The Golden Hairpin

In early summer, the corpse had already begun to decay slightly, its texture resembling rotten mud. Gritting her teeth, she grasped the half-rotted, damp wrist and turned to Li Shubai, saying, "Your Highness, this servant has something to report."

"Speak," Li Shubai replied nonchalantly.

Huang Zixiao, however, was not as composed as he was. She released the corpse's arm, walked to the center of the hall, and knelt. "Your Majesty, while placing the bracelet, this servant noticed some suspicious details. The matter is of great importance and involves palace affairs. I request that all unrelated individuals be dismissed to prevent rumors from spreading."

The Emperor pondered briefly before nodding in agreement.

Wang Lin frowned slightly and waved his hand, signaling the servants to withdraw.

Soon, the hall emptied, leaving only the Emperor, the Empress, Wang Lin, Wang Yun, Li Shubai, and Huang Zixiao.

Yet Huang Zixiao called out to those departing, "Xianyun, Ranyun, the two of you stay."

Xianyun and Ranyun were startled, turning back to stare at her in confusion.

Huang Zixiao paid them no further attention. Instead, she turned and stood before the hall, placing her hand on the coffin. "Your Majesty, Your Highness, in my opinion, this corpse may not belong to the Wang family's young lady!"

A collective gasp of surprise rose from those present. Empress Wang, who had been seated, stood up in shock.

Li Shubai also wore an expression of astonishment. "Do not speak nonsense. This body was escorted from the palace back to the Wang residence under constant guard. How could it have been replaced?"

Wang Lin quickly added, "Indeed, the funeral hall has been under continuous watch these past few days, with rituals performed without pause. How could the body have been altered? Moreover, who could possibly forge the appearance of this corpse?"

Huang Zixiao replied, "Forgive my impertinence, Lord Wang, but I believe the body may not have been the young lady's from the moment it appeared in the palace."

Wang Lin's face darkened with anger, but before he could speak, Wang Yun, standing behind him, subtly tapped his father's elbow.

Wang Lin stiffened in realization and turned his gaze to the Emperor and Empress, falling silent.

The Emperor looked puzzled, studying the coffin as he considered Li Shubai's earlier words about the circumstances surrounding Wang Ruo's death.

Empress Wang, composed and unhurried, asked, "Your name is Yang Chonggu?"

"Yes, this servant is Yang Chonggu, a eunuch of Prince Kui's household."

"I heard you solved the Four Cases of the Capital, so you must be a clever investigator. Tell us, why do you believe this corpse is not Wang Ruo?"

"Your Highness, this servant was previously tasked with instructing Wang Ruo on palace regulations and interacted with her multiple times. I recall her hands were slender and delicate. Yet the hands of this corpse are much larger."

"Are you aware she died from severe poisoning, which caused swelling?"

"Swelling affects only the flesh and skin, never the bones. The skeletal structure of this corpse's hands is undoubtedly much larger than Wang Ruo's." Huang Zixiao released the hand and straightened. "The one who examined Wang Ruo's body was Zhou Ziqin, the youngest son of Vice Minister Zhou. He would surely remember the details of her hand bones. Your Majesties may summon him to verify the autopsy findings."Empress Wang hesitated for a moment, prompting Wang Lin to quickly interject, "Eunuch Yang, the auspicious hour for moving the coffin is about to pass. If you continue to obstruct us, are you deliberately making things difficult for the Wang family? Moreover, Aruo's body was found at the site of her disappearance, matching perfectly in height, age, clothing, and jewelry. The deformation and enlargement of the palm due to poisoning is normal. With such baseless speculation, are you trying to prevent Aruo from resting in peace and dying with grievances?"

Hearing this, Empress Wang nodded and sighed, "We must not miss the auspicious hour. Eunuch Yang, our Wang family has already suffered this misfortune, and it's unbearable enough. Why must you create further complications?"

"This humble servant wouldn't dare," Huang Zixiang lowered her head and replied. "But since there are anomalies with the corpse, I believe it's better to investigate thoroughly to avoid deception."

"Chonggu makes a valid point," Li Shubai finally spoke up from the side. "This isn't about shielding the eunuchs in my household. Since there are doubts, the Langya Wang family is a prestigious clan with centuries of history, their ancestral tombs filled with countless noble spirits. How can we bury an unidentified body? It would be better to have Zhou Ziqin verify it again. If it truly isn't her, that would be good news—at least it means Wang Ruo might still be alive. What do you all think?"

Empress Wang frowned and turned to the emperor, who waved his hand and said, "Summon Zhou Ziqin."

