Nine Nights Owl Song

July of the nineteenth year of Yong'an.

Luoyang.

The joy of the Crown Prince's wedding had not yet faded when the court returned to its peaceful routine.

Emperor Xiao Yan would enter the palace every morning and review memorials in the Imperial Study.

Emperor Yong'an's health was deteriorating day by day, and most of the government affairs had been handed over to Xiao Yan.

Su Jiuge sat in the study of Prince Zhao's mansion, with a scroll of secret reports from the Dark Pavilion spread out in front of her.

This was her twenty-first day of marriage, and life was going much the same as she had imagined.

She was not trapped in the harem, nor was she asked to do anything she did not want to do.

Xiao Yan put the prenuptial agreement into a sandalwood box, but he remembered every single clause on it clearly:

They do not interfere with each other and can leave at any time.

Su Jiuge did not leave.

She reserved a room for herself in the west courtyard of the Crown Prince's residence. A straight knife hung on the wall, the old drunkard's wine gourd was on the table, and a pot of pomegranate flowers sent by Madam Shen was on the windowsill.

She moved the daily affairs of the Dark Pavilion here, handling secret reports sent from various places every morning, practicing swordsmanship in the training ground in the afternoon, and returning to the Marquis of Dingyuan's residence to have dinner with Madam Shen in the evening.

Life was peaceful and orderly.

When Zhao Ying pushed open the door, she was holding a secret report in her hand, and her expression was unusually serious.

He came in without saying a word, simply placed the secret report in front of Su Jiuge, and then stepped back two paces to stand still.

Su Jiuge picked up the secret report and unfolded it; it contained a message from Ghost Shadow sent back from the Northern Border—

After arriving in the northern border, the second prince, Xiao Jingyan, went into hiding and started from the lowest rank of soldier. Within three months, he killed several bandit leaders and was promoted to battalion commander.

The detachment he led encountered a small group of foreign cavalry on the northern border, and with fewer troops, they achieved a great victory, annihilating the invading enemy.

When the news reached Zhou Tieshan, the military governor of the northern border, he personally went to see the battalion commander named "Jingyan". He sat in the tent for a long time and said nothing after he came out.

Su Jiuge put down the secret report and remained silent for a moment.

Zhao Ying looked at her and cautiously probed:

"Master, is the Second Prince truly intending to settle down in the Northern Border?"

Su Jiuge did not answer immediately.

She recalled the words the Second Prince had said to her under the moon gate of Prince Zhao's residence on the day he left the capital:

"Su Jiuge, be nicer to my brother."

That wasn't a tone of admitting defeat; it was an older brother entrusting his child to someone.

He finally realized that the throne was not something he should want.

That position would turn him into a prince, and he didn't want to become that kind of person.

He wants to be himself now.

"Let him be."

Su Jiuge carefully folded the secret report and put it into the hidden compartment.

"He's doing better in the North than in Luoyang. If the Crown Prince asks, just say you don't know."

Zhao Ying responded and turned to leave.

Su Jiuge leaned back in her chair, looking out at the pomegranate tree. The first summer after the old drunkard left had arrived.

She has a long way to go, no rush.

August of the nineteenth year of Yong'an.

Cangwu Mountain.

The headquarters of the Dark Pavilion welcomed a rare guest.

Qian Shaoqing stood on the stone steps at the foot of Cangwu Mountain, looking up at the mountain peak shrouded in thick fog.

He had been in the Dark Pavilion for more than half a year, and this was his first time coming to the main altar.

Zhao Ying stood next to him, unusually without a joking or laughing expression.

"What's wrong, are you nervous?" Zhao Ying's tone was unusually serious.

Qian Shaoqing did not answer, but stepped onto the stone steps.

The headquarters of the Dark Pavilion was much simpler than Qian Shaoqing had imagined. The black stone buildings were built against the mountain, with varying heights, like a group of silent wild beasts lurking in the mist.

The main hall enshrines a huge black lotus token, not a token, but a stone relief, as tall as a person.

Su Jiuge stood in front of the Black Lotus Token, her back to them, and did not turn around when she heard footsteps.

"Sect Leader," Zhao Ying said, clasping her hands in greeting.

Qian Shaoqing also clasped his hands in a fist salute.

Su Jiuge turned around and looked at the two people in front of her.

Zhao Ying was taken in on her wedding night. He went from being an enemy to a confidant, and then from a confidant to a brother.

Qian Shaoqing was brought back from the southern border by her. He was originally the only son of the Qingjiang Jiedushi, and now he is one of the most outstanding newcomers in the Dark Pavilion.

"You've come at the perfect time."

Su Jiuge walked to the long table in the center of the main hall, on which lay a newly drawn map.

"The Dark Pavilion's intelligence network needs to be expanded to the Western Regions."

Ghost Shadow is currently keeping watch in the North, Shen Qing is guarding Luoyang, Qian Shaoqing, you go to Jiangnan, and Zhao Ying and Lin Mo go to the Western Regions.

Qian Shaoqing remained silent for a moment, then clasped his hands in response:

"Understood."

