Nine Nights Owl Song

The 9th day of the 12th month of the 17th year of Yong'an.

Before dawn, the Marquis of Dingyuan's residence was already awake.

The fire under the stove was lit before dawn, and the firelight reflected on Shen's face, giving her eyebrows and eyes a warm orange-red hue.

She personally oversaw the process, refusing to delegate it to anyone else. The osmanthus cakes in the steamer were already on the third tray; she had tasted two pieces from the first two trays and found them not soft enough, so she removed them and started making them again.

The maids scurried around her, helping her, none daring to utter a sound for fear of startling her into adjusting the heat.

The dough must be kneaded for the right amount of time, the sugar must be added in just the right amount, and the osmanthus flowers must be freshly sun-dried this year, not old ones.

This is her daughter's first birthday in sixteen years, and she can't let any flaw ruin the day.

Shen kneaded the dough, and although her wrists were a little sore, she showed no sign of stopping.

She had imagined countless times what her daughter, whom she thought was dead, would look like.

A three-year-old should be able to run, a five-year-old should have two little pigtails, and a seven-year-old should be carrying a schoolbag to school.

She imagined her daughter would like osmanthus cake, because she ate a plate of it every day during her pregnancy, and felt anxious if she couldn't have it. She thought her daughter's tastes would be like hers.

Now she knew that her daughter really did like osmanthus cake; she had eaten several pieces the last time she made it. She hadn't guessed wrong.

Shen put the kneaded dough into the steamer, covered it, and sat in front of the stove watching the fire.

Su Jiuge was awakened by a sweet fragrance.

The aroma of osmanthus cake wafted from the kitchen, passed through several courtyards, and finally entered her window.

She opened her eyes, lay in bed for a while, and then got up to get dressed.

The new clothes that Madam Shen had prepared for her were placed by her bedside last night. It was a light purple cotton robe, not a skirt. Madam Shen remembered that she had never worn a skirt before, so she made this cotton robe especially for her.

The cotton robe was made of the finest brocade, which felt like a baby's skin to the touch. The collar and cuffs were embroidered with light silver cloud patterns, and the stitches were fine and dense.

Su Jiuge put on the robe and stood in front of the bronze mirror.

The bronze mirror was polished to a high shine, reflecting a clear image of a person.

She looked at herself in the mirror—the light purple cotton robe made her face look less pale, and her hair was loose and uncombed on her shoulders.

She reached out and touched her face in the mirror.

Her fingers touched the cold copper surface. Suddenly, she felt that the person in the mirror didn't resemble Night Owl or Ah Jiu; he seemed like someone she had never seen before.

An ordinary girl wearing new clothes, waiting to celebrate her sixteenth birthday.

Su Jiuge didn't know how to react to this person; she had never met him before.

Madam Shen personally combed her hair.

Before the bronze mirror, Madam Shen stood behind Su Jiuge, holding a sandalwood comb in her hand, gently combing her long hair. Her movements were very light and slow, as if afraid of hurting her daughter.

Su Jiuge's hair was black and stiff, unlike what Shen had imagined, but she liked this difference.

Her daughter is not weak, but strong and resilient.

Hard hair means hard bones.

Madam Shen divided her hair into several strands and began to tie it into a bun.

There are specific rules for the hairstyle at the coming-of-age ceremony. The long hair should be styled like that of an adult woman and then secured with a hairpin.

She practiced many times, practicing on the maid's hair last night and on her own hair the day before yesterday, until her hands ached.

She was now doing it with ease, her fingers moving through her hair, twisting and securing strand by strand.

Su Jiuge sat motionless in front of the bronze mirror.

She could see Shen's face in the bronze mirror.

Madam Shen wore light makeup today, and her complexion was much better than usual. Her eyes were still red, and she was focused on her daughter's hair. Her lips were slightly pursed, and there were fine beads of sweat on her forehead.

Madam Shen took out the gold-inlaid jade hairpin and inserted it into her hair bun to secure it.

The hairpin gleamed with a warm luster under the candlelight. The jade was delicate, and the gold threads were intertwined in a cloud pattern. It was something that Madam Shen had spent many days choosing before deciding on it.

Su Jiuge looked at her hair in the bronze mirror and reached out to touch the hairpin.

"Is it pretty?" Mrs. Shen asked.

Su Jiuge nodded.

Madam Shen smiled. She bent down and looked at her daughter's face in the bronze mirror.

"After your coming-of-age ceremony, you'll be an adult. From now on, you'll be responsible for yourself and take care of yourself."

"I know."

Shen reached out and gently touched Su Jiuge's face before turning and leaving; she had many things to attend to.

