The Golden Hairpin

"Anyway, anything is better than living a timid life and being labeled as 'so-and-so's consort,' right?"

"If you don't like it, plenty of others would fight tooth and nail for the chance. Why worry?" Huang Zixiang shot him a disdainful look.

The storyteller’s voice drifted up again: "Ladies and gentlemen, speaking of Princess Tongchang, did you know that yesterday at Jianfu Temple, divine retribution struck—a man was killed by lightning?"

The crowd erupted in murmurs, and someone loudly asked, "The man struck by lightning at Jianfu Temple yesterday—was he connected to Princess Tongchang?"

"Exactly! Magistrate Cui of the Dali Temple has already confirmed that the victim was none other than Wei Ximin, a eunuch from the princess’s household. He was one of her closest attendants. His death by lightning left Princess Tongchang utterly bewildered, unable to fathom how such a heinous criminal could have been by her side, deserving of divine punishment."

"That storyteller is remarkably well-informed," Huang Zixiang muttered to herself.

Zhou Ziqin puffed up proudly. "Of course! Street storytellers have the fastest ears in the city—every whisper in the alleys feeds their gossip. But I’m no slouch either. I’ve already built connections with the Dali Temple. Let me tell you, I got insider information last night!"

Though weighed down by her own troubles, Huang Zixiang couldn’t resist asking, "What’s the scoop?"

"This Wei Ximin was assigned to Princess Tongchang from childhood and was utterly devoted to her—like a loyal hound, obeying her every command. So when he was struck by lightning, the princess was furious. Last night, she personally visited Magistrate Cui’s residence, ostensibly to inquire about Wei Ximin’s death, but really to pressure him into resolving the case swiftly."

"How can it be resolved? From the scene yesterday, it’s entirely possible it was just a freak accident—a random lightning strike."

"Exactly! But Princess Tongchang had another demand. With the whole capital now gossiping that someone close to her was so wicked he invited divine wrath, she insisted Magistrate Cui provide an explanation quickly to protect the reputation of her household."

"No wonder Magistrate Cui looked so devastated yesterday when he heard it involved Princess Tongchang," Huang Zixiang mused, frowning slightly. "Stopping rumors is harder than damming a river. Even if she’s the emperor’s most beloved princess, can she really control what the people of the capital choose to say?"

"See? It’s already the talk of the town," Zhou Ziqin shrugged. "A case with no leads, yet a princess demanding her eunuch’s name be cleared—whoever handles this is stuck with a hot potato."

Huang Zixiang neither agreed nor disagreed, shifting the topic instead. "About that matter I mentioned earlier—my friend Zhang Xingying’s situation—any progress?"

"Ugh… don’t ruin the mood. Let’s finish eating first, or it’ll seem like you only invited me to ask for favors."

"Strange. As a low-ranking eunuch, my monthly stipend is a mere two taels of silver. If not to ask for your help, why would I spend half of it treating you to a meal at Zhuijin Tower?" Huang Zixiang frowned. "This matter needs to be resolved—quickly, and I mean immediately . In two or three days, I’ll be leaving for Shu with His Highness."

By then, she’d be consumed with clearing her family’s name—who would have time to spare for Zhang Xingying?Zhou Ziqin slapped his chest heartily and said, "Alright, let me put it this way—Xu Congyun, the captain of the Third Cavalry Unit in the Capital Defense Division, is a close friend of mine. He told me to bring Zhang Xingying to report to him this afternoon. I guarantee that as long as Zhang Xingying goes, there won’t be any issues!"

Huang Zixia let out a sigh of relief. "Good. If this works out, I’ll treat you to a meal next time we meet in Shu."

"And if it doesn’t?"

"Then you’ll have to spit out today’s meal and return it to me!"

The renowned medical hall in the capital, Duanrui Tang, even had an extraordinary place for drying herbs. A vast open area was densely covered with bamboo trays, one after another, like fish scales. Each tray was filled with various sliced medicinal herbs.

Amid the sea of bamboo trays, Zhang Xingying stood in the middle, holding a tray nearly seven feet in diameter as he flipped and shook the herbs to ensure they dried evenly under the sun. Tall and strong, he lifted and lowered the tray with ease, the fragrance of the herbs wafting through the air.

