socalfunplaces Chapter 129 The Duchess's Scheme: Turning the Tables
Chapter 129 The Duchess's Scheme: Turning the Tables
Chapter 129 The Duchess's Scheme: Turning the Tables
That night, the Duchess Jumant's room was dimly lit and the atmosphere oppressive. She dismissed all the maids and faced alone with Dai Yueheng, who looked dejected and still carried the humiliation of his defeat during the day.
"Heng'er, even now, haven't you grasped the situation?" Zhu Man's voice carried a chilling despair and ruthlessness. "Dai Youheng has grown powerful and his strength has increased terrifyingly. He has also gained the princess's favor, and his prestige in court is rising daily! If this continues, not only will your position as the eldest son be gone, but the entire White Tiger Duke's mansion will have to change its surname to Xu! Dai Youheng is practically a member of the Xu family already!"
Dai Yueheng suddenly looked up, his eyes bloodshot, his lips moving, but he couldn't utter a word of rebuttal.
His mother's words pierced his heart like a knife, and the devastating defeat of the day kept replaying in his mind.
Zhu Man stepped closer, lowered her voice, and revealed her long-planned scheme, "I've already devised a countermeasure. I'll write another letter to your father, without mentioning the Tyrant Tiger Soul-Refining Blade again. Just say that Dai Youheng is unruly and openly defies your father's orders, and needs to be disciplined strictly. Have your father, in the name of clan and family rules, summon him to the Ming Dou Camp immediately to explain, as long as he leaves Xingluo City—"
A sinister glint flashed in her eyes. "While he's away, we'll find a way to invite Bai Wanning and Dai Luoli back to our Zhu family's territory as guests! Then, not only will he have to obediently hand over the Tyrant Tiger Soul Refining Blade, but he himself will be at our mercy from now on!"
Upon hearing this, Dai Yueheng was shocked and exclaimed, "Mother! This—this is kidnapping and coercion! We are the direct descendants of the White Tiger Duke's Mansion, how could we do such a despicable thing?"
As Dai Hao's eldest son, he received a childhood education in pride and honor, which made him instinctively resist such methods.
"Despicable?" Zhu Man's voice suddenly rose, then she forcefully suppressed it, glaring at her son with exasperation. "The victor is king, the loser is villain! Where's all this talk of honor and righteousness? Look at his reputation now! Everyone says he's a master of both martial arts and literature, a true hero! Those sycophants in Xingluo City, who remembers that you, Dai Yueheng, are the rightful eldest son? If we don't resort to drastic measures, the three of us, mother and son, and the Zhu family, will be trampled into the mud by him, never to rise again!"
Her words were like venomous snakes, slowly eroding Dai Yueheng's moral compass: "Think about your future! Think about Hua Bin!"
Are you truly content to be forever humiliated by a son of a concubine? Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures! All of this is to reclaim everything that belongs to us!
Dai Yueheng's face was deathly pale, his heart wrestling with a fierce internal struggle. His mother's words, the fear of the future, and his growing jealousy and resentment towards Dai Youheng ultimately overwhelmed the last vestiges of pride and principles in his heart. He painfully closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, only a cold, ruthless glint remained in them.
"Alright. We'll do as Mother suggests." He practically spat out the words through gritted teeth.
Little did they know, in the shadows of the beams and pillars of the room where they were plotting, a figure almost blended into the darkness was holding a small recording device, recording the conversation and expressions of the mother and son without missing a single detail.
A few days later, Zhu Man indeed approached Dai Youheng again. This time, she wore a feigned look of worry and an undeniable air of authority, and presented yet another warrant from Dai Hao.
"Youheng, your father is furious about your disobedience and injury to your brother last time!" she said righteously. "He orders you to set off immediately for the Western Army Group's camp and personally explain the situation to him! The clan's orders are absolute and must not be violated!"
""
Dai Youheng took the letter, which clearly bore the imprint of Zhu Man's voice, glanced at it, and instead of showing fear, revealed a half-smile on his face.
"Oh? He wants me to go to the military to explain?" He spoke casually, even with a hint of amusement. "Okay, I understand."
He neither argued nor resisted, and his good attitude made Zhu Man feel a little uneasy. But since things had come to this, she could only pretend to be calm and urge him to leave as soon as possible.
After Zhu Man left, Dai Youheng turned around and entered the palace. He found Xu Jiujiu and frankly told him about the clan decree.
Upon hearing this, she immediately raised her eyebrows and her phoenix eyes filled with anger. "Outrageous! Dai Hao is muddle-headed! You purchased that Tyrant Tiger Soul Refining Blade yourself; it's your private property. How can you forcibly give it to Dai Yueheng? His handling of this matter is clearly biased towards his own people and utterly unjust!"
She grew angrier as she spoke, her protective instincts rising. "You don't need to go! I'll send someone to write to Dai Hao in the name of the royal family, stating that you are innocent and that he should retract his order. I want to see if he dares to defy me!"
However, Dai Youheng smiled and shook his head, stopping her.
"Jiujiu, I understand your feelings." He looked at her, his eyes gentle yet firm. "But I want to handle this myself. I can't always rely on you to stand up for me. Wouldn't that make me look like a kept man, hiding under a princess's skirt and living off her? I, Dai Youheng, still want to stand proudly by your side."
These words both flattered Xu Jiujiu and demonstrated his own integrity. Xu Jiujiu felt both pleased and a little heartbroken, finding his maturity pitiful. In the end, she couldn't persuade him otherwise, and could only repeatedly tell him to be careful and to send a message back immediately if anyone in the army encountered any trouble.
In fact, Dai Youheng never intended to actually go to any Western Army Group!
He even overturned the table to defy Dai Hao's order to hand over his sword, so how could he possibly obediently go to the army to explain? In his heart, Dai Hao, this so-called father, had absolutely no authority.
He happened to have something he had been planning for a long time to do, and this was a good excuse for him to leave Xingluo City temporarily.
As for Dai Hao's clan decree? Let him wait in the Mingdou Mountains! Even if it takes forever, it's none of his business. He doesn't care what Dai Hao thinks of him anyway.
A cold smile curled at the corner of Dai Youheng's lips. This opportunity to leave was actually a chance for Zhu Man and her son to take action and get Bai Wanning and Dai Luoli to leave.
He quietly instructed Ling Ya, "Proceed according to plan. Protect Mother and Luo Li, ensure their kidnapping goes smoothly, and leave enough evidence."
"Yes, young master!" Ling Ya's figure disappeared into the shadows without a sound.
Dai Youheng packed his belongings and claimed to be heading to the Western Army Group on his father's orders, but in reality he quietly left Xingluo City, heading in the opposite direction, all the way north.
His true destination was the Sun Moon Empire. Of course, he did not intend to go through the Mingdou Mountains, but rather to take a long detour, passing through the border between the Heavenly Soul Empire and the Sun Moon Empire, to enter the territory of the Sun Moon Empire, so as to avoid being targeted by the Star Luo Empire's soldiers.