Five days later, the northwest frontier of the Star Luo Empire.
Inside the spacious and majestic commander's tent of the Star Luo Empire's Northwest Army Corps, the atmosphere was as oppressive as the eve of a storm; almost no one dared to take a single step inside without permission.
A massive sand table was placed in the center, stuck full of flags representing various forces, but at this moment it appeared chaotic and disorderly. The military documents and maps cast mottled shadows on Dai Hao's body in the flickering candlelight, much like his current irritable state of mind.
Let's set aside the news from a while ago about the evil soul masters annihilating Star Luo City and their White Tiger Duke's mansion. Just now, another battle report arrived that left him both shocked and furious:
The Dou Ling Empire, taking advantage of the chaotic situation following the destruction of the Star Luo imperial family, swept down like a ravenous wolf with the momentum of a whale swallowing its prey. Their terrifying combat power was like a fierce wind sweeping away fallen leaves, directly taking numerous cities in the northern part of the Star Luo Empire.
The Tian Hun Empire also suffered the same fate; under the fierce offensive of the Dou Ling Empire, they were steadily retreating, but they were doing much better than the Star Luo Empire, as if they were wary of something.
Of course, there was no doubt about what they were wary of.
It was entirely because of the existence of the Limit Douluo Du Busi, which made the Dou Ling Empire hesitate to take action for fear of causing collateral damage. But towards their Star Luo Empire... they were simply bullying them for not having a Limit Douluo!
"How dare the Dou Ling Empire do this?"
Dai Hao's voice was low and angry, constantly echoing in the commander's tent. At the same time, his complexion looked extremely grave. He clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white from the force. The next second,
Bang—
He slammed his fist heavily onto the commander's desk, causing the teacup on it to jump, spilling the tea. "Shrek Academy clearly stepped forward to initiate an alliance of the major factions on the Douluo Continent to jointly fight against the evil soul masters. How dare they provoke trouble at such a critical juncture, risking universal condemnation?!"
The anger in his heart burned fiercely! He felt indignant at the audacity of the Dou Ling Empire!
But soon, Dai Hao took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. As his emotions receded and his intellect took the high ground, he quickly understood the reason behind it, a ruthless glint flashing in his eyes.
"Hmph—, what a brilliant calculation!"
"By doing this, they probably plan to stuff the meat into their mouths first, and then when faced with condemnation from all sides, they'll spit a portion back out. But as long as a part of what they swallowed takes root and stabilizes, the remaining territory and population will permanently belong to the Dou Ling Empire."
Just as Dai Hao was thinking about how to deal with the Dou Ling Empire, footsteps suddenly came from outside the commander's tent. Dai Hao looked up and saw Dai Yaoheng lifting the tent curtain and striding in.
Dai Yaoheng knelt on one knee, cupped his fist, and said:
"Father Marshal, your son has something to report."
Dai Hao raised his hand slightly, signaling him to rise. "What is it?"
Dai Yaoheng stood up, casting a tentative glance.
"There is an acquaintance asking for an audience."
An acquaintance?
Dai Hao frowned slightly, feeling somewhat puzzled:
"Who? Where did they come from?"
Hearing this, Dai Yaoheng obviously hesitated for a moment. Seeing that his father's complexion was still passable, he said: "The other party refuses to reveal their identity until they see you, but they can be considered someone from Star Luo City."
"From Star Luo City!?"
Dai Hao, who had just lowered his head, snapped it back up.
It seemed he had some conjecture in his heart, and he immediately said excitedly:
"Quick! Let him in."
Immediately, Dai Yaoheng went out to fetch the person. Not long after, a person wearing a black cloak and a mask slowly walked into the commander's tent.
This person's attire was extremely mysterious. The black cloak covered their entire body tightly, and under the mask, their face was invisible.
Upon seeing this, a trace of vigilance flashed in Dai Hao's eyes. He stared intently at the mysterious person, trying to discern clues from their demeanor.
The mysterious person walked to the center of the commander's tent and bowed slightly.
Seeing this, just as Dai Hao was about to open his mouth to ask, he saw the mysterious person slowly open the cloak, revealing a head of golden shoulder-length hair.
Immediately after, he took off his mask, and a familiar face appeared before Dai Hao's eyes, startling him!
"Huabin!"
Dai Hao blurted out.
He never would have imagined that the mysterious person before him was actually his second son. He never would have thought that Dai Huabin would appear in the military camp in such a manner.
He originally thought it was a survivor from Star Luo City, such as an official or something.
Who would have thought...
