Nine Nights Owl Song

February 9th, the 18th year of Yong'an.

Luoyang, the imperial city.

When Su Jiuge received the imperial decree again, she was in the courtyard exchanging blows with Shen Qing.

Shen Qing's swordsmanship has improved rapidly recently. Ghost Shadow taught him several new sword techniques, which he practiced day and night, getting up before dawn to practice until dark, and even eating his meals on the training ground.

When Su Jiuge sparred with him, it was already difficult for her to win easily within thirty moves.

His swordsmanship possessed something Su Jiuge lacked—not ruthlessness, but resilience.

Like bamboo, it will spring back when bent, and the more it is bent, the more it will spring back.

The eunuch who delivered the imperial edict was still from the Qianqing Palace, and his attitude was even more respectful than last time.

Su Jiuge accepted the decree and frowned slightly as she looked at the four words "Immediate Audience".

The last time she was summoned was on the 26th of the first month, and less than half a month later, the emperor wanted to see her again.

Su Zhentian came out of the study and saw the imperial edict in Su Jiuge's hand; his face darkened.

"His Majesty wants to see you again." Su Jiuge nodded.

Su Zhentian remained silent for a moment.

"What did you say to His Majesty last time?"

"truth."

Su Zhentian rubbed his temples.

"Just tell the truth this time too."

Su Jiuge looked at him.

"Aren't you going to ask me what he said?"

Su Zhentian shook his head.

"The less you know about matters between the ruler and his subjects, the better. Go now, and be careful what you say."

Su Jiuge changed into that crimson purple dress.

Madam Shen combed her hair, still using that gold-inlaid jade hairpin, a simple updo, neither ostentatious nor impolite.

Shen's hands were steady. Su Jiuge looked at her face in the bronze mirror. Shen's expression was different from last time. Last time she was nervous, but this time she was calm.

It seems they've gotten used to their daughter entering the palace.

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"Nine Songs," Shen suddenly spoke.

"Um."

"His Majesty has summoned you twice, which shows that he values ​​you. This is both a good thing and a bad thing. Remember, no matter what His Majesty asks you, you must stand on His Majesty's side. Not on the side of the Crown Prince, not on the side of the Second Prince, but on the side of His Majesty."

Su Jiuge looked at Shen Shi in the bronze mirror.

"I know."

Shen tied up the last strand of hair, inserted a hairpin, and placed her hands on Su Jiuge's shoulders.

"Go on, your mother will be waiting for you at home."

Su Jiuge stood up and walked out of the room. Shen Qing was waiting for her in the corridor, holding her knife in his hand.

She took the knife and hung it at her waist, with Shen Qing following behind.

As she walked out of the Marquis's mansion, she saw a carriage parked at the alley entrance, and a person standing next to the carriage—Bai Yu.

Bai Yu was wearing a long blue robe, without a fan in his hand, and his expression was more serious than usual.

"Qianji Tower just received the news," Bai Yu said in a low voice.

"His Majesty summoned the Crown Prince yesterday, dismissed his attendants, and spoke with him for nearly two hours. There was no morning court today, and His Majesty summoned you directly. I wonder if it has anything to do with the Crown Prince."

Su Jiuge looked at him.

"What do you think His Majesty wants to ask?"

Bai Yu thought for a moment.

"I don't know, but Miss Jiuge, be careful."

Su Jiuge boarded the carriage.

The carriage headed towards the imperial city, the sound of its wheels rolling over the bluestone slabs dull and rhythmic.

She leaned against the carriage with her eyes closed, the seven items in her waistband digging into her.

The Imperial Study.

Emperor Yong'an looks better today than last time.

He was dressed in a dark casual robe and wearing a black gauze hat. He sat behind the dragon desk with several folded paper spread out in front of him and a vermilion brush on a brush holder.

He had dark circles under his eyes, but he seemed to be in good spirits, as if he had just done something very important and hadn't yet recovered from that tense state.

Su Jiuge bowed, and Emperor Yong'an gestured to the chair beside him. "Sit."

Su Jiuge sat down.

Gao Dequan brought the tea up, then left, closing the door behind him.

Emperor Yong'an looked at her.

"I've summoned you today because I want to ask you about someone."

Su Jiuge remained silent.

"The Sixth Prince, Xiao Yan, Master of the Thousand Machines Pavilion." Emperor Yong'an looked into her eyes.

What do you think of him?

Su Jiuge's fingers twitched slightly.

She spent eight years in the Dark Chamber, learning to never let her expression betray her under any circumstances.

But the emperor's sudden inquiry about Xiao Yan, and the fact that he was the master of the Thousand Machine Tower, was unexpected.

"This humble woman is not familiar with His Highness the Sixth Prince," Su Jiuge said calmly.

Emperor Yong'an narrowed his eyes slightly.

"Not familiar? He visits the Marquis of Dingyuan's residence every day, bringing tangerines, Shu brocade, tea, and eating the osmanthus cakes your mother makes. You say we're not familiar?"

Su Jiuge remained silent for a moment.

"His Highness the Sixth Prince is a guest. He came to the Marquis's residence only to deliver gifts. I have spoken no more than ten sentences to him."

"No more than ten sentences?" Emperor Yong'an's tone carried a hint of amusement.

"He was shouting in court that he wanted to marry you, and you said no more than ten sentences?"

Su Jiuge frowned slightly.

She knew the emperor was testing her—not her relationship with Xiao Yan, but whether she was lying.

She wouldn't lie, but she wouldn't tell the whole truth either. This was the most important lesson she learned in the Dark Chamber.

"The Sixth Prince said in court that he wanted to marry my daughter in order to help the Fourth Prince out of a difficult situation."

Su Jiuge looked into Emperor Yong'an's eyes,

"The Fourth Prince publicly proposed marriage in court, with the Crown Prince and the Second Prince both watching. His Majesty couldn't refuse or agree. The Sixth Prince stepped forward and muddied the waters, so His Majesty took the opportunity to scold the prince and dismiss the court, thus putting the matter aside. This wasn't a proposal, but a way to extricate himself from a difficult situation."

Emperor Yong'an stared at her for a long time.

Then he laughed, not a sneer, but a laugh full of appreciation.

"You are smarter than your father." Emperor Yong'an leaned back in his chair.

"Your father told me you weren't close, and I believed him. But you say you're not close, and I don't believe him."

Su Jiuge did not respond.

"I won't ask what your relationship is with the sixth prince." Emperor Yong'an's tone changed; it wasn't a probe, but an order.

"I have another question for you—what do you think of the Sixth Prince?"

Su Jiuge remained silent for a long time. This question was even more difficult to answer than the previous one.

"His Highness is a playboy in court, the master of the Thousand Machine Pavilion, but in front of me..."

"What is it?" Emperor Yong'an pressed.

Su Jiuge thought for a moment.

"She is someone who can brew tea, peel chestnuts, and eat osmanthus cake."

She didn't say "collaborator," she didn't say "ally," she didn't say anything that would arouse the emperor's suspicion.

What she said was true—Xiao Yan did indeed know how to brew tea, peel chestnuts, and loved osmanthus cake.

Emperor Yong'an remained silent for a moment.

"You can brew tea, peel chestnuts, and eat osmanthus cake. How dare you speak of a prince like that in front of me?"

Su Jiuge looked at him.

"Your Majesty asked me how he was, and I answered truthfully. This is how he is in my eyes."

Emperor Yong'an suddenly laughed.

That smile held a mix of helplessness, emotion, and something indescribable.

"Of my more than ten sons, the sixth is the one I understand the least. I understand the eldest son; he wants the position of crown prince, but he's afraid I won't give it to him, so he doesn't dare ask me for it and pretends to be virtuous every day. I also understand the second son; he wants the position of crown prince, but he thinks I'm biased and that the eldest son isn't worthy, so he pretends to be brave every day. I also understand the fourth son; he also wants the position of crown prince, but he knows he has no chance, so he pretends to be kind every day. Only the sixth son, I've been looking at him for over twenty years, and I still don't know what he wants."

Emperor Yong'an looked at Su Jiuge.

"Do you know?"

Su Jiuge remained silent for a long time.

"This humble woman does not know what he wants. But this humble woman knows what he does not want."

"What?"

"He doesn't want to be the crown prince."

Emperor Yong'an paused for a moment.

How did you know?

"If he wanted to be the crown prince, he wouldn't have pretended to be a good-for-nothing for over twenty years. A prince pretends to be a good-for-nothing not to protect himself, but to make everyone think he's unworthy."

Su Jiuge's voice wasn't loud, but her choice of words was bold.

