We have fought to the Arctic Circle, and you want me to inherit the throne?

Gao Yuanwai was slightly stunned, then looked embarrassed:

"To be honest, Chang'an City is now under semi-martial law, and the city gates are strictly checked. Especially for someone like me who is not a permanent resident of the city, it is impossible to enter easily."

"Your Excellency is of course of high status, so perhaps you can get in, but I'm afraid... I'm afraid you'll run into those royal family members who support Prince Feng in the city. They're now running rampant in the streets. If they offend you..."

Hearing this, Li Che looked at him with a half-smile, and said in a playful tone: "Oh? You think... I am the enemy of King Feng?"

Gao Yuanwai's heart skipped a beat, and cold sweat broke out again. He waved his hands repeatedly, speaking incoherently: "No... no, I have no such intention. I am stupid, I..."

He was regretting it so much that his intestines turned green. Didn't his words imply that the other party was from the imperial capital?

If I guess right, that's fine. But if I guess wrong...

Just when Mr. Gao was so frightened that his face turned pale and he didn't know how to remedy the situation, an urgent voice suddenly came from outside the door:

"Master! Uh... I have a way to contact the Du family!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the two guards guarding the door moved and flashed past as swift as a cheetah.

One of them grabbed the neck of the dog boy who was hiding outside the door and eavesdropping, and the other one also picked up the big black dog that was baring its teeth and growling.

Gao Yuanwai's face suddenly changed. He was truly shocked and angry. He immediately scolded him harshly: "You ignorant little monkey, who told you to eavesdrop here? Get out! I am your Excellency here, how can you be so presumptuous!"

Li Che smiled and raised his hand to interrupt him, then signaled to his personal guards.

The guard understood, loosened his grip, and released the man and the dog.

With Qiu Bai and the others being so alert, how could they not notice a child eavesdropping outside the door?

It's just that I saw that Your Majesty seemed to have some interest in this doll, so I turned a blind eye to it.

"Little boy, come in." Li Che waved his hand.

Gou Wa held the whimpering big black dog and moved timidly into the house, avoiding the gaze and not daring to look directly into Mr. Gao's sullen face.

Gao Yuanwai wanted to plead: "Sir, this kid is wild and has no sense of etiquette. Please don't bother with him..."

Li Che interrupted: "You just said that you have a way?"

Gou Wa nodded vigorously and whispered, "I know a servant who works as a night-drinker in the Du Mansion. His name is Fen Dan'er."

"He came to the village to collect... manure before, and he talked to me. He told me: There's a small gate in the back alley of the Du Mansion that's used for night-blooming carts. Normally, no one checks it. It's only open for a short while in the morning and evening when the night-blooming carts are being emptied... If you sneak in through that gate, you can get right to the base of the Du Mansion's backyard wall."

Li Che asked, "Have you ever walked that road yourself?"

Gou Wa shook his head honestly: "No... no, I have never been to Chang'an City."

Li Che's tone suddenly turned cold: "Since you haven't been there, you dare to talk nonsense here? Boy, you are quite courageous. Are you teasing me?"

Gou Wa was so scared that he trembled and almost cried.

But he forced himself to raise his head, with a stubborn look on his dark little face: "I know you are more powerful than Master Gao, and Master Gao has to listen to you."

"Although Master Gao sometimes whipped me, he was the one who gave me food during the famine and saved my life and my brother's life."

"Even though I'm a poor, fatherless kid, I know how to be grateful! Uh... I just want to help Master Gao, and you guys too..."

Upon hearing this, Li Che was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter.

Pointing at Gou Wa, he said to Mr. Gao, "Mr. Gao, your farmhand is a brave and grateful man!"

"Not bad, not bad! I like this kid. How about you give him to me too?"

The corner of Mr. Gao's mouth twitched, and he pretended not to hear the words, whether true or false.

Then he feigned anger and scolded Gou Wa, "You bastard, even if you really knew the way, how could a lowly servant like you sneak into the back alley of the Du Mansion and see the noble man who manages the Du Mansion? I'm afraid you'll be beaten to death before you even open your mouth!"

Li Che said calmly, "Don't worry about Mr. Gao. I will give him a certificate. I will make sure that when the people in the Du Mansion see him, they will not kill him but will respectfully invite him in and treat him as a distinguished guest."

As soon as these words were spoken, Gao Yuanwai's eyes showed suspicion towards Li Che for the first time.

I thought to myself: Isn't this person's tone too arrogant? This is the Du family of Chang'an, a family of nobles for generations, and the family of the current left prime minister!

What kind of credentials could allow a dirty kid who entered through the night incense to be treated as a distinguished guest in the Du Mansion?

Before he could express his doubt, the guards behind him held a square object wrapped in gray cloth in both hands and handed it to Li Che respectfully.

Li Che took the item, weighed it, and said to Gou Wa, "Boy, turn around and take off your shirt."

Gou Wa was so scared that he covered his chest, his face pale, and looked at Li Che in horror: "You...what are you going to do?"

He had heard from the old people in the village that some nobles in the city had a shameful habit of liking handsome little boys. Could it be that he had encountered one today?

Even though this military officer is very handsome, he can't be like this!

Li Che's face darkened, and he angrily scolded: "You are so young, what are you thinking about! I want to leave a mark on you! Take it off quickly and turn your back!"

Gou Wa was skeptical, but under Li Che's gaze, he turned around tremblingly and took off the tattered coat that was so dirty that the original color could not be seen, revealing his bony back covered with dirt.

Li Che frowned as he watched: "Tsk...you don't even know how to wash it properly, that's all..."

As he spoke, he casually tore open the gray cloth, revealing an ancient and heavy jade seal inside.

First, he rubbed the dog's back with a gray cloth, clearing out a relatively white area of ​​skin.

Then he picked up the jade seal, pressed it hard in the bright red ink box handed to him by the personal guard, and then stamped the seal on Gou Wa's thin back.

A cold touch came from behind, and Gou Wa couldn't help but shrink his neck.

Mr. Gao was standing opposite, his eyes just falling on Gou Wa's back.

When the seal was lifted up, revealing the extremely clear vermilion text underneath, Mr. Gao's eyes instantly widened.

He only felt a buzzing sound in his head, as if hit by a heavy hammer. His whole body froze in place, and his blood seemed to solidify in an instant!

In the middle of Gou Wa's dark back, there was a square seal, and the vermilion ink was bright and seemed to be burning with heat.

The inscription on the seal was eight small seal characters that were enough to shake the world - Mandate from Heaven, may you live long and prosper!

This is... the imperial seal!

Mr. Gao felt dizzy and his legs went weak, and he fell to his knees with a thud.

I was shaking like a leaf in the wind, and I couldn't utter a complete sentence anymore:

"Chuan Chuan Chuan Chuan...Chuan Guo, you are yes, yes, yes..."