The Golden Hairpin

Just as Huang Zixiao and Li Shubai exchanged glances, Jing Xu came in to report, "Your Highness, Magistrate Cui requests an audience."

Li Shubai asked, "What business could the Court of Judicial Review have with me?"

"It's said to be regarding a case."

At these words, Zhou Ziqin immediately jumped up. "N-no way... does he know I'm here..."

"Ziqin," Li Shubai gave him a look.

Only then did Zhou Ziqin realize he was overreacting. Even if Cui Chunzhan knew he was the culprit, he wouldn't come directly to the Prince of Kui's residence to demand him.

Li Shubai turned to Jing Xu and said calmly, "Show Magistrate Cui in."

Cui Chunzhan entered briskly. After paying his respects to Li Shubai, he nodded to Zhou Ziqin and Huang Zixiao. Zhou Ziqin was uneasy, but seeing that Cui didn't seem particularly focused on him, he relaxed slightly.

Unexpectedly, Cui Chunzhan got straight to the point. "Your Highness must already know why I'm here. Ziqin, Eunuch Yang, surely you're aware of this matter too?"

Zhou Ziqin jumped up again, stammering, "I-I know..."

"Hmm, then have you also heard..." He glanced at Li Shubai, hesitated for a moment, then said, "It's said the corpse is extremely bizarre—its skin blackened and festered, the face unrecognizable..."

Zhou Ziqin's face grew even paler as he trembled, "I... I saw it..."

"What? You've already seen the body?" Cui Chunzhan was somewhat surprised, then said meaningfully, "It seems Ziqin's reputation truly precedes him in the capital. Even for such a major incident, the palace summoned you first to examine it."

Huang Zixiao and Li Shubai exchanged another glance, sensing something amiss. But Zhou Ziqin, still reeling from the shock of being the murderer, only nodded blankly.

"Though you often examine corpses, this must be your first time seeing something like this, right? The cruelty and audacity of the killer are unprecedented, unheard of!" Cui Chunzhan sighed and shook his head. "Not just you—even I was stunned when I first heard the news. This must be the most horrifying case in the capital in the past decade, no? Ziqin, you seem quite knowledgeable about poisons. Can you tell what kind it was?"

Zhou Ziqin opened his mouth, but no sound came out for a long time.

Just as Huang Zixiao was about to step on his foot, Li Shubai spoke up beside them, unhurriedly, "Ziqin came to me about this very matter. He believes the killer likely used poison arrow tree sap."

Cui Chunzhan nodded. "I knew Ziqin would have the answer."

Zhou Ziqin's face once again showed that restless, guilty expression, as if screaming, "I'm involved in this, I'm the culprit!"

Huang Zixiao rolled her eyes at him in exasperation, thinking, We're victims too—why can't you at least pretend to be calm? If we get implicated now, how are we supposed to track down the real killer?

Li Shubai, however, turned to Cui Chunzhan and asked, "Where was Wang Ruo's body discovered?"

Huang Zixiao hadn't expected him to broach the subject so casually and directly. She glanced at him sideways, noticing that while his expression was grave, his eyes remained utterly calm, not a ripple of emotion to be seen. It sent a slight chill through her chest.As soon as Li Shubai spoke these words, Zhou Ziqin immediately jumped up: "Wh-what? The Wang family's daughter who mysteriously disappeared in the palace is dead? And her body has been found?"

Cui Chunzhan looked at him in bewilderment: "Haven't we been discussing this matter for quite some time now?"

"I... I was talking about..." Zhou Ziqin hesitated, not daring to voice his thoughts.

Huang Zixiang had no choice but to speak for him: "Actually, before Lord Cui arrived, we were discussing the strange deaths of several beggars in the capital."

Cui Chunzhan waved his hand dismissively: "Who has time to care about a few dead beggars now! The Empress's cousin has disappeared and died tragically in the palace. The Ministry of Justice is in for another rough time!"

Zhou Ziqin weakly protested: "Beggars are people too, and besides, three or four lives... Ouch!"

It was Huang Zixiang kicking him under the table, signaling him not to bring trouble upon himself now. He finally shut his mouth.

Cui Chunzhan then asked, "If Your Highness wasn't discussing this matter earlier, how did you know that I was referring to the Wang family's daughter?"

"What else in the world would prompt the palace to summon someone for an examination and have you come to me immediately?" Li Shubai said coolly.

Besides, ever since you entered, you've been putting on an exaggerated show of sympathy, sorrow, and lamentation—who wouldn't know what you're trying to convey? Huang Zixiang thought to herself.

"So... we've actually been talking about completely different things all along?" Zhou Ziqin finally came to his senses, the pallor fading from his face as his eyes began to move again.

