Madam's "Clever Plan"

Who could have imagined that in his own home, he would be sidelined by his own wife?

Those with deeper insight, considering the background of his wife, found their gazes becoming increasingly intrigued.

The situation within the Sky Screen continued to unfold.

In this world, no matter how much the Duchess resented Dai Yuhao, she could not treat him with the extreme harshness seen in the original world. Dai Yuhao was provided with a teacher to guide his cultivation, as well as basic necessities for food, clothing, and shelter.

His mother, Huo Yun'er, also saw her conditions improve slightly; at the very least, she no longer had to perform heavy labor like the lowest of servants every single day.

When Huo Yuhao turned eight and officially absorbed his first soul ring to become a soul master, the Duchess Xu Feiyan announced a shocking decision:

"From today onwards, the three children of the White Tiger Duke Mansion will be under my personal guidance for their cultivation. I am very fond of this child, Yuhao. I will treat him as my own and nurture him into a pillar of our White Tiger Duke Mansion in the future..."

Inside the family council hall, Xu Feiyan maintained a graceful smile, speaking in a calm tone.

"This... this hardly seems appropriate. Madam, with your noble status, such matters as teaching children to cultivate..."

"Hmm? As the mistress of the White Tiger Duke Mansion, what is inappropriate about teaching my own children to cultivate their martial souls so they may grow into capable adults?"

The Duchess tilted her head, asking with a look of feigned confusion.

The elder shouted internally, Of course it's inappropriate! Who doesn't know what kind of sinister scheme you're hatching? You say you'll treat him as your own, but who would believe that?

However, after glancing at the others present, the elder could only sigh. A sense of powerlessness welled up in his heart.

In truth, as an elder who had watched Dai Hao grow up, he was one of the very few who had not yet been bought off or co-opted by the Duchess or the royal family behind her.

Yet, at this point, he found there was nothing he could do. He had tried several times to send letters to Dai Hao on the frontier battlefield, but every attempt had vanished into thin air.

Duke, when will you ever return?

"The Madam is busy with a thousand tasks; I fear your energy will be spread too thin..."

Another old official gritted his teeth and spoke weakly.

"Hmm? As far as this Concubine is concerned, what task or secret matter could be more important than guiding my own children to success and ensuring the future of the White Tiger Duke Mansion?"

The Duchess cast a cold glance at the official, and he immediately clamped his mouth shut.

"Very well. It seems no one has any objections, so this matter is settled. When my husband returns, he will surely see a vibrant, flourishing White Tiger Duke Mansion."

A faint smile appeared on Xu Feiyan's beautiful face as she clapped her hands.

After that day, although the original teachers were retained, the primary instruction of the three children was placed firmly in the hands of the Duchess.

Whether it was little Yuhao or Huo Yun'er, upon hearing this resolution within the White Tiger Duke Mansion, they felt as if the sky were collapsing!

"No... I don't want the Madam to teach me..."

In his room, little Yuhao cried out.

"This... can you really not reconsider? Look at the child..."

Watching the expressionless servant who had come to deliver the news, Huo Yun'er's delicate face, pale with illness, revealed a look of desperate pleading.

"Hmph, the child is ignorant, but you are a grown woman—how can you be just as ignorant?"

The servant let out a cold snort and shoved Huo Yun'er, knocking her directly to the ground.

"Stop your nonsense, or the Madam will deal with you again!"

The servant issued a cold warning before turning and walking away.

"Mother!"

Little Yuhao threw himself onto his mother, weeping bitterly, his eyes filled with resentment.

Why? Why target me and my mother? What have we ever done wrong...

Outside the Sky Screen, everyone's expressions were complex.

Such situations were by no means rare among great noble families; the struggle for the position of heir had always been this cruel.

What wrong had Dai Yuhao and his mother Huo Yun'er committed? They had done nothing wrong, yet they were wrong nonetheless. Their mistake was that Huo Yun'er had given birth to Dai Hao's child and insisted on staying in the White Tiger Duke Mansion, waiting for Dai Hao to return.

The mistake was that there could only be one heir to the White Tiger Duke Mansion!

Many could not help but recall the cruel inheritance laws of the White Tiger Clan since the imperial era. It was a true case of "the winner takes all, the loser is forgotten"—the victor ascended the throne, while the defeated were either exiled or put to death!

Even now, though the White Tiger Clan was no longer the imperial family, such inheritance rules remained no less bloody. The inherent cruelty had not diminished much at all!

As the legal wife of the White Tiger Clan and a noble princess married into the family, could the Duchess possibly tolerate the existence of any possibility that the heir's position might be snatched away by another?

It could be said that if she had been even more ruthless, she would have poisoned Huo Yun'er and her son long ago! Allowing them to remain in the White Tiger Duke Mansion was already far from the most extreme measure she could have taken!

The next day, when the "Madam's Special Training" began, the three children of different heights stood on the martial arts field, each with a different demeanor.

Of the three, Dai Yueheng was naturally the tallest, already towering over the Duchess, his expression cold and resolute. To him, this was merely an insignificant trifle.

In reality, he was already a student at Shrek Academy; he only stayed with the family periodically and would soon return to Shrek Academy to continue his studies.

At this moment, he stood straight as a ramrod before his mother, like an iron tower, as if to prove the achievements of his training at Shrek Academy.

On the other side, Dai Huabin cast cold, sinister glances at the short, frail "younger brother" beside him, the corners of his mouth curling into a cold smile from time to time. How could he look like a child not yet nine years old?

Dai Yuhao stood in the furthest corner. He was the shortest and most frail of them all. Although there was less than a year's difference in their actual ages, he looked nearly a head shorter than Dai Huabin.

His eyes were red, and he stared at the ill-intentioned beautiful woman before him like a young beast, as if trying his best to radiate his own defiance and hostility.

"From now on, I am not only your mistress, but also your teacher."

Xu Feiyan clapped her hands and laughed lightly:

"Back in the day, the ancestor Tang San once left behind a holy precept: a teacher for a day is a father for life. Today is my first day as your teacher; what etiquette should you perform before me?"

"Naturally, the rite of apprenticeship."

Dai Yueheng was the first to answer quickly. Then, without a word, he knelt before the Duchess and kowtowed three solid, resounding times. Dai Huabin hurriedly followed suit.

"Hmm?"

The Duchess cast a glance at Dai Yuhao, who remained standing motionless, as if in doubt.

"I... I will not kowtow to you!"

Little Yuhao's eyes were red, his voice filled with grievance and fury.