The Golden Hairpin

Yu Xuan gazed at her and slowly said, "I recognize this handwriting... I think you must know it too."

Huang Zixiao took deep breaths, trying to calm the surging tide of blood in her chest. But it was useless—an overwhelming fear instantly enveloped her entire body, making it impossible to suppress. She nearly turned to flee, to escape the oncoming dark wave, to run from the terrifying abyss that threatened to swallow her whole.

Her head buzzed incessantly. She dropped the letter, pressing her hands over her ears, desperately trying to regain some semblance of rationality.

She raised her head, glaring at Yu Xuan before her, and asked word by word, "What is this? Are you implying..."

He stared back at her, unblinking, his voice low and hoarse: "I'm implying that when you warned me to pay attention to Monk Moushan... perhaps you yourself had met him before?"

Who could say?

What they faced might be true, might be false, or might be half-truths and half-lies.

At the very least, she truly didn’t know—when had she written such a letter? How had it reached his desk? And why had she completely forgotten about it?

When she had warned Yu Xuan, little did she know that there were things in her own memory that didn’t exist, traces left behind without her ever noticing.

Huang Zixiao pressed hard on her temples, but she couldn’t suppress her ragged breathing.

Yu Xuan watched her and called softly, "You... don’t remember?"

Huang Zixiao clenched her teeth and shook her head, unable to utter a single word.

The plain letter fluttered to the ground, light as cotton, soundless.

Li Shubai, who had been silently observing all along, picked up the letter and examined the few lines of text—no salutation, no signature. After reading it once, he slowly asked, "Did Zixiao write this to you?"

Yu Xuan avoided answering, standing there silently, his gaze fixed on Huang Zixiao.

But Huang Zixiao nodded and said quietly, "This handwriting... is mine."

Yu Xuan closed his eyes and gave a heavy nod.

Li Shubai studied the script and remarked, "Countless people in the world emulate Lady Wei’s regular script. Why do you think this letter is yours?"

Huang Zixiao whispered, "Because... Since childhood, I’ve always written the two middle strokes of the character '页' too short. Though I’m aware of it, I can never correct it when writing, so I always have to add an extra stroke. There are always traces of this...The three instances of the character "页" in the letter—one in "顾" and two in "愿"—were all like that.

"But my handwriting, my actions... yet I myself know nothing about it..." Huang Zixiao felt as if all the strength had been drained from her body. She leaned against a nearby chair and slowly sat down, murmuring in bewilderment.

"This is the second letter you sent me after the incident," Yu Xuan said calmly. "After your adoptive parents died and you fled Chengdu, I returned home one day from Qi Teng’s place and found it on my study desk. I don’t know where it came from or how you delivered it, but I thought... it was your confession, your farewell to the world."

Li Shubai carefully analyzed the letter’s wording and remarked coolly, "Judging by the phrasing, it does seem like a farewell to the world, but I don’t see any confession of guilt."Yu Xuan remained silent, while Huang Ziyao asked in a hoarse voice, "The blood dripping from one's hands—does that not count?"

"There are many questionable points in this letter. Let us examine it carefully before drawing any conclusions." Li Shubai calmly refolded the letter and placed it back into the envelope, his voice even more composed than his expression.

Yu Xuan said nothing, only staring at Huang Ziyao before him. His voice was hoarse as he said, "I've kept this letter hidden here for over half a year, never showing it to anyone. Today, I entrust it to you. If you truly believe... believe Huang Ziyao is innocent, then continue investigating. Give me—and yourself—an explanation."

Huang Ziyao tucked the letter into her robes and followed Li Shubai back to the Chengdu Prefecture office.

As soon as they arrived, they found Zhou Ziqin already seated inside, one hand holding a steamed bun and the other examining the twin-fish bracelet, his face alight with excitement.

Huang Ziyao felt the folded corner of the letter pricking against her skin, making her feel both awkward and helpless.

Li Shubai glanced at her with a faint smile. Huang Ziyao was lost in thought when he suddenly leaned close to her ear and whispered, "When do you think would be the best time to tell him the truth?"

Huang Ziyao caught the teasing tone in his voice. The heavy weight pressing on her chest seemed to lighten slightly under his banter, prompting her to retort without thinking, "Next lifetime!"

