The Golden Hairpin

The two red beans dangling from the golden thread lightly brushed against the pulsing veins on her wrist in an instant, draining all the strength from her body. She could only let her hand drop, allowing him to take hold of it.

After searching the hall further, Huang Zixiang focused on examining the twelve characters carved on Consort Chen’s dressing table that she had discovered earlier. However, the area had already been shaved clean, leaving only fresh wood marks with no trace of the original inscription.

Exiting the rear hall, they addressed the palace attendants waiting outside: "Our apologies—we accidentally knocked over the incense burner while searching for something."

"Oh dear, you must go in and clean it up immediately," an older attendant quickly instructed the maids.

Huang Zixiang clasped her hands in salute and asked, "Are you the female official in charge here, madam?"

The attendant returned the courtesy and replied, "This humble servant is Yueling. I have served Consort Chen for over ten years and followed her to Prince E's residence when she fell ill."

Huang Zixiang promptly said, "So you are Aunt Yueling. I’ve met Aunts Changling and Yanling in the palace before and have heard them mention you."

"Yes, we entered the palace around the same time and were quite close back then," she nodded.

Huang Zixiang continued, "Did you serve Consort Chen right after entering the palace?"

"I was originally in Consort Zhao’s palace, but when Consort Chen was short on attendants, I was transferred to her service. Consort Chen had a gentle temperament, and we got along well. Eventually, I became one of her trusted attendants."

Huang Zixiang nodded and said, "I’d like to ask you about some matters concerning Consort Chen. Would you have time to speak?"

Yueling agreed and led them to a side chamber, serving them tea personally before asking, "What would you like to know? I will hold nothing back."

"Over a decade ago, when Consort Chen suddenly fell ill, were you by her side at the time?"

Yueling sighed and nodded. "Back then, Emperor Taizong’s Consort Xu, after his passing, refused medicine in her grief and followed him in death. I always thought such devotion was foolish. Yet who would have imagined that the Consort Chen I served would prove even more devoted than Consort Xu? After the late emperor’s death, she was so overwhelmed with sorrow that she... lost her mind. It’s both heartbreaking and admirable."

"So, Consort Chen truly fell ill at the time of the late emperor’s passing?"

"Indeed. I witnessed it myself, as did many elders in the palace. That morning, she had been perfectly fine, even preparing medicine as usual. I remember following her into the hall that day and noticing many unfamiliar faces. When Consort Chen saw Eunuch Wang nearby, she asked if there was any important business that day."

Huang Zixiang’s ears pricked at the mention of "Eunuch Wang." She asked, "Do you mean Wang Zongshi, the Protector-General of the Divine Strategy Army?"

"Exactly. He was still quite young then, not yet thirty. After the late emperor purged Ma Yuanzi, the palace staff was replaced, and he was the most favored by His Majesty. For the late emperor, who was usually wary of eunuchs, to entrust such responsibilities to someone so young was truly rare."

Huang Zixiang nodded. "How did Eunuch Wang respond?""Eunuch Wang mentioned that the Emperor was gravely ill, and the Inner Bureau had summoned monks from all over to the capital to pray for his recovery. Among them was a revered monk named Master Mu Shan, who was currently conducting prayers for the Emperor. The Imperial Consort was holding a bowl of medicinal soup, very hesitant about whether she should enter and disturb the ceremony..." Yue Ling recounted the events of that day vividly, as if reliving them without hesitation. "Eunuch Wang then said he was about to enter himself and feared the Imperial Consort might not be aware of the prayer ceremony, and disturbing it would be inappropriate. As he spoke, he glanced at the bowl in her hands and added that another renowned physician had been consulted for the Emperor, so the medicine might not be necessary."

Huang Zixiang pondered and asked, "So... did the late Emperor not drink that bowl of soup?"

"No, the Imperial Consort shook her head and said she had always been in charge of the Emperor's treatment, and he had been taking this medicine consistently. Even if a new physician was consulted, this bowl should still be finished. Eunuch Wang then replied, 'In that case, this servant will say no more.'"

Huang Zixiang frowned slightly and asked, "So, the Imperial Consort still went in and fed the late Emperor that bowl of medicine?"