Su Jiuge sat alone in front of the bronze mirror, looking at the unfamiliar girl in the mirror with her hair tied up in a bun, adorned with a gold hairpin, and wearing a lotus-colored cotton robe. After looking at her for a while, she stood up, walked to the bedside, picked up the narrow-bladed straight knife, and hung it at her waist.

Swords and knives, hairpins adorned with flowers and plain robes, lotus-colored fabrics and black iron. The bronze mirror reflects the girl—a sharp blade at her waist, gold and jade hairpins in her hair, and a soft cotton robe.

Looking at herself in the mirror, Su Jiuge felt that this was good. She was Su Jiuge, and also Night Owl.

She was the eldest daughter of the Marquis of Dingyuan, and also a deadly weapon.

She doesn't need to choose anything.

At Chenshi (7-9 AM), the gates of the Marquis of Dingyuan's residence were opened.

Guests arrived one after another.

Su Jiuge stood beside Shen Shi, greeting the guests at the entrance of the main hall.

She stood ramrod straight, her hands hanging at her sides, neither too intimate nor too distant.

Shen had taught her the proper etiquette beforehand, including when to smile, when to nod, and when to speak politely, and she did everything according to Shen's instructions.

There were no mistakes, and not a single extra expression.

The first to arrive was Minister Wang of the Ministry of War.

He was in his fifties, fair-skinned and plump, and his smile resembled that of Maitreya Buddha.

He looked Su Jiuge up and down, then cupped his hands in congratulations: "Congratulations, Lord Su, and congratulations, Lady Su, on finding your precious daughter. Your daughter is indeed a daughter of a military family, with extraordinary bearing, no less than any man."

Su Zhentian politely returned the greeting.

Lord Wang's gaze lingered on the knife at Su Jiuge's waist for a moment, but his smile remained unchanged.

The second person to arrive was Liu, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel.

He brought his wife and daughter with him.

Miss Liu, about fifteen or sixteen years old, was dressed in flamboyant attire, her hair adorned with jewels. Seeing the knife at Su Jiuge's waist, she pursed her lips and whispered something to the maid beside her, her voice just loud enough for Su Jiuge to hear—

"What kind of behavior is it for the legitimate daughter of a marquis to carry a knife?"

Su Jiuge glanced at her but didn't say anything.

Miss Liu took a step back from that gaze, her face turned pale, her lips trembled, and she couldn't utter a single word.

She didn't know what was in that glance, but she never dared to look at Su Jiuge again.

The delegation from the British Duchess's residence consisted of the Duchess of England, along with her second son and daughter-in-law.

The second son, Su Wanning, married Su Jiuge's eldest half-sister into the Duke of Ying's mansion.

The Duchess of England was a shrewd and capable old lady. After exchanging a few pleasantries with Madam Shen, her gaze fell on Su Jiuge, but she quickly looked away and smiled at Madam Shen, saying:

"Madam is so lucky. Your daughter has returned, and she's so accomplished."

Ms. Shen smiled and agreed.

Su Jiuge saw a young woman standing behind the Duchess of Yingguo. She was about twenty-two or twenty-three years old, wearing a pomegranate-red jacket, with a dignified face and features that bore a resemblance to Su Chengen. This was Su Wanning, her half-sister.

Su Wanning looked at Su Jiuge, her lips moved, wanting to say something but not knowing what to say.

She had been married for several years and knew some things about the Marquis's mansion, but not everything. She knew that one of her younger sisters had returned; she was the legitimate daughter who had died years ago, and she was an assassin.

She was both curious and afraid of this person.

Su Jiuge spoke first. "Big sister," she called out softly.

Su Wanning was stunned, and her eyes reddened.

"Sister Jiuge." Her voice trembled slightly. She reached out to hold Su Jiuge's hand, but then withdrew it.

Su Jiuge reached out and took her hand.

Su Wanning's tears fell.

The sixth prince, Xiao Yan, arrived right on time.

He wore a moon-white python robe—the distinctive pattern of a prince—with a gold ribbon tied around his waist and a jade crown on his head. He came alone, without any attendants.

As he walked in through the main gate, all eyes in the courtyard fell on him.

The sixth prince, Xiao Yan, was a notorious wastrel in Luoyang. He frequented brothels, was uneducated, and did nothing of importance. Nobody took him seriously.

But he is a prince, so we still have to give him face.

Su Zhentian stepped forward to greet him, and Xiao Yan smiled and helped him up.

"Lord Su, there's no need for such formalities. I'm here today on personal terms," ​​he said languidly as he walked toward Su Jiuge.

The guests were all watching.

What kind of private relationship does the Sixth Prince have with the Marquis of Dingyuan's family?

Xiao Yan walked up to Su Jiuge, stopped, and looked at her.

His gaze slid from her hair bun to the hairpin, from the hairpin to her lotus-colored cotton robe, and from the robe to the straight sword at her waist. Then he smiled.

