Nine Nights Owl Song

In the study, Qian Shigui sat in a grand chair, watching Zhao Ying walk in.

He sized Zhao Ying up and down for a long time—a moon-white brocade robe, a short blade hanging at his waist, and indeed, strikingly handsome. No wonder Shaoqing was so close to him, no wonder his son looked at him differently.

"Sit down," Qian Shigui said, pointing to the chair opposite him.

Zhao Ying sat down.

Qian Shigui didn't beat around the bush.

"I have read the Sixth Prince's secret memorial. The court will not pursue the matter further, Qingjiang will remain under the Qian family's control, and no officials will be sent, no taxes will be collected, and no troops will be stationed there. The conditions are very generous, and I cannot find a reason to refuse. But I have one condition—I want to see the Sixth Prince. I want to talk to him in person. I will not feel at ease if I cannot see the Sixth Prince."

Zhao Ying looked at him.

"The Sixth Prince will come to the Southern Border. Su Jiuge has already sent someone to deliver a message. The Sixth Prince will arrive in Qingjiang before the end of the first month."

Qian Shigui nodded.

He picked up his teacup, took a sip, put it down, and suddenly asked:

"Yes."

Qian Shigui looked into his eyes.

There was no flickering in those eyes, no guilty conscience, only the honesty of one young man to another.

"My son has never had any friends. Everyone around him is only there for the power and influence of my Qian family. You're the first." He paused.

"Although you had ulterior motives in approaching him, your feelings for him were genuine. I could tell."

Zhao Ying's eyes stung a little.

"Lord Qian—"

Qian Shigui waved his hand.

"No need to explain. I don't blame you. You have your stance, and Shaoqing has his. It's already not easy to be friends."

He stood up. "Go ahead. Shaoqing is waiting for you outside."

Zhao Ying stood up and walked to the door.

Qian Shigui called out to him.

"Zhao Ying, no matter what happens in the future, don't hurt my son."

Zhao Ying did not turn around.

"I won't."

Qian Shaoqing stood under the plum tree, and Zhao Ying came out. The two looked at each other.

Zhao Ying said, "Your father wants to see the Sixth Prince."

Qian Shaoqing nodded.

The two of them stood under the plum tree for a long time.

Zhao Ying turned and left first.

Qian Shaoqing watched his retreating figure, gripped the hilt of the knife at his waist, and then released it.

On the 20th day of the first month, Xiao Yan arrived at Qingjiang.

He traveled day and night from Luoyang, completing a journey that would normally take a month in less than half a month.

Su Jiuge was waiting for him at the city gate. When Xiao Yan saw her on horseback, he reined in his horse and dismounted.

Su Jiuge looked at him; he had lost weight, and there were dark circles under his eyes.

"You've arrived." Xiao Yan nodded.

"They're here."

The two looked at each other for a moment.

Zhao Ying coughed beside him, and Xiao Yan turned to look at him.

Zhao Ying said he was going to inform Qian Shigui, then turned and walked away quickly.

Xiao Yan watched Zhao Ying's retreating figure.

"What's wrong with him?" Su Jiuge shook her head.

Qian Shigui greeted Xiao Yan at the gate of the mansion, kneeling on the bluestone slab with his forehead touching the ground.

"Your Majesty, I, Qian Shigui, pay my respects to the Sixth Prince." Xiao Yan helped him up.

"Governor Qian, there's no need for such formalities. The court will not hold you accountable for your past actions; you will remain the Governor of Qingjiang."

Qian Shigui stood up and looked at Xiao Yan—in a moon-white casual robe, with no sword hanging at his waist, he didn't look like a prince holding great power, but rather like an ordinary scholar.

But Qian Shigui dared not underestimate him. This man was no ordinary person; he was capable of recruiting 40,000 scattered soldiers in the north and recovering the three prefectures of Yan and Yun.

Even if he looks ordinary, he's like a dog that bites but doesn't bark, or a dog that barks but doesn't bite.

Xiao Yan is a dog that doesn't bark; he's a wolf.

Xiao Yan stayed at the Qian residence for a whole day.

No one knows what they talked about with Qian Shigui.

Zhao Ying didn't know, Qian Shaoqing didn't know, and even Su Jiuge didn't know.

It was already late when Xiao Yan left the Qian residence.

Su Jiuge was waiting for him at the inn when Xiao Yan pushed open the door and came in. He looked tired, but there was a smile on his lips.

"Have you reached an agreement?" Su Jiuge asked.

