The Golden Hairpin

by Qinghan CeCe

  Huang Zixia hesitated. “I’d like to get back to the palace as soon as possible.”

  “The Prince is so busy every day. Working hours are still not over. How could he be waiting for you?” Zhou Ziqin grabbed her hand and started heading for the West City. “Come on, come on. I know a great restaurant. They make the best donkey! You know why? Because he meticulously cuts each strip according to the pattern of its muscle fiber. Particularly tasty boiled! I imagine it’s the same as if you were to kill a person. You have to be careful with the knife. If you cut against the muscle fiber, the wound opens jaggedly. If you cut along it, it opens smoothly, and the blood doesn’t splash everywhere—”

  “The key to whether the blood splashes or not is whether or not you cut through to the vessels,” Huang Zixia interrupted. Then she added, “If you keep talking about muscles and bones, I won’t be able to eat.”

  “How about organs?” Huang Zixia turned to leave. Zhou Ziqin grabbed her arm. “Okay, okay. I swear I won’t bring it up again!”

  Twelve

  PARTITION SHADOWS

  After eating, Huang Zixia walked outside into the crowd. She saw a man and hurried toward him. “Zhang Xingying?” she called quietly.

  “Who’s that?” Zhou Ziqin said. “You know him?”

  “Yes, he helped me out before, and now it’s costing him.” She sighed and unconsciously followed his route. Zhou Ziqin didn’t understand, but he didn’t ask further and went along through the crowd.

  Zhang Xingying was slowly carrying a dirty sack toward Puning Square. Huang Zixia had been very familiar with the capital when she was young. She remembered there was a big locust tree near Puning Square. Zhang Xingying’s house must have been near there. Indeed, Zhang Xingying lived next to the flourishing locust. Given the warmer weather, several women were sitting on a bench beneath it, chatting and sewing, watching their children play nearby.

  Huang Zixia slowly approached Zhang Xingying’s home. Though his courtyard wall was only three feet tall, there was a hedge on top that concealed her from view. She looked through a gap in the branches and saw Zhang Xingying pour out the contents of the bag—herbs set to dry on the bluestone.

  One of the old women nearby saw her and said, “Who are you looking for, sir?” She didn’t dare look at Zhou Ziqin, perhaps for fear that his jewelry would blind her.

  “I’m a friend of Big Zhang’s, come to see how he’s doing.”

  “Oh, their youngest? The Prince of Kui kicked him out, right? Now he and his father work in Duanrui Clinic. They say he’s an apprentice, but really, he just does odd jobs. Sometimes they run out of herbs, and he goes to the mountains to find them.” The old woman stopped and shook suddenly. “He did something wrong at the palace. Got thrashed three hundred times before he was sent back. Why would you two come for him?”

  “Twenty thrashings.” Rumors were truly outrageous.

  “Oh, in any case he got messed up good. Have you heard?” The old woman looked excited. “It was related to the Princess of Kui’s death.”

  Huang Zixia was shocked. “How could that be? When he left, the Princess of Kui hadn’t even been selected.”

  The old woman shook her head and sighed. “Such a good boy. Only the best get into the Prince of Kui’s guard. Everyone was so envious when he was selected. Who knew after a few months he’d get kicked out?”

  Huang Zixia stared at her for a moment, then whispered, “It’s not so bad. The Prince of Kui might ask him back.”

  “The Prince of Kui is so strict. How could he let someone who made a mistake go back?” The old woman glanced left and right; then her face took on a mysterious look and she lowered her voice. “Ah, you chaps don’t know. There used to be a lot of families here who did matchmaking. They wanted my daughter to marry him. Now no one’s saying a word about that. Now he’s not even as good as my son, who has been studying with carpenter Liu for a long time. Now he’s almost done with his apprenticeship!”

  Huang Zixia was silent for a while. Then she turned to leave. “You’re not going in?” the old woman said. “He’s home today.”

  “No thank you, ma’am.”

  Huang Zixia heard the old woman talking to herself as she left. “Good kid, just a little feminine, like a eunuch.”

  Zhou Ziqin couldn’t help but laugh out loud. Huang Zixia ignored him. They exited Puning Square and walked through streets and alleys. When they reached Phoenix Boulevard, Huang Zixia came to and said, “Thanks for helping me look through the records today. If any clues turn up, we’ll be in touch.”

