The Golden Hairpin

"I can vouch for my fiancée Huang Zixiang, but I can't vouch for the eunuch Yang Chonggu of the Kui Palace. So, Zixiang, I need a promise from you."

Zhou Ziqin strolled leisurely out of the West Market, carrying a wild rabbit for dissection in his left hand and a jar of brine for cleaning bloodstains in his right, heading towards Duanrui Hall.

A crowd had gathered at the entrance of Duanrui Hall, buzzing with excitement. Some were animatedly gesturing, others whispering to each other, and a few were visibly outraged.

Zhou Ziqin, ever the enthusiast for lively scenes, immediately approached and asked, "Hey everyone, what's going on?"

The crowd, thrilled to have a new listener, eagerly replied, "Something terrible has happened! There's been a murder at Duanrui Hall! The body was just taken away!"

"Yeah, yeah, you didn't see it—it was horrifying, blood everywhere—ugh!"

"The most shocking part is that the murderer is a female prisoner!"

"And she's quite pretty, too, around seventeen or eighteen, delicate-looking. Who would've thought she could be so ruthless? Just stabbed him right in the heart..."

"Poor Ah Qi, he had elderly parents and young children depending on him. What a tragedy."

Zhou Ziqin's brilliant mind immediately started racing, and he excitedly asked, "Was it because Ah Qi was fooling around and didn't take responsibility, so the girl killed him?"

"Doesn't seem like it. She was brought here by Zhang Xingying, so she probably had no grudge against Ah Qi."

At the mention of Zhang Xingying, Zhou Ziqin gasped and quickly asked, "She was brought by Second Brother Zhang? Could it be... Dicut?"

Someone gave him a puzzled look. "What Dicut? I heard her surname is Huang."

"A seventeen or eighteen-year-old girl, quite pretty, surname Huang...?" Zhou Ziqin muttered to himself, then suddenly paled as a thought struck him. His grip loosened, and the rabbit he had been holding by the ears dropped to the ground, scampering away gleefully.

"Huang Zixiang?" He threw down the jar in his hand and grabbed the man's collar. "Is it Huang Zixiang?"

The man was startled and tried to push him away. "How should I know? I just heard her surname is Huang..."

"Where is she now? Who took her away?"

"By... by the authorities..."

"The Capital Prefecture or the Dali Temple?"

"Uh... I think it was the Dali Temple. Some officers happened to be nearby and took her directly..." Before the man could finish, Zhou Ziqin turned and sprinted toward the Dali Temple at full speed.

The Deputy Chief of the Dali Temple, Cui Chunzhan, wore a pained expression as he watched Zhou Ziqin burst through the door. "Ziqin, what brings you here today? Any instructions?"

"Deputy Chief Cui, you know me well—let's skip the pleasantries and get straight to the point." Zhou Ziqin slung an arm around his shoulder and asked, "Did you get a female prisoner named Huang Zixiang here?"

"Yes," Cui Chunzhan pointed at his own face. "Why else do you think I look so troubled?"

"Why?""Of course! Those blind fools just had to stir up trouble while wandering the streets. Does the Dali Temple really need to handle this? Couldn't they just pass it to the Jingzhao Prefecture? And who's the murderer they brought back? Huang Zixiao!" Cui Chunzhan glanced around, his face so bitter it seemed about to drip juice. "You know Huang Zixiao, right? The famous female detective who used to be by Prince Kui's side, Yang Chonggu!"

"Nonsense! I've admired and worshipped her for years—how could I not know?" Zhou Ziqin tightened his grip on Cui's shoulder, making him grimace in pain. "Ziqin, ease up a bit..."

"Let me ask you something. You know Huang Zixiao is a genius detective—if she committed a crime, she'd do it flawlessly. How could she slip up and get caught? So, I think someone must be framing her! What do you think?"

Cui Chunzhan nodded thoughtfully. "Possibly... Now that Prince Kui is confined in the Zongzheng Temple, someone might be taking advantage to target her."

"So, just let her go. I'll discuss with her who's behind this..."

Cui rolled his eyes. "She's now a prisoner of the Dali Temple. Even if Prince Kui himself came, he couldn't just take her away!"

Zhou Ziqin sighed and released his shoulder. "Fine... Then at least let me visit her, okay?"

