The Golden Hairpin

Yu Xuan seemed not to understand his meaning and did not respond.

"Have you ever wondered why Qi Teng would help you? Or why General Fan would regard you with such favor? Sometimes, it’s not about what you want—it’s about whether they need you, whether you can be of use to them." Wang Yun's originally gentle voice suddenly turned icy, much like the shimmering light around them—warm in appearance, yet in truth, it was the cold ripple of water, chilling to the touch.

"Yu Xuan, no matter who you are or where you come from, I neither know nor care. All I know is that you are the chosen one. In the past, and now, someone holds you in high regard. With just a nod from you, wealth and glory will be within your grasp. In the future, the people of Shu Commandery will forget the current Qi Teng, whom everyone envies, and you will take his place as the object of admiration. Wouldn’t that be wonderful?"

"What I truly desire, I can never have. So even if I were to gain everything else—even if I possessed the entire world—what meaning would it hold?" The night air was crisp, and Yu Xuan's voice seemed to absorb its coldness, turning stiff and indifferent.

Wang Yun, however, laughed. "And what’s the point of this? To make me think your hands are clean? Sometimes, killing is a simple matter—just one more hole in the chest, isn’t that right?"

Huang Zixiang tried to decipher the meaning behind their disjointed conversation but still couldn’t quite grasp it. Yet as she listened, a creeping chill rose from the soles of her feet, spreading to the top of her head—a terrifying, icy sensation that left her body rigid. She could only crouch behind the bushes, frozen in place.

Yu Xuan's voice reached her as if from the distant heavens, indistinct and dreamlike: "Enough. I thought you might speak of matters more relevant to us. I never expected you to come as a persuader, spouting nonsense."

Wang Yun chuckled softly, his tone merciless. "Nonsense? Could it be... you’ve even forgotten your time in Qi Teng’s household? Forgotten Master Mu Shan? Forgotten that little red fish, Agasheni?"

Yu Xuan abruptly took a step back. Through the bushes, Huang Zixiang caught a glimpse of his profile—under the flickering lantern light and shimmering reflections, his flawless face twisted slightly. His entire body trembled, a despairing, ghastly pallor overtaking his features as he leaned heavily against the railing, as if unable to support his own weight.

Amid his ragged breaths, the sound of music began to rise in the distance—Lady Gongsun’s sword dance was about to begin.

Huang Zixiang slowly retreated, slipping away through the bushes.

She saw Wang Yun approach the nearly broken Yu Xuan, extending a hand toward him, his voice gentle and unremarkable: "This place is too crowded for such talk. You should go back and think it over—perhaps you’ll come to understand."Everyone in the audience had settled back into their seats. Gongsun Yuan stepped forward and bowed deeply to the crowd, saying, "On this beautiful day and night, though I lack talent, I wish to present a dance for all of you, titled 'Sword Qi Untamed.' Some here may have seen this dance before, but I assure you, the version I perform today will be entirely different from what you’ve witnessed. Today’s dance features flowers and butterflies—no blades or shadows of swords—only the harmony of blossoms under the moon and the flight of paired butterflies. Those with a beloved by their side may appreciate it best, lest its deeper meaning go unfulfilled."

The crowd couldn’t help but smile knowingly at her words.

Li Shubai turned his head and glanced at Huang Zixiao, who responded with a faint smile. Then, as if sensing something amiss, she hesitated before finally looking toward Yu Xuan. He had just taken his seat, his expression slightly stiff. When he noticed her gaze, he averted his eyes.

A faint sorrow welled up in her heart. Within the prefect’s estate, among the gardens and pavilions, so many of their shared joys had once unfolded. Her entire girlhood had been spent here, with Yu Xuan by her side.

Yet now, though the scenery remained unchanged, the two of them had become entirely different people.

Lost in thought, she noticed Qi Teng had quietly risen and retreated to the very back of the seating area. There, behind a green gauze screen, sat a young woman.

Qi Teng gently tapped on the screen, and she turned her head, flashing him a radiant smile.

Huang Zixiao knew this must be Zhou Ziqin’s younger sister. Though the darkness obscured her features, the graceful tilt of her head and the luminous glow of her fair skin in the dim light suggested she was a beautiful girl—though, really, what girl at sixteen or seventeen isn’t lovely?

