Super System in the Early Tang Dynasty

Cui Zhiwen, in his early twenties, had achieved official rank and was originally from the Cui family in the capital. However, his connections in the capital were weak, and he had no one to speak on his behalf, so he was transferred to Tanzhou.

The journey from Chang'an to Tanzhou was originally quite convenient, but unexpectedly, heavy rain and snow caused Cui Zhiwen and his party to travel for more than three months. Despite their best efforts, they were finally about to arrive in Tanzhou on New Year's Eve.

However, to everyone's surprise, the snow fell even heavier, and with Tanzhou in sight, the carriages and horses could no longer move. But Zhang Zhiwen was lucky; in this desolate wilderness, he spotted flickering lights, clearly belonging to a family. Finally, he wouldn't have to spend New Year's Eve in the snow!

Cui Zhiwen, accompanied by his wife and daughter, along with his retainers and servants, and some valuables, led his horse toward the light. As they drew nearer, Cui Zhiwen discovered it was not a house at all, but merely a dilapidated temple! Cui Zhiwen was slightly disappointed, but it was better than nothing.

On New Year's Eve, the wind and snow continued.

The dilapidated temple was still warm.

Although there were only three people in the temple, it was very lively—a blazing fire illuminated the entire temple in a fiery red glow, and a large pot on top was steaming hot.

Several people nearby were making dumplings, mostly crescent-shaped, but there were also various other shapes. With Xiao Jin jumping around, they got flour dust all over their bodies and faces. Even the well-behaved couple, Da Huang and Dian Dian, couldn't escape the mischievous little mouse's antics, judging from the white clumps on their heads. Only She Da and She Er were quietly perched on Li Xingzhi and Xiao Gou Dan's shoulders.

"Squeak—" The temple door opened, and a cold wind blew in, but it couldn't dispel the warmth inside the temple.

Dahuang and Diandian remained sitting quietly, seemingly unaware of the arrival of outsiders. Only Li Xingzhi could sense the savagery rising within them, like wild wolves, silent and stealthy, but once they made their move, they would strike at the heart of the matter!

Although Li Xingzhi found it strange that someone would come on New Year's Eve, he wasn't particularly nervous.

Upon seeing a dilapidated temple, Cui Zhiwen ordered several servants to go inside and scout ahead, while his retainers remained on guard. It's understandable that Cui Zhiwen was cautious; the Tang Dynasty was known for its fierce and valiant people, with many chivalrous figures who would readily commit murder at the slightest provocation. They even dared to assassinate princes and prime ministers – their audacity was truly outrageous! Therefore, officials and wealthy households often maintained private armies called "retainers," who were considered half a grade higher than ordinary slaves, but faced more restrictions than commoners.

The servant entered the temple and saw a frail scholar with a boy and a child. They were surprised by the two dogs, which were larger than ordinary mongrels. However, seeing that the two dogs were lazy and not very lively, they ignored them and said, "It is raining and snowing heavily, and the roads are difficult to travel. My lord would like to rest in this temple for the night. We apologize for the inconvenience."

The man in the middle cupped his hands in greeting, then ignored the others in the temple and went to invite his husband into the temple, which was rather disrespectful and rude.

Li Xingzhi didn't think much of it. After all, the temple wasn't his. It was snowing heavily, so couldn't he let others take shelter from the wind and snow?

The little dog, Egg, seemed a bit nervous, clutching Li Xingzhi's clothes and leaning back gently. Clearly, the previous incident had left him with a lot of trauma.

Wang Xiucai remained calm and composed, but his eyes, gleaming with a quiet wariness, betrayed his worldly experience.

Several guards led Zhang Zhiwen and his family of three into the small temple.

As soon as Cui Zhiwen entered the small temple, the firelight shone brightly, and he felt a wave of heat wash over him. After standing in the cold wind for so long, it felt as if every pore on his body had opened up, and he felt extremely comfortable!

After turning past the Buddha statue, Cui Zhiwen saw the three people in the temple and was immediately stunned. Although the three people were covered in white spots from flour, they did not look disheveled. Their clothes were simple and the fabric was rough, but they were quite neat and clean. The three of them had extraordinary temperament. In this dilapidated temple, and because of their many days of cultivation, they had a different aura. In addition, the atmosphere of the dilapidated temple in the snow added a touch of mystery!

When Cui Zhiwen saw the group, although he didn't know their origins, he didn't dare to be negligent in the slightest. He cupped his hands and bowed, saying, "Gentlemen, the wind and snow have blocked our way today. We need to stay overnight in this dilapidated temple. Please do us a favor!" His tone was neither humble nor arrogant, and he noticed that even the scholar Wang next to him nodded in approval.

