Ming Dynasty: I am truly not the Emperor of Longevity

Why did he keep looking at the magistrate's order over and over again?

Could they be suspicious?!

Seeing Lu Chen repeatedly checking Lu Bing's warrant, Yuan Xun's heart jumped into his throat.

Although Lu Bing never told him who Lu Chen was, as Lu Bing's confidant, how could Yuan Xun not see how much Lu Bing valued Lu Chen?

This is no ordinary level of importance!

Lu Bing actually gave him the most lucrative position of all: the Commander of the Linqing Thousand-Household Garrison of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Apart from Lu Bing's close relatives, such as the nephews of the late Lord Lu Song, who were Lu Bing's cousins, Yuan Xun had never seen Lu Bing treat anyone so well!

Before the warrant was put into the envelope, Lu Bing had already shown it to Yuan Xun. Not only had he shown it, but he had also given him a special instruction.

The most important thing about this mission is to prevent Lu Chen from noticing anything amiss and from obeying orders to abandon the journey to the capital and report to the Linqing Thousand-Household Office of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Yuan Xun did know Lu Kun, the Commander-in-Chief, but they weren't particularly close.

As far as he knew, Lu Kun was originally a steward in the Lu family and was also an old man who accompanied Lord Lu Song from Chengtian Prefecture to the capital.

He is certainly loyal to the Lu family, but he is really not capable of taking on important responsibilities.

More than ten years have passed, and he has only managed to become a hereditary seventh-rank general.

Yuan Xun had also met Lu Kun's eldest son, Lu Chengguang, who had just turned fifteen last year.

He had already entered the Jinyiwei grassroots level for training, following the old rules for hereditary officers of the Jinyiwei, and was now just an ordinary Jinyiwei captain.

Lu Kun's health has been deteriorating over the past two years, and he was even bedridden for the past two months.

Yuan Xun originally thought that after Lu Kun passed away, Lu Chengguang would inherit Lu Kun's position as the head of the Embroidered Uniform Guard after a year of mourning, and would be on equal footing with him.

Yuan Xun had walked this path himself, so he knew it very well.

Lu Kun originally intended to pass on his hereditary position as a general to his legitimate son, Lu Chengguang, and had no connection whatsoever with Lu Chen, the illegitimate son who had been raised in his hometown of Chengtian Prefecture.

However, on the day after Lord Lu Song passed away, Lord Lu Bing, who was supposed to be keeping vigil for his father in the mourning hall, suddenly sent someone to urgently summon him to the Embroidered Uniform Guard headquarters.

He handed the warrant to himself, ordering him to set off immediately and search along the route of Daming Prefecture, Kaifeng Prefecture, Nanyang Prefecture, and Xiangyang Prefecture, for Lu Chen, who was heading to the capital from Chengtian Prefecture.

This matter broke countless rules.

In other words, it is very likely that Lu Chen's decision to inherit Lu Kun's Jinyiwei commandership was not Lu Kun's own idea at all, but rather an excuse made by Lord Lu Bing to prevent Lu Chen from becoming suspicious.

When I return to the capital, Lu Kun's eldest son, Lu Chengguang, might not even know about this. After the mourning period ends, he will still be able to get a position as a captain.

Is Lu Chen Lu Kun's illegitimate son?

That's more like a lie to a ghost!

Yuan Xun was well aware of the immense power of Lu Song and his son Lu Bing. For Lu Bing to do something like this, the true identity of this young master Lu Chen must be extremely important.

However, this is not something I should inquire about.

Knowing too much may not be a good thing for you!

"Brother Lu, do you have any questions about this warrant?"

Seeing that Lu Chen remained unresponsive, Yuan Xun felt he could no longer remain silent.

"If there's anything you don't understand, I'll explain it to you."

If he senses something is amiss and refuses to take up his post in Linqing, insisting on going to the capital first, then things will get complicated.

If ordinary Jinyiwei colleagues disobeyed orders, it wouldn't matter if I used force.

