The Golden Hairpin

The carriage passed through the broad streets of Chang'an and came to a stop before the gates of Prince E's residence.

Huang Zixiang had just alighted from the carriage with Li Shubai when she looked up to see Prince E, Li Run, already standing at the entrance. He still bore that refined and ethereal demeanor, his face adorned with a gentle smile, exuding an air of noble grace. His somewhat delicate features were suddenly illuminated by the vermilion beauty mark on his forehead, transforming him into an undeniably handsome youth.

With a smile, he nodded at Huang Zixiang before stepping forward to greet Li Shubai. "Fourth Brother, weren't you supposed to be discussing matters with the Uighur Prince Haizheng at Daming Palace today? What brings you here?"

"Nothing of great importance, just routine affairs. However, he gifted me a string of golden sandalwood prayer beads, and I thought you might appreciate them, so I brought them over for you."

"Fourth Brother, you know me best!" Li Run joyfully accepted the beads, running his fingers over them one by one. "Come inside and sit for a while. I recently acquired a new batch of Tianxi tea cakes, freshly harvested this year. Let’s brew some and enjoy it together."

A small red clay stove burned with slender pine twigs. The flower hall had its doors and windows wide open, with a small spring channeled outside, flanked by a few pristine white rocks and clusters of short pines, creating an exquisitely poetic scene.

Huang Zixiang took a sip of tea and glanced at the walls of the hall, where two lines of Wang Wei's poetry hung. One read: "The pine breeze loosens my sash; the mountain moon shines as I play the qin." The other: "Bright moon shines between the pines; clear spring flows over stones."

Li Shubai savored the tea and remarked, "With pines, a spring, stones, and a round window like the moon, it truly feels as if we’ve stepped into the world of Mojie’s poetry."

Huang Zixiang immediately grasped his intention and softly added, "If only there were a qin, the poetic scene would be complete."

"Chonggu is right. Coincidentally, I happen to have a qin master here." Li Run smiled and nodded, promptly instructing someone to summon Chen Nianniang. Before long, Chen Nianniang arrived with her qin in hand. When she bowed and caught sight of Huang Zixiang, her face lit up with delight, and she gave a slight nod. "Eunuch Yang."

Huang Zixiang instinctively shifted her right hand, hidden within her sleeve, where a small, hard object wrapped in white cloth lay. Her heart stirred faintly as she looked at Chen Nianniang, thinking, This is the jade engraved with your name—the one Feng Yiniang clung to until her dying breath.

Though her heart chilled slightly, she maintained a smile and said, "Madam Chen, the Ministry of Revenue hasn’t found any news about your senior sister yet. It seems we’ll have to wait a little longer."

Chen Nianniang nodded. Though her face bore traces of weariness, her qin skills remained unparalleled. As she played "Echoes of Ten Thousand Valleys," the clear notes resonated like flowing springs amidst the pines, transporting listeners beyond worldly concerns.

Li Shubai praised, "Among all the qin masters in the Imperial Music Bureau, none can compare to Madam Chen."

Li Run smiled. "Indeed, Madam Chen is now a master of the nation."

Li Shubai remarked casually, "Chonggu, I recall how enchanted you were after hearing Madam Chen’s exquisite performance last time. Didn’t you even try learning the qin from others in secret? Now that you have the chance, why not seek her guidance?"

Huang Zixiang was utterly impressed by his ability to spin lies without batting an eye. Seizing the opportunity, she helped Chen Nianniang pack the qin back into its case and carried it for her as they returned to the qin chamber. Li Run treated Chen Nianniang as an honored guest, and her small courtyard, nestled in the eastern corner of the estate, was surrounded by lush bamboo, serene and secluded.Chen Nianniang sat down and adjusted the strings of the qin, saying, "Learning the qin is a lifelong endeavor. I see that you, young eunuch, are busy with daily duties, so it would be difficult for you to devote yourself fully to mastering it. If this is just a passing interest, then learning a few simple pieces would suffice. Have you studied the five notes—gong, shang, jue, zhi, and yu—as well as the various hand and finger positions?"

Huang Zixiang quickly sought her guidance, and Chen Nianniang patiently taught her. As noon approached, the Prince's household sent them lunch.

