The Golden Hairpin

She hadn’t expected this man to be so intimately familiar with the details of a mere guard. Stunned for a moment, she could only say, “Actually… Zhang Xingying and I are sworn siblings. We…” She hesitated, appearing reluctant to continue, but he feigned ignorance, leisurely waiting for her to spin the rest of her tale.

She knew he had already seen through everything, but with the arrow already nocked, she had no choice but to swiftly shift the core of her lie, replacing the sworn sibling relationship with something more ambiguous. With a hesitant expression, she said, “Zhang Xingying and I are very close. I’ve loved playing polo since childhood and often dressed as a boy, so I was worried he’d face military punishment and insisted on coming in his place. He had a stomachache, and I snatched his horse before he could stop me… That’s all.”

“Then, when setting off for the detached palace, why didn’t you explain this to the captain instead of choosing an option that would put both you and Zhang Xingying in even graver danger—hiding in my carriage?” His slender fingers tapped lightly on the small table, the slow rise and fall of his fingertips seeming to strike at her heart, stirring an ominous premonition once more.

Sure enough, he sneered, ruthlessly exposing her lie: “So, there must be something else you’re hiding—something even more serious than impersonating one of my guards, something worse than being executed on the spot as an assassin.”

She remained silent. Circumstances were stronger than people, and she had acted recklessly from the start. Now that she’d been caught, there was nothing she could do but await his judgment.

“A woman, dressed in men’s clothing in the outskirts at dawn, with traces of your hurried journey in the rain still on your clothes—if you claim you and Zhang Xingying didn’t plan this switch in advance, I doubt anyone would believe you.”

Seeing her lower her head in silence, her dark lashes trembling faintly, stubborn to the end, he couldn’t help but sneer. “Show me your left hand.”

Biting her lower lip, she turned her left palm upward and slowly extended it.

“A person’s hand records everything they’ve done in their life up to this point. Other things can be hidden, but your hands never lie.” He lowered his gaze to her palm, a faint smile finally curling at the corners of his lips. “Your hand tells me you come from a good family and were clever from a young age. At thirteen, your life took a turn—you left Chang’an for… Shu, am I right?”

She lifted her head to look at him, forcing her voice to remain steady. “Yes.”

“There, you met the one you loved. Your palm lines show you’re cold-hearted and decisive in action. So, for love, you’re fully capable of slaughtering your entire family—and the method…”

His lips curved into a chilling smile. “Poison.”

It was as if a needle had pricked her eyelids—her lashes jerked violently. Suddenly having her hidden identity laid bare, she instinctively clenched her fingers, pressing her hand to her chest as if to suppress a nightmare, her eyes wide as she stared at the man before her.

And the man gazed back at her with the triumphant look of a hunter watching his prey walk into the trap. “So your name is—Huang Zixiang.”

She looked down at the lines on her palm. The initial shock gradually subsided, replaced by a strange calm. Lowering her hand, she tucked it back into her sleeve and said softly, “No.”"Which part is incorrect?" he asked indifferently. "Your background, the murders, or your identity?"

"I am Huang Zixia, but I didn't kill anyone." She took a deep breath and said quietly, "And I would never... kill my own family!"

Leaning back against the embroidered cushion, he even wore a faint, cold smile. "So you're saying you've been wronged?"

Kneeling in the carriage and looking up at him, she seemed like an insignificant little insect on the bright peony patterns of the soft carpet—tiny and fragile, someone he could crush with a single finger.

Yet she paid no mind to this condescending position. Even on her knees, her back remained straight, and her calm expression as she met his gaze only made her seem more stubborn. "Prince Kui, everyone has parents. How could I, as their child, commit such atrocities? I traveled all the way to the capital for this very injustice. The wrongful accusation is secondary, but I cannot let my family's deaths go unavenged. That's why I endured countless hardships to escape to Chang'an, seeking a chance to clear my family's name. Zhang Xingying took pity on me, which is why he risked punishment to help me. I beg Your Highness to forgive his kindness and not implicate him."

"Kindness? Who knows if his kindness was aiding evil?"

"If I were the murderer, I could have simply disappeared and changed my name. But I can't hide forever—otherwise... my family would never rest in peace!"

"You don't need to explain to me. Save it for the Dali Temple or the Ministry of Justice." His cold gaze shifted to the patterned brocade curtains beside him. "You may leave. I dislike being in close quarters with someone so disheveled."

In such circumstances, ignoring her was already an act of leniency.

Huang Zixia pressed her lips together slightly and bowed to him. As she raised her head, her eyes fell upon the glass vial—the small red fish inside still swayed in the water, its long tail like a sheer veil.

Lowering her voice, she murmured, "This fish is called Agasheni, from the kingdom of Tianzhu. Legend says it was born from a fleeting thought of the Dragon Maiden who served the Buddha, often appearing near those who died unjustly."

Prince Kui's gaze brushed over the glass vial, his tone indifferent. "Is that so?"

"Yes, I've heard this before. But in my opinion, it might be a fabrication by those with ulterior motives—for one of two reasons. Either incompetent officials invented supernatural tales to shirk responsibility, or... the murderer spread the rumor to obscure the truth."

A faint smile finally touched Prince Kui's lips. "Go on."

