Nine Nights Owl Song

The 28th day of the first month of the 18th year of Yong'an.

Ever since the Sixth Prince made a fuss in court about wanting to marry Su Jiuge, he has been openly going to the Marquis of Dingyuan's residence every day.

The reasons were varied—today a basket of tangerines from the south would be sent as tribute, tomorrow a bolt of newly woven Shu brocade would be sent, and the day after tomorrow a box of pastries made by the imperial kitchen would be sent.

Every time he came, he would swagger in through the main gate, have Uncle Fu announce his arrival, drink tea in the main hall, and wait for Su Jiuge to come out.

Su Jiuge never came out, so he would go looking for her himself, wandering around the entire mansion—in the training ground, the study, and the garden—like a lost guest.

The people in the Marquis's mansion began to get used to it.

Uncle Fu went from being apprehensive at the beginning to being used to it now. He said the five words "The Sixth Prince has arrived" very calmly, as if he were saying "The sky has cleared up".

Shen's initial nervousness turned into helplessness. Every time Xiao Yan came, she would prepare tea and snacks, only to find that Xiao Yan would not eat what she prepared at all, but would eat Su Jiuge's osmanthus cake.

Xiao Yan ate more osmanthus cakes made by Shen than Su Jiuge did. Su Jiuge told him to stop, but he didn't listen and kept eating them.

Su Zhentian was mostly away from the mansion, so he avoided it.

When Su Chengzhi was around, he would exchange a few words with Xiao Yan, but in a polite and lukewarm manner.

Su Chengen was often away, busy with the affairs of the Marquis's residence, never quite finished.

Su Chengxun ran away as soon as he saw Xiao Yan, like a mouse seeing a cat, for reasons unknown.

Su Jiuge is at the training ground today.

When Xiao Yan walked in, she had just finished practicing a set of sword techniques. There was a thin layer of sweat on her forehead, and her complexion was rosier than usual.

She was wearing a black training uniform, her hair was tied in a braid, and she had no sword hanging at her waist.

The knife was stuck in a wooden frame next to the training ground, and sunlight was still reflecting off its blade.

Xiao Yan stood by the training ground, waving a folding fan in his hand. He was dressed in a moon-white brocade robe and wore a jade crown. From head to toe, he was the epitome of a spoiled brat.

"Miss Su, practicing your martial arts?" he asked lazily.

Su Jiuge glanced at him. "What are you doing here?"

Xiao Yan closed his folding fan and pointed to the servants behind him.

The servant carried a tray with an exquisite celadon jar on it.

"This is some of the pre-rain Longjing tea that was sent as tribute from the south. My father gave me some of it. I can't finish it all by myself, so I'm sending some to you."

Su Jiuge looked at the can of tea.

"I don't drink tea."

Xiao Yan smiled.

"Your mother should drink it. Please thank Madam Hou for me; the osmanthus cake last time was delicious."

Su Jiuge looked at him.

Xiao Yan's gaze slid from her face to her chest, and his brows suddenly furrowed.

Su Jiuge followed his gaze and looked down—the thing in his arms was bulging, making his clothes look a little uneven.

Wooden box, gold medal, jade pendant, iron medal, two black lotus tokens, and a royal dagger.

The seven items were wrapped in cloth, carried in leather bags, or stuffed directly into his bosom.

It does look rather unsightly from the outside, like a child who has a pocket full of stones but can't bear to throw them away.

Xiao Yan's tone was filled with undisguised disdain:

"How much are you carrying in your arms?"

Su Jiuge subconsciously raised her hand to cover her chest.

"It's none of your business."

Xiao Yan's disdain became even more obvious:

"What kind of woman is it to have such bulging breasts? Didn't your mother say anything about it?"

Su Jiuge remained expressionless:

"She said that. She said a girl should be proper and shouldn't carry too many things in her arms."

"and then?"

"I said these things are all useful."

