The Golden Hairpin

Huang Zixiao's words struck like a thunderbolt from a clear June sky, leaving everyone stunned.

While the crowd stood dumbfounded, Wang Yun quietly gazed at her. Only a ripple of emotion passed over his face, like spring water brushed by a gentle breeze, before it settled back into calmness.

In a low, steady voice, he asked, "Eunuch Yang, I'm afraid I don't understand what you mean by that."

Huang Zixiao met his gaze unwaveringly, undeterred by his composure. "I mean that the mysterious man who appeared at Xianyou Temple was none other than you, Commandant Wang, in disguise. Moreover, to ensure no mistakes, when you went to the West Market to purchase props for the trick, you deliberately adopted a more memorable disguise to mislead investigators—a very cautious move. Unfortunately, your cleverness overreached itself, and you inadvertently revealed a crucial clue."

"What crucial clue? I have no idea what you're talking about." Instead of anger, Wang Yun smiled, his demeanor still composed and graceful. "Eunuch Yang, according to your reasoning, if someone at Xianyou Temple was disguised, then it could have been any guard or maid. How can you be so certain it was me?"

"Because your over-cleverness backfired. You originally intended to frame Pang Xun's vengeful ghost to sabotage this marriage. But who would have thought that the arrowhead of the Prince of Kui from the Tang Dynasty, which you left on the altar, would ultimately expose your identity?"

A flicker of unease finally crossed Wang Yun's otherwise unshaken expression. He stared at Huang Zixiao and asked, "How could that arrowhead have anything to do with me?"

"The Prince of Kui's residence has already sent Jing Yi to investigate in Xuzhou. The arrowhead was stolen by remnants of Pang Xun's forces who bribed the city tower guards. Shortly after its disappearance, a group of Pang Xun's remnants appeared in nearby prefectures, moving northward until they vanished near the outskirts of Chang'an. Though rumors abound in the capital, I believe everyone present here must know the reason."

Li Shubai interjected calmly, "Are you referring to the incident this past March, when the Capital Defense Bureau learned of bandits lurking near the city outskirts, and Commandant Wang Yun led troops to engage them, wiping out the remnants?"

"Exactly. Yet after the remnants were eliminated, the missing arrowhead never resurfaced—until days later, when it appeared at Xianyou Temple. Since the Prince of Kui's betrothed went to the temple to pray, mobilizing the Capital Defense Bureau would have been inappropriate. Therefore, all those who accompanied you were the Prince of Kui's private troops. In other words, while many in the Capital Defense Bureau could have obtained the arrowhead, and many in the Prince of Kui's private army could have played the ghost at Xianyou Temple, only one person could have had access to both—Commandant Wang Yun!"

Wang Yun frowned slightly, searching for a rebuttal, but soon found himself at a loss. Finally, he conceded, "Eunuch Yang... truly has foresight like a god."

Wang Lin stood frozen in place, staring blankly at his son.

The emperor glanced at the empress, only to find her gazing rigidly at Huang Zixiao, her expression stiff. He gently took her hands in his, finding them icy cold, and clasped them between his palms. "Don't worry," he said. "Since Wang Yun is your cousin, he is also mine. No matter what, I will look after him."

The empress turned to him, her lips parting as if to speak. But after a long silence, all the emperor heard were four faint, indistinct words: "Thank you, Your Majesty."Li Shubai, with a grave expression, countered Wang Yun, "So you're saying everything was your doing? The one who spread the rumors about Pang Xun's vengeful spirit seeking retribution was you, and the one who made Wang Ruo disappear was also you?"

"Yes... it was all me."

The one who spoke was indeed Wang Yun.

He glanced at Huang Zixiao before turning to kneel before the emperor and empress to plead guilty, saying, "Your servant begs Your Majesty for punishment. This matter... was entirely due to a momentary lapse in judgment on my part, leading to a grave mistake that has escalated into the current situation. Your servant deserves death ten thousand times over!"

"Oh?" The emperor frowned slightly and asked, "And why did you want to harm Wang Ruo?"

Wang Yun replied, "Because I noticed something amiss with Wang Ruo after she was chosen as the Kui Prince's consort. After interrogating those close to her, I learned that she had already given her heart to someone else while in Langya. Moreover, Xianyun and others discovered that she had privately vowed to cause a major disturbance on the day of her wedding. Your servant... recalling the disgraceful actions of my former fiancée Huang Zixiao, feared the consequences of this matter and thus decided to sabotage this marriage."

Hearing him mention her name, Huang Zixiao felt her heart skip a beat.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Wang Yun looking back at her. She could only force herself to suppress any reaction, ensuring her expression didn't betray her secret.

Only her hands, hidden in her sleeves, clenched tightly, nails digging into her palms. The sharp pain served as a reminder, helping her maintain her composure.

Li Shubai glanced at her and, seeing no outward change, lowered his head again to toy with the jade fan pendant in his hand.