"Yes, I followed her into the front hall but couldn't enter the inner chamber. Unfortunately, the late Emperor's condition was already too severe for any medicine to help... and the Imperial Consort, in her deep devotion, eventually lost her sanity..." Yue Ling's voice choked with tears, and she could no longer continue.

Huang Zixiang poured her a cup of hot tea, urging her to drink and not grieve too much.

After sipping the tea and sitting quietly for a while to compose herself, Yue Ling asked, "Have the two of you discovered anything? Is there any progress in our Prince's case?"

Zhou Ziqin, holding his tea in one hand and rubbing his head with the other, said mysteriously, "Of course! We've made significant findings!"

Yue Ling quickly pressed, "Is it related to Prince Kui?"

"Well... this is confidential. We must report to the Dali Temple first." Catching Huang Zixiang's meaningful glance, Zhou Ziqin deftly changed his tone.

While Yue Ling hesitated, Huang Zixiang asked, "Auntie, I heard from the maids and eunuchs that after Prince Kui's visit to return the bracelet, Prince E did not leave the residence before the winter solstice?"

"That's correct. He truly never went out. I even tried to persuade him, but the Prince was deeply troubled and despondent, unwilling to listen to anyone..." Yue Ling sighed heavily, lifting her sleeve to wipe away tears.

"Since the Prince didn't leave, were there any visitors to the residence?"

"No. Earlier, a few idlers came to invite him, but the Prince refused to see them all."

Huang Zixiang nodded thoughtfully and after a moment asked, "Did anyone deliver anything to the residence?"

Yue Ling frowned slightly, but before she could answer, a eunuch behind her spoke up, "Actually, yes. Someone did deliver something a few days before the winter solstice."

"This is Gan Nan from the Prince's chambers," Yue Ling introduced. "As I'm usually in the rear chambers, you might get better answers from him regarding such matters concerning the Prince."Jianan was a very clever young eunuch, speaking as smoothly and clearly as beans pouring from a bamboo tube. He said, "About three or four days before the winter solstice, I was warming myself by the fire in the gatehouse with the others when an unfamiliar eunuch came by. He gave us this box along with a name card, saying he was from Prince Kui's household and asking us to deliver it for His Highness's perusal. Since he was a stranger, we didn't dare send it directly, so we opened the box to check. Inside was a love knot, woven from bright red silk threads with tassels attached—very beautiful."

Zhou Ziqin unconsciously touched the few charred and fragmented silk threads in his bosom and asked thoughtfully, "What does it mean for Prince Kui to send Prince E a love knot?"

Jianan scratched his head, utterly baffled. "Matters between princes are beyond our understanding, of course. At the time, we checked the box and found nothing else, so we put the love knot back inside as it was. I presented the box to His Highness, and after seeing the love knot, he was also very puzzled. When he heard it was from Prince Kui's household, he casually put it away without saying anything."

Huang Zixiao nodded and asked, "Was this the only time?"

"There was another time, the day before the winter solstice. His Highness was in a bad mood that day, sitting gloomily in his hall and driving us all out. I was supposed to be on duty inside the hall, but that day I had to sit on the veranda freezing in the cold wind—it was unbearable. Just then, the gatehouse sent over another box, saying it was from the same person as before. I asked if it was another love knot, but they shook their heads and said it was a dagger." At this point, Jianan tilted his chin toward another young eunuch nearby. "Shen Tan here loves playing with knives and sticks, so as soon as he heard it was a dagger, he hurried to open it. Our prince has a good temper and never scolds us, and besides, it was a dagger—a weapon—so we had to check it first..."

Shen Tan turned pale with fright and glared at Jianan several times, but Jianan was too engrossed in recounting the scene to notice. "So we opened the box on the veranda, and there on purple velvet was a dagger—truly formidable, gleaming so brightly it hurt the eyes! I was so scared I stumbled back two steps, my legs trembling..."

Shen Tan had no choice but to chime in, "Indeed, that dagger was a rare treasure. At the time, I thought to myself how deep the brotherly bond must be between Prince Kui and our prince for him to gift such a peerless weapon."

Zhou Ziqin scratched his head. "Gifting a peerless dagger makes sense, but what's the meaning behind sending a love knot?"

"Exactly! I couldn't make heads or tails of it either."

Huang Zixiao bowed to the group in farewell. "Ziqin, let's go."