"Right now?" Cui hesitated, but Zhou grabbed his shoulder again, ready to pester. Cui quickly dodged and said, "Alright, alright! I'll take you there myself!"

As they reached the door of the quiet chamber, Cui suddenly noticed someone entering from the front hall, who raised his hands in greeting from afar and called out, "Vice Minister Cui, long time no see."

The moment Cui saw him, he abandoned Zhou Ziqin and hurried over with a beaming smile. "Yunzhi, what brings you here today?"

Wang Yun strode quickly across the broad stone-paved courtyard and smiled. "To be honest, I came today to ask a favor."

"Ah, Yunzhi, just say the word." Cui glanced at Zhou Ziqin and nudged him toward the quiet chamber. "Ziqin, you go ahead and visit the prisoner. Yunzhi and I haven't seen each other in a while—we'll catch up first."

Hearing this, Wang Yun's smile deepened. "Is Ziqin here to visit Zixiao?"

Zhou Ziqin nodded eagerly. "Brother Wang, you're truly perceptive!"

Wang Yun turned to Cui Chunzhan. "Why don't we all go together? I'm actually here for this female prisoner as well."

Cui's mouth fell open slightly—only now did it vaguely occur to him that this Huang Zixiao might be Wang Yun's fiancée. Realizing Wang's purpose, he silently cursed the meddlesome subordinates who had brought Huang Zixiao in another hundred times before saying awkwardly, "Let's go... we'll take a look together."

In the quiet chamber of the Dali Temple, the newly imprisoned Huang Zixiao sat calmly on the low bed. Her clothes still bore traces of dried blood, but she paid no mind, simply gazing up at the tall, narrow window, as still as a statue.

The weather was gloomy, and only a faint gray light seeped through the window, leaving the room dim. When the door opened, they saw her sitting serenely on the low bed, her profile exquisitely soft and delicate, hazy like mist over water in the faint glow from outside.Zhou Ziqin, the most impatient of them all, immediately blurted out, "Chonggu, you're done for! How could you get involved in such a serious matter? Hurry and think about who you've offended recently!"

Huang Zixiang turned her head upon hearing his voice and saw Zhou Ziqin rushing in while Wang Yun stood calmly outside the door, his gaze fixed intently on her without wavering.

She let out a long sigh and stood up to walk toward them. "What brings you here?"

Zhou Ziqin quickly replied, "I happened to pass by Duanrui Hall when I heard a crowd saying that a girl brought by Zhang Xingying had killed someone! At first, I thought it was Dicui—never imagined it would be you!"

Wang Yun, however, remained silent, letting Zhou Ziqin chatter away. But Huang Zixiang knew all too well—when they had parted earlier, he had likely already arranged for someone to keep an eye on her movements.

Seeing them engaged in conversation, Cui Chunjian excused himself, citing official duties, and left.

Zhou Ziqin grabbed Huang Zixiang’s sleeve and bombarded her with questions, "What happened? How could you be accused of trying to kill a young apprentice fetching medicine at the pharmacy?"

Huang Zixiang countered, "What do you think?"

"I have no idea! Could it be that he tried to take advantage of you because you were alone? But wait—why didn’t Zhang Xingying help you?"

Wang Yun interjected, "Ziqin, stop interrupting. Let Zixiang speak first."

Zhou Ziqin nodded hastily and patted the low bed in the room before sitting down.

Huang Zixiang recounted the entire incident in detail, including all the nuances. She spoke meticulously, and by the time she finished, dusk had already fallen. A clerk brought in a lamp, casting a flickering light in the otherwise dim and gloomy purification chamber, barely dispelling the darkness.

The cramped chamber was damp and dreary, its chill lingering in the air. The lamplight stretched their three figures into twisted, eerie silhouettes.

Zhou Ziqin leaned over the small table holding the lamp, his expression a mix of dismay, shock, and disbelief. "So you're saying... it's highly possible... that Second Brother Zhang committed the murder and framed you?"

Huang Zixiang nodded slowly. "Yes. But I still can’t figure out how he managed to stay with that Ah Shi at the far end of the cabinet while simultaneously coming over to kill someone."

Zhou Ziqin slammed the table, making the lamp jump and the light flicker. "I know! He must have bribed Ah Shi!"

"It doesn’t seem that way," Huang Zixiang shook her head.