Noticing that Chen Nianniang ate very little, Huang Zixiang said, "Madam Chen, you've grown so thin lately. Please don't let grief consume you—take care of your health first. I’m sure Madam Feng wouldn’t want to see you so haggard."

Chen Nianniang looked up at her and forced a faint smile. "Thank you, young eunuch. But now I find no peace day or night. Every time I close my eyes, I see Yiniang’s face. Perhaps you don’t understand this feeling. For over a decade, we relied on each other, and now I’m left alone. I truly don’t know how to go on."

Huang Zixiang instinctively patted her hand, thinking of her own parents and family, forever lost to her. Though they were both adrift in this world, she couldn’t share her sorrow, only silently clutching the small piece of mutton-fat jade hidden in her sleeve.

She returned the small portrait Chen Nianniang had given her earlier, saying, "I had someone make a copy to keep with me, thinking it might help in searching for her later. Is that alright?"

Chen Nianniang carefully tucked the portrait away. "Of course, I should be thanking you, young eunuch."

Huang Zixiang then asked, "Since you and Madam Feng were so close, did she never mention who had entrusted her with this task?"

"No. Yiniang never kept anything from me, but that time she said it was a great opportunity and she simply had to help."

Huang Zixiang pondered this. "Madam Feng shared everything with you. Can you think of any old acquaintance who might have brought her such joy?"

Chen Nianniang plucked the strings slowly. "To be honest, though we grew up together and learned our craft side by side, Yiniang’s fate was harsh. She was once sold into a brothel. Fortunately, a kind patron soon redeemed her, and she followed him to Yangzhou. Later, due to conflicts with his wife, she received a sum of money and left. She bought a small house and became a court qin player at the Yunshao Garden in Yangzhou. I remained in Luoyang until, years later, I received a letter from her. She wrote, 'Nianniang, when we were young, we vowed to support each other in life and death. If you still remember that promise, we can grow old together...'"

At this, tears streamed down Chen Nianniang’s face. Though her youthful beauty had faded, her tears were as clear as ever. "At that time, I was teaching qin in the households of noble families in Luoyang, living comfortably. But with just that letter from Yiniang, I packed my simplest belongings and went south to Yangzhou. She never spoke of her life in those years, and I didn’t ask about my past either. We felt no need to explain ourselves to each other."

"So, even Yiniang didn’t know who this old acquaintance was?"

Seeing Huang Zixiang deep in thought, Chen Nianniang asked, "Young eunuch, does any of this relate to finding Yiniang?"Huang Zixiang hesitated for a moment before nodding and saying, "But there's no record in the Ministry of Revenue, so this is just my private investigation. Some incidents have occurred in the palace recently, and I've had dealings with officials from the Ministry of Justice and the Dali Temple. I thought I might take this opportunity to help you look into Yi Niang's case."

Chen Nianniang bowed deeply to her and said, "Thank you, young eunuch! Please feel free to ask me anything. I will hold nothing back and share all I know."

Huang Zixiang helped her up and said, "In my opinion, the most crucial aspect of this matter is to find out who exactly that old acquaintance was who entrusted her to come to the capital."

"I should have asked her at the time, but..." Chen Nianniang's voice grew low and choked with emotion. "However, I truly have no leads..."

Huang Zixiang said, "From my personal perspective, someone who could entrust a qin player with such a task must be someone of similar status or background—at the very least, it wouldn't be a patron of the Yunshao House. The most likely candidates would be sisters from the Yunshao House, especially those who had already left, as only then could they be considered 'old acquaintances.'"

"Hmm, if that's the case, then perhaps... it was someone she met during the time we were separated." Chen Nianniang counted on her fingers and explained carefully, "Yi Niang and I spent so many years together, and our social circles were very simple. After joining the Yunshao House, I was familiar with everyone she knew. So I think this old acquaintance must have been someone she met during those years apart—someone I didn't know but with whom she was close. Otherwise, she would have told me who entrusted her with escorting the old acquaintance's daughter to the capital."

"How long ago did you lose contact with Feng Niang? Are there any witnesses from that time still around?"

"It was fifteen years ago. The Yunshao House is a performing arts troupe—people come and go frequently. One day, everyone might be happily together, and the next, they scatter to the winds. And that was fifteen years ago. Most of the old-timers from back then have long since vanished."