Zhou Ziqin quickly bid everyone goodbye as well, and the two mounted their horses and rode off, making their way back along the streets of Chang'an.

When they reached a quiet, deserted spot, Huang Zixiao said to Zhou Ziqin, "This is it for now. I'll head back to Yongchang Lane first."

Zhou Ziqin was taken aback. "What? You're going back alone? We've just made a major discovery—we should hurry to see Prince Kui!"

Huang Zixiao's heart skipped a beat. She turned her face away and said softly, "I... I won't go.""Ah..." Zhou Ziqin noticed her expression and immediately grew suspicious. "What's wrong with you? Why is your face so red?"

"...N-nothing," she replied, flustered as she raised a hand to cover her face, only to feel her cheeks burning even hotter under his scrutiny. Under Zhou Ziqin's insistent gaze, she had no choice but to admit awkwardly, "It's probably just the wind..."

"You should use more face cream—by the way, was the one I made for you last time any good?" Zhou Ziqin asked.

She seized the opportunity to shift the topic, relieved. "It was great, much better than the ones sold outside."

"Next time, I'll make one with orchid fragrance—Wang Yun likes orchids. Hmm... I wonder if Second Miss would prefer osmanthus-scented? I never got to ask her before she left..." As he spoke, Zhou Ziqin noticed the lingering blush on her cheeks, glowing like peach blossoms in the sunlight. Without thinking, he blurted out, "Chonggu, if you were a woman... Oh, right, you already are..."

The fact that she was a woman seemed to disappoint him greatly. He pouted before continuing, "Alright, let's go."

Huang Ziguang hadn't yet processed his words. "Go where?"

Zhou Ziqin leaned over from his horse and grabbed her reins. "To Prince Kui's residence!"

Huang Ziguang bit her lower lip and tugged her reins back. "I'm not going..."

"Why not? Didn't you say solving mysteries was your life's calling? After all we've uncovered today, shouldn't we discuss it with Prince Kui? We made some important discoveries, didn't we?"

Huang Ziguang looked at him helplessly, her eyes even pleading. "Ziqin, don't ask. I... I can't see Prince Kui..."

After their argument, their separation, and that sudden kiss, she truly didn't know how to face Li Shubai. She had solved countless baffling cases, praised by all for her brilliance, yet now she was utterly lost—unsure of what expression to wear, what first words to say, or how to even begin...

Her mind was in turmoil, her hands gripping the reins tightly, at a complete loss.

"Come on, we're all familiar with each other. What's there to avoid? Let's go!" Without waiting for her reply, Zhou Ziqin yanked her horse forward and even gave its hindquarters a slap. "Go on, go!"

The horse, startled by the pain, bolted forward. Huang Ziguang clung to its back, furious. "Zhou Ziqin, what are you doing?!"

"Don't worry, you won't fall," he laughed heartily. "See? We're already here!"

Huang Ziguang looked up and saw they had indeed arrived at Prince Kui's residence. She dismounted and turned to flee, but someone nearby called out to her: "Huang Ziguang."

At the sound of that cool, detached voice, her body stiffened, and her feet refused to take another step.

Slowly, she turned her head and saw Li Shubai's carriage parked at the entrance. He pushed the door open and stepped out, standing atop the carriage to look down at her. Backlit by the sun, his expression was unreadable.

She stood frozen for a long moment before finally murmuring, "Your Highness..."The guard had already laid out the steps. He descended from the carriage, dressed in a lotus-blue robe more vivid than his usual attire, making her involuntarily look up at him as if he were a radiant sun rising before her, so dazzling she couldn’t tear her eyes away.

Step by step, he approached her. His hand lifted slightly, as if to touch her cheek. But after a moment’s hesitation, he slowly lowered it again, silently gazing at her for a long while before finally saying, “Come here.”

Huang Zixiang lowered her head and wordlessly followed him into the prince’s residence.

Zhou Ziqin trailed behind them, remarking, “Look at you—just a while ago, you were shouting about running away, and now you’re so obedient.”

Huang Zixiang shot him a weak glare before continuing inside with her head down.

As soon as they entered Jingyu Hall and the servants had served tea, Zhou Ziqin immediately glanced around, shut the door firmly, and pulled items from his sleeve to place on the table: “A dagger, silk thread, broken jade…”

Li Shubai sipped his tea, watching silently.

