Super System in the Early Tang Dynasty

I haven't updated for several days now. Every time I think about updating, I get scared and afraid of being scolded!

Alright, enough chit-chat, here comes Chapter One!

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The pale-faced, beardless man was a member of the palace.

He sat upright beside the table, his demeanor cautious, unlike his usual flamboyant manner. He carefully observed his surroundings, trying to discern what it was about the homeowner that had caught the eye of that person and led them to send him on this mission! His superiors had given him special instructions; otherwise, he would have disdained to come to such a lowly merchant's house, as he had plenty of palace servants and attendants at his disposal!

However, this inspection was destined to disappoint him. The Li family was no different from other families, except that it was perhaps not as ostentatious and money-grubbing as those nouveau riche families!

Having rushed all the way from the palace, he was quite thirsty. He glanced at the table; there was a cup of clear tea.

Tea? I'm not sick, why would I drink tea?

Tea truly became popular as a beverage after Lu Yu wrote "The Classic of Tea," which was over a hundred years later! At that time, tea was mostly used as a medicine to cleanse the stomach and intestines, and also as a sacrificial offering. Only some ancient families in the south or monks and Taoists had the habit of drinking tea.

Just as the eunuch was about to call his servants to change the tea and bring in some water and milk, a strange, light and ethereal fragrance wafted into his nose, instantly making his tired body feel lighter!

This is--

He stared intently at the bright green pool before him, gently inhaling the overflowing aroma of tea, feeling light and airy, as if he were about to rise with the tea mist!

The eunuch carefully lifted the teacup with both hands, brought it to his lips, and took a small sip. Instantly, a warm current slid down his throat with a gurgling sound, and the warmth spread from his abdomen throughout his body. His body felt as if it were soaking in a hot spring; all his fatigue vanished, and the boundless pleasure made him involuntarily groan…

The head eunuch stared at the tea before him, his eyes narrowing slightly, a glint of shrewdness flashing within them! Looking at the cup of clear tea, now less than half full, he sighed inwardly, yet couldn't resist the temptation, carefully and reluctantly taking a small sip…

These tea leaves were picked and processed by Li Xingzhi from his spatial storage, intended as a health tonic for his grandfather. He never expected them to end up benefiting this eunuch. Perhaps in the eyes of those servants, someone from the palace was already an extremely important person!

In the backyard, Li Xingzhi was enjoying the view under a tree when his left eye suddenly twitched slightly, giving him a bad feeling.

Just then, a servant rushed in to report that a monk had come to visit!

"Eunuch?" Li Xingzhi suddenly realized, "Isn't that just a eunuch!" Then he remembered the men he had met yesterday and thought to himself, "This is bad, they're here to settle their debts!"

"I told you not to meddle!!" Li Xingzhi slapped his head twice! Yesterday, seeing that beautiful woman coughing incessantly, he felt a pang of sympathy, but it turned out he had only brought trouble upon himself!

Normally, since someone had come to ask for something, he could have just given them whatever he wanted. But now that people from the palace had come to his house, wasn't this a blatant way of telling Li Xingzhi: He was Li Shimin, the Son of Heaven, Emperor, and Sage of the Tang Dynasty, the master of the world, and as for the gifts, he could give them however he pleased!

They're clearly using their status to intimidate you and acting like a rogue. Plus, Li Xingzhi already made a promise to them, so how could he not give them face? How much face is that? It's measured in the amount of gifts they give!

Li Xingzhi felt a pang of heartache as he thought about it!

At this moment, when the old master of the Li family heard that someone from the palace had arrived, he was greatly shocked! However, having experienced the ups and downs of life, after some thought, he calmed down a bit—it was probably here to see his precious grandson again! Otherwise, he couldn't understand what his merchant family had that could catch the eye of a palace person.

The chief eunuch savored the wonderful taste of the spiritual tea, his whole body immersed in comfort and pleasure!

"Clang, clang!" The crisp sound of wooden shoes hitting the ground rang out, waking him from his most comfortable dream.

The eunuch frowned slightly, quite displeased, and was about to reprimand him when he remembered where he was! Thinking of the instructions from above, he glanced at the still steaming cup of tea, now empty, and his expression relaxed.

"We were unaware of our distinguished guest's arrival. Our servants have been negligent in their duties. Please forgive us!"

"So you are Li Gao, the patriarch of the Li family? Where is your grandson? Why hasn't he come out?" The eunuch's voice was gentler and more amiable than when he entered, like a sharp stone that had become a smooth pebble, but his arrogant and haughty demeanor remained largely unchanged.

"He will come over soon."

The eunuch, upon hearing this, remained unhurried. He merely glanced at the old master of the Li family, noticing that he possessed none of the typical merchant's vulgarity or mercenary air. His hair and beard were jet black, and his face was ruddy. Though respectful, he showed no sign of servility or obsequiousness. A thought struck the eunuch, and his expression softened further. "Old master, there's no need for such formality. Please sit down! I've come to ask for your help today!" Although his tone remained that of a superior, this time it lacked any sense of pressure.

"In that case, this old man will sit down!"

The palace servant was taken aback, not expecting that Master Li would be so straightforward, and was slightly surprised.

As soon as the old master of the Li family sat down, the servants rushed over to refill his teacup. Looking at the full cup of bright green tea and smelling its aroma, the eunuch's smile deepened.

This time, however, he didn't rush to drink it. He only took a small sip, savoring the rich aroma, and asked, "This tea is extraordinary. May I ask where it comes from? My master is very busy with affairs of state. If you were to offer this tea to him..."

If it were the old Li Gao, upon hearing these words, he would have been overjoyed and presented the gift with both hands. However, having experienced the pain of losing his son, the despair of more than a decade, and the joy of having a grandson, he had long since seen through wealth and power. Now, upon hearing these words, his heart tightened slightly, sensing that trouble was approaching.

It concerned his precious grandson, so he couldn't afford to be careless.

The old man's expression remained unchanged, a thousand thoughts flashing through his mind. Suddenly, a person came to mind, and he said, "This item was sent by a monk; I don't know where it came from. My grandson was on good terms with the eldest son of the Wang family in Luoyang, and that monk was a distinguished guest of the Wang family. I just thought my son had some connection with him, so he casually sent some tea." As he spoke, fearing the palace servant might not believe him, he described the monk's appearance in detail. Seeing the monk raise his eyebrows slightly, he continued, "Since the esteemed guest needs it, I have some left at home; I'll gladly offer it to you!"

The monk, who had disappeared to who-knows-where, never expected that he would be sold as "Tang Monk flesh" once again.

By this time, Li Xingzhi had already arrived outside the hall and overheard everything the old man said. He thought to himself, "I never imagined my grandfather was so adept at lying through his teeth! He's truly a shrewd old man! But it's alright, it saves me some trouble!" Thinking that he had said all this for his sake, he felt a warmth in his heart. However, the thought of the tea leaves that had been given away filled him with a pang of regret!

This tea requires him to carefully pick and collect it every few days, and then process it using a secret method when the time is right, which takes a lot of effort! If it weren't for his own gluttony and the old man's health needs, he would never have done such a thankless task!