Super System in the Early Tang Dynasty

Some readers have mentioned that people of the same clan or surname were forbidden from marrying during the Tang Dynasty. I checked, and this is indeed the case; it was enshrined in Tang Dynasty law, and there are numerous verifiable examples. This is to clarify. Errors in the book are difficult to correct, but I may elaborate on them later in a specific plot. Just keep that in mind!

Thank you to the reader "A Drop of Tear" for the explanation.

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Li Xingzhi entered the main hall and saw a young man, about his age, sitting in the middle, sipping fragrant tea. The young man was broad-shouldered and muscular, sitting beside a dark and heavy table, like a small mountain, pressing heavily on everyone's hearts. The Li family servants were all cautious and trembling.

The tea steamed, releasing its delicate aroma. Li Xingzhi sniffed it, a pang of heartache rising within him—if it weren't for the old man's decision, he probably would have already had the spirit tea put away. "Never mind, since the old man is happy, I'll just be more diligent and make some more!" Actually, the tea itself wasn't a big deal for him; the trouble was that he had to prepare it himself.

King Li Tai of Yue awoke from his reverie over the fragrant tea and saw the young man standing before him. His eyes lit up, and he quickly stood up, taking Li Xingzhi's hand—contrary to his expectations of arrogance, he appeared approachable instead. "I have long admired your reputation, sir, but I never imagined that seeing you in person would be so much better!"

Li Xingzhi listened to Li Tai's words, but he was puzzled, wondering where Li Tai had heard of his reputation.

Seeing the doubt in Li Xingzhi's eyes, Li Tai paused for a moment, then smiled knowingly. "That day on the road to Chang'an, you displayed your divine skill, shooting down all the foreign tribes who were trampling Chang'an with a single flying knife. I was truly impressed!" As he spoke, he looked Li Xingzhi up and down, then continued, "I believe that someone with such divine skill must be a tall and valiant warrior. However, you, sir, are not only handsome but also seem more like a refined and elegant scholar!"

Hearing Li Tai's words, Li Xingzhi's doubts lessened slightly, and he couldn't help but sigh: These princes, no matter how unworthy they are, are truly not easy to deal with! He had managed to uncover a case that the government had already closed.

"Your Majesty flatters me." Li Xingzhi stood to the side, but in his heart he wondered, "Why did Your Majesty come to my house for no reason? Is he here to talk about this?" He kept quiet for the moment, waiting to see what Li Tai would say.

Seeing that Li Xingzhi's expression was different—neither humble nor arrogant, neither proud nor obsequious—Li Tai valued him even more, thinking that he had truly found a treasure this time.

Sitting down with Li Xingzhi, he didn't rush to reveal his purpose. Instead, he ate the various refreshing snacks brought up by Li's servants while chatting with Li Xingzhi—from historical anecdotes to stories of extraordinary people, to local customs and traditions, and finally even discussed matters of state and national importance...

Li Xingzhi was a man of few words, but every time he spoke, it was a startling remark that prompted deep reflection. Thus, Li Tai's eyes shone even brighter as he looked at Li Xingzhi. At this point, he no longer regarded Li Xingzhi as merely a commoner with some unusual skills; his words were extremely polite, even tinged with respect.

Li Xingzhi felt a chill run down his spine under Li Tai's gaze, and his wariness increased significantly.

Li Xingzhi was unaware that his casual, perfunctory responses to Li Tai's words had been interpreted by Li Tai as those of a man of few words but quick action, a person of great inner talent! If he had known this, he would have cried foul—he found Li Tai's words utterly boring, and had only resorted to platitudes he'd seen online in his previous life when he encountered someone somewhat knowledgeable, never expecting such a misunderstanding. Fortunately, this misunderstanding led to a positive outcome—

Just as Li Xingzhi was dozing off, Li Tai, who was sitting next to him, stood up and bowed respectfully to Li Xingzhi: "Sir, your talent far surpasses that of those old scholars who later spouted classical allusions. I have learned a great deal today!"

At this moment, Li Xingzhi was sitting on the ground in a daze, receiving a deep bow from him, unaware of what had happened.

Seeing that Li Xingzhi accepted his bow so casually, Li Tai was not angry at all. On the contrary, he valued Li Xingzhi even more! In his eyes, this was a sign of talent.

Beside him, whether it was the guards from the Prince's Palace or the servants of the Li family brought by Li Tai, they all looked at Li Xingzhi with a different kind of respect and admiration!

Outside, the sky was darkening, and the crescent moon was beginning to appear.

Li Tai was quite satisfied with the 'tutelage' he had received from Li Xingzhi today. He immediately cupped his hands and said, "I had intended to have a long talk with you today, but unfortunately, I have other important matters to attend to. I will visit you again another day!" After saying this, he looked at Li Xingzhi, left the house, and took his leave.

After a while, Li Xingzhi stood up and stretched, "Finally, I've gotten rid of this unlucky guy." Not to mention that he knew Li Tai would not have a good ending in the end, even if he didn't know, he was too lazy to get involved in those messy and annoying things.

He hadn't expected that this performance would inadvertently save him from today's troubles—the King of Yue had come precisely to witness the hero's extraordinary skill with flying knives and, incidentally, to recruit him. If Li Xingzhi had agreed, all would have been well; otherwise, it might have stirred up more trouble! Unexpectedly, his unintentional display led Li Tai to mistakenly believe he possessed great talent, and feeling his visit was hasty and improper, he didn't mention the matter.

As the sun shone brightly, there was not a cloud in the sky; the high sky was as blue as a jewel, without any flaws.

Under the clear blue sky, Chang'an and the Li residence were shrouded in dark clouds!

That day, Li Xingzhi broke all four of Manager Cheng's limbs and threw him out, which greatly offended the owner of Jubao Trading Company.

This Monkey Treasure Trove also had another name, Monkey Two. Like Monkey Big, whom Li Xingzhi killed that day, he was a henchman of Hou Junji, the Minister of War. The expenses of Hou's mansion and the funds for maintaining his private army and secret guards all came from his money-making hands.

On the surface, Hou Er was just a grain shop owner, but in reality, he was involved in everything from smuggling salt and iron to running inns, taverns, and brothels—anything that could make money. His group of merchants and laborers were just as well-informed as Hou Da, who specialized in intelligence; the only thing they lacked was the ruthless methods of secret guards.

Meanwhile, the Li family's Chuyun Restaurant and Lan Gui Fang Clothing and Dyeing Shop had, in a short period of time, become two pillars of strength, almost monopolizing the food and clothing of the upper class. Commercially speaking, they were unshakeable. The wealth accumulated by these two businesses had already begun to make some wealthy and powerful families envious; if you add to that the network of connections and influence that these businesses had expanded, even those aristocratic families would have to treat them with a different eye.

The value that will soon be revealed is exactly what the Hou family, whose vitality has been damaged by the loss of a large number of Monkey Kings, needs. Therefore, Monkey King II sent Steward Cheng to discuss the matter.

Unexpectedly, the Li family was so 'ungrateful'.

"Since we can't take it openly, we'll have to resort to other means." Monkey Two's fat face was all smiles, but the sight of his ruthless killers made their hearts tremble.

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Some readers have asked about updates, so here's an update: two updates tomorrow! The latest update will be a major release after the 11th, and after that, generally two updates per day will be guaranteed! Update times will be announced separately.

Finally, thank you to "白小乘", "k33102219", and "天寻" for their generous donations!