Chapter 308: The Mystery of the Silver Hairpin, Shadows Emerge
As the sky began to turn pale, a thin layer of frost formed on the petals of the crabapple trees in Prince Rong's mansion. The goat-horn lanterns in the east courtyard burned all night, their wicks knotted with long filaments, like a string of hanging worries.
Xiaoyanzi dozed by the window, the pearl hairpin in her bun sliding down to her ear, freezing cold. She jolted awake, frantically trying to catch the hairpin, only to find Yongqi standing in the porch, lost in the morning light. His dark blue uniform was damp with dew, its cuffs puffed slightly in the night breeze, as if harbouring a night's chill.
"Awake?" Yong Qi turned around, his eyes bloodshot, but he still smiled gently, "I had someone make some bird's nest porridge, drink it while it's hot."
Xiaoyanzi rubbed her eyes and sat up, her hair brushing against her cheeks, bringing the coolness of the early morning. "You didn't sleep all night?"
"I can't sleep." Yongqi walked over to her side, reached out to tidy up her messy hair, and touched her slightly cold earlobe with his fingertips. "I'm thinking about Lanxiang and that silver hairpin."
As he was speaking, Xiao Zhuozi ran in breathlessly, his boots stained with mud. "Prince, Princess! We've found out! Before Lanxiang came into the palace, she worked as a servant in Eunuch E's household for six months!"
"Eunuch E?" Xiaoyanzi sat up suddenly, her pearl hairpin dropping onto the table. "Is it Emin's trusted eunuch?"
"Exactly!" Xiao Zhuozi wiped his sweat and took out an oil-paper bag from his pocket. "I found this among Lanxiang's old things. It looks like a keepsake."
Wrapped in the oil-paper package was half a jade pendant. The jade was rough, with a crooked "鄂" (E) carved on it. Xiaoyanzi held the jade pendant and examined it in the morning light. There was a noticeable dent on the edge, as if someone had dropped it hard.
"So, Lanxiang is E Min's spy in the mansion?" Ziwei came in with bird's nest porridge. The hem of her cheongsam was stained with grass debris, and it was obvious that she hadn't slept well the night before. "But why did she poison Mian Yi? How would it benefit E Min?"
Falcon walked in, holding a plain silver hairpin. The head of the hairpin also had the word "Orchid" engraved on it, but the corner was missing a small piece from the one Xiaoyanzi picked up. "I found this under Aunt Zhang's bed. It looks like it was hidden intentionally."
Xiaoyanzi compared the two silver hairpins together. Sure enough, the gap was a perfect match. "That's right! That hairpin was in the shadowy figure's hand last night! He hid it with Aunt Zhang, hoping to frame her!"
Little Mosquito huddled at the door, clutching a hot candy bag in his hand, mumbling, "Guaiguailongdedong, this Emin is too cruel, even killing his own people..."
"It's not necessarily E Min who killed her." Yong Qi picked up the half jade pendant and rubbed the "E" character on it with his fingertips. "Lan Xiang is E Min's person, but she may not be willing to be used. Maybe she wanted to turn against him, so she was silenced."
Xiaoyanzi suddenly remembered something, grabbed the silver hairpin on the table and ran out: "I'll go ask Zhihua!"
"I'll go with you!" Ziwei hurriedly followed, her skirt sweeping over the threshold, bringing up a gust of wind.
The door to the west courtyard was ajar, and the morning light filtered in through the crack, casting long, narrow shadows on the blue brick floor. Zhihua was sitting by the window, combing her hair. Her pale face was reflected in the mirror, and she wore a silver hairpin inlaid with filigree beads, a stark contrast to Lanxiang's.
"Why are you here, sister?" Zhihua turned around and raised her hand to pin up the loose hair on her temples. The pearls on the silver hairpin sparkled in the morning light. "Mianyi hasn't woken up yet."
Xiaoyanzi's eyes fell on her hair. "Zhihua, that silver hairpin of yours is so beautiful. Is it a gift from the mansion?"
Zhihua subconsciously touched the hairpin, her smile a little stiff. "Yes...it was given to me by the prince a few days ago. Do you like it, sister? I'll have someone make one for you someday."
