The Golden Hairpin

Who would come looking for her so early in the morning?

Huang Zixiang hurried to the Chunyu Hall and was surprised to find Chen Nianniang standing there, holding a qin.

"Auntie Chen, why have you come to see me in person?" she asked in astonishment, stepping forward to take the qin from her and placing it on the qin table.

Chen Nianniang smiled. "Naturally, it's because my student has been neglecting her lessons, skipping days on end. I had no choice but to come after you."

"My sincerest apologies, Auntie Chen," Huang Zixiang quickly said, though she knew the woman was teasing. "I've been preoccupied with worldly affairs lately and have forgotten the elegance of music."

"I've heard as well. That young lady from the Wang family was truly unfortunate. Once the envy of the capital, only to meet such a tragic end in the blink of an eye. They say her remains were a pitiful sight—how heartbreaking." Chen Nianniang sighed as she adjusted the qin strings.

Huang Zixiang thought to herself, Auntie Chen, if only you knew that your Yiniang's mangled corpse was just as sorrowful as that unidentified woman's.

She gazed at Chen Nianniang's lowered face, momentarily tempted to hand over the mutton-fat jade retrieved from Feng Yiniang's body and tell her the truth—that Yiniang was dead, that she should stop searching and waiting in the capital. But as she took in the streaks of white hair that had appeared at Chen Nianniang's temples over the past few days, the words stuck in her throat.

Chen Nianniang plucked half a melody with practiced ease. The notes resonated through the room and beyond, evoking the hushed stillness of a quiet night.

"Auntie Chen, your qin playing is truly unparalleled," Huang Zixiang marveled.

"Hardly," Chen Nianniang replied, resting her hands lightly on the strings before looking up slowly. "In terms of skill, I've only scratched the surface—perhaps comparable to Jinnu."

Huang Zixiang asked casually, "Have you seen Jinnu recently, Auntie Chen?"

"No, and that's actually why I came to see you today." A trace of worry crept into her voice. "Yesterday, I went to the Right Music Academy in Guangzhai Ward to look for her, only to hear she hasn't been seen there for days."

"What?" Huang Zixiang was taken aback. "Jinnu is missing?" Those words from Jinnu had lingered in her mind, and she had been meaning to find an opportunity to question her further.

"Yes. The academy staff were quite helpful—they even opened her room to check. But her favorite clothes and jewelry were all gone, along with the pipa her master had gifted her. The staff could only stomp their feet in frustration, saying she must have eloped with some rogue. Apparently, since Emperor Xuanzong's time, discipline in the academies has slackened, and such incidents aren't uncommon these days."

"So she... disappeared too?" Huang Zixiang couldn't hide her surprise. With Jinnu, that made three people who had vanished without a trace.

Chen Nianniang grew agitated. "Exactly! When I couldn't find her yesterday, I grew concerned. If she had eloped, I feel there would have been signs, but she'd only been close with Prince Zhao. I warned her several times, but she wouldn't listen..."

"Don't worry, Auntie Chen. Tell me everything about Jinnu—especially her movements in the days before she disappeared." Huang Zixiang quickly pulled up a chair and sat beside her.Chen Nianniang sighed, "I asked the people at the music school carefully. The last time they saw her was three nights ago, almost at curfew. She came back slightly drunk, said to have been drinking at Embroidered Splendor Pavilion."

Huang Zixiao nodded, "I was there that day too. It was because of the incident with Miss Wang in the palace, so a group of us gathered to discuss the case over dinner. I don’t know who called Jinnu over, but she seemed to enjoy the lively atmosphere. She was in high spirits all evening and even helped us pack cherries—though her well-maintained hands clearly weren’t used to such work. She even complained when a cherry stem pricked her."

"That child has always been like this—sharp tongue but a soft heart. She’s a good person, just often speaks in a way that rubs people the wrong way," Chen Nianniang said.

Huang Zixiao asked again, "Chen Niang, you mentioned writing to Landai earlier. Have you received any reply yet?"

"What’s the hurry? Even if Landai sent Xuese to the capital as soon as she got the letter, it’s only been a few days. How could she possibly have arrived already?"

Listening to her sigh, Huang Zixiao quietly interjected, "Xuese should call Landai 'aunt,' right?"

"Yes, Landai and Mei Wanzhi are sisters, so she’s naturally Xuese’s aunt," Chen Nianniang nodded. "Landai was the third among the six. She was the best in Yangzhou at soft dances—Green Waist, Ripple, and Spring Oriole’s Song—said to be unmatched in the world."

Huang Zixiao pressed further, "Chen Niang, do you remember if Xuese came to Yangzhou alone back then? There should have been another girl with her, right?"

Chen Nianniang gasped, "Now that you mention it, I do recall. Xuese came with Xiaoshi. It’s said Xiaoshi’s parents died in the chaos of war. She and Xuese became sworn sisters in Xuzhou, vowing to stick together through life and death, so they came together."