"An object found at a crime scene should be ominous, yet Your Highness keeps it close at all times. Clearly, the deceased must have had an extraordinary relationship with you, and this case... likely remains unsolved."

"And then?"

After a moment of contemplation, she finally spoke slowly, "If Your Highness is willing to help me, I can also help you uncover the truth behind that case. No matter how long ago it was, no matter how faint the traces, I will bring you a clear resolution."

Prince Kui lifted the glass vial and examined it, pensively watching the crimson glow shimmering on the fish's scales.

The small fish drifted lazily in the vial, leaving the water undisturbed.Prince Kui raised his hand to lightly touch the head of the small fish, watching as it startled and darted beneath the water before slowly withdrawing his finger. He lifted his gaze to the person kneeling before him and said, "Huang Zixiang, you have quite the audacity."

Huang Zixiang knelt before him, her expression calm, her clear eyes like morning dew fixed upon him.

"Do you know that even His Majesty the Emperor has explicitly stated he cannot intervene in this matter? Yet you dare to take it upon yourself, claiming you can handle this case?" His cold eyes met hers, and she noticed how profoundly deep they were, making his aloof countenance all the more intimidating. "This matter is a forbidden topic in the court, yet it has somehow leaked. Where did you hear about this old case? Are you planning to use it as leverage in a deal with me?"

Huang Zixiang had not expected such turbulence hidden behind this little fish. She lowered her head but remained composed. "Your Highness, forgive me. I have not heard of this matter from anyone. I merely saw this fish and recalled an absurd rumor. The rest was my own conjecture—I truly had no prior knowledge."

He placed the glass bottle coldly on the small table, studying her expression. "I suppose you wouldn’t dare."

"But uncovering the truth does not depend on daring—it depends on ability," Huang Zixiang said softly. "From Your Highness's words, this case must be both shocking and far-reaching, perhaps even more bizarre than the deaths of my parents. Yet I believe that if someone truly dares to investigate, the truth will one day come to light."

Prince Kui did not respond directly. Instead, he asked, "Since you’ve come to the capital to seek justice, you must have solid evidence. Do you know who slaughtered your family?"

"I..." She hesitated, a slight frown creasing her brow. "After the incident, I was accused of being the culprit and had to flee. But if Your Highness helps me, if you grant me some time, I believe I can find the truth!"

He raised an eyebrow slightly. "Now that you mention it, I recall that when you were in Chang’an, you solved several perplexing cases in the capital. I’ve also heard that in Shu Commandery, you assisted your father in resolving many difficult cases, is that so?"

"...Yes."

"How promising in youth, yet how disappointing in maturity. At fourteen, you helped your father crack an unsolved case, yet now you can’t even find your own enemy?" A faint mockery curled at the corner of his lips. "You can’t even clear your own name, yet you have the gall to boast and attempt to strike a deal with me?"

Huang Zixiang remained silent. Li Shubai watched as she bit her lower lip, refusing to make a sound, her stubbornness evident. The seventeen-year-old girl was disheveled and weary, yet her luminous beauty shone through, vaguely overlapping with something from his memories.

Lowering his voice slightly, he said, "Huang Zixiang, the whole world calls you a murderer. If I speak on your behalf, won’t people suspect there’s something between us? Moreover, if the Court of Judicial Review or the Ministry of Justice shows you leniency because of my intervention, wouldn’t that mean I’ve used my power to distort the law?"

Huang Zixiang listened, kneeling below without a word, her lips pressed tightly together.

Li Shubai didn’t even glance at her. "Leave. I have no interest in your affairs, nor in reporting your whereabouts to the authorities. From now on, you’re on your own."She paused, silently lowering her head as she prepared to alight from the carriage. She had always known that the man before her, though wielding immense power, was neither kin nor ally—there was no reason for him to help her. That he hadn’t immediately summoned guards to bind and deliver her to the Dali Temple was already an act of mercy.

So she could only bow deeply to him in reverence. Just as she was about to rise, the carriage came to a gradual halt, and a guard’s voice sounded from outside: “Your Highness, we have arrived at Jianbi Palace.”

Jianbi Palace was the newly constructed detached palace, located just beyond the capital’s outskirts, a mere ten li from Daming Palace. In the time they had spoken, they had already arrived.

Li Shubai lifted the carriage curtain and glanced outside. Seeing that the other princes had already arrived, the grounds bustling with noise and clamor, he frowned slightly and remarked, “It seems inevitable that someone will notice I’ve shared a carriage with a murderess.”

Huang Zixia insisted in a low, stubborn voice, “I didn’t kill anyone!”

Ignoring her, he flicked the carriage curtain aside and commanded, “Get down.”

She hesitated for a moment before following him out of the carriage. A small stool had already been placed below for dismounting. As she stepped onto it, before her foot could steady itself, she felt a light kick behind her knee, sending her tumbling forward. Ahead lay a pond, its newly planted lotus leaves drooping listlessly, the water murky and foul. She plunged into the filth, coughing violently as the fetid water choked her, her entire body mired in the sludge, too disoriented to rise.

Li Shubai turned to the approaching palace maids and said, “Clumsy thing. Take her away to clean up—let her walk back on her own.”

As for whether she was a man or a woman, he couldn’t be bothered to explain, leaving Huang Zixia to deal with that herself.