  Zhou Ziqin noticed the dip in her mood. “Don’t worry about your friend. I’ll help you fix it.”

  Huang Zixia looked up at him in shock.

  “A buddy just told me the royal guard is expanding its cavalry division. You know, as far as civil servants go, the cavalry are the most striking. They get to ride around the city on horses in those uniforms with those swords. Lots of girls peek out at them. He’ll have no problem getting one. And, the salary isn’t bad. A lot of people try to use their connections to get in. If your friend weren’t sturdy and handsome, I wouldn’t refer him!”

  “Really?” Huang Zixia said.

  “Of course. The head of the cavalry guard is a good friend. Promise!” Zhou Ziqin said, patting his chest. “When this case is done, I’ll take you to see Captain Xu Congyun.”

  “Thanks so much!” Huang Zixia was moved. “If it really happens, how could I thank you?”

  “Ha ha, just let me talk about whatever I want when we go out to eat.” Huang Zixia looked uncomfortable. “Just kidding. It’s nothing. Actually, I respect you more than anyone besides Huang Zixia. I’ll do whatever you wish!”

  He patted her so hard she almost threw up. She grimaced and said, “In that case, once this case is done, I’ll treat you to a feast at Zhuijin, and you can talk about whatever you want!”

  “Then you’ll need some money. Unless you’re getting rich working for the Prince of Kui?” He laughed. “I have a little money. Come see me sometime, and I’ll feed you well.”

  “Since when do the Prince of Kui’s people need you to feed them?” They turned and saw Li Shubai. His carriage was stopped at the intersection. He was looking at them with the curtain pulled aside, a calm expression on his face. Huang Zixia didn’t dare look directly at him. She just stood there wondering what he was thinking as she approached him.

  Zhou Ziqin wasn’t shaken. He smiled and nodded. “What a coincidence. The Prince was coming through here too?”

  “I’m back from sending the Turkic envoy to the inn,” he said.

  Zhou Ziqin nodded. “My Prince, Chonggu is always so straight-faced with you, but he looks great when he’s cheerful. You should make him smile more!”

  Huang Zixia felt her face about to twitch. Of course, her face went dark after the Prince of Kui showed up.

  “Really?” Li Shubai glanced at Huang Zixia. “What good news made Yang Chonggu so cheerful?”

  “Nothing. He’s just doing me a favor,” Huang Zixia hurried to say.

  Zhou Ziqin nodded, and Li Shubai didn’t inquire further. He looked at Huang Zixia. “Did you get anything useful at the Ministry of Personnel today?”

  “We made a big discovery!” Zhou Ziqin said excitedly. He pulled on Li Shubai’s sleeve like he wanted to discuss the case in the street. Huang Zixia was speechless. She coughed gently and Zhou Ziqin glanced at her.

  Li Shubai pointed at a tavern behind them. “Stop, we can’t talk about this in the street!” Li Shubai got out, and the three of them went inside to a nice room on the second floor with a pot of tea and four appetizers.

  When they were alone, Zhou Ziqin began speaking quietly. “Chonggu’s the smart one. He figured the silver ingot had something to do with Pang Xun, so we looked at the records of officials in his pseudogovernment, and, sure enough, it was cast by his men.”

  Li Shubai looked thoughtfully at Huang Zixia.

  Zhou Ziqin was in awe. “How’d you know it was relate
d to Pang Xun?”

  “The silver’s blackened, so I figured it couldn’t be from recent years. Since it wasn’t privately cast or a forgery and had the word treasury on it, I figured it was from a rebellion. And the last rebel who could’ve made silver is Pang Xun.”

  “Right! Why didn’t I think of that!” Zhou Ziqin said.

  “But we don’t know how many were cast or how many survived,” Huang Zixia said. “If it’s a lot, it’ll be hard to investigate further.”