Well, well, well, what a "person from Star Luo City."
In an instant, countless thoughts flashed through Dai Hao's mind, his thoughts churning a thousand times. However, his years of military career made him react quickly.
He snapped his head around, glared fiercely at Dai Yaoheng, and said decisively and sharply, "Get out! Guard the commander's tent, and don't let anyone approach!"
Being glared at like this, Dai Yaoheng, who had been covering for his younger brother, first lowered his head in a slight daze before accepting the order and leaving the commander's tent.
Once the tent curtain fell, Dai Hao turned his gaze back to Dai Huabin, his expression grave, his tone carrying a questioning tone: "Why aren't you at Shrek Academy? What are you doing running into the military camp?"
Dai Huabin met his father's gaze without the slightest fear. On the contrary, his eyes burned with a fiery light.
"Father, I've come to discuss a major matter with you."
Dai Hao frowned tightly, thinking he was just causing trouble. But he still patiently asked: "What matter could bring you here?"
Dai Huabin took a deep breath, ambition revealed in his eyes.
"Father, I hope you can take back the throne that belongs to our White Tiger Dai family. The Xu family has sat on this throne for far too long!"
Upon hearing this, Dai Hao's blood immediately rushed to his head!
He instantly flew into a rage, his eyes wide with anger like a volcanic eruption.
Without another word, he raised his hand and delivered a resounding slap across Dai Huabin's face.
This slap was decisive, catching Dai Huabin completely off guard. The force was so great that it instantly caused his nose to bleed and his cheek to swell up high.
"Bastard!"
Dai Hao reprimanded angrily, "Our Dai family has been deeply graced by imperial favor for generations. How could you harbor such a treasonous thought when the royal family is in dire straits! Moreover, the late Emperor and I regarded each other as brothers, as close as hands and feet. Are you asking me to usurp my own niece's kingdom! Dai Huabin! You are utterly confused! You disappoint me to the extreme!"
Dai Huabin was a Soul Saint after all; after being hit, his body only swayed slightly before he quickly stabilized his stance. He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, looking directly into Dai Hao's eyes without yielding an inch.
"Father, this isn't rebellion; it's taking back what rightfully belongs to us! Have you forgotten the glory of our Dai family? The White Tiger Dai family of the past, how magnificent it was in the Star Luo Empire! That throne should have been our Dai family's in the first place!"
Dai Hao's face was as dark as the clouds before a storm. He glared at Dai Huabin, trembling with anger, and pointed at his nose as he cursed:
"What do you know! This is an act of treason; it will push the Dai family into eternal damnation! Glory? Is glory betraying!? Is glory rebelling!?"
Dai Huabin remained completely unmoved, continuing to argue stubbornly, "Father, look at the current situation. The orthodox lineage of the Xu family now only has Xu Jiujiu, a mere woman. In the future, the royal bloodline will inevitably fall into the hands of outsiders. It would be better for our Dai family to take back the throne and revive the family's glory! Furthermore, the invasion of the Dou Ling Empire is enough to show the incompetence of the Xu family. They simply cannot protect the Star Luo Empire, so they should abdicate!"
However, before Dai Hao could refute, Dai Huabin immediately continued, "Also, after rescuing Xu Jiujiu, the very first thing the Star Luo Empire's Worships did was not to come to the Northwest Army Corps to seek your help, Father. Instead, they went to Shrek Academy. Isn't this a sign of their distrust towards you!? Do they think you would take advantage of the situation to seize Xu Jiujiu and usurp the throne?"
Whether these words were true or false, once spoken, they were like a knife stabbing straight into Dai Hao's heart.
This made Dai Hao's complexion grow even uglier, though this ugliness was mostly because of Dai Huabin's audacity.
But he still immediately refuted, "This is human nature! Moreover, Shrek Academy is powerful, far beyond what our Northwest Army Corps, located in the frontier, can compare to. They went to Shrek Academy only to seek more reliable protection. That's all!"
Dai Huabin sneered, "Father, do you really believe that? Right now, in the entire Star Luo military, your prestige is the highest; you could say you have only to call and hundreds will answer. Even when the late Emperor was alive, he was somewhat wary of you. Now that the late Emperor has passed away and the officials are scattered, Princess Xu Jiujiu is weak and isolated. With you around—let alone her—can those Worships really be at ease?"
Seeing Dai Hao's face growing darker and darker, Dai Huabin added another blow: "Father, if you were in their shoes, would you feel at ease? If it were me, I'd wish to eradicate you and even the entire White Tiger Dai family. After all, you command the entire army and your merits overshadow the sovereign. In the eyes of an emperor, that is a capital offense!"
