chsdbacks Chapter 86 Dai Hao's thoughts are profound and insightful.
Chapter 86 Dai Hao's thoughts are profound and insightful.
Chapter 86 Dai Hao's thoughts are profound and insightful.
Dai Hao pushed open the heavy mahogany door, and the scene that came into view made him pause slightly, his brows unconsciously furrowing.
Dai Youheng sat arrogantly in his seat, the one that symbolized the Duke's authority, holding a steaming cup of tea with a relaxed posture. When he saw him enter, he merely raised his eyes and a half-smile appeared on his lips.
"You've arrived."
These three words, spoken lightly, lacked any of the reverence and obedience that a junior should show to an elder. Instead, they carried an air of equality, or even a hint of detachment.
Dai Hao's lips twitched almost imperceptibly.
This demeanor, this tone—who's the father here, you or me? For a moment, he even had the absurd illusion that he was there to report to his superior.
He suppressed the strange unease in his heart, walked to the guest chair opposite the desk and sat down. His gaze was sharp as he looked directly at his son, who seemed to have been reborn, and said in a deep voice, "You have changed a lot."
"Oh?" Dai Youheng took a sip of tea, looking eager to hear more.
"Although I haven't spoken much with you before, I'm not completely ignorant of you." Dai Hao's voice was steady, yet scrutinizing. "You're so infatuated with Princess Xu Jiujiu that you've almost lost yourself, your martial spirit cultivation is progressing slowly and disappointingly, and you're often bullied by Hua Bin in the manor. Your personality is somewhat cowardly. But you are now..."
He paused, his eyes sharp, "Calm, decisive, powerful, even arrogant."
"Hehe." Dai Youheng chuckled, put down his teacup, and tapped the table lightly with his fingertips. "It's rare to hear you praise me, a son born out of wedlock. I thought you only ever had eyes for your two precious sons born of the principal wife."
Dai Hao's expression remained unchanged as he continued, "I know you don't really like Yao Heng and Hua Bin."
"Stop." Dai Youheng raised his hand to interrupt, his tone suddenly turning cold, filled with undisguised disgust. "Let me correct you, it's not that I don't like them, it's that I loathe them. Your Grace, you're away from home all year round, do you know how jealous your high and mighty wife is? Her son has perfectly inherited her virtues. Dai Yueheng is alright, he just acts like an elder brother, occasionally lecturing me to show off his superiority. As for Dai Huabin—"
He sneered, a cold glint flashing in his eyes. "Over the years, have you ever witnessed the humiliation and abuse he and his mother have inflicted on us, mother and son, both openly and secretly? Have you ever done anything about it? My younger brother, Luo Li, is timid by nature, and most of the credit for that should go to Dai Huabin for bullying him!"
Although the original owner of this body was the one who truly bore all of this, since he had taken on this identity, he naturally had to bear the consequences.
Dai Hao was silent for a moment, a very subtle complex expression flashing across his face, but it was quickly replaced by an air of authority. "I have been stationed in the Western military camp for many years, shouldering the heavy responsibility of defending the empire's borders. I really have no time to deal with the trivial matters at home."
He tried to steer the conversation back on track, "No matter how much you hate Yueheng and Huabin, they are still your brothers. And now they have both paid the price. Yueheng's hand has been corroded by the evil poison, his meridians are destroyed, and he is basically unable to recover. The Tiger Palm is one of the strongest attack forms of my White Tiger Martial Soul, and the destruction of his hand has been a huge blow to him. Huabin's soul essence has been severely damaged, his potential is gone, and he will probably not achieve much in this life."
His tone carried a subtle hint of sorrow and regret.
"So," Dai Youheng leaned forward slightly, his gaze sharp as a knife, tearing away the veil of pretense, "you've finally thought of me, the illegitimate son you used to look down on? The future heirs of the White Tiger Duke's mansion can't be two useless people, can they? Your Grace, Duke."
Such blunt, even defiant, words made Dai Hao's face darken, but he didn't react immediately. Instead, he looked at Dai Youheng with even deeper eyes. "I just want to give you a chance. After seeing your recent performance, I'm quite satisfied with your talent, strength, and will. Therefore, I am indeed considering making you one of the candidates for successor."
He abruptly changed the subject, his tone becoming extremely serious, "However, before that, there's one thing I must confirm. Did you recently visit Princess Jiu Jiu? What did she say to you?"
Upon hearing this, Dai Youheng's playful smile reappeared on his face. He countered, "With your wisdom, Your Grace, surely you can guess what Princess Xu Jiujiu will tell me?"
Dai Hao sighed deeply, as if he had aged several years in an instant. He leaned back in his chair and slowly said, "Did she use herself as a bargaining chip, promising to marry you in the future in exchange for you becoming her puppet, helping her, or rather the royal family, and ultimately controlling my White Tiger Duke's Mansion, and even the Western Army Group?"
"Yes," Dai Youheng readily admitted, "that's true. It's an exchange of benefits, very fair."
"Youheng!" Dai Hao's voice suddenly rose, tinged with a hint of impatience and exasperation. "Since you're so perceptive, knowing this is her scheme, why did you agree? Have you truly been bewitched by her, loving her to the point of being unable to distinguish right from wrong, and willingly being used?"
This is what he worries about most: if his son is capable enough, but his mind is swayed by emotions, he will still be of little use.
"Don't be in such a hurry, Your Grace." Dai Youheng's tone remained relaxed, even somewhat teasing. "Before answering you, let me ask you a question. Are you... or rather, is our Dai family planning a rebellion?"
"Nonsense!" Dai Hao slammed his hand on the table, abruptly stood up, and turned to look at the portrait of Dai Mubai, one of the original Shrek Seven Devils and their ancestor, hanging on the wall. His voice was deep and righteous, "My Dai family has been loyal and virtuous for generations. Protecting the Star Luo Empire is our mission! The Xu family has governed the empire for many years, bringing peace and prosperity. If we were to rebel now, wouldn't we plunge the country into war and the people into misery? My Dai family would become sinners for all time! I, Dai Hao, will never do such an unfaithful and unjust thing!"
He paused, his tone softening slightly, yet still carrying an indescribable complexity, "But—"
"But..." Dai Youheng continued, his voice steady yet carrying a penetrating power, "The Dai family bloodline has never truly extinguished the thought of reclaiming the ancestral throne, has it? We don't rebel now only because the time is not yet ripe. The country is at peace now, and the people's hearts are with Xu. But if one day, the world changes, or if foreign enemies launch a large-scale invasion, or if the Xu family produces an incompetent and tyrannical ruler, leading to the destruction of the country and the suffering of the people."
"At that time, our Dai family will raise the banner of righteousness, set things rightfully in order, and reclaim the throne that rightfully belongs to us. This will be in accordance with the will of Heaven and the people, and will be perfectly legitimate! And one of the most important pillars of all this is the 500,000-strong iron-blooded army of the Western Army Group, which is absolutely loyal to the Dai family! Therefore, we must not lose this military power, especially not let it fall into the hands of the Xu family, who have always been wary and suspicious of us!"
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