With the arrival of the southern camp of the Tianwu Army, the sounds of battle cries rose to the heavens, turning a covert struggle into an open confrontation. The Crown Prince and the Second Prince had finally reached a point of no return.
The Crown Prince gazed at the faint light outside, his expression cold and heavy.
As the Crown Prince, he held more advantages than the Second Prince. The entire East Palace had hundreds of officials and nearly a thousand guards, and he had privately won over many civil and military officials. However, the Second Prince carried the bloodline of a military family, and his martial demeanor naturally appealed more to the military officers—a fact that deeply unsettled the Crown Prince.
Yet what troubled him even more was the secret edict the Emperor had once given to the Second Prince.
What exactly was in that edict? Could it truly have been about deposing the elder and establishing the younger? Otherwise, how could the Second Prince dare to boldly lead troops to storm the palace? But according to several ministers, that wasn’t the case!
The Emperor’s death had been sudden. At the time, only the attendant from Guye Palace had been by his side—even the Crown Prince hadn’t had the chance to see him one last time.
According to the attendant’s message, the Emperor had only mentioned before his death that he had left an imperial edict a few days prior. Yet despite searching the palace thoroughly, the Crown Prince had found nothing—even the scribe who had drafted the edict had vanished! The ministers who had been present at the Emperor’s bedside all claimed that His Majesty had said: "The Crown Prince shall succeed the throne, and all ministers must assist him to the best of their abilities."
The Crown Prince pressed his lips tightly together, his gaze growing even darker. Suddenly, he declared, "Fetch my armor!"
The echoes of his command reverberated through the hall.
The eunuch at his side bowed and retreated to carry out the order, while officials in the hall urged, "Your Highness, you must not do this!"
The Crown Prince did not respond. He was not one to make decisions lightly, but once his mind was set, no one could sway him.
Feng Shi knew it was futile to dissuade him and instead suggested, "Your Highness, order the Crane Control Army to join the battle as well."
"Exactly my intention!"
As soon as the Crown Prince spoke, dozens of shadowy figures descended into the hall one after another. With a crane’s cry, these figures—like phantoms of the night—gathered toward Dragon Riding Hall. In mere moments, over fifty or sixty had assembled.
The officials gaped at the scene. This was their first time witnessing the legendary Crane Control Army in person. Not only did they truly exist, but they had been by their side all along.
An Jiu noticed the figures closest to the Crown Prince and suddenly realized—those were Chu Dingjiang’s people!
Previously, she and Sui Yunzhu had been responsible for the Crown Prince’s close protection, but later, Chu Dingjiang had arranged for replacements, allowing them to withdraw. Did this mean Chu Dingjiang had been planning for this day all along? An Jiu couldn’t help but glance at him.
Chu Dingjiang seemed to know what she was thinking and gently patted the back of her head.
Once the armor was brought, the Crown Prince moved to a side chamber to change.
Chu Dingjiang led An Jiu up to the rafters.
From above, An Jiu saw Feng Shi following the Crown Prince closely, along with several East Palace Shadow Guards—privately trained forces of the Crown Prince. Even if Chu Dingjiang had infiltrated the Dragon Martial Guard, it would be impossible to kill the Crown Prince in one strike.
By the time the Crown Prince donned his armor, nearly two hundred members of the Crane Control Army had gathered in the hall, all wearing ghost masks. Among them, the Mei family disciples immediately spotted Elder Zhi upon entering and naturally positioned themselves closest to him.
Feng Shi, with his snow-white hair and brows, appeared no different from an ordinary eunuch. Neither Chu Dingjiang nor An Jiu could sense any trace of his mental strength or inner force—precisely why he seemed all the more unfathomable.Chu Dingjiang had once crossed swords with Feng Shi and was injured by him, an injury that still hadn't healed to this day. Facing him again now, he wasn't confident of victory.
The Crown Prince changed into his armor and led a grand procession toward Baohua Gate, leaving behind a room full of anxious ministers.
Prime Minister Hua and the Grand Marshal quietly sighed in relief.
An Jiu pointed toward the main hall.
Understanding her meaning, Chu Dingjiang brought her back to their original hiding spot to continue their surveillance.
"Elder Zhi has gone with them too," An Jiu whispered.
At this moment, there were no elite fighters in either the main or side halls—only some first or second-tier guards stationed outside.
Chu Dingjiang grasped her hand and said, "Let's go. Later, I'll distract Feng Shi while you deal with Elder Zhi to create an opportunity for them."
An Jiu naturally knew who "them" referred to, but she had some doubts. "Elder Zhi was, after all, my teacher. Are you really so confident I can defeat him?"
Thinking she had misunderstood, Chu Dingjiang explained, "Elder Zhi is a selfish man, but he's obsessed with Archery. Back then, he was willing to cripple your meridians just to touch the pinnacle of Archery because he believed it was within reach. These past two years, his mental state has deteriorated further. If you surpass him in Archery, he definitely won't strike to kill."
"I'll distract Feng Shi," An Jiu said.
Chu Dingjiang was taken aback.
When he didn't respond, An Jiu repeated firmly, "I'll distract Feng Shi. I know your Inner Force and Mental Strength have declined significantly—you're no match for him now."
Touched, Chu Dingjiang nearly pulled her into an embrace but instead flicked her forehead lightly. "Still as blunt as ever! Just wait and see. I've fought Feng Shi before. His injuries haven't healed either, and even if my Internal Energy isn't what it used to be, he's still no match for me." (To be continued...)
PS: Recently, I've been going through a tough period—some things I can't speak of openly, standing at a confusing crossroads. This sounds rather dramatic, but some sorrows aren't about unwillingness to share; it's that no words seem to help.
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