"Regardless, there must be a reason, and Zhang Xingying is undoubtedly involved," Wang Yun, who had been listening quietly all this time, finally spoke. "Moreover, I believe if Zixiang investigates further, she’ll uncover the truth and clear her name."

Huang Zixiang gave a slight nod. "But right now, I’m trapped here with no way out. No matter how much I rack my brains, I can’t make progress."

"The best course would be to revisit the scene and gather more information, wouldn’t it?" Wang Yun glanced at Zhou Ziqin. "By the way, Ziqin, shouldn’t you examine the body and the murder weapon?"

"The body and the weapon..." Zhou Ziqin’s eyes lit up, and he immediately stood. "You're right! I’ll go check right away!""The body has already been taken to the charity house in the southern part of the city. With the curfew about to start, why rush now?" Cui Chunzhan's voice came from outside the door. He smiled and gestured to them from the doorway, "It's getting late. Why don't both of you dine at the Dali Temple? The kitchen has already prepared food and wine."

Zhou Ziqin stood up and motioned to Huang Zixia, "Let's go."

Huang Zixia gave a bitter smile but didn't rise. Wang Yun knew that as a woman currently under suspicion, it would be inappropriate for her to dine with them. So he just patted Zhou Ziqin's shoulder and said, "Given the sudden upheaval Zixia has faced, she probably has no appetite. Let's go ahead."

The three of them left, the door closed, and the quiet room was once again left to Huang Zixia alone.

Huang Zixia sat silently on the low bed. After what felt like an eternity, her back began to ache from stiffness, so she leaned against the wall and sat there blankly. Then she heard the sound of keys outside the door, and the glow of a lantern entered—Wang Yun had returned, carrying a small lantern.

The orange candlelight filtered through the thin paper, illuminating the small room and Wang Yun's face, his smile gentler and more serene than the soft glow in his hands.

He opened the food box he had brought, setting out four small dishes, a bowl of shredded chicken soup, and a bowl of wild rice on the small table before her. Handing her chopsticks, he said, "You must be hungry. Eat first."

Huang Zixia moved to the table and sat with her head bowed, accepting the chopsticks. "Where's Zhou Ziqin?" she asked.

"He couldn't resist—he went to examine the body right away."

"Oh." Huang Zixia nodded, first picking up the bowl of soup and taking a sip. The freezing cold of the quiet room made the warmth of the soup spread through her body. She couldn't help but look up at Wang Yun, his jade-like smile in the lantern light as comforting as the soup in her hands.

For a fleeting moment, she wondered—what would have become of her if he hadn't been here?

Wang Yun, noticing her staring blankly at him, waved a hand in front of her face. "What's wrong?"

"Oh... nothing." She quickly lowered her head and began eating.

Wang Yun sat quietly, waiting until she had eaten most of the meal before speaking. "I had people keep an eye on your whereabouts only because the situation is dangerous, and I feared something might happen to you. Nothing more. You're not angry with me, are you?"

Huang Zixia shook her head. "No... Then, are you angry with me for sneaking out to buy medicine for Prince Kui?"

"I am," he said softly.

Huang Zixia froze, her grip tightening on the chopsticks as she looked up at him.

In the flickering lantern light, his gaze held a restless shimmer, like rippling water. He murmured, "Because you should have told me—let me do it for you. Why take such risks at a time like this?"

His gentle words left her stunned, unsure how to respond. After a long pause, she fiddled with her chopsticks and said hesitantly, "Because I didn’t know... even Duānruì Hall could become such a dangerous place."

Wang Yun couldn't help but smile. Gazing at Huang Zixia in the dim light, he wondered if it was the lantern's glow that painted her pale cheeks with a rosy flush, making her look more radiant than ever.Wang Yun felt a sudden palpitation in his chest, unable to restrain himself, he raised his hand, wanting to touch her face, as delicate as a newly bloomed peach blossom.

But just as his hand was about to reach her skin, she turned her face away, gazing out the window, listening to the distant sound of bells and drums, and said, "The first watch of the night has begun."

How could he not understand her meaning? His hand, frozen mid-air, paused before awkwardly lowering, pretending to retrieve the empty bowl in front of her and taking away a plate.

The atmosphere grew subtly tense. Huang Zixia's movements while eating had already begun to stiffen.

Wang Yun remained silent until she finished her meal and he was clearing the dishes. Then he said, "Though I'm reluctant to say this, Zixia, you must make a decision quickly tonight."