Zhou Ziqin had already prepared everything as instructed by Huang Zixiang. Thus, his arrival was well-prepared. He carried the previous case files, while his two attendants, Abi and Ayan, carried a rather heavy-looking box. After setting it down, they quickly bowed and withdrew.

After paying his respects to the emperor and empress, Zhou Ziqin eagerly presented the autopsy records from the previous examination. "After examining the corpse with Yang Chonggu last time, we recorded the details. The female corpse was examined as follows: the deceased was a woman approximately five feet seven inches tall, with blurred facial features, blackened and swollen skin, and covered in pus and blood. The deceased had all her teeth intact, glossy hair reaching her ankles, and no external injuries, indicating death by poisoning. Additionally, there were issues like unusually large hand bones that couldn't be determined at the time. Since there was no evidence, I didn't mention it then, only briefly noting it in the records."

Zhou Ziqin closed the file and continued, "However, after Chonggu pointed out that the deceased's palms seemed unusually large, I consulted veteran coroners and renowned bone specialists across the capital. I even spent half a day with butchers at slaughterhouses to observe and learn, assisted the Jishan Hall in handling corpses found on the streets, and obtained consent from a terminally ill patient to dissect his body after death..."

Even the emperor couldn't bear it any longer and spoke up, "Get to the point."

"Yes, I combined the principles from 'The Butcher's Skill' and found that muscles, tendons, and bones connect, align, and follow certain patterns. Therefore, with the skeleton, one can reconstruct the deceased's appearance by following the muscle and tendon structures. Although the muscles of the skull are complex and I haven't fully mastered them yet, reconstructing based on hand bones is absolutely feasible."

The emperor had no patience for his rambling and waved his hand, saying, "Go ahead and do it. Don't take too long—I'm waiting."

Zhou Ziqin took out vinegar-garlic-soaked masks and thin gloves from the box, handing a set to Huang Zixiang.Huang Zimo silently took the gloves, thinking to herself, This hand of mine has just been inside a female corpse's muscles and skin. Even though I've washed it—using up half a jin of the Wang family's bath beans—is there really any need for gloves now?

But seeing Zhou Ziqin's earnest expression as he rightfully expected her assistance, she had no choice but to put them on. She helped steady the corpse's hand while he meticulously traced the bones of the palm, marking hundreds of points and dozens of lines.

The Emperor and Empress had already withdrawn to the main hall for a meal. Zhou Ziqin opened his case and pulled out a compartment containing a type of stiff yellow clay. Following the point-and-line diagram on the paper, he swiftly molded each bone of the hand, connecting them with thin wires. Then, he took out a softer clay, kneading and shaping it into strips and patches to layer over the skeletal framework. Once the clay had dried slightly, he cut several sheets of thin white gauze, carefully pasting them over the surface with fish glue.

He placed the finished prosthetic hand in front of Huang Zimo, looking rather pleased with himself. "Well?"

Huang Zimo picked it up for closer inspection. The palm was slender, the fingers strong yet not overly thick. The faint yellow hue showed through the thin white gauze, making it eerily lifelike—so much so that at a glance, it could easily be mistaken for a real hand. What was even more remarkable was that it perfectly matched the hand of Jinnu, just as she had observed before.

"Truly a divine skill!" Huang Zimo marveled.

"Of course! Didn’t I say I’m going to become the greatest coroner in the land? One day, even Huang Zimo will have to look at me with new eyes!"

Huang Zimo turned her face away, swallowing the rest of her praise.

Wang Yun personally brought over their lunch—cherry-filled pastries as the main dish, accompanied by four cold dishes, two hot dishes, and a large bowl of soup. It was cherry season, and the pastries were exceptionally delicious. Huang Zimo ate two before noticing Wang Yun staring at her. She touched her face. "Did I get filling on my face?"

He shook his head. "I thought you two might lose your appetites, but not only are you eating, you're even enjoying it so much."

"If there were more meat, it’d be even better. I’m never happy without meat," Zhou Ziqin said between bites.

Even someone as refined and composed as Wang Yun couldn’t help but twitch at the corners of his mouth. Glancing at the coffin and the prosthetic hand nearby, he said, "My oversight. Next time, I’ll make sure to bring you more."

They finished their meal quickly, and soon word came that the Emperor and Empress had finished their rest. Zhou Ziqin was summoned to bring his findings to the Yanji Hall.

A-Bi and A-Yan, not daring to complain, carried the heavy case back to the Wang family’s Yanji Hall. Huang Zimo called for Xianyun, and the two of them first stopped by Wang Ruo’s former room to retrieve a bracelet.