Wang Yun continued, "At that time, Wang Ruo was already the Kui Prince's personally chosen consort. I knew it was impossible to call off the marriage, so I could only act covertly. Since the Kui Prince had gained fame for suppressing Pang Xun's rebellion, I thought to exploit this by fabricating the illusion of Pang Xun's vengeful spirit causing chaos to mislead everyone. Because of this, the female officials and eunuchs close to the empress were aware of my family's predicament and were willing to assist me privately. Changling and the others helped me without the empress's knowledge. I beg Your Majesty for leniency and a fair judgment."

After listening, Huang Zixiao frowned for a moment before asking, "Then, the discrepancy on Wang Ruo's betrothal document—was that your doing as well?"

"Discrepancy?" Wang Yun was momentarily confused.

"The betrothal document stated: 'Wang Ruo, youngest daughter of the fourth branch of the Langya Wang family, born at the second quarter of the mao hour on the 30th day of the intercalary tenth month in the 14th year of Dazhong.' But in reality, the intercalary tenth month of the 14th year of Dazhong only had 29 days, not 30."

"That was my oversight," Wang Yun sighed and nodded. "When I saw my cousin Wang Ruo's betrothal document, I noticed the day of her death coincided with the anniversary of the Kui Prince's mother's passing. By custom, she should never have been selected. So I thought myself clever and added the character for 'intercalary' to the blank space. To my surprise, the Directorate of Astronomy, out of deference to the empress, didn't verify it and simply marked it as auspicious, allowing her selection. At the time, I thought I had succeeded by luck. Little did I know it would lead to so much trouble."

"And what about Jinnu's death?"

Wang Yun looked up at her. She stood where the light was strongest at the doorway, the afternoon sun slanting in and illuminating her entire figure, flawless and pure.

Her radiance was dazzling. At that moment, Wang Yun suddenly found himself unable to meet her gaze.So he closed his eyes and said, "Yes, it was all my design. First, I spread the rumors, then when the palace guards were being mobilized, I took advantage of my position to abduct Wang Ruo. To eliminate all traces, I poisoned Jin Nu, the pipa player whose figure resembled Wang Ruo's, and then moved her body to Yongchun Hall..."

Wang Yun's voice was eerily calm, as if he were recounting events that had nothing to do with him. "I just never expected the truth would eventually come to light. Eunuch Yang truly sees all—nothing escapes your sharp eyes."

"If that's the case, then tell me," Huang Zixiang stared at him, enunciating each word deliberately, "when did you poison Jin Nu's rosin powder?"

"It was that day at Zhuijin Tower. I took the opportunity when no one was watching to slip in the poison. Then I followed her, and when she collapsed, I brought her into the palace and placed her in the eastern chamber of Yongchun Hall."

"You're lying!" Huang Zixiang coldly exposed his falsehood. "That day at Zhuijin Tower, Jin Nu treasured that box of rosin powder dearly, keeping it close to her chest the entire time. She even said she had carried it with her ever since receiving it. You were sitting across from her the whole time—when exactly did you have the chance to poison it?"

Wang Yun furrowed his brows tightly and turned his gaze away, falling silent.

Huang Zixiang nodded. "In this case, Commandant Wang, all you did was alter the betrothal documents at the start and the initial scare at Xianyou Temple. Everything that followed—you had no hand in it. Trying to take the blame now is futile. The true mastermind behind all this, I believe, is—"

Here, Huang Zixiang finally hesitated slightly.

Her gaze swept past the emperor, empress, and the Wang father and son, landing on Li Shubai.

Li Shubai saw that her eyes, which had always been fearless, now held a trace of trepidation and hesitation—she knew full well that the words she was about to speak might not just reveal the truth but could very well be her own death sentence.

Li Shubai looked at her and gave a slow, deliberate nod.

His expression was calm and composed, just as it had been when he said, "No matter what, I will protect your life." It seemed effortless, but beneath it lay an unshakable promise.

Huang Zixiang pressed a hand to her chest, feeling the tide of fear and hesitation that had surged through her limbs gradually recede. Her mind was crystal clear, so without hesitation, she took a deep breath and spoke each word deliberately: "Even though Commandant Wang is willing to sacrifice everything to protect the true culprit, even though the entire Wang family's honor now rests on this person—the truth is the truth. A hundred, a thousand scapegoats cannot hide the blood on her hands!"

Huang Zixiang's gaze settled on Empress Wang.

Empress Wang Shao—this peerless beauty, radiant even in plain robes and light makeup—sat quietly in the hall, poised like a peony blooming undisturbed in the afternoon sun.

"Empress Wang, the mastermind behind all of this... is you."

A deathly silence fell over Yanji Hall.

The emperor slowly released Empress Wang's hand, looking at her as if she were a stranger.

