The Golden Hairpin

At this moment, even someone as carefree as Zhou Ziqin realized that in the face of such terrifying power, the only way out was to flee.

Both Jing Yi and Jing Heng were stunned, momentarily speechless as they exchanged glances.

Huang Zixiang lowered her eyes in thought for a moment before saying, "Actually, these are just my speculations. I still need your confirmation first."

"Alright, I'll go find this month's records for you," Jing Heng said as he stood up and left. Huang Zixiang waited for him, resting her chin on her hand in a daze.

Jing Yi glanced at her and asked, "What's on your mind?"

She moved closer and whispered, "Eunuch Yi, is there any way you can help me get into the Court of Imperial Clan Affairs to see His Highness?"

"Oh... missing him, are you?" Jing Yi raised an eyebrow.

Huang Zixiang's face flushed instantly. Embarrassed and flustered, she retorted, "I... I'm just worried His Highness might not be accustomed to staying at the Court of Imperial Clan Affairs."

"Don't worry, he'll be fine," Jing Yi reassured her. "Given His Highness's status, he wouldn't be kept at the main office. The Court has a pavilion by Qujiang Pond for official gatherings and banquets. I've been there a few times—elegant plum groves and refined quarters. Though not as grand as the Prince's residence, it's quite pleasant. His Highness shouldn't be uncomfortable there."

Somewhat relieved by his casual tone, she pressed further, "Is there any way to arrange a meeting?"

"How could that be possible? Ever since His Highness entered the Court, orders have been issued forbidding private visits, and he won't receive anyone either," Jing Yi replied, flipping through ledgers to verify accounts. "Otherwise, given His Highness's formidable reputation and influence over so many departments all these years, with all our connections both overt and covert, how could we not have managed to see him?"

Huang Zixiang sat down opposite him, frowning. "His Highness won't even see me?"

"No, perhaps he feels it would be pointless. Besides, you should know—His Highness doesn’t want you dragged into the turmoil surrounding him."

Desperate, she exclaimed, "At this point, does he still think I can stay uninvolved?"

Jing Yi looked up at her, raising an eyebrow slightly. "To be honest, Wang Yun isn’t a bad match."

Frustrated beyond words, Huang Zixiang stood up and kicked his desk. The inkstone on his small table wobbled, splattering a few drops of ink.

Jing Yi finally cracked a faint smile as he watched her. "Alright, I know you've been on edge these past few days. Just teasing you."

Glaring at him resentfully, she asked, "Have you heard anything new these days?"

"Not much. Most officials are on leave until the fourth day of the new year. But they're not exactly idle—undercurrents are stirring in the capital. Everyone already knows about Prince E's death. Once offices reopen on the fourth, another storm will break," Jing Yi said with a hint of regret. "Pity the Emperor suffered another headache on New Year's Day and canceled court ceremonies and military drills. Otherwise, the uproar in the court would have erupted much sooner."

Watching his almost gleeful anticipation, Huang Zixiang could only sigh in exasperation. "Must you look so eager for chaos?" After all, this was a calamity of immense proportions—one that could very well doom every last person in the Kui Prince's household."Better a short pain than a long one, and better sooner than later. Just thinking about it starting the day after tomorrow makes me a bit anxious," Jing Yi said, noticing that Huang Ziyao had already stood up with a hand to her forehead, ready to leave. He quickly grabbed her sleeve and added, "Hey, don't be so gloomy! It won't help anything!"

Huang Ziyao recalled her first meeting with Jing Yi, when he had casually arranged her false identity as Yang Chonggu in front of Prince Kui with the same irreverent attitude. Knowing that old habits die hard, she sighed and sat back down.

"I know you probably get along better with Jing Yu. Hmph, what's so great about him? He's rigid and silent..." Jing Yi trailed off, then after a pause, added, "Ah, forget it. He died for His Highness, so I won't speak ill of him."

Huang Ziyao asked, "You and Eunuch Jing Yu must have both grown up by His Highness's side?"

"Not me, just him. Jing Yu was sent to the palace when he was four or five—much luckier than me. He never had to worry about food or clothing growing up in the palace." Jing Yi spoke while casually flipping through the ledger in his hands, his brush moving swiftly as he marked pages without hesitation. "I was abandoned at an orphanage as a baby. When I got older and couldn't get enough to eat there, I started stealing from others and even hurt someone. So they threw me out. After begging on the streets for a few years, one rainy day, the rain washed my face clean, and someone took a liking to me..."

