Ming Dynasty: I am truly not the Emperor of Longevity

"It's fine for us to talk about this behind closed doors, but please don't say it like that in front of outsiders!"

Gao Mingqian waved his hand.

"His Majesty actually believed it!"

I heard that after the birth of the second prince two years ago, His Majesty visited him very few times, far fewer than when Crown Prince Ai Chong was alive.

I haven't inquired about the third and fourth princes, who were born last year and are still infants, but I imagine they are the same.

What else could His Majesty be trying to avoid, if not this so-called "two dragons meeting, their dragon auras clashing"?!

"Isn't Tao Zhongwen, that old Taoist priest, trying to bewitch the emperor and alienate him from the imperial bloodline?!"

Shen Xuan was shocked and said,

"Are there no high-ranking officials in the court who could offer any advice to the Emperor?"

"There are certainly those who will offer advice."

Gao Mingqian sighed.

"Unfortunately, our Emperor is a devout Taoist and has complete faith in the words of old Taoist priests like Tao Zhongwen."

The Emperor would not listen to these words of advice.

Commander Shen, can you now imagine what that "whatever" possibility I mentioned earlier might be?

"Two dragons should avoid meeting... to preserve harmony..."

After a moment of silence, Shen Xuan's expression gradually changed from fear to fervor.

"Lord Commander...you mean...this Lu Chen...he is...!!!"

"Commander Shen, there's no need to lose your composure like this."

Gao Mingqian smiled and said,

"As I just said, it's just in case."

There is still a high possibility that Lu Chen is a close relative of the Tongzhi official, or even his younger brother.

However, this possibility cannot be completely ruled out.

Commander Shen, you also know that the Lu family were former officials of the Emperor's former residence when he was a prince. The late Lord Lu Song was once the commander of the guards of the Prince of Xing's mansion, and "Lady Yousheng" was the Emperor's wet nurse.

Lord Lu Bing had been by the side of the Emperor when he was still the Prince of Xing since he was a child, studying and practicing martial arts together.

The Emperor's trust in the Lu family is unparalleled.

Similarly, if His Majesty has any secret matters that he does not wish to be known, the Lu family would be the most suitable candidates.

Lu Chen set off from Chengtian Prefecture to the capital, but was intercepted by Yuan Xun, sent south by the Assistant Magistrate. Besides being related to the Lu family's private affairs, there is actually another possibility!

This matter may have been personally instructed by the current emperor to be handled by Lord Lu Bing!

If I'm right, then Lu Chen's true identity is that of a prince!

What could be prevented from happening if Lu Chen was not allowed to go to the capital?

This is naturally what is known as "two dragons meeting"!

"Does Lord Qianhu mean that Lu Chen might be a descendant of the Emperor, left behind in Chengtian Prefecture when His Majesty was still the heir apparent to the Prince of Xing?"

Having caught his breath, Shen Xuan thought for a moment,

"The age doesn't match up. Lu Chen was born in August of the fourteenth year of Zhengde, only eleven years and ten months younger than His Majesty."

Even if His Majesty had early exposure to women at the Prince of Xing's residence, it's impossible for him to have fathered a child at the age of eleven, right?

"Commander Shen, you call yourself a commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard? Just because your age is written in your file, does that mean it's accurate?!"

Can you really tell if a young man is sixteen or eighteen just by looking at him?

Gao Mingqian pointed at Shen Xuan with his finger.

"The eleven-year-old Crown Prince of Xing is naturally unable to impregnate a woman."

But the Crown Prince of Xing, who was thirteen or fourteen years old, was a different story!

When His Majesty went to the capital to inherit the throne, he left Chengtian Prefecture in April of the sixteenth year of Zhengde's reign, at the age of thirteen and a half.

Not to mention the royal family, even wealthy families in the countryside often have men of this age who have already taken wives and concubines.

Although there are not many cases of young girls getting pregnant, it does happen.

It's not impossible that His Majesty might have slept with a woman before leaving Chengtian Prefecture and accidentally caused her to become pregnant!

At that time, the emperor was preparing to enter the capital to inherit the throne. He had many things to do and had no time to care about a woman who might only be a casual fling.

It is quite possible that she was not taken to the capital but left in Chengtian Prefecture.

The Lu family had estates and businesses in Chengtian Prefecture, and also had relatives and servants who stayed behind and did not accompany them to the capital.

It's quite possible that this woman will be placed under the care of the Lu family, and she may even originally be a member of the Lu family.