"What next lifetime?" Zhou Ziqin, with his sharp ears, had already heard. He stood up and walked toward them. "Hey, you two are so slow. I've been waiting for ages."

Li Shubai glanced at the bracelet in his hand and asked, "What are you waiting for us for?"

"The body of Fu Xinruan's servant woman, Tang Zhuniang, has been found. Several acquaintances have also been brought over from Longzhou. Let's hurry and investigate!"

Zhou Ziqin, with the bracelet in one hand and a bun in the other, walked out while eating. The cook peeked out and called after him, "Constable, Constable! There's rice cake here too—want one?"

"Oh, I love rice cake!" Zhou Ziqin beamed, quickly stuffing the bracelet into his robe and taking the rice cake.

"Ziqin, you're up early," someone nearby chuckled.

Zhou Ziqin turned to see Qi Teng, who was holding a stack of documents, clearly here to discuss official matters. He hurriedly stuffed the rest of the bun into his mouth and clasped his hands in greeting. "Brother Qi!"

"What kind of habit is this—eating rice cake with such dirty hands?" Qi Teng mocked, snatching the rice cake from Zhou Ziqin's hand. Yet he didn't eat it, only eyed Zhou Ziqin's sticky fingers and said, "Covered in rice paste, and you're going to investigate like this?"

"Oh..." Zhou Ziqin blinked, still staring at the rice cake in Qi Teng's hand. But Qi Teng casually tossed it into a nearby sewage ditch, then scooped a ladle of water and said, "Here, wash your hands."

Zhou Ziqin felt utterly humiliated and stammered, "I... I can do it myself...""Alright, you're practically my brother-in-law now," he said, splashing a few scoops of water without hesitation until Zhou Ziqin's hands were thoroughly clean. Only then did he relent, tossing the ladle aside. "Ziqin, do you know how filthy women's belongings can be? They're covered in invisible grease and grime from hair and skin! I once had a friend who often held onto a bracelet from his lover, reminiscing about her. One day, he ate fruit without washing his hands and ended up vomiting and suffering from diarrhea, nearly losing his life. Later, he found out the bracelet had been pawned by his lover—it was stripped from a floating corpse by some unscrupulous scoundrels. Can you imagine? Keeping such a thing close, even eating while holding it—no wonder he fell ill!"

Zhou Ziqin gave a dry laugh, touching the bracelet through his sleeve. "Brother Qi, this bracelet... it's brand new, I swear it didn't come from a corpse..."

"Just be careful! This afternoon, when I'm free, I'll take you to Master Muyan at Moonlit Mountain to fetch a bucket of purified water and properly cleanse that bracelet!"

With that, he picked up the stack of documents again and headed into the yamen.

Zhou Ziqin stuck his tongue out at his retreating figure and muttered under his breath, "I never noticed before, but he's another cleanliness freak..."

Huang Zixiao's gaze fell on the rice cake discarded in the filthy ditch. Lost in thought, she looked up and met Li Shubai's eyes.

Knowing full well he would never do such a thing, Huang Zixiao could only grimace and nod.

As the three of them walked away, Huang Zixiao suddenly exclaimed, "Ugh!" and shook her foot in frustration. "Stepped in dog poop."

Zhou Ziqin asked with concern, "Are you alright?"

"It's fine, luckily it's dry. I'll just scrape it off by the ditch."

She hurried over to the ditch. Zhou Ziqin called after her, "Hurry up, I'll wait for you."

"Don't wait, let's head to the stables first," Li Shubai said, walking ahead without looking back.

Zhou Ziqin glanced back but had no choice but to follow him.

Huang Zixiao reached the ditch and pretended to scrape her shoe. When she was sure no one was watching, she grabbed a stick from the ground, speared the rice cake, and lifted it. Fortunately, the cake had landed on a rock and hadn't dissolved in the water yet.

She tore off a cabbage leaf nearby, wrapped the rice cake in it, and casually carried it to the stables, rejoining Li Shubai and Zhou Ziqin.

Di E, still basking in his arrogance, was munching on beans and bullying the other horses. Na Fusha, recovering from injuries, lay in the haystack, his large eyes darting around.

Though Li Shubai and Huang Zixiao were in disguise, they feared Di E might recognize their scent. So, they deliberately went to the opposite stable and picked two inferior horses.