Cui Chunzhan also nodded: "Yes, it seems there was a misunderstanding. I was wondering how you could have examined the Empress's cousin's body before I did."

Among the four, only Huang Zixiang calmly addressed the main issue: "May I ask, Lord Cui, where was Miss Wang's body discovered?"

"You won't believe it when I tell you," Cui Chunzhan frowned. "It suddenly appeared last night in the eastern chamber of Yongchun Hall in the Daming Palace."

"What?" Zhou Ziqin jumped up again. "Isn't that the very place she disappeared from?"

"Exactly. Because of the incident, the furnishings and everything else inside remained unchanged. This morning, when the eunuchs went to open the door, they found Miss Wang's body lying on the bed, still wearing the clothes and hairpins from when she disappeared. But her entire body had turned black and was decomposing—she had died from poisoning!"

Huang Zixiang frowned slightly and remained silent.

Zhou Ziqin exclaimed in astonishment: "This is truly bizarre... How could someone who disappeared suddenly reappear? And not only that—she vanished without a trace and then reappeared just as mysteriously..."

"Yes, it's as if she never disappeared at all, as if she had always been there, just invisible to us for those two or three days," Cui Chunzhan shook his head. "This case is not going to be easy to handle..."

Li Shubai stood up and called Jing Yu over to help him change his clothes, preparing to enter the palace and go to Yongchun Hall.

Huang Zixiang also straightened her clothes and said, "How could there possibly be anything in this world that is invisible?"

Cui Chunzhan laughed: "There must be, otherwise how could something like this happen under the watch of over two hundred people?"

Zhou Ziqin quickly said, "I'll go home and grab a few things. You must wait for me—take me into the palace with you!"Li Shubai ignored him and walked straight out, saying, "Don't meddle. She is, after all, a lady of the Wang family. How could you possibly be allowed to wield a knife on her remains?"

Zhou Ziqin could only say, "Then, may I at least take a look?"

Li Shubai slightly raised his chin toward Cui Chunzhan. "Doesn't the Dali Temple under Minister Cui often call upon you to examine crime scenes? What's one more time now?"

Cui Chunzhan immediately waved him over. "Come, Ziqin. My carriage is at the side gate."

The two carriages stopped at the eastern corner gate of the Daming Palace. After alighting and entering, they saw the Yongchun Hall located in a corner of the palace grounds. However, the hall had no entrance on this side, forcing them to follow the thick, towering palace wall westward, then northward along the southern wall until they reached a side gate that allowed passage.

Originally intended as a palace storeroom, Yongchun Hall was built with high, secure walls and only a single western side gate, its main entrance facing north. Yet due to its damp and dark interior, the stored paintings and silks often grew moldy, rendering it unusable. Later, two low artificial hills were placed in the courtyard to soften the rigid atmosphere of the storeroom, preparing it for residential use.

"Who would have thought even the most secure place in the palace couldn't keep out those rumors? Truly, fate plays cruel tricks," Cui Chunzhan sighed as he led the three of them inside, only to hear a commotion—people were arguing within.

Upon entering the outer hall, they saw the quarreling figures were none other than members of the Langya Wang family. Huang Zixiao immediately spotted Wang Yun, followed by his father, Minister of Justice Wang Lin.

Wang Yun was saying, "Wang Ruo is a daughter of our Wang family, originally betrothed to Prince Kui. An unmarried maiden of noble birth—how could we allow a coroner to dissect her body for examination? This is absolutely unacceptable!"

Minister Wang said gloomily, "You know your father is the Minister of Justice. By law and reason, those who die suddenly must have their remains thoroughly examined. Moreover, this matter involves far-reaching implications and immense consequences. If we don't conduct an investigation, how can we explain it to the court, let alone the Prince of Kui's household?"

"Would the Prince of Kui find it honorable for his betrothed to be dissected and gutted for inspection? Even if everyone else agrees, I doubt the Empress would permit it! If you don't believe me, I'll go ask her right now."

Wang Yun showed no deference to his father and was about to storm off when he turned and saw Li Shubai and Huang Zixiao standing in the outer hall's corridor. He froze in surprise.

For once, a faint smile appeared on Li Shubai's face as he approached them. "Wang Yun understands me best. Naturally, I wouldn't want a coroner touching Wang Ruo's remains, so I've brought the perfect candidate."

The Wang family members hurriedly greeted him. He gestured for Zhou Ziqin to examine the body, saying, "This gentleman is surely known to all—the son of Vice Minister Zhou Xiang, highly skilled in forensic examination. I've brought him here to determine Wang Ruo's cause of death without any tools, just by observation."

"His Highness has considered everything," Wang Lin immediately said.

After apologizing to the Wang family members, Zhou Ziqin took Huang Zixiao into the eastern chamber of Yongchun Hall.