Xiao Yan took a deep breath and looked at her.

There was no guilt or embarrassment in Su Jiuge's eyes, only the righteous indignation that "I am stating the facts."

He suddenly laughed, not mockingly, but laughing out of anger.

"Even if something is useful, you can't keep it all to yourself. Do you know what you look like right now? Like a peddler, with his chest full of goods, walking from street to street selling groceries."

Su Jiuge glanced at her clothes and then at Xiao Yan, her voice turning cold:

"My things are mine, I can keep them wherever I want."

Xiao Yan choked for a moment, while Shen Qing, standing in the shadows of the corridor, slightly twitched his lips—not in laughter, but in amusement. The Pavilion Master's ability to retort was even more swift than his swordsmanship.

Xiao Yan took a deep breath to calm himself down.

"Fine, that's none of my business. But when I ask you—get me a purse or a belt to keep these things separate. Aren't you afraid you'll stab yourself one day when you draw a dagger while carrying it around?"

Su Jiuge thought for a moment.

The dagger was a gift from the emperor and was indeed very sharp. Although the scabbard was sturdy, what if it came loose one day? She looked down at her chest again.

Xiao Yan turned his face away when he saw her do this.

"Stop gesturing with your hands over your chest."

"I'm looking at the location of the dagger," Su Jiuge said.

"No need to explain to me." Xiao Yan's tone was somewhat curt.

"Where you put it is your business. If you get pricked, that's your business too."

Su Jiuge didn't want to continue this topic.

"You've delivered the tea, you can go now." Her implication was that she was seeing the guest out.

Xiao Yan did not leave.

He sat down on a stone bench next to the training ground, opened his folding fan, waved it twice, and then closed it again.

"No rush, I have something else to tell you. Qianji Tower has found some new information about Zhao Wenchang. Listen to it before you go."

Su Jiuge glanced at him, then walked over and sat down opposite him. The two sat facing each other on the stone bench in the training ground; one wore a moon-white brocade robe and waved a folding fan, while the other wore a black close-fitting outfit and stood upright, looking like people from two different worlds.

Shen Qing walked out from under the eaves, took Su Jiuge's knife from the wooden shelf and placed it beside her, then retreated back into the shadows.

Su Jiuge asked, "What happened to Zhao Wenchang?"

Xiao Yan closed his folding fan and took out a file from his sleeve, handing it to her. Su Jiuge opened the file and flipped through it page by page, her expression growing increasingly grim.

Xiao Yan's voice regained its seriousness, no longer that of a spoiled prince.

Zhao Wenchang was not only the Zhou family's backer, but he also colluded with the Second Prince for many years, involving money, military supplies, and personnel.

Zhao Wenchang used his power to help the Second Prince place his cronies in the court, while the Second Prince used his military power to help Zhao Wenchang cultivate his influence in the army. The two were in cahoots; if one moved, the other would inevitably follow.

Su Jiuge closed the file. "So, bringing down Zhao Wenchang is the same as bringing down the Second Prince."

Xiao Yan nodded.

"The reverse is also true. As long as the Second Prince doesn't fall, Zhao Wenchang can't be touched. As long as Zhao Wenchang doesn't fall, the Second Prince will have someone backing him up. They are two trees that are intertwined, their roots intertwined."

Su Jiuge remained silent.

"So our plan needs to be adjusted." Xiao Yan looked at her. "Let's start with the Crown Prince."

Su Jiuge frowned. "The Crown Prince? Didn't you say the Crown Prince can't be emperor, but he's not an enemy?"

Xiao Yan shook his head. "The Crown Prince is not an enemy, but he is a stumbling block. He has been cultivating his influence in the court for many years, and his influence is deeply entrenched. We cannot touch the Second Prince without removing him. We cannot place our own people in the court without stirring up trouble."

Su Jiuge remained silent for a long time.

"Aren't you afraid I'll tell others what you've told me?"

