Nine Nights Owl Song

The 22nd day of the first month of the 18th year of Yong'an.

Luoyang, Prince Zhao's residence.

The Prince Zhao's Mansion was located in Yongning Ward in the east of Luoyang, occupying most of the street.

The mansion was built in a magnificent style, with vermilion doors and copper nails, upturned eaves and corners, and two stone lions taller than a person squatting at the entrance.

But those in the know understand that the owner of this mansion—the sixth prince Xiao Yan—spends most of the year away from the mansion, frequenting brothels and treating the mansion like an inn.

Su Jiuge stood at the entrance of the Zhaowang Mansion, looking up at the plaque that read "Zhaowang Mansion".

Today she was wearing her usual black outfit.

His hair was tied into a braid with a strip of cloth, a straight knife hung at his waist, and there was nothing superfluous on his body.

She came straight here after returning from Cangwu Mountain, without even going back to the Marquis's residence.

The gatekeeper of Prince Zhao's residence was a thin man in his fifties, wearing a slightly worn blue robe. He had an ordinary face, but his eyes were very bright.

He looked Su Jiuge up and down, his gaze lingering for a moment on the knife at her waist. Without asking "Who is the young lady looking for?", he simply stepped aside to let her through the door.

"Miss Su, the Prince is waiting for you in his study."

Su Jiuge glanced at him—this man was no ordinary person; he recognized her at a glance, as if he had known she would come.

"lead the way."

Passing through the screen wall, courtyard, and covered walkway, we encountered several servants along the way.

No one gave her a second glance, no one whispered among themselves, and no one showed any curiosity.

Everyone was doing their own thing, looking straight ahead, as if it were perfectly normal for a girl in black with a straight sword at her waist to walk around the palace.

Su Jiuge noticed the people's footsteps—light, steady, and silent.

These were not the steps of ordinary servants, but the steps of someone who had practiced martial arts. This Prince Zhao's mansion, ostensibly the residence of a spoiled prince, was in reality a fortress riddled with hidden agents.

The study is located in the deepest part of the Prince's Mansion, in a separate courtyard.

There is a plum tree in the courtyard, which is in full bloom. The red plum blossoms are blooming passionately in the cold wind.

The courtyard gate was open, and Su Jiuge walked in and saw Xiao Yan sitting in the study, brewing tea.

He was wearing a moon-white casual outfit, his hair was casually tied up with only a hairpin, and his sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, revealing a section of his forearm.

"You've arrived?" Xiao Yan's voice was languid.

"Please sit down, the tea will be ready soon."

Su Jiuge sat down opposite him and watched him stir the charcoal fire with tea tongs.

His movements were very skilled; it didn't seem like he was faking it. He genuinely knew how to brew tea.

It's not unusual for a spoiled prince to know how to brew tea, but Su Jiuge noticed his hands—long fingers, distinct knuckles, and neatly trimmed nails.

These are not hands that have been pampered; they are hands that have done a lot of delicate work and practiced martial arts for many years.

The tea is ready.

Xiao Yan poured two cups and pushed one of them in front of Su Jiuge.

The tea soup is clear and bright, with a delicate aroma. It is the best tribute tea from Daliang, known as "Xueya".

Su Jiuge picked up the teacup and took a sip. It was neither too hot nor too cold, just right for her taste.

"You knew I was coming?" she asked.

Xiao Yan picked up his cup of tea and slowly took a sip.

"Found it at Qianji Tower." He put down his teacup and looked at Su Jiuge.

"You're playing a very big game."

Su Jiuge looked at him.

Do you remember what you said to me at the pavilion ten miles outside Luoyang?

Xiao Yan's eyebrows twitched slightly.

"You said—'Change the emperor, anyone can be emperor, but it can't be the current crown prince, nor can it be the second prince. After the change, the new emperor will implement new policies, rectify official corruption, weaken local powerful families, and recover lost territories in the north. There is still hope for Great Liang, but it must be cured at its root. The current court is like an old tree hollowed out by worms; pruning alone is useless, the tree must be cut down and replanted.' These are your exact words."

Xiao Yan put down his teacup.

The nonchalant expression on his face faded, replaced by a seriousness that Su Jiuge had never seen on his face before.

