Ming Dynasty: I am truly not the Emperor of Longevity

What's wrong with this person?

Sun Dexiu noticed a burly middle-aged man forcefully pushing aside the crowd and quickly approaching Lu Chen's location.

Judging from his physique and movements, he's a trained fighter!

What exactly does he want to do?

The person who was standing just now was quite a distance away from Lu Chen, so he was clearly not a companion!

Are they thugs at this gambling den?

It doesn't seem like it. This person's clothes are too fancy; the fabric is all satin.

It seems something is about to happen here.

What happens to Lu Chen is none of my business.

Even if I am just an observer today, I should at least see what happened clearly so that I can give an account to Eunuch Huang.

After making his decision, Sun Dexiu followed the example of the other gamblers who were watching the spectacle and went to the dice game table.

"Wow! That's really going all out!"

"This luck is incredible! I'm betting on it again next time!"

Just as Sun Dexiu approached the gambling table, the dealer lifted the dice cup.

Just by listening to the gamblers around him, it was clear that Lu Chen had made the right bet again.

As soon as he finished speaking, Lu Chen, who was sitting across from the gambling table, stood up and swiped the silver coins paid by the dealer in front of him.

Sun Dexiu finally got a clear look at Young Master Lu's face!

How is that possible!

How is this possible?!

In that instant, Sun Dexiu was struck dumb as if by lightning!

So that's how it is!

These father and son, Lu Song and Lu Bing, have some serious audacity!

What are they trying to do?

Rebellion?!

wrong!

If it were someone else, it might be possible, but the Lu family has too close a relationship with the Emperor, so it is absolutely impossible for them to rebel!

Lu Song was a former official who accompanied the late Emperor Xian to his fiefdom when he was a prince. He served as the head of the guards of the Prince of Xing's residence.

His principal wife, Lady Fan, was the emperor's wet nurse and was given the title "Lady Yousheng".

Lu Bing was only three years younger than the Emperor. When the Emperor was still the heir apparent of the Prince of Xing, he often accompanied him, studying and practicing martial arts together.

After the Emperor entered the capital and ascended the throne, he greatly favored the Lu family. The Lu family father and son not only rose through the ranks at an astonishing speed, but also held positions of real power.

Moreover, it's obvious to everyone that it won't be long before Lu Bing replaces Wang Zuo as the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, taking control of the entire Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Before his death, Lu Song served as the Assistant Commander of the Rear Army, a second-rank official, in charge of military affairs of the Beijing Garrison and concurrently in charge of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

This is a position that only relatives of the royal family and dukes who share the fate of the country are qualified to hold!

Besides the Emperor, who else would bestow such honor upon the Lu family?

For them, plotting against them will only bring harm and no benefit whatsoever!

On the contrary, the Lu family is the Emperor's most steadfast supporter, not only out of loyalty to the Emperor, but also for their own sake!

But who is this young master Lu Chen in front of me?!

Although this was the first time she had seen Lu Chen's face, she had learned quite a bit about his identity and background by following that Jinyiwei captain along the way and asking around at the post stations they passed.

Yesterday, some details recorded on the travel permit were also obtained from the yamen runners and patrolmen who checked Lu Chen's travel permit in Xinye County and Wadian Town.

Lu Chen was born in August of the fourteenth year of Zhengde's reign. He will be nineteen years old in two months. He is the illegitimate son of Lu Kun, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard who works in the capital.

Lu Chen lived in Chengtian Prefecture from birth until adulthood, with his birth mother, Wang Shi.

This time, he was sent to the capital to serve medicine because Lu Kun was seriously ill.

Sun Dexiu didn't recognize this Commander Lu Kun, but he could guess that he was either a distant relative of the Lu family or a servant of the Lu family when they were in the Xingwang Mansion.

After finding out the contents of the travel permit, Sun Dexiu scoffed at the claim that Lu Chen was Lu Kun's illegitimate son.