Zhou Ziqin said, “We just found these in Prince E’s residence. Care to guess where, Your Highness?”

Li Shubai examined the traces of ash on them and asked, “Did Prince E burn them in the incense burner before Consort Chen’s memorial tablet?”

Huang Zixiang held her teacup, staring down at the three items. “Yes. And if he had done it any other time, it would’ve been discovered quickly. It’s said that on the day of the winter solstice, Prince E secluded himself before the memorial for a long time before leaving. I think… that must have been when he destroyed these.”

“The dagger—is it the one belonging to Gongsun the Elder?” Li Shubai asked again.

Huang Zixiang shook her head. “I don’t know. We can’t be sure if the other twenty-three cold-iron daggers are identical to Gongsun the Elder’s. If they are, this could be one of those twenty-three.”

“When we return to Shu, we can check whether the dagger in the evidence room is still there. That might give us an answer,” Zhou Ziqin said, sighing in frustration. “But Shu is days away from here, even with a fast round trip.”

“I’ll send someone to investigate as soon as possible,” Li Shubai said, finally setting down his teacup to examine the items on the table. “This bracelet—it must be the one we took from Fu Xinruan and sent to Prince E’s residence.”

Zhou Ziqin nodded. “Exactly. What I find strange is—why would Prince E smash Fu Xinruan’s belongings before his mother’s memorial and bury them in the incense ashes? No, wait—why did you send this bracelet to Prince E in the first place?”

Huang Zixiang glanced silently at Li Shubai but didn’t answer. Li Shubai replied casually, “It was a cherished possession of Prince E’s mother. After her passing, he gave it to Fu Xinruan.”

Zhou Ziqin’s jaw nearly dropped, his expression one of having stumbled upon a monumental secret.

Huang Zixiang’s gaze moved from the dagger to the jade bracelet and then the love knot. “There’s also the love knot. All of these were delivered to Prince E’s residence a few days before the winter solstice, falsely attributed to the Prince of Kui’s household. The sender didn’t seem concerned about others inspecting them—the box wasn’t sealed. The gatekeepers checked it first to ensure it was safe before passing it to Prince E.”

“It wasn’t me,” Li Shubai said flatly.Zhou Ziqin nodded vigorously. "Of course it wasn't the prince, but who exactly is impersonating him? And what's the purpose of sending these items?"

"Especially the love knot... what could that possibly mean?" Huang Zixia pondered.

Li Shubai contemplated for a moment before turning to Huang Zixia. "Apart from this, what else did you discover at Prince E's residence today?"

Huang Zixia avoided his gaze, pressing her hand against the hairpin holding up her hair. She pulled out the white jade pin from within the silver one and lightly drew a circle on the table. "Everyone at Prince E's residence said that ever since Prince Kui last visited to return the bracelet, Prince E had secluded himself and met no one. But I was there with you that day, and I know for certain there was no animosity between Prince E and us. In fact, he entrusted us with investigating his mother's illness. I'm sure he wasn't under any soul-stealing spell at that time—yet during this period of seclusion, he developed hostility toward Your Highness, even willing to die to tarnish your reputation and drag you into irredeemable ruin."

Li Shubai gave a slight nod but remained silent. Zhou Ziqin, wide-eyed, asked, "Chonggu, are you saying that because Prince E secluded himself, he couldn't have been soul-stolen? That everything he did was of his own volition?"

Huang Zixia drew a line on the table, just touching the first circle. "Unless someone cast the soul-stealing spell on him between the time he left his residence and the Winter Solstice sacrifice. In that case, we need to investigate everyone he could have come into contact with during that half-day period."

She drew a second line connecting to the circle. "Alternatively, there might be someone in Prince E's residence who has been lurking by his side for a long time, skilled in soul-stealing."

Li Shubai shook his head and erased the second line. "Impossible. If such a person existed, they wouldn't be stationed at Prince E's residence—after all, the Seventh Prince's influence on politics is negligible. They'd be far more useful elsewhere."

"Then there's another possibility," Huang Zixia said, extending a third line from the circle. "Prince E might have been under a soul-stealing spell long ago, lying dormant until now. The dagger and the love knot could have been triggers, causing the spell to activate when he received them, compelling him to act against Prince Kui as intended."