Huang Zixia nodded slightly, wordless. She lowered her lashes—those thick, long lashes veiled the thoughts in her eyes and cast a faint shadow over her face.

"Because," he continued slowly, his gaze fixed unwaveringly on her, not missing even the slightest flutter of her lashes, "I can protect my fiancée Huang Zixia, but I cannot protect Yang Chonggu, the eunuch of the Kui Palace. So Zixia, I need a promise."

The flickering lamplight filled the room with a shifting warm orange hue, yet it couldn't bring her true warmth. Such a lonely, cold night, such a desperate situation. Before she could even react, the forces behind the scenes had bared their ferocious claws. There was no escape, no way out.

She looked around—the cold, hard prison cell, the high and narrow iron-barred window. Trapped here, it seemed she had reached a dead end, with no dawn left to appear before her. Yet, impartially, Wang Yun had built a rainbow bridge before her, showing her a glimmer of hope to escape this dire strait—

Yes, hope. Hers, and also Li Shubai's.

If she let go of this last lifeline, would they then be swallowed by Chang'an's dark night, vanishing without a sound like bursting bubbles, as if they had never existed in this world?

Huang Zixia silently clenched her fingers, gripping her hands tightly, not even feeling the pain as her nails dug into her palms.

She closed her eyes and whispered, "Everything... is at Young Master Wang's discretion."

"Wang Yun is truly impressive, managing to secure your release from the Dali Temple."

The next day, when Zhou Ziqin arrived at the Wang residence in Yongchang Ward and saw her unharmed, he was utterly awestruck: "You were involved in a murder case!"

Huang Zixia was listless. The sudden upheaval yesterday had left her sleepless all night, her face haggard. Hearing his exclamation, she merely held a book silently, not responding.

Seeing her reading, Zhou Ziqin leaned over and asked, "What are you reading?"

" Gui Nei Jing , a medical text," Huang Zixia replied.

Zhou Ziqin was surprised. "Why are you reading something like this so early in the morning?"

"No, I've been reading it all night," she said, folding a page before closing the book and placing it on the table. "After returning from the Dali Temple last night, Wang Yun helped me gather over twenty medical books from Physician Hu's desk. This is one of them."

Zhou Ziqin looked puzzled. "Who is Physician Hu?"

"The prescription that A-Shi filled yesterday was written by Physician Hu.""You stayed up all night reading over twenty medical books? Those from the physician's desk? What for?" Zhou Ziqin was even more baffled.

Huang Zixia didn’t answer. She only slowly placed her hand on the medical scroll and said, "It’s nothing. I just had a thought I wanted to verify."

Seeing that she didn’t seem inclined to explain, Zhou Ziqin had no choice but to drop the subject and change the topic. "With Prince Kui facing such dire circumstances now, he probably wouldn’t even know if something happened to you. Thankfully, Wang Yun is here—otherwise, you’d really be in trouble."

Huang Zixia nodded silently before finally speaking. Her voice was hoarse and low, filled with exhaustion. "Yes... In the end, I can’t stand alone against the greatest power in this world."

Moreover, in such a precarious situation, she had to ensure her own safety at all times. After all, Li Shubai was already in the worst possible predicament. If she didn’t protect herself, how could she protect those she wanted to shield?

Zhou Ziqin frowned. "Yeah, I never would’ve thought that Second Brother Zhang would... would actually try to harm you! Even if you say so, I... I still have my doubts."

Huang Zixia neither confirmed nor denied it, only saying, "Yes, it would be best if it wasn’t him. After all, this is just my worst-case assumption."

Zhou Ziqin quickly jumped in front of her, sitting cross-legged. "So you’re not entirely sure either? Think carefully—aside from Second Brother Zhang, is there anyone else who could have had the opportunity to kill that A’Qi?"

Huang Zixia held her tea in silence. After a long while, when the tea in her hands had grown cold, she gently set it down and asked, "Did you examine A’Qi’s body yesterday?"

"I did. The killer was an expert—one slash severed the heart meridian. I’d wager he collapsed before he even saw who did it. Hey, you were really inside at the time? How come you weren’t woken up?"

"I think I must have been drugged, which is why I slept so heavily. But since I was in the medicine preparation room at the time, I didn’t notice the scent of any sedative," Huang Zixia said, pouring herself a fresh cup of hot tea and cradling it in her palms before asking, "Was there anything noteworthy about the murder weapon—the dagger?"

