Nine Nights Owl Song

The 23rd day of the first month of the 18th year of Yong'an.

Luoyang, the imperial city.

Emperor Yong'an sat behind the dragon desk in his study, with three memorials spread out in front of him: one for the Crown Prince, one for the Second Prince, and one for the Fourth Prince.

The three folded documents all concerned the same thing—seeking to marry Su Jiuge, the daughter of the Marquis of Dingyuan.

The Crown Prince's memorial was very well written, citing classical texts and demonstrating impeccable manners. It stated that Su Jiuge was from a prestigious family, possessed both talent and virtue, and was a worthy match for the prince.

The text makes no explicit mention of military power, the Secret Pavilion, or the Thousand Machine Tower, yet every word speaks of these concepts.

The Second Prince's memorial was very direct, stating that Su Jiuge was highly skilled in martial arts, had extraordinary insight, and shared the same ideals as the Emperor, requesting that the Emperor grant his request.

There were no quotations from classical texts, no elaborate etiquette, only domineering behavior.

The Fourth Prince's memorial was written with great sincerity, saying that he had fallen in love with Miss Su at first sight and wished to welcome her with the respect due to a principal wife, promising to never betray her for the rest of his life. Every word was earnest.

Emperor Yong'an threw the three edicts on the table, leaned back in his chair, and closed his eyes.

Gao Dequan, an old eunuch who had served Emperor Yong'an for thirty years, walked in carrying a bowl of ginseng soup. He placed the bowl on the dragon table, stepped back, and stood with his hands at his sides.

He could tell the emperor was in a bad mood, so he didn't dare to speak.

Having served the emperor for thirty years, he knew when to speak and when not to speak.

"Gao Dequan," Emperor Yong'an spoke.

"This old servant is here."

"Tell me, of my sons, which one is most suitable to be the crown prince?"

Gao Dequan broke out in a cold sweat.

He dared not answer this question, could not answer it, and did not want to answer it.

He was a eunuch, not a court official. The emperor wasn't really asking for his opinion when he asked him this question; he was talking to himself. "This old servant dares not presume to discuss state affairs."

Emperor Yong'an opened his eyes and looked at him.

"I'm telling you to speak."

Gao Dequan knelt down.

"Your Majesty, this old servant truly does not understand these things. This old servant only knows how to serve Your Majesty tea and water."

Emperor Yong'an stared at him for a long time.

"Get up, I won't make things difficult for you."

Gao Dequan stood up, his legs still trembling.

Emperor Yong'an picked up the ginseng soup, took a sip, burned it, and put it down.

"The Crown Prince is too conservative and always listens to the court officials. He has no opinions of his own. If such a person becomes emperor, the country will be divided up by those civil officials sooner or later. The Second Prince is opinionated, but too opinionated. He doesn't listen to others. He has a bad temper and is ruthless. If he becomes emperor, the court will probably be awash in blood."

Emperor Yong'an paused.

"Fourth brother, he has a good heart and is a good person, but he's too soft-hearted. He hasn't experienced much hardship and hasn't seen the wickedness of people. He thought that marrying Su Jiuge would give him the support of the Marquis of Dingyuan's mansion, but he's being too naive. Su Jiuge is not someone he can control, and the Marquis of Dingyuan's mansion is not as simple as he imagines."

Emperor Yong'an never mentioned his third and fifth sons again; one died young, and the other was crippled.

As for the sixth son—he thought of Xiao Yan.

"Where is the sixth prince?" Emperor Yong'an seemed to be talking to himself.

"Have you ever met someone like the Sixth Prince? In over twenty years, I've never seen him do anything seriously. He can't concentrate on his studies, he can't master martial arts, he can't lead troops, and he can't govern well. All he does all day is drink, admire flowers, and frequent brothels."

Emperor Yong'an picked up the ginseng soup and took another sip.

"Sometimes I think he's faking it, and sometimes I think that's just who he is. I've investigated him for many years and found nothing wrong with him. He really is a useless piece of trash, and I should be happy about that. A prince who poses no threat is a good thing for the Crown Prince, a good thing for the country, and a good thing for me."