Li Shubai frowned slightly. After a long pause, he said, "Such an extraordinary method—does it truly exist in this world? If there were such a master, why would they need to specially summon Monk Mershan to the capital?"

"Well... it's unlikely, but still a possibility," Huang Zixia conceded, then furrowed her brow again. "But the biggest mystery of this case is how Prince E's body vanished into thin air that night."

Zhou Ziqin asked, "Could the first person to reach the base of the tower have hidden the body?"

"The first person to arrive at the foot of Xiangluan Tower was Wang Yun," Huang Zixia said calmly. "He wasn't alone—a troop of imperial guards followed him. When they got there, they found no traces on the snow, no signs of anything falling, and no footprints coming or going."Zhou Ziqin frowned in thought for a long time before suddenly slapping the table and exclaiming, "I've got it! I know why Prince E chose to jump from the other side of Xiangluan Pavilion instead of right in front of you!"

Huang Zixiang looked at him with questioning eyes.

"Because," he continued, "he must have set up a scaffold below the pavilion or hung some kind of soft cloth net on the wall. It appeared to you that he jumped from the railing, but in reality, he landed safely on the scaffold or the net, completely unharmed." Zhou Ziqin looked smug, wearing an expression that suggested he had unraveled all the mysteries of the world. "And after the jump, while everyone at Qifeng Pavilion was in chaos, he took advantage of the commotion as you all ran around Hanyuan Hall to chase him. He quickly packed up the scaffold or net and slipped away unnoticed!"

Huang Zixiang replied, "That would have been a plausible explanation, but that day, there happened to be a light snowfall. The prince and I were among the first to arrive at the scene. I had already inspected the railing—the snow on it was undisturbed and perfectly even, with absolutely no trace of any soft net having been hung there."

"What about... a scaffold set up outside?"

"Later, we also went downstairs to check. At the spot where Prince E jumped, the wall was completely bare. The snowflakes clinging to it were evenly distributed, untouched by anything."

"Alright, let me think again..." Zhou Ziqin said dejectedly, then turned to Huang Zixia. "Any other discoveries, Chonggu?"

Huang Zixia shook her head. "Perhaps we could investigate the person who delivered the love knot and dagger. But since it was under a false name, the person was likely disguised, making it difficult to trace."

"Maybe we could follow the lead of that box?" Zhou Ziqin pondered. "I remember seeing the character 'Liang' in one corner of the box. It was probably made by Liang's Woodcraft Shop."

Huang Zixia nodded. "We can go ask."

Seeing his suggestion approved, Zhou Ziqin immediately perked up and jumped to his feet. "What are we waiting for? Let's go!"

Huang Zixia gave an affirmative hum and stood to follow him, but couldn't help glancing back at Li Shubai.

Li Shubai looked at her, set down his teacup, and said, "It just occurred to me—the nine-grid box I bought earlier was also from Liang's Woodcraft."

Huang Zixia asked, "Your Highness suspects the box might have been tampered with?"

Li Shubai gave a slight nod.

Zhou Ziqin immediately interjected, "What? What nine-grid box?"

"You'll find out soon. I'll accompany you there," Li Shubai said as he stood. "Wait a moment."

Before Huang Zixia and Zhou Ziqin could finish their tea, Li Shubai returned, now dressed in a pearl-gray round-collared robe embroidered with subtle purple mirror patterns, aiming for a more inconspicuous appearance.

The three of them headed to Liang's Woodcraft Shop together. With the New Year approaching, the East Market was bustling, and the shop's entrance was equally lively. Though the prices here were higher than elsewhere, the East Market catered to the wealthy and noble, and the exquisite craftsmanship attracted many commoners who came to buy dressing tables or powder boxes for the festivities. The shop was packed with customers.

Inside, they spotted boxes on display identical in size and shape to the one from Prince E's residence. Zhou Ziqin asked, "Shopkeeper, has anyone bought this kind of box recently?"

The shopkeeper gave him a look as if he were an idiot. "We've sold over fifty today alone. How would I know who bought them?"

Zhou Ziqin slumped onto the counter in defeat, muttering, "Over fifty..."

