Ming Dynasty: I am truly not the Emperor of Longevity

The following morning, at Kangcun Post Station Palace.

After having breakfast, Lu Chen stood by the window of his bedchamber, watching the palace servants packing things up and loading them into the carriage.

After the fire at the imperial palace, Emperor Jiajing did not rest for a single day and ordered his entourage to continue their journey that very afternoon.

We arrived at Kangcun Post Station Palace, located on the north bank of the Yellow River in Xinxiang County, before dark.

Cross the Yellow River from here and you'll reach Zhengzhou.

Even before they set off, the emperor had sent several eunuchs and palace maids to serve Lu Chen.

Lu Chen had already subtly sensed these people as soon as they arrived outside the carriage using his telekinesis.

At this moment, they all looked bewildered; the emperor probably hadn't told them who they were supposed to serve.

But upon seeing their own faces, the eunuchs and palace maids all showed expressions of sudden realization and addressed him as "Your Highness."

It was already noon when the emperor sent them.

Lu Bing and his mother should have already told the emperor the same set of statements they had given each other.

The fact that the emperor sent eunuchs and palace maids to serve him meant that he accepted Lu Bing and his mother's explanation.

The real "Lu Chen" was born to Wang, who was a maidservant by the emperor's wet nurse's side. She had many opportunities to come into contact with Prince Xingxian and was definitely in a position to be favored by him.

Lu Chen knew very well that the one who actually had an affair with this maid back then was Lu Song, and the real "Lu Chen" was most likely Lu Song's illegitimate son.

He had visited the estate in Chengtian Prefecture where the Wang family had lived for eighteen years, and those who knew the real "Lu Chen" showed no emotion when they saw his face.

The real "Lu Chen" is nothing like himself; they are just about the same age and have no obvious features that could be written on the road sign.

If it weren't for the fact that the body I transmigrated into looked very similar to the young Jiajing Emperor, and that I hadn't found "Lu Chen's" travel permit by chance in that shady inn, no one would have suspected that the original "Lu Chen" had any relationship with the emperor.

The claim that Prince Xingxian had favored Lady Wang was entirely a figment of Lu Bing's imagination after seeing his own face.

But what does it matter? The two parties involved, King Xingxian and Lady Wang, are already in their graves. They can't possibly get up and object.

Now that the first hurdle has been overcome, the emperor has seen his face and has basically believed the story told by Lu Bing and his mother.

An investigation is still necessary, but Lu Bing is a man who can easily fabricate irrefutable evidence.

It was practically a foregone conclusion that Emperor Jiajing would recognize him as the heir of Prince Xingxian.

Given his great merit in rescuing the emperor from the fire alongside Lu Bing, the emperor would surely choose a decent fief for him; it's just a matter of where it would be.

Of course, this should have happened after the southern tour ended and he returned to Beijing.

When he first received the travel permit for "Lu Chen", he excluded the capital city as his destination in order to prevent his identity from being exposed.

In the previous world, the city walls of Beijing had already been demolished, and now we finally have the chance to see them.

"His Majesty has ordered this old servant to convey the decree that Your Highness may rest at the temporary palace for one day."

A white-haired eunuch in red robes walked up to Lu Chen and performed a deep kneeling bow.

"We will set off for Chengtian Prefecture tomorrow."

. . .

That evening, outside the Xinzheng Imperial Palace.

"Mother, something really isn't right."

Lu Bing pushed open the door and entered the room, sitting down in front of Madam Fan.

"Just now, my son learned from the eunuchs around His Majesty that His Majesty specially sent someone this morning to convey an imperial decree that Lu Chen should rest for another day at the Kangcun Post Station where we stayed last night, and then set off tomorrow."

"What does Your Majesty mean by this?"

Fan looked puzzled.

"Even His Majesty himself only rested for one night at the Kangcun Post Station Palace, and crossed the Yellow River with a large entourage this morning."

"Lu Chen is strong and healthy, and possesses excellent martial arts skills. Why would he need an extra day of rest?"

"His Majesty does not mean that Lu Chen needs to rest."

Lu Bing whispered,

"Before departing from Weihui yesterday, His Majesty summoned that old Taoist priest Tao Zhongwen, and very unusually dismissed all the eunuchs, spending almost an hour alone with Tao Zhongwen in the imperial carriage."

When Tao Zhongwen left the imperial carriage, there was a large patch of blood on his chest, as if it had been spurted from his mouth.

"That old Taoist priest is quite robust, he doesn't seem sick at all."

Fan was somewhat surprised.

"His Majesty dismissed the eunuchs, so he must have some confidential matters to discuss with them. How could he suddenly vomit blood for no reason?"

According to Taoism, attempting to peek into the secrets of heaven with a mortal body will result in being punished by the heavenly forces.

Lu Bing gently shook his head.

"Spitting blood is the least of your worries; some people could even die on the spot."

The son suspected that His Majesty had ordered this old Taoist priest to divine some heavenly secrets, but the priest had backfired.

"Mother, think about it, what matter does His Majesty need him to calculate?"

"The old Taoist priest had predicted the fire at the palace long ago, and said that it could not be resolved, but he could perform a ritual to protect His Majesty."

These all came true. His Majesty was rescued from the fire by my son and Lu Chen, and was completely unharmed.

The cause of the fire will naturally be investigated by someone. His Majesty is safe and sound, so why should he need to investigate it?

If it weren't for this, what else would need to be calculated?

After thinking for a moment, Fan's face showed an expression of disbelief.

"Could it be about Lu Chen's background?"

What's there to speculate about about his background? I've met Lu Chen before; he looks exactly like His Majesty when he was young, and even his voice is almost identical.

Lu Chen's birth mother is that vixen Wang. Neither your father nor Lu Kun could have fathered such a son with her.

We changed the story a bit, making up an incident where Prince Xing went to play in the backyard alone, but that was just to absolve your father of any responsibility.

Lu Chen's biological father must be the late Emperor Xian, undoubtedly the Prince of Xing back then. We haven't deceived the Emperor!

"Even if verification is necessary, His Majesty should have sent people from the Eastern Depot to investigate in Chengtian Prefecture and Yunyang Prefecture."

Lu Bing nodded.

"There are many witnesses in Chengtian Prefecture, but they are all imposters who live with Wang Shi. It doesn't matter how the Eastern Depot investigates them."

As for Yunyang Prefecture, my second brother had already gone there ahead of time, so it wouldn't be difficult for him to create an empty courtyard.

The strange thing is that His Majesty has not summoned anyone from the Eastern Depot so far, as if he has no intention of sending anyone to investigate.

If His Majesty already believes that Lu Chen is the son of the late Emperor Xian, then what is the point of having this old Taoist priest Tao Zhongwen make predictions?

The son kept thinking about what his mother said after her audience with the emperor yesterday.

Back when we were in Chengtian Prefecture, the Crown Prince visited my Lu family more than once or twice, but over the years, I have never heard His Majesty mention any of those servants from back then.

But this Wang is different. His Majesty not only remembers that she was a beautiful maidservant by his mother's side back then, but also remembers that she often wore a green dress!

What could be the reason that His Majesty was so impressed with her, that he could still recall her so easily twenty years later?!

"What does my son mean?!"

Fan's voice trembled as she spoke.

"The one who slept with that vixen back then wasn't His Highness Prince Xing, but the Prince Xing's heir who had just turned eleven?!"