Zhao Ying glanced at him sideways, a half-smile playing on her lips.

Qian Shaoqing ignored him and asked again:

"Master, what identity shall I assume upon arriving in Jiangnan?"

"Qianji Tower has opened a new silk shop in Jiangnan, and you are the owner. On the surface, you're doing silk business, but secretly you're running the Dark Pavilion's intelligence network."

Su Jiuge's tone left no room for negotiation.

After she finished speaking, she looked at Zhao Ying again.

"Once you arrive in the Western Regions, first establish a contact point."

Zhao Ying grinned: "Sect Leader, are you trying to extend the reach of the Dark Pavilion to every corner of the world?"

Su Jiuge glanced at him.

"The Dark Guard's hand has always been in every corner of the world. Before, it was about killing; now it's about watching people. Not killing doesn't mean not using a knife. A knife in its sheath is more intimidating than one drawn."

Zhao Ying stopped smiling, clasped her hands in a fist and said, "Your subordinate obeys."

The two turned and walked out of the hall.

As he reached the door, Qian Shaoqing suddenly stopped and turned back to look at Su Jiuge.

He seemed to want to ask something, his lips moved, but in the end he didn't ask anything and turned to leave.

Su Jiuge stood alone in the main hall, looking at the black lotus token.

The old drunkard said that the black lotus emerges from the mud unsullied, and the earliest creed of the Dark Pavilion was to walk in the darkness without being swallowed by it.

Everything she has done along the way has proven this statement.

September, the nineteenth year of Yong'an.

Luoyang, the residence of the Marquis of Dingyuan.

The Fourth Prince, Xiao Run, arrived at the Marquis of Dingyuan's residence just as the Mid-Autumn Festival was ending.

He didn't bring a gift, he brought a message.

Su Wan'er stood under the pomegranate tree in the garden, clutching a handkerchief in her hand, her face redder than the pomegranates on the tree.

The fourth prince said something—

"I have informed my father, and he has given his permission."

The fourth prince stood before her, dressed in a moon-white casual outfit, his gaze calm and resolute.

"Miss Su, I've come to take you to Jiangnan. If you're willing."

Su Wan'er's tears welled up instantly.

She turned to look towards the main hall—

Shen stood at the door, still clutching the embroidery frame she hadn't had time to put down, her eyes red-rimmed.

Su Jiuge stood behind Shen Shi, her face expressionless.

Su Zhentian isn't here; he should be in his study.

Su Chengzhi was on duty at the Ministry of War, Su Chengen went to the accounting office, and Su Chengxun was in the study.

The vast mansion now seemed to be inhabited only by the three of them.

Su Wan'er clutched her handkerchief, her knuckles turning white.

She suddenly remembered many years ago when Aunt Zhou brought her from the countryside to the Marquis's mansion and made her call that strange woman "Mother." At that time, she had no choice and no way out.

But now, she has a choice.

She looked into the fourth prince's eyes, and in those eyes was waiting, patience, and something she had never received from anyone in her life.

She nodded vigorously: "I do."

Shen finally couldn't hold back her tears and they flowed silently down her cheeks.

She reached out her hand—

It wasn't about pulling her or hugging her; it was about handing her something.

A dagger.

It was very small and light. The scabbard was made of ebony and had the character "Su" engraved on it.

It's exactly the same as the one Su Zhentian gave her; she had it made to look like the one he gave her.

"Carry it for self-defense."

Su Jiuge said calmly, "When you get to Jiangnan, if anyone dares to bully you, stab them with this. After you're done, tell them my name."

Su Wan'er took the dagger, held it in her hands, and her tears fell even more fiercely.

She rushed over and hugged Su Jiuge.

Su Jiuge's body stiffened for a moment, then slowly relaxed. She didn't push her away.

The fourth prince stood aside watching this scene.

He knew what Su Jiuge was talking about—

Su Wan'er is her sister; she will retaliate against anyone who dares to harm her sister.

He remembered it.

Su Wan'er released Su Jiuge, wiped away her tears, and turned to Shen Shi.

Madam Shen stepped forward, took her hand, and placed a handkerchief into it:

"When you get to Jiangnan, write home often. If you miss home, come back and stay for a few days. Your mother will keep that courtyard for you."

Su Wan'er nodded, unable to speak.

She clutched the handkerchief in her hand, as if she were holding onto all the warmth that the entire Dingyuan Marquis's mansion had given her.

On the eighth day of the ninth month, Su Wan'er set off south with the Fourth Prince.

Su Jiuge and Xiao Yan stood at the Shili Pavilion outside the city gate of Luojing, watching their carriage disappear at the end of the official road.

Xiao Yan asked, "Aren't you worried about her?"

Su Jiuge was silent for a moment, then shook her head: "She is better than me."

Xiao Yan was taken aback for a moment, then smiled.

He understood what Su Jiuge meant.

Although Su Wan'er doesn't know martial arts, she knows how to love, how to trust, and how to go to unfamiliar places to start over for someone.

This kind of courage is something even Su Jiuge herself might not have.