Zhou Ziqin shook his head. "No. It was a common blade from the West Market, the kind that costs twenty coins. It even had some rust. Probably bought and left unused for a long time. There’s no trail to follow from that."

Huang Zixia pressed further, "Any peculiarities about the wound? Anything on the body that might reveal the killer’s traits?"

"No. Clean and precise—just the one strike."

She fell silent again, lost in thought for a moment before saying, "Let’s go. We’re heading to Duanrui Hall."

Zhou Ziqin was startled. "You dare go back there? A murder happened there yesterday with you involved!"

"I have to go back and see if there’s any way someone could have walked from the end of the medicine cabinet to the preparation room, killed a man, and still have an alibi." As she spoke, Huang Zixia went to the back room, picked out some yellow powder and glue, and smeared her face to make it sallow. She then used the glue to pull the corners of her eyes downward, applying it to the edges of her lips and eyes. Once it dried and cracked naturally, fine wrinkles appeared, making her look at least a decade older.She put on a turban, changed into men's clothing, wore six-harmony boots, and rode out with Zhou Ziqin. Zhou Ziqin was utterly amazed: "Dressed like this, you make me feel... as if Chonggu has returned."

"Huang Zixiang and Yang Chonggu are the same person," Huang Zixiang said, turning to glance at him. "Just like Zhou Ziqin, the imperial corpse examiner, and the young master of the Zhou family—they are also the same person."

"Hmm, that's true. Everyone has different identities. Some people know you by one identity, while others only know you by another. Maybe when they talk about you, one calls you Huang Zixiang, and the other calls you Yang Chonggu, without realizing they're both referring to the same person! Hahaha..."

Zhou Ziqin couldn't help but laugh as he spoke.

Huang Zixiang listened absentmindedly, riding alongside him.

But suddenly, she sharply pulled on the reins and stopped. Zhou Ziqin turned to her in surprise, only to find her staring blankly at an empty point in the air. He asked, "What's wrong? Did you think of something?"

"Identity... different identities, yet with the same intersection..." Huang Zixiang murmured, unmoving.

Seeing her so lost in thought, Zhou Ziqin was baffled. "Right, sometimes different identities can belong to the same person."

"And sometimes, different things can represent the same event, right?" Huang Zixiang asked.

Zhou Ziqin scratched his head. "Uh... how so?"

"For example, if I gave you three things—couplets, firecrackers, and a brazier—what would you think of?"

"New Year's, of course. That's simple!" Zhou Ziqin looked at her innocently.

"Exactly. So, what if it were—" Huang Zixiang tightened the reins in her hand, speaking slowly and deliberately, "a love knot, a dagger, and a jade bracelet?"

"Huh? Aren't those... the three things Prince E destroyed in front of his mother's furnace?" Zhou Ziqin asked.

"Yes. These three things must represent the same event..." Huang Zixiang mused. "Perhaps we don't know what they mean, but Prince E must have understood immediately upon seeing them. That's why he was misled into developing an obsession—even at the cost of his own life—to destroy Prince Kui."

Zhou Ziqin grew nervous at her expression. "Don't scare me... what could those three things possibly represent?"

Huang Zixiang fell into deep thought, seemingly entranced.

Worried, Zhou Ziqin grabbed her reins to keep her from falling. "Are you okay? Be careful, don't fall."

Huang Zixiang nodded, straightening her posture. "Let's go to Duanrui Hall."

Zhou Ziqin rode on her right but kept glancing at her, clearly wanting to say something.

Distracted, Huang Zixiang paid him no mind, focusing only on moving forward.

Zhou Ziqin looked at the clouds, then the trees by the street, then back at her. Finally, he couldn't hold back. "Chonggu, can I... ask you something?"

Huang Zixiang nodded and turned to him.

Zhou Ziqin stammered, "I... I thought of another possibility..."

His face was full of fear. Huang Zixiang understood and asked calmly, "Actually, there's another possibility—that I, too, was under a soul-stealing spell. So, it's also possible that I thought I was asleep but was actually unconscious when I committed the murder. Right?"