Xiao Yan smiled.

"Who should I tell? Your mother? Your father? Your elder brother? They won't believe me. Tell the Crown Prince? He won't believe me. Tell the Emperor? He might believe me, but he won't touch me. He knows I'm a useless piece of trash, and useless trash poses no threat."

Su Jiuge looked at him.

A person who always wears a mask.

Xiao Yan suddenly said something unrelated:

"Do you still have the osmanthus cake your mother made?"

Su Jiuge also picked up on this unrelated conversation:

"There's some in the kitchen."

"Can I eat this?"

"You've been eating all along, so what's the point of asking me?"

Xiao Yan smiled and got up to walk towards the kitchen.

Su Jiuge sat on the stone bench, watching his moon-white figure walk through the garden, watching him almost step on a cat on the veranda, squat down to pet the cat's head, and then continue walking.

Su Jiuge stood up, picked up the knife from the stone table, and hung it at her waist. Shen Qing emerged from the shadows and silently followed behind her, keeping a distance of three steps.

As she walked in the garden, she saw that Xiao Yan had already found the kitchen and was talking to Madam Shen.

With a smile, Madam Shen took a plate of osmanthus cake from the steamer and placed it in front of him. He picked up a piece, took a big bite, his cheeks puffed out, and gave Madam Shen a thumbs up with a smile.

Shen smiled so much that her eyes curved into crescent moons; she looked absolutely beautiful.

Su Jiuge stood in the garden and watched this scene from afar.

Xiao Yan ate osmanthus cake differently than usual. He was usually listless and unmotivated, but when he ate osmanthus cake, he was like a different person, eating it with relish, enjoying it, and eating it like a child.

She suddenly felt that if this person were not a prince, but just an ordinary person, he might be very happy.

There is a small courtyard with a plum tree, where we brew tea and eat osmanthus cake every day.

But that's just a possibility.

The 29th day of the first month of the 18th year of Yong'an.

Su Jiuge went to Jinxiufang in the east of Luojing City early in the morning.

Jinxiufang was the best tailor shop in Luojing, specializing in making clothes for high-ranking officials and nobles.

This was Su Jiuge's first time here. She had never been to a place like this before. Her clothes were either made by the Shen family or bought casually from a clothing store.

She came today because Xiao Yan said her breasts were bulging and looked unwell. She didn't come for him; she just thought what he said made sense.

Xiao Yan's attendants frequented the Marquis's residence every day, but they didn't come today. In the private room on the second floor of Tingyu Pavilion, Bai Yu had set up a chessboard, but the person he was waiting for hadn't arrived yet.

The tailor at Jinxiufang was a woman in her fifties surnamed Gu. She was very skillful and could tell the measurements at a glance. She had Su Jiuge stand up and turn around, then used a soft measuring tape to measure her shoulders, waist, and arm length.

"Does the young lady want a belt made?" asked the tailor.

"Yes. We need more compartments, so we can put things in there."

The tailor thought for a moment. "A waistband. Not a belt, but a waistband, wider, with hidden pockets inside; it can hold quite a few things. What does the young lady want to put in it?"

Su Jiuge took things out of her bosom one by one: a wooden box, a gold medal, a jade pendant, an iron medal, two black lotus tokens, and an imperial dagger. The seven items were laid out on the table.

Gu the tailor's eyes widened. He had made clothes for most of his life and had never seen a customer like this, who carried a token and a dagger as personal items.

The tailor asked, "What do you do for a living, young lady?"

"The one in charge," Su Jiuge said without changing her expression.

The tailor didn't ask any more questions.

"It can be done. Come pick it up in three days."

Su Jiuge carefully put the seven items back into her bosom one by one. After paying the deposit, she left Jinxiufang.

The city of Luodong was bustling in the morning, with vendors selling vegetables, meat, fabrics, and groceries.

Su Jiuge walked among the crowd, no longer needing to hide herself as before.