The Yanji Hall was the main building of the Wang residence—spacious, grand, and resplendent, with vermilion doors gleaming in the light. It spanned five bays. In the center of the hall were two elevated seats draped in gold-woven peony brocade, where the Emperor and Empress were already seated. Below, two rows of twelve chairs were arranged. Li Shubai and Wang Lin took the seats of honor on the left and right, while Wang Yun stood behind his father. All other unnecessary personnel had been dismissed.Huang Zixiang asked Wang Yun for a tray, placed the fake hand made by Zhou Ziqin on it, and presented it to the emperor and empress for inspection. Meanwhile, Zhou Ziqin covered the fake hand with his own palm, comparing their sizes, and said, "Everyone, please observe. The length of this hand is nearly the same as that of a man's, only slightly more slender in the fingers. This hand clearly belongs to someone with larger and stronger hands than most women. Moreover, there are thin calluses on the fingertips of the left hand and below the edge of the right palm, formed over years."

Huang Zixiang looked at Xianyun and Ranyun and asked, "Xianyun, Ranyun, can you testify to the size of your lady's hands?"

They hesitated, glancing at each other, before Xianyun spoke up, "Perhaps... perhaps they're similar, but I'm not entirely sure..."

Wang Yun sternly interrupted them, "Tell the truth!"

"Yes..." Xianyun panicked and quickly replied, "The lady's hands were very delicate and soft. When Aunt Suqi came to teach her court etiquette, she once praised her hands..."

"Even if you don't say it, there's more direct evidence." Huang Zixiang took out the bracelet that had belonged to Wang Ruo, slowly bent the fake hand into a position to wear the bracelet, and tried to force it on. The soft clay inside the gauze deformed under pressure, but the bracelet still wouldn't fit.

Holding up the bracelet, Huang Zixiang declared, "The bracelet of the princess consort... of Lady Wang cannot fit this hand."

Everyone exchanged bewildered glances, but Wang Yun reacted the fastest, saying, "If this corpse isn't my sister, then there must be more to this case. First, where is she now? Second, whose body is this that has suddenly appeared?"

"Though I don't know where Lady Wang is now, someone present surely does," Huang Zixiang placed the fake hand back on the tray and said firmly, "However, I do know the identity of this woman's body that was mistaken for Lady Wang."

In the silent hall, Huang Zixiang turned to Zhou Ziqin and asked, "Based on the skeletal measurements you just recorded, can you describe the details of the woman's hands again?"

Zhou Ziqin nodded and held up his skeletal sketch, saying, "The woman's palm measures five and three-tenths inches in length, with slender finger bones, slightly sturdier than an average woman's. There are thin calluses on the fingertips of the left hand's middle three fingers and below the edge of the right palm and thumb, formed from years of friction."

"Calluses on the left fingertips and below the right palm edge—these are not common. Only one type of person would have them: a pipa player." Huang Zixiang mimed pressing the pipa strings with her left hand and holding the plectrum with her right. "Thus, the left fingertips develop calluses, while the right palm edge and thumb, where the plectrum rests, naturally form calluses from constant friction."

Wang Lin frowned and asked, "But there are countless pipa players in the world. How can we identify a pipa performer whose face is no longer recognizable?""This matter isn't difficult to figure out," Huang Zixiao said slowly, counting on her fingers. "First, a pipa musician from the Outer Music Bureau has recently gone missing. Second, her packed belongings were found outside the bureau, containing only a few outer garments and jewelry—clearly not packed by her own hand. Third, and most importantly, she also died from poison arrow tree toxin."

Zhou Ziqin gasped. "You mean that pipa player—Jinnu from the Outer Music Bureau! But... but Jinnu died from poisoning?"

"Exactly. Jinnu once told the Empress and Consort Zhao about her past in the palace. At that time, we all saw her hands—they were indeed larger than most women's."

"But that doesn't necessarily mean the female corpse must be hers. Moreover, her body was already found beside her belongings... and that corpse showed no signs of poisoning—it was decapitated."

"No, that headless corpse isn't Jinnu. The body used to impersonate Miss Wang was actually Jinnu's. Because on the night Jinnu died, she was attending a gathering at Brocade Tower with Lord Cui, me, Zhou Ziqin, and others. When we left, we packed some dishes for beggars in Chongren Ward—and all those beggars died from poisoning. The toxin was from the poison arrow tree."

Zhou Ziqin's eyes widened further. "What? Those beggars who died recently... were also connected to us—to this case?"

Huang Zixiao, fearing he might dwell on unnecessary explanations and complicate matters, cut him off. "To be precise, those beggars' deaths were connected to Jinnu. The poison was in the plate of cherries Jinnu had packed at the time. She mentioned her hands felt itchy and sore, blaming it on the cherry stems. In truth, the real reason was that she had been poisoned at that moment—and the toxin contaminated those cherries, indirectly killing the beggars!"