The Golden Hairpin

by Qinghan CeCe

“Daily, not so much,” she said honestly. “I’m clumsy, not really a servant. I just go out with him sometimes.”

  “Well, you’re around him a lot, so you must know,” she said, still smiling. “Tell me, what color does he like? What food? What kind of personality would he like in a lady?”

  Huang Zixia realized she had gotten herself into a difficult situation. “The Prince of Kui doesn’t really like people waiting on him all the time. He’s alone a lot. As for the ladies, I don’t know.”

  He’s very serious, cold, and difficult, she wanted to add.

  “Aunt,” Wang Ruo said.

  Huang Zixia saw her head was buried in her clothes, her cheeks as red as if she’d been drinking, which was somehow moving.

  “Come on, you already have the gift, it’s only right to get to know the Prince.” She hugged Wang Ruo and laughed.

  Huang Zixia felt relived. “Don’t worry, the Prince of Kui is easy to get along with. And my lady is from the Wangs of Langya family, and so beautiful. The Prince chose you from among so many and will love you more than treasure, always.”

  Wang Ruo looked at her and softly said, “Thank you, little man. I hope you’re right.” She smiled slightly, but her face also took on a layer of fear. “I saw him and had no idea what to do. I could barely walk. You saw. I’m afraid he’ll look down on me, and I’m getting anxious that he isn’t satisfied. But I don’t know what to do. It makes me sweat, and . . . and . . .”

  Huang Zixia listened to her grow incoherent and hurried to comfort her. “Don’t worry; the Prince doesn’t mind. He understands you.”

  The woman agreed. “Marrying the Prince of Kui is the dream of so many girls. My girl has admired him since she was a child. I’m sure our little eunuch understands her concern.”

  Huang Zixia nodded. “Yes, naturally.”

  Wang Ruo took a deep breath. “Thank you so much.”

  After that, she didn’t say another word.

  The carriage neared Guangde Square. Huang Zixia thanked them again and got out.

  The West City was nearby. She felt like going right back to the palace would be wrong, so she walked to a corner noodle soup shop. The shop was very narrow. The table right up against hers had a mother and a seven- or eight-year-old daughter, who sat on a stool so high her feet didn’t reach the ground. The mother used chopsticks to chop the noodles into smaller bites for her daughter.

  Huang Zixia watched in a trance. The woman noticed and smiled bashfully. “Noodles are too long for this little one.”

  “Yes, true,” Huang Zixia said, her eyes growing hot. She thought of when she was ten or so and her mother did the same for her. Her father shook his head. “She’s old enough; don’t spoil her.”

  Her brother laughed at her as he slurped his own. “Shame, so old but still needs Mother’s help. When you get married, your husband will have to take Mother’s place.”

  At the time, she was so angry, she had put her chopsticks down and gone back to her room, refusing to eat. After a while her mother went over and coaxed her into having more. She had a few bites and saw her father looking at her from outside the window. He pretended just to be passing by.

  It was such a simple thing at the time, but thinking of it now brought it back so vividly. She even saw the pattern of the gravel under her father’s feet, the shadows the tree branches cast on her mother’s hands, all clearly. The memory filled her with sorrow and resentment. She bit her lips and trembled as she held her breath to force the grief and tears back.

  Father, Mother, Brother . . .

  She took some mouthfuls of her soup and swallowed tears with each one. All her grief and agony from the false accusations and loss of her family would one day be redeemed by the truth, and she would return to Shu.

  Five

  VELVET GOLD MINE

  Wang Ruo of the Langya Wang family would soon become the Prince of Kui’s Princess. Huang Zixia, in her disguise as the eunuch Yang Chonggu, followed the procession through half of Changan and listened as the news quickly spread throughout the capital. People said how truly glorious the Wang family was. After all, in recent years, they’d had two Empresses and a Princess.

  Huang Zixia touched her face. Before she went out today, she thought her complexion looked good, well rested. She went to the ladies’ quarters and put a little yellow powder on her face so she wouldn’t look so radiant at the Wangs’ residence. There was also a good chance she would meet Wang Yun, her former fiancé, who wasn’t even officially former. Even though she had never formally met Wang Yun, according to what Li Run had said, he’d stolen a look at her just three years ago, so she had to be careful. She decided to use the yellow powder every time she went out from now on.