Huang Zixiao nodded silently. Though her theory had been confirmed, she wasn’t sure how it would help with the case. She only faintly sensed that this must be a crucial thread she hadn’t yet grasped.

A case was like a great tree—what people saw above the soil was only a small part. Beneath lay a vast, tangled web of roots. Unless unearthed, the truth buried below would remain unknown.

Speaking of Xuese and Xiaoshi, Chen Nianniang seemed to recall something. She stared blankly at a lone tree outside the window, lost in thought, when suddenly tears began to roll down her cheeks.

Huang Zixiao quickly patted her shoulder gently, murmuring, "Chen Niang, don’t grieve too much."

"How can I not grieve? Deep down, I know Yiniang won’t be coming back." She spoke dazedly, large teardrops falling from her eyes. "Last night, I dreamed of Yiniang again. She floated before me, her body translucent like glass. She said to me, 'Nianniang, the years of youth fade like fleeting shadows. From now on, you’ll be left alone to endure the hardships of this world...' When I woke, I only saw the bamboo shadows swaying outside the window. Her words from the dream echoed in my chest, over and over. I knew then she was truly gone..."

Huang Zixiao’s heart ached. She pulled a handkerchief from her sleeve to wipe Chen Nianniang’s tears, but a small paper-wrapped object slipped out with it. As if guided by unseen hands, the little packet rolled right to Chen Nianniang’s feet. As Chen Nianniang took the handkerchief and pressed it to her eyes, her elbow came to rest atop the small paper package.In her dazed state, she couldn't even feel the object pressing against her hand.

Huang Zixiao hesitated for a moment, then decided there was no point in keeping it hidden any longer. She pulled out the small paper packet from under the woman's hand and presented it to her, saying, "Auntie Chen, open this."

Chen Nianniang covered her eyes, her voice hoarse: "What is it?"

Huang Zixiao remained silent, simply watching her.

Chen Nianniang hesitated, then slowly raised her hand to unwrap the white paper.

Inside lay a flawless piece of white jade, so translucent it seemed to drip with moisture. Though no larger than a fingernail, its delicate beauty was all the more striking.

Chen Nianniang's hands began to tremble violently. She clutched the jade tightly, holding it up to the light to examine the character "Nian" carved upon it.

The character shimmered in the sunlight streaming through the window, its golden radiance undulating faintly, piercing deep into their eyes.

In that instant, Chen Nianniang shut her eyes tightly. Her expression was one of utter despair, as if the character had blinded her then and there, leaving her unable to see anything in this world ever again.

A long, long silence followed.

Finally, Chen Nianniang asked in a trembling voice, "Where... where was this found?"

"It was among a group of plague-stricken refugees from Youzhou who had died. There was a woman's corpse, about forty years old, different from the others—she had died from poisoning. By the time we found her, her body had already been burned, leaving only this piece of jade." Huang Zixiao didn't mention that they had discovered it inside Feng Yiniang's stomach, fearing it would be too much for Chen Nianniang to bear.

"Over twenty years ago, Yiniang and I were just young girls. We weren't famous then, and our skills weren't particularly outstanding, so we saved for a very, very long time before we could finally afford two pieces of mutton-fat jade. We each carved our names—'Yi' and 'Nian'—and gave them to each other. Back then, we vowed, 'Forever bound in friendship, supporting each other for life...'" Chen Nianniang clutched the jade tightly, her voice breaking into sobs before she could finish.

Huang Zixiao sat quietly beside her, watching as the threads of light from the window fell upon Chen Nianniang's face. The white strands at her temples and the fine wrinkles on her face now stood out starkly, no longer the beautiful woman in the prime of life she had met just a month ago.

"Who... who killed Yiniang?" Chen Nianniang finally asked slowly.

Huang Zixiao took a deep breath, then shook her head. "We don't know yet. But I believe it must be connected to the disappearance of the Wang family's young lady."

"The Wang family's young lady?"

Huang Zixiao said, "The one who's been the talk of the capital recently—the Kui Prince's consort. Have you heard of her, Auntie Chen?"

Chen Nianniang nodded numbly, still gripping the jade.

"I've already confirmed that the daughter of an old friend whom Yiniang was entrusted to escort was none other than Wang Ruo of the Wang family. In fact, I once saw Yiniang by Wang Ruo's side and knew about this connection, but I didn't mention it at the time because I feared it would upset you."

Chen Nianniang murmured blankly, "But now... I've heard that Wang Ruo is also dead..."

"Yes. I suspect Yiniang's death is related to Wang Ruo's. But the truth remains unclear, and I have no leads yet."

"Will the truth ever come to light?" Chen Nianniang whispered faintly, as if in a trance.

Huang Zixiao replied, "At the very least, I'll do everything in my power."