The Golden Hairpin

After changing back into her own clothes at Zhou Ziqin's house, Huang Zixiang bid him farewell and picked up the skull he had given her, preparing to return to the Kui Prince's residence.

As Zhou Ziqin saw her off at the gate, he couldn't help but ask, "Are you planning to report Dici and Second Brother Zhang's matter to the Dali Temple?"

Huang Zixiang shook her head. "No, I'm not."

Zhou Ziqin let out a sigh of relief. "That's good. Dici... is quite pitiful."

"If pity justified murder, what would be the point of having laws?" Huang Zixiang said slowly, pausing to glance at the setting sun before continuing, "But as for Dici and Second Brother Zhang, while they are suspects now, there's no concrete evidence yet. It's not appropriate to bring them in for questioning at this stage."

Zhou Ziqin sighed, pouting unhappily at her.

She ignored his expression and said firmly, "This is a murder case—don't let emotions cloud your judgment. I'll notify the Dali Temple to keep a close watch on Lü Zhiyuan, Dici, and Second Brother Zhang. You are not to warn them!"

"Yes..." Zhou Ziqin watched her dejectedly as she walked away carrying the bag containing the skull and reconstructed head, his mood growing even gloomier.

Upon returning to the Kui Prince's residence with the bag, the gatekeeper immediately rushed over when he saw Huang Zixiang alight from the carriage, eagerly reaching for her bag. "Eunuch Yang, you're finally back! His Highness has been waiting for you for ages!"

"No need, thank you. I'll carry it myself." Huang Zixiang quickly shielded the bag—of course she couldn't let anyone see its contents, or she'd be labeled a lunatic in the Kui Prince's residence forever. "His Highness is waiting for me?"

"Yes! He originally said to summon you to Jingyu Hall when you returned, but after waiting and waiting with no sign of you, he came down to the gatehouse himself to wait."

Huang Zixiang was startled. What could be so urgent that Li Shubai would personally wait for her at the gatehouse? She hurried inside, still clutching the bag with the skull, and sure enough, the gatekeepers were standing nervously while the Kui Prince sat alone inside reviewing documents—only a few pages remained from what had once been a thick stack.

She quickly stepped forward and bowed. "This servant deserves death for her negligence."

He ignored her, leisurely flipping a page before asking, "What negligence?"

"This servant... forgot about Your Highness's instructions... from last night."

"What instructions?" He turned another page unhurriedly.

Huang Zixiang had no choice but to brace herself and say, "The appointment with the noble guest."

"Had you not mentioned it, I would have forgotten as well." He finished the last page, closed the document, and tossed it onto the table before finally lifting his gaze to look at her. His expression was as cold as his eyes, revealing nothing, yet it sent a chill down her spine, and an ominous premonition rose in her chest.

Behind her, Jingyu gathered Li Shubai's documents for him. Without sparing her a glance, the prince took them and strode past her out the door.

Steeling herself, Huang Zixiang followed him outside. Only when he boarded the carriage that had been waiting there did she realize something was amiss. "Your Highness... are you heading to the Taiji Palace?"

"Why would I go to the Taiji Palace?" His tone was icy as he glanced at her. "I'm swamped with matters here and there—I don't have time to deal with you."

"Understood..." Guilt-ridden, she bowed her head again in apology.

"Get in," he said coldly.

Huang Zixiang blinked in surprise. "Ah?"

"The Six Ministries' offices are before the Taiji Palace. I can give you a ride.""Oh... thank you, Your Highness," she responded with a forced smile, devoid of any genuine gratitude. It was obvious—being caught by Li Shubai meant she was in for a rough journey ahead.

The atmosphere inside the carriage was indeed oppressive.

Even the little fish in the glass bowl had the sense to stay buried at the bottom, not daring to move, lest it disturb the most feared Prince Kui of the Tang dynasty.

As the carriage moved along, the afternoon sunlight occasionally seeped through the gaps in the window, casting faint rays that illuminated Li Shubai's face. The golden light accentuated the sharp contours of his features, lending him an aloof and distant aura.

Huang Zixiao was still stealing glances at his expression when he suddenly asked, "Did you see that Yu Xuan at the princess's residence?"

She had known this interrogation was inevitable, but she never expected his first question to be about this. Startled, she hesitated before replying, "Yes, this morning at the princess's residence, I saw him paying a visit."

Li Shubai narrowed his eyes slightly, observing her. Though there was a faint trace of melancholy in her expression, it didn't seem particularly pronounced.

His brows furrowed almost imperceptibly as he studied her for a long moment. His voice, lowered, took on a somber tone. "What do you think?"

Huang Zixiao suddenly realized he was asking about the ambiguous relationship between Princess Tongchang and Yu Xuan.

In an instant, all her composure seemed to crumble under the heat of the moment. She spoke without even understanding her own words: "This concerns Your Highness's niece. It's not my place to comment."

Li Shubai cast her a sidelong glance and suddenly laughed, though his eyes remained cold. The only semblance of a smile was the slight upward curve of his lips, forming a smirk. "How petulant."

