The princess regretted it.

Chapter 316: Prince 2's Emotional Outburst

Before the Second Prince could respond, Jiaoyu, like a lit firecracker, couldn't stop, and continued with a rapid-fire barrage, "Do you know what all of us have sacrificed for you? Your mother has worked tirelessly to cultivate and plan for your position in the palace since you were a child; she has put so much thought and worry into it. Your maternal grandfather's family has also been doing their utmost to support you from behind, so that you can more smoothly control the court in the future. Your maternal grandfather and uncle have been working among the ministers in the court, cultivating connections and consolidating their power, just to pave a smooth path for you to the highest position."

The more Jiaoyu spoke, the more excited she became. Her eyes were red and there seemed to be anger burning in them. Her voice unconsciously rose a few degrees: "Even I knew I had to plan for you a long time ago. I wear a mask every day to face everyone, and I secretly helped you solve the problems when I found them. Even this time, I was thinking of ways to eliminate the hidden dangers for you, but what was the result? Are you so vulnerable just because of such a small thing? Are you so depressed? Are you worthy of our efforts? Are you worthy of our expectations of you?" The more Jiaoyu spoke, the more excited she became. Her eyes were red and full of grievances and resentment. Her eyes seemed to burn two holes in the second prince's body.

The Second Prince had already suffered a crushing blow from Yundou's sudden betrayal, and had fallen into deep self-doubt, his confidence already shattered. Jiaoyu's ruthless words were like sharp blades, piercing his already shattered heart, and the Second Prince's entire mentality collapsed in an instant.

He roared suddenly like a trapped, wounded beast, his voice filled with endless pain and despair: "Yes! I am useless! You don't have to focus your energy on me anymore, it will waste your efforts. I never thought about striving for anything. From the beginning to the end, my wish has never been to be in that position.

Have any of you ever asked me? Have you ever cared about what I want? I tell you, what I've always longed for is to don armor, mount a steed, and charge into the battlefield, to be a skilled general, protecting the region with my own abilities. Otherwise, let me live a peaceful and carefree life as a prince. I don't have that much ability, and I can't be the person you expect me to be, so why do you place such high expectations on me?

The Second Prince shouted out all the thoughts that had been buried deep in his heart for so many years without reservation. The voice echoed in the silent room, carrying with it his full of grievances and unwillingness.

His roar actually stopped Jiaoyu in her tracks. Jiaoyu's eyes widened as she stared at her second brother, who was shouting at the top of his lungs, in disbelief, as if she were truly meeting him for the first time. She had never imagined that her second brother had such thoughts in his mind. She had originally wanted to reprimand him and get him to cheer up, but at this moment, she froze in place, not knowing what to do.

After the Second Prince roared and vented his anger, the emotions that surged like a raging tide gradually subsided. It was as if he had exhausted all his strength, and he looked tired and lonely.

His body trembled slightly and he couldn't help sobbing. The suppressed crying sound was particularly clear in the silent room. He choked with tears and said, "I know I'm useless. I also want to work hard to become the kind of person you expect me to be. I really want to, but I just can't! You can help me now, but what about in the future, when you are gone? By then, I will be alone, who will help me? I can't even control a maid beside me, and she stabbed me in the back. I really don't have that ability. I can't do the things you expect me to do." As he spoke, he wiped the tears from his face with his hands. He looked helpless and desperate.

Jiaoyu looked at her second brother, who had collapsed to the point of collapse, and she suddenly felt a little worried. She knew that if her second brother continued to be depressed, all the efforts she and her mother had made would be in vain. What would they do in the future?

Thinking of this, she hurried forward, stretched out her hand and tightly grasped her second brother's hand, and said anxiously: "Second brother, it's not like this! Don't do this! In fact, Yundou didn't betray you. She did this to protect you."

"Protect me?" The Second Prince raised his head, his eyes filled with confusion as he looked at Jiaoyu. A wry smile appeared on his face, a smile filled with bitterness and self-mockery. "Jiaoyu, you don't have to distort the facts like this just to comfort me. I'm not that stupid, am I? Yundou testified in front of my father, directly, that I was the mastermind of the arson. How can that be considered protecting me? I simply cannot believe what you're saying."

The second prince laughed out loud in self-deprecating tone again, and the laughter sounded particularly harsh in the quiet room. "Jiaoyu, do you know? If it weren't for your third brother and Jin'an pleading for me, I might have been convicted by father by now, and the consequences would be disastrous. You still want to say that Yundou wanted to protect me? I know I am useless, but you don't have to fool me like this. I'm not a three-year-old child." As he spoke, his eyes were full of disappointment, as if he had lost confidence in everything.

"Brother, I'm sorry. I was anxious and spoke too harshly earlier. But I really didn't lie to you or fool you." Jiaoyu explained anxiously, "Yundou knew she had been exposed, so she came up with this trick. She wanted to do the opposite and deliberately identify you, just to arouse father's suspicion and further investigate the matter. She really wanted to protect you!"

The Second Prince continued to look at her with a questioning expression, clearly still unconvinced. Seeing this, Jiaoyu turned and quickly walked to the door. She carefully peered outside and instructed Xiangcao, who was guarding the door, "Keep watch over the door. Don't let anyone get close. Report any movement immediately." Xiangcao nodded quickly to indicate she understood, her expression growing serious.

Jiaoyu gently closed the door, turned around and quickly walked to the side of the Second Prince, stretched out her hand to pull him to sit down, then leaned close to him, lowered her voice, and told him the whole story in detail and without reservation.

As the Second Prince listened, the expression on his face gradually changed from questioning to shock. He widened his eyes and looked at Jiaoyu in disbelief. He couldn't believe that his mother and sister had actually done such a heinous thing, and had kept it secret from him, planning so much... All of this was really beyond his acceptance, and made him fall into deeper struggle and entanglement.