Super System in the Early Tang Dynasty

I logged in for an hour straight, and I was just about to update again tomorrow when I actually got online.

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Autumn is approaching, and after more than half a year of peace and tranquility, it's time to say goodbye. We can't wait for the upcoming harvest.

Li Xingzhi wanted to travel to the western frontier of the Tang Dynasty during the harsh northern climate to see the hundreds of thousands of armored cavalry and witness the might of the Tang Dynasty's formidable might! Visiting Wang Erlang was merely a side trip; what he truly wanted to see was the blood of martyrs and the tombs of generals!

A trip to the Tang Dynasty is fleeting; if one fails to witness the cold border passes and the fierce battles of the army, it would be a regrettable and rather dull experience.

At this moment, a small boat drifts on Dongting Lake. When a strong wind blows and ripples rise, the wooden boat rocks gently back and forth like a child's rocking chair, making the person sitting inside feel incredibly comfortable and at ease.

The wooden boat was neither very big nor very small, and it was quite spacious for three people and a horse. Rowing was a fun activity, and the group didn't bother to hire a boatman. The boat rocked gently, and when they were in a good mood, they would row a few strokes; when they got tired, they would sit in the boat and let it drift—after all, the lake water would eventually flow into the Yangtze River.

The lake is as smooth as a piece of jade, with a few verdant peaks occasionally peeking out in the distance, like curled green snails, which are quite lovely!

On the boat, a separate stable was set up at the stern for the strange horse to live in; at the front was the three people's quarters. At this moment, all three were sitting at the bow, the oars lying aside untouched. A clay stove was burning brightly, and a small pot on it was bubbling with white steam, the clear, emerald-green tea churning, releasing a rich, fragrant aroma that drifted far away…

At this moment, as if in harmony with the aroma of tea, a thin mist gradually rises over the lake, making it appear from a distance like a fairyland. One wonders, however, where is that old immortal?

"What fragrant tea!" exclaimed a girl in red beside her.

The white-clad girl sitting beside them, washing her delicate feet in the lake water, also looked over, her cute little nose twitching as she sniffed the water, a faint smile and curiosity appearing on her face.

"It's naturally fragrant! This tea is called 'Terrifyingly Fragrant'."

"Terrifying Fragrance? I've never heard of it." Over the years, Li Linzhi had been with Li Xingzhi and had drunk quite a bit of tea. She had come to appreciate its flavors and had some knowledge of various teas. Drinking tea was perhaps the only thing that could truly immerse her in the experience.

"You've never heard of 'Terrifying Fragrance'? Have you heard of Dongting Biluochun? This 'Terrifying Fragrance' is Biluochun."

"Hmph, Biluochun is Biluochun, why is it called that 'scare-slaying fragrance'? It sounds awful!" the girl said, somewhat embarrassed and annoyed.

Li Xingzhi ignored her girlish temper and explained, "During the Sui Dynasty, a nun picked some tea leaves on a mountain and brewed them. The brewed tea was incredibly fragrant. She exclaimed, 'It's so fragrant it's terrifying!' So, this tea was called 'Terrifying Fragrance.' Later, scholars, for the sake of elegance, gave it another name, Biluochun. However, I think Biluochun is not as authentic or pleasant-sounding as 'Terrifying Fragrance'!"

The girl listened intently, forgetting her earlier annoyance.

After Li Xingzhi finished speaking, he handed the two women the fragrant tea that had already been brewed.

The girl in red held the tea, a rare tranquility appearing on her face. She gently inhaled the aroma, finding it rich yet gentle, even more delightful than before, as if it were seeping into her very soul. A look of blissful enjoyment spread across her face.

She looked down and saw that the tea was clear and bright green, with a layer of white steam rising from it, just like the calm lake.

I raised the teacup and took a small sip. The aroma of the tea instantly burst forth from my tongue, permeating my lungs, making me feel as if I were ascending to heaven, filled with the fragrance of mountains, rivers, and plants! My inner energy surged, flowing like mercury through my meridians—it was incredibly refreshing!

