Super System in the Early Tang Dynasty

It was still that desolate and quiet alley. The three people suddenly disappeared and then suddenly reappeared, making one wonder if there was a passage to another world inside this alley.

When the three people appeared, the three horses had already disappeared.

Looking at the desolate surroundings, Li Linzhi swayed for a moment, clearly still not recovered from the surreal experience of switching between the two worlds.

"Let's go. It's almost Chenshi (7-9 AM), the boatman is already waiting." Li Xingzhi said, looking at the still-dazed girl. As soon as he finished speaking, he took the two girls' hands and started walking back.

The three of them walked slowly, and soon arrived at the riverside dock.

The Wei River rippled and rolled, a thick mist obscuring the view. At the dock, people came and went, creating a bustling scene.

Just as the three of them reached the dock, the servant boy appeared out of nowhere.

"You've finally arrived, sir. The boatman is already waiting!" After saying this, he led the three of them towards a small, covered boat not far away.

A pole was placed beside the boat, and the other end of the rope securing the boat was tightly tied to a large tree. The boat was small, barely able to seat thirty to fifty people.

The servant called out from the shore, and there were a few thumping sounds from the boat, but the boat didn't seem to be rocking much. An old man came out of the cabin.

The servant, seeing the old man emerge from the cabin, quickly introduced him: "Old Zhang, the ones going into the water are this young man and his two young ladies."

Then, turning to Li Xingzhi, he said, "This is Old Man Zhang, an old man who has spent most of his life on the water. This boat is quite spacious. What do you think, young master?"

"I was born from the water, and I'm protected by the Water Dragