The Hidden Owl

Everyone in Shengjing knows that Nie Yu Feng, County Lady of Shun'an, is a sickly beauty who won't live to see twenty. But no one knows that beneath her frail appearance lies "Night Owl," the intelligence chief who commands eyes and ears in every direction. When the night watch ends, the ward gates close, and the whole city falls asleep, her world comes alive.

The Battle of Qishan left her loved ones dead. She lay low for three years, all to uncover the truth behind an old case and make her enemies pay in blood.

Then Prince Ning, banished to guard the border, returned to the capital. In secret, he sought out Night Owl to propose an alliance that could overturn the court.

From then on, strangers passing in the daylight, conspirators making plans together in private, they laid out their game beneath countless watchful eyes, all leading toward that day...

*On the eve of her wedding, the usually unambitious Prince Ning, Xu Lingzhi, climbed over the wall and stumbled drunkenly into her path beneath the gallery. "He can give you what you want. I can give you everything he can. Why choose him?"

She smiled and lightly tapped his chest. "Your Highness is fighting for a mere title. But what I want is his life."

[Frail, scheming intelligence chief × ambitious, fallen prince with hidden designs]

[Miscellaneous notes]

1. This isn't a conventional, cathartic revenge story. It's a lightly political novel with a more realistic feel and a plot-focused style.

2. There is no plot where the male lead falls for the heroine disguised as a man and mistakes himself for a homosexual. That trope bothers me too, so I'm mentioning it here.

3. Former title: The One Left Behind. This is a fictional setting. Some court and folk customs are inspired by the Tang dynasty, but my knowledge is limited, so please don't scrutinize the details. Hope you enjoy!

4. It's my personal writing habit to go back and revise the prose from time to time, both the day after an update and later on. I won't change the plot, only the wording, so it won't affect your reading. Feel free to ignore the revisions.

Thank you for reading this far. If you like the story, please add it to your favorites. ⭐

Upcoming stories:

① A martial world ensemble about a stoic swordsman, The Deathless Judge

② A detective story about a perceptive fortune-teller, Reading the Signs of Fate

③ A fantastical tale of love and strange events across the Three Realms, The Moon Goddess Above

④ The food-filled daily life of a chef, Tasting Spring and Summer

All are told from the heroine's perspective. You can find their blurbs on my profile or follow the direct links in this novel's author announcements.

If you're interested, feel free to favorite them in advance. Once this novel is complete, I'll start whichever one has the most favorites.

Theme: The road may be long and hard, but keep walking and you'll get there.