The Golden Hairpin

The fire raged until dawn, staining the horizon red. The entire city of Chengdu was roused, with people rushing from all directions to help extinguish the flames.

Jing Yu's body was taken away by the mortuary workers to be prepared for burial.

Huang Ziyao and Zhou Ziqin spent a long time searching the discarded corpses, only to find that the perpetrators had been meticulous. The bodies were dressed in ordinary civilian clothes, with no identifying objects on them, and even the weapons they carried had their forging marks ground off.

Traveling with a large entourage in the city was inconvenient, so Li Shubai dismissed his guards, instructing them to follow at a distance when necessary. The remaining four of them stood silently before the ashes. To assassinate Li Shubai, the enemy had not only dared to murder Princess Qile but had now callously disregarded the innocent civilians of the entire street, causing countless deaths in the fire and leaving many homeless.

"Bastards... I swear I'll personally catch the arsonist!" Zhou Ziqin gritted his teeth in fury.

Huang Ziyao frowned. "A fire of this scale, with the surrounding buildings all under their control, doors blocked or locked—every detail was meticulously planned. I'm afraid the forces behind this plot against His Highness are far more powerful than you can imagine."

Zhou Ziqin scoffed. "I don't care who they are. As long as they're causing trouble in Shu Commandery, as the chief constable, I'll fight them to the end!"

As the group walked out of the alley reduced to rubble, they suddenly spotted a woman frantically searching through the crowd of evacuees, scrutinizing each person emerging from the wreckage. Her graceful figure and light steps made her stand out even in the chaotic throng, despite her evident distress.

Zhou Ziqin called out to her, "Madam, who are you looking for?"

Gongsun Yuan turned and saw the four of them. After a brief pause, she exhaled in relief and hurried over. "I was looking for you!"

"Oh? Worried about us?" Zhou Ziqin thumped his chest, as if forgetting his earlier terror. "Don't worry, who do you think we are? Of course, we're unscathed!"

"Look at the state of you—stop bragging." Gongsun Yuan brushed the dust off his clothes, eyeing their disheveled appearances. "Alright, alright, as long as you're safe."

"Madam, where are you staying now? Shall we join you at your inn?" Huang Ziyao asked.

Gongsun Yuan nodded. "After those two men harassed me, I moved to the Yunlai Inn, two streets away. Follow me."

The Yunlai Inn was tranquil and unassuming, with bamboo and orchids adorning its courtyard and a small spring flowing through it. To the group, fresh from the fire, it seemed nothing short of perfect.

"Refugees from the burned inn next door?" The innkeeper, a seasoned professional, took one look at them and understood. "Did you manage to salvage any belongings? Do you still have money on you?"

Zhang Xingying, who had been lost in thought, finally snapped back to reality, touched. "Thank you for your concern—"

Huang Ziyao cut him off. "Don't worry, we can pay for the rooms."

Gongsun Yuan immediately said, "I'll cover it."

Zhou Ziqin waved grandly. "Don't worry, all expenses will be covered by the yamen!"Seeing so many people eager to pay, the innkeeper finally relaxed. "Oh, that's good then."

Zhang Xingying's touched expression instantly stiffened, and his suppressed grief returned.

Once inside their rooms, the first thing they did was call for hot water to wash themselves thoroughly before gathering in the front hall to order food.

"Ah... never had such a miserable midnight snack before..." Zhou Ziqin remarked, gazing at the nearly dawn sky outside. "And never had such a lavish breakfast either..."

After spending so long in the fire, the men fared better, but Huang Zixiao's throat was badly irritated by the smoke, leaving her coughing incessantly with her hand pressed to her chest. Fortunately, Zhou Ziqin had already asked the inn to prepare a large bowl of snow pear and loquat soup, which they drank while waiting for their meal to soothe their throats.

"Chonggu, yours is the worst—you need to drink more!" Zhou Ziqin insisted, practically pouring the soup down her throat.

Huang Zixiao, her stomach uncomfortably full of liquid, excused herself under the pretense of fetching Gongsun Yuan to join them, escaping Zhou Ziqin's overbearing hospitality.

When Gongsun Yuan arrived with Huang Zixiao, they noticed another woman in her thirties following behind—petite and delicate, she seemed almost like an inconspicuous maid next to the graceful Gongsun Yuan.

Only when she stepped forward and bowed did they see her face clearly—like a freshly bloomed crabapple, softly glowing under the lamplight, her melancholy only adding to her enchanting charm.

"This is my fourth sister, Yin Luyi. She just arrived in Chengdu today. I left a note at A'Ruan's house in Songhua Lane, so Luyi found us after arriving."

Zhou Ziqin suddenly understood. "Ah, so that paper kite on the door was a message for your sisters? I was wondering what it meant."

Gongsun Yuan nodded, pulling Yin Luyi to sit beside them. Yin Luyi remained quiet, and with everyone still weighed down by Jing Yu's death, the meal passed in heavy silence. Only near the end did Zhou Ziqin ask Yin Luyi, "What is your specialty, Fourth Sister?"

Instead of answering, Yin Luyi simply flicked her wrist—a pomegranate flower appearing between her fingers.

"Eh? Where did that come from?" Zhou Ziqin reached for it in surprise, but Yin Luyi twisted her hand away, crumpled the flower in her palm, then extended it again—revealing a whole pomegranate, golden-pink and perfectly round.