Xiao Yan nodded.

"Qian Shigui agreed to relinquish his military power, and the court will not hold him accountable for his past actions. The matter of Qingjiang is settled."

Su Jiuge looked at him.

"Your conditions are not only those written in the secret report, are they?"

Xiao Yan looked at her and said that she had done everything written in the secret memorial. The court would not hold her accountable for her past actions, and Qingjiang would remain under the Qian family's control. No officials would be sent there, no taxes would be collected, and no troops would be stationed there.

But he added a condition—Qian Shigui must write a pledge of allegiance. Not to the imperial court, but to the crown prince.

Qian Shigui wrote down all his interactions with the Crown Prince over the years and signed and sealed the document.

This pledge of allegiance is the trump card to deal with the Crown Prince in the future. The Crown Prince is colluding with the regional military governors, plotting treason.

This pledge of allegiance will ensure he can never rise again.

"Did Qian Shigui write it?" Su Jiuge asked.

Xiao Yan took out a thick folded book from his bosom, which was a record of the correspondence between Qian Shigui and the Crown Prince over the years.

Each stroke is clear and distinct.

"He wrote it. He knew the Crown Prince couldn't protect him; only the imperial court could."

Xiao Yan tucked the folding book into his bosom.

"The matter of Qingjiang is settled. Next up are Pinghai and Wuyi."

January of the nineteenth year of Yong'an.

With Qingjiang surrendering to the imperial court, one of the Crown Prince's pawns in the southern border region has been rendered useless.

Su Jiuge stood by the window, gazing at the night view of Qingjiang City. Behind her, Zhao Ying absentmindedly wiped her short blade.

The 22nd day of the first month of the 19th year of Yong'an.

Qingjiang, Yuelai Inn.

Zhao Ying paced back and forth in the room, walking from the window to the door and back again, her boots polishing the floor until it shone.

Su Jiuge sat at the table wiping the knife, glanced at him, then lowered her head to continue wiping.

Lin Mo was squatting in the corner drawing blueprints when Zhao Ying's shadow made him dizzy, so he couldn't help but look up.

"Brother Zhao Ying, can you sit down? You're making it hard for me to draw." Zhao Ying ignored him and continued pacing.

Lin Mo sighed, took the blueprints, and moved to the next room.

Su Jiuge put down the knife.

"Are you going or not?" Zhao Ying stopped in her tracks.

"Go? Where to?" Su Jiuge looked at him.

"You know perfectly well." Zhao Ying opened her mouth to refute, but looking into Su Jiuge's eyes that seemed to see through everything, she shut her mouth.

He stood in the room for a moment, then turned around, opened the door, and strode out.

Shen Qing watched Zhao Ying's figure disappear at the end of the corridor.

He couldn't hold it in any longer.

Su Jiuge picked up the knife again. "Hmm."

Qian Shaoqing stared blankly at a plum tree in his bedroom courtyard. After Qian Shigui reached an agreement with the Sixth Prince, the matter of Qingjiang was settled, and he suddenly didn't know what to do.

In the past, I spent my days practicing swordsmanship, patrolling the city, and helping my father with government affairs; my days were full of activities.

Now I don't want to practice swordsmanship, I don't want to patrol the city, and I don't want to get involved in government affairs.

He sat in front of the plum tree for the entire morning, not thinking about anything inside.

He was waiting for someone.

He knew that person would come, but he didn't know when.

Zhao Ying climbed over the wall to get in.

She landed in front of him, carrying a jar of wine in her hand, her hair a little messy, and sweat on her forehead, as if she had run all the way here.

Qian Shaoqing looked at him.

"Why not use the door instead of climbing over the wall?"

Zhao Ying placed the wine jar on the stone table.

"It's troublesome to have to announce your presence before leaving the house."

The two sat facing each other under the plum tree. Zhao Ying opened the wine jar sealed with mud and poured out two bowls.

Qian Shaoqing picked up the bowl and took a sip.

"This wine is bad."

Zhao Ying also took a sip.

"It's not good. I bought it from the general store next to the inn, the cheapest kind."

Qian Shaoqing held the wine bowl and looked at the murky liquid inside.

"You came all this way just to buy me this kind of drink?"

Zhao Ying put down her wine bowl and looked into Qian Shaoqing's eyes.

"Brother Qian, I'm sorry. I lied to you. I was ordered to approach you and find out what was going on in Jiang." He paused.

"But not everything I said to you was a lie. When I said you were my friend, I meant it."