Li Shubai patted his back, signaling him to straighten up, then said, "Shopkeeper, I previously bought a nine-grid wooden box here, made by Master Huo. I'd like to order another. Is the craftsman still around?"

The shopkeeper shook his head. "Master Huo passed away nearly four years ago. But his apprentice is here now, carrying on his master's craft. He's quite skilled—should be able to make something similar. Would you like one?"

"Please take us to him. I'd like to discuss the engraving on the box."

"Of course, this way." The shopkeeper immediately called over a young assistant, his eager expression making Huang Zixia and Zhou Ziqin suspect the box would fetch a hefty sum.Liang's Woodworking Shop had its storefront in the East Market, but the actual crafting took place in a courtyard south of the city. Li Shubai had visited once before, so this time, following the young shop assistant, he knew the way well and headed straight for a small room at the eastern end of the courtyard.

The so-called apprentice was actually a middle-aged man in his thirties, listlessly planing a piece of wood.

The assistant knocked on the open door and said, "Master Sun, someone's here to order a nine-grid wooden box."

Master Sun immediately perked up, his face lighting up with joy. "Oh-ho! It's been ages since anyone ordered this kind of box. Are three people ordering it?"

Li Shubai replied, "Yes, one nine-by-nine eighty-one-grid secret box."

Master Sun was so delighted his eyes nearly disappeared into slits. "Eighty-one grids? That won't come cheap—one hundred coins per grid, plus the locking mechanism, totaling... ten strings of cash."

Li Shubai nodded. "No problem. When can I come to set the password characters?"

Seeing his straightforwardness, Master Sun immediately became obsequious, standing up to fetch a nine-grid box from a cabinet at the back. "I happen to have a ready-made one here. After my master passed away, I made it in my spare time following his instructions—took me over half a year to finish. But this thing is expensive, and it only keeps out honest people. Anyone with a saw or axe could just chop it open, so no customers ever came for it... Haha, only a refined person like yourself would appreciate it."

The corner of Li Shubai's mouth lifted slightly. "It's nothing. I just wanted to see if anyone would be interested in this."

The nine-grid box already had its frame completed, with only the empty slots for the eighty character tiles waiting to be filled.

Zhou Ziqin, who had never seen a nine-grid box before, whispered to Huang Zizao, "What is this thing? How does it work?"

Hearing this, Master Sun loudly explained, "This was my master's signature skill! My master had two specialties—the lotus box and this nine-grid box. Look, sir, the top of this box has eighty-one slots the size of a fingernail, each with a hole beneath. These eighty-one slots pair with eighty wooden tiles, each with copper rods of varying lengths underneath. Only when the lengths of these eighty copper rods match the original settings can the box be opened. In other words, it's an eighty-character lockbox."

Zhou Ziqin was dumbfounded. "Eighty characters... That would take a lot of effort just to arrange them!"

"No worries. There are eighty-one slots and eighty tiles, so the unlocking tiles can slide along tracks within the slots. Just randomly push them around a few times to completely scramble the order—locking it is easy, though opening it is a bit harder."

"But remembering the order of eighty characters must be tough, right?" Zhou Ziqin asked.

"That's why most people opt for nine, twelve, or at most thirty-six grids. Eighty-one grids? Unless it's a passage from a familiar classic or even a picture to reassemble later, it'd be a real headache." He then smiled at Li Shubai and asked, "What would you like to set, sir?"

Li Shubai replied indifferently, "No need. Just give me whatever pre-carved tiles you have, and I'll arrange them randomly myself.""Then you must compose a poem or jot it down on paper, sir. Otherwise, if you forget, the only option would be to destroy the box," he said, presenting a pile of character blocks the size of fingernails and placing them before him. "Luckily, I still have these character blocks from when I was learning engraving. Otherwise, you'd have to wait half a month for me to carve the characters."

Li Shubai casually picked up the blocks and began placing them on the box. Seeing him arrange them in a jumbled sequence like "home encounter household double qi if only for bamboo shoots…," Master Sun quickly intervened, saying, "Sir, please write it down! If you forget, those ten strings of cash will have been wasted!"

Zhou Ziqin pulled his hand away and said, "Don’t worry. He has a photographic memory—he only needs to see it once."