It was like a thick curtain being drawn back, revealing the real person behind it, someone who had never appeared in public before.

Su Jiuge looked into his eyes.

"I used to say that I was just an assassin, good at killing, but clueless about governing. Now I want to tell you that my thinking has changed."

"What has it become?" Xiao Yan's voice was deep.

Su Jiuge remained silent for a moment.

"I want to change this cannibalistic world in my own way. I'm good at killing, so I'll use killing to do it. Those who deserve to be killed, the court can't kill, the Dark Pavilion will. Those who need to be managed, the court can't manage, the Dark Pavilion will manage. The Dark Pavilion is not just an assassin organization, it's the last line of defense for the people. Whoever oppresses the people, the Dark Pavilion will kill. Whoever embezzles and breaks the law, the Dark Pavilion will kill. Whoever betrays the country and surrenders to the enemy, the Dark Pavilion will kill. This isn't a business, it's a matter of principle."

Xiao Yan looked at her for a long time.

Do you know what you're saying?

His voice was a little strained, a kind of emotion that had been touched.

"You are saying—you want to fight against the entire corrupt world all by yourself."

Su Jiuge shook her head.

"It's not the work of one person. I have the Dark Pavilion, the Thousand Machine Tower, the Marquis of Dingyuan's mansion. And you."

Xiao Yan's finger stopped at the rim of the teacup.

"You came here today not just to thank me."

Su Jiuge nodded.

"You helped me out of a predicament in court, and I owe you a favor. I'm here today not just to repay that favor, but to seek cooperation with you. True cooperation isn't between a retainer and an employer; it's about alliance. You want to change the emperor, and I want to change the world. Your goal starts in the court. My goal starts in the world. The court and the world are the same thing."

Xiao Yan stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the red plum tree in the courtyard with his back to Su Jiuge. He remained silent for a long time.

"Do you know?" His voice was low.

"When I said those things to you at Shili Pavilion, I thought you wouldn't understand. It's not because you're stupid, it's because you haven't thought about these things. You live for revenge, to become stronger, to survive. The court, the world, the people—they have nothing to do with you. You said you're just an assassin, good at killing, but you don't understand governing a country. I believed you."

He turned around and looked at Su Jiuge.

"Now you're telling me you've figured it out, and you want to change this cannibalistic world in your own way. Do you know how I felt when I heard those words? It was like a door that had been waiting for many years had finally been pushed open."

Xiao Yan walked back to the table and sat down. He poured Su Jiuge a cup of tea and then poured himself a cup as well.

"Do you know what I was thinking when I first met you?" he asked.

"He's thinking about how to use me," Su Jiuge said.

Xiao Yan smiled, but it was a bitter smile.

"Yes and no. I need a knife, and you are the best knife in the world. But after I met you, I saw more than just a knife. I saw a person, someone who had walked in darkness for too many years, who no longer hoped for the light, but who still had a fire in her heart. That fire was very small, so small that she herself did not know it."

He picked up his teacup and took a sip.

"I want to make that fire bigger, so you can see that there is more than just darkness in this world."

Su Jiuge remained silent.

"You're right, I want to change the emperor. It's not that I want to be emperor, but that neither the current crown prince nor the second prince is fit to be emperor. The crown prince is weak, indecisive, and easily led by the nose by his courtiers. The second prince is cruel, arrogant, and treats the common people like dirt. Whoever becomes emperor, the Great Liang will perish. I want to find someone who is fit to be emperor, or—I will become emperor myself."

Su Jiuge looked at him. "You want to be the emperor?"

Xiao Yan put down his teacup.

"If I become emperor, I'll be dragged down by the Crown Prince and the Second Prince before I even warm the throne. I have no maternal clan to support me, no court officials to back me up, and no military generals to pledge their loyalty. I only have the Thousand Machine Tower, which can kill, gather intelligence, and stir up trouble. But it can't openly confront the entire court."

Su Jiuge looked at him.

You need allies.

"Yes. We need the military power of the Marquis of Dingyuan's mansion, the assassin network of the Dark Pavilion, and your influence in the court. It's not about using you, but about doing this together with you. You want to change the world, and I want to change the emperor. The two things are one and the same."

Su Jiuge reached out her hand to him.