  “Not many, and they’re all numbered,” Li Shubai said. “In the initial chaos of the rebellion, they didn’t have an official treasury or seal. Only after I brought the six governors together to lay siege to Xuzhou did he come up with the seal to buy people off, strengthen their ties, and keep morale up. So the treasury was only running for a short time before they had to retreat. After Pang Xun died, I reviewed the accounts and found they made only five thousand six hundred silver ingots. Only eight hundred were twelve-pieces, and the government seized almost all of them. I ordered seven hundred ninety-four to be melted on the spot, leaving only five as evidence. The mold was destroyed too, so no more could have been made.”

  “So there’s one twelve-piece ingot left?” Huang Zixia asked.

  “If the Board of Punishments kept five, then that would seem to be the case.”

  She took the one they found in Yongchun Hall out of her pocket and put it on the table.

  “This is the only piece that was lost in the inventory of evidence against Pang Xun,” Li Shubai said.

  Zhou Ziqin scratched his head. “Why would the only missing silver ingot appear in Daming Palace’s Yongchun Hall? And why half?”

  “It’s mysterious. This case is very complex and seems to be related to Pang Xun. Or someone wants us to think it is,” Huang Zixia said.

  Li Shubai looked nonplussed. He put the cover over his teacup and stood. “Let’s leave it at that for now. Ziqin, go to the Board of Punishments and find out where the other five silver ingots are. Chonggu, find out what other clues we can track down.”

  “All right!” Zhou Ziqin said. Though it was already the afternoon and the various administrators had been dismissed, he was ready to run to the Board of Punishments to have a look. At least he was well connected there.

  Huang Zixia went back to Kui Palace in Li Shubai’s carriage. On the way, Li Shubai was quiet and didn’t look at her. Huang Zixia felt a lot of pressure, but she forced herself to sit on the stool, wondering what was wrong and if she’d done something.

  He finally spoke. “Help with what?”

  Huang Zixia’s heart beat harder. She couldn’t say it was about Zhang Xingying. “Just a little favor. Not worth the Prince’s time.”

  “I don’t have time to bother with such things, anyway.”

  Huang Zixia felt relieved, but waited for him to continue.

  He didn’t speak again. He just sat there reading papers—very fast, about ten lines at a time. He flipped the pages without even glancing at her.

  Huang Zixia heaved a sigh of relief. She noticed he was reading some foreign text, maybe Tibetan, and was in awe.

  After the uncomfortable ride, they got out at the palace. Jing Yu was awaiting orders at the gate.

  “Tell Jing Yi to come.” Li Shubai said this one sentence, then went straight to Yubing Hall.

  Huang Zixia sighed with relief again and took a few quiet steps backward, hoping to go back to her room. Li Shubai, as if he had eyes in the back of his head, said, “Come” without turning around.

  She clenched her sweaty hands and thought, Oh, Huang Zixia, Huang Zixia, why’d you chose such a difficult master? All he has to do is say the word and you throw yourself into danger.

  Jing Yu had already set everything up: refreshments and incense, the fine bamboo curtains closed. Li Shubai washed his hands in the golden pot a servant girl brought him. Then he wiped his hands slowly on a white towel, emotionless. Huang Zixia stood waiting while he read documents.

  Luckily, Jing Yi came. She wasn’t sure she could stand the tension alone.

  “How long have you been here, Yang Chonggu?” Li Shubai said, getting right to the point.

  “Thirty-seven days in total,” Jing Yi replied without hesitation. “Over a month.”

  “He still hasn’t been paid?”

  “The palace pays monthly salaries on the fifteenth. He had only just arrived when the last payment came, so he only received two silvers.”

  According to custom, Huang Zixia had treated some of the other staff to meals in order to get to know them, so her money had long been spent. Huang Zixia kept her dissatisfaction to herself. It wasn’t easy being a palace eunuch, though they gave her food, shelter, and clothing. When she escaped from Shu, she had traded her gold hairpin for money to make the trip to the capital. The rest was lost when Li Shubai kicked her into the pond.

  “How would the Prince like to set Yang Chonggu’s pay grade?” Jing Yu said.

  Huang Zixia’s heart beat faster. She’d never had to worry about money growing up because her parents had always given her an allowance. But she’d always envied her brother and others who worked in law enforcement. She was female, so although she helped them solve a lot of cases, she couldn’t become an official employee and earn a salary. And now, she’d finally reached a place of stability, where she didn’t have to rely on a husband or family.

  Li Shubai glanced up at her from the document, and his gaze seemed to say, “I’ve been waiting a long time for this chance.”

  Her heart suddenly filled with foreboding.

  “There must be fairness for everyone. Otherwise, what’s the point of palace laws?” Li Shubai said.

  Jing Yi nodded. “The Prince is right. So for now Yang Chonggu is junior eunuch with the same stipend as the rest and may be eligible for promotion at the end of the year.”

  “Okay.” Li Shubai was acting like he always went along with whatever everyone else said.

  The annoyance in Huang Zixia’s heart grew stronger. “Excuse me.” She couldn’t help but ask, “What do junior eunuchs get?”

  Li Shubai looked at his document and gently said, “First, junior eunuchs don’t speak without being spoken to. When they do, they’re fined one month’s salary. Second, junior eunuchs must adhere to section four, article thirty-one of palace law. You don’t know it, because you were unable to memorize the palace law, so you’ll be fined three months’ salary. Third, junior eunuchs are not allowed to have private relations with outsiders, at the penalty of twelve months’ pay.”

  Jing Yu looked at her sympathetically, as if there was nothing he could do about her losing sixteen months’ salary in one breath.

  Huang Zixia was stunned. The first time she’d tried to stick up for herself against this man, she’d been robbed! A bullying, vindictive, domineering master is definitely not a good master!

  Jing Yi smartly left.

  Huang Zixia took the half ingot out of her pocket and tapped it against her forehead.

  Li Shubai looked up at her. “Did you find more clues?”

  “No,” she said stiffly. “I’m broke. I can’t even buy a bowl of soup when I’m working a case. If I faint in the street, I don’t think I’ll be able to serve Your Majesty any longer. My hunger makes it hard to focus on the case. So in the interest of solving the case, I’ve decided to spend the evidence.”

  Li Shubai looked at her, lips turning upward slightly. He slowly opened a drawer and put a small plate on the table. “Take this.”

  Huang Zixia picked it up and realized it was a small golden token, about half the size of her palm. It had been cast with a pattern of lines and said, The Tang Dynasty Prince of Kui. The other side said, Made in Gentian and had the seal of the imperial treasury. Huang Zixia held it in her fingers and looked at Li Shubai, puzzled.

  Li Shubai kept looking at his documents. “There’s only one of these in the world. Each prefecture has one. Take care of it. It’ll be problematic if you lose it.”

  “Huh?” Hua
ng Zixia still didn’t know what he was getting at.

  He raised his voice a little. “You’re one of my people. Next time you get in trouble, don’t ask someone else for help. Is there anything at all I couldn’t take care of for you?”

  Huang Zixia saw no sign of emotion on his downcast face. It was obviously the same Prince of Kui she’d known, but for some reason, in the sunlight coming through the curtains with the sound of the cicadas near and far, she felt something shift in her heart, a warmth. She stood motionless for a long time, and he finally looked at her. Before anyone could speak, the gold token slipped from her hand and made a biting ring on the slate floor, breaking the silence. She hurried to pick it up and took a deep breath as she stood, trembling.

  “What’s wrong, not enough?” Li Shubai asked.

  “No, not that. I’m just flattered.” She blushed.

  He looked at her for a long time, then stood by the window, looking out at the sky. It was boundless and blue. Some thin, yarny clouds smeared the air, so low it seemed as if you could touch them. He suddenly felt the sky and clouds were like his lonely life. A pure, bright girl had shown up and caught him off guard, changing his fate.

  He covered his eyes as if the sun was too bright. He turned and looked at Huang Zixia. “I’m not giving it to you; I’m lending it.”

  Huang Zixia nodded and looked sadly at the token. “Can I ask you something, my Prince?”

  He looked at her.

  “Will the restaurant owners and street salesmen recognize this Prince of Kui token?”

  “Huh?”

  “It’s . . . I mean . . .” She hesitated. “Can I go to the taverns, bakeries, butcheries, and stores and use this as credit?”

  Li Shubai glared at her. Huang Zixia knew trying to use the token that way was beneath them. She looked down guiltily and hid it in her hand.

  Li Shubai sat on the couch and pointed.

  Huang Zixia obediently kneeled before him. He’d taken sixteen months’ pay from her with a word. Did she have any choice but to obey him?