Zhou Ziqin was stunned to hear her so calmly suggest she might be the killer. He nodded with difficulty, unable to speak.Huang Zixiang wanted to say something, but in an instant, she forgot what she was supposed to say. She reined in her horse at the center of the street, a needle-like chill piercing her spine, rendering her body so stiff she couldn’t even move a finger.

Suddenly, she remembered the day she had exposed Yu Xuan’s crimes—how the despair in his eyes had been worse than death when he, who had been relentlessly pursuing the murderer, abruptly realized that he himself was the culprit he had been searching for.

And now, she didn’t know whether the crime she was investigating might actually be her own.

Overwhelming fear made her body tremble slightly. Her face was so ghastly pale that even Zhou Ziqin was alarmed and quickly said, "Chonggu, don’t worry... this is just my wild speculation..."

Huang Zixiang forced herself to steady her nerves and spoke softly, "It wasn’t me."

Zhou Ziqin nodded hastily in agreement. "Of course, how could it possibly be you..."

"From the previous case involving Yu Xuan, we know that soul-stealing sorcery can’t make someone develop murderous intent out of nowhere. It can only amplify existing grievances, acting as a catalyst. It can deepen hatred and malice, but it can’t create hatred from nothing. And I don’t see how a mere apprentice in an apothecary could have any grudge against me worth exploiting by such sorcery."

"Exactly, of course it couldn’t be you," he said, then hesitated before bringing up another matter. "But... if Second Brother Zhang really is the murderer... what will happen to Dicui? And Old Man Zhang has been bedridden for so long—what will become of him now that this has happened..."

Huang Zixiang felt her thoughts in complete disarray. After a long silence, she managed to say, "Dicui must have known. After all, she did warn us."

"I hope... I hope that when we get there, we’ll find the truth—that the murderer isn’t you, nor Second Brother Zhang, but that there’s some other way someone could have secretly entered the medicine workshop..." Zhou Ziqin’s voice trailed off, his expression so despondent he seemed on the verge of tears. "I don’t want anything to happen to you, but I don’t want anything to happen to Second Brother Zhang either. I don’t believe you could do such a thing, but I also can’t believe he would..."

Huang Zixiang bit her lower lip and whispered, "Do you think I want this outcome? But... Ziqin, the truth is the truth. No matter whether it points to Second Brother Zhang or to me, I have to pursue the one and only truth."

Huang Zixiang and Zhou Ziqin arrived at just the right moment—the Dali Temple was in the midst of gathering evidence. Several clerks were taking statements and documenting the scene while grumbling, "Why take on such a trivial matter? Why not leave it to the Capital Prefecture?"

Someone else muttered under his breath, "Well, though it seems like just the death of a lowly apprentice, I heard it’s connected to Prince Kui’s household. Would you call that trivial?"

"I heard it involves the Langya Wang family. They say the woman who committed the murder is that famous Huang Zixiang—the fiancée of Captain Wang..."

"Isn’t Huang Zixiang the one who disguised herself as Yang Chonggu and served as a eunuch in Prince Kui’s household? Back when Magistrate Huang was a vice minister in the Ministry of Justice, he often dealt with the Dali Temple. I even met him once..."

"Anyway, this case isn’t trivial. Since we’ve taken it, we’ll see it through," someone concluded, putting an end to their discussion.The area had already been cleared, leaving only a few people summoned for questioning. Huang Zixiao immediately spotted Zhang Xingying. As one of the key witnesses from the previous day, he had naturally been called in for interrogation.

With so few people in the pharmacy, Huang Zixiao and Zhou Ziqin's entrance immediately drew the attention of the Dali Temple officials. Someone recognized Zhou Ziqin right away and stood up to greet him with a cupped-hand salute, "Ziqin, has Assistant Minister Cui invited you to assist us?"

"Well, Assistant Minister Cui hasn't mentioned anything to me," Zhou Ziqin shook his head. "This is purely out of my passion for solving cases and my relentless pursuit of the truth!"

"Ziqin is as dedicated and enthusiastic as ever!" Several people patted his shoulder with laughter, then glanced at Huang Zixiao and asked, "And who is this young brother you've brought along?"

"Oh, my cousin. He's also interested in criminal investigations. Hearing there's a headless case here, he tagged along to take a look," Zhou Ziqin replied vaguely.

"Well, it's not exactly a headless case. It's quite straightforward, and I think it's practically settled," the leader shook his head. "All the windows were tightly locked, with only the pharmacy door accessible. We have both witnesses and material evidence—no one else had the time or opportunity to commit the crime except that Miss Huang."