Zhou Ziqin snatched it excitedly. "So you're a magician?"

"In Yangzhou, having Luyi perform at banquets is enough to make the whole city buzz," Gongsun Yuan said, taking the pomegranate from him and splitting it to share.

The fruit was as fresh as if just plucked from a tree, sweet yet tart. Only Yin Luyi held her piece without eating, tears welling in her eyes.

Gongsun Yuan sighed. "I know you're sentimental, but the departed are at peace. A'Ruan went with the one she loved—she must be happy. Why torment yourself over it?"

"I... I just can't help it," Yin Luyi murmured, still lost in thought."I believe there must be more to Ruan's death than meets the eye, so I've already asked Young Master Zhou to investigate on our behalf," Gongsun Yuan said earnestly, gazing at Zhou Ziqin. "Now we sisters must rely entirely on the constable. Please uncover the truth behind Ruan's suicide for love... at least let us know what really happened to her, why she didn't seek our help but chose death instead."

"Rest assured, madam," Zhou Ziqin pledged with a pat to his chest. "As the imperial-appointed Chief Constable of Shu Commandery, I will get to the bottom of every case that occurs here. No mystery shall remain unsolved!"

Yin Luyi glanced up at him, about to say something, when Gongsun Yuan gratefully addressed Zhou Ziqin: "Thank you, Young Constable Zhou! My sister's wrongful death depends entirely on you now!"

Zhou Ziqin readily agreed, then suddenly remembered something: "Speaking of which, the Chengdu Prefecture is hosting a banquet tomorrow. Might you ladies grace us with a performance?"

Gongsun Yuan exchanged a look with Yin Luyi before replying, "Since Young Constable Zhou has extended the invitation, we shall certainly attend tomorrow. Might we know who the guests will be and what kind of performance is expected?"

"To be frank, General Fan, the Military Governor, will be visiting the Prefect's residence tomorrow—first to welcome the newly appointed Prefect to Shu Commandery, and second for the wedding arrangements between his aide Qi Teng and my younger sister. As a military man, the Governor would surely appreciate sword dances, which happens to be your specialty, madam."

Gongsun Yuan nodded. "Indeed. But I imagine... since this is a joyous occasion, your sister might not appreciate too martial a display."

Zhou Ziqin frowned. "Well... her preferences hardly matter here. The guests' tastes take priority."

"I have an idea. Ruan once helped me rearrange my sword dance with several modifications. While it retains the vigorous essence of swordplay, certain passages have been made more graceful and delicate than even the Green Waist dance, achieving perfect harmony between strength and softness. Now that Luyi has joined me, we can prepare it properly. Tomorrow we'll debut this new dance—it won't disappoint."

Zhou Ziqin beamed. "If you say so, madam, it must be an extraordinary performance indeed! We'll eagerly await tomorrow's spectacle."

"One more thing—I'll need certain items prepared for tomorrow's dance." She called for paper and ink from the waiter, wrote a list, and handed it to Zhou Ziqin.

After examining it, Zhou Ziqin read aloud: "Two pairs of oxhide lanterns, one basket of flower petals, ten pairs of butterflies..."

Pausing here, he asked in surprise, "Butterflies? Does your sword dance include releasing them too?"

Despite her melancholy, Gongsun Yuan couldn't help covering a smile. "Some secrets cannot be revealed. I might be persuaded, but these mechanisms are Luyi's professional secrets—absolutely not for outsiders."

Zhou Ziqin scratched his head sheepishly. "I spend my days studying corpses—what would I know of such things? I'll have someone prepare everything immediately."

"Please ensure they're alive—we're strangers here and couldn't possibly find live butterflies ourselves," Gongsun Yuan added.

"Every single one will be alive! Leave it to me, no problem!" Zhou Ziqin assured her, then gazed enviously at the pomegranate in Yin Luyi's hands. "Speaking of which, Fourth Lady, why didn't you come to the capital earlier? Your skills are truly marvelous."Yin Luyi was petite, with a soft and gentle voice. She said, "Over ten years ago, I once went to the capital with my sisters, but at that time, Constable Zhou must have still been a child. However, I have several disciples, and a few of them went to the capital. I heard they often frequent the West Market."

Zhou Ziqin hurriedly asked, "Then how can we find them?"

"My eldest and second disciples are a married couple, older than me. When they left, I gave them a trained white bird. Perhaps if you look around, you might find them."

Huang Zixiao suddenly understood and said, "I've seen that couple at the West Market before. But their skills were mediocre, and the white bird had already been sold."

At that time, Wang Yun, who had bought the white bird, staged a sudden disappearance of the caged bird at the Xianyou Temple, leading to the subsequent unfortunate events.

Yin Luyi nodded and said, "In our craft, rushing for quick success is most unwise. Sun Da learned a few tricks and thought he was ready to make his way in the world, so he bid me farewell. Rongniang was better—she learned a few good techniques, but since her husband wanted to leave, she had no choice but to go with him."

Zhou Ziqin quickly suggested, "Why don't you, Fourth Lady, show us a trick or two after tomorrow's banquet to liven things up?"

Yin Luyi lowered her head silently and replied, "That won't be necessary. Tomorrow, during Eldest Lady's dance, there will be a few parts where I'll be of use. You'll all be able to see then."