Ming Dynasty: I am truly not the Emperor of Longevity

"Young Master Lu, that small tower protruding from the city wall is the Lady's City of Xiangyang."

Ma Sankui pointed to the city gate tower ahead and introduced it to Lu Chen.

"In a little while, our ship will dock at the large wharf outside Linhan Gate in Xiangyang City."

"Master Ma, isn't that Fancheng mentioned in the stories of the Three Kingdoms, on the north bank of the Han River?"

Seeing historical cities like Xiangyang and Fancheng in person in this ancient world piqued Lu Chen's interest.

"However, the scale of Fancheng seems to be much smaller than that of Xiangyang on the south bank. How did Liu Bei manage to station troops and pacify the people here back then?"

"So Young Master Lu also knows about the Romance of the Three Kingdoms."

Ma San Kui laughed.

"Ma is a rough man with limited literacy, so this storybook is too difficult for him to read."

In their spare time, they would listen to storytellers recount the tales of the Three Kingdoms.

The Three Kingdoms stories in this book are indeed extremely exciting.

The scholar who wrote this story probably never came to Fancheng!

The city of Xiangyang on the south bank and the city of Fancheng on the north bank face each other across the Han River, and are collectively known as Xiangfan.

Many people who have never actually been to Xiangfan are misled by the name, thinking that Xiangyang and Fancheng are two cities of similar size, or at least not much different.

The Fancheng that Young Master Lu sees today is the Fancheng after the establishment of the customs office during the Chenghua era.

Before the Chenghua era, Fancheng was just a military fortress, much smaller than it appears today.

Let alone the tens of thousands of people that Liu Bei led in the novel, it would be difficult to even accommodate the few thousand soldiers of Xiangyang Guard.

Even now, Fancheng is only home to one thousand-household garrison from the Xiangyang Guard.

The navigation conditions on the Han River are much better than those on its tributary, the Nanhe River.

Traveling downstream from Gucheng County by boat, it took only half a day to reach Xiangyang City.

Lu Chen waited at the "Hanjiang Post Station" in Gucheng County for almost half a month before Ma Sankui finally returned.

They brought back a household registration certificate from Queshan County, Runing Prefecture, as well as a travel permit issued by the Queshan County government.

The name on the household registration and travel permit is Lin Chaoxi, a single person living alone in Queshan County.

The description of his physique and appearance was written entirely based on Lu Chen's appearance.

According to Ma Sankui, Lin Chaoxi was a real person, and his father was originally an old scholar who had failed the imperial examinations many times.

Lin Chaoxi was the only son in his family. The old scholar had his son late in life and placed high hopes on him, expecting him to pass the imperial examination and bring honor to the family.

Unfortunately, Lin Chaoxi was not cut out for studying. Although he had started school from a young age, he could not even pass the preliminary examination for the first degree.

Instead, starting from the age of fifteen or sixteen, he began to secretly visit brothels and gamble.

Just last year, he incurred a large gambling debt, and creditors came to his door demanding repayment, wanting to take his family's only few acres of meager farmland in the suburbs as collateral.

The old scholar, overwhelmed with anger, couldn't catch his breath and passed away.

Without his father's guidance, the eighteen-year-old Lin Chaoxi became even more reckless, squandering his already meager family fortune in just a few months and accumulating a lot of bad debts.

To escape his debts, he fled Queshan County overnight.

Just a few days before Ma Sankui arrived in Queshan County, someone pulled a body out of a stagnant pond more than ten miles from the county seat.

Because the corpse had been soaked and severely swollen and deformed, the coroner of the yamen was unable to recognize its appearance.

The clothes on the body were identified as being exactly the same as those Lin Chaoxi wore before she went missing.

After the old scholar died, Lin Chaoxi was left all alone, with no relatives to claim him, and no aggrieved party urging the authorities to investigate the cause of death.

The head constable in charge of the case also intended to conclude that the body was Lin Chaoxi and close the case.

Just then, Ma San Kui, who had some connection with the constable, found him.