Zhou Ziqin glanced back at Zhang Xingying and noticed his gaze fixed intently on Huang Zixiao. Realizing Zhang had recognized her, Zhou quickly shielded Huang Zixiao with his body while adding, "But Miss Huang lacks a motive for the crime."

Someone chuckled, "Motive is hard to say. Usually, with solid evidence, a little interrogation will reveal one."

Another laughed even more cryptically, "Even without evidence, a little interrogation will produce one."

Huang Zixiao knew this was their usual tactic and remained silent. Zhou Ziqin, however, grew anxious and retorted, "How can that be? If an innocent person is tortured into confessing, wouldn't the real culprit go free?"

"What can we do? We're under pressure too. Sometimes the higher-ups demand a case be solved in three days—what choice do we have?"

"Exactly. Take that case with Princess Tongchang, for example. If we hadn't been so meticulous, that Qian Guansuo would've just been left dead—who'd have cared?"

Zhou Ziqin clearly hadn't grown accustomed to such bureaucratic practices and could only turn away in frustration, asking, "Brothers, after investigating for so long, what progress have you made?"

"Nothing much. The conclusion remains the same. By the way, didn't you examine the body at the mortuary? Any findings?"

Zhou Ziqin shook his head, "Nothing beyond a clean, fatal stab to the heart."

"Damn, that woman struck ruthlessly," someone remarked with a click of the tongue.

"Well, she was trained in Prince Kui's household. Prince Kui himself killed his own brother—" The speaker abruptly cut himself off, forcing a dry laugh before hastily turning to someone else to cover his slip. "You're called A-Shi, right?"

"Y-yes... yes," A-Shi nodded quickly.

"When A-Qi died, you were preparing medicine?"

"Yes, I was preparing medicine the whole time, and I was chatting with Zhang Er-ge too," he hurriedly pointed at Zhang Xingying.

The Dali Temple officials burst into laughter. "A grown man called Zhang Ai-ge? What's that about?"

The supervisor quickly interjected to explain, "What A-Shi means is Zhang Er-ge.""My... my tongue isn't working quite right..." A-Shi quickly pointed to his mouth, forcing a bitter smile.

The manager also chimed in, "Yes, before this, A-Shi mispronounced 'fangfeng' as 'huangfeng' because of his accent, so we ended up with too many silkworm pupae. They're still sitting unused in the pharmacy."

"No big deal, not a serious problem," Zhou Ziqin patted A-Shi on the back and said, "As long as it doesn’t interfere with daily life, it’s fine. Look, Second Brother Zhang was able to chat with you for so long."

Huang Ziguang, listening nearby, turned her gaze to Zhang Xingying and interjected coolly, "Second Brother Zhang, how often do you interact with him?"

A-Shi replied, "Second Brother Zhang used to work in the pharmacy, so he often delivered medicine. We knew each other, but didn’t talk much. Yesterday... yesterday, I guess everyone else was too busy, so we ended up talking a bit longer."

Huang Ziguang frowned in thought for a moment before asking, "From start to finish, was he always by your side, never leaving?"

A-Shi nodded. "Yes."

"Were you watching him the entire time? In other words, was he always within your sight?" Huang Ziguang pressed.

A-Shi thought carefully, looking puzzled. "Yes, because at that time, I was the only one free... During that period, I only went to prepare one prescription. I’d recite a medicine name and then fetch it—sometimes walking from here to the farthest cabinet, other times coming back. And Second Brother Zhang could repeat all the medicines I prepared at the time, so he must have been nearby while I was gathering them..."

Listening to his accent, Huang Ziguang asked, "So, the time it took you to prepare that prescription would have been enough to make several trips between the medicine cabinet and the processing room, correct?"

A-Shi nodded repeatedly and added, "At that time, I didn’t see Second Brother Zhang, but he was listening nearby the whole time. Later, didn’t he even... even recite the entire prescription?"

Zhou Ziqin glanced at Zhang Xingying and cautiously asked A-Shi, "At that time, did he look at your prescription?"

"No! The prescription was kept inside the counter, weighed down by a paperweight. Unless Second Brother Zhang walked over to the counter, he couldn’t have seen it. But he was always by the medicine cabinet—absolutely couldn’t have seen it!"The Dali Temple (Court of Judicial Review) official also nodded." "Exactly. Since he hadn’t seen the prescription but could still recite it, he must have heard it at the time."

