My System Is Three Thousand Years Early

By then, Cheng Guang would take out the jade pendant hanging from the neck of the Queen of South Ming, to drag the back-stabber, who was the crown prince or rather the shadow lurking in the dark corner, into the sunlight.

As she left the courtyard, Qing Luan adjusted the hem of Cheng Guang's robe for him, standing with her hands clasped behind her back, smiling with squinted eyes at Cheng Guang.

Under the morning glow, Cheng Guang stood tall and straight, even more handsome and dashing than when he first came to this world.

All over him, apart from a natural air of nobility, there was also a sense of detachment that came with holding a high position for a long time.

As Qing Luan sized up Cheng Guang, he was also taking her measure.

After looking at Qing Luan for a while, he said warmly with a smile, "If you have some free time, you can also go out for a stroll. There's no need to keep yourself cooped up in the courtyard all day."

"Besides, the mansion is not short of money, and you can add some clothes for yourself. I see that in your wardrobe, you seem to wear the same few pieces all year long."

Qing Luan nodded with a smile yet remained silent, her beautiful eyes twinkling with laughter, leaving Cheng Guang to wonder what she was thinking.

Cheng Guang knew that Qing Luan probably didn't care about her clothes and seemed uninterested in his suggestion for her to go out for a stroll.

For Qing Luan, who had entered Duke Zhen's Mansion at a young age, she seldom left the mansion.

Perhaps she was accustomed to the opulence of the mansion, or perhaps she had no interest in the colorful world outside, or she simply did not wish to go out alone; in any case, unless necessary, she preferred spending her time in the Million Specie Garden, watering the flowers, and cooking.

It was indeed a leisurely life.

Cheng Guang turned around, and Qing Luan waved to him.

Cheng Guang also waved back without looking at Qing Luan, thinking to himself:

This girl is young, but her temperament is even more serene than mine. If I had to stay alone in this courtyard, I couldn't stand it.

With these thoughts, Cheng Guang walked toward the Bureau of the Lamp and arrived at the grand hall of the Bureau.

He found Cheng Zhihai.

In the past few days, Cheng Zhihai had felt utterly exhausted, his eyes heavy with fatigue, and dark circles had emerged prominently.

The lock of black hair on his forehead had turned white without him noticing, and now he had a streak of white hair.

Cheng Zhihai sat at the desk, holding a teacup in one hand, and quickly flipping through the missives and intel from various branches of the Bureau of the Lamp and from some secret agents, attempting to locate the whereabouts of the crown prince within this vast sea of information.

When he noticed Cheng Guang's arrival, a tired yet noble face revealed a hint of affectionate smile.

To Cheng Guang, this smile made Cheng Zhihai's weariness visibly apparent.

It should be noted that Cheng Zhihai was a power of the Ninth-order Martial Emperor Realm, just one step away from stepping into the Heavenly Human Realm.

For such a powerful figure, not sleeping for dozens of days would not likely affect his mental state.

But.

Since Cheng Zhihai started investigating the whereabouts of the crown prince, it had only been two or three days, right?

Had Cheng Zhihai become so fatigued in such a short time?

And to think, in these two or three days, how much information had Cheng Zhihai combed through?

The entire Bureau of the Lamp had been bustling because of one man, the crown prince, and if the director of the Bureau, Cheng Zhihai, was in such a state, how much worse must it be for the officials below him?

A torrent of thoughts surged in Cheng Guang's mind.

"Guanger, you're here. Take a seat for a moment," said Cheng Zhihai with a smile as he rose to pour Cheng Guang a cup of tea, "I have a lead on the crown prince's whereabouts now. The Bureau of the Lamp is the legacy I plan to leave for you in the future. It won't be so easy for the Emperor to take back this power from our Duke's Mansion."

As he spoke, there was a hint of pride in Cheng Zhihai's voice.

Cheng Guang felt a strange emotion stirring within him upon hearing these words.

So Cheng Zhihai was pushing himself so hard just so I could comfortably take over the Bureau of the Lamp in the future?

Cheng Guang glanced at the tea Cheng Zhihai had handed him and saw that the leaves had been brewed many times over, leaving the tea's color somewhat clear.

It was evident Cheng Zhihai had been drinking tea repeatedly to stay alert throughout the day and didn't even have time to change the leaves due to the urgency of his tasks.

Cheng Guang accepted the teacup and sipped slowly, just as he was about to say something.

Cheng Zhihai had already sat back at the desk, flipping through documents again.

"Guanger, you play here for a while, I'll keep you company once I'm done with my work," Cheng Zhihai said without looking up from his work.

"Father," called Cheng Guang.

Cheng Zhihai looked at Cheng Guang, puzzled.

"What is it?"

Cheng Guang said with a smile, "I think I've found the crown prince's whereabouts."

Upon hearing this, Cheng Zhihai was firstly stunned and then shook his head with a chuckle, "You're teasing your father, aren't you?"

"The Bureau of the Lamp has turned Great Zhou upside down these past few days without finding any trace of the crown prince. How could you have found him?"

Saying this, Cheng Zhihai still looked at Cheng Guang with an indulgent face, "Guanger, don't worry about this matter. Even if the sky were to fall, your father is here to hold it up for you."

"Right, it's mealtime now, isn't it? Have you eaten since coming from home?"

As if realizing something, Cheng Zhihai was about to call an official standing in the hall to arrange for some food for Cheng Guang.

"No need, I've already eaten," Cheng Guang shook his head and said with a helpless look, "Father, I really have found the whereabouts of the crown prince."