Li Xingzhi looked at the group of people in front of him. The first one had an extraordinary bearing and a dignified demeanor, and he had a small mustache.

Beside him stood a woman dressed in silk and satin, wearing a wide-brimmed hat with a long veil hanging from the brim, completely obscuring her appearance. Her subtle extraordinary qualities stirred Li Xingzhi's 'otaku heart'.

Of course, there was little impropriety in this; it was purely out of curiosity and appreciation and longing for beauty. The woman was also leading a lovely little girl, who was also wearing a wide-brimmed hat with a veil, though the veil was thin and only covered her head, and her lovely face was vaguely visible.

Seeing that the man before him was quite polite, Li Xingzhi simply said, "This temple doesn't belong to us. If you want to stay, then stay!"

Little Jin was still jumping around, completely ignoring the people present. As for She Da and She Er, they had already hidden inside their clothes when people came in, while Da Huang and Diandian stood quietly on either side. However, the two dogs' lazy appearance made them unsuitable for the job of guards.

Several guards also spotted Dahuang and Diandian, and immediately tensed up, brandishing their weapons. Clearly, they were not as ignorant as the servants!

Seeing the guards acting this way, Cui Zhiwen gave the two large dogs a deep look and called to the guards who were holding sharp weapons and standing ready for battle.

Dian Dian and Da Huang remained quietly seated to the side, still looking lazy, when they saw the guards holding sharp weapons in front of them. However, upon closer inspection, one could see that the two dogs' folded ears twitched slightly, the muscles in their hind legs gradually tightened, and a hint of ferocity occasionally flashed in their half-closed eyes!

Li Xingzhi didn't see it, but he could feel the barely suppressed rage in the two dogs' hearts. Only then did he understand why the system described the two dogs as having "extremely irritable tempers and considerable aggression."

Li Xingzhi gently reassured them, fearing they might suddenly turn violent and kill someone!

The little girl next to Cui Zhiwen, however, showed no fear, simply staring intently at the mischievous little mouse that was jumping around. "Yay, look, there's a white mouse over there!" The little girl's clear and melodious voice came from under the veil, breaking the tense and solemn atmosphere.

Hearing the sound, Cui Zhiwen looked over and indeed saw a strange rat scurrying about. The slender young woman beside him also looked quite curious. Although Cui Zhiwen was somewhat surprised, he didn't think much of it. He simply tugged at his daughter and led the servants to sit on the other side.

On the other side, there were several fur coats piled up. When Li Xingzhi saw them, he stood up and moved them to his side.

It was only then that the group noticed the several tiger skins and fur coats piled up nearby. They couldn't discern the quality of the fur coats, but the perfectly skinned tiger skins were undeniably real. The group was even more puzzled. Tiger skins were not uncommon at this time, but such large, well-skinned tiger skins would be worth a fortune in Chang'an, let alone fur coats with unidentifiable fur. And yet, they were simply piled up in the dilapidated temple.

Beside them, the little girl's eyes were also filled with curiosity. She glanced at the dogs, then stared intently at the strange little mouse hopping around, and then at the dumplings the group was making, her heart brimming with astonishment. And it wasn't just her; this entire group had never seen anything so strange in all these years.

Before long, the dumplings in the hot soup were cooked. Li Xingzhi scooped them all out and put them in a bowl. He also prepared several dishes of dipping sauce for each of Wang Xiucai and Xiao Gou Dan—vinegar, black sauce, and a dish of bright red chili oil, which made the onlookers' mouths water.

Li Xingzhi served each of them a large bowl of dumplings, then sprinkled some scallions on top. The oddly shaped dumplings, white and plump, looked so cute.

Li Xingzhi picked one up from the bowl, took a big bite, and the oil from the pork rib broth oozed out, mingling with the aroma of mushrooms and chicken, instantly filling the entire temple. Li Xingzhi closed his eyes to savor it slowly; the taste was absolutely wonderful!

Where in later generations can one taste such authentic mushroom and chicken?! Savoring the delicious flavor of the previous meal, he tried another one, this time with cabbage and pork. Li Xingzhi dipped it in chili oil, turning the originally snow-white and adorable dumpling a vibrant red, which was very appealing! He took a bite, and the taste was also excellent. The skin broke open with a single bite, and the juice flowed out; luckily, he was prepared.

Li Xingzhi was eating when he suddenly sensed that something was off.

He looked up and saw a group of people beside him, swallowing their saliva as they ate their dry rations. The little girl next to the middle-aged man stared straight at Li Xingzhi, glancing at the middle-aged man every now and then before wrinkling her little face and taking a bite of her dry rations. The woman next to her looked at him with heartache.

