Nine Nights Owl Song

The Crown Prince's residence was brightly decorated and filled with guests.

Emperor Yong'an sat in the main seat, and a smile finally appeared on his aged face.

He watched as Xiao Yan and Su Jiuge walked in side by side, one wearing a python robe and the other wearing court attire.

He made the right choice in choosing this daughter-in-law.

The fourth prince, Xiao Run, stood among the guests.

He just arrived in Luoyang from Jiangnan last night, having traveled day and night for many days.

They didn't come for the Crown Prince's wedding; they came for someone else.

His gaze passed through the crowd and landed on Su Wan'er.

She stood behind Madam Shen, wearing a pale yellow jacket and a pearl hair ornament, quiet and still, like an orchid blooming in a corner.

His eyes remained fixed on her face, unmoving.

Su Wan'er felt that gaze, looked up and saw the Fourth Prince standing in the crowd.

Her heart skipped a beat, and she lowered her head, her ears turning red.

The fourth prince smiled as he looked at her with her head down.

He walked through the crowd to her.

"Miss Su."

Su Wan'er looked up at him.

"Your Highness is back?" The Fourth Prince looked at her.

"Yeah, just to see you."

Su Wan'er's eyes widened.

She opened her mouth but couldn't say a word.

The fourth prince looked at her.

"When I left last time, I stood under the pomegranate tree for a long time. Do you know what I was thinking?"

Su Wan'er shook her head.

The fourth prince's voice was very soft.

Su Wan'er's eyes reddened, and she clutched her handkerchief.

"Your Highness, I am merely an adopted daughter of the Marquis of Dingyuan's household. I am unworthy of you."

The fourth prince looked into her eyes.

"My mother was a palace maid. I was raised by her. My father doesn't love me, and no one in the court supports me. I'm not good enough for you. Would you like to come with me to Jiangnan? Jiangnan has peach blossoms, rain, tea, and me."

Su Wan'er's tears flowed down her cheeks.

She didn't know what to say. Looking into the Fourth Prince's gentle, sincere, and unpretentious eyes, she suddenly remembered what her sister Jiuge had said—

"He's not a bad person, he's just unlucky. He just wants to find someone to settle down with." She said the same thing as the Fourth Prince.

"I do."

Su Wan'er's tears flowed silently.

The fourth prince's eyes reddened, and he reached out and took her hand.

Su Jiuge saw this scene in the crowd.

The Fourth Prince and Su Wan'er held hands. Su Wan'er was crying, and the Fourth Prince's eyes were red.

She stared at it for a long time before looking away.

Xiao Yan stood beside her.

"Fourth Brother confessed his feelings to Su Wan'er."

Su Jiuge remained silent.

Xiao Yan smiled and reached out to take her hand.

Su Jiuge did not pull it back.

The investiture ceremony begins.

Xiao Yan and Su Jiuge knelt side by side before the Emperor.

Emperor Yong'an stood on the steps and unfolded the imperial edict.

"By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: Crown Prince Xiao Yan is of noble character and closely resembles me. Marquis of Zhennan, Su Jiuge, is gentle and virtuous by nature, and conducts herself with prudence. Therefore, Su Jiuge is hereby appointed as Crown Princess, to jointly govern the state with the Crown Prince. This is the imperial decree."

Su Jiuge kowtowed.

"Your Majesty, I accept the imperial decree and express my gratitude."

She stood up, turned around, and looked at the guests filling the hall.

She saw that Shen was crying, and Su Zhentian's eyes were red.

She saw Su Chengzhi, Su Chengen, and Su Chengxun standing among the Hou family members, with Su Wanning standing next to her husband, her back straighter than before.

She saw Zhao Ying and Qian Shaoqing standing on duty at the palace gate. Zhao Ying was smiling, while Qian Shaoqing was expressionless.

She saw Shen Qing standing in the shadows under the corridor, with Zhao Xiaohe standing beside him.

She saw Ghost Hand standing in the corner.

She saw the Fourth Prince and Su Wan'er standing side by side.

Su Jiuge withdrew her gaze and looked at Xiao Yan.

Xiao Yan looked at her.

The two looked at each other under the gaze of all the guests in the hall.

From their first meeting at Shili Pavilion, to his insistence on marrying her in the imperial court, to the prenuptial agreement he signed on their wedding night, to her beheading Helian Tieshu in the western border, to her incorporating 40,000 scattered soldiers in the northern border, to her pacification of the three towns in the southern border, to his standing alone in front of the palace gate when the crown prince forced him to abdicate.

Every step was difficult, but they made it through.

The road ahead is long, and they will continue to walk together.

Xiao Yan took Su Jiuge's hand.

"Let's go home."

Su Jiuge nodded, and the two walked out of the main hall side by side.

Sunlight streamed in from outside the palace gates and fell upon them.

The world of Liang awaits them.

They will live out their lives.

No, not just in this lifetime.

The Crown Prince's residence, the bridal chamber.

Xiao Yan lifted Su Jiuge's veil.

Dragon and phoenix candles burned on the table.

The two stared at each other for a long time.

"Su Jiuge," Xiao Yan suddenly spoke.

"Um."

"You used to say you couldn't like someone. Do you know how now?"

Su Jiuge looked at him.

She really didn't know how before. In the eight years she spent in the Dark Pavilion, all she learned was how to kill. No one had ever taught her how to like someone.

She met him later, and he taught her.

He taught her how to like someone; she didn't learn it well, but she would learn.

Su Jiuge reached out and grasped Xiao Yan's hand.

"I think I understand."

Xiao Yan's tears fell.

He waited so long, and finally it happened.

The sound of fireworks exploding could be heard in the distance.

On the ninth day of the sixth month of the nineteenth year of Yong'an, the Crown Prince was married.

The people of Luojing cheered in the streets.

At the Marquis of Dingyuan's residence, Su Wan'er sat by the window looking at the moon in the sky. The Fourth Prince said he would come to see her tomorrow.

Zhao Ying and Qian Shaoqing were practicing their swordsmanship in the courtyard of the Crown Prince's residence;

Zhao Xiaohe fell asleep leaning on Shen Qing's shoulder; Shen Qing did not push her away;

Ghost Hand sat on the steps of Prince Zhao's mansion, gazing at the moon; Old Drunkard watched him from the sky.

Su Jiuge stood by the window, watching the fireworks in the sky.

Xiao Yan walked over from behind and draped a cloak over her shoulders.

"It's not cold," Su Jiuge said.

Xiao Yan looked at her.

"Su Jiuge, from now on, we'll walk this path together."

Su Jiuge looked at the fireworks outside the window. She remembered what the old drunkard had said—

"Girl, the road ahead is long, take it one step at a time."

"Okay," Su Jiuge said.