Nine Nights Owl Song

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

Qingjiang, Yuelai Inn.

Before dawn, Xiao Yan stood by the window and carefully kept the pledge of allegiance signed by Qian Shigui close to his body.

Su Jiuge came out, and the two of them stood in the corridor.

"Are you leaving?" Su Jiuge asked.

Xiao Yan nodded.

"The court can't wait any longer. The Crown Prince has been making frequent moves these past few days. If I'm not in Luoyang, Bai Yu won't be able to hold on."

Su Jiuge didn't say anything more.

I knew he wouldn't stay long before I came to the Southern Territory.

He hadn't slept a full night in over twenty days, traveling day and night from Luoyang to Qingjiang. His dark circles had deepened, but his eyes were still bright.

"The affairs of the Southern Border are entrusted to you."

Xiao Yan raised his hand to touch her face, paused in mid-air, and then lowered it.

Su Jiuge looked at that hand.

"Sun Bofu of Pinghai, Zheng Jing of Wuyi. No rush." ​​Xiao Yan nodded, turned and left.

He took two steps, then stopped without looking back.

"Su Jiuge." She looked at him.

"Don't get hurt." Xiao Yan left.

Su Jiuge was the only one left in the corridor.

Zhao Ying peeked out from the next room.

"Has His Highness left?" Su Jiuge nodded without answering, turned around, went back into the house, and closed the door.

On the 24th day of the first lunar month, Su Jiuge, along with Zhao Ying, Shen Qing, Lin Mo, and the people from the Dark Pavilion, left Qingjiang and headed south to Pinghai.

Qian Shaoqing walked at the front of the group.

He grew up in the South and knew the terrain better than any ghost.

He knew exactly which roads were passable and which were impassable, which towns had garrisons and which villages had sentries.

Su Jiuge, riding on her horse, looked at Qian Shaoqing, who was leading the way. This young man was different from Zhao Ying.

Zhao Xiang is like a ball of fire, always making a lively scene wherever she goes, while Qian Shaoqing is like a piece of jade, quiet and unassuming, but he does everything he is supposed to do.

He cleared all the checkpoints and outposts along the way from Qingjiang to Pinghai.

His father was the military governor of Qingjiang. The regional military governors in the south formed alliances and intermarried with each other, and Qian Shaoqing had acquaintances in various towns in the south.

A face is a pass, more effective than any token.

On the 26th day of the first lunar month, the group entered the territory of Pinghai.

Qian Shaoqing reined in his horse, turned around, and walked to Su Jiuge.

"Master, we're just ahead in Pinghai Town. Sun Bofu is young and hot-blooded; he's all talk and no action. If you confront him head-on, he'll fight you to the death, but if you talk to him nicely, he'll agree to anything."

Zhao Ying rode over. "How did you know?" Qian Shaoqing looked at him.

"He used to have a crush on my cousin."

Zhao Ying choked on the wind and coughed several times.

Qian Shaoqing looked at him.

"It didn't work out. My cousin doesn't like him." Zhao Ying coughed even more violently.

Su Jiuge did not respond.

"What do you think we should do?" Qian Shaoqing thought for a moment.

"Let's try diplomacy first, then force. Send someone to deliver a message to Sun Bofu, saying that the court is willing to negotiate with him. He's a man who cares about his reputation, and he'll agree to anything if the court gives him face." Su Jiuge nodded.

"You wrote the letter; you're his brother-in-law."

Qian Shaoqing remained silent for a moment.

"It didn't work out, he's not my brother-in-law." Zhao Ying laughed out loud from the side. Qian Shaoqing glanced at him, and Zhao Ying stopped laughing.

On the 27th day of the first lunar month, Qian Shaoqing's handwritten letter was delivered to Sun Bofu.

The letter didn't mention anything about the imperial army pressing in; it was all about everyday matters—the matter of Qingjiang has been settled, my father is doing well, the imperial court's terms are favorable, you should consider it.

The letter was written by Qian Shaoqing and received by Sun Bofu; the two almost became relatives.

Sun Bofu hesitated for several days after reading the letter.

On the 29th day of the first lunar month, he sent a reply with only one word: "Talk".

On the second day of the second lunar month, Su Jiuge met Sun Bofu at the border of Pinghai Town.

The young man was broad-shouldered and burly, with thick eyebrows and big eyes. He didn't look like a regional military governor; he looked more like a farmer working in the fields.

He wasn't good at dealing with people in the imperial court, but he trusted Qian Shaoqing.

Qian Shaoqing said the court's terms were good, and he was willing to discuss it. Su Jiuge didn't beat around the bush and handed him the memorial Xiao Yan had written.

The conditions are the same as those for Qingjiang—the court will not hold past offenses against them, Pinghai will remain under the jurisdiction of the Sun family, and no officials will be sent, no taxes will be collected, and no troops will be stationed there.