Huang Zixiao opened her mouth, ready to retort, but she was under his roof, dependent on his meager salary—pitiful as it was—and she had worked so hard to attach herself to him. How could she throw it all away now?

So, she lowered her eyes, turning her face away, and murmured softly, "Thank you for the reminder, Your Highness. I understand... He and I are in the past. I doubt we'll ever be together again."

"And if the truth about your parents' case comes to light, and he realizes he misunderstood you?" he countered.

Huang Zixiao stared blankly for a moment before replying, "If that day ever comes, we'll see."

Li Shubai said nothing, merely reaching for the glass bowl. He flicked the side lightly with his finger, producing a clear, resonant sound. The startled red fish darted frantically up and down in the water.

He watched coldly, then flicked his fingers in the air seven more times. The little fish finally calmed down. Li Shubai placed the bowl back on the small table and flicked it again, causing the fish to panic once more.

Huang Zixiao stared at him in bewilderment, unsure what he meant by teasing the fish like this.

Without even glancing at her, Li Shubai said indifferently, "A long time ago, someone told me that a fish's memory lasts only seven snaps of the fingers. No matter how you treat it—whether kindly or cruelly—after seven snaps, it will forget everything you've done."Huang Zixiang silently shifted her gaze from the little fish to his face, only to find his expression as indifferent as ever, devoid of any emotion—his usual icy demeanor.

His eyes rested on her, quietly studying her, his voice cool and unhurried: "So, even if I were to love a fish, what would it matter? No matter how much of my heart I pour into it, in just seven snaps of the fingers, it would forget me. When it flicks its tail and swims back to its own world, it wouldn’t even glance back."

Huang Zixiang looked at him in confusion, barely grasping his meaning when he had already turned his gaze away and asked, "You’ve been running around all day—did you find anything useful?"

His abrupt shift in topic left her bewildered, as if he didn’t want her to dwell too deeply on his earlier words.

After a moment’s hesitation, she recounted her findings from the princess’s residence, the Lü family’s incense shop, and Zhang Xingying’s home, omitting only her encounter with Yu Xuan.

By the time she finished speaking, the carriage had already arrived at the Taiji Palace.

Li Shubai alighted with her and, noticing the bag she carried, asked, "What’s that?"

She opened the bag slightly, revealing the skull inside.

Fastidious by nature, he didn’t touch it but merely glanced at it and asked, "Have you picked up Zhou Ziqin’s habit of carrying such things around?"

Carefully tucking the bone back into the bag, she replied, "It’s for Empress Wang. I hope she’ll be a little more lenient with me, considering this gift."

Li Shubai finally frowned. "Cheng Xuese?"

Huang Zixiang nodded.

His frown deepened. "How did it end up in your hands?"

"It’s a long story... I just thought it would be better to bring it in and hand it over to Empress Wang," she answered vaguely.

Li Shubai showed no further interest and simply said, "If you value your life, don’t take it inside."

Huang Zixiang blinked at him in surprise.

"I know the Empress’s temperament better than you. I doubt she’d thank you for this. On the contrary, if it touches on some deep-seated wounds, you might face consequences you can’t handle." With that, he stepped out of the carriage. "Go ahead and try if you don’t believe me."

Huang Zixiang looked at the bag, smiled wryly, and tucked it securely into the compartment beneath the seat—the same hiding spot she had once used.

Li Shubai led her toward the Taiji Palace, signaling the guards to follow at a distance as they walked slowly, speaking in hushed tones.

After hearing her account, he asked, "So, the suspects now are the Lü father and daughter, and Zhang Xingying?"

"It’s still unclear, but these three are clearly under suspicion. However, based on the method of the crime, Lü Zhiyuan had an alibi, and while Zhang Xingying and Dicui’s mutual testimony is questionable, there’s still insufficient evidence to confirm they killed Wei Ximin."

"Wei Ximin had no reverence for spirits, correct?"

"Right. People at the princess’s residence mentioned three things: first, he never respected spirits; second, he suffered from chronic headaches and hated crowded, noisy places; and third, he had gone missing the night before his death. I think his disappearance the previous night might be a crucial lead. So, the next step should be to trace his whereabouts from that night.""Mm." Li Shubai nodded, affirming her thoughts.

He escorted her to the inner palace gates. The sky had darkened, and above the Taiji Palace and Chang'an City, the sunset blazed like brocade, casting a radiant glow upon both their faces. Behind them, their scattered, shimmering shadows merged together, appearing almost illusory.

Amidst this chaotic, dreamlike halo of light, Li Shubai gestured toward the Lizheng Hall ahead and said, "Go on in."

She nodded and took a few steps before turning back to look at him. "Your Highness, aren’t you heading to the yamen yet?"

The sunlight streamed from behind him as he stood quietly amidst the cloud-like splendor of the sunset, his clear and bright eyes fixed on her. "The sunset is brilliant, the evening clouds magnificent. I’d like to stay and admire them a while longer."

She bowed to him and turned to leave, but after a few steps, she couldn’t resist glancing back at him once more.

He remained there, hands clasped behind his back, gazing at the setting sun like a towering jade mountain—steadfast behind her, always within sight should she turn around.