Gao Dequan lowered his head, not daring to reply.

"Su Jiuge." Emperor Yong'an uttered this name, his tone changing, not from disappointment in his son, but from curiosity about a newcomer.

Emperor Yong'an picked up Su Jiuge's portrait—a realistic portrait he had commissioned.

The portrait shows Su Jiuge dressed in a black, close-fitting outfit, a sword hanging at her waist, her hair tied in a braid, her face cold and her eyes sharp. She doesn't look like a sixteen or seventeen-year-old girl, but rather like a sword just drawn from its sheath.

"Gao Dequan, who do you think Su Jiuge resembles?"

Gao Dequan thought about it.

"This old servant dares not speak."

"explain."

"Like...His Majesty when he was young."

Emperor Yong'an paused for a moment, then smiled.

The smile seemed out of place on his dignified face, like a rusty machine suddenly turning on.

"When I was young? I wasn't as ruthless as her when I was young. I was still studying with the Grand Tutor when I was sixteen, and she had already killed many people. How did the Marquis of Dingyuan raise such a daughter? Lost for sixteen years, and when she was found, she was just a knife." Emperor Yong'an put down the portrait.

"I wish to see her, alone. Tell Marquis Dingyuan to bring his daughter into the palace; I want to have a serious talk with her."

Gao Dequan bowed in agreement.

"Furthermore," Emperor Yong'an's voice deepened.

"Tell the eldest, second, and fourth sons that I have my own plans for Su Jiuge's marriage, and they should stop thinking about it. If they submit another petition to ask for her hand in marriage, I will bestow a concubine upon each of them. Let's see if they dare to do it again."

Emperor Yong'an picked up his vermilion brush and wrote a single character on the memorial: "Keep".

No approval, no permission, no rejection; keep them in the palace and wait.

The 25th day of the first month of the 18th year of Yong'an.

The Marquis of Dingyuan's residence received an imperial decree that the emperor wished to summon Su Jiuge privately.

Su Jiuge was practicing her martial arts in the courtyard when she received the message. Shen Qing stood beside her, watching her practice, holding her scabbard in his hand, occasionally handing her water or a towel, without saying a word, but always there.

The eunuch who delivered the imperial edict was from the Qianqing Palace, and his attitude was just right.

Su Jiuge accepted the imperial decree and glanced at Su Zhentian.

Su Zhentian's expression was solemn.

"His Majesty has summoned you privately; be careful." Su Zhentian dismissed everyone in the study, leaving only Su Jiuge.

"His Majesty is a wise ruler, but he is also a monarch. One cannot speak as directly as one would in the court."

Su Jiuge thought about what had happened in court. Every word she said was true; there wasn't a single word the emperor wouldn't like to hear. She didn't think the emperor disliked hearing the truth; he had praised her.

Su Zhentian rubbed his temples.

"His Majesty's appreciation of you is both a good thing and a bad thing. If he appreciates you, he will use you. If he uses you, some people will be jealous of you. If he is jealous of you, some people will try to harm you. You should be careful."

Su Jiuge nodded.

The 26th day of the first month of the 18th year of Yong'an.

Su Jiuge entered the palace for the second time. This time it wasn't a grand court assembly; there were no civil or military officials, no princes. Only the emperor and she.

The Imperial Study was much smaller than the Golden Palace, but Su Jiuge felt that it was even more suffocating here.

The Golden Palace is very large and well-ventilated; even hundreds of people standing there don't feel crowded.

The imperial study was small, with bookshelves on all four sides, piled high with memorials and classic texts. The windows were closed, and the charcoal fire burned brightly. The air was stuffy and hot, filled with the scents of ink and sandalwood, like an invisible hand choking her.

Emperor Yong'an sat behind the dragon throne, dressed in casual clothes and wearing a black gauze hat. His expression was much more peaceful than during the grand court assembly.

"Sit," Emperor Yong'an said, gesturing to the chair beside him.

