The Golden Hairpin

She wasn't in any particular hurry. Since she was already with child and signs had begun to show, what was meant to come would come in its own time—why rush?

Leaning idly against the couch, she slowly flipped through the poetry collection in her hands and casually asked Yong Ling, "Before coming to serve me, where were you assigned?"

Yong Ling, doing needlework beside her, replied softly, "This servant was originally from the palace, following His Highness when he established his residence. After His Highness married Lady Wang, I was assigned here. After Lady Wang passed away, I've remained here ever since."

Wang Shao listened absentmindedly, turning the pages to where she'd left a maple leaf bookmark yesterday.

Between those pages were densely packed lines of tiny script:

The night brought wind and rain, making sleep impossible. Faint eerie lights flickered outside the window, with rippling water and phantom shadows everywhere. Yet the child in my womb kept stirring, leaving my entire body rigid and beyond control. I could only pray silently that this was but a dream—don't look, don't listen, don't go...

The handwriting grew increasingly erratic from this point onward, becoming illegible.

Nodding, she asked, "What about the other four maids?"

"They came from various parts of the estate—some were seamstresses, others attended the study. When you arrived, the steward selected several steady-handed ones for your service."

"Fang Fei seems quite polished in her manners—had she served before?"

"Not exactly, but her elder sister attended Lady Guo, so she likely taught her some things."

Wang Shao smiled faintly and closed the book gently. "Lying about all day is tedious. How did my sister... Lady Wang pass the time during her pregnancy?"

Yong Ling hesitated slightly. Seeing Wang Shao's insistent gaze, she sighed. "Lady Wang was a delicate beauty, pure as a lotus flower. But she was quiet and reserved by nature, and her health was frail. During her pregnancy, she suffered nightly nightmares and even... fell victim to evil influences..."

Wang Shao tilted her head. "Evil influences? What do you mean?"

"Ah... perhaps it was the worries that come with childbearing. She'd often wake in the middle of the night, terrified, claiming she'd seen unclean things."

Wang Shao rested a hand on her belly. "Like what happened to me last night?"

Noticing her pallor, Yong Ling patted her hand reassuringly. "Lady Wang would faint at the sight. We wouldn't find her until dawn, collapsed by the window, unable to speak of what she'd seen. Later, the estate summoned Taoist priests and Buddhist monks to perform multiple rites. But after that, her nightmares persisted daily, and she grew visibly weaker by the day."

"And the child?" Wang Shao asked slowly.

"Born prematurely. And after the birth, Lady Wang... died of hemorrhage," Yong Ling murmured, still sighing at the memory. "The child is nearly a year old now, but sickly—no bigger than a seven- or eight-month-old. Everyone says it was born frail, beyond help."

Wang Shao glanced around the room. "With all these books lining the walls, Lady Wang must have read too many unsettling tales during her pregnancy—it would have taxed her spirit."

"Exactly so. His Highness grew concerned and had all the books removed at the time. They were only returned after her passing, to restore the room as it was."

"Ten months is a long time to endure boredom. Surely she must have hidden away a book or two to read in secret?"

"She did. I came across her once... with a book much like the one you're holding." Yong Ling, being illiterate, smiled. "But to my eyes, all books look the same."Wang Shao closed her book, leaned back on the bed with her eyes shut, and murmured, "I understand. In my opinion, this residence is unclean. I should inform His Highness and request a move."

That very afternoon, Prince Yun ordered Wang Shao to relocate to his quarters. From then on, they lived together daily, akin to a common married couple.

Prince Yun's residence naturally had attendants, so she only brought Yong Ling with her.

With everyone around her showing extra care and Wang Shao herself being cautious in every way, her belly grew day by day without incident.

By the height of summer the following year, she was nearing her due date and found movement increasingly difficult.

One evening, news spread from the palace that the Emperor had fallen ill. Wang Shao saw Prince Yun off, glancing at the sky—he would undoubtedly spend the night keeping vigil at the palace.

As she walked back with Yong Ling, they passed by Guo Wan's dwelling. There, in a shadowy corner, stood Ling Hui, her large eyes fixed on Wang Shao. In the dim twilight, the jade-like, adorable little girl's eyes looked exactly like Xue Se's.

Unconsciously, Wang Shao smiled softly at Ling Hui and asked gently, "Why are you playing here alone? Where's your mother?"

Ling Hui, unable to speak, simply turned her head toward the darkness behind her. Slowly, Guo Wan emerged from the shadows, a faint smile on her face. "Sister, you must take care of your health. Why are you out walking so late?"

Wang Shao returned the smile. "Thank you for your concern, elder sister. I'll head back now."

Guo Wan rested a hand lightly on Ling Hui's shoulder and said, "Ling Hui, look, your little brother will be born soon. Then you'll have someone to play with..."

Her tone was gentle, yet carried an eerie, unsettling quality that made Wang Shao uneasy.

Ling Hui's gaze fell on Wang Shao's belly, those Xue Se-like eyes staring unblinkingly, sending a chill down her spine. Instinctively, Wang Shao grabbed Yong Ling's arm, pulling her forward as a shield.

Yong Ling collided with the suddenly charging Ling Hui, absorbing the impact. Ling Hui fell to the ground, wailing loudly.

Startled, Yong Ling moved to pick her up, but Wang Shao called out urgently, "Yong Ling..."

Hearing the tremor in her mistress's voice, Yong Ling turned back immediately.

Wang Shao, eyes locked on Guo Wan who remained motionless, said calmly, "Let's go back."

Guo Wan helped the still-sobbing Ling Hui up and approached them. "My apologies. The child doesn't know better. I hope you weren't frightened, sister..."

Wang Shao placed a hand on Yong Ling's arm, subtly stepping back. "It's getting late. We should return early."

As they walked back slowly, Yong Ling noticed Wang Shao trembling violently at times, her entire weight leaning heavily against her.