Nine Nights Owl Song

The 9th day of the 11th month of the 18th year of Yong'an.

Luoyang, the imperial city.

The Second Prince, Xiao Jingyan, knelt on the cold floor tiles of the Imperial Study, his forehead almost touching the ground.

This was his first and last private meeting with his father since the lifting of his ban.

He made this decision after speaking with the sixth prince at the Prince Zhao's residence that day.

But before leaving, he always had to come and see his father, the emperor.

Emperor Yong'an sat behind his dragon desk, holding a vermilion brush in his hand, but after reviewing the memorials for half a day, he hadn't written a single word.

He simply put down his pen, leaned back in his chair, and looked at his second son kneeling in front of him.

The son had lost weight, his cheekbones were high, his eyes were sunken, and his temples were graying. He was only in his early thirties, but he looked like he was in his forties.

He felt sorry for her, but he couldn't say it.

He was the emperor, and he couldn't show too much favoritism to any of his sons, as that would harm them.

"You're going to the Northern Border?" Emperor Yong'an's voice was old and deep, sounding particularly heavy in the empty imperial study.

The second prince raised his head and looked at his father, the emperor.

"Your subject wishes to go to the northern border and join the army. I will start as a soldier." Emperor Yong'an remained silent for a moment.

"You're a prince, and you're going to join the army? Starting as a soldier? Do you even know what soldiers do? They get up before dawn every day to train, eat coarse grains and dry biscuits, sleep on a large communal bed, and charge to the front lines in battle."

"Your subject understands," the Second Prince replied calmly.

"Your Majesty, I have led troops in the Northern Frontier and know the lives of soldiers. I am not going there to enjoy a life of luxury, but to pay off my debts. I have done many wrong things in the past: vying for the position of Crown Prince, forming cliques, and attempting to assassinate Su Jiuge. Each of these is a capital offense. If Father Emperor does not kill me, I cannot pretend that nothing happened. I am going to the Northern Frontier to join the army and pay off my debts with military merits. I will pay off as much as I can, and if I cannot pay it off, I will continue to pay it off in my next life."

Emperor Yong'an's eyes reddened.

He turned his face away and looked out the window, where the glazed tiles of the imperial city gleamed coldly in the winter sun.

He owed many people in his life—he owed the sixth prince's mother, as he wasn't by her side when she died;

I feel bad for Lao Liu, making him pretend to be a good-for-nothing for so many years;

I also feel indebted to my second son.

The second child was also a good kid when he was young. He was smart, brave, and loyal, protecting his younger brothers from being bullied by others.

When did things start to change? It started after he appointed a crown prince.

The eldest son is the legitimate heir, and according to propriety and law, he must be established as the heir.

But he was not virtuous. The second son was not convinced and fought for it his whole life, but in the end he got nothing.

Emperor Yong'an did not turn around; his voice echoed in the imperial study.

"Second Prince, do you hate me?"

The second prince looked at his father's back, which was hunched over. In his heart, his father had always been like a mountain, and he wondered when he had grown old.

"Your son used to hate. He hated that Father Emperor made him the crown prince, hated that Father Emperor favored the sixth prince, and hated that Father Emperor did not pass the throne to his son."

The second prince's Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed the surging emotions within him.

"I don't hate him anymore. Father has his own difficulties, which I didn't understand before, but I do now."

Emperor Yong'an's eyes reddened even more.

This second son used to only ask him for things—the position of crown prince, military power, and fiefdoms.

If you can't have him, hate him.

I'm here to say goodbye to him, I don't want anything anymore.

He turned around and looked at the second son's face.

"Have you thought it through?"

"I've made up my mind."

"No regrets?"

No regrets.

Emperor Yong'an remained silent.

A son is no longer under his father's control once he grows up.

The second son is in his thirties and has his own ideas; he can't stop him, nor does he want to.

"Go. Do a good job in the North and don't embarrass me." The Second Prince kowtowed.

"Your subject obeys the decree."

He stood up and walked to the door, where he heard the voice of Emperor Yong'an behind him.

"Second Prince." The Second Prince stopped.

"Before your mother died, she held my hand and said one sentence." Emperor Yong'an's voice was so hoarse it was almost inaudible.

She said, "Jingyan is a stubborn child, please be more tolerant of him." I promised her. But I failed to keep my word.

The second prince shed tears.

He didn't turn around; his voice was trembling.

"Father, Mother won't blame you."

Emperor Yong'an remained silent. The Second Prince walked out of the imperial study. The door slowly closed behind him.

The second prince walked very fast on the palace road.

He wasn't in a hurry to leave the palace; he just didn't want anyone to see the tears on his face.

He had never cried in front of anyone in his life, and he hadn't cried in front of his father just now either.

When he reached the palace gate, he stopped, wiped away the tears on his face, straightened his clothes, and went out.

A carriage was parked at the entrance of the Prince's Mansion, with his luggage inside.

Not much: a few changes of clothes, a few books, and a knife.

The sword he used when he led troops in the North had been with him for almost ten years. Most of the lacquer on the scabbard had worn off, and there were many nicks on the blade, but he couldn't bear to replace it.

The retainers dispersed, the servants were dismissed, and the vast palace was emptied overnight.

He doesn't need these anymore. It's inappropriate for him to go to the North to serve as a soldier with retainers and servants. One person is enough.

The second prince mounted his horse.

He glanced back at the mansion where he had lived for more than a decade—vermilion gates and copper nails, upturned eaves and corners. He used to think it was his foundation, but now he felt it was nothing more than an empty house.

He turned his horse around and rode away without looking back.

The sound of horses' hooves clattered on the bluestone road, gradually fading into the distance.

Prince Zhao's Mansion.

Su Jiuge was practicing her sword skills in the training ground.

Xiao Yan sat on the veranda watching.

Zhao Ying leaned against a pillar and yawned, while Shen Qing stood motionless in the shadows.

Bai Yu hurriedly walked in through the moon gate and whispered a few words in Xiao Yan's ear.

Xiao Yan's expression changed. He looked at Bai Yu, then stood up and walked to the edge of the training ground, calling out to Su Jiuge.

"Second brother is gone."

Su Jiuge sheathed her sword and looked at him.

"Where did you go?"

"The northern border. Go join the army and start as a soldier." Xiao Yan paused for a moment.

He said he would use his military merits to pay off his debts.

Su Jiuge remained silent for a moment, without saying "He's gone mad," "Is he stupid?" or "He's a prince who went to join the army."

She only said one sentence: "He made the right decision."

Xiao Yan looked at her.

Su Jiuge said, "He's a competitive and stubborn person who won't give up even after hitting a wall. He's been fighting for the crown prince position for so many years, and he's ended up with nothing. If we don't let him start over somewhere else, he'll rot in Luoyang. The Northern Border is a completely new place. Nobody knows he's the second prince, nobody recognizes him. He can start over. He can start as a soldier and climb the ranks based on his military merits. He's a military general, this path suits him."

Xiao Yan remained silent.

She's right, Luojing is a quagmire; once you're stuck in it, you can't get out.

The North is a vast wilderness, where you can run however you want.

Zhao Ying straightened up from the pillar.

"The Second Prince has joined the army? Interesting. I bet he'll become a general within three years." Shen Qing glanced at him.

"What are you betting on?" Zhao Ying thought for a moment.

"Let's bet a drink."

Shen Qing said "okay".

Zhao Ying thought about it again and felt that something seemed off.