Chapter 84: Dai Hao, Disgraced
Huo Yuhao spoke, "Dai Hao, I doubt you ever truly cared about my mother. You didn't even know you had a son I had to come forward and remind you myself."
Dai Hao's expression grew complicated. "But… no one ever told me that Yun'er had given birth to my child. I was deceived.
Yuhao, no matter what, you are still my son. Change your surname back to Dai and return to the Duke's Mansion.
Yun'er was the woman I truly loved. Since you are the child of our love, I will take good care of you."
Huo Yuhao shook his head. "Deceived? A man who commands armies, and yet so easily deceived? I think you simply chose to ignore my mother.
As for changing my surname and returning to the Duke's Mansion, forget it.
And that 'love' you speak of it's a lie. If you truly loved her, why didn't you give her a proper status? She was nothing more than a servant! Do you even understand what that means for someone in her position?
You never even gave her the title of a concubine! And yet, you dare to claim you loved my mother? Disgusting!"
Dai Hao was silent for a long moment before finally closing his eyes in pain. "Yuhao, I'm sorry. This is all my fault. I failed Yun'er. I failed you."
By now, the audience was in an uproar.
No one had expected such a dramatic moment right before the finals it was far more thrilling than the match itself.
Dai Hao was the White Tiger Duke, one of the most powerful figures in Star Luo. Countless people wanted to curry favor with him. And yet, here he was, openly admitting fault?
Moreover, people loved gossip. The personal affairs of such a high ranking noble were an irresistible spectacle.
However, murmurs of skepticism began to spread through the crowd.
"If Huo Yuhao is the White Tiger Duke's son, then he's originally from Star Luo, right? So why is he competing for Sun Moon? Isn't that a betrayal of Star Luo?"
"We should respect people like the White Tiger Duke loyal and devoted to his country. No matter what personal matters are involved, doesn't Huo Yuhao bear some fault in this?"
Huo Yuhao had expected to be seen as a traitor, but he simply cleared his throat and spoke again.
"I know many of you question my identity. But the truth is, my life in the Duke's Mansion was worse than death."
He then recounted the countless cruelties inflicted upon him and his mother by the Duchess and her son.
By the time he finished, most of the audience now looked at him with sympathy.
After all, according to his account, he and his mother had lived lives worse than mere servants in the Duke's Mansion.
For a child to endure such oppression every day and seek escape it was entirely understandable.
And the only place beyond the reach of the Duchess's influence was, of course, the Sun Moon Empire.
Some audience members began whispering among themselves.
"Dai Huabin was a scumbag. If I ever pass by his grave, I'll spit on it."
"Are you crazy? You're asking to die saying things like that!"
Meanwhile, Dai Hao's body trembled. His eyes, now open, were tinged with red.
Hearing about the years of suffering Huo Yun'er and Huo Yuhao endured in the Duke's Mansion filled him with deep regret.
"I… I truly failed Yun'er and you."
He turned to Dai Yueheng, his voice heavy. "Yueheng, did you know about Yuhao's existence?"
Dai Yueheng was silent for a moment before answering, "I knew, Father… But he's changed so much. If he hadn't revealed himself, I wouldn't have recognized him."
Dai Hao's face twisted in fury. With a single kick, he sent Dai Yueheng crashing to the ground.
"You knew and didn't tell me? Do you even see me as your father?! You fool! If I had known about Yuhao earlier, how could I have allowed them to suffer like that?"
Huo Yuhao sneered. "Enough, Dai Hao. Stop pretending.
Since the day I was born, I have never seen you come looking for my mother.
Even if, in your mind, you believed you had no child with her, weren't you supposed to love her?
My mother died when I was ten. After her death, I stayed in the Duke's Mansion for another year. That means for ten years, you never once came to see my mother.
If you had ever visited her even once in those ten years, she definitely would have told you about me!
You are the White Tiger Duke, the absolute authority in the Duke's Mansion. I understand that you are busy but too busy to see my mother once in ten years?
Even after the Duchess banished my mother to the firewood shed under the excuse of 'contagious disease,' if you truly loved her, would you not have checked on her?
Do you have any idea what my mother endured in those ten years?"
For the first time, Dai Hao renowned for his eloquence was left speechless. His face was filled with guilt.
The audience was utterly stunned.
"Dai Hao, the biggest scumbag in Star Luo! He abandoned Huo Yuhao's mother for ten years and never once visited her. A classic case of 'love them and leave them.' No wonder Huo Yuhao ran away! If I were him, I'd have done the same. What a pathetic excuse for a father."
"Yeah, who would've thought the great White Tiger Duke was like this? Ladies, let this be a lesson stay away from men like this! Once this tournament is over, I'm going to spread the word about what kind of man Dai Hao really is!"
At this moment, Xu Jiawei's expression turned dark. From this day forward, Dai Hao's reputation was ruined.
For a military leader, reputation was crucial. A commander with a tarnished name could never inspire his troops.
From an outsider's perspective, Dai Hao had failed at two things. First, he couldn't even manage his own household. Second, he constantly proclaimed his love for a woman, yet never saw her for ten years, even as she suffered. He was nothing but a hypocrite.
Although Xu Jiawei personally didn't believe Dai Hao was that kind of man, the general public certainly would.
Hoping to salvage the situation, Xu Jiawei turned to Huo Yuhao and said,
"Yuhao, I won't deny that Dai Hao made mistakes. But no matter what, he is still your father.
Regardless of how this tournament ends, would you consider staying in Star Luo and serving the empire?
I understand that Star Luo holds painful memories for you.
But if you feel this empire is flawed, shouldn't you stay and help change it?
I know that in Sun Moon, you are considered a Sun Moon citizen.
But now that you stand here in Star Luo, you can be a Star Luo citizen as well."
He still hoped to salvage Dai Hao's reputation. If Huo Yuhao returned and reconciled with him, he could spin the story into one of redemption a once absent father making amends.
Huo Yuhao was momentarily stunned. He hadn't expected Xu Jiawei to say such a thing.
He shook his head and flatly refused, "Your Majesty, no matter where I am, I am a citizen of the Sun Moon Empire."
To be honest, Huo Yuhao had little regard for Xu Jiawei.
After all, the Duchess was Xu Jiawei's own daughter. Technically, Dai Hao's wife should have been a princess from the Zhu family, but the novel clearly stated that the Duchess was the Star Luo Emperor's favorite daughter.
Without the backing of the royal family, the Duchess wouldn't have been able to act so arrogantly.
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