The Golden Hairpin

Chen Nianniang remained unaware and simply said, "Yes, Xuese. Mei Wanzhi married a painter surnamed Cheng. He was extremely handsome and exceptionally skilled at painting, but his mindset was quite different from ordinary people. When we usually choose names, we tend to go for things like flowers or swallows, but he named his daughter 'Xuese' (Snow Color). Many people misheard it as 'Xuese' (Blood Color) and could only sigh inwardly for Mei Wanzhi's beautiful daughter."

Huang Zixiang felt as though a mist was gradually clearing before her eyes. She couldn't help but grab Chen Nianniang's hand and ask urgently, "Chen Niang, what happened to Mei Wanzhi's daughter, Xuese?"

Chen Nianniang looked at her in surprise, clearly puzzled as to why, while discussing Jinnu, she suddenly wanted to know about Xuese. But she obliged and continued, "Mei Wanzhi's daughter had a tragic fate. Her mother passed away before she turned five, and her father took her back to their hometown in Liuzhou. However, he had no means of livelihood—painting alone couldn't sustain them. In poverty and illness, he passed away when she was around ten. The greedy relatives in their clan immediately seized their property, leaving Xuese with no place in the family and subject to constant bullying. Later, the other members of the Six Ladies of Yunshao learned of her plight and arranged for her to come to Yangzhou for refuge. By the time she arrived, I was already at Yunshao Pavilion. I saw a thirteen-year-old child, dirty and emaciated, who had somehow managed to travel all the way to Yangzhou. Everyone wept bitterly, saying that while Mei Wanzhi had lived in splendor and magnificence, her daughter had ended up in such a state..."

"And where is Xuese now?"

"Landai took her to Puzhou. Yiniang and I only met her that one time."

"Hmm... does she play the pipa?"

"That, I don't know. Her mother was a master of the pipa in her time, but Xuese was already older when she arrived, past the ideal age for learning. Everyone lamented that Mei Wanzhi's unparalleled elegance would not be passed down."

"Was Mei Wanzhi a great beauty?" Huang Zixiang asked again.

"I never saw her, but I heard she was peerlessly beautiful!" Chen Nianniang said with absolute certainty. "Even after all these years, with Yunshao Pavilion never lacking stunning beauties, and Xuese herself being a rare beauty, Yiniang always said Xuese paled in comparison to her mother. In terms of beauty, only Mei Wanzhi was radiant and dazzling—truly the peony among flowers, the one who deserved the title of 'the nation's true beauty.'"

"Yes, I also heard Jinnu say her master was a beauty that could topple cities."

"When Mei Wanzhi passed away, Jinnu was only about ten, but I always heard her speak of her master with reverence. Not only did Mei Wanzhi pick her up from the streets at five and save her life, but Jinnu truly worshipped her. I heard that when Jinnu left Yunshao Pavilion for the capital, she deliberately knelt before Mei Wanzhi's portrait with her pipa and stayed there for a full half-hour."

"Then, do Xuese or Mei Wanzhi have any portraits?" Huang Zixiang asked.

"Mei Wanzhi does. Her husband was a painter, said to come from humble origins but with extraordinary talent. Back then, he painted a 'Spring Outing' portrait of the Six Ladies of Yunshao, featuring all six of them. It's kept by Landai."

Huang Zixiang nodded silently and asked, "Could I borrow that portrait to take a look?"Chen Nianniang said, "That shouldn't be difficult. Landai has already left Yangzhou, but she left us an address in Puzhou before departing. I can write to Xue Se and have her send the painting over—it would only take a day or two."

Huang Zixiang exclaimed in delight, "Really? That's wonderful! If Xue Se can personally deliver the painting, I believe this matter might see significant progress."

"Yes, I'll write to Landai today."

"Thank you, Madam Chen!"

"Yangzhou, the song and dance house..."

Back at the prince's residence, Li Shubai frowned slightly upon hearing her account. "How could this involve something from so long ago and so far away?"

"I didn't expect it either," Huang Zixiang admitted. "But judging from all the signs, there does seem to be a connection."

As they discussed the case, they strolled slowly along the winding water bridge toward Jingyu Hall. Li Shubai had always disliked being surrounded by too many attendants, so the guards and eunuchs followed at a distance, leaving only Huang Zixiang to walk with him across the bridge.

Looking back at the forested shore, palace lanterns had already been lit, their glow reflecting on the gently rippling water alongside the moon and the Milky Way, creating a shimmering spectacle. The two of them seemed to be walking among the stars.

Both unconsciously paused on the bridge, gazing at the vast, luminous expanse of water. The night breeze had grown warmer, making the late spring, early summer evening exceptionally pleasant.

Li Shubai turned to look at Huang Zixiang, who stood a step behind him. Her eyes sparkled under the starlight and rippling reflections, and his gaze lingered for a moment.

Just then, hurried footsteps from the shore shattered the tranquility. Someone rushed onto the bridge, shouting, "Prince Kui! Prince Kui!"

Li Shubai shifted his attention to the newcomer. Seeing that the guards had already intercepted the person on the shore, he turned and walked toward the bank. Under the lantern light, the anxious figure standing at the bridgehead was none other than Zhou Ziqin.