Su Jiuge sat down.

Emperor Yong'an sized her up.

"You didn't bring a knife today."

Su Jiuge replied:

"You cannot bring a knife into the palace; I know the rules."

Emperor Yong'an seemed to find this answer quite amusing.

"You know the rules, but do you know why I summoned you alone today?"

Su Jiuge thought for a moment.

"Because Your Majesty wishes to hear more of what I said in court yesterday."

Emperor Yong'an looked at her.

"Aren't you afraid of me?"

Su Jiuge remained silent for a moment.

"I'm not afraid."

That's the truth again.

Emperor Yong'an remained silent.

He looked into Su Jiuge's bright black eyes and suddenly asked a question that had nothing to do with politics: "How old were you when you first killed someone?"

Su Jiuge thought back for a long time.

When she was seven years old, in an alley behind the City God Temple, a local thug tried to bully her, and she used a sharpened piece of iron to cut his wrist.

She didn't kill him.

"I was seven years old, but I didn't kill anyone. I only injured someone. The first time I actually killed someone was also when I was seven, at the Dark Pavilion training camp."

Emperor Yong'an nodded.

"Do you know how many people you've killed?"

"I can't remember," Su Jiuge said calmly.

Emperor Yong'an did not pursue the matter further.

"You are not afraid of me, and I am not afraid of you. I am the emperor, and you are my subject. I want to ask you a question, and you shall answer truthfully."

"Your Majesty, please ask."

"What do you think of my empire?"

Su Jiuge remained silent for a long time.

In the stuffy air of the imperial study, silence weighed on the two people like a stone, making it hard to breathe.

Emperor Yong'an did not urge her, but waited.

"This is bad." Su Jiuge finally spoke.

Emperor Yong'an looked at her.

"The northern border is divided by warlords, and the imperial decrees do not extend beyond the prefectures. The southern border is filled with regional warlords, who outwardly submit but secretly declare themselves kings. The western border is plagued by constant troubles, with foreign tribes invading every year. The eastern border is rife with Japanese pirates, and the coastal people suffer immensely. In the imperial court, the Crown Prince and the Second Prince are locked in fierce factional struggles, and officials are vying for power and vying for influence. Locally, powerful clans are seizing land, and the people are displaced. The fate of the Great Liang is not good."

The Imperial Study became even quieter.

It was so quiet that she could hear the charcoal burning in the stove.

Emperor Yong'an asked, "Why do you think my empire has become like this?"

Su Jiuge thought about it for a long time.

"Because His Majesty is old."

The Imperial Study was so quiet that even breathing could not be heard.

Su Jiuge could even see the flames inside the furnace.

Emperor Yong'an remained silent for a very long time, so long that Su Jiuge thought he had no intention of answering.

"I am old," he finally spoke.

"I know I'm old. I'm old, so the Crown Prince has grown up, the Second Prince has grown up, and they all think I should die. My empire is decaying, not in a day, but slowly. I know it's decaying, and I want to save it, but I can't."

Su Jiuge looked at Emperor Yong'an.

He was very old, even older than when I saw him at the grand assembly a few days ago.

The wrinkles on his face resembled a cracked riverbed, and the light in his eyes was like a candle flickering in the wind.

He was an old man trapped on the dragon throne, watching his empire rot away day by day, powerless to do anything about it.

"Do you think there is any hope for my empire?" Emperor Yong'an suddenly asked.

"have."

Emperor Yong'an's eyes lit up slightly.

"Kill those who deserved to die, replace those who needed replacing, and change the rules that needed changing," Su Jiuge said.

"There is still hope for Daliang."

Emperor Yong'an looked at her and smiled.

The smile wasn't one of anger at the treasonous words—he smiled, like an examiner who had heard a satisfactory answer.

"Your solution is just one word—kill?"

Su Jiuge shook her head. "No. Killing is merely a means, not an end. My purpose is to save those who shouldn't die."

Emperor Yong'an's smile faded. He looked into Su Jiuge's eyes and asked her one last question:

What do you want?

