Chapter 243 The Villain Lady Arrives 71

Chapter 243 The Villain Lady Arrives 71

The second prince, the one who always prided himself on being gentle and elegant, was now pacing in the bedroom like a trapped beast, his face so gloomy that water could drip from it.

He stopped suddenly and kicked over the knight who had just entered the room and handed over the secret letter tremblingly. The letter carrying the cruel reality fell to the ground, just like his broken heart at this moment.

"Waste! Waste! How could this happen?!" The second prince roared, his voice full of disbelief and anger. He bent down to pick up the letter, his eyes as sharp as a torch, as if he wanted to penetrate it, but he only saw the cold words ruthlessly announcing the success of the Duke's coup, and that everything he had carefully planned had instantly vanished.

"That useless big brother is still roaming around the border, totally disregarding the safety of the capital!"

The second prince gritted his teeth, crumpled up the letter into a ball, and smashed it against the wall, as if this could vent his resentment and anger.

"If he wasn't incompetent, how could the Duke have taken advantage of this opportunity?"

However, after the anger, it was replaced by deep fear and anxiety.

He realized that in this storm of power change, he seemed to be drawn into a bottomless abyss. The capital had fallen into the hands of the Duke, and as the son of the former king, his situation was precarious.

"Come here! Gather my advisers!" The second prince tried to calm down and find a solution. But all he got in response was the echo in the empty palace.

Only then did he suddenly realize that those advisers who usually surrounded him and flattered him were now like frightened birds, and they all fled from this castle that was about to collapse.

"Hmph, a bunch of opportunists!" The second prince sneered, but his heart was filled with sadness. He looked around, and the once magnificent palace now seemed particularly deserted, and even the air was filled with a depressing atmosphere.

Just when he was in despair, a burst of hurried footsteps broke the silence in the room. A loyal old servant hurried in with a nervous look. "Your Highness, I have an urgent matter to report!"

"Speak!" The second prince tried to remain calm, but his heart was in turmoil.

"The Third Prince... The Third Prince sent someone to deliver a secret message, saying that he is willing to join forces with you to fight against the Duke's tyranny." The old servant said in a low voice, handing over a jade slip engraved with the Third Prince's emblem.

When the Second Prince heard this, a flash of surprise flashed in his eyes, and then turned into a complex emotion. He took the jade slip, and gently stroked the familiar emblem with his fingertips, feeling mixed emotions. "He...he actually came to see me?"

Although he and the Third Prince were brothers, they had long harbored grudges due to the power struggle. But now, facing a common enemy, all the past grudges seemed insignificant.

"Take me to see him." The second prince finally made up his mind. He understood that only by uniting all the forces that could be united could he have a chance of survival in this game of power.

The night was as dark as ink, and the second prince secretly sneaked into the secret mansion where the third prince was hiding. When the two met, they didn't exchange too many pleasantries and went straight to the point.

"Second brother, I know you have always been dissatisfied with me, but at this moment, we must put aside our prejudices and fight against the Duke together." The third prince went straight to the point, his tone was both firm and helpless.

The second prince nodded, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes. "That's what I was thinking. But... our current strength is far less than that of the Duke."

"So, we need more allies." The third prince took out a list from his pocket. On it were densely written names of officials and generals loyal to the royal family that he had secretly contacted. "These people may be able to lend us a helping hand."

The second prince took the list and looked through it carefully, with a glimmer of hope in his eyes. "Okay! Let's split up and gather them together as soon as possible."

In the following days, the second and third princes acted separately, shuttling through the dark corners of the capital, secretly contacting those warriors who were willing to fight for justice. They knew that this was a race against time, and if they were not careful, they might be doomed.

At the same time, the third prince did not forget to use the power behind his mother. Although his mother had retired to the harem for many years, she still had an influence in the court that could not be ignored. The third prince went to the harem in person, explained the current situation to his mother, and asked for her help.

"Uncle, I'm here hoping that you can lend me a helping hand." The third prince knelt in front of his uncle, his tone sincere and firm.

His uncle looked at him, his eyes full of heartache and worry. "Do you know how dangerous this is?"

"My nephew knows. But I know better that if we don't stand up at this moment, our family and our country will be in an irretrievable situation." The third prince raised his head, his eyes flashing with determination.

The middle-aged man was silent for a moment, and finally nodded. "Okay, I will do my best to help you."

He has been bound to the Third Prince for several years, and it is too late to quit now. Even if he wants to quit, there is no guarantee that the Duke will let him go, so he might as well give it a try.

With the support of his uncle, the third prince is even more powerful.

Good news also came from the Second Prince. With his wisdom and courage, he successfully persuaded several generals with heavy troops to join their camp. These generals had long been dissatisfied with the Duke being the king, but they just suffered from the lack of a suitable opportunity and leader. Seeing the Second Prince and the Third Prince join forces, they naturally agreed happily.

After all, who would miss such a good opportunity.

As the night deepened, the alliance between the second and third princes gradually took shape, but undercurrents were surging and dangers were lurking everywhere. Although they had great ambitions, they did not know that their every move had already fallen into the Duke's cunning eyes.

The second prince stood in an abandoned mansion, the candlelight flickering, illuminating his resolute but slightly tired face. Beside him, several generals sat or stood, with different expressions, but their eyes were all flashing with dissatisfaction with the current situation and expectations for the future.

"Generals, I know you are unwilling to accept this. The Duke's tyranny has caused the capital to lose its former peace and prosperity." The second prince spoke in a steady voice, each word sonorous, "But please believe that we are not fighting alone. The third prince and I, in the name of the royal family, swear to take back our royal power and return peace and prosperity to the people."

An elderly general with a white beard and a look of doubt and expectation in his eyes said slowly, "Your Highness, what you said makes sense, but the Duke's power is huge and cannot be eliminated overnight. Although we are willing, we are afraid that we are not strong enough."

The Second Prince smiled slightly, that smile showed both confidence and planning for the future: "Don't worry, General. We have secretly contacted many loyal officials in the court, and we also have the support of the Third Prince's mother's family. As long as we unite as one, we will surely gather into an unstoppable force."

After that, he turned around and took out a detailed battle plan from the table, analyzing it one by one, from the deployment of troops to the supply of food and grass. After listening to it, the generals nodded one after another, with sparks of hope in their eyes.

However, behind this seemingly close alliance, there was an unknown betrayal. While the second prince was having a secret conversation with the generals, a seemingly loyal attendant quietly left the table, took advantage of the night to record the contents of the meeting word for word, and then hurried to the Duke's mansion.

Inside the Duke's mansion, the lights were on. The Duke sat behind a large desk, playing with an exquisite jade seal in his hand, with a meaningful smile on his face. The servant knelt on the ground and respectfully presented the secret letter. The Duke took it and read it carefully, and the expression on his face gradually changed from the initial amusement to a sneer.

"Humph, these two guys are really naive." The Duke put down the letter and shook his head gently. "But this is exactly what I want. Let them jump around for a few days, and when the time is right, we can catch them all in one fell swoop."

He then summoned his trusted adviser and whispered a few instructions to him. The adviser took his orders and left to begin setting a trap for the second and third princes.