Super System in the Early Tang Dynasty

"The sound of phoenix flutes stirs, the jade pot shines, and fish and dragons dance all night!"

Li Xingzhi, leading his little dog Dan, walked down the street with Wang Xiucai and several servants. The streets were brightly lit, and every house was decorated with various lanterns. Red carp and long dragons danced by, and men and women were dressed in beautiful clothes of all colors, shimmering under the lanterns. It was the Lantern Festival on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month.

This is what Chinese Valentine's Day should be like!

"Last year on the Lantern Festival, the flower market was as bright as day. The moon rose above the willow tips, and we made our rendezvous after dusk." Looking at the beautiful young woman with her face unveiled, and a group of handsome young men secretly following behind her, this line of poetry unconsciously floated into my mind.

In this bustling flower market, where lights shine like daylight, countless men have encountered her, falling in love at first sight, or suddenly discovering that "she is there, in the dim light."

This is what Chinese Valentine's Day should be like!

In this city that never sleeps, people revel in joy. Young women, no longer hidden away and unknown, no longer needing to be veiled, freely display their beauty. Meanwhile, handsome young men diligently search for their beloved, creating countless near misses under the lanterns.

Little Dog Egg was very curious and looked around. This was the first time he had ever seen such a lively Lantern Festival in the city.

At this time, Tanzhou City was bustling with people! Seeing all kinds of colorful and creative lanterns, Li Xingzhi bought one for his dog Dan and himself by the roadside. This was a purely handmade lantern! It was shaped like a rabbit, lifelike, very light and exquisite. In later times, it would probably cost several tens of dollars to buy one.

As you walk along, under the clear glow of the huge, silvery full moon, admire the various lanterns hanging overhead, and the beautiful women with an ancient charm reflected in the lanterns.

Li Xingzhi felt as if he were detached from the world, watching the changes and the surge of people, just like watching a movie in a theater. He didn't know what was happening to him; it was like a dream, like a dream, that he had been transported back to the Tang Dynasty, to this prosperous era. Was he merely here to experience a grand feast?

The commotion jolted Li Xingzhi awake from his dream! He broke out in a cold sweat; he had truly grasped the meaning of "qi deviation"! Luckily, his foundation wasn't deep, which was why he was easily awakened!

These days, for some reason, he keeps thinking about certain people and events from that world, and sometimes he even gets so engrossed in them that he can't pull himself out. He even wonders if there's something wrong with his cultivation!

The noisy commotion pulled Li Xingzhi out of his nightmare. He looked toward the source of the noise, but couldn't see what was in the bustling crowd!

Looking at the adorable sight of the little dog, Egg, constantly tiptoeing to peek inside, Li Xingzhi couldn't help but chuckle. He gently grabbed Egg's armpits and lifted it up, sending Egg perched on Li Xingzhi's shoulder.

"Dog Egg, what's inside?" Li Xingzhi shouted.

"Fish! What a big red fish!" Little Egg shouted in his tender little voice.

Li Xingzhi was also quite curious, so he called over a servant who held up the little dog egg. Li Xingzhi himself lightly leaped up and saw the large red carp in the middle. Its tail swayed gently, as if it were swimming in the water, extremely agile, and at first glance, it looked like it was alive!

Li Xingzhi looked at the banner, which read "Lantern Festival Poetry Gathering." However, what puzzled him was that he didn't see the legendary lantern riddle guessing activity. He could only guess that perhaps such a thing didn't exist in the Tang Dynasty. Actually, there was another guess he didn't want to think about: perhaps this wasn't that world at all!

Li Xingzhi watched as one scholar after another went up to recite their own masterpieces, but he couldn't discern any good or bad. Regardless of what they recited, the crowd below would loudly shout "Bravo!", much to the excitement of those on stage.

At that time, books were still a luxury, and cultured people were few and far between. Everyone was just watching for the spectacle. Li Xingzhi found it rather boring. After all, in his later life, he had seen all sorts of excitement. In addition, his recent cultivation had made his state of mind more calm and peaceful, so he wasn't very interested. However, the little dog Egg beside him was watching with great interest.

Children at this age are curious about everything! With several servants watching over Little Dog Egg and Wang Xiucai taking care of him, Li Xingzhi felt quite at ease and began to look towards the street.

