Ming Dynasty: I am truly not the Emperor of Longevity

"Yes, Lu Chen's father has just passed away, and as a son, he should observe mourning."

Shen Xuan nodded.

"Moreover, Lu Chen was not originally Lu Kun's chosen successor."

Judging from his unsteady gait, he probably hadn't practiced any martial arts since childhood, and unlike other hereditary military officers, he hadn't gained experience as a captain or strongman at the grassroots level.

Let alone being a captain, he probably wouldn't even be qualified to be an ordinary Jinyiwei captain.

"The Assistant Magistrate should be well aware of this as well!"

"But that's exactly what the Assistant Magistrate did!"

Gao Mingqian stood up from his official chair.

"Not only did he disregard Lu Kun's recent death, but Lu Chen, as a son, was also obligated to observe filial piety for his father."

They completely disregarded all the procedures required for the succession of hereditary military officers in the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and directly appointed Lu Chen, who had never served a single day in the Embroidered Uniform Guard, to fill a vacancy as the commander of the Linqing Thousand Household Office.

Something unusual must be going on!

"Lord Commander, what do you think is the true meaning behind the Assistant Magistrate's actions?"

Hearing Gao Mingqian say this, Shen Xuan became somewhat worried.

"How should we deal with this Commander Lu?"

"When you encounter an appointment letter that completely deviates from the normal procedure, the person being appointed must be very special, without a doubt."

Gao Mingqian laughed.

"However, there are only two possibilities: one is to be used as a scapegoat to take the blame for a serious crime."

Another possibility is that this person has a powerful background, so powerful that all the rules and procedures have to give way to him.

What is the vacancy left by General Chiang?

Commander of the Linqing Customs Household Office, one of your two deputies, Commander.

We both know how lucrative this position is.

Clearly, Lu Chen falls into the second category.

He was an important person whom the Tongzhi (a high-ranking official) was willing to break the rules and skip all procedures to take care of!

Why am I so impressed with Lu Kun, the Chief Flag Officer, whom I've only met a few times?

Because he was the ugliest-looking colleague I had ever met in the Embroidered Uniform Guard!

Although I have never met Lu Kun's eldest son, Lu Chengguang, I can imagine that he must be unremarkable in appearance.

To say that Lu Kun could have fathered a son as handsome and well-proportioned as Lu Chen, I'd be the first to disbelieve it!

"What does Lord Chiju mean?"

Shen Xuan's expression changed slightly.

"This Lu Chen is not the son of Lu Kun, the Chief of Staff!"

Why did the Assistant Magistrate allow him to inherit Lu Kun's hereditary position as a captain?!

I'm not sure if Lu Chen himself knows his true identity.

To find out his true identity, one would probably have to ask the Vice Prefect.

Gao Mingqian shook his head.

"Whether it's the Assistant Magistrate or Lu Chen himself, I'm not stupid enough to ask. Being an official is like being a person; sometimes being a little confused isn't a bad thing."

Since the appointment letter, personally written by the Vice Magistrate, clearly states in black and white that Lu Chen is the son of the late Jinyiwei Commander Lu Kun, then he is indeed Lu Chen!

The Vice Magistrate has ordered Lu Chen to take up his post immediately, so there's no time to delay.

After hosting a welcome dinner for him at Lan Yue Lou tonight, have him take up his post at your Customs Office tomorrow.

Commander Shen, do you know how to deal with Lu Chen?

"My lord, what else can I do but treat him with utmost respect!"

Shen Xuan also laughed.

"This newly appointed Commander Lu will only turn nineteen next month, making him the youngest Commander Lu of our Jinyiwei Linqing Thousand-Household Office."

He's never served a day as a member of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, so he probably doesn't know any of the rules.

If he were to actually take over the group of men left behind by General Jiang, I'm afraid it wouldn't be feasible.

It would be better to have him stay by my side for now, or simply have him work in the Hundred Household Office, handling some unimportant miscellaneous tasks without holding any real position.

Of course, we still gave General Jiang his regular monthly allowance, not a penny less.