What followed was a natural progression.

The body was closed as an unidentified corpse, and Lin Chaoxi was naturally still alive and well.

However, apart from his name, the information on the household registration book had nothing to do with him anymore.

Lin Chaoxi was not missing. According to the reason written on the travel permit, he was going to Xiangyang Prefecture via Nanyang Prefecture to visit a distant relative.

According to Ma Sankui, as long as Lu Chen doesn't go to Queshan County, no one will be able to spot any flaws.

Even the constable and the clerk in charge of the matter at the Queshan County government office didn't know who Ma Sankui was giving it to.

With this travel permit, Lu Chen could register his household in Xiangyang Prefecture using Lin Chaoxi's identity by spending a little money.

Ma San Kui did not intend to let Lu Chen use Lin Chaoxi's travel permit directly in Xiangyang Prefecture, but instead continued to use Lu Chen's travel permit.

In his eyes, Lu Chen was a Jinyiwei guard on his way to report to the Jinyiwei government office in the capital. He used travel permits to pass through checkpoints and stay at inns along the way, which was traceable.

When the Imperial Guard in the capital discovers that he has not reported for duty, they will send people to investigate and will surely be able to find out the last place he used his travel permit.

This place must not be within the territory of Xiangyang Prefecture!

After discussing it with Lu Chen, the two decided to continue using Lu Chen's travel permit, first going to Xiangyang Prefecture, and then continuing north to Nanyang Prefecture.

Although the two traveled together, they pretended not to know each other in front of others.

After arriving in Nanyang Prefecture, find an inn, register using Lu Chen's travel permit, and then disappear without a trace.

In the future, the investigation by the Embroidered Uniform Guard will only trace back to Nanyang Prefecture.

Lin Chaoxi's travel permit was for traveling from Queshan County in Runing Prefecture through Nanyang Prefecture to Xiangyang Prefecture, so it could certainly be used in Nanyang Prefecture as well.

From this moment on, Lu Chen's identity can be completely erased, leaving only Lin Chaoxi in the world.

. . .

a few days later.

Nanyang Prefecture, Xinye County, North Gate Wharf.

"Reporting to the superior, this person did indeed board a ship here a few hours ago, heading towards Nanyang Prefecture."

A yamen runner carefully handed the Eastern Depot warrant back to Sun Dexiu.

"It would take more than a day to reach Nanyang Prefecture by boat from here. This person will probably spend the night in Wadian Town."

"Wadian Town?"

Sun Dexiu carefully put away the playing cards and solemnly instructed,

"I have been here and inquired about this person. You must not tell anyone, not even the Imperial Guards. You must keep your mouth shut!"

I don't need to tell you what the Eastern Depot did, do I?

This is a secret mission of the Eastern Depot. If I find out it was you who leaked it, you'll lose your job!

"Don't worry, sir, I'm keeping my mouth shut."

The bailiff immediately knelt down.

"Not a single word will escape my lips."

. . .

The next day, in Wadian Town.

"I never expected that there would be a gambling den in this small town of Wadian."

Lu Chen pointed to a small building across the street, with a sign hanging in front of it that read "Gambling" in large characters.

"Mr. Ma, interested in going in and playing a couple of rounds?"

After spending a night at an inn in Wadian Town, Lu Chen did not continue his journey to Nanyang Prefecture.

Instead, they used the excuse that they were tired from their journey and wanted to rest for a day in Wadian Town.

Throughout the journey, Lu Chen was very cooperative, and with their destination, Nanyang Prefecture, fast approaching, Ma San Kui had no reason to refuse this small request.

Lu Chen's request for rest was definitely not based on the reason he gave Ma San Kui.

According to the plan set by Ma San Kui, after arriving in Nanyang Prefecture, the plan to make "Lu Chen" disappear into thin air will be carried out!

Ma San Kui's plan was, of course, completely different from Lu Chen's own plan!

How can you not be in control when doing something important?!

The time and place are, of course, up to you to decide!