He moved from tray to tray, row by row, gradually getting farther away. Huang Zixia quickly called out to him, "Brother Zhang!"

Zhang Xingying turned around and, seeing the two of them, looked puzzled. "You two are…?"

Huang Zixia lowered her voice. "Brother Zhang."

Zhang Xingying studied her face for a long moment before suddenly exclaiming, "Ah!" He pointed at her, stammering, "You… you’re Huang—"

"Yes, I’m here to repay a favor," Huang Zixia emphasized the word "repay" and quickly cut him off. "Last month, thanks to your help getting me into the city, but it also landed you in this situation. So today, I’ve come to return the kindness—I want to introduce you to a new job."

Zhang Xingying was still dumbfounded. "You…"

"I’m Yang Chonggu! Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten me after helping me!" Huang Zixia frantically signaled with her eyes.

Only then did Zhang Xingying realize—she was now a wanted criminal across the land, so of course she couldn’t reveal her true identity. But he still struggled to process it, staring blankly at her before mechanically replying, "Oh… Yang Chonggu… So you’re now…"

"I’m working under Prince Kui now—surprised, right?" Huang Zixia quickly steered the conversation away, gesturing to Zhou Ziqin. "This is Zhou Ziqin, the youngest son of Vice Minister Zhou from the Ministry of Justice."

Always eager to help, Zhou Ziqin immediately clasped his hands in greeting. "Brother Zhang! Though we’ve never met, Chonggu has spoken of you many times! He said you’re righteous, heroic, loyal, filial, and warm-hearted… Ow!"

The last sound was because Huang Zixia had stepped on his foot. But Zhou Ziqin, unfazed by such trivialities, continued chattering, "Don’t worry, Chonggu’s matters are my matters. I’ll take care of this—it’s my duty—"

Before he could finish, the door of a small hut beside the drying area swung open, and an old man stuck his head out, bellowing, "What’s all this noise?! Zhang Xingying, why aren’t you flipping the herbs? If these don’t dry in time, what will the pharmacy use?"

Zhang Xingying hurriedly acknowledged and bent down to pick up the next bamboo tray, resuming his work.

Zhou Ziqin stared in disbelief at the endless sea of trays around them. "Brother Zhang, are you the only one here? You have to flip all these trays by yourself every day?"Zhang Xingying shook his head, continuing to flip the bamboo trays as he replied, "No, four times. Twice in the morning and twice in the afternoon."

"Then you wouldn’t have time to do anything else all day—just flipping herbs!"

"That’s not all," Zhang Xingying admitted somewhat guiltily. "There’s also slicing, grinding, pounding, decocting, processing, and honey refining... I’m not very efficient and often can’t finish the tasks Master assigns, so I have to get up early and stay up late."

"Your father was at least a resident physician—why didn’t he teach you anything?"

Zhang Xingying sighed and shook his head. "My father is too old now to practice or see patients. Duanrui Hall was kind enough to take me in and give me work—that’s already a blessing."

As he spoke, his hands never stopped, flipping three or four more bamboo trays in the meantime.

Zhou Ziqin grabbed his hand without hesitation. "Stop flipping, let’s go! Even I can’t stand watching this—Duanrui Hall is exploiting you!"

Zhang Xingying hurriedly steadied a tray that nearly toppled. "Go... go where?"

The old man nearby, ignored by them, grew furious. "Zhang Xingying! Pay attention to your work! If you don’t finish, don’t blame me for kicking you out!"

"Kick him out? Listen, he’s quitting!" Zhou Ziqin pulled Zhang Xingying away. "The Capital Defense Division is waiting for him—who has time to listen to your nagging?"

The old man bristled. "The Capital Defense Division? What a joke! Only the rich and noble get in there—what makes this kid special?"

"The Capital Defense Division wants him—what’s it to you?" Zhou Ziqin shot back disdainfully. "In a couple of years, when Brother Zhang transfers to the Divine Strategy Army, it’ll be the death of you!"

The old man was indeed nearly fuming. "Delusional! Zhang Xingying, if you leave, don’t come back!"

Zhang Xingying hesitated, but Huang Zixia saw his eyes light up as he finally dropped the bamboo tray.