Huang Ziyao blinked, pondering what "took a liking" meant.

He glared at her. "Don't overthink it. The person saw I had all my limbs and a decent face, so they cleaned me up, dressed me in nice clothes, and sold me to a palace envoy. Then, with a snip—"

Here, he looked up at Huang Ziyao with a slight smile, revealing a pair of adorable little fangs. "And just like that, I became a eunuch. After sweeping floors in the palace for a few days, I heard Prince Kui's residence was expanding and the Emperor was gifting a few eunuchs. Wow, you have no idea how hard I fought to get this position!"

Huang Ziyao said softly, "It must be because of your exceptional talent that His Highness took notice of you."

"Exactly! I worked hard too. I was illiterate at first, but after entering the palace, Jing Yu found me a copy of The Thousand Character Classic , and I started teaching myself. I even bribed the eunuchs in the archives with roasted sweet potatoes to get access to books. Within a few years, I'd read everything there!"

Listening to his childhood story, Huang Ziyao felt a pang in her chest—a faint ache from somewhere deep inside. She looked at Jing Yi and murmured, "Your past... reminds me of someone I know."

"Yu Xuan, right?" he said nonchalantly.

Huang Ziyao froze, then slowly asked, "You know him too?"

"Duh. Do you know who the biggest gossip in the capital is? Think Lu Yunzhong likes to chatter? That's just the scraps of what I let slip," Jing Yi boasted shamelessly. "By the time you and His Highness were still in Shu, I already knew everything about Yu Xuan."

Huang Ziyao turned her face away, steering the conversation elsewhere. "So... Eunuch Jing Yu was close to you? He even did you a favor?""What kindness? That bastard just wanted me to take on more work," he said, then fell into a daze for a moment before finally adding, "Yeah... if it weren't for him, I might... might still be muddling along as a lowly eunuch."

Huang Zixiang watched the faint mist in his eyes as he spoke of Jing Yu, hesitating, feeling it somewhat difficult to broach the subject.

Jing Yi noticed immediately: "If you have something to say, just say it. Is it about Jing Yu?"

"Mmm..." Huang Zixiang nodded slowly, then asked, "Do you think Jing Yu ever acted... strangely in any way?"

Jing Yi was stunned and slowly put down the ledger in his hand. He looked up at her and asked deliberately, "What do you mean?"

Huang Zixiang no longer held back: "I mean, I suspect him."

"Because he asked the prince to keep Zhang Xingying as a personal guard?"

"It's not just that. For example, when the prince and I were disguised and hiding in a Sichuan inn, Zhang Xingying and Jing Yu just happened to choose that very one. Not long after they arrived, the arson and ambush began. When the prince carried that talisman on his person, nothing happened, but after it was placed in a box, it started to change. At that time, Jing Yu was already dead, leaving only Zhang Xingying by his side..."

"Let me think about this." Jing Yi raised his hand to stop her.

Huang Zixiang fell silent and simply sat beside him, watching.

His expression was grave as he pondered for a long time before finally saying slowly, "Three years ago, during Pang Xun's rebellion, the prince's left hand was nearly crippled because of that talisman. After that, everyone around him was replaced, and Jing Yu and I were chosen at that time."

"Could he have had contact with anyone beforehand?"

"Impossible. For that selection, the prince directly pulled a roster from a detached palace and went there himself, randomly pointing at a few names on it, regardless of size or looks. No one knew beforehand that he was going there to pick palace eunuchs, let alone who he would choose. Even the prince himself was just pointing randomly at names." As he spoke, he patted his chest and let out a long breath. "Luckily, my name at the time was good enough to catch the prince's attention."

"So, it was all just coincidence and had nothing to do with your talent?" Huang Zixiang asked casually, "What was your name before?"

"Er Gouzi."

"..." While Huang Zixiang was still speechless, he thought for another moment, then stood up and picked up the candle on the table. "Come on, talking won't help. Let's go look through Jing Yu's belongings."

Jing Yu's room was next door. In the candlelight, it was clear his quarters were quite spacious. A table and stools were set up near the entrance, with a side room to the left and a bedroom to the right. Jing Yu had loved stone carvings, and various sculptures of different sizes were displayed on tables, stands, and windowsills, all meticulously maintained.

"Jing Yu held an important position in the prince's household, so he had dealings with many people. See this agate brush holder? It was a gift from Cui Chunzhan."

