Super System in the Early Tang Dynasty

Li Xingzhi was unaware of the Qian family's misfortune, nor did he know the capabilities of the eunuch who had come to his house to extort money, or the immense benefits he had provided to the Li family. At this moment, he was carrying out the final step of his "undermining" strategy—an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. The offensive and defensive strategies shifted, and Li Xingzhi dispatched a group of men to the Qian family's shops, finding a pretext to wreak havoc! The Qian family's last shred of strength was completely exhausted.

The people behind Lan Kwai Fong were quickly exposed to the public eye after being deliberately investigated by those with ulterior motives!

No one expected that the force behind the scenes was actually the wealthy Li family, whom everyone had gradually come to disregard, and even more so, the young master of the Li family who appeared out of nowhere! Those who didn't understand thought that this was the Li family's trump card, a force they had been secretly building up over the years; but those who knew the truth focused their attention on the unknown young master of the Li family who lived deep in his house.

The Qian family was shrouded in gloom! The old master was coughing up blood and had fallen into a coma, while the eldest son was still indulging in debauchery. Only Qian Youde, looking at the old master lying unconscious on the bed, felt as if the pillar of the sky had collapsed!

In the past, Qian Youde was terrified of the old man and wished he would die soon and never appear before him again so he could indulge in debauchery and recklessness. But now, seeing the old man lying unconscious in bed and the Qian family in complete chaos, he panicked! His anchor had been removed, and his heart was in turmoil!

As the saying goes, when a wall falls, everyone pushes it down! With the Qian family's foundation completely destroyed, the merchants who had previously been suppressed by them swarmed forward like sharks smelling blood, devouring and tearing at them. Before long, the Qian family's remaining assets were completely divided up! Many of the servants who had previously endured their mistreatment, seeing the Qian family's downfall, grew bolder and, without hesitation, absconded with the family fortune, fleeing in all directions…

The once bustling mansion is now deserted, with only a few elderly, weak, sick, and disabled people remaining in the courtyard who can no longer walk...

Meanwhile, in the Zhou family study, Master Zhou was also frowning with worry!

Like everyone else, he never imagined the Qian family would collapse so quickly! In just a few days, such a giant tree was almost uprooted! If the Qian family had offended some royalty or nobility, Master Zhou wouldn't have been too surprised; he would have simply attributed it to bad luck. But the family that ultimately crushed the Qian family was the already declining Li family! The very Li family that had just broken off their engagement with his Zhou family! This inevitably filled him with shock, anger, fear, worry, and deep regret!

As usual, Miss Zhou sat in the lakeside pavilion in the backyard, listening to the maids around her inquire about the Qian family. Her face was expressionless as she looked at the calm lake, but her eyes seemed to be looking into nowhere, filled with confusion.

“Miss, the Qian family has fallen on hard times, so what about the marriage agreement…” The maid looked carefully at the girl in front of her and said softly.

"An engagement?" the young woman thought. "Does she have to break off the engagement again? Breaking off the engagement with the Li family first is fine, after all, who knows where that Li family man came from. But now she has to break off the engagement with the Qian family too? What would that make her, the dignified Miss Zhou? But if she just marries him like this, she really isn't willing to..."

Regardless of the surprise or worry of others, this time, the Li family soared to new heights, almost rivaling the Zhao family, which ranked first among all the major merchants in Chang'an! In everyone's eyes, the Li family was shrouded in mystery, no longer clearly discernible! No one knew that the Li family had actually changed long ago; ever since Li Xingzhi joined the Li family, it was no longer the same Li family!

For a time, the Li family's residence was bustling with visitors.

After agonizing for several days, with his hair thinning and turning quite gray, the old patriarch of the Zhou family finally appeared at the Li family's house with his little granddaughter as the crowds began to thin out.

When Master Zhou reappeared at the Li family's house, he no longer had the same spirit as before. He looked dejected and as if he had aged more than ten years.

In the side hall, Old Master Zhou paced back and forth with his granddaughter. Since entering, the grandfather and granddaughter had endured countless disdainful looks. They had waited for an hour or two without even a sip of water, let alone seen any servants come to greet them—if they wanted to wait any longer, they didn't know if they would even be seen; if they wanted to leave, they would have no chance next time! For the sake of the Zhou family, Old Master Zhou had no choice but to patiently continue waiting, but he kept pacing back and forth, head down, lost in thought.

On the other hand, Miss Zhou, dressed in white with a veil covering her face and figure, stood gracefully to the side, like a white lotus bud about to bloom, calm and silent! Perhaps she knew that she would never be in control of her own life! Just like a lotus leaf in the rain, she could only sway with the wind.

A ray of setting sun slid down, gradually fading westward, casting a dim yellow glow on Old Master Zhou's sallow face, revealing a hint of vicissitudes.

A servant entered, breaking the dim light.

The Zhou family grandfather and grandson followed behind the Li family servants to the backyard of the Li family.

In the backyard lies a lake, with acres of lush lotus blossoms; in the center of the lake stands a pavilion, where a grandfather and grandson leisurely sip tea. Bathed in the endless sunset, they exude an indescribable sense of tranquility and peace!

As Master Zhou walked to the lakeside, he vaguely saw two people hidden in a pavilion amidst the lotus blossoms of the lake. He glanced around briefly but didn't see any boats to cross. Just as he was about to speak, he saw the Li family servant who had led the way standing among the lotus blossoms, looking at him with an impatient expression.

Old Master Zhou was slightly surprised. Upon closer inspection, he discovered that a winding wooden path stretched towards the center of the lake, hidden among the lotus leaves.

The path is narrow and built close to the water, making people feel as if they are strolling on Lingbo Lake or among the green lotus leaves when they walk on it.

Old Master Zhou had visited the Li family's backyard a few times before, but he didn't know when such a path had appeared, leading to the center of the lake.

"Haha, it's been quite a while since I've seen Brother Zhou. What brings you here today?" Old Master Li Gao's voice was as hearty and loud as ever.

Looking at the old man sitting on the stone bench, Old Master Zhou suddenly noticed that Old Master Li's face was ruddy and full of energy, and his white beard and hair shone with a silvery luster. He seemed to be more than ten years younger than last time! He looked at Old Master Li in front of him, paused for a moment, and then replied, "Today I brought my granddaughter to apologize to you, brother!"

The old man was taken aback. Although he had expected it, he did not expect Old Man Zhou to speak so bluntly. His expression changed slightly. "Hey, you were only forced by circumstances that day. Let's call it quits and you can leave!" At this moment, the old man had already let go of his worries. Although he still had some grievances, he no longer took the small Zhou family seriously.

When Old Man Zhou heard what the old man said, he finally felt a little relieved. However, his purpose in bringing his granddaughter here today was not just that.

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It's really late, goodnight everyone! Okay, just a few more words and it'll be two thousand—headache!