This is the same question again.

Xiao Yan asked her, Lady Shen asked her, and now the Emperor is asking her.

There's no escaping it, no hiding from it; I have to answer.

Su Jiuge looked into Emperor Yong'an's eyes.

"This humble woman desires peace throughout the land."

Emperor Yong'an looked at her for a very long time, then waved his hand.

"You may leave."

Su Jiuge stood up, bowed, and turned to leave the imperial study.

The door to the imperial study closed behind her, isolating the aged figure inside behind the heavy door panel.

Su Jiuge walked along the palace path, sunlight shining down from the tops of the red walls on both sides.

Gao Dequan caught up from behind, holding a brocade box in his hands.

"Miss Su, this is a gift from His Majesty." Su Jiuge opened the brocade box. Inside was a dagger, short and exquisite, with an ebony scabbard inlaid with gold thread patterns, and two characters engraved on the hilt—"Imperial Gift".

Su Jiuge closed the brocade box and tucked it into her bosom.

There was something else in her arms.

She quickened her pace and walked towards the palace gate.

Shen Qing waited for her outside the palace gate.

When he saw her come out, his gaze lingered on her face for a moment to make sure she wasn't hurt, then he turned and walked ahead.

Three steps away, neither too far nor too close.

Su Jiuge walked on the streets of Luojing City, the dagger in her arms feeling heavy.

The emperor asked her what she wanted, and she replied—peace throughout the land.

It wasn't "wish" but "want," and it was said to the emperor.

She didn't know what the emperor would think, whether he thought she was crazy or that she was ambitious.

She had to do it no matter what the emperor thought.

Stepping out of the palace gates, the sunlight was blinding.

Su Jiuge narrowed her eyes and saw a carriage parked outside the palace gate, with a person standing next to it.

Xiao Yan, dressed in a moon-white casual robe, leaned against the carriage, holding a folding fan in his hand, looking as if he was waiting for someone.

Su Jiuge walked up to him.

"Why are you here?"

Xiao Yan closed the folding fan.

"I heard you went to the palace today, and I was worried something might happen to you, so I came to check on you."

Su Jiuge looked at him.

"Who are you to me?"

Xiao Yan smiled.

"Collaborator".

Su Jiuge did not continue the conversation.

She got into the carriage, and Xiao Yan also got into the carriage. The carriage headed towards the Marquis of Dingyuan's residence.

The carriage was very quiet, so quiet that you could hear the wheels rolling over the road.

Xiao Yan did not ask her what the emperor had said to her, and Su Jiuge did not take the initiative to say.

The two remained silent in the carriage, like two chess players, each probing for the other to speak first.

The carriage stopped at the entrance of the Marquis's residence. Su Jiuge got out and went inside without looking back.

The evening drum sounded from the direction of the city gate behind us, its dull beat striking one after another.

Su Jiuge walked along the veranda of the Marquis of Dingyuan's residence, the dagger she carried in her bosom a gift from the emperor, and it was too heavy.

She touched the dagger's scabbard—ebony, with gold thread embroidery. She thought about what the emperor had said earlier that day.

"I am old," "I know it's rotten," "I can't save it anymore."

She knew the emperor hadn't given up; he was just too exhausted to search any further. He needed someone to help him.

Su Jiuge walked into the main hall.

Madam Shen was waiting for her to eat. There were three dishes and a soup on the table, all of which were her favorites.

Su Jiuge sat down, picked up her bowl, and took a piece of pork rib.

After finishing her meal, Su Jiuge returned to her room.

She sat by the window, looking at the pomegranate tree in the yard.

Moonlight shone on the bare branches, casting crisscrossing shadows on the ground.

On the 26th day of the first month of the 18th year of Yong'an, she went to the court again, spoke with the emperor, and received a dagger.

The emperor asked her what she wanted, and she finally answered. The world was in turmoil, and she wanted peace.

She didn't know if she could do it, but if she didn't try, she would never be able to.

She did it; at least she had a chance.