  Of the six marriage ceremonies, the reception at the estate, the asking of the bride’s name, and gift exchange were all done. Now Huang Zixia accompanied the sending of the dowry.

  The Langya Wangs were one of the top aristocratic families in the capital, so their residence was beautiful. Seven courtyards, two gardens, high walls—a wonderful atmosphere.

  Their only eligible son, Wang Yun certainly had the look of a rich family’s child. Even though everyone thought Huang Zixia killed her whole family to avoid marrying him, she thought he was still graceful in a crimson robe. He had a smile like spring dawn and a gentle demeanor. Only an old family could raise someone of such a temperament.

  When one of the most illustrious noblemen marries a wife from an old, aristocratic family, one expects a grand wedding. The row of chests filled with gifts of gold, jade, and silver the ladies brought attracted everyone’s attention. Wang Yun accompanied Wang Ruo to the courtyard where she lived and sent someone to distribute the red seals. He managed the festivities quite efficiently.

  Huang Zixia and the female palace attendant Su Qi went over to Wang Yun and saluted him. “We were ordered to teach the Princess the palace rules and court manners.”

  Wang Yun said, “I appreciate it,” and looked at Huang Zixia inquisitively.

  Huang Zixia and Su Qi turned to go to the courtyard when Wang Yun said, “Your name, sir?”

  She tried to stay composed. “Yang Chonggu.”

  “The Yang Chonggu who broke the Four Directions Case? Amazing to meet you!” He then asked Su Qi’s name and walked them to the courtyard door.

  Huang Zixia went under the eaves, feeling something pierce her back. She couldn’t help but look over her shoulder. He was standing in the yard entrance, staring at her thoughtfully. When he noticed her looking at him, he smiled, saluted, and said, “We’ll be eating the five fortune cakes soon. Please don’t be late, little eunuch.”

  She bowed. “Of course. Today I’m greeting the Princess, and tomorrow I’ll start teaching.” She hadn’t read the etiquette book yet, so she couldn’t say how she’d start.

  When she entered the corridor, four ladies came and welcomed her. The room was full of harmonious laughter and flowers. Plum branches lined the windows, and begonias filled vases that matched the floral tiara of Wang Ruo, who lounged on a shiny wooden couch. Wang Ruo’s clothing was different today. She wore a short, purple jacket with a red peony pattern. It was so lively and cheerful. Her hair was tied in buns, and the exquisite peony Li Shubai gave her was tucked inside, along with two jade hairpins. Her aura was at once solemn and altogether hers.

  Seeing the dowry arriving, everyone stood up to meet it. Wang Ruo bowed and listened as Xue Shangshu from the Ministry of Rites read out the letter of appointment. As it dragged on, Huang Zixia grew bored and looked out the window and was surprised to see swallows twittering among the beams. The earth was full of life in the beauty of spring.

  Wang Ruo took the letter and smiled faintly at Huang Zixia. “I was born humbly and have never seen the prestige of a royal family. I don’t know palace etiquette. I would be so grateful for your instruction.”

  Su Qi quickly said, “Please, not at all, the Princess is truly ladylike and courteous.”

  Wang Ruo just looked at her and
smiled like an innocent child. The other ladies had been called in to help with the ceremony, of which the Wang family had held several. But Wang Ruo wouldn’t have known those ladies, which must have been why she was pleased to see Huang Zixia.

  The joy on Wang Ruo’s face made Huang Zixia feel a little ashamed. She wondered if such a beautiful, innocent woman could really be hiding a secret, as she suspected. When it was time to leave, Huang Zixia headed for the door, but felt someone tug at her sleeve. Wang Ruo had an uneasy look on her face.

  Huang Zixia smiled and saluted her. “How may I serve you, Princess?”

  “It’s good to see you,” she whispered. “I don’t know anyone.”

  “What about the woman I saw in the carriage before? Why isn’t she with you today?”

  “Oh . . . when I was chosen to be Princess, Auntie rushed back to Langya to get my daily things.” She seemed slightly uncomfortable as she considered adding more. “She’s getting on in years, so she might not come back. She might stay and just enjoy home.”