"He didn't want to fight, didn't want to snatch, didn't want to kill his own brothers. He just wanted to live."

The Imperial Study was extremely quiet.

Emperor Yong'an looked at Su Jiuge with a look in his eyes that she had never seen before—an expression of being touched on a sore spot, unwilling to admit it yet forced to.

"This is the first time in over twenty years that I have heard anyone say such a thing about my son."

"Because others dare not say it," Su Jiuge said.

Emperor Yong'an remained silent.

There was a long, long silence, so long that the sky outside the window darkened, and Gao Dequan lit a lantern outside the door.

"Su Jiuge." Emperor Yong'an finally spoke.

"I have an idea."

Su Jiuge looked at him.

"I want to marry you to the sixth prince."

Su Jiuge's fingers clenched tightly inside her sleeve, her face expressionless.

Emperor Yong'an smiled as he observed her reaction.

"You don't want to?"

Su Jiuge remained silent for a moment.

"Whether I am willing or not is unimportant. Has Your Majesty asked the Sixth Prince for his opinion?"

Emperor Yong'an nodded.

"I asked him. He said you're the most interesting girl he's ever met, and that he'll never be bored if he marries you."

Su Jiuge frowned slightly—Xiao Yan, what are you up to now?

Emperor Yong'an smiled even more deeply as he looked at her expression.

"You didn't know? He didn't tell you?"

"His Highness the Sixth Prince didn't mention it to me."

Emperor Yong'an leaned back in his chair, looking at the ceiling.

"I asked him, 'Will you marry Su Jiuge?' He replied, 'If Father Emperor allows me to marry her, I will. If Father Emperor does not allow me to marry her, I will not. I will obey Father Emperor.'"

Emperor Yong'an looked at Su Jiuge.

"Guess how I answered him?"

Su Jiuge shook her head.

"I said, get out."

Su Jiuge was stunned for a moment.

Emperor Yong'an laughed heartily, a truly unrestrained laugh, as if he hadn't laughed like this in many years.

"I told him to get out, and he got out. He got out faster than anyone else."

Emperor Yong'an stopped laughing.

"I'm asking you now—if I were to really marry you off to the sixth prince, would you be willing?"

Su Jiuge looked into Emperor Yong'an's eyes. In those eyes, there was probing, seriousness, and an expectation of finding a good wife for her son.

She remained silent for a long time.

She knew she had to answer this question, and she couldn't just give a perfunctory answer.

"Your Highness and I are partners. I will not become his wife because of an imperial decree, nor will he. There is no need for an imperial decree between us."

Emperor Yong'an looked at her.

"Are you rejecting me?"

Su Jiuge shook her head.

"I am not rejecting Your Majesty. I am telling Your Majesty that your relationship with the Sixth Prince is none of Your Majesty's concern. When it is meant to be, it will be; when it is not meant to be, forcing it will not bring happiness."

Emperor Yong'an looked at her for a long time, and then suddenly laughed.

"How did the Marquis of Dingyuan raise such a daughter as you? In my fifty-plus years of life, this is the first time someone has told me, 'Your Majesty need not worry about this.'"

Su Jiuge remained silent.

Emperor Yong'an remained silent for a moment.

"Alright, I won't force you. Go back now. I'll make my own decisions about the sixth prince's matter."

Su Jiuge stood up, bowed, and turned to walk towards the door.

"Su Jiuge," Emperor Yong'an called out to her.

Su Jiuge stopped but did not turn around.

"I'm entrusting this sixth prince to you."

Emperor Yong'an's voice was deep.

"He's not a good-for-nothing, I know that. You're not an ordinary person either, he knows that. The two of you, get along well."

Su Jiuge remained silent for a moment.

"This humble woman takes her leave."

She walked out of the imperial study.

Night had completely enveloped the imperial city.

The lanterns on both sides of the palace road lit up one by one, casting her shadow very long.

Su Jiuge walked along the palace path, her pace neither fast nor slow.

The emperor wanted to marry her off to Xiao Yan. She didn't know what Xiao Yan had said to the emperor, how much the emperor actually knew, or what the conversation would bring.

She only knew one thing—the emperor didn't dislike Xiao Yan, didn't dislike her, and even somewhat liked both of them.

Not as subjects and princes, but as two "interesting" young people.

Su Jiuge quickened her pace.