Xianyun and Ranyun had already prostrated themselves on the ground, trembling, not daring to lift their heads.

Wang Lin's face was ashen, his beard quivering faintly.Only Li Shubai remained composed, toying with the jade fan pendant in his hand as he spoke calmly, "Yang Chonggu, do you know the penalty for slandering Her Majesty the Empress?"

"The death penalty," Huang Ziguo answered without hesitation.

"Then how dare you spout such nonsense?"

"Your Highness, every word I've spoken is backed by solid evidence. There's not a single falsehood or baseless claim."

"Eunuch Yang," Empress Wang finally spoke, her voice slightly hoarse yet still carrying an air of aloof authority. "You claim this case involves me. I'd like to hear the details. First, I want to know—since Wang Ruo and I were as close as sisters, why would I make her disappear before her wedding, leaving her fate unknown?"

"Indeed, your bond with Wang Ruo was exceptionally deep. Anyone who witnessed it would marvel at such warmth, rarely seen among those of your high status. When I saw it, I truly found it remarkable."

"And so?" She gave a cold smile—one so forced it barely twitched the corner of her mouth.

"Twelve years ago, you entered the palace as empress. At that time, Wang Ruo would have been only four or five years old. I initially thought that with such an age gap between cousins, and you being from the main branch's concubine line while she was from the fourth branch, your relationship should have been distant at best—perhaps just the obligatory familial bond. Why, then, did you show her such extraordinary affection?"

"She was an exceptional girl among our Wang family's younger generation. Naturally, I valued her," Empress Wang replied stiffly.

Huang Ziguo neither agreed nor disagreed, lowering his head as he continued, "This led me to consider the fourth question: why would Your Majesty sabotage this marriage by making Wang Ruo disappear?"

Empress Wang scoffed, tilting her chin slightly as if she couldn't bear to look at him.

Unfazed, Huang Ziguo pressed on, "My suspicions about Wang Ruo's identity arose while teaching her palace etiquette. I noticed that the music she'd learned in her youth wasn't the refined melodies befitting a noble lady of the Wang family, but rather the vulgar tunes of brothels and pleasure quarters."

Wang Lin interjected indignantly, "This is merely lax discipline in our family's upbringing. What does it have to do with Her Majesty?"

"True. But on my way back from the palace, I was fortunate to share a carriage with Miss Wang. There, I encountered a woman in her forties who hadn't accompanied her into the palace but seemed to have been waiting in the carriage all along." Huang Ziguo turned to Xianyun and Ranyun. "First, let me ask you two—do you know about the elderly woman who came with Miss Wang from the Langya estate?"

The two maids exchanged fearful glances, too terrified to speak.

Empress Wang said coldly, "Speak the truth, whatever it is!"

Xianyun and Ranyun nodded hurriedly in fright. Huang Ziguo continued, "What was that woman's surname and given name? Where is she now?"

Xianyun hesitated. "She... I think Miss Wang called her Feng Niang. But we only interacted for a few days before she returned to her hometown, so I'm not entirely sure..."

"Is that so? Returned to her hometown?" Huang Ziguo retrieved a small portrait from his sleeve—a sketch he'd commissioned of Chen Nianniang and Feng Yiniang. "Do you remember what Feng Niang looked like?"

Trembling, Xianyun and Ranyun pointed to Feng Yiniang in the portrait.

"The woman in this portrait is named Feng Yiniang. Four or five months ago, she escorted the daughter of an old friend to the capital at their request—and since then, there's been no trace of her."These few words and brief remarks made everyone present feel as if they had glimpsed a revelation of divine secrets, and their expressions involuntarily darkened—the daughter of an old friend she was escorting could only be one person.

"Because Feng Yiniang had not returned for a long time, her inseparable junior sister, Chen Nianniang—the one in this portrait—" Huang Zixiang moved her finger to point at Chen Nianniang, "set out from Yunshao Court in Yangzhou to the capital in search of her. By chance, she encountered Jinnu. Jinnu once recommended her for entry into the palace, but since the Emperor, Empress, and Imperial Consort did not favor the guqin, she was unable to use the palace's influence to find Feng Yiniang. Later, she was hired by Prince E. When I took this portrait to the Ministry of Revenue to inquire on her behalf, there was no record of Feng Yiniang—the Wang family had not submitted her registry to the Ministry."

Wang Lin said with a darkened expression, "At that time, matters were too hectic, and since she returned soon after, there was no need to report to the Ministry of Revenue."

"Did she truly return to Langya?" Huang Zixiang, undaunted by his demeanor, continued, "Coincidentally, at the Ministry of Revenue, I encountered a minor official who had just finished handling the displaced refugees from Youzhou. He recognized Feng Yiniang in the portrait as one of the deceased refugees and recalled that the woman's corpse had a black mole on her left eyebrow."

Wang Yun's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly, while Xianyun and Ranyun had already gasped in shock.