  “Won’t the Princess miss her? It is the aunt who helped raise you, after all.”

  “Yes, but there’s nothing I can do; I have to adapt. I’m okay. She’s getting old.” She smiled reluctantly, revealing a pair of little dimples. “And at least I know you. This morning, I was afraid the person who’d teach me would be a serious, old-fashioned eunuch. I was surprised it was you.”

  Huang Zixia smiled. “That’s very kind of you. I was lucky to get a ride in your carriage.”

  Su Qi called her out, and the two went to the hall for snacks. The Wang family’s five fortune cakes were, of course, unlike any found in restaurants and teahouses. They had Fuling, hawthorn, pine nuts, red dates, and sesame and were arranged on a crystal plate. Wang Yun personally came to Huang Zixia and asked, “What flavor does my little man like?”

  Huang Zixia looked at him and said nothing. He took a Fuling cake and offered it to her saying, “Our chef makes the best Fuling. They’re uncured but still have a wonderful taste. Try it. Of course, you’ve got to try each of them. It is five fortunes, after all.”

  Huang Zixia quickly thanked him, took a white Fuling cake, and began to eat it slowly. Wang Yun sat next to her. “Where is the little man from, the capital?”

  She nodded. “From the suburbs.”

  “It seems like you also have a slight Shu accent. Have you lived there too?”

  Huang Zixia shook her head. “I haven’t. But my mother was from there.”

  “Oh . . .”

  “I was purified when I was young and assigned to Jiucheng Palace. Now I’m in the Prince of Kui’s palace. Since I can read a little, the Prince asked me to teach the Princess. It’s an incredible honor.”

  He didn’t say anything, but he did seem to be doubtfully examining her face. “I was just curious. Are the Prince’s palace rules difficult, little man?”

  “Not so much. The Princess is smart. She’ll get it in no time.”

  Li Shubai had twenty or thirty thick books in front of him.

  Huang Zixia was stunned. “The palace has this many rules?”

  “No,” Li Shubai said, opening his mouth slowly.

  She was relieved.

  “No, this is only a part,” Li Shubai said gently. “Only a part of the royal customs.”

  Huang Zixia almost gagged. “I have to learn all this in a few days and teach the Princess?”

  “No, you should have it all memorized by the end of the night.”

  “Could anyone memorize all this?”

  Li Shubai tossed a volume toward her. “Open up to a page.”

  Huang Zixia picked one and looked at the top. “Number Thirty-Five, New Year, Article Nineteen.”

  “Number Thirty-Five, New Year, Article Nineteen. On the spring equinox, the kitchen presents spring cakes; wives of officials are awarded ten pieces of silk and five of cotton; ladies, eight silk, three cotton; parents, five silk, three cotton. First-level palace attendants receive twelve pieces of silver; second, five; and third, three. The rest, one,” Li Shubai said.

  Huang Zixia’s mouth twitched. She turned to another. “Number Sixteen, Speaking, Article Four.”

  “Sixteen, Speaking, Four. The court must appoint an official to teach the Prince from the Four Books, Five Classics, music, and etiquette until he is twenty, after which he can choose his own material and receive lessons every ten days.”

  No wonder he can randomly recite all the biographical information of a bodyguard. Huang Zixia was impressed. She turned to another page. “Twenty-Four, Pavilion Station System, Article Ninety-Three.” Li Shubai paused. She looked at him with glee. “Finally stumped?”

  “Of course not, Pavilion Station System only has ninety articles. Where’d number ninety-three come from?”

  Huang Zixia couldn’t help but be in awe. “To be honest, I’ve never seen anyone with such a memory in my life.”

  “With some effort, you can remember everything.” He put his hand on the pile of books in front of him and smiled almost imperceptibly. “So tomorrow, I’ll test you like this. Better put in some effort.”

  Huang Zixia was speechless as she watched him leave. Then she put her head on the table and let out a cry.

  Though memorizing all the rules in one night would be impossible, Huang Zixia tried to muster her spirits and read it through to get a general sense.