"Mmm~" The girl stuck out her tongue slightly and couldn't help but moan.

The lingering aroma of tea, mingled with the girl's delicate fragrance, was exhaled, almost intoxicating!

Looking at the boundless, clear blue lake, the girl suddenly said, "I wonder where Biluochun tea grows in Dongting Lake. Why don't we go and pick some?"

Upon hearing Li Linzhi's words, a smile flashed in the eyes of the girl in white beside her, while Li Xingzhi even spat out a mouthful of tea!

"Oh dear, Rou'er, what are you laughing at! And Brother Li—" Although Zhou Rou'er's face was expressionless, the hint of a smile was easily noticed by the girl beside her.

Seeing that the two remained silent, and with Li Xingzhi wearing a half-smile, Li Linzhi said somewhat angrily, "Brother Li, you speak!"

"Alright, alright, I'll tell you. What I meant was that this terrifying fragrance doesn't grow around Dongting Lake."

The girl looked at Li Xingzhi and asked in surprise, "Isn't it Dongting Biluochun tea? Why doesn't it grow by Dongting Lake?"

"Naturally, it's Dongting Biluochun tea, but Dongting doesn't refer to Dongting Lake; it refers to Dongting Mountain on the shore of Taihu Lake."

In fact, even in later generations with extremely advanced information technology, many people still believe that Biluochun tea grows in Dongting Lake. There are many reasons for this, but the main one is the business driven by its name. Perhaps most people believe that only the beautiful scenery of Dongting Lake and its vibrant atmosphere can produce such a strong and fragrant tea.

Upon hearing Li Xingzhi's words, the girl's originally fair face gradually flushed red.

"Sister Rou'er, Brother Li is bullying me!" Li Linzhi said, already overwhelmed with shame, and threw herself into Zhou Rou'er's arms for comfort.

Although Zhou Rou'er is a bit younger than Li Linzhi, and although she's called 'Rou'er the younger sister,' she mostly does the things of the older sister. Li Linzhi has always been a child at heart, always bringing joy to the group unintentionally.

The boat was still rocking gently, the sound of the water like a lullaby to lull a baby to sleep, making the three of them, who had just drunk warm tea, feel drowsy and want to fall asleep.

Suddenly, an unusual sound of water arose, startling Li Xingzhi. He gripped the gunwale and looked down, only to see white scales churning on the water's surface. It turned out to be a group of fish swimming and surging around the boat, splashing water.

A thought flashed through his mind, and he immediately understood the reason. It turned out that when he spat a mouthful of tea into the water, not to mention the wonderfully fragrant tea, the spiritual spring water used to brew the tea alone was enough to attract these fish!

Li Xingzhi watched the fish, each one swaying its tail. Their large, tender little mouths were swallowing and spitting out water, which was quite interesting. He was pleased and picked up the teacup next to him, pouring all the remaining tea into the water.

Suddenly, fish leaped out of the water, the ones at the very top being large, plump carp with long whiskers! Water splashed up, spraying everywhere on the boat!

"oops!"

It turned out that a big fish had splashed water on Li Linzhi's face!

The girl snapped out of her daze and looked at the churning water before her. Forgetting her initial anger and indignation, she was filled with astonishment. "Wow! So many fish!"

Just as they were wondering about this strange thing, the girl suddenly shouted again, "Look, look, Brother Li, there's a strange blue fish over there!"

Li Xingzhi looked up at the sound and saw a blue light dancing in the air. Upon closer inspection, he saw a fish. It had a pointed snout, a slanted mouth, large scales, and was over a foot long. It had a gray back, a white base, and dark green fins that shimmered with a bluish-purple light under the illumination—quite strange!

Upon seeing the fish's appearance, he pondered for a moment and immediately knew its origin.

This fish is known as the "Scale-Cherishing Fish," as it dies if its scales are damaged, making it difficult to find a live one! It is also called the "Ziling Fish." During the Eastern Han Dynasty, Yan Ziling refused the Han emperor's offer of office and declined to serve because of the fish's deliciousness!