"But I think someone who could entrust her with such an important task after so many years wouldn't have been just a casual acquaintance. At the very least, something significant must have happened between them for it to remain unforgettable after all this time," Huang Zixiang mused. "In all these years, did Yi Niang never mention anything to you?"

Chen Nianniang thought for a moment and suddenly exclaimed, "The Six Ladies of Yunshao..."

The Six Ladies of Yunshao—Huang Zixiang immediately recalled Jin Nu mentioning the six women who had founded the Yunshao House. She pressed eagerly, "Nianniang, could you tell me more about them?"

"That was over a decade ago. They were the six most outstanding sisters among Yangzhou's courtesans. Together, they established the Yunshao House, named after Empress Wu Zetian's Yunshao Palace. To this day, the Yunshao House still enshrines the dagger Empress Wu used when taming horses!"

The idea of a dagger being enshrined in a music and dance troupe struck Huang Zixiang as highly unusual. "The dagger Empress Wu used to tame horses? How did it end up in Yangzhou?"

"The eldest of the Six Ladies was a descendant of Lady Gongsun. Back then, Lady Gongsun's sword dances were renowned throughout the land, and Emperor Xuanzong bestowed that very dagger upon her. After the An Lushan Rebellion, Lady Gongsun's disciple, Li Shiniang, passed the dagger down to her own disciple—the first of the Six Ladies, Jiang Hengbo."

"Then, among the six, who was closest to Yi Niang?""When I arrived, only the eldest sister, Jiang Hengbo, remained. It was said the other five had either married or left over the years. But Yi Niang occasionally mentioned that if not for the Six Beauties of Yunsiao, she might never have escaped the merchant who bought her freedom. The merchant’s first wife had apparently wanted to sell her off again. Fortunately, the sisters at Yunsiao Court took pity on her talent and did their best to negotiate with the first wife, eventually securing her release. It’s just a pity—after they married, only sporadic letters kept them in touch. Apart from the eldest sister Jiang Hengbo and the third sister Lan Dai, I never met any of them. Though they were quite famous in the pleasure quarters, they were still entertainers by birth. I imagine... marrying into noble or wealthy families couldn’t have been easy."

Huang Zixiao nodded silently. Though she couldn’t be sure whether the person who had entrusted Yi Niang was one of the Six Beauties of Yunsiao, it was at least a lead.

"By the way, Chen Niang, since you came from Yunsiao Court, do you happen to know Jin Nu?" Huang Zixiao suddenly remembered and quickly asked.

Chen Nianniang replied, "Of course I know her. It was thanks to Jin Nu’s connections that I had the chance to perform before the princes last time. Otherwise, how could I have met such esteemed figures?"

"Please tell me more about Jin Nu," Huang Zixiao urged, taking her hand. "For instance, her past life, who she was close to, or... perhaps the sisters around her."

Chen Nianniang frowned slightly as she searched her memories. "In Yangzhou, there were many entertainers at Yunsiao Court, but Jin Nu and I specialized in the qin and pipa, both taught at Bingxian Pavilion, so we occasionally crossed paths. Still, we were merely acquaintances. Back then, her skills were outstanding among the younger generation. She was beautiful, loved attending banquets and outings, and was quite the celebrated figure in Yangzhou’s pleasure quarters. She mingled with countless wealthy playboys and sons of officials, yet I never heard of her making enemies. You might already know—though Jin Nu lived a wild life, her nature was quite good. She was charming in social settings and warm-hearted to others. When I ended up stranded in the capital, she spotted me on the street while passing by in Prince Zhao’s carriage. She immediately jumped out to catch up with me, and upon learning of my difficulties, helped me find an inn and paid for several days’ lodging. I imagine she must be well-liked in the Imperial Music Bureau too. As for her sisters in Yangzhou or here, I wouldn’t know."

Huang Zixiao could only ask about less significant details. "I heard her master was Mei Wanzhi, one of the Six Beauties of Yunsiao?"

"I’ve heard of that. Mei Wanzhi was once hailed as the foremost instrumentalist at Yunsiao Court. After she took in the five-year-old Jin Nu, she treated her like her own daughter. Later, when Mei Wanzhi gave birth to her own daughter, Xue Se, people said she didn’t even dote on Xue Se as much as she did on Jin Nu."

"Xue Se... Xue Se?" Huang Zixiao murmured the name, and suddenly, like a bolt of lightning, a chilling and scorching realization flashed through her mind.