Huang Zixiang picked it up for a look, noting it was placed in an inconspicuous spot, then turned to examine the other carvings, thinking to herself, Even the vice minister of the Court of Judicial Review was treated so casually—who could have sent the other items?Jing Yi noticed her thoughts and said, "Jing Yu is meticulous in his affairs. He keeps a detailed list of all gifts he receives—donor, estimated value, date—everything is recorded flawlessly for the accounts. In any case, the prince would never take them away, only entrust them to his continued care, so the items remain effectively in his possession."

Huang Zixiao nodded and surveyed the room once more. Picking up an exquisitely carved stone sphere, she noticed its weight felt off—it seemed hollow. She tried twisting it and found it was indeed two tightly fitted hemispheres. The thumb-sized sphere had been carved so finely that only a thin layer remained, hollowed out to hold something inside.

Jing Yi remarked, "This was Jing Yu's favorite trinket. He used to wear it on a silk cord tied to his waist. Imagine—while others adorned themselves with gold and jade, he hung a mere stone. Quite amusing, isn't it? After I teased him about it a few times, he started carrying it in his pocket instead, but still refused to part with it."

Huang Zixiao examined the hollow interior closely. "There seems to be water stains inside."

"Really? Well, the craftsmanship is so precise that it probably wouldn't leak even if filled with water. But what could such a tiny thing hold? Not even enough to moisten lips."

Rotating the small sphere in her fingers, Huang Zixiao studied the dried water marks in silence. After a long pause, she asked pensively, "Didn't he always carry it with him? Then why didn't he take it to Shu? Why leave behind something he cherished so much?"

"True... I remember watching him pack it. How did it end up here?" Jing Yi frowned. "Could there be two identical ones?"

"Two?" Huang Zixiao clutched the stone sphere and turned to him.

"Yes, perhaps the one he took was one, and this is actually the other?"

"Two... identical..." she murmured to herself, then suddenly widened her eyes and repeated unconsciously, "Two identical ones... took one, left the other..."

Jing Yi studied her. "What do you mean?"

"Nothing... I think I've just realized something very important." Her face was pale, yet within that pallor shone a bright, almost joyful light, like sunlight breaking through clouds after a storm.

Jing Yi glanced at her and finally offered a kind word: "Did my guidance help illuminate things for you?"

Huang Zixiao nodded earnestly. "Yes! Thank you for your insight."

Jing Heng was efficient—Zhang Xingying's records were soon retrieved from the registry and delivered to Huang Zixiao.

Zhang Xingying's background was spotless, without a single blemish.

His father had been a renowned physician at Duanrui Hall, once summoned to treat the late emperor. His mother had passed away, and he had an elder brother and sister-in-law who now ran the Lü Family Incense Shop. No criminals existed among his three generations of relatives.

Zhang Xingying grew up in Puning Ward of the capital. At eighteen, he applied to become a guardsman in Prince Kui's retinue, passing rigorous selection to enter the household. However, he was soon dismissed for negligence. He then worked as an apprentice at Duanrui Hall in the capital before leaving for unknown reasons. Though he intended to join the Left Imperial Guards, this never materialized, and he left the capital to travel. Later, he distinguished himself while serving Prince Kui in Shu and was reinstated as one of the prince's personal guards.

Huang Zixiao pored over these sparse records repeatedly, reading between the lines to see countless shared memories of her past with Zhang Xingying.Without Zhang Xingying, she could never have infiltrated Chang'an, let alone met Li Shubai and secured his help to successfully journey south and overturn the wrongful accusations against her family.

He was such a noble and warm-hearted man—filial to his ailing father, loyal to his friends, and unwavering in his devotion to the tragic Dicui. Tall yet shy, he would stammer when nervous; he repaid kindness even at the cost of shouldering blame, helping her sneak into the ceremonial procession to enter Chang'an; his heart was pure, secretly admiring Dicui for so long that he only dared to steal glances at her from outside her door...

Huang Zixiao felt a buzzing in her head. She didn’t want to think about it, yet she had to. The world was so terrifying, surrounded by wolves, where friend and foe blurred. Who knew who the deepest hidden enemy beside her might be?

She handed Zhang Xingying’s case file back to Jing Heng and, before leaving the prince’s residence, stopped by the Jingyu Hall to feed a single fish pellet to the tiny fish Li Shubai kept in a glass bowl.

The fish was so small that she had to crush the sesame-sized pellet with her fingernail before sprinkling it on the water for it to eat. Staring at the fish food, she recalled how it was the same kind she and Li Shubai had bought last year during the Wang Ruo case, when they twice visited the West Market to find the street magician.