In later generations, famous people even said: "First, I regret that crabapple blossoms have no fragrance; second, I regret that shad has too many bones; third, I regret that Dream of the Red Chamber is unfinished!" Among them, shad refers to this fish!

Wild shad has always been rare.

In the Tang Dynasty, it was a top-grade tribute item. In later generations, it became a first-class endangered species. Ordinary people rarely even saw it, let alone ate it. Li Xingzhi only managed to find out the origin of this strange fish by following the map.

Shad is considered the finest of the three delicacies of the Yangtze River. It is extremely rare, and Li Xingzhi, eager to catch it, disregarded everything else. With a light step, he leaped out of the water and caught the shad, which had barely managed to jump out because of its greed. He then lightly waded through the water and spun around before steadily returning to the boat.

"Oh dear, Brother Li, what are you catching fish for again? I'm still full!" Li Linzhi had been eating too much fish lately and didn't like it. Even though she was curious about this strange fish, she still refused to eat it.

"Your stomach is full, but mine is starving!" Li Xingzhi, this glutton, would feel hungry no matter how full his stomach was when he saw something good.

As for the shad, he happened to have a method for cooking it.

Ignoring the sullen girl beside him, he began to prepare the fish.

The scales of the shad are thin and delicate, resulting in a unique texture. There's no need to remove them; just clean the gills and internal organs. With the scales intact and the shad still alive, Li Xingzhi slapped its head, stunning it and sparing it some pain.

A small knife appeared in his hand, and he slid it into the thin scales one by one. Before even breaking the scales, the flesh was already split in half! At this moment, the fish exhaled, and then vinegar was poured over it. The vinegar seeped into the fish from head to toe, and along with the flowing blood, it permeated the entire body. The fine bones and tender spines on the fish's body softened at this moment and melted into the flesh!

Once the large platter was filled with salt, wine, scallions, and ginger, it was steamed. Soon, an incredibly fresh and delicious aroma filled the air, making one's mouth water. The girl next to her, who had just felt her stomach bulge, suddenly, without warning, her belly began to rumble. Even the girl in white beside her looked over.

The large cover was lifted, and a gentle breeze dispersed the steaming vapors, revealing the shad on a white jade plate.

At this moment, the flesh of the shad rolled around, forming a honeycomb-like structure, with broth inside, shimmering and sparkling with a deep blue color—it was truly magical! A faint aroma of wine mingled with the fish's exquisite freshness, and everyone's mouths were already watering.

"It really is a good thing!" Li Xingzhi was also a little dumbfounded. He did not expect that the shad he made according to the recipe in the book would show such a beautiful appearance!

Little did he know that the appearance of this beautiful scene was mainly due to his dazzling swordsmanship.

Li Xingzhi could no longer resist. He picked up his chopsticks and began to pick up pieces of the steamed fish. The fish meat, clustered in a honeycomb pattern, resembled a delicate white flower when picked up, trembling and glistening, with blue waves rippling inside, yet not overflowing.

He disregarded everything else, bringing the flower-shaped piece of fish to his lips. With a gentle suck, the broth overflowed, flowing down his esophagus. The aroma of wine and its fresh, vibrant flavor exploded in his stomach, sending a warm current through Li Xingzhi's body! In his mouth, the remaining fine scales were soft and crunchy, and after being cooked in the broth, their taste was even more unique!

Li Xingzhi carefully placed the fish-shaped flower in his mouth, intending to chew it a couple of times, but unexpectedly, it melted in his mouth, leaving only a very faint and fresh taste that awakened all of Li Xingzhi's appetite...

Seeing Li Xingzhi's blissful expression, without even inviting her to eat, and smelling the rich yet subtle aroma, Li Linzhi disregarded all pretense of propriety. She handed Zhou Rou'er a bowl and chopsticks and began picking at the beautiful, plump fish herself...

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Thank you 'Reincarnation' for the reward and update vote! Thank you 'dreammaker' for the first monthly vote in May! Thank you 'Dark Night Maple' for the recommendation vote last month! Thank you to the top commentator 'Chen Qixiong'!