At this moment, Dai Hao fell into extreme conflict. His heart struggled fiercely between loyalty and disappointment.
On one hand, he had been deeply favored by the Star Luo royal family and had upheld the belief of loyalty his entire life; on the other hand, what Dai Huabin said was not entirely unreasonable. The current situation was indeed extremely unfavorable to the Dai family. If he took a wrong step...
He would be the sinner of the Dai family!
Seeing Dai Hao remaining silent, Dai Huabin struck while the iron was hot.
"Father, I'll say it again: this throne should have been ours. Right now, an excellent opportunity is right before us. As long as you make up your mind, relying on your prestige and strength in the military, you will surely succeed. By then, our Dai family will once again become the masters of the Star Luo Empire and restore our past glory!"
"Mandated by Heaven, long life and eternal prosperity!"
These eight characters were filled with incomparable temptation, as if striking Dai Hao's heart, constantly echoing in his mind.
Dai Hao raised his head, looking deeply at Dai Huabin, his eyes full of complex emotions. He slowly walked to the commander's desk, picked up the half-spilled cup of tea, and drank it in one gulp.
Then, he turned around, looked at Dai Huabin, and said: "Huabin, what you said shocks me, and pains me as well. I always thought that at Shrek Academy, you would study hard and become a useful person to the family and the empire in the future. I didn't expect you to harbor such thoughts."
Dai Huabin was about to speak, but Dai Hao raised his hand to stop him. "The matter of the throne is no child's play. It concerns the future of the Star Luo Empire and the lives of countless people. We cannot make a wrong decision out of momentary ambition and impulse."
A wrong decision?
How could this be wrong?
Are you really not afraid at all!?
Are you some kind of saint!?
Seeing that his father was still so obstinate, Dai Huabin said anxiously: "Father, opportunity knocks but once! The current situation is a once-in-a-lifetime chance for our Dai family. If we miss it, there might not be a so-called 'later'!"
Unexpectedly, Dai Hao still shook his head.
"You only see the immediate benefits, but you haven't considered the consequences. Once we raise troops to fight for the throne, the Star Luo Empire will inevitably fall into civil war. And at this very moment, the Dou Ling Empire is watching like a tiger. The slightest misstep will push the Star Luo Empire into eternal damnation. This is something I do not wish to see, and it is a price that our Dai family and our White Tiger Duke's mansion cannot bear."
Seeing this, Dai Huabin was still unwilling to give up.
"Father, we can plan secretly and act when the time is ripe. Moreover, with our Dai family's influence in the military, as long as you give the order, many soldiers will surely respond. We have a great chance of winning! We could even win without spilling blood..."
Dai Hao sneered, "A chance of winning? Without spilling blood?"
"Do you think this is a simple war? The struggle for the throne involves not only the military but also the interests of various factions. Once we make a move, it will inevitably provoke interference from other forces. Our Dai family could become the target of everyone's condemnation!"
Dai Huabin fell silent for a moment, then said: "Father, regardless of the consequences of rebellion... if we hesitate and wait until Princess Xu Jiujiu establishes her footing, she will definitely make a move against our Dai family. By then, we will truly have no chance."
Dai Hao looked at Dai Huabin, his heart filled with mixed feelings.
He knew that his son's ambition had been thoroughly ignited, and it would not be easy to dispel it easily. Although it wasn't that he didn't want the throne, and he was even slightly tempted by his son's words.
But he also understood that he bore the heavy responsibility of the empire, and he could not make the wrong choice out of a moment's impulse.
"Huabin, you should go back first."
Dai Hao's tone carried a trace of exhaustion and resolve.
"Do not mention this matter again, or else don't blame me for turning against you!"
In an instant, Dai Huabin's heart was filled with mixed feelings. He never imagined that the father he idolized would turn out to be a coward.
It's just rebellion!?
What is there to be so afraid of!
Disappointed, he said nothing more, put his mask and black cloak back on, lifted the tent curtain, and walked out. But before he had taken a few steps, a voice from behind stopped him in his tracks.
"What? Disappointed because you didn't get your way?"
Hearing the voice of his eldest brother, Dai Yaoheng, Dai Huabin clenched his fists, but then relaxed them.
"I don't need you to tell me that!"
With that, he left without looking back.
Leaving Dai Yaoheng standing there with an indescribable expression. Then he turned around, looked at the commander's tent, and murmured in a voice only he could hear:
"Father, are you truly not tempted?"
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