Ming Dynasty: I am truly not the Emperor of Longevity

Yangzhou, Guangling Post Station.

"Sir, the goods have all been stored in the warehouse, and our own people have been arranged to guard them in shifts."

Qin Fang entered the Huanghua Pavilion and reported to Lu Chen.

"I have already instructed the postmaster to find us a ship with a capacity of 1,000 shi (a unit of weight), but we will have to wait two more days."

"It's alright. We've been traveling on this canal for almost twenty days, and the men are all tired."

Lu Chen waved his hand.

"You can divide everyone into two shifts, and leave one shift at the post station to guard the goods each day. It's a rare trip to Yangzhou, so let the men go to the city to rest and recuperate."

"On behalf of my men, I thank you, sir."

Qin Fang quickly clasped his hands and bowed.

"How about I accompany you, sir, for a stroll in the city?"

"I'll go myself."

Lu Chen chuckled softly and tossed Qin Fang a fifty-tael ingot of official silver.

"In Linqing, I'm watched wherever I go. It's rare for me to go out, so I might as well have some fun."

Don't worry, I don't even consider ordinary petty thieves a threat.

"With me here, the boys won't have enough fun. Let Qin Xiaoqi take care of them for the next couple of days."

. . .

The next day.

Inside Yangzhou City, at the Weiyuan Escort Agency.

"The chief镖头 (chief镖头, a term referring to a bodyguard or镖师) has finally returned."

A bodyguard hurried up to Xiong Yuncheng and said in a low voice,

"A big spender has arrived, offering us a lucrative business deal. None of the resident bodyguards dare to make a decision, so we're waiting for the chief bodyguard to give us the answer."

"Big business? That's great!"

Hearing his subordinate's words, Xiong Yuncheng was stunned.

"Is there some problem?"

"The owner of the goods not only refused to reveal where they came from, but also wore a mask and refused to disclose his identity or name."

The bodyguard continued in a low voice.

"It's not uncommon for guests to choose not to reveal their identities."

Hearing his subordinate's words, Xiong Yuncheng was somewhat puzzled.

"As long as you're willing to pay the commission, we'll accept the ticket, not the person."

"This shipment is extremely valuable."

The bodyguard's voice trembled slightly.

"As you know, Chief Escort, we emphasize clear cargo, clear routes, and clear responsibilities when we're escorting goods. If there's a problem with the cargo, it's no laughing matter."

"Turning away walk-in customers is not a good thing."

Xiong Yuncheng thought for a moment,

"Lead the way, let me meet this generous guest myself."

. . .

"Chief镖师 (bodyguard/escort) Xiong, it's a pleasure to meet you."

Lu Chen clasped his hands in a fist salute to Xiong Yuncheng.

"My surname is Lin, and I have a box of goods to deliver to Biyang County, Nanyang Prefecture."

The person who can make the final decision has finally arrived.

When he was in Linqing, Lu Chen had secretly inquired about the rates of escort agencies. Although real names were generally required, it was not strict. If the client did not want to reveal their identity, the escort agency would usually accept the job as long as the goods were not stolen.

In such cases, the escort agency issues a receipt for the order. If there are any problems with the goods and compensation is required, the receipt will be recognized, not the person.

To Lu Chen's surprise, because the package he needed to send was too valuable, this well-known escort agency in Yangzhou City was hesitant to accept the order and insisted on waiting for their chief escort to return to make a decision.

"Young Master Lin, it's a pleasure to meet you."

Xiong Yuncheng returned the greeting with a fist and palm salute. Although the other person was wearing a mask, their voice was clearly very young.

"This box of gold, if converted into silver, would be worth as much as five thousand taels. If Young Master Lin is unwilling to disclose its origin, I am afraid I dare not take this business."

"Don't worry, Chief Xiong, this gold is of clean origin and will not cause any trouble for your escort agency."

Lu Chen tapped his fingers lightly on the table.

"I am unwilling to reveal my identity, and there are reasons why I cannot say."

"How about this: I'll increase the commission rate from the five percent your镖师 (bodyguards/escorts) previously quoted to ten percent, to five hundred taels of silver?"

"This... Young Master Lin, please allow me to consider it."

Hearing the amount of five hundred taels, Xiong Yuncheng was somewhat tempted. However, the fact that the other party was willing to pay extra for shipping rather than reveal the origin of the gold made him even more suspicious that there was something wrong with the source of the gold.

"Chief镖师 (bodyguard/escort) should take a look at this box of goods first."

Seeing that the other party was clearly tempted after hearing that he was willing to pay double the shipping fee, Lu Chen immediately struck while the iron was hot and gently patted the small box containing gold in front of him.

As his palm touched the edge of the box, he used his telekinesis to lift the small box, which weighed more than 20 kilograms, and let it slide more than two feet before landing steadily on the small tea table next to Xiong Yuncheng's chair.

hiss...

Lu Chen clearly heard many people around him gasp in surprise.

"Weiyuan Escort Agency will take on this escort mission."

After a brief silence, Xiong Yuncheng suddenly spoke.

"Have the accountant come and inspect the goods, and give this young master Lin a receipt for accepting the shipment."

Half an hour later.

"Chief镖头 (Chief Escort), I'll take my leave now."

After putting away the gold shipment documents, Lu Chen lightly tapped the coffee table next to his chair twice, then stood up and walked towards the door. Just as he was about to step out, he suddenly turned back and said...

"By the way, the coffee table at your escort agency seems a bit flimsy; perhaps you should replace it."

. . .

"Chief镖师, what exactly did this man mean by his last words?"

After Lu Chen had been gone for a full incense stick's time, one of the bodyguards finally walked up to the tea table and examined it closely.

"You're asking me? Who am I supposed to ask?"

Xiong Yuncheng glared at the other person and slammed his hand hard on the coffee table.

wrong!

What is that sound?!

The moment his hand touched the coffee table, Xiong Yuncheng sensed something was wrong.

A series of fine crackling sounds came from below the palm.

The next second, countless cracks appeared from the tabletop to the legs.

Immediately afterwards, the entire elm wood table, as if its sinews and bones had been removed, turned into scattered pieces of wood, each about an inch long, lying on the ground.

"This shipment must not fail!"

After a deathly silence, Xiong Yuncheng finally spoke.

"Gather all the best bodyguards from our Weiyuan Escort Agency, and I will personally lead the team."

. . .

A few streets away from Weiyuan Escort Agency, in a street-facing private room on the second floor of an upscale restaurant.

Having removed his mask and changed his clothes, Lu Chen sipped his tea while admiring the bustling city of Yangzhou, where the Grand Canal and the Yangtze River meet.

This place was originally one of the several places Lu Chen planned to settle in before he met Yuan Xun in Wadian Town and received Lu Bing's personal letter of appointment.

The identity of "Lu Chen" is now practically welded to him; unless the impersonation is exposed, it's impossible to shake it off.

If you're incredibly lucky and no one ever discovers you're an imposter, then you'll have no choice but to live as "Lu Chen."

If he were truly exposed, he would either have to live in seclusion as Lin Chaoxi, hiding away in the small county of Biyang and becoming a wealthy man.

Alternatively, we could follow the new alternative plan and head out to sea along the route taken by Wang Wufeng and Zheng Yiguan.

It was no longer possible for an ordinary person to live in the Ming Dynasty, or even to participate in the imperial examinations and pursue an official career.

Now that I've come to Yangzhou, I can only visit as a passerby.

After realizing that five thousand taels of silver was a huge sum of money in the eyes of Weiyuan Escort Agency, Lu Chen became more cautious.

In addition to offering double the shipping fee, you also need to give the other party enough deterrence!