She still remembered how Li Shubai had seemed uncharacteristically awkward then, saying, "This fish food... the little fish seems to like it."

At the time, she had merely laughed inwardly. But now, she realized she might never again see that side of Li Shubai.

In this lifetime, the last traces of his boyishness had already vanished without a trace amid these dire circumstances.

Resting her hand on the glass bowl, she silently lowered her head and pressed her face against the table. Gazing at the translucent blue glass, the red fish inside took on a vivid purple hue under the golden glow of the palace lanterns, its scales shimmering with an almost mesmerizing radiance.

She pulled a hairpin from her bun and drew a large circle, then a small one beside it.

The large circle was like a massive wheel, rolling inexorably toward the smaller one. She and Li Shubai were that tiny circle, facing annihilation.

And that overwhelming force—it was the hand of heaven and earth, the strife between brothers, the will of millions in court and country, the power of gods and ghosts. The Milky Way poured down, the sky shattered, and even if they were ground to dust, there would be no escape.

With such an insurmountable disparity, who in all the world could save him? Who could turn back the heavens and mend the sun and moon?

The hopelessness of their suppression made her breath quicken, her chest aching as if pierced. Her hand trembled uncontrollably around the glass bowl, startling the fish so much it nearly leaped from the water.

Afraid she might spill it, Huang Zixiao forced herself to steady her grip and set the bowl down. Taking deep breaths, she slowly expelled the unbearable sorrow from her heart.

Rising, she left the Jingyu Hall and walked toward the Zhenliu Pavilion.

Under the dim light of stars and moon, she saw the frozen lotus pond, its withered stems broken and scattered like an old man in a straw raincoat. Traces of fireworks from days past were frozen into the ice, their ashes forming shadowy patterns.

Huang Zixiao descended the steps and placed one foot tentatively on the ice.Uncertain of the ice's thickness, she wondered if stepping onto it would plunge her into the frigid waters below, drowning her and sparing her from the terrifying future that loomed like a tidal wave.

Yet, after a brief hesitation, she withdrew her foot. Turning back, she entered the pavilion and retrieved the wooden box containing the talisman.

Just like the one she had seen at the carpenter’s, it had eighty-one slots and eighty movable character blocks. The characters were arranged without any logical sequence. Even the craftsman who had made the box couldn’t possibly have memorized those eighty disjointed characters in such a hurried moment when it was last assembled.

Her fingers moved over the blocks, shifting the chaotic characters like puzzle pieces one by one, but the box remained stubbornly sealed.

A box that required countless attempts to open—why should she even bother trying?

With a sigh, she placed the box back in its spot, only to notice a shadow cast beside the bookshelf.

She turned her head. Zhang Xingying stood at the doorway, his face obscured in darkness. The palace lanterns hanging outside the corridor cast a backlight, blurring his features into a silhouette, save for the faint glimmer in his eyes fixed upon her.

Huang Ziyao felt a chill rise from her heels, surging straight to her head. Struggling to steady her breath, she slowly withdrew her hands and turned to face him calmly. "Brother Zhang."

Zhang Xingying stepped inside. "Miss Huang, what are you looking for?"

She replied nonchalantly, "I wanted to take a look at that talisman, but it seems the box is difficult to open."

"Hmm, this box is His Highness’s important possession. Since he isn’t here, it’s best not to disturb it," Zhang Xingying said, reaching out to push the box further back on the shelf.

Huang Ziyao nodded, then turned to leave, asking wearily, "Brother Zhang, what brings you here?"

"I’m on patrol duty in the residence tonight," he said, frowning slightly. "Since you’re back, you should rest early. Even if you’re exhausting yourself for His Highness, you still need to take care of yourself."

"I know. Thank you, Brother Zhang," Huang Ziyao murmured, lowering her voice. "But I still have to return. I can’t stay here."

Zhang Xingying looked at her with concern. "It seems the curfew is already in effect outside. Should I escort you?"

"No need. I have the residence’s token with me," she said, walking with him across the withered grass toward the gate. "Brother Zhang, do you often take night shifts?"

"Not too often—once every five days," he replied, gazing up at the starry sky and exhaling deeply. "Even though His Highness isn’t in the residence, we must remain diligent in our duties. Otherwise, when he returns, he’ll have to worry about the disorder in the household."

Huang Ziyao nodded. "Yes, the residence shouldn’t fall into chaos just because he’s away."