But as for this Young Master Lu, I dare not lay a hand on him.

. . .

I was right!

The most important purpose of Lu Bing's handwritten order to "Lu Chen" was to prevent "Lu Chen" from entering the capital.

Lord Yuan Xun knew Lu Bing's true intentions!

Seeing that he kept looking at the warrant but didn't react, he worried that he was becoming suspicious!

How should we deal with this?

Should I voice my doubts and ask him directly?

Yuan Xun was merely Lu Bing's subordinate, and how could he dare to tell him something Lu Bing forbade him to say?

Lu Bing hoped that Lu Chen would not see the true purpose behind the appointment letter and would obediently give up going to the capital and go to Linqing to take up his post.

If I were to actually ask, I would be breaking the ice.

Who knows how Lu Bing will react when he finds out?

Lu Chen dared not be the slightest bit negligent towards this powerful figure who would soon rise to the position of Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Lu Bing's only purpose was to prevent "Lu Chen" from going to the capital.

To make it seem reasonable, they even gave "Lu Chen" a very lucrative position.

This means that Lu Bing not only had no ill intentions towards "Lu Chen", but also took good care of him.

The best way to deal with this is to pretend that you didn't see through the deception.

Breaking this tacit understanding won't do you any good.

"Brother Yuan."

After making the decision, Lu Chen placed the appointment letter on the table.

"It's just a little hard to believe that the Vice Magistrate would be so kind to his younger brother."

Back in my hometown of Chengtian Prefecture, I had heard of the prosperity and wealth of Linqing.

I never expected to have the opportunity to work at the Linqing Thousand Household Office.

It's a pity I can't go to the capital to observe mourning for my deceased father; I feel ashamed as a son.

"Brother Lu, there's no need to take this to heart."

Hearing Lu Chen's words, Yuan Xun secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

"The funeral arrangements for Lord Lu Kun will be handled by your wife and younger brother in the capital, and Lord Lu Bing will also take care of things. Please rest assured, Brother Lu."

As a hereditary captain of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, you should prioritize national affairs and immediately proceed to Linqing to assume your post.

Great, he didn't see the problem!

After all, he was just a naive young man who grew up in Chengtian Prefecture and had never seen much of the world.

As long as he obediently goes to Linqing, I can return to the capital to report to Lord Lu Bing.

"Since it is an order from the Assistant Magistrate, I shall obey."

Lu Chen carefully put the appointment letter, handwritten by Lu Bing, back into the envelope and kept it close to his body.

"Brother Yuan, since the matter is urgent, we should not linger here any longer."

Why don't we have Inspector Zhang prepare his horse now, and I'll set off for Linqing to take up my post?

There's just a small matter I need to trouble you with, Brother Yuan.

"Brother Lu, please speak. As long as it is within my power, I will certainly do it for you."

Seeing that Lu Chen had decided to obey orders and go to Linqing to take up his post, Yuan Xun was in a great mood.

"This matter is also related to my appointment."

After deciding to accept the assignment, Lu Chen secretly set his sights on something. Although he didn't know exactly what it was, he figured this Lord Yuan probably possessed it.

"Brother Yuan, I started from Chengtian Prefecture, passed through Xiangyang Prefecture and came north, all the way to Wadian Town in Nanyang Prefecture. Along the way, I used the travel permit issued by Chengtian Prefecture to pass through checkpoints and stay in inns."

This travel permit was for traveling from Chengtian Prefecture through Xiangyang Prefecture, Nanyang Prefecture, Kaifeng Prefecture, and Daming Prefecture to the capital. It was not valid for taking up a post in Linqing Prefecture, Shandong.

The order from the Assistant Magistrate instructed me to collect the official token, seal, and robes after arriving in Linqing.

On my way to my new post, apart from this warrant, I have no other proof of my official status.

The journey to Linqing is quite long and will take many days. Not only will we need to stay overnight, but we will also have to pass through quite a few checkpoints.

"I can't possibly present the Vice Magistrate's warrant every time, can I?"