She used to always disappear when walking on the street—

Head down, back bent, avoiding eye contact with anyone, like someone who doesn't exist.

Now that's no longer necessary. She is the legitimate daughter of the Marquis of Dingyuan's family and the head of the Dark Pavilion. She can walk openly and honestly in the sunlight.

She passed by a stall selling candied hawthorns and stopped to buy a skewer. The candied hawthorns were very sweet, a perfect blend of sweet and sour, a combination of the tartness of the hawthorn and the sweetness of the sugar coating.

She took a bite and chewed slowly, watching people come and go on the street as a young woman carrying a baby walked by. The baby was wrapped up tightly, with only a rosy little face showing. The baby looked at Su Jiuge with its round eyes, then suddenly smiled, revealing two newly emerging baby teeth.

Su Jiuge looked at the child and thought about some things. This child would not be snatched from her mother's arms, she would not wait to die in the snow, she would not have to fight with wild dogs for food, and she would not be trained to be a killing machine.

She will grow up, growing up in her mother's arms, growing up in the sunshine.

Su Jiuge took a bite of the candied hawthorn and continued walking. She would never become herself again.

When Su Jiuge returned to the Marquis's residence in the evening, Xiao Yan came again. He was sitting in the main hall talking to Madam Shen, who was smiling, and he was smiling too. His eyes lit up when he saw her enter.

"Where did you go?" Su Jiuge sat down opposite him.

"Jinxiufang makes waistbands."

Xiao Yan's eyebrows twitched slightly.

"Didn't you say it wasn't my business?"

Su Jiuge glanced at Shen Shi beside her, then looked at Xiao Yan.

"You make a good point."

Xiao Yan was taken aback. Su Jiuge would say, "What you said makes sense," and he thought she would always be stubborn, never admit defeat, and never acknowledge that anyone was right.

Su Jiuge stood up.

"You guys chat, I'm going back to my room."

Xiao Yan watched her retreating figure.

Mrs. Shen smiled and poured him more tea.

"Sixth Prince, Jiuge didn't grow up by my side, so she's a bit aloof and not very good at getting along with people. Please forgive her if anything she says or does is inappropriate."

Xiao Yan accepted the teacup.

"Madam, you flatter me. Miss Jiuge is very good."

Shen looked at him.

Xiao Yan revealed that lazy, frivolous smile again, but Madam Shen looked at him—not because she thought her daughter was good, but because she thought her daughter was a very good girl.

Shen did not ask any further questions.

Su Jiuge walked along the corridor. The waist seal would be ready in three days, and then there would be a place to put the seven items.

She no longer needed to tuck the clothes into her bosom, making them bulge, and Xiao Yan no longer had to say she looked like a peddler.

She touched the things in her arms.

Seven items in total, from a single wooden plaque to seven items, from age seven to seventeen. From being alone to having family and friends, from simply wanting to survive to desiring peace and tranquility throughout the world.

The things she carried were piling up and getting heavier, but she didn't feel tired.

These things are proof that she existed in this world. She is not Ajiu, not Night Owl, but Su Jiuge.

The daughter of the Marquis of Dingyuan, the head of the Dark Pavilion, a guest of the Thousand Machine Tower, and a collaborator of the Sixth Prince.

She has many identities, and each token represents one identity. Each identity carries a responsibility.

After the waistbands were made, she would pin them one by one to her waist, not tuck them into her bosom, but hang them on her waist.

It hung proudly at her waist, neither hidden nor concealed. These things were hers, these identities were hers, and these responsibilities were hers as well.

She doesn't need to hide.

Su Jiuge went into the room, closed the door, and sat by the window looking at the pomegranate tree in the yard.

The moonlight shines on the bare branches, and in another month they will sprout, in another two months they will bloom, and in another five months they will bear fruit.

She lives here and watches the pomegranate tree sprout, blossom, and bear fruit.

This is her home, and she will not leave again.