"It's a pleasure working with you."

Xiao Yan looked at that hand.

Fair-skinned, slender, with long fingers and thick calluses on the base of her thumb.

This hand has killed many people: corrupt officials, gangsters, military generals, and those who harbored ill intentions towards her.

This hand will also become the hand that changes the world.

Xiao Yan took her hand.

"It's a pleasure working with you."

The moment she grasped his hand, Su Jiuge felt that it was strong and steady.

His body temperature was much higher than hers, and his palms were warm and dry.

She never knew a person's hand could be so warm, so warm that she almost forgot to let go.

She hadn't forgotten; she held on briefly before letting go.

Xiao Yan's lips curled up slightly.

That smile no longer carried the pretense of a spoiled brat, nor the cynical mockery; it was the smile of someone who had found a kindred spirit.

Su Jiuge stood up.

"I should go back now. My mother is waiting for me for dinner."

Xiao Yan nodded.

"I send you."

Su Jiuge shook her head.

"No need. If people see the Sixth Prince escorting a girl in black out of the manor, the whole of Luoyang will be gossiping tomorrow."

Xiao Yan smiled.

"You think there won't be any gossip now? Yesterday, two princes were vying to marry you in court, and today the whole capital is talking about it. It would be even better if people saw you leaving the Prince Zhao's residence. It would confirm that I, Xiao Yan, am a lecherous fiend who can't resist beautiful girls."

Su Jiuge looked at him.

Xiao Yan's smile deepened.

Su Jiuge suddenly felt that this person was really good at pretending.

He acts like a playboy in the imperial court, and mysterious in the Thousand Machine Pavilion. He occasionally reveals his true colors in front of her, but she doesn't know what his true colors are.

A man who walks on thin ice in the imperial court, who stirs up trouble in the martial arts world, and who brews tea and appreciates plum blossoms in front of her.

She couldn't see through him.

"I'm leaving." Su Jiuge turned around.

She walked out of the study, the courtyard, the covered walkway, and out of the gate of Prince Zhao's mansion.

The setting sun was sinking below the western horizon, turning the entire city of Luoyang into a dark red.

Su Jiuge walked along the streets of Yongningfang at a moderate pace.

She touched the things on her chest—a wooden box, a gold medal, a jade pendant, an iron medal, and two black lotus tokens, and more and more.

She wanted peace in the world, he wanted to change the emperor.

Their goals are different, but they are on the same path.

After watching Su Jiuge leave the study, something within Xiao Yan was touched.

It was like a long-forgotten drum being struck hard, the echo reverberating in my chest for a long time.

He waited for many years, waiting for someone who shared his ideals.

Now it's finally here.

Su Jiuge quickened her pace and walked towards the Marquis of Dingyuan's residence.

Uncle Fu was waiting for her at the door.

"Miss is back. Madam has been waiting for you for a long time."

Su Jiuge nodded and walked into the main hall.

Ms. Shen is setting out the bowls and chopsticks.

Su Zhentian sat in the main seat, reading today's official gazette. Su Chengzhi sat beside him, Su Chengen helped serve dishes, and Su Chengxun read a book in the corner. Su Wan'er sat next to Madam Shen, folding a handkerchief in her hand.

Su Jiuge walked over and sat down next to Shen Shi.

Madam Shen looked at her with a smile.

"You're back? What did you do today?"

Su Jiuge thought for a moment.

"I met someone and had a cup of tea."

Ms. Shen didn't press the matter. She placed a piece of pork rib on her plate.

"Eat while it's hot." Su Jiuge picked up a rib and took a bite. The rib was stewed until very tender and melted in her mouth.

As she chewed on the ribs, she thought to herself that she hadn't told Shen Shi what she had said to Xiao Yan today.

I didn't want her to worry, nor did I want her to think her daughter was crazy. A seventeen-year-old girl saying she wanted to change the world—everyone would think that's madness.

Su Jiuge picked up another piece of pork rib.

She's not crazy; she's thought things through very clearly.

This road is long, difficult, and dangerous.

But she wasn't afraid. She had already walked in the darkness for sixteen years, and she didn't care about walking for a few more years.

Su Jiuge lowered her head and continued eating the ribs.