Li Shubai signaled the guards to let Zhou Ziqin approach. He then headed to the pavilion on the long bridge, sat down, and gestured for the flustered Zhou Ziqin to take a seat. "What's the matter?" he asked.

Zhou Ziqin sat on the stone stool opposite him, clenching his fists nervously, hesitating to speak.

Li Shubai frowned slightly. "What exactly happened?"

"I... I might have..." Zhou Ziqin's lips trembled, pale and bloodless. He glanced at Li Shubai, then at Huang Zixiang, before finally forcing out a few barely discernible words: "Might have... killed someone."

Li Shubai raised an eyebrow. "Might have?"

"It's... it's hard to explain. Chonggu knows about this too—I really didn't mean to kill them!"

Huang Zixiang stared at Zhou Ziqin in astonishment. "How is this related to me?"

"Because the victims are the beggars I gave food to last night!"

As soon as Zhou Ziqin spoke, Huang Zixiang gasped. "Those people from last night?" she blurted out involuntarily.

Li Shubai shot her a glance and said sternly, "Ziqin, explain everything in detail.""Mm-hmm." Zhou Ziqin nervously recalled, his voice trembling as he said, "Last night, Minister Cui invited us to drink at the Brocade Tower. I heard that the eunuch who solved the Four Cases by the prince's side was also coming, so I thought it must be Chonggu, and I went over for dinner... After the meal, I noticed several dishes on the table had barely been touched, so I packed up the leftovers for those beggars... I've often done this before, and there's never been any problem."

Huang Zixiao nodded, indicating that what he said made sense.

"Then, this morning when I woke up, I heard the Ministry of Justice was conducting an autopsy, so I rushed over to take a look. And I discovered... the dead were exactly those beggars from last night!"

Huang Zixiao asked, "But that doesn't necessarily mean the food we sent was poisoned, right? After all, we didn't notice anything unusual when we ate it yesterday."

Zhou Ziqin anxiously grabbed her hand and said, "No, it's true! Those people definitely died from poisoning. I picked up the lotus leaves we used to wrap the food last night from the ground and secretly brought them home to test. I found traces of a deadly poison on them... and it's a type rarely seen around here."

Li Shubai glanced at his hand, and Huang Zixiao subtly withdrew her palm, asking, "What kind of poison?"

"It's the sap of the poison arrow tree. In the southern barbarian regions, it's commonly called 'seal the throat upon contact with blood.' It's said that those poisoned won't survive beyond ten steps—it's one of the deadliest poisons in the world." Zhou Ziqin frowned. "It's very rare in the capital. I've only read about it in books before. Those poisoned turn completely black, their skin rots, their hair, eyebrows, nails, and teeth all fall out, and their faces become unrecognizable. It's horrifying!"

"Were those beggars like that too?"

"Yes. The Ministry of Justice has already ordered a thorough investigation into this extremely terrifying case to track down that ruthless and sinister killer." Zhou Ziqin's lips were pale, and his shoulders hadn't stopped trembling. "But Chonggu, you know me... I really didn't mean to harm anyone!"

Huang Zixiao frowned and said, "The question is, since we're fine, how did the food we sent suddenly become poisoned?"

"And... we were the ones who packed it and delivered it directly..."

Li Shubai interjected, "I think the main issue lies in who poisoned the dishes you ate."

Huang Zixiao nodded and said, "Those present at the time were Minister Cui, Wang Yun, us, a few officials from the Dali Temple... and also Jinnu."

Zhou Ziqin counted them off on his fingers, clearly unable to suspect any of them. Finally, he looked up miserably and asked, "Chonggu, do you think this case will come back to us?"

"What do you think?" Huang Zixiao countered.

"When we went there last night, the curfew was almost in effect, and no one saw us. So I thought maybe... as long as we don't say anything, there shouldn't be a problem, right?""I don't know how other constables handle cases, but my first step is always to examine the food remnants in the deceased's stomach. For a beggar to have eaten such fine food is quite unusual, which would immediately point the suspicion toward wealthy young masters. Moreover, the lotus leaves left at the scene were fresh—typically procured and stocked by restaurants. If it were an ordinary household preparing meals in their own kitchen, they'd usually use dried lotus leaves for wrapping items. Why would anyone specifically prepare fresh lotus leaves just to wrap food? You must understand, the capital's low-lying terrain makes it damp and cold. The lotus buds in the city have only just surfaced, while restaurants source their lotus leaves by coordinating with fishermen outside the city, who gather them in the morning when delivering fish and shrimp. They're quite a rarity, you see."

"But... but couldn't it have been a deliberate attempt to mislead, intentionally obtaining lotus leaves to wrap the food..."

"Possible. But before considering that possibility, the constables would have already visited all the major restaurants and quickly narrowed it down to Young Master Zhou Ziqin—the son of Magistrate Zhou, who never wastes food. They'd have confirmed the dishes you took away last night, with solid evidence in hand, and promptly sought approval from higher-ups to invite you for tea at the yamen."

Zhou Ziqin immediately slumped in his chair, his face pale and eyes wide with shock.

Huang Zixiao asked helplessly, "Don't you usually deal with corpses all the time? I had no idea you were so afraid of dead people."

Zhou Ziqin replied weakly, "I only enjoy studying corpses—I absolutely don't enjoy turning people into them."