Before she could dwell further, the rhythmic clapping began, and Gongsun Yuan stepped into the waterside pavilion. Her silhouette appeared behind the gauze curtain, assuming the opening stance, a long and a short sword in her hands. The cold glint of the blades pierced through the thin fabric like rippling water seen through a veil.

Before anyone could react, the two rippling lights twisted, and her slender figure darted out from behind the curtain. The ox-horn lanterns at the front shielded the side facing the audience, focusing all the light onto her alone.

Bathed in the bright glow, she began her sword dance. The blades arced and turned, tracing perfect crescents of light, as if a celestial being had descended with the sun and moon, carving countless new moons into the darkness. Yet these crescents were alive—shifting like waves, drifting like clouds, reflecting the lantern light and enveloping her in a dazzling radiance.

Suddenly, the crescent lights scattered as she leaped and twirled within the pavilion, the sword tips trembling, the gleam dissolving into a shower of sparkling points. The brilliant swordplay became the stars swirling around her, their brilliance matching the shimmering gold embroidery of her robes, so dazzling that no one could look away.

From the very first moment, the intensity and splendor of the sword dance left the entire audience spellbound. Zhou Ziqin was so stunned his jaw nearly dropped, the handful of melon seeds he’d been holding spilling to the ground unnoticed—for all eyes were fixed on Gongsun Yuan, and no one paid him any mind.At this moment when heaven and earth seemed to bow in reverence, Gongsun Yuan suddenly came to a halt. Her long and short swords merged as one, and the brilliant lantern light dimmed abruptly—it was Yin Luyi below the stage, standing by the lantern, who had reached out and turned the parchment shade, instantly darkening the glow.

Only the lantern behind the gauze curtain remained, casting its light from behind the sheer fabric. Silhouetted against the backlight, Gongsun Yuan's figure appeared frozen in motion, her dancing shadow resembling a resplendent peacock against the embroidered curtain, adorned with hues like the colors of dawn. Her swords had vanished, and now she spun like the wind, her sleeves, skirt, ribbons, and hair swirling around her like churning clouds or a radiant halo. Even the gauze curtain was stirred by the wind around her, fluttering like a multicolored mist enveloping her form.

She spun behind the gauze curtain and then stopped abruptly.

Yin Luyi signaled to the musicians beside her, and the music that had been playing also ceased suddenly. In the ensuing silence, only the faint sound of a flute lingered, mournful and plaintive. Gongsun Yuan stood motionless, her hands hanging by her sides, while a fragrant mist filled the air. Petals rained down upon the pavilion—Yin Luyi had pulled a rope by the pavilion, causing several bamboo baskets arranged along the eaves to tilt slowly, releasing their cascades of petals that drifted gently with the night breeze, scattering across the courtyard.

The audience gazed up at the falling petals, murmuring in admiration.

Fan Yuanlong was the most exaggerated, leaping to his feet and exclaiming, "I must get closer to see if those petals are real or fake!"

Huang Zixiang watched as he lunged forward, nearly knocking over the lantern beside Yin Luyi, then deliberately grabbed her sleeve, shouting, "Oh dear, sister, help me up..."

Yin Luyi, who had been focused on assisting Gongsun Yuan, was startled by his sudden grasp, her hand trembling and causing the parchment lantern to sway.

She turned to Fan Yuanlong, who, emboldened by wine, grinned and tightened his grip on her hand. She struggled slightly and whispered, "Please... please enjoy the dance quietly, so as not to disturb others."

Even Fan Yingxi, seeing his son's disgraceful behavior, stamped his foot in silent fury. He was about to call Qi Teng to drag him back when he realized the man wasn't there—he had gone to accompany the Zhou family's young lady.

Zhou Ziqin tried to push his way out, but seated behind his father, he couldn't move his chair easily. Then, Yu Xuan, seated in the third row on the right, stood up and approached the drunken Fan Yuanlong, placing a hand on his back. "Young Master Fan, have you had too much to drink? There's a breeze here—come and sober up."

Yu Xuan was half a head taller than Fan Yuanlong, who, in his drunken state, struggled but was nonetheless forcibly led away.