Huang Ziguang turned to Zhang Xingying and said slowly, "However, I wonder if you all will believe this—though I’ve never seen that prescription, I can also recite its contents.The Dali Temple official and everyone present were stunned, unsure what she meant.

Huang Ziguang walked up to Zhang Xingying and asked, "Second Brother Zhang, do you still remember what was in the prescription you recalled yesterday?"

Zhang Xingying stared at her motionlessly, his lips parting with difficulty as he said, "There was... white lotus (bai lian), fine heart (xi xin), white atractylodes (bai zhu), white lotus heart (bai lian xin), white poria (bai fu ling), white typhonium (bai fu zi), white angelica (bai zhi), coix seed (yi yi ren)..."White lotus, heart of lotus, white atractylodes, sweet pine, white silkworm, white lotus seed, white fungus, white zhi, one liang each; sandalwood, fang feng—three qian each; white clove—six qian; mint—two qian." All ground into powder and mixed with pearl powder. Isn’t that right?" Huang Ziguang asked A-Shi, her tone unhurried.Ah Shi widened his eyes and nodded vigorously, "Ye... yeah, it's this prescription!"

Zhou Ziqin asked in astonishment, "How do you also know about this prescription?"

Huang Ziguang took out the book Gui Nei Jing from her sleeve, flipped to the marked page, and passed it around for everyone to see. She said slowly, "There are countless people who practice medicine for a living, but true renowned physicians are few and far between. Doctor Hu has practiced for many years, yet he only knows how to copy prescriptions from books. This prescription comes from Gui Nei Jing , which is widely circulated, and most medical students memorize many of its prescriptions. I believe that Second Brother Zhang, whose father was a renowned physician at Duan Rui Tang for decades and who himself worked in a pharmacy, would have recognized this prescription as soon as he heard Ah Shi recite the first few ingredients."

The officials from the Dali Temple exchanged glances. Someone asked, "Zhou Ziqin, is your cousin implying that Zhang Xingying might have guessed the prescription after hearing the first few ingredients, secretly left to commit murder in the medicine preparation room, and then returned pretending he never left?"

Zhou Ziqin hesitated, looking at the resolute Huang Ziguang and the bewildered Zhang Xingying. After a long pause, he finally nodded and asked Ah Shi, "Given how quickly you were grabbing the medicine at the time, how long was this window of opportunity?"

Ah Shi panicked, trying hard to recall, "I... I'm not too sure. The prescription was so long, and there were seventy or eighty rows of medicine cabinets..."

The pharmacy manager gestured to the rows of cabinets and said, "As you can see, our pharmacy spans five interconnected rooms—the largest in the capital, with thousands of medicinal ingredients. Some rarely used ones even require climbing a ladder to retrieve. Even for an experienced hand, preparing this prescription, including grinding, would take the time of one cup of tea. As for this kid Ah Shi..."

Someone nearby muttered, "Now that you mention it, I do recall that when Ah Qi went to the preparation room to fetch something, Ah Shi happened to be grabbing medicine near me. He was so clumsy he almost bumped right into me..."

"So, while Ah Shi was grabbing the medicine, Ah Qi was entering the preparation room," Huang Ziguang said coldly, staring at Zhang Xingying. "In other words, you had a little more than half the time of one cup of tea to act."

Zhang Xingying stared at her blankly and shook his head. "Miss Huang, you saved my life. I should take the blame for you. But I truly didn’t kill anyone, nor did I recite this prescription... I really don’t know how to confess to something I didn’t do."

The Dali Temple officials froze when they heard him call her "Miss Huang." Zhou Ziqin quickly explained awkwardly, "It’s... because it was inconvenient, so she dressed as a man and pretended to be my cousin. Actually, she’s Miss Huang. You all know now..."

But no one was listening to his explanation anymore. The officials whispered among themselves before saying, "Even if you’ve proven that Zhang Xingying had the opportunity and time to commit the crime, since he claims he didn’t know the prescription beforehand, what evidence do you have to prove he memorized it from the book rather than overhearing it?"

"If I dare say this, then of course I have evidence," Huang Ziguang said coldly. "The evidence is simple—just one sentence from Ah Shi."