"Really…?" Master Sun asked incredulously. "I’ve heard that’s a talent unique to Prince Kui of our dynasty."

Zhou Ziqin grinned proudly and patted his back. "Relax."

Soon, eighty characters were placed, leaving only one empty space in the lower-left corner.

Master Sun asked, "Are you certain about this?"

Li Shubai glanced at the characters and said, "It’s fine."

Master Sun covered the box tightly with an oilcloth, then flipped it over, securing all the character blocks face-down within the sliding tracks. He then took a handful of thin copper rods and drove them into the backs of the blocks.

After hammering in eighty-one copper rods—some long, some short, some crooked, some straight, some nailed to the top-left corner, some to the bottom-right, and some in the middle—they stuck out like uneven blades of grass, utterly chaotic. He turned to Li Shubai and said, "Sir, I hammered these copper rods randomly. I’ll set the lock pins according to their varying heights and spacing, ensuring yours is truly one of a kind. There’s no way another lock in the world would have eighty pins arranged exactly like this, right? If you don’t trust me, you can adjust their lengths yourself."

"Let me do it!" Zhou Ziqin grabbed the hammer and haphazardly struck a few of the rods before asking Li Shubai, "How’s this?"

Li Shubai nodded slightly, and Master Sun immediately fitted a steel plate onto the box, configuring the lock pins according to the irregular copper rods. The crisscrossing copper bars were interconnected, with each intersection point corresponding to a thin rod behind a character block. The eighty points converged into one, activating sixteen surrounding steel bars. With a click, the box was completely locked.

He flipped the Nine Palaces Box over, removed the oilcloth, and presented it to Li Shubai with both hands. "Sir, please scramble the order of the character blocks. From now on, you alone in the world can open this box."

Zhou Ziqin scoffed, "Honestly, it’s just eighty character blocks. If I tried enough times, I could definitely figure it out."

"You jest, sir. With eighty character blocks, if the first one isn’t fixed, there are eighty possibilities. The second has seventy-nine, the third seventy-eight, the fourth seventy-seven, and—"

Zhou Ziqin immediately waved his hands. "Alright, alright, stop! I’m already dizzy… Fine, that’s ridiculously difficult. Might as well just chop it open with an axe."

Huang Zixia took the box from Li Shubai and examined it for a long while before asking, "Was your previous box made the same way?""Yes, I personally designed the character codes—eighty completely unrelated characters. After completion, I immediately scrambled their order. No one else has ever touched them."

"So..." She pondered, staring at the box in her hand. Eighty disordered characters, eighty randomly placed thin copper rods, paired with an utterly unique lock mechanism inside. This should have been an unbreakable cipher box in the world. Yet, the secrets hidden within it kept changing inexplicably. Where exactly was the flaw that allowed someone to tamper with it?

Her fingers tapped lightly on the box, producing a dull sound. Master Sun immediately chimed in, "Such thick solid wood, such hard rosewood, such flawless lacquer—this craftsmanship is truly worth ten strings of cash!"

Huang Zixiao nodded. No wonder it felt so heavy in her hands.

Her gaze swept over Master Sun’s workbench. Aside from the haphazardly scattered tools, wood shavings and scraps covered the surface. The oilcloth that had wrapped the box was discarded there, along with leftover character blocks strewn about.

Nothing unusual caught her eye. Finding the box too heavy, Huang Zixiao casually handed it to Zhou Ziqin, who obediently cradled it.

Li Shubai, of course, didn’t carry that much money on him. But he produced a silver ingot, and though Master Sun had to exchange it, the extra profit left him beaming with gratitude as he saw them out.

Zhou Ziqin hugged the cipher box and sighed, "Such a sloppy, messy uncle, yet his work is so exquisite. This box is truly impressive."

"It’s yours," Li Shubai said offhandedly.

"...Can I change the character codes? These eighty characters are completely unrelated—how am I supposed to remember them?" Zhou Ziqin asked with a pained expression. "And it seems this box can’t even have its codes altered?"

"Of course not. Once the lock mechanism is fixed, it can never be changed."

"So this is the only one in the world, with unchangeable codes, forever unique?"

"Yes," Li Shubai replied indifferently, shifting his gaze to Huang Zixiao.

And Huang Zixiao was already looking at him. Their eyes met, and she flushed, quickly turning her face away.

