Always One Step Behind
The Crown Prince stared at the newspaper, lost in thought. Why did the Federal people never follow the script?
He was clearly eager to cooperate with the Federal; he had even washed himself clean and stood up straight, but he still couldn't satisfy the Federal members.
The Federal were not only dissatisfied, but also opposed him. He just couldn't understand where the problem lay.
In truth, both the Crown Prince and the Old King were too naive. Despite being rulers and the Old King having experienced the struggle between divine and political power, they were still too naive.
For the Federal Government, what they need are puppets they can control, not puppets with their own thoughts.
Both the performance of Nagaril Youth Party at the time and its current performance under the new name Nagaril National Congress Party have broken free from the control of the Federal Government.
How could a group with a clear political agenda and proactive actions possibly catch the eye of the Federal? They don't want to support one group to fight against another; they just need obedient puppets. This is why the Old King and the Crown Prince "just happened" to miss out on several opportunities.
At this moment, the Crown Prince was angry but helpless, but he still had a chance! In addition to expressing their grief over the murder of the Old King and queen in the newspapers, the people of the Federal also declared that they would find the Old King's eldest son from abroad and, according to local custom, have the eldest son inherit the Old King's will and become the next ruler.
This is good news; at least the Crown Prince won't miss out again, because he is the one who will inherit everything.
Despite some minor issues, everything ultimately proceeded according to plan, and he was chosen to inherit everything here.
With this in mind, the Crown Prince made arrangements for the next steps, such as sending telegrams to the whole society to announce that the Old King did not die from the murder of the National Congress Party, but committed suicide, while also arranging for his cadres to continue to go undercover.
The Federal's warships are already in the inland sea, and they could land at any time. The most important thing now is to preserve our strength, not to fight the Federal.
"Next, I need you to be stationed in various places. Once the current situation stabilizes, I will find a way to summon you here," the Crown Prince said, putting down his newspaper and looking at the people in the room.
These people are the real backbone, the core strength of this organization. Whether it's the Youth Party or the National Congress Party in each region, all the organization members in each region are placed under their command. Not many people really know the Crown Prince; it's impossible for everyone to know him.
He controlled the entire Nagaril organization through these people; such a tight organizational structure was designed to prevent the capture of one person from implicating the entire organization.
It must be said that this method effectively prevented some problems. Those arrested lower-level members of the organization could not reveal any high-level figures, thus providing a relatively safe environment for everyone.
A young man who didn't look like a good person scoffed, "The future? Is there even a future?"
His words carried a hint of sarcasm and were not pleasant to hear, but they reflected the reality people were facing at the moment.
The successive blows have destroyed more than half of their organization. The blows they suffered when they were Nagaril Youth Party, the blows they suffered later, and the blows they suffered most recently when they appeared as the National Congress Party have all been fatal.
Every effort people make fails to yield any sign of progress. Instead, the Federal government provides the Nagaril People with a better working environment, and their faith, under the influence of capital and money, is no longer as unbreakable as it once was.
In the past, people's lives were very hard, and they were powerless to resist the tricks of fate, so they were able to unite together and fight for their ideals with a certain will.
But now... as long as you find a class, you can realize all your past dreams. Such organizations are no longer so attractive to ordinary people.
The Crown Prince smiled at the challenge, a reserved smile that conveyed a sense of confidence and assurance.
He casually tossed the newspapers on the table, a half-smile on his face, and said, "None of us have ever seen the Crown Prince, and neither have the Federal people..." He suddenly pointed to the person who had spoken earlier, "As long as we all say you are the Crown Prince, in the eyes of the Federal people, you are the Crown Prince."
"You are the Crown Prince ..." He then pointed to another person and teased in a confident and controlling tone, "Then you might also be the Crown Prince."
"Everyone could be the Crown Prince, so is it possible that I could be the Crown Prince?"
When he said those words, there was a hidden arrogance and mockery in his heart. No one expected that this "vanguard against tyranny" was actually the Crown Prince, which gave him a sense of superiority in his understanding of everything.
It was as if everyone else was still shrouded in mist, but his gaze could already pierce through it—a feeling that was quite appealing.