"You don't seem like Night Owl today." His voice was very soft, so soft that only Su Jiuge could hear it.

Su Jiuge looked at him. "Like what?"

Xiao Yan thought for a moment.

"Like a person."

He didn't say who she looked like, but took a brocade box from his sleeve and handed it to her.

The brocade box is small, about the size of a palm, made of sandalwood, and finely carved.

Su Jiuge opened the brocade box, inside which lay a hairpin.

It is a jade hairpin, made of white jade, with a night owl carved on the head.

With a round face, big eyes, and folded wings, it stands on a plum blossom branch. The carving is so lifelike that even the patterns on the owl's feathers are depicted.

Her eyes are very similar to Su Jiuge's, both cold and bright.

"Didn't you say you'd never worn a skirt?"

Xiao Yan's voice was languid, but she could hear the seriousness beneath that languor.

"You can at least wear a hairpin, right?"

Su Jiuge stared at the jade owl for a long time before closing the brocade box and handing it to the maid behind her to put away.

"Thanks."

Xiao Yan's lips curved slightly.

He turned and went to the men's section.

In the corner, Ghost Hand crouched in the shadows under the eaves, a pot of wine in front of him.

Looking at the guests filling the courtyard with toasts and laughter, he felt he had come to the wrong place.

He didn't come to attend the birthday banquet; he came to protect Su Jiuge.

But Su Jiuge didn't need his protection. In the Marquis of Dingyuan's mansion, in front of all the civil and military officials, and under the nose of the Sixth Prince, no one dared to make a move.

The old drunkard did not attend the banquet.

He sat by the window of his guest room, looking at the bare jujube tree in the courtyard.

A plate of osmanthus cake was placed in front of them. It was sent by someone from Madam Shen and was still steaming. The fragrance of osmanthus mixed with the sweetness of glutinous rice filled the room.

He didn't eat it. He stared at the plate of osmanthus cake, and as he looked at it, his eyes reddened.

This is the girl's birthday banquet.

The girl asked him to come, and he came.

This is the girl's first birthday in sixteen years, and he wants to attend.

But he dared not go to the main hall, nor sit among those high-ranking officials and nobles.

He was afraid of embarrassing the girl, afraid that someone would ask, "Who is this old beggar?", and afraid that Su Jiuge would have to admit in front of everyone that he was her savior.

She might not mind his looks, but others might. He didn't want to put her in a difficult position.

The door was pushed open without knocking. The old drunkard looked up and saw Su Jiuge standing in the doorway.

"Why didn't you come?" Her voice was calm.

The old drunkard opened his mouth. "I..."

"Let's go eat osmanthus cake. Madam Shen made several plates of it."

Su Jiuge walked over and extended her hand. The old drunkard looked at the hand—fair, slender, but calloused from a knife wound on the palm. It was the hand that had killed, and also the hand that had helped him.

The old drunkard reached out and grasped it.

Su Jiuge helped him stand up and straightened his collar.

He wore a new navy blue cotton robe, which Su Jiuge bought for him in Liangzhou. It was the best garment he had ever worn in his life.

He had never worn such fine clothes before. Today was the girl's birthday, and he wanted to wear his best clothes.

Su Jiuge helped him out of the guest room, across the veranda, through a moon gate, and toward the main hall. The main hall was full of guests, laughter, conversation, and the clinking of glasses mingling together, as lively as a pot of boiling porridge.

The old drunkard's legs were a little weak, so he took Su Jiuge's hand and walked step by step.

He saw those high-ranking officials and nobles, dressed in fine silks and satins, adorned with gold, silver and jewels, sitting on chairs covered with brocade cushions.

He has lived his entire life separated from these people by an invisible wall.

He was a beggar, he was an assassin, he was a traitor to the Dark Pavilion, he was an ant at the very bottom of the world.

But he entered the main hall because the maid beside him was supporting him.

Madam Shen came forward, took the old drunkard's hand, and led him to sit down at the head table.

"Mr. Yin, please sit here; it's warmer here. Jiuge specifically asked me to."

The old drunkard sat on a chair covered with thick cotton cushions, with a plate of osmanthus cake and a pot of hot tea in front of him.

He looked at Su Jiuge, who had already returned to the women's section.

His eyes reddened, he lowered his head, picked up a piece of osmanthus cake, and took a bite.

It was sweet, very sweet, so sweet that it made his throat tighten and he almost couldn't swallow it.

Ghost Hand watched all this from afar in the corner, holding a glass of wine, but didn't drink it.

Su Jiuge's coming-of-age ceremony was held at noon.

The ceremony was simple, with attendants, principal guests, and officials all present.

Madam Shen invited the wife of the Duke of Zhenguo as the principal guest. The wife of the Duke of Zhenguo was a Lady of Imperial Decree, of high status and seniority, and had a good personal relationship with Madam Shen.