As they rode through the streets, a vicious, scrawny dog charged out of an alley, barking furiously at them. Just when they needed it most, Huang Zixiao tossed the rice cake wrapped in cabbage toward the dog. The dog sniffed it and devoured it in a few bites, cabbage and all.

Zhou Ziqin remarked, "I wouldn't feed a nasty dog like that!"

Huang Zixiao replied, "I actually need a dog—it could be useful."

"What for?"

"Dogs have an incredible sense of smell. Train them well, and they can help solve cases. This one looks like a fine greyhound to me."

Zhou Ziqin immediately turned to his attendant. "A Zhuo, catch that dog for me, quick!"

By the time they arrived at the mortuary, their group had grown to four people—and one dog.The old man guarding the charity house burst into laughter at the sight of the scrawny, filthy dog. "Young Constable, if you wanted a dog, you should've told me! My family's dog just had a litter—much prettier than this thing!"

"You don't understand, do you? Just look at this dog's build—it's clearly the finest greyhound!" Zhou Ziqin tugged at the leash and tied it to the doorpost.

The old man could hardly believe his eyes. Squatting at the doorstep, he stared at the dog for a long while before muttering to himself, "This thing? A greyhound? Absolutely a mongrel, no doubt!"

Zhou Ziqin strode into the charity house and saw a corpse covered with white cloth inside. Several constables were chatting idly, while a few middle-aged men and women with gloomy expressions stood nearby—likely Tang Zhuniang's relatives and friends.

"Come, come, everyone greet Young Constable Zhou!" the constables called out, introducing him to the neighbors and nephews one by one.

Zhou Ziqin first opened his toolbox, put on thin leather gloves, and examined Tang Zhuniang's injuries. She had indeed died from a fall off a cliff, with broken limbs and a mangled, bloody head. Her face was utterly ruined, with only the mole behind her ear confirming her identity.

"These are the belongings she had on her when she fell," the constables handed over a bundle.

Zhou Ziqin flipped through it casually. Inside were only a few changes of clothes and some loose coins—nothing else. Tossing it aside, he said, "It seems she really did accidentally fall to her death while traveling."

Huang Zixiang suddenly recalled something and asked, "When did she die?"

"Yesterday morning, around... the Hour of the Rabbit, I'd say."

The Hour of the Rabbit. Huang Zixiang immediately thought of Zhang Xingying, who had been knocked off the cliff by that galloping horse at the roadside yesterday during the same hour.

"By the way, Ziqin, I heard that due to Prince Kui's assassination attempt, the mountain paths from Chengdu Prefecture to Hanzhou are all guarded by the Western Sichuan Army, making it very troublesome for commoners to pass through?"

"Indeed. That road is usually bustling with merchants, but now the Western Sichuan Army forbids anyone from riding horses or carriages. Even pedestrians are searched, and the people are grumbling nonstop." Zhou Ziqin then remembered something else and added, "I wonder if Second Brother Zhang has reached Hanzhou yet. Ah, poor Second Brother Zhang—in this vast world, finding Dicui is like searching for a needle in a haystack!"

Huang Zixiang crouched down to inspect Tang Zhuniang's wounds. The back of her skull was shattered—truly a ghastly sight. Standing up, she turned to Zhou Ziqin and asked, "Want to know where Second Brother Zhang is right now? Should I tell you?"

"I don't believe you!" Zhou Ziqin snorted in disbelief. "Do you have clairvoyance or super hearing to know Second Brother Zhang's every move all the way in Hanzhou?"

Huang Zixiang smiled at him. "Believe it or not. Not only do I know where he is now, but I also know his right arm is dislocated, and he's brewing medicine at an inn..."

Zhou Ziqin immediately jumped up. "What did you say? Second Brother Zhang is injured and brewing medicine at an inn?"

"Don't panic. It's not for himself—it's not that serious." As she spoke, she flipped through Tang Zhuniang's bundle again, carefully examining the patterns and styles of the clothes.

Zhou Ziqin was hopping with impatience and could only grab Li Shubai's sleeve to plead, "Brother Wang, Brother Wang, please tell me what's going on?"

Li Shubai glanced at Huang Zixiang and said, "Follow us at noon, and you'll find out.""You guys... you're driving me crazy!"

Watching Zhou Ziqin pacing around like an ant on a hot pan, Huang Zimo couldn't help but smile at Li Shubai, giving him a "well done" look.