Chapter 379 Come, Fangyun, this is your uncle
Xiao Yan said, "I doubt the Dragon Jade Token is in Emperor An's possession at all. Even the late emperor might not have seen it. Back then, the Great Ancestor favored the Crown Prince's uncle and established the inheritance early on. The Dragon Jade Token must have been passed down by the Great Ancestor, but I don't know where it is lost."
"I want to take this thing back to the capital and try to find the whereabouts of the Dragon Jade Order."
Seeing Di Shuangcheng hesitate, Xiao Yan said, "If the general finds it inconvenient, I can have someone make a replica and take it away..."
"Need not."
Di Shuangcheng waved his hand: "It's nothing for you to take this thing. The military power of the Zhen'an Army does not rely on this. Besides, without the Dragon Jade Order, this thing is useless in my hands."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan hurriedly thanked him and carefully put away the "jade comb".
Di Shuangcheng looked at him and said, "But He Yan, without the Dragon Jade Order, I'm afraid the Dragon Court Guards won't obey us."
Xiao Yan verified the token, which meant he had completed half of his purpose of coming to the northwest.
After he relaxed his mind, a smile appeared on his face.
"Who said that we need the Dragon Jade Order to command them?"
Xiao Yan looked at Di Shuangcheng, who looked a bit puzzled. "The general just said that the Dragon Court Guard was originally left by Taizu in the northwest to contain the Zhen'an Army and to defend Beiling together with the Zhen'an Army. But they have obviously forgotten their duties long ago, and the Shang family has already regarded the Dragon Court Guard as their private property."
The original 50,000 Dragon Court Guards are probably much more than that now due to the overt and covert development of the Shang family.
They occupied Linping, under the pretext of inspecting the northwest for the emperor, and even ignored the officials of the provincial government and the generals of the Zhen'an Army. It was obvious that they had long regarded themselves as local emperors. It was impossible to say that the Shang family had no selfish motives.
Xiao Yan said, "Just from what the General said, I know Shang Qin is an ambitious man. He's not even willing to put his heart into defending Beiling. It's clear he no longer holds the royal family in his eyes. If someone were to offer him a ladder, giving the Shang family a chance to advance, what do you think Shang Qin would do?"
Di Shuangcheng's eyes flashed: "Shang Qin is extremely conceited, ambitious, and unwilling to be inferior to others."
The Longting Guards are the private army of the Xie family, and their loyalty lies with the Xie family members who hold the Dragon Jade Order. If the Dragon Jade Order had not been passed on to the late emperor and Emperor An, and was lost in the hands of Crown Prince Li, and Shang Qin knew that Crown Prince Li was wrongly murdered, he would most likely return to the capital under the pretext of clearing Crown Prince Li's name.
He brought up the old case with "legitimate justification". Once it was proven that Emperor An colluded with the aristocratic families and killed Crown Prince Li, Shang Qin would be able to bring Emperor An down. Whether he supported a puppet or ascended the throne himself in the name of Crown Prince Li, it was all in the interests of justice.
The Shang family will never let go of such an opportunity.
Di Shuangcheng clapped his hands suddenly: "This is a good plan, I'm not afraid that Shang Qin will not agree."
Xiao Yan laughed: "Then please arrange for me to meet this Shang Dutong."
Di Shuangcheng quickly said: "But your injury..."
Xiao Yan: "My injury is not serious. I have recovered a lot after these few days. Besides, it is better to deal with this matter sooner rather than later. I am afraid that something unexpected will happen in the capital."
Di Shuangcheng: "Okay, then I'll find a way to get you and Shang Qin to meet."
"Thank you, General." Xiao Yan stood up and saluted.
Di Shuangcheng quickly supported him: "Why thank you? You are not a stranger. Besides, I was good friends with your brothers back then. If you had seen me then, you would have probably called me brother."
Although Di Shuangcheng was middle-aged and much older than Xiao Yan, he was a junior when he entered the He family's school. He was about the same age as the older men in the He family and even called the third uncle of the He family uncle. So, to be honest, Xiao Yan had to call him brother.
Xiao Yan looked at Di Shuangcheng, who was full of intimacy, and smiled, "Brother."