"Yay! That's so pretty, can you give it to Nannan?"

Just then, Li Xingzhi heard a familiar, slightly childish voice. Turning around, he saw the entire Cui family, with everyone in tow, out enjoying the lanterns. This time, even Madam Cui wasn't wearing a mask; she was simply following closely behind Magistrate Cui.

"Darling, how about I give you this?" Li Xingzhi walked over and held up the rabbit lantern in his hand.

At this moment, the Cui family members all noticed Li Xingzhi walking over.

The little girl looked at the lantern in Li Xingzhi's hand, then looked back at the small lantern hanging on it, and finally at her own father before happily taking the lantern. "Thank you, Brother Li!" the little girl said sweetly in her clear voice.

"Magistrate Cui, it seems we really are destined to meet," Li Xingzhi said with a smile. "We've bought a courtyard in Guiyi Ward, and we'll have to rely on you for support from now on!"

“Since they are my subjects, as long as they do not violate the law, I, the magistrate, naturally cannot sit idly by!” Magistrate Cui said solemnly.

Li Xingzhi had figured out Magistrate Cui's character. He knew that Cui was an upright man, and that Cui's words were only because of their past relationship.

However, after Magistrate Cui said this, the atmosphere immediately became serious.

"Oh my gosh—yay yay..." Suddenly a burst of flames shot up from the side. It was the little girl who was happily waving a lantern around, which caused it to catch fire. In no time, the perfectly good lantern had turned into a pile of charcoal ash. Li Xingzhi felt it was a great pity when he saw it!

However, seeing the little girl's red eyes, glistening with tears, he couldn't bring himself to blame her; instead, he felt even more pity for her!

Li Xingzhi stopped the somewhat angry Magistrate Cui, bought the little lantern that the girl had just picked out, and gave it to her.

At this moment, the little girl, who was already a bit embarrassed, blushed when she saw so many people looking at her. She quickly turned her back, but of course, she didn't forget to hold onto the lantern tightly.

Just then, Little Dog Egg ran over with several servants, his eyes lighting up at the sight of the little girl. "A graceful lady," he thought, "even a child is desirable! This little lecher! Has he become precocious from spending so much time with Li Xingzhi?"

However, under Li Xingzhi's subtle influence, Xiao Gou Dan's manners were quite good. If Li Xingzhi hadn't had such good eyesight, he really wouldn't have been able to see through the kid's thoughts. However, he could only create some opportunities, since there were some things he couldn't interfere with.

Actually, Li Xingzhi was overthinking it.

After all, Little Egg was so young, unlike the kids of later generations living in an age of information overload. He didn't understand anything about romantic relationships! He was just bored, with no one to play with. Seeing his familiar playmate again naturally made him very excited!

The group chatted and toured together for a while before parting ways. After all, the Cui family had many women present, and Li Xingzhi didn't want to bother them too much.

“I think those two young men from the Li family are quite good. I wonder which family they were raised in, that they are so handsome,” said Madam Cui.

"Watch your words!" Magistrate Cui said sternly. "His skills are extraordinary, and his demeanor is exceptional; he's not someone we petty folks can afford to offend!"

This time, Magistrate Cui was completely wrong. He only saw Li Xingzhi's outstanding qualities and the fact that he shared the surname "Li," so he couldn't help but overthink things. However, on the other hand, Li Xingzhi was truly not someone ordinary people could afford to offend, and even extraordinary people were generally not to be trifled with!

Li Xingzhi's ears twitched, and he heard their conversation. It wasn't that he intentionally eavesdropped; it's just that his ears were too sensitive, and he couldn't help but be a little sensitive when others mentioned his name! Li Xingzhi listened and smiled inwardly, feeling that this was quite good. Taking advantage of the situation could save him a lot of trouble!

The lights remained bright; according to custom, they couldn't be turned off tonight. However, as time passed, the number of people on the street gradually decreased. By then, it was past midnight, and Li Xingzhi and his group began to return.

The streets were much quieter, but there were still quite a few people strolling leisurely, enjoying the lanterns, the moonlight, or watching the crowds. They were really relaxed! Passing by brothels and red-light districts, there were still many wealthy young men with one or two prostitutes dressed in thin shirts and shawls, revealing patches of white skin on their chests. They were obviously planning to party all night long!