Ming Dynasty: I am truly not the Emperor of Longevity

February 27th.

It was late afternoon, at the imperial palace outside Weihui city.

"Brother."

Lu Wei walked behind Lu Bing and lowered his voice.

"His Majesty has already retired for the night. Shall we go out for a 'survey' of the outer perimeter?"

"Let's go now."

Lu Bing nodded.

"Don't disturb your mother for now."

My mother really disliked this illegitimate child of my father.

"I want to see what our younger brother is up to by sneaking off from Linqing to Weihui!"

Not long after Lu Bingbing arrived at the temporary palace with the emperor at noon, his subordinates who had arrived earlier to prepare for security matters quietly approached him and reported that a Jinyiwei captain from Linqing had confidential matters to discuss with him.

This man, who called himself Lu Chen, was waiting at the post station located outside Weihui City, the closest to the imperial palace.

When Lu Bing heard this news, he was actually somewhat unhappy.

To fulfill his father's last wish, he had already arranged a lucrative position for Lu Chen in Linqing. Why was Lu Chen not staying in Linqing and instead coming to Weihui to see him in private?

As for why it was Weihui, Lu Bing didn't care much.

During this imperial tour to the south, there were people arranging the reception for the emperor along the way.

Lu Chen, after all, held the position of a captain in the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Finding out which places the Emperor's procession would pass through would not be difficult for him at all.

However, Lu Bing did not immediately go to see his father's illegitimate son.

After Emperor Jiajing moved into the imperial palace, a series of activities were arranged in advance.

Zhu Youpeng, the Prince of Ru, who was enfeoffed in Weihui, was the eleventh son of Emperor Xianzong and the uncle of Emperor Jiajing. Naturally, he was received and given a banquet.

Lu Bing needed to deploy security at the imperial palace and arrange the emperor's ceremonial guard, so he couldn't leave at all.

Only after Emperor Jiajing finished his day's activities and went to bed did Lu Bing have the opportunity to temporarily leave the palace under the pretext of inspecting its perimeter.

. . .

The post station outside Weihui City, in a small, secluded courtyard.

Lu Chen looked at the sky; it was completely dark.

As a commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, he was originally only entitled to stay in a superior room at the post station. He was not qualified to stay in the private courtyards that were specially reserved for high-ranking officials of the third rank or above.

The matters discussed during this meeting with Lu Bing were highly confidential, and naturally, no one else was allowed to eavesdrop.

Since he was going to confront Lu Bing anyway, Lu Chen no longer cared about overstepping his authority and directly requisitioned a detached house by falsely conveying Lu Bing's order.

When I arrived in Weihui the day before yesterday, the city and its surroundings were already heavily guarded.

Especially the imperial palace located in the suburbs, which was patrolled by the Imperial Guards more than 100 meters away from the outer wall, strictly prohibiting unauthorized personnel from approaching.

Of course, these were not problems for Lu Chen, who held the Embroidered Uniform Guard's flag and insignia.

With so many Imperial Guards, they can conveniently relay messages to Lu Bing on my behalf.

Finally, someone has arrived!

Lu Chen heard faint footsteps; it was two people.

The two women's footsteps were quite steady, definitely not those of women, so it seems Lu Bing's mother didn't come.

. . .

"Why didn't you stay in Linqing? What brings you all this way to Weihui to see me?"

Lu Bing stepped into the main house of the courtyard and asked Lu Chen, who was sitting with his back to the door,

"I will be accompanying Your Majesty on this trip, and it will be extremely difficult for me to find time to see you."

"Didn't Mrs. Yousheng come?"

Lu Chen did not turn around immediately.

"And who is this person who came with the Assistant Magistrate?"

"I am Lu Wei."

Lu Wei spoke directly.

"My elder brother is in charge of the security of the palace. He can only leave the palace quietly to see you after His Majesty has retired for the night, but he cannot linger for too long."

Since you've come all this way to see your brother, you must already know about your background.

We're all blood brothers, so feel free to speak your mind.

"So it's Second Brother. Now that there are no outsiders, I can rest assured."

Upon learning that the other person who came with Lu Bing was Lu Song's second son, Lu Wei, Lu Chen whispered,

"Before I turn around, I would like to ask my two elder brothers to be mentally prepared. No matter how incredible the things you see are, please remember not to make too much noise and alert the guards outside the courtyard."

"Heh, do you think we're like you, growing up in the countryside of Chengtian Prefecture and never seen anything like this?"

Upon hearing Lu Chen's words, Lu Wei couldn't help but laugh.

"Second brother, don't speak so confidently."

Lu Bing reached out and patted Lu Wei on the shoulder.

"Lu Chen has been a Jinyiwei captain in Linqing for half a year, and he is no longer a clueless country boy."

"For him to rush to see me on the Emperor's southern tour, there must be something truly important."

"Before coming to Weihui, I went to Chengtian Prefecture."

Lu Chen still did not turn around.

"I saw my birth mother Wang's new grave in the village on the east bank of the palace pond, and even asked the village manager about it."

Inquire about "Lu Chen," and how he has lived with his mother there for the past eighteen years.

"Aren't you yourself..."

Lu Wei realized what was happening halfway through his sentence.

"You're not Lu Chen! Who are you?!"

"Of course I am 'Lu Chen'!"

Lu Chen chuckled softly.

"But as far back as I can remember, I have never been to Chengtian Prefecture, let alone lived in that manor."

After speaking, Lu Chen turned around and slowly raised his head.

"This is also why, after leaving Chengtian Prefecture, I didn't want to wait a moment longer and immediately headed north to secretly seek an audience with my brother during the Emperor's southern tour."

I originally wanted to meet my stepmother, "Lady Yousheng," since my mother, Wang, was once a maidservant by her side.

My elder brother was still young at the time, so my stepmother probably knew more about these things.

"Your Majesty... Your Majesty!"

Although Lu Chen had repeatedly emphasized that they should be mentally prepared before turning around, the two were still shocked the moment they saw that face.

"My two elder brothers, please take another look."

Lu Chen quickly lowered his voice.

"I am only nineteen years old, how could I possibly be His Majesty!"

"This face is exactly the same as His Majesty's back then!"

Lu Bing was the first to recover.

"No, it's not just your appearance, your voice is also very similar to His Majesty's when he was young!"

I always thought you were Father's illegitimate son, our half-brother, I had a preconceived notion.

Although your voice sounded familiar, I didn't think of anything else!

"His appearance and voice are so similar to His Majesty's when he was young."

Lu Wei also realized what was happening.

"You...you can't be your father's illegitimate son."

"Brother, what exactly happened?!"

"What else could it be!"

Lu Bing shook his head with a wry smile.

"My mother once said that her maid, Wang, seduced my father, and in a fit of anger, she gave her to Lu Kun, the ugly steward of the estate, as a concubine."

Now it seems that Mother was mistaken; the one who slept with Wang was not Father at all.

The child born to Father and Wang could never have grown up like this.

When Lady Wang was given to Lu Kun as a concubine, His Majesty was only eleven years old.

The one who slept with Lady Wang was the late Emperor Xian, formerly Prince Xing.