  The next day, when she went to the palace thinking she was going to get a tough quizzing from Li Shubai, it turned out he’d gotten up early to inspect the capital guard. He left a message saying that if Yang Chonggu hadn’t memorized the rules, he could take the book to the Princess and begin her teaching.

  She felt relieved but also annoyed. Did he scare her into not sleeping the night before just for fun?

  Wang Ruo was wearing a light-blue dress with brilliant flowers blooming around the hem. Her black hair was tied loosely with a couple of flower-shaped stays tucked by her temples. Her playful appearance carried an unspeakable charm. When she saw Huang Zixia arrive, she suddenly smiled, picked up her skirt, and went over to greet her. Her cheer was contagious, and they felt as familiar as old friends.

  “This morning Su Qi told me about all the lords and ladies in the palace. There are so many, I can hardly remember! Then she told me I have to study rules with you. This is hard.”

  Huang Zixia smiled. “Don’t worry. The Princess is very smart. Remembering things is always a process.”

  “When I was little, I studied music and could only learn the simplest song, and everyone learned faster than me. My teacher said I was stupid and put so much pressure on me!” She stopped, looking a little bashful. “Are the palace rules hard to learn?”

  “It should be fine; the Princess is from an old, illustrious family, which may have even more rules.” Huang Zixia took out the book and, seeing the confused look on Wang Ruo’s face, added, “This is only one part. When the Princess is done reading it, I’ll bring another.”

  Huang Zixia spent the whole afternoon eating snacks and guiltily looking over her shoulder while Wang Ruo carefully studied the palace rules. If she didn’t know them as well as the Princess, it would be embarrassing, but she wasn’t as nervous as she had been last night. Soon her thoughts wandered, and she realized Wang Ruo was in a daze too.

  Then she closed the book.

  “What is the Princess thinking?” Huang Zixia asked.

  “I’m thinking . . . about something Su Qi taught me,” she said.

  Huang Zixia smiled. “What thing would that be?”

  “She told me about the Lessons for Women. In the devotion section. It says husbands can remarry, but wives absolutely cannot. I know a lot of women who have been dissatisfied with their husbands and gone to the temple for help. It’s really contradictory. Women having to be chaste from beginning to end is really important to royalty.”

  Huang Zixia nodded. “Lessons for Women was used to teach literacy in the harem. Why are you thinking about that?”

  “I’ve of
course never read it before,” Wang Ruo said quickly. “I just thought of something and felt torn.”

  “What thing? Would the Princess mind telling me?”

  “I heard that Empress Wu used to be one of Emperor Tai’s ladies, and Emperor Xuanzong’s Yang Guifei used to be Princess Shou . . . ,” she said.

  Huang Zixia didn’t expect it to be such an intractable problem that countless historians had been unable to whitewash. What could she say? “This dynasty does have some issues.”

  “So in the Han Dynasty, Emperor Wu’s mother, Wang Zhi, was married and had a daughter outside the palace. Then she abandoned them and got remarried in the palace, claiming it was her first, and finally became the Empress, isn’t that right?”

  Huang Zixia was caught off guard. “Throughout all of Chinese history, there are some unusual cases, but they’re the minority.”

  Wang Ruo looked down at the book on the table and hesitantly asked, “So what does Chonggu think would happen to an Empress who hid her marital history and got found out back then? What would happen to her?”

  Huang Zixia couldn’t help but laugh. “Why is the Princess worried about the ancients? The Empress became the Queen Mother and prospered. Her daughter who she abandoned visited her later and called her sister. I think royals have compassion and can work things out reasonably.”

  “Yes, I think so too.” She took the book back.

  Huang Zixia repeated the words she just said to herself in her head but was unable to grasp the point. Then she set that aside and looked at Wang Ruo, then the peony on the table.

  It was the one Li Shubai gave her, now in a large crystal bowl filled partway with water that kept it alive. Nonetheless, it was showing signs of wear. Its petals were slightly curved and a couple were drifting on the surface.

  Wang Ruo saw her looking at the flower and suddenly blushed. She lowered her head deeper into the book, looking shy and uncomfortable.

  Her strange behavior made Huang Zixia think she had really fallen for the Prince of Kui. Huang Zixia could sense it was the first time she’d fallen in love and was longing for Li Shubai.