How could Lu Bing possibly value a distant relative, or even a servant's illegitimate son, so much?

Lord Lu Song had been bedridden for several months and passed away not long ago.

Sending someone to Chengtian Prefecture to summon Lu Chen to the capital is probably a pretense to serve medicine to Lu Kun, but rather a pretense to serve medicine to Lu Song.

Just moments before, Sun Dexiu was speculating whether Lu Chen might be Lu Song's illegitimate son.

Given Lady Yousheng's high status, it's possible that Lu Song wouldn't dare bring his illegitimate son back to the mansion, but instead secretly entrusted him to Lu Kun for upbringing.

However, from the moment they saw Lu Chen's face with their own eyes, all their previous guesses had to be overturned!

Whether Lu Chen is a member of the Lu family or Lu Song's illegitimate son, there is absolutely no way he could have such a face!

This young master Lu actually has a face that looks almost exactly like the emperor's, but at least ten years younger!

Could it be that Lu Chen is not actually Lu Song's illegitimate son, but rather a child born to the Emperor when he was still the heir of the Prince of Xing in Chengtian Prefecture?!

If that's the case, then it makes sense.

Back in the Xingwang Mansion, there weren't as many rules as in the palace.

Given the close relationship between the Xingwang Mansion and the Lu family, it is quite normal for the heir to visit the Lu family.

It's not impossible that he might have taken advantage of one of the Lu family's maids on a whim.

No, that's not right!

When the Emperor ascended the throne, he was not yet fourteen years old!

Of course, it's not entirely impossible.

Having been castrated and entered the palace at the age of seven, Sun Dexiu had heard many palace maids and eunuchs talk about old palace stories in private over the years.

Emperor Xiaozong had difficulty conceiving and had only one son, the late Emperor Wuzong.

Therefore, there were no restrictions on the crown prince's early exposure to women; in fact, it was even encouraged.

According to some old palace servants who were talking quietly, Emperor Wuzong, who was still the crown prince at the age of twelve or thirteen, often had sex with palace maids.

After Emperor Wuzong ascended the throne at the age of fourteen, he immediately began to take in many concubines.

It's not impossible that the thirteen-year-old Crown Prince Xing had a sexual encounter with a maid from the Lu family.

Even if the Emperor did have relations with Lu Chen's birth mother when he was the heir of the Prince of Xing, the possibility of leaving behind a royal heir is extremely small!

A thirteen-year-old boy's body is not yet fully developed, making it extremely unlikely that he can impregnate a girl.

Didn't Emperor Wuzong have enough palace maids and concubines he favored back then?

However, no one was able to give birth to a prince or princess, so Emperor Wuzong died without leaving any offspring.

It is evident that it is extremely difficult for young men as young as thirteen or fourteen, or even younger, to have offspring.

In other words, although it cannot be completely ruled out, the possibility that this young master Lu is a descendant of the emperor who was left in Chengtian Prefecture in his early years is not high.

But if he wasn't the emperor's son, how do you explain Lu Chen's face?

With a large population in the two capitals and thirteen provinces of the Ming Dynasty, it was natural that there were two completely unrelated people who looked alike.

However, if the scope is narrowed down to Chengtian Prefecture, the possibility becomes extremely small.

What's more, it's related to the Lu family!

No one would believe that Lu Chen was a member of the Lu family or even the son of a servant!

The travel permit that Lu Chen held stated that he was born in August of the fourteenth year of the Zhengde reign. At that time, the emperor was still two months shy of his twelfth birthday.

Pregnancy takes ten months!

If he really is a dragon's offspring, wouldn't that mean that the Emperor had sex with Lu Chen's birth mother when he was just eleven years old?

A thirteen-year-old boy might still have a chance.

At eleven years old, I was the first to not believe it.

But Lu Chen's face can't lie. Even if he's not the Emperor's son, he's definitely related to the Emperor!

What on earth is going on?!