The one giving the praise was Su Wanning, and the official in charge was Su Wan'er. Su Wan'er was wearing a light pink jacket today, and her hair was neatly combed. She stood behind Madam Shen.

Su Jiuge knelt on the prayer mat, facing the ancestral tablets. The Duchess of Zhenguo stood before her, took the gold-inlaid jade hairpin from the tray, and inserted it into her hair.

"On the auspicious day of the month, you will start to add Yuanfu. Abandon your young aspirations, follow you and become virtuous. The longevity test is only for Qi, and you will be blessed."

Su Jiuge couldn't understand these words.

She knelt there, listening to the ancient blessings, feeling a deep peace, much calmer than when she was killing someone.

When I was killing, I had nothing on my mind; now, I have many things on my mind—

She didn't know what it felt like, but she didn't think it was a bad feeling.

The ceremony is complete.

The guests applauded, Madam Shen cried, and Su Zhentian stood at a distance watching her.

Su Jiuge stood up, turned around, looked at the guests in the hall, and then looked towards the door.

The sunlight outside was perfect, shining on the bluestone slabs of the courtyard, making her squint slightly.

She thought, this is what sixteen years old is like.

She finally turned sixteen.

The dinner party began.

The Marquis of Dingyuan's residence was brightly decorated with lanterns and colorful streamers, and dozens of tables were set up in the main hall and the east and west side halls.

Su Jiuge sat next to Shen Shi, with three plates of osmanthus cakes in front of her.

Shen made it for her, as agreed—one dish for herself, one dish for the old drunkard, and one dish to be eaten the day after tomorrow.

Su Jiuge ate one piece, then another, eating as if no one else was around, thoroughly enjoying herself.

She didn't care what the guests thought; it was her birthday, and she was eating her own family's osmanthus cake—no one could interfere.

Miss Liu watched her eat osmanthus cake at the table next to her, her lips twitching as if she wanted to say something, but in the end she said nothing.

She didn't dare.

Su Chengzhi was in the men's section, watching Su Jiuge eat osmanthus cake from afar. A slight smile curved his lips as he glanced at the long wooden box at his feet, containing the Wind-Chasing Crossbow, which he was going to give to her that evening. He was a little nervous, even more so than during his interview at the Ministry of War.

The guests had all left, and it was already late at night.

One by one, the lanterns in the Dingyuan Marquis's mansion were extinguished, and the mansion, which had been bustling all day, finally quieted down.

Su Jiuge sat in front of the bronze mirror in Shen's room, and Shen helped her take off her hair bun.

Footsteps could be heard outside the window.

Su Chengzhi stood at the door, holding a long wooden box in his arms, and stood there for a long time without knocking.

Hearing his footsteps, Su Jiuge said to Madam Shen, "I'll go open the door." She walked to the door, opened it, and looked at Su Chengzhi.

Su Chengzhi handed her the wooden box.

"Birthday gift".

Su Jiuge opened the wooden box.

Moonlight shone on the crossbow in the box—the crossbow body, made of nanmu wood, was polished smooth as a mirror, the iron crossbow mechanism gleamed coldly in the moonlight, the sinewy bowstring was taut, and a row of crossbow bolts was neatly stacked beside it, their arrowheads sharp.

"Chasing the wind," Su Chengzhi said.

"That's the name I gave it. Its range is twenty zhang farther than the one you used at Eagle's Sorrow Gorge."

Su Jiuge touched the crossbow, from the crossbow body to the trigger mechanism, and from the trigger mechanism to the bowstring.

"Did you make this yourself?"

Su Chengzhi remained silent.

Su Jiuge didn't ask any further questions. She put the crossbow back into the wooden box, closed the lid, and looked up at Su Chengzhi.

"Thank you, brother."

Su Chengzhi's Adam's apple bobbed. He stood there for a while, wanting to say something, but couldn't utter a word. He nodded, turned and walked away, stopping after a few steps.

"Jiuge." His voice was a little strained.

From now on, I'll be watching over you.

Su Jiuge looked at his back—the back of her brother that was always held straight like a spear.

"Okay," Su Jiuge said.

Su Chengzhi did not turn around, but his shoulders trembled slightly.

Su Jiuge carried the wooden box back to her room.

Shen had already taken down her hair bun, and her long hair was now loose over her shoulders. Seeing the wooden box in Su Jiu's hand, she smiled and asked, "Was this a gift from Chengzhi?"

"Um."

Ms. Shen nodded and did not ask any further questions.

On the ninth day of the twelfth lunar month in the seventeenth year of Yong'an, at night.

Su Jiuge lay on the bed, closed her eyes, and thought, "That's it for today. This is the best day of my sixteen years of life."