Zhang Xingying suddenly halted and asked in a low voice, "Miss Huang… do you know of any way to see His Highness?"

She shook her head silently. "How would I have connections with the Imperial Clan Court?"

"What about Ziqin? Does he have any means?" he pressed.

Again, she shook her head. "I don’t know."Zhang Xingying sighed and said, "I wonder how His Highness is doing now, whether he needs anything inside, and if we should go and arrange something for him."

"How would we know? We can only rely on Jing Yi and the others to handle everything," Huang Ziyao replied, gazing at him thoughtfully before asking, "Do you have any ideas?"

Zhang Xingying shook his head, and both fell into silence.

Zhang Xingying escorted her out of the prince's residence and stood at the gate, watching as she headed westward.

After walking a long distance, Huang Ziyao turned back and saw Zhang Xingying still standing at the street corner, his eyes fixed on her. Noticing her glance, he waved and called out, "Miss Huang, take care on your journey."

She nodded, tightened her cloak around her, and walked forward.

She moved in silence, the cold wind striking her face. The lantern lights of Chang'an's wards gradually blurred before her eyes. The crimson glow reminded her of the great fire in Chengdu Prefecture.

Jing Yu, who had used his own body to open an escape path for them amidst the flames, had grasped Zhang Xingying's hand before his death, his earnest gaze fixed upon Li Shubai—a sight that remained vivid in her mind even now.

Thinking of that gaze, she suddenly trembled uncontrollably, breaking into a cold sweat.

Her right hand involuntarily clenched into a fist and struck her chest, as if trying to suppress the terrifying thoughts rising within her.

But she couldn't shake them off. Cold sweat trickled down her spine, her body icy, yet her mind grew sharper.

That talisman—the one that had been hidden in the secret box, yet still emitted eerie red circles—she absolutely refused to believe it was the work of ghosts or spirits. She knew there had to be someone close who could access the box, and before that person's death, a successor must have been chosen.

Jing Yu, on the brink of death, had looked at Li Shubai with desperate eyes, entrusting Zhang Xingying to his care. The faint, relieved smile on Jing Yu's lips at that moment had once brought tears to her eyes. But now, the memory sent chills down her spine.

Could it be—?

That Jing Yu, who had given his life for them, was merely a pawn in a scheme, sacrificed without hesitation?

Could it truly be that the silent, shy, tall, and dependable one—the most guileless among all her friends—had done something she could never have imagined?

Huang Zixiang returned to the Wang residence, her mind hazy, whether from the cold outside or something else. The maids hurriedly brought her hot water, stoked the blazing brazier, and tucked warming bottles into her bedding, helping her to bed.

Yet the events of the day replayed before her eyes, making sleep impossible.

Illusions tormented her as she tossed and turned all night. She saw Li Run plunging the Fish Intestine Sword deep into his own chest; she saw Jing Yu's final, desolate smile; she saw Zhang Xingying in the drying yard of Duanrui Hall, raising his arms high as he turned and shook the herbs to dry; she saw Dicui's mark left for her at the end of the alley—

A "north" character, its lower-left corner enclosed.

Illiterate Dicui, who had somehow learned to write this single character in such a strange way—yet Huang Zixiang had understood its meaning at a glance.

Dicui had known something, warning them to flee quickly and not be drawn into this terrible whirlpool. But Huang Zixiang hadn't believed her, nor had she any idea of the immense conspiracy awaiting them. Now, with the world turned upside down, she thought back to that single character and realized Dicui had foreseen the storm long before.

Huang Zixiang lay stiffly in bed, pressing her temples, forcing herself to think deeper.

Zhang Xingying... Second Brother Zhang—was he truly a spy lurking among them? When the time came, would he really deliver the fatal blow?

As for stealing the Fish Intestine Sword and framing Prince Kui by driving Prince E to suicide—whether he had done it or someone else, there was no evidence now.

Back in Shu, she and Li Shubai had vaguely sensed something suspicious about Zhang Xingying, but it had only been a faint suspicion. Now, the only reasons she had to doubt him were Jing Yu and Dicui. As for Zhang Xingying himself—how could she bring herself to suspect him...?Huang Ziyao covered her eyes, feeling the intense pain in her head. She knew she truly couldn't think anymore—if she continued, she would surely collapse into madness.

The only thing she could do now was to cast everything aside and rest first. No matter what, tomorrow would bring another twelve hours for her to search for hope amidst despair.