Sun Bofu remained silent for a long time after reading the folded paper.

"Does the Sixth Prince's words count?" Su Jiuge looked at him.

"With me here, his word is law."

Sun Bofu looked at this woman with a great reputation.

She beheaded Helian Tieshu in the western border and incorporated 40,000 scattered soldiers in the northern border.

Such a person wouldn't stoop to being lied to.

Sun Bofu nodded.

"I agree. But I have one condition: the Pinghai navy cannot be handed over to the imperial court. It represents decades of hard work by the Sun family; I would have no face to face my ancestors if I handed it over."

Su Jiuge thought for a moment and realized that what the imperial court wanted was for Pinghai to submit, not for Pinghai's navy.

By leaving the navy in the hands of the Sun family, the imperial court saved a sum of money, and the Sun family gained more loyalty—a win-win situation.

"Can."

Sun Bofu knelt down and kowtowed.

"Sun Bofu of Pinghai is willing to submit to the imperial court."

Zheng Jing of Wuyi was much more difficult to deal with than Sun Bofu.

He had been entrenched in Wuyi Mountain for many years, living off the mountain's resources. The imperial court sent troops to besiege him several times, but all attempts failed.

It's not that I can't beat him, it's that he's too good at dodging.

When the soldiers went into the mountains, he ran away; when the soldiers retreated, he came back. He was like an eel that could not be caught.

The secret report sent by Xiao Yan said that the Crown Prince had also sent people to Wuyi Mountain, hoping to win over Zheng Jing as his last pawn.

When news of Pinghai's surrender reached Wuyishan, Zheng Jing's attitude began to soften, but he was still observing.

Su Jiuge decided to add fuel to the fire.

On the tenth day of the second month, Su Jiuge led the people of the Dark Pavilion into the Wuyi Mountain area.

Qian Shaoqing was in charge of contacting the local mountain people, Guiying was in charge of intelligence gathering, Zhao Ying was in charge of perimeter security, Shen Qing was in charge of Su Jiuge's safety, and Lin Mo was in charge of... drawing maps at the foot of the mountain.

His carriage was too slow to go up the mountain, so Su Jiuge left him at the foot of the mountain.

Zheng Jing lived in a mountain village deep in the Wuyi Mountains, surrounded by mountains on all sides, with only one road leading up to it.

It is easy to defend but difficult to attack.

Su Jiuge did not launch a direct attack. Instead, she sent a ghostly figure to deliver a letter to Zheng Jing. The letter contained only three sentences: Qingjiang has surrendered, Pinghai has surrendered, and the imperial army is waiting at the border.

After reading the letter, Zheng Jing wandered around the mountain stronghold all night.

Qingjiang has surrendered, Pinghai has surrendered, two of the three towns have been lost, he can't hold out for long by himself.

The imperial army is waiting at the border; if he doesn't surrender,

The next target is Wuyishan.

He had neither the military strength of Qingjiang nor the navy of Pinghai, only a mountain.

No matter how high the mountain, it cannot stop the imperial court's determination.

On February 12th, Zheng Jing sent someone to deliver a reply.

"I am willing to submit to the imperial court."

In mid-February, all three towns in the southern border region submitted to the government.

Su Jiuge stood at the foot of Wuyi Mountain, looking at the distant mountains.

Zhao Ying walked over and stood next to her, while Qian Shaoqing stood on the other side.

"Master, the matter in the Southern Territory is settled."

Zhao Ying's voice carried a hint of reluctance that he himself was unaware of.

It's not that I'm reluctant to leave the Southern Territory, it's that I'm reluctant to leave this kind of life—having things to do every day, fighting every day, and being with my brothers every day.

Su Jiuge looked at him.

"You can't bear to part with it." Zhao Ying was stunned for a moment, and Su Jiuge turned and left.

Shen Qing followed behind her, while Qian Shaoqing looked at Zhao Ying.

"You can't bear to part with it?" Zhao Ying glared at him.

"You're the one who wouldn't want to part with it." Qian Shaoqing's lips curled up slightly as he followed Su Jiuge.

Zhao Ying stood there, opened her mouth as if to say something, but closed it after looking at Qian Shaoqing's back.

Lin Mo set up a stove at the foot of the mountain to brew tea. When he saw Su Jiuge coming down the mountain, he brought her a cup of tea and went to greet her.

"Master, have some tea." Su Jiuge took the teacup and took a sip.

The tea was brought by Lin Mo from Luoyang. It was pre-rain Longjing tea given to her by Xiao Yan, and she hasn't finished it yet.

Su Jiuge held her teacup and looked at the southern sky.

The war in the south is over; it's time to return to Luoyang.

On February 18th, Su Jiuge led her team away from the southern border and back to Luoyang.

With the three towns in the south pacified, the Crown Prince's plans in the south were completely thwarted.