The few people in the room were stunned by the Crown Prince's words. Yes, no one had ever seen the Crown Prince, but if someone admitted it, then anyone could be the Crown Prince.
This excited some people. If their leader became the Crown Prince and, with the help of the Federal, became the ruler of the country, wouldn't that mean that they, the backbone of these organizations, would have the opportunity to become the ruling class of the country? At this thought, no ideals or future could withstand the impact of privilege and power on people. Some people's breathing became a little rapid, and their eyes were burning as they looked at the Crown Prince.
The Crown Prince leaned back, raising his head slightly. "Once I replace the Crown Prince and become the person people see, I will find a way to put you all in the government. At that time, we will firmly control everything in this country from top to bottom. Then, we will have the power to negotiate with foreigners."
"So I said, don't rush, we still have a chance. What we need to do now is to hide and then create momentum for me when necessary, understand?"
After explaining these matters, the Crown Prince dismissed everyone, then quietly left the palace through a secret passage and boarded a ship bound for Is.
As a neutral country, Islam does not receive much attention in society. People talk about the country most about its fishing and medical industries, while education is only so-so.
The reason for choosing such a country as a study abroad destination is also because it is not in the public eye; people don't care whether their classmates are princes or Princess from a certain country.
This also made it easier for his double to hide.
It only takes two days to get from Nagaril to Is, and a lot can happen in two days.
For example, a portion of the Federal's navy was the first to land in Nagaril and then reached the Royal Capital via a fast and convenient transportation system.
Some of the United Development Company's armed forces also cooperated with the naval offensive, easily defeating a group of rebels and rescuing the royal family members from the Anti-Government Armed Forces.
Yes, the Nagaril National Congress Party has once again become an "Anti-Government Armed Forces," just like their predecessor Nagaril Youth Party.
The entire offensive and defensive process proceeded without any significant fluctuations, and the sporadic resistance lasted only a few minutes.
The Crown Prince looked very displeased when he saw in the newspapers that foreigners had temporarily occupied the royal palace under the pretext of protecting it.
For someone like him, the royal palace is sacred, holds special significance, and is a place that foreigners are not allowed to defile! If he knew that, under the direction of certain individuals, the United Development Company had removed many historically significant antiques, artifacts, and even the throne, he would probably be even angrier.
All of this came to a temporary end when the Crown Prince arrived in Is.
He soon arrived at his "study abroad" destination, a rather unremarkable city. The Crown Prince, who had just come out of the station, casually bought a local newspaper. This was a habitual behavior, something many people had.
Wherever they went, if there was a newsstand, they would buy a newspaper or magazine. On the one hand, these things could help them pass the time, and on the other hand, if necessary, newspapers and magazines could also be used as props to hide themselves.
But to the Crown Prince's disbelief, "him" was actually on the front page of the newspaper.
His double, a Nagaril People bore a striking resemblance to him, appeared on the front page of the newspaper with the headline "The Prince Hidden Among Us."
He read quickly, trying to figure out what had happened, but what he found next filled him with despair.
The Federal found the place a day early, located his "stand-in," the Nagaril People, and protected him.
For an inconspicuous city in a neutral country, the dramatic turn of events—a student who has quietly studied for many years without graduating suddenly becoming a prince of the country—can easily plunge the locals into a state of frenzy.
People began to report on it, and students and teachers alike stepped forward to share their understanding of the "prince" with others. Some girls even came forward to say that they were pregnant with the prince's child and hoped to leave with him.
Standing on the street, the Crown Prince's mind went blank. He looked at the stand-in who had once been timid and subservient in his presence, not daring to even raise his head, now radiating confidence and self-satisfaction with a smug smile on the front page of the newspaper. Didn't he understand that he was just a fake? After a long while, the Crown Prince came to his senses and realized that this matter could not be left unresolved. He was startled by the speed of the Federal's actions and knew he had to find a way to make amends as soon as possible.
If the Federal people believe that his double is the Crown Prince, it will be a devastating blow to him.
Forget about restoring the monarchy in the future; he will even be stripped of his status as a member of the royal family!