Li Shubai felt a faint ripple in his chest, like a lake gently swaying. He slowed his steps, letting the two of them fall behind Zhou Ziqin, creating a small distance.

Neither spoke, each instead gazing at the trees lining the path. The snow had just cleared after the storm, and clumps of white slid from the branches. The azure sky framed the withered limbs and snow, while the fragrance of wintersweet hung crisp in the air.

They walked side by side, their left and right hands occasionally brushing lightly against each other through the embroidered fabric, as if they could still feel the warmth of the other’s skin.

Unable to resist, he softly called her name, "Zixiao..."

She heard him, but only buried her face deeper, her cheeks blooming like roses.

After that moment in Taiqing Palace, they were still the same people, the same as before—yet somehow, everything had changed.

Li Shubai gazed at her lowered, blushing face, overwhelmed by emotion. He reached out and clasped her wrist firmly in his palm.Huang Zixiao's heart skipped a beat as she tried to pull her hand back. But his warm palm pressed against her slightly cool wrist, the two red beans dangling from the golden thread lightly tapping against her pulsing veins in that instant, draining all the strength from her body. She could only lower her hand and let him hold hers.

Yet it lasted only a moment, for Zhou Ziqin soon noticed they had fallen behind. Turning to look at them, he asked, "Why are you walking so slowly?"

Flustered, she shook off Li Shubai's hand. Their sleeves abruptly parted as if they had merely brushed against each other while walking.

Only after Zhou Ziqin turned back around did Huang Zixiao clasp her hands together and ask softly, "Should we tell Ziqin about that curse of yours?"

Li Shubai watched Zhou Ziqin's youthful, bouncing figure and shook his head silently. "No need. The more people who know, the more we drag into this mess. What good would that do?"

She nodded and added, "As for this Nine Palaces Box, there seems to be no way to approach it for now. Moreover, inside this box lies another—the Lotus Box. To open both and tamper with the curse inside would be nearly impossible."

"The Lotus Box is just incidental. Aligning twenty-four points will open it—what secrecy does it hold? The real focus should remain on the Nine Palaces Box," Li Shubai murmured. "You’ve already confirmed before that removing the vermilion marks resembling blood would take considerable time. And I’ve deliberately taken out the curse multiple times a day to inspect it—how could the perpetrator dare use a method requiring two or three days to take effect? Besides, when my left arm was injured and nearly crippled, the red circle over the character 'crippled' gradually faded as my wound healed, disappearing entirely in the end. I doubt they’d be bold enough to frequently handle my curse just to remove a bit of color."

Huang Zixiao sighed lightly, her breath forming a faint white mist that briefly veiled her face, lending her a trace of melancholy. "It seems we still have a long way to go before this case is resolved."

Seeing her furrowed brows, Li Shubai couldn’t help but reach out to smooth them, comforting her, "It’s alright. No matter what, I believe we’ll eventually uncover the truth."

Huang Zixiao met his resolute gaze, free of doubt or fear, and felt her unsettled heart steady. Staring at him, she curved her lips into a faint smile and took a slow step back. "Today’s efforts weren’t in vain. I’ll sort through everything carefully when I return... If Your Highness thinks of anything, please let me know."

Li Shubai frowned slightly. "You’re still going back there?"

"Yes. I can’t abandon my progress now. After all, the Wang family is already assisting with the investigation, and I’ve gained much—it’s a rare opportunity," she replied, taking another step back, though her gaze remained fixed on him. "If you discover anything... you can send someone with a message. The servants at the Wang residence are all deaf-mutes, so you’ll need to mark the envelope 'For Huang Zixiao’s eyes only.'"

Li Shubai nodded without speaking.

She retreated one more step before finally tearing her eyes away, waving at Zhou Ziqin. "I’m leaving now."Zhou Ziqin reluctantly waved goodbye to her, then muttered to himself, "Honestly, no matter how well she gets along with us, she still has to return to the Wang family in the end—what can we do? After all, Wang Yun is her fiancé."

Li Shubai pressed his lips together without a word and strode past him, quickening his pace.

"Hey, why the sudden cold shoulder?" Zhou Ziqin hurriedly hugged the box and chased after him. "Your Highness, wait for me..."