Second Prince tapped his fingers lightly on the table. “My greatest concern now is the Crane Control Decree falling into the Crown Prince’s hands.”

“Your Highness need not worry about that,” Chu Dingjiang replied.

Second Prince raised an eyebrow slightly, wondering if Chu had somehow managed to neutralize the Crane Control Army.

Chu Dingjiang, not bothering to guess Second Prince’s thoughts, spoke directly, “The Crane Control Army is no longer the formidable force it once was. When news of His Majesty’s death spread, over a hundred men deserted. Some joined me in supporting Your Highness, while the rest split into several factions. Not all will necessarily follow the Crown Prince. Even if he obtains the decree, the forces he can mobilize are well within Your Highness’s ability to handle.”

Second Prince froze, his face filled with surprise. He had considered many possibilities but never imagined this scenario.

For the Song Dynasty, the Crane Control Army had undoubtedly been a powerful force protecting the throne. Throughout the dynasty’s ups and downs, it could be said that “the Crane Control made and broke empires.” Since harboring thoughts of usurping power, Second Prince had been most wary of the Crane Control forces. He had invested significant effort in trying to obtain the decree, yet until now, he hadn’t even seen what it looked like.

This was good news, but he struggled to accept the reality.

When Second Prince was seven or eight, he believed the Song Dynasty was wealthy. Only as he grew older did he learn that the national treasury was often empty. It was like thinking he was a rich heir, only to discover on the brink of inheriting the family business that they had been living on borrowed money all along.

The casualness with which Chu Dingjiang spoke of this matter shocked Second Prince even more than learning about the empty treasury years ago.

“Why?” Second Prince murmured.

Chu Dingjiang paused briefly before replying, “The Crane Control Army has fallen apart because it long ago lost its sense of honor.”

During the Chen Qiao Mutiny, the Crane Control Army seemed to serve only Emperor Taizu, but in reality, they fought for the establishment of a nation. Under Taizu’s reign, the Crane Control Army was an invincible force, conquering all before them. Every assassin in the organization, though living in darkness and leaving behind only a soul bell after death, experienced immense glory and satisfaction while alive.

Later, internal rebellion within the Crane Control Army supported Emperor Taizong, secretly planning to assassinate Taizu and successfully ascend the throne.

One’s perspective shapes how they view the world. Taizong became emperor due to the Crane Control Army’s betrayal, and after his ascension, he constantly feared becoming the next Taizu. Thus, he began to control and suppress the Crane Control Army. Fearing that moving too quickly would provoke rebellion, he carefully and gradually corralled this iron-blooded battle group, bringing it under his complete control. After his death, this mindset was passed down to the next emperor.

From that moment, the Crane Control Army’s fate was sealed.

These were secrets of the imperial family, never revealed to outsiders.

Second Prince could roughly guess the reasons. Knowing this wasn’t the time for sentimentality, he could only sigh deeply.

The sayings “The bird is hunted, the bow is hidden” and “The rabbit dies, the hunting dog is cooked” were eternally relevant.

Second Prince composed himself and summoned all his advisors to discuss the details of entering the palace to mourn before dawn.

After the discussion, Chu Dingjiang led An Jiu to make preparations.

There was one aspect of Second Prince that Chu Dingjiang greatly admired. Though Chu had served Second Prince for only a short time, at this crucial moment, the prince dared to entrust many vital matters to him.

Chu Dingjiang and An Jiu raced through the night, both silent along the way.

They stopped outside the imperial city to rest and prepare.

“Second Prince is indeed different,” An Jiu remarked while checking her equipment.

Chu Dingjiang casually replied, “Just for this courage alone, I feel I haven’t misjudged him.”

“Do all you people who pursue great deeds disregard minor details like this?” An Jiu struggled to understand how a man could so casually accept a woman he had never met, with no attraction involved, purely as a transaction.

Chu Dingjiang paused, then smiled, “I do care about some details. Ah Jiu, that’s the position of the world’s supreme ruler. To sit there, one must endure what others cannot. Compared to other things, accepting a woman is the easiest. I don’t need to gain power or status, so I can be more particular about emotions.”

An Jiu nodded with satisfaction. “Do you know the difference between prostitution and a one-night stand?”

Chu Dingjiang responded helplessly, “I don’t.”

“Most prostitution is purely to satisfy desire. Most one-night stands happen because desire arises for a specific person. Both are animal instincts, but the former is more like lower animals, while the latter approaches higher animals,” An Jiu concluded.

“What are you implying?” Chu Dingjiang asked, removing his hood and looking at her with interest.

“The higher the intelligence, the more selective one is in choosing a mate, and the more loyal one is to their partner. This is behavior only higher animals possess,” An Jiu said, giving him a meaningful look.

Chu Dingjiang chuckled softly, embracing her as he leaped onto the palace wall.

An Jiu looked up at his stubbled chin, frowning as she wondered if the brainwashing had been successful.

Speaking in such a roundabout way wasn’t fun at all. Hinting at things, she thought, really didn’t suit her.