"Alright, one question—are you coming or not?" Zhou Ziqin clapped him on the shoulder, already treating him like a brother. "With your build and this commanding presence, it’d be their loss if you didn’t join the Divine Strategy Army!"

"I’ll go!"

Xu Congyun, the squad leader of the Capital Defense Division, was bold and cheerful. Having known Zhou Ziqin since childhood, their bond was naturally strong.

After chatting briefly with Zhang Xingying and learning he had once served in Prince Kui’s honor guard, Xu asked, "Prince Kui’s retinue is handpicked—if you were selected, you must be exceptional. So why did you leave?"

Zhang Xingying hesitated. Huang Zixia quickly interjected, "Brother Zhang had a streak of bad luck—he fell behind during an escort due to a stomach ailment and was unfortunately discovered, which led to his dismissal."

Xu Congyun turned to Huang Zixia. "And this gentleman is...?"

"This is Eunuch Yang Chonggu from Prince Kui’s household, His Highness’s current close attendant," Zhou Ziqin explained.

Xu Congyun’s face lit up with surprise and delight. "What! Could this be the same Eunuch Yang who solved the Four Directions case? My deepest respects!"

Zhang Xingying nodded vigorously beside them, gazing at Huang Zixia with admiration.

Zhou Ziqin added confidently, "Yes, Chonggu is amazing—second only to my most admired Huang Zixia."

Huang Zixia glanced up at Zhang Xingying and clearly saw his smile stiffen. She humbly replied, "Not at all, it was just luck."Xu Congyun raised his hand and gave Zhang Xingying a hearty slap on the back. The force of his massive palm nearly knocked the breath out of Zhang, who had been standing ramrod straight.

"Since you two vouch for him, and considering he was once admitted into Prince Kui's residence, I trust there are no issues with his health or family background. Very well—the Third Cavalry Unit is currently the smallest. You'll be assigned there first. Spend the next month or two observing and learning the ropes. If all goes well, after informing Captain Wang next month, you'll be formally enlisted. Consider this settled."

Even if Xu's slap had knocked out his heart, liver, spleen, stomach, and kidneys, Zhang Xingying would have gladly accepted it. Overwhelmed with joy, he stood there grinning foolishly, unable to speak.

Huang Ziyao also let out a long sigh of relief. Deep down, she had always felt guilty toward Zhang Xingying. Now that his situation had improved, she could finally set her mind at ease and leave for Shu without any lingering debts.

With the major matter settled, Zhou Ziqin gathered his friends—several captains from the Capital Defense Bureau—and led the way to a restaurant, treating them all to a feast.

Being broke, Huang Ziyao and Zhang Xingying didn’t dare compete with this wealthy playboy, lest they end up having to sell themselves to pay for the meal.

Whether by good or bad luck, the group ran into Wang Yun the moment they stepped outside.

"Brother Wang!"

"Captain Wang!"

Everyone hurried to greet him, only to notice the strikingly handsome man behind him—Wei Baoheng, the imperial son-in-law. They quickly paid their respects, some addressing him as "Imperial Son-in-Law," others as "Vice Minister Wei." For a moment, the entrance of the office buzzed with excitement.

Wei Baoheng, ever amiable, smiled and nodded in acknowledgment. Wang Yun, however, cast a glance at Huang Ziyao and asked with a faint, unreadable smile, "Ziqin, what brings you and Eunuch Yang here?"

Zhou Ziqin quickly pulled Zhang Xingying forward. "I heard Brother Xu’s cavalry unit is short-handed, so I recommended someone. This is Zhang Xingyang—clean background, skilled, and as you can see, quite the looker. Plus, he’s well acquainted with Chonggu. He’s absolutely suitable. Brother Xu agreed to a one-month trial. If all goes well, we’ll report to you afterward. Hope you can lend your support then, Brother Wang!"

"Recommended by Yang Chonggu?" Wang Yun immediately seized on the key point.

Unaware of the tension between them, Zhou Ziqin nodded cheerfully.

Zhang Xingying, meanwhile, was too nervous to do anything but bow respectfully to Wang Yun.

Wang Yun raised a hand to stop him. "Ziqin, since Captain Xu has already agreed to take him in, I normally wouldn’t interfere—I rarely meddle in the comings and goings of the cavalry. But in this brother’s case… I’m afraid it’s a no."