Chapter 426 Hostages
The unprecedented uneasiness made Emperor An's heart beat like thunder, and the strange things Di Tao mentioned made him even more frightened.
Emperor An suppressed his urge to ask further questions and feigned anger, "What did Shang Qin say that day?"
Di Tao didn't seem to notice anything unusual in Emperor An's words, and just knelt on the ground and replied:
"Shang Qin said that when Emperor Taizu created the Dragon Court Guard and the Zhen'an Army, he stated that only those holding the Dragon Jade Order could command them. The Dragon Court Guard is the royal family's private army, and only with the Dragon Jade Order can they obey orders. Otherwise, no one can order them to march."
"The Dragon Court Guard is an independent army. It is not under the jurisdiction of the imperial court and is superior to the local garrison. Father has no way to deal with Shang Qin."
"The Dragon Jade Order, passed down from Taizu, has always been in the hands of the Emperor. Before I came to the capital, I discussed with my father the idea of requesting His Majesty to issue an imperial decree, using the Dragon Jade Order as a token to allow Shang Qin to assist in the war in the northwest."
"But my father said that Shang Qin is arrogant and has no interest in the northwest. Forcing him to send troops to Luoyan Pass will only lead to trouble. Moreover, since Your Majesty has never mobilized the Dragon Court Guards, it seems that he has other plans for them. My father forbids me from making things difficult for Your Majesty."
Di Tao's words were not very clear, but Emperor An also extracted the information he wanted from his words.
The Dragon Jade Order was left by Emperor Taizu, and it could command more than 200,000 troops from the Dragon Court Guard and the Northwest Zhen'an Army.
Di Shuangcheng and others had always thought that this thing was in the hands of the emperor, but he had never heard of it since he ascended the throne more than ten years ago.
Emperor An did not suspect that Di Tao had lied to him, but where had Long Yuling gone?
Why was such an important thing never mentioned before the death of the late emperor, and why was no one even aware of it among the royal family?
Di Tao looked at Emperor An's changing expression, and looked up uneasily while kneeling on the ground.
"Your Majesty, this humble servant's mistake was truly unintentional. I would never dare to tell anyone else about the Dragon Jade Order."
"I know." Emperor An suppressed the confusion in his heart.
Di Tao was relieved to see that he wasn't angry. "What about this humble minister's return to the northwest..."
"General Di is enough in the northwest. You can stay in the capital for the time being."
"Ah?" Di Tao looked confused.
Emperor An looked at the puzzled young man below him and saw that there was no doubt on his face about Long Yuling. He was only puzzled as to why he was not allowed to return to the northwest. While his mind relaxed, it was also very heavy.
He had never known about the Dragon Jade Order before, and because of the constant wars in the northwest, the Dragon Court Guard and the Zhen'an Army had never been used in the capital, so Shang Qin and Di Shuangcheng misunderstood that the Dragon Jade Order was in his hands.
Di Tao had just said clearly that the Dragon Jade Order was passed down by Taizu, and should have been passed to him by the late emperor to command the Northwest Army. However, he had never heard of or seen that thing, and the whereabouts of this "tiger talisman"-like thing was unknown.
How could Emperor An feel at ease?
If Di Tao had been allowed to go back before, he would have gone back, but now there is such a big hidden danger, how could he dare to let him go.
Di Shuangcheng has only one son and one daughter. Leaving Di Tao in the capital can be used as a "hostage" to control Di Shuangcheng if anything happens. At that time, with the Zhen'an Army to hold them back, the Longting Guards will not be completely helpless.
If he could find the Dragon Jade Token, that would be great. If not, he would have to find a way to resolve this hidden danger as soon as possible...
Emperor An's thoughts raced, but his expression remained gentle. "While the northwest is certainly important, winter will arrive in two months. The people of Beiling rely on herding for a living, and they wouldn't choose freezing weather to invade Wei. Your father is more than sufficient to guard Luoyan Pass, and I have confidence in him."
"Although you've only been in the capital for a short time, you must be aware of what's been happening there recently. Chaos is rife within the court, with aristocratic families encroaching on power. Furthermore, many of the military commanders in the capital are colluding with civil officials. Even the imperial guards are uneasy. With so many wolves surrounding me, I can hardly rest easy."
Di Tao scratched his head when he heard this: "But I can do nothing except lead troops in battle."
He knelt on the ground and muttered:
"The people in the capital are difficult to get along with, and they look down on a crude warrior like me. I've been living in the posthouse for a while now. Except for Princess Xiangning, who occasionally sent people to deliver food and clothes because she remembered me saving Governor Xiao's life that night, I've been alone the rest of the time. There's not even a place to practice martial arts in the posthouse..."
Emperor An laughed. "You and your father guarded the border, killing enemies and protecting the country. Who would dare look down on you? Besides, if you stayed in the capital, I would naturally not let you live in the posthouse anymore."
"I will reward you with a house and an official position. You will stay in the capital and work for me."
Di Tao shook his head like a rattle: "No, no, I really don't know anything."
"When I was little, my father chased me with a stick and didn't let me finish studying the Four Books and Five Classics. Moreover, I grew up in the border area and was not used to the rules. I was even less familiar with the etiquette of the capital."
"Your Majesty, it's all right if you let me lead troops in battle, but if you let me do errands in the capital, I'm afraid I'll offend everyone in less than two weeks, and then I'll get into trouble."
"No, no, I can't do this..."
The young man knelt on the ground with a look of resistance on his face, and politely declined the offer to stay in the capital and serve as an official.
Emperor An was extremely satisfied when he heard this. It was good to offend people. It was better for a young man to stir up trouble than to get too close to others and get involved with them.
He only knows how to lead troops and has no brains. He is young and easy to control. Keeping him under his nose can restrain Di Shuangcheng and do things for him.
Emperor An said, "How do you know I didn't ask you to stay in the capital to lead the troops?"
Di Tao exclaimed, "Where did these soldiers from the capital come from?"
"Who told you there are no soldiers in the capital? If there's no one guarding this huge city, doesn't that mean anyone can do anything?"
Emperor An was amused by Di Tao, and the previous gloom dissipated and his mood improved.
"I know you grew up on the border and learned how to lead troops and fight from your father. I will not waste your talents by leaving you in the capital."
"Some time ago, there were some problems in the four battalions outside the capital. The leader committed a crime. I need someone who can lead the troops. The capital has been stable for many years, and the people in the four battalions have become idle and comfortable. You can be a cavalry captain and train them for me, so that those mediocre people will not be able to carry swords when they grow up."
Di Tao's heart skipped a beat when he heard he was asked to lead troops: "What rank is a cavalry captain?"
Emperor An, noticing his youthful spirit, laughed heartily, "Your fifth rank may not be as high as your father's, but it's still the highest among people of your age in the capital."
When Di Tao heard about the fifth rank, his eyes sparkled and his face was full of eagerness, but after a while he lowered his head in frustration.
"No, my father would definitely not agree. He said I was young and inexperienced, so he only allowed me to be a ninth-rank lieutenant in the northwest..."
Emperor An was delighted when he heard this: "I am the emperor, and your father must obey me."
Di Tao hesitated.
Emperor An said, "Why, you don't believe it?"
"No, of course I believe Your Majesty, but..." Di Tao whispered, "I'm just afraid that I don't understand the rules of the capital, and if I get into trouble later, Your Majesty will blame me."
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