made them more acutely aware of the growing distance between them.

At that time, he had said to her, "A-Xia, if only you didn’t know how to investigate cases."

She had been furious, as if her very purpose in the world had been negated, leaving her with nothing to take pride in. It was the first time they had argued so fiercely, and she had stormed off, vowing never to see him again. Yet the next morning, he had gently tapped on her window and handed her a sprig of osmanthus, with a small box tied beneath it.The sweet fragrance of osmanthus filled her entire chamber with its rich aroma, and the bracelet in the box dissolved all the grievances and melancholy of her sleepless night into nothingness—

Inside lay the design they had deliberated over for so long before finally settling on it. Two small fish, each holding the other's tail in its mouth, just like them—nestled together, never to part.

Huang Zixiang silently reminisced about the past as she followed Yu Xuan further inside.

They passed the whitewashed screen wall, crossed the courtyard where water lilies bloomed, and arrived at the rear hall, which housed his study and bedroom. The three large rooms were seamlessly connected, divided only by bookshelves and antique display cabinets.

Yu Xuan walked to his desk, pulled open a drawer, and retrieved a letter from beneath a pile of items, handing it to Huang Zixiang.

She noticed the letter bore no recipient’s name, no signature—completely blank. She reached out to take it, raising her eyes questioningly to meet his gaze.

He spoke slowly, "One day, after returning from Qi Teng’s house, I found this letter... placed on my desk."

Huang Zixiang opened the unsealed envelope and found inside only a single sheet of plain white paper.

She unfolded it carefully, reading the familiar handwriting—

For over a decade, I basked in familial warmth, only for turmoil to arise overnight, leaving me the sole survivor of my household. I cannot bear to live out my remaining days with bloodstained hands. To love the wrong person, to stray far from my heart’s desires—these twisted fates are but the cruel jests of destiny. Should we meet in another life, let it be so; in this one, all is over. With this final stroke of the brush, I bid you farewell, forever severed from this mortal world beneath the boundless sky and endless storms.

As Huang Zixiang stared at the ink-splashed words on the paper, the slightly erratic strokes sent a cold sweat trickling down her spine. She stood frozen, as if petrified, not daring to move a muscle.

Because the handwriting was so familiar—so familiar that each character seemed to morph into a monstrous apparition, baring its most hideous visage at her, threatening to devour her very soul—

It was her own handwriting.

No one in this world knew it better than she did.

Every inch of her skin prickled with goosebumps; every pore oozed icy beads of sweat as fine as needlepoints. Her breath hitched, her body trembled uncontrollably, and her face drained of color in an instant.