Ming Dynasty: I am truly not the Emperor of Longevity

The next day.

The Embroidered Uniform Guard's Linqing Customs Household Office.

"Commander Lu, that's the Linqing Tax Bureau of the Ministry of Revenue, also known as the Linqing Customs Office."

Shen Xuan, the centurion, pointed to another government office not far away and introduced it to Lu Chen.

"The official in charge of the yamen inside is Cui Yan, the chief clerk sent by the Ministry of Revenue's Department of Civil Affairs. He is a civil official of the sixth rank."

Their tax collection office was responsible for accounting and tax collection, and the targets of the tax collection were merchant ships passing through the customs.

Our main duty at the Imperial Guard's Customs Office is to cooperate with the officials of the Tax Bureau to board ships and inspect whether the goods match the ship owner's declaration.

If there are any problems, we can seize the boat and arrest the people directly.

If any criminals smuggle contraband, or even commit violence or disturbances, we will take action to apprehend and suppress them.

"Commander Shen, may I ask what my daily duties entail?"

Lu Chen turned his head and looked at the long line of wooden boats not far away, queuing up to pass through the customs and head towards the Weiyun River.

"Should we send people to inspect these ships?"

"After General Jiang died in the line of duty last month, the commander felt that our customs office was not well-equipped, so he took advantage of the vacancy in the position of General Jiang to rotate the personnel."

The old and weak were dispersed and relocated to less important garrison posts, while a group of elite soldiers were transferred over.

The rotation work is not yet finished; it is estimated to take another ten days to two weeks.

Shen Xuan glanced at the other military officer beside him.

"Let General Manager Fan's people handle the customs inspection for now."

After the subordinates of Commander Lu are rotated into their positions, the two commanders will take turns leading their men to be on duty at the customs post.

These days, Commander Lu can familiarize himself with the miscellaneous tasks at the Hundred Household Office. If he's really bored, he can also go to the city to take a stroll and observe the people's conditions.

Linqing Prefecture is a hub for merchants traveling from the north and south, with thriving industries and a wide variety of entertainment options; it will not disappoint Commander Lu.

"What Commander Shen said is true. Commander Lu is new here and needs to understand the people's conditions."

The speaker was Fan Zheng, another captain of the Customs Household Office. Like Shen Xuan and Lu Chen, he was wearing a blue-green official uniform, and all three of them had the character "彪" embroidered on their chest badges.

However, the "Biao" on Shen Xuan's official robe was facing backwards, while the "Biao" on Fan Zheng and Lu Chen's robes was facing forwards.

This is the slight difference in the insignia on the official robes of sixth-rank and seventh-rank military officers in the Ming Dynasty.

"In that case, I'll have to trouble General Fan to take care of me during this time."

Lu Chen cupped his hands in greeting to Fan Zheng.

As expected, the guys in the Linqing Imperial Guard Thousand Household Office had already figured out that he was a relative who knew nothing.

Lu Bing's handwritten appointment letter was simply a way to place him in this lucrative position.

Basically, it's equivalent to placing the president of a large corporation in a branch office in another city as a relative.

When a branch manager encounters a client who is someone they can't afford to offend but who doesn't understand any business, the best approach is to treat them like a mascot and treat them with respect.

Doesn't this mean I can live a life of leisure and wealth in Linqing Prefecture?!

. . .

That night.

Outside Guangji Gate in Linqing Prefecture, inside a garden-style building.

"You may all leave."

Lu Chen waved his hand, dismissing the two maids who had been standing by his side.

Last night, when he hosted a banquet at Lanyue Tower to welcome himself back, Gao Qianhu repeatedly emphasized that he and Lu Chen's late father, Lu Kun, were old friends.

Now that the Assistant Magistrate has transferred Lu Chen to his Linqing Thousand-Household Office, he will certainly take good care of him.

At the end of the welcoming banquet, the highest-ranking officer of the Imperial Guard in Linqing took out a land deed and insisted on giving it to his nephew, Lu Xian.

According to Gao Qianhu himself, since Lu Chen addressed him as Uncle Gao, he, as an elder, could not fail to give a gift upon meeting him.

This was a villa he owned outside Guangji Gate in the west of Linqing Prefecture. He rarely used it, so he decided to give it to himself as his residence in Linqing.

Of course, it needs to be cleaned and tidied up, so there's no time to do it that night; you can only check in the next day.

Lu Chen originally thought that this should be an ordinary courtyard house, probably similar to the house he bought in Biyang County under the identity of "Lin Chaoxi".

It's just that it's a bit bigger and more ornately decorated.

Unexpectedly, when Lu Chen was personally accompanied by Commander Shen into the mansion that had been given a brand-new Lu Residence plaque this afternoon, he realized that he had made a huge mistake.

This is no ordinary courtyard house!