Di Shuangcheng was immediately happy: "Okay, okay!"
Xiao Yan's face showed remorse. "I have lied many times before. I cannot reveal the name He Yan to others. Now I am in the capital under the pseudonym Xiao Yan and act before the emperor."
"Xiao Yan is Xiao Yan. Isn't it just a pseudonym? Who cares if his last name is Xiao or something else..."
Di Shuangcheng said indifferently, but halfway through his words, the smile on his face froze: "Wait, what's your name?"
"Xiao Yan." Xiao Yan's face was full of innocence.
Di Shuangcheng's hands trembled and his body tilted: "Are you the damned eunuch who abused his power and was reviled by everyone in the court?!"
Xiao Yan smiled.
Di Shuangcheng was stunned. He stared at him with wide eyes for a long time, then lowered his head and swept towards his crotch.
Xiao Yan: “…”
The smile disappeared.
…
When Di Tao and Di Fangyun were called to the study, they saw a handsome young man sitting in the inner room.
Di Tao was extremely delighted when he recognized who it was: "He Yan!"
Di Fangyun was also very happy. She had been recuperating in the mansion these days, and the injury on her leg had healed a lot. However, every time she closed her eyes, she could still remember how Xiao Yan protected them with blood when they were being chased. She also remembered how Xiao Yan came to the mansion and had a good chat with his father.
Di Fangyun was also supported by someone and walked forward quickly: "Brother He, are you okay? That's great!"
Di Shuangcheng was happy to see his children getting close to Xiao Yan, but seeing how disrespectful they were, he scolded them, "You have no manners. Call me Uncle He instead of Brother He."
Di Tao: “???”
Di Fangyun: “???”
"Father?!"
The two were shocked.
Di Shuangcheng patted Xiao Yan's shoulder and said, "He Yan is the son of my old benefactor. Even before I was with your mother, he called me brother. Although he is only six or seven years older than Tao'er, he is your elder in terms of seniority."
Xiao Yan nodded reservedly at the stiff-faced Di siblings. "I haven't seen my brother in years. It wasn't until I came to the Northwest that I realized we were old friends. This trip to the Northwest was rushed, and the journey was not safe, so I didn't bring anything valuable as a gift for my nephew and niece. I'll make it up to you next time I have the chance."
The word "nephew and niece" made the Di brothers and sisters unable to hold back.
Di Tao was fine. Although he didn't expect that the man he had called Brother He all the way, whom he regarded as a close friend and even wanted to swear blood brother to, would suddenly become his uncle, which was a little hard to accept, but after all, they were still "relatives", which was better than his father treating him as a spy from Beiling.
But Di Fangyun almost collapsed.
She was a young girl in love and admired Xiao Yan. His cold and heroic shadow had long been imprinted in her heart along the way.
But the person you like suddenly becomes an elder.
Di Fangyun's face turned pale. "We're just old friends, not blood relatives. What uncle and niece? Brother He, stop joking..."
Xiao Yan frowned: "Brother, does my niece dislike me?"
Di Shuangcheng immediately scolded: "Fang Yun, don't be disrespectful!"
Di Fangyun: "Father!"
Seeing the pretty girl looking at him with red eyes, Xiao Yan sighed softly, "Forget it, brother. She's right. You and I are not related by blood, and I didn't bring any gifts this time. There's no reason for me to treat her as an elder. It's normal for her to dislike me."
Di Shuangcheng's face darkened: "Di Fangyun!"
He just felt that his daughter was really unruly. He was afraid that his children could not keep their mouths shut, so he did not tell them Xiao Yan's identity. But no matter what, he had already said that Xiao Yan was his old friend and half-brother, and that Xiao Yan had saved their lives, so it was only natural for him to call him uncle.
Di Shuangcheng said in a deep voice: "Where have all the rules you learned before gone? Greet your Uncle He Shi!"
Di Fangyun's eyes were red and she refused to call for help. She looked at Xiao Yan eagerly, but he only lowered his eyes coldly, while her father glared at her.
Her aggrieved face turned pale, and she angrily said in anger and annoyance: "I won't scream!"
After he finished speaking, he covered his mouth and limped away.
Xiao Yan: Tsk.
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