Nine Nights Owl Song

In the eleventh month of the eighteenth year of Yong'an.

Luoyang, Prince Zhao's residence.

The Second Prince, Xiao Jingyan, stood at the entrance of the Prince Zhao's residence, looking up at the plaque.

After six months of confinement, he lost a lot of weight, his cheekbones became high, his eyes became sunken, and a few strands of white hair appeared at his temples, but his back remained straight.

During his confinement, he thought about many things, reflecting on how he had lived the first half of his life—being competitive since childhood, wanting to win everything, and never wanting to lose anything.

They vied for the position of crown prince, for the emperor's favor, and for a voice in the court.

In the end, you'll have nothing left.

His confinement was lifted, but he no longer had a place in the court. The Crown Prince's faction controlled the government, and he had no way to intervene.

Most of his retainers have left, and those who used to fawn over him now don't even dare to greet him when they meet.

The world is cold and indifferent. He came to terms with it.

After the gatekeeper announced the arrival, Xiao Yan personally went to the door to greet him.

He strode over from the other end of the veranda, dressed in casual, off-white clothes.

The moment I saw the Second Prince,

Second Brother has aged; six months of confinement have aged him as if five years have passed. He walked up to the Second Prince and called out, "Second Brother."

The second prince nodded, and the two looked at each other silently for a moment.

Su Jiuge stood in the shadows under the corridor, looking at the Second Prince.

She didn't go out; a straight sword hung at her waist, her hand resting on the hilt—not to draw the sword, but out of habit.

The tea has been brewed in the study.

Xiao Yan poured a cup for the Second Prince.

The second prince picked up his teacup, took a sip, put it down, and remained silent for a moment.

"Sixth Brother, I didn't come here today to argue with you."

Xiao Yan said, "I know."

The second prince leaned back in his chair, staring at the ceiling.

"For the past six months, I've been confined to my residence, unable to go anywhere. I've thought about many things, about how I've lived the rest of my life—from a young age, I've been competitive, wanting to win everything, unwilling to lose anything. I fought for the position of Crown Prince, for my father's favor, for a voice in the court. In the end, what did I gain? Six months of confinement, my retainers scattered, and I lost my place in the court. Even those who used to fawn over me now don't dare to greet me when we meet."

The second prince spoke these words in a calm tone, without anger or self-pity, like an observer telling someone else's story.

Xiao Yan refilled his tea.

"Second brother, do you hate me?" The second prince looked at his younger brother.

"I used to hate you. I hated that you married Su Jiuge, I hated that you went to the Northern Border, I hated that you won the battle. I hated that you made me feel like a piece of trash."

He picked up his teacup and took another sip.

"I don't hate anymore, I can't bring myself to hate anymore. I've hated for so many years, I'm tired. You're better than me, I admit that."

Xiao Yan did not speak.

The second prince put down his teacup and looked at him.

"Sixth Brother, tell me, what have you been doing pretending to be a good-for-nothing for all these years?"

Xiao Yan remained silent for a long time.

"To survive."

The second prince was taken aback.

Xiao Yan looked at the pomegranate tree outside the window.

Recalling the night his mother died, he went to see his father, the emperor, hoping to see his mother, but his father was reviewing memorials and told him to go back first.

When he returned, his mother had already passed away.

From that day on, he no longer wanted to fight.

Fighting for that position, and finally getting it, meant not even having time to see one's mother off on her deathbed.

It's better to be a useless person; at least you can still live.

The second prince's eyes reddened.

"Were you by your mother's side when she passed away?" Xiao Yan shook his head.

The second prince whispered, "I'm here."

He knelt before his mother's bed, holding her hand as he watched her breathe her last. He was only ten years old that year, and he cried his heart out.

From that day on, he vowed to take that position, never again to let anyone bully him, and never again to let his family suffer injustice.

He's been fighting for so many years, he's forgotten why he even fought for it in the first place.

The second prince stood up, walked to the window, and turned his back to Xiao Yan.

