The Golden Hairpin

"You said the princess consort shouldn't be... her." Huang Zixiang whispered in Jinnu's ear, her voice extremely soft yet enunciating each word with perfect clarity.

Jinnu's expression froze instantly. She stared wide-eyed at Huang Zixiang before her, and only after a long pause did she lower her gaze and say, "Don't go spreading this around, or I'll be in trouble. Actually, I just... I just thought Princess Qile would make a more fitting princess consort, so I casually mentioned it."

Huang Zixiang wanted to press further, but Jinnu had already hurriedly sidestepped her and boarded a nearby carriage, urging the driver, "Hurry, hurry! If we don't leave now, we'll be caught in the curfew!"

Helplessly watching the carriage depart, Huang Zixiang began planning how she might create another opportunity to question Jinnu again.

Nearby, the Zhou family carriage was waiting at the gate. Zhou Ziqin stood by the carriage door and asked, "Chonggu, how are you getting back?"

Huang Zixiang replied absentmindedly, "I'll hire a carriage back to Prince Kui's residence."

"I'll take you—it's on my way," he said, gesturing for her to board.

Amused, Huang Zixiang asked, "How is it on your way? Prince Kui's residence is north, and your home is west."

"Because I'm not going home right now," he said, motioning for her to get in. Without waiting for further instruction, the driver skillfully set off, heading north toward Qujiang Pool.

The night in Chang'an was deep, the moon rising as the city grew quiet. Outside the walls of Qujiang Pool, a few emaciated beggars sat or lay on the rocky riverbank, warming themselves by a fire.

When the carriage stopped, Zhou Ziqin jumped down and placed several packages of food on a stone table by the river, unwrapping one containing roast chicken before returning to the carriage.

Following orders, the driver headed toward Prince Kui's residence.

Huang Zixiang lifted a corner of the carriage curtain to look back.

Drawn by the aroma, the beggars crowded around the stone table, eating excitedly, their faces alight with joy.

A faint smile touched Huang Zixiang's lips. "I didn't expect you to do something like this, aside from studying corpses."

"Ah, it's just a small gesture," he said dismissively, waving his hand.

Along the streets of Chang'an, lanterns hung from courtyard walls, illuminating the quiet night. The carriage clip-clopped down the long road, occasional slivers of light flickering through the curtains. Zhou Ziqin's carefree smile, appearing and disappearing in the dim light, seemed gentle and innocent, carrying the pure simplicity of youthful ignorance.

An inexplicable melancholy rose in Huang Zixiang's heart. She thought to herself that if she had met someone like Zhou Ziqin earlier in life—someone untouched by the cruelty and malice she had witnessed since childhood—perhaps her heart might have remained softer than it was now.

By the time they returned to Prince Kui's residence, it was nearly the second watch of the night. Huang Zixiang heated water for a bath, washed her clothes, and hung them to dry. By the time she finally settled into bed, it was well past the third watch.

Most eunuchs shared rooms with two or three others, but thanks to Li Shubai's permission, she had a room to herself, allowing her to sleep without worry. Yet just as dawn began to break, someone pounded heavily on her door: "Yang Chonggu! Get up now!"

Her mind still foggy with sleep, Huang Zixiang forced herself to sit up halfway. "Who is it? What's the matter?"

"By the prince's order, you're to go wait at the gate of Daming Palace immediately."

She groaned, rubbing her forehead in misery. "Isn't His Highness at court right now?"

"His Majesty is unwell today—morning court was canceled, so the prince wants you there. Honestly, why does a little eunuch like you care what the prince is doing? Just go!""Yes, yes, yes..."

Rushing all the way to Daming Palace, the sun was already high in the sky. Li Shubai was at the palace gate speaking with a Uighur man, both chatting animatedly in the unintelligible Uighur tongue.

Huang Ziyao stood to the side. The Uighur man looked at her, jabbering something while Li Shubai actually smiled slightly. Then he seemed to exchange farewells with the man before motioning for Huang Ziyao to follow him into the carriage.

Seated inside, Huang Ziyao watched him close his eyes to rest, the faint trace of a smile still lingering on his lips. Unable to resist, she asked, "What were you two talking about just now?"

Li Shubai opened his eyes to look at her and said, "You wouldn’t want to know."

Huang Ziyao felt his half-smile paired with those words practically screamed, "Beg me, ask me again." To humor her boss, she pressed, "What exactly did he say?"

"He said this little eunuch looks quite spirited, still retaining a manly vigor."

"I really shouldn’t have asked..." Huang Ziyao turned away speechlessly to gaze outside. "Where are we going?"

"Didn’t you say this case has no leads? I’ve picked out a thread for you."

Huang Ziyao’s eyes brightened. "Prince E’s residence?"

Li Shubai gave a slight nod. "It might be inconvenient for you alone, so I’ll accompany you."

