Ming Dynasty: I am truly not the Emperor of Longevity

As a Taoist master who was deeply favored by the emperor, Tao Zhongwen was most skilled in the art of speaking.

How something is said, and whether it conforms to the facts, is not actually that important.

What really matters is what you want to achieve and what the consequences will be!

If the risk is too great, you have to carefully weigh whether you can bear it.

What would happen if I told the emperor that Lu Chen was the son of the late Emperor Xian?

Tao Zhongwen believed that even if the emperor disregarded the royal family's reputation and brought this palace secret to court for discussion among the officials, the result would certainly be the same.

In fact, apart from the emperor himself, no one would believe that an eleven-year-old boy could impregnate a woman.

Before today, Tao Zhongwen even dared to assert that the emperor himself had never had this idea.

Starting from the first year of the Jiajing reign, young emperors under the age of fifteen began to take in many concubines.

In order to prevent the Xingwang lineage from repeating the mistakes of his uncle Emperor Xiaozong and his cousin Emperor Wuzong, who both died out, the emperor was extremely diligent in cultivating the inner palace.

However, twelve years passed, and not a single concubine was able to bear the emperor a child.

It wasn't until August of the twelfth year of the Jiajing reign that the eldest son, Zhu Zaiji, was born, but he died just two months later and was posthumously honored as the Crown Prince Aichong.

In the fifteenth year of the Jiajing reign, Consort Wang gave birth to the emperor's second son, Zhu Zai Rui, and Consort Cao gave birth to the emperor's eldest daughter, Zhu Shou Ying. Only then did the emperor have offspring again.

Even today, the emperor has only had three sons and two daughters.

The second prince and the eldest princess were only three years old, while the third prince, the fourth prince, and the second princess were still infants.

If the emperor was truly "born early" as he boasted, why did he not have a child for twelve years despite his diligent work in the harem, and why is his offspring still so few to this day?

The emperor was exceptionally intelligent; surely he hadn't considered these things?

Tao Zhongwen would be the first to disbelieve that he had never thought of it.

But the emperor had already thought about it and knew very well that, according to common sense, Lu Chen was almost certainly not his offspring, so why did he still ask him?

The emperor had few children. It took twelve years after his ascension to the throne for him to finally have his eldest son, but the son died after only two months. The current second, third, and fourth sons are all weak and sickly.

Whether they can grow up smoothly is something no one can guarantee.

The emperor was always very worried that he would end up without an heir like his cousin, Emperor Wuzong.

Lu Chen's appearance gave the emperor a huge surprise.

According to what the emperor just said, he had sex with Lu Chen's birth mother in the thirteenth year of Zhengde's reign. Lu Chen was born ten months later and is now nineteen years old.

If he is the son of Prince Xingxian, then he is just a close relative prince.

At most, it can only serve as a safety net, ensuring that the throne remains in the line of Prince Xing and that Emperor Xian's position in the Imperial Ancestral Temple is preserved should the emperor's lineage become extinct.

However, if the child is the emperor's own offspring, then the significance is entirely different.

The emperor had no legitimate sons; the three princes in the palace were all born to concubines, so there was no dispute between legitimate and illegitimate sons.

This eldest son of the emperor, who was only twelve years younger than the emperor, was the undisputed choice for crown prince.

The nineteen-year-old prince was already an adult and was not as easily killed as a toddler.

This prince served as a member of the Embroidered Uniform Guard for half a year, and last night he was able to rush into the fire with Lu Bing to save the emperor. He must be in very good health and even have martial arts skills.

If he is His Majesty's eldest son, the already precarious foundation of the nation will be stabilized.

After figuring these things out, Tao Zhongwen had a sudden realization.

The emperor summoned him and told him about this secret from many years ago, his true intention being to hear from him the one thing he hoped for.

The emperor was a devout Taoist and held his Taoist master in high esteem.

He had just accurately "predicted" the fire at the imperial palace and even "cast a spell" to protect the emperor, ensuring that the emperor was unharmed in the fire that turned the entire palace to ashes and killed dozens of palace staff.

At this moment, the emperor believed his words even more deeply than before.

If the emperor were told that Lu Chen was the son of the Prince of Xingxian, the emperor might not blame him, but disappointment would be inevitable.

Not only will they not gain any benefit, but their great merit in protecting the holy carriage through this "spell" may also be greatly diminished.

If he were to "calculate" that Lu Chen was the emperor's own offspring, the emperor would be overjoyed and bestow upon him a generous reward.

Since Lu Chen looks very similar to the emperor when he was young, he is either the emperor's offspring or the son of the Prince of Xingxian. So what if we make a mistake?

King Xingxian has long since passed away. Could he possibly crawl out of his tomb to cause me trouble?

As the saying goes, the eldest brother is like a father, so even if the elder brother recognizes his younger brother as his son, it doesn't matter.

There are historical examples of younger brothers being adopted by their older brothers as their heirs.

It's done!

As a Taoist master who receives royal offerings, how could I not help the emperor solve his problems?!

After deciding what to say, Tao Zhongwen did not rush to end his meditation.

What trouble would it cause if the emperor were told that Lu Chen was the offspring of a dragon he left behind?

Lu Chen is only twelve years younger than the emperor; anyone would find that suspicious.

If the emperor were to declare in front of his ministers that Lu Chen was the offspring of the emperor he had left behind when he was still a prince, he would certainly be met with skepticism from all the officials, nobles, and members of the imperial family.

What evidence did the emperor have?

It was nothing more than that he had slept with that maid when he was eleven years old.

Aside from the emperor himself, who would believe that an eleven-year-old boy could impregnate a woman?

Faced with doubts, the emperor would certainly claim that it was calculated by himself, a Taoist master, at the cost of sacrificing his cultivation.

These people were already dissatisfied with the emperor's favor towards them, an outsider, and now they would definitely turn their anger towards them.

Wouldn't I be facing a battle alone against all the officials and nobles of the imperial family?

If it were those trivial matters in the past, I wouldn't have needed to fear these people because of the emperor's favor.

But this matter concerns the foundation of the nation, and some people will use all sorts of means to try to find fault with themselves.

There's no such thing as being a thief for a thousand days, let alone guarding against thieves for a thousand days.

I'm not really without faults or flaws. If someone catches me doing something wrong, I might end up ruined.

Telling the emperor that Lu Chen was his offspring would indeed bring him benefits, but it would also sow the seeds of a huge hidden danger.

How can we gain the benefits while avoiding the risks?

When the Crown Prince Ai Chong died young, the emperor inquired about the reason and presented a theory about the clash of dragon energies.

It is said that "Your Majesty has received the Mandate of Heaven and is the true dragon of the Ninth Heaven, while the Crown Prince is a hidden dragon in the abyss. The energies of the two dragons clash, which will not only shorten Your Majesty's lifespan but also harm the foundation of the country. Therefore, the two dragons should avoid meeting each other in order to preserve harmony between Heaven and Earth."

The death of Prince Ai Chong was attributed to the clash with the ethereal "dragon energy".

The emperor believed this without a doubt and distanced himself from the three princes who were born later, rarely visiting them or even avoiding them altogether.

The saying about the clash of "dragon energy" can be put to good use this time!