"Sixth Brother, I'm planning to leave the court."

Xiao Yan looked at him.

"The Northern Frontier is yours. The Imperial Court is yours too. The Crown Prince won't be able to cause trouble for long. You have Su Jiuge, the Marquis of Dingyuan's mansion, the Thousand Machine Tower, and the Dark Pavilion. What can the Crown Prince use to compete with you? You've won this battle."

The second prince's voice was hoarse.

"I lost. I admit defeat. Not to you, but to Su Jiuge. I've never seen a woman more ruthless than her."

Xiao Yan stood up and walked to his side.

"Second brother, you don't need to leave."

The second prince shook his head.

"What's the point of staying here? To watch you become the crown prince? To watch you become the emperor? I can't do that." He turned to look at Xiao Yan.

"Let me go. Whether it's farming or raising horses, stay far away from Luojing. Out of sight, out of mind, and I'll have some peace and quiet too."

Xiao Yan fell silent, then reached out and grasped the Second Prince's arm. "Second Brother, take care."

The second prince's eyes reddened, he patted Xiao Yan's shoulder and turned to leave the study.

Su Jiuge stood under the corridor.

The second prince saw that she had stopped, and the two looked at each other for a moment.

Su Jiuge did not draw her sword, but looked at the Second Prince with her hands hanging at her sides.

The second prince spoke first.

"Su Jiuge, I used to want to kill you every day. Now I admire you. You fought brilliantly in the battle in the Western Border, and you fought brilliantly in the battle in the Northern Border as well."

Su Jiuge looked at him.

"You're not bad either. You just chose the wrong path."

The second prince gave a wry smile.

Su Jiuge never said nice things. When she said, "You're not bad either," those four words carried more weight than any praise.

The second prince turned and left.

When he reached the moon gate, he suddenly stopped without turning around.

"Su Jiuge, be nicer to my brother. He's not good with words, and he has a lot on his mind but he won't tell anyone."

Su Jiuge remained silent.

The second prince left, his figure disappearing behind the moon gate.

Xiao Yan came out of the study and stood next to Su Jiuge.

The two stood side by side, gazing at the empty moon gate.

"He's gone," Xiao Yan said softly.

"He will come back," Su Jiuge said.

Xiao Yan looked at her.

Su Jiuge didn't look at him, but stared in the direction of the moon gate, speaking as calmly as if she were describing the weather.

"He'll come back even if he leaves. He's not reconciled; he says he admits defeat but he doesn't. Leaving today and coming back tomorrow isn't really leaving. It's called clearing his head."

Xiao Yan remained silent for a moment.

"You seem to know him quite well."

Su Jiuge did not answer.

She understood the Second Prince because they were the same kind of people.

Strong-willed, unwilling to admit defeat, and will not turn back even after hitting a wall.

The difference is that she hit a wall, tore it down, and kept going;

He hit a wall, his head was bleeding, he stopped and thought for a moment, then turned and left.

But he will come back, because the fire in his heart has not been extinguished.

The November wind swept across the eaves of the Prince Zhao's mansion, and the pomegranate trees had lost all their leaves, leaving their bare branches swaying gently in the wind.

Su Jiuge touched the straight sword at her waist.

With the second prince gone, there is one less rival in the court.

The Crown Prince is still causing trouble, but he is no match for her. He is too weak and can only cause trouble in the court for a few months at most.

Xiao Yan stood under the corridor for a long time, looking in the direction where the Second Prince had disappeared.

He had seen this figure for over twenty years—when he was a child, his second brother held his hand and took him to the Imperial Garden to catch crickets. Back then, his second brother treated him very well.

Later, when I grew up and started to compete, everything changed.

"Xiao Yan," Su Jiuge called to him.

Xiao Yan looked at her.

Su Jiuge reached out her hand to him.

"Go inside, it's windy." Xiao Yan looked at the hand and grasped it.

Su Jiuge pulled him into the study, and the door closed behind them.

In November, the second prince left.

The capital city has lost one person who was unwilling to accept defeat.