Little Dog Egg and Wang Xiucai, who were sitting next to Li Xingzhi, had already put down their chopsticks and were watching Li Xingzhi. After all, among dozens of people watching, only Li Xingzhi could eat so deliciously and obliviously.

At this moment, a man who looked like a steward walked over from the middle of the group. "Gentlemen, could you share some of these dumplings with us? We'd like to pay for some."

"How are you going to divide this little bit among so many of you?" Li Xingzhi said, and the butler-like man's face immediately turned somewhat ugly.

Li Xingzhi glanced at the little dog, Egg, who stood timidly behind him, occasionally glancing curiously at the little girl. An idea struck him, and without waiting for the steward to say anything more, he said, "It's not that there's no way. I have plenty of dumpling filling and flour left, but I'll have to trouble you to make them yourselves."

Seeing that there was food to be had, the steward readily agreed, only asking, "How much is it?" "Ha—, forget about the money." Seeing that the steward was about to say something, Li Xingzhi said, "We don't care about a few coins. It's fate that we met here in the temple today. Let's all have some fun together!" After a pause, he added, "You can take what's in this bowl and eat it first."

The butler thanked him profusely and carried the basin and several dishes of sauce to the middle-aged man.

The little girl couldn't take her eyes off the bowl of exquisite dumplings of various shapes and colors. However, Cui Zhiwen, who was sitting in the middle, didn't move. She just stared at them longingly, looking so pitiful.

The woman next to her, Madam Cui, had already removed her veil. She looked to be no more than twenty years old, with a beautiful face and a touch of mature charm. She was plump, but definitely not the fat Tang Dynasty woman as described in later generations!

The young woman quickly took out several bowls from her bundle, first filling a few for the middle-aged man, then for the little girl and herself, and finally gave the basin to the housekeeper, indicating that he should distribute it to the others.

The little girl picked up a dumpling, dipped it in the red oily soup, and took a small bite. Unexpectedly, a burst of juice splattered all over her mouth and face. She stared blankly, but luckily, the maid next to her reacted quickly and took a handkerchief to wipe it off for her.

Those watching almost burst out laughing; Little Dog Egg blinked his big eyes and his lips moved. Only the little girl's face was flushed, as if she were somewhat embarrassed.

Seeing the little girl's appearance, the middle-aged man picked up a dumpling, dipped it in the red sauce, and gently bit into it. Unfortunately, lacking experience, he still managed to get some sauce on his mustache. At this moment, the little girl forgot her shyness and just suppressed a laugh, while the beautiful young woman next to her covered her mouth.

After the middle-aged man ate the whole dumpling, a spicy taste rushed straight to his head, his face turned red, sweat appeared on his forehead, and he kept breathing heavily. The cold air that had invaded his body was now completely expelled from his pores, and his body felt very warm!

Although Li Xingzhi, who had experienced this before, already knew this would happen, he still couldn't help but chuckle. Even though he had transmigrated to the Tang Dynasty, this pseudo-otaku still had some mischievous thoughts. The woman and the steward beside him looked at Li Xingzhi with some concern, as if they wanted to ask him something.

Li Xingzhi suppressed a mischievous grin and explained, "What he just dipped himself in is called chili oil, made from chili peppers and oil. Chili peppers are the spiciest thing, and I think he used a bit too much." Wang Xiucai and Xiao Gou Dan, who had already been tricked by Li Xingzhi before, didn't seem surprised. Xiao Gou Dan's lips curved into a smile, his small face full of laughter, while Wang Xiucai remained expressionless, though a hint of amusement flickered in his eyes!

Cui Zhiwen took a handkerchief, wiped his mouth and beard, and said without any embarrassment, "Delicious! Truly a divine delicacy! This chili oil is similar to mugwort oil, but a hundred times spicier. If it's convenient, young sir, could you tell me what kind of chili it is and where it comes from?"

Before the introduction of chili peppers, the ancients used a variety of seasonings to create a spicy flavor. The "artemisia oil" mentioned by middle-aged people is also called "spicy rice oil". According to the "Compendium of Materia Medica", the dogwood "tastes pungent and bitter. The locals harvest it in August, pound and filter it to extract the juice, add lime and stir it to make it into "artemisia oil", also called "spicy rice oil". It tastes pungent and is used in food.

"Across the eastern ocean, there are chili pepper trees, less than a foot tall, with chili peppers growing on them. The chili peppers have pointed tips and rounded tails, and they start out green and then turn red."

"Sigh—" Cui Zhiwen sighed, then asked, "Do you have any seeds?"

"No, this was given to me by my master. My master might have it." Li Xingzhi now lies so easily that sometimes even he himself can't tell the truth from the lies. "Your master is?"

"A teacher's words are taboo; they cannot be spoken!"