Yin Luyi bowed gratefully to Yu Xuan before quickly turning her attention to the last basket of petals.

Fan Yingxi awkwardly apologized to the guests, who could only murmur, "Just a drunken episode, nothing serious."

By now, the petals had all fallen, and Gongsun Yuan's figure was projected onto the intricately embroidered gauze curtain. As the light shone through, one or two butterflies slowly emerged around her. One, two, three—they appeared one after another on the curtain.Flowers fell to the ground, and butterflies filled the sky, instantly drawing everyone's attention once more as they gazed upward in admiration. Huang Zixiang looked up at the butterflies, then followed their fluttering path downward to where Li Shubai sat.

A red petal had landed in his hair.

She hesitated for a moment before finally reaching out to gently pluck the petal away. Sensing the movement in his hair, he turned to look at her, and she responded with a slight smile, holding up the petal in her hand as explanation.

She saw Li Shubai's bright eyes, shining like stars in the southern sky on this dark night.

Gongsun Yuan remained motionless, her sleeves fluttering lightly until all ten pairs of butterflies had flown out from within them. Then, with a sweep of her sleeve, the outer layer of her gold-embroidered red robe suddenly fell away, revealing a sheer gauze dress beneath. Dancing gracefully among the fluttering butterflies, she began her performance.

This time, her movements were soft and slow, as if she were flying wing to wing with the butterflies. Her toes lightly touched the ground, her silken garments billowing. Behind the translucent curtains, her sleeves, illuminated by the lantern light, resembled the wings of dragonflies, while her raised fingers took on the delicate form of orchid blossoms.

Zhou Ziqin, watching Gongsun Yuan twirl among the butterflies, couldn't help but boast proudly to Huang Zixiang, "Chonggu, do you have any idea how difficult it was to catch these ten pairs of butterflies? I spent the entire afternoon searching with my servants!"

Huang Zixiang quickly replied with perfunctory praise, "Hard work, hard work," her eyes never leaving the waterside pavilion. As the music of pipes and flutes swelled and the rhythm quickened, Gongsun Yuan's dance grew increasingly rapid. Yin Luyi turned the lantern, and the light suddenly brightened, illuminating Gongsun Yuan like the rising sun. Her thin garments, the intricate steps of her dance, and her ever-changing poses were like turbulent currents clashing, like snow and ice cascading, like purple lightning streaking across the sky.

A clear chime pierced through the mesmerizing dance, and Gongsun Yuan abruptly ended her performance, lying still on the ground like a fish.

The audience remained spellbound by her astonishing dance, unable to snap out of their trance. Only after a long silence did they erupt into thunderous applause, overwhelmed with excitement.

Gongsun Yuan rose like a wisp of cloud, curtsying to the crowd with a faint smile. She then took Yin Luyi's hand and bowed to those outside the performance area.

Li Shubai clapped his hands and laughed. "After so many years apart, Gongsun Dayang's skills have only grown more refined. This dance reminds me of the first time I saw your 'Sword Energy Unleashed' in the Daming Palace. As a young man, it was my first glimpse of what true brilliance and unrestrained energy looked like. And now this performance, blending strength and grace, emphasizing beauty over sheer power, is truly rare."

"Back then in the Daming Palace, I was just over twenty, at the peak of my physical strength and flexibility—the height of my career," Gongsun Yuan said, still catching her breath as she wiped the fine sweat from her forehead. She smiled faintly. "But now that I'm older, my body can't keep up anymore, so I had to modify parts of the dance to be slower. Actually, it was Aruan who helped me adapt it."

Huang Zixiang detected endless regret and melancholy in her voice, and Yin Luyi gently patted her hand as if to comfort her.

Fan Yingxi, oblivious to her circumstances, let his eyes roam over them both and said with a grin, "Gongsun Dayang has been renowned across the land for over twenty years. Your dancing is truly breathtaking. Would you be interested in performing at the military governor's residence—"

Before he could finish, a piercing scream suddenly rang out from behind—the heart-wrenching cry of a young woman.Upon hearing this, Zhou Ziqin immediately cried out, "Purple Swallow!"

Zhou Xiang also paled and quickly turned around, following Zhou Ziqin as they hurried toward the green gauze cabinet at the back.