Emperor An looked up. “Disloyalty?”
Xiao Yan said, “Over a month ago, Lu Chongyuan sent Lu Jiu’an, a secondary son of the Lu family, to the southern region in secret. He met privately with Prince Pingshan. Not long after, Prince Pingshan began hoarding grain and buying horses, even secretly sending people to the territories of other vassal princes.”
Emperor An sat up abruptly. “Is this true?”
“I would not dare deceive Your Majesty,” Xiao Yan replied gravely. “Prince Pingshan’s men inadvertently visited the Qian family’s horse ranch in the south, arousing Minister Qian’s suspicions.”
“When investigating the grain transport case earlier, I worked briefly with Minister Qian. Fearing Prince Pingshan might pose a threat to Your Majesty but worried he might be overthinking, Minister Qian informed me of the matter. It was while investigating Prince Pingshan that I stumbled upon traces of Lu Jiu’an.”
Xiao Yan didn’t elaborate, but his words struck Emperor An like thunder.
Prince Pingshan was far in the south; the Lu family would have no reason to contact him without cause. Moreover, Lu Chongyuan knew well the emperor’s taboos.
Colluding with a vassal prince, hoarding grain, and buying horses—what was the Lu family planning?
Rebellion?!
Or were they, knowing Emperor An would not spare them after Empress Lu’s scandal, plotting to install a new emperor, as they had once done with the Crown Prince Li?
Were they seeking a new protector to preserve the Lu family’s glory, just like back then?!
“They have some nerve!” Emperor An’s last shred of hesitation toward the Lu family vanished, replaced by a burning intent to kill Lu Chongyuan. He glared darkly at Xiao Yan.
“Lu Chongyuan has committed treason. Execute him immediately. The entire Lu family is guilty of unforgivable crimes—exterminate them and confiscate their property.”
He had initially considered wiping out nine generations of the Lu family, but he knew that would implicate over half the court’s officials. For now, he only wanted to swiftly eliminate the Lu family to prevent future troubles.
“Xiao Yan, you are my most trusted servant in the court. I order you to immediately send men to apprehend Lu Jiu’an and investigate all of Prince Pingshan’s treasonous actions.”
“And…” Emperor An’s voice grew heavier. “Aside from the matter of the empress and her son, I don’t want to hear any rumors outside that harm the imperial family—especially anything concerning me. Understood?”
Xiao Yan’s eyes flickered. “I will ensure the Lu family is dealt with cleanly. There will be no improper rumors in the capital. But what of the Zhao family, Your Majesty?”
Emperor An’s voice turned cold. “Zhao Yuanlang conspired with the Lu family to harm a member of the imperial family…”
Though the Fourth Prince was the son of Prince Cheng, the Fourth Princess Consort was still an imperial daughter-in-law when she died. Zhao Yuanlang dared to kill her for his own gain and colluded with the Lu family, how could Emperor An let him off lightly?
“Strip Zhao Yuanlang of his office, administer fifty lashes, strip Princess Jialin of her title, remove her from the imperial registry, and demote her to commoner status. The entire Zhao family shares Zhao Yuanlang’s guilt, exile them all to Qingzhou, confiscate their wealth for the treasury, and punish all those involved with the Zhao and Lu families in this matter.”
Xiao Yan lowered his eyes. “I obey Your Majesty’s decree.”
The hall fell silent. Seeing the growing exhaustion on Emperor An’s face and the faint trembling of his hand on the dragon throne, Xiao Yan requested to take his leave.
Emperor An was about to agree when a message came from outside, announcing Di Tao’s arrival.
“What’s he doing here?” Emperor An frowned. “Let him in.”
Xiao Yan tactfully said, “Since Young General Di is here, I’ll take my leave.”
“No, stay for now,” Emperor An stopped him, so Xiao Yan stepped aside.
When Di Shuangcheng entered, he first kowtowed to Emperor An. After being granted permission to rise, he noticed Xiao Yan and grinned broadly. “Supervisor Xiao is here too?”
“Young General Di,” Xiao Yan nodded in greeting.