"Yes, I heard Prince E took in Chen Nianniang. Right now, all clues likely trace back to the deceased Feng Yiniang. Perhaps Chen Nianniang might have some useful information."

Just as she spoke, the carriage jolted to a halt.

A guard lightly tapped the carriage wall from outside. "Your Highness, Princess Qile has stopped the carriage. It seems..."

Frowning slightly, Li Shubai lifted the curtain to look. Princess Qile’s carriage was parked ahead, and she had already jumped down, striding briskly toward them.

Huang Ziyao, eager to watch the drama unfold, followed Li Shubai out of the carriage.

The habitually chin-lifted Princess Qile’s eyes shimmered with tears the moment she saw Li Shubai. "Greetings to His Highness the Prince of Kui..." she murmured softly.

As the daughter of the late imperial uncle Prince Yi, Princess Qile was Li Shubai’s cousin. He returned the courtesy. "No need for formalities, Princess."

"Your Highness, I heard...recent rumors in the capital about the Prince of Kui’s consort all stem from me. I hope this hasn’t caused you undue distress, or I would never forgive myself..." Princess Qile’s almond-shaped eyes glistened, fixed unwaveringly on Li Shubai. Her once-plump cheeks had thinned considerably—clearly, she hadn’t been at ease since Li Shubai took a consort.

Li Shubai merely regarded her gently, his voice calm and even. "The Princess need not worry. Though Wang Ruo’s disappearance in the palace is strange, there’s still hope of finding her. When that happens, the Princess’s name will surely be cleared."

"But...but I heard this matter involves..." She forcibly swallowed the words "ghostly interference," gazing up pitifully at Li Shubai before whispering, "People in the capital say this affair is shrouded in supernatural mystery. Wang Ruo might...might no longer be among the living."Huang Zixiang watched quietly from behind as this woman desperately feigned a pitiful expression, yet couldn't conceal her underlying sense of relief. She thought to herself: After all, she's heaven's favored daughter who never learned how to consider others or assess situations. With such transparent thoughts that reveal her every emotion—is this her most detestable trait, or her most endearing one?

Li Shubai appeared oblivious, responding with gentle words, his expression like distant mountains and nearby waters rendered in ink wash—hazy yet exuding tranquility and tenderness. As he comforted Princess Qile, she seized the opportunity to exaggerate her grievances, tears welling up even more until they began rolling down her cheeks in streams.

Huang Zixiang noticed a faint trace of helplessness cross Li Shubai's face, but he ultimately raised his hand to wipe away her tears.

Dutifully, Huang Zixiang reminded him from behind, "Your Highness, Jing Yu has already gone ahead to inform Prince E's residence. By now, Prince E is likely waiting for you. What do you think..."

Li Shubai nodded slightly at her words, then said to Princess Qile, "I must take my leave first, Princess. Please set your mind at ease—I will handle everything."

Princess Qile stood in the street watching him board his carriage, lingering until his entourage had long disappeared before finally allowing her maids to persuade her to return to her own carriage.

Peering through the carriage curtain's gap as the two carriages headed in opposite directions, Huang Zixiang couldn't help but glance at Li Shubai.

Li Shubai asked indifferently, "You think I shouldn't give her too much hope? That I should be more ruthless to make her give up?"

Huang Zixiang remained silent, though her expression spoke volumes.

"In the past, when the late emperor passed away, she was the only one who held my hand to comfort me," he said, leaning back against the brocade cushion, his demeanor as detached and serene as the ink-wash landscape earlier. "She's a good woman, just not very intelligent."

"So you've led on a good woman, now leaving her reputation in the capital in tatters."

He glanced at her and remained silent throughout the journey. In the glass bottle hanging on the carriage wall, the water swayed slightly with the bumps, but the little red fish inside seemed accustomed to the motion, lying quietly at the bottom, undisturbed.

After a long while, she finally heard Li Shubai's voice ask, "Did you know she has a congenital condition and won't live past twenty?"

Huang Zixiang stared at him in shock, but he only looked at the little red fish and said, "If Ma Yuanzhi hadn't supported the ascension of Emperor Xuanzong, the granduncle, Prince Yi would have been the ruler of the realm. Thus, as the former heir apparent's line, this bloodline was fated to die out. Now Prince Yi is dead, Qile's brothers are dead, and she alone remains—otherwise, why do you think she dared to hold my hand when my father passed away?"

Huang Zixiang fell silent, thinking of this ill-tempered young woman who had become the capital's laughingstock, of her apple-blossom cheeks and almond-shaped eyes. After a long pause, she asked softly, "Does Princess Qile know?"

"I imagine she knows her condition is poor, but not that it will be so soon." Li Shubai slowly closed his eyes. "Let her indulge in her wild fantasies for a few more days. Soon enough, even if she wanted to bother me, she won't have the chance."