My System Is Three Thousand Years Early

Li Tongzhen ran to the front of Duke Zhen's Mansion.

Today, there was a grand wedding at Duke Zhen's Mansion, and even though the banquet was over and the servants had cleaned up the streets on both sides, there were still some remnants of red paper in front of the Duke's Mansion.

The celebratory atmosphere in the air had not completely dissipated.

Li Tongzhen looked up at the Entrance Hall of Duke Zhen's Mansion.

Then he noticed the guards at the front of the mansion, their eyes landing on him.

Li Tongzhen hurried forward.

"Um..."

Li Tongzhen quickly approached, walking up to the guard in front of Duke Zhen's Mansion, ready to ask if he could meet the Princely Heir.

However.

Before Li Tongzhen could get close to the guard, he was shouted at to stop.

"Halt!"

Li Tongzhen's brow unconsciously furrowed in response to the guard's shout, not understanding why, but feeling a surge of irritation within his heart.

Yet he still suppressed the emotions inside him, stood straight and respectfully, and then said to the guard:

"I would like to meet the Crown Prince, please inform him if you could, brothers."

The several guards in front of Duke Zhen's Mansion, upon hearing Li Tongzhen's words, made strange faces and exchanged glances.

Then they waved their hands dismissively.

"You, a beggar, don't make a fool of yourself. How could the Princely Heir meet with you? Go play elsewhere."

Upon hearing their reply, Li Tongzhen slowly clenched his hand and slightly opened his mouth, intending to plead more, but those guards were unlikely to listen to him.

With his current status and identity, the gap between him and the Princely Heir was wider than the heavens and earth.

Just as Li Tongzhen was about to say something else, he heard a rush of footsteps from behind.

Mr. Zhao, panting, ran up to Li Tongzhen's side.

First, he was careful and somewhat respectful as he nodded to the guards at the entrance of Duke Zhen's Mansion, before turning his attention to Li Tongzhen.

Even the guards in front of the mansion were not something a small local Office constable like him could compare to.

The respect that was due could not be omitted; otherwise, it would seem very offensive.

Mr. Zhao looked at Li Tongzhen with slightly furrowed brows, then stepped forward, intending to pull Li Tongzhen away.

"Listen to my advice; the Princely Heir will not meet you. If you want to save that girl, you'd better think of another way."

"You don't even know how to settle the trouble you've gotten into now; do you really need more problems?"

Mr. Zhao spoke earnestly.

Truth be told, Mr. Zhao had no need to treat Li Tongzhen, a mere beggar, this way.

But.

Li Tongzhen, the beggar, indeed gave him a different feeling. Facing Li Tongzhen, a vague fear arose in his heart.

It was laughable.

He actually felt fear towards Li Tongzhen, a child who hadn't even fully grown his hair.

But even so, Mr. Zhao's attitude towards Li Tongzhen was somewhat gentler.

He advocated persuasion first.

Li Tongzhen was being pulled by Mr. Zhao to go back.

However, after just a few steps, Li Tongzhen stopped in his tracks.

At this moment, no matter how much Mr. Zhao pulled, Li Tongzhen wouldn't budge an inch.

Mr. Zhao's heart stirred, he observed Li Tongzhen silently for a moment, then lowered his gaze to look at his own palm.

He began to doubt his life.

Had he frequented Flower River too much, weakening himself?

Or was Li Tongzhen simply stronger than him?

Li Tongzhen looked at Mr. Zhao, his tone calm, "What other way could there be?"

"If I go with you and you can save Qingqing, no matter what you ask of me, I'm willing."

Mr. Zhao, at a loss for words, opened his mouth but said nothing.

A moment later.

He spoke dejectedly:

"That's a forbidden medicine. What's forbidden medicine? It's something that basically has no antidote, used for dynastic wars, fights of life and death. Only a few antidotes exist with the Bureau of the Lamp."

"A normal Gold Lantern Catcher doesn't even have the authority to inquire, let alone someone above that rank."

"Such important figures, let alone you, even I don't have the right to look up to them."

"Now come back to the Office with me. Once the matter is investigated clearly, if you're found not at fault, you won't be punished, and then you can think of other ways."

Mr. Zhao said this, pausing slightly in his speech.
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"If, however, you don't listen to me and try to flee now, I'll have to ask someone from the Bureau of the Lamp to take action."

Li Tongzhen glanced at Mr. Zhao, his young face showing an incongruent maturity,

"I'm not running."

Mr. Zhao shook his head, "I know, or it wouldn't just be me following you."

"You've also seen now that the Duke's Mansion is not a place you can enter."

"So even if you stay here, it won't be of much use."

Upon hearing this, Li Tongzhen lowered his gaze, lifted his hand, and slightly tightened his fingers into a fist.

"You're saying..."

"Can I force my way in?"

As the words left Li Tongzhen's lips, Mr. Zhao was momentarily stunned, seemingly baffled, and then his eyes widened, staring intensely at Li Tongzhen.

"Are you crazy?"

"Is the Duke's Mansion somewhere anyone can just barge into? Do you not know that when an anomaly appeared in the sky above the Duke's Mansion last night, how many powerful individuals tried to enter but couldn't stir so much as a ripple?"

"What do you, a mere child, think you are?"

At this point, beads of sweat were falling from Mr. Zhao's forehead. He held no particular benefit or malice towards Li Tongzhen.