Emperor An, aware that Di Tao had inadvertently saved Xiao Yan one night, wasn’t surprised by their familiarity. He simply asked, “Why are you here at this hour?”
Di Tao clasped his fists. “I’ve come to bid Your Majesty farewell.”
Emperor An’s expression darkened. “Farewell?”
Di Tao, seemingly oblivious to his mood, spoke brightly, “I was sent to the capital by my father to report on the northwest war and Beiling’s movements. Because it concerned border security, my father dared not entrust the message to others. Otherwise, I should be at the border fighting enemies.”
“Now that my task is complete, I’ve been idling in the guesthouse, growing restless. I wish to request Your Majesty’s permission to return to Luoyan Pass.”
He scratched his head, showing a hint of youthful embarrassment. “I grew up on the border. At five or six, my father had me on horseback, taking me to battle. The great men in the capital can share Your Majesty’s burdens, but I’m useless here, wandering aimlessly.”
“These past few days without training, my bones feel like they’re rusting.”
Emperor An looked at the young man below. Di Shuangcheng had been loyal to the imperial family for years, and the Zhenan Army was the bulwark guarding Luoyan Pass. Without them, Beiling would have crossed the border long ago. He trusted Di Shuangcheng and had never considered moving against the Di family.
Seeing Di Tao’s request to return to the northwest, Emperor An was about to agree when Di Tao, as if recalling something, added, “Also, the Dragon Court Guards have been restless lately. The Shang family has clashed with my father several times. With frequent tensions between Beiling and Great Wei, I fear my father will be distracted by them, causing chaos in the army. I ask Your Majesty to permit my return to the northwest.”
Emperor An paused, his words catching in his throat. He frowned and asked sternly, “Shang Qin is at odds with your father?”
He knew the Dragon Court Guards and the Zhenan Army were meant to balance each other, both guarding the northwest. The Dragon Court Guards were special, a private army of the imperial family.
But in the ten years since his ascension, the northwest had been restless, and there had been no need to deploy the Dragon Court Guards in the capital, so he had never summoned the Shang family.
Di Tao said indignantly, “More than at odds—my father nearly came to blows with Shang Qin.”
“When Taizu founded the Dragon Court Guards, it was to work with the Zhenan Army to resist Beiling and protect Great Wei. But earlier, during frequent battles, Beiling spies infiltrated our ranks. My father asked the Dragon Court Guards to send troops to repel two Beiling cavalry units that had raided villages near Luoyan Pass, but Shang Qin flat-out refused.”
“Those cavalry killed and looted, abducted Great Wei women, and slaughtered two villages. When my father sent men to pursue them, he saw rivers of blood. Furious, he confronted Shang Qin at the Dragon Court Guards’ camp, demanding why he refused to send troops.”
“But Shang Qin said the Dragon Court Guards only act under the Dragon Jade Order, and without it, they won’t move…”
“Hold on!” Emperor An abruptly interrupted Di Tao, who was visibly angry. His face darkened as he gripped the armrests of the dragon throne.
He had never heard of any Dragon Jade Order, nor did he know what it was, yet Shang Qin claimed the Dragon Court Guards only obeyed such an order.
He looked darkly at Xiao Yan, who tactfully said, “I’ll go handle the Lu family matters first.”
Once only Emperor An and Di Tao remained in the hall, Emperor An feigned anger and said, “Who told you about the Dragon Jade Order?”
Di Tao froze, his expression changing as he quickly knelt. “I overheard Shang Qin mention it when I accompanied my father to Linping to meet him. Afterward, my father, fearing I didn’t understand its significance, explained the Dragon Jade Order to me.”
“I know this is a secret of the Zhenan Army and the Dragon Court Guards. My father never spoke of it to outsiders. I spoke out of anger just now—please forgive me, Your Majesty.”
Emperor An’s expression didn’t soften; it grew uglier. The Dragon Jade Order wasn’t just tied to the Dragon Court Guards but also to the Zhenan Army, yet he knew nothing about it.
What on earth was it?!
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You can read ahead to chapterr 470 (100+ extra chapters) here
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