"No need." Xiaoyanzi took out the silver hairpin engraved with the word "Orchid" from her sleeve and gently placed it on the table. "I just thought you seemed to have lost a plain silver hairpin? It looks very similar to this one."
Zhihua's face turned pale, and the mahogany comb in her hand fell to the ground with a thud. She stared at the silver hairpin on the table, her lips trembling, and she was speechless for a long time.
Ziwei whispered softly, "If Concubine Fujin loses her hairpin, the mansion can help find it. After all, it's a personal item, and it's always inappropriate to fall into the hands of outsiders."
Zhihua suddenly raised her head, her eyes red: "I... I didn't lose it! This is not my hairpin!" She grabbed the silver hairpin and threw it out the door, but Xiaoyanzi caught it.
"It's not yours, why are you panicking?" Xiaoyanzi's eyes seemed to be icy. "The dark shadow in the corner of the west courtyard last night, was it you?"
"I didn't!" Zhihua took a step back and bumped into the dressing table. The rouge box on the table fell to the ground, and the bright red rouge splattered on the bluestone slab like a pool of congealed blood. "I was in the room taking care of Mianyi last night. If you don't believe me, ask the servants!"
As they were arguing, Yongqi and Fu Erkang walked in. Yongqi glanced at the rouge on the ground, then at Zhihua, whose face was pale, and said in a deep voice, "Zhihua, you'd better tell the truth. Lanxiang was Emin's woman. She's dead. Do you think you can get away with it?"
Zhihua's body swayed, and she steadied herself by holding onto the dressing table. Tears suddenly welled up in her eyes: "I... I just wanted to save face for Mian Yi... Eunuch E said that if anything happened to Mian Yi, the prince would come to visit us more often... I didn't ask him to poison her! I just wanted... I wanted the prince to spend more time with Mian Yi..."
"You!" Xiaoyanzi was shaking with anger, the silver hairpin leaving red marks on her palm. "Do you know that Mian Yi almost lost her life?!"
"I really didn't know it would be like this!" Zhihua fell to her knees, her clothes wet with tears. "Eunuch E said he just wanted Mian Yi to catch a cold, so I... I agreed to cooperate with him..."
Yongqi's face turned pale, and he kicked the pearwood stool next to him, snapping one of its legs. "You're confused! Who is E Min? He's using you to disrupt the palace and take the opportunity to overthrow me!"
Fu Erkang picked up the silver hairpin on the ground, his brows furrowed. "So, the shadowy figure last night was sent by Eunuch E? He killed Lanxiang and wants to frame Aunt Zhang, killing two birds with one stone?"
"Not only that." Xiaoyanzi suddenly sneered, clutching the silver hairpin in her palm. "He also wants to put the blame on Zhihua, causing us to fight among ourselves so that he can reap the benefits!"
Morning light streamed through the window lattice, falling on Zhihua's pale face. Her shoulders trembled violently, like a candle in the wind. Xiaoyanzi looked at her, her anger suddenly fading, leaving only a chill in her heart. In this vast mansion, everyone was like a chess piece on a chessboard, unable to control their own actions, yet unwittingly becoming a knife in someone else's hands.
Yongqi took a deep breath, his voice as cold as ice: "Little Dengzi, take Zhihua back to her room and keep her under guard. Without my order, she is not allowed to step out of the door!"
"Yes!" Little Dengzi responded and stepped forward, but was pushed away by Zhihua.
"I want to see Mian Yi!" Zhi Hua cried, her hair sticking to her face in a mess. "I want to take one last look at him!"
Yongqi closed his eyes and finally nodded.
Watching Zhihua stumble toward the inner room, Xiaoyanzi suddenly felt exhausted. She leaned against the doorframe, gazing at the falling crabapple petals outside, and whispered, "Yongqi, are we... too naive?"
Yongqi held her hand, the warmth from his palm dispelling some of the chill: "It's not too late. At least we can see clearly who the enemy is."
The morning light grew brighter, tinting the eaves of Prince Rong's mansion golden. But everyone knew that the turmoil had only just begun. Eyes in the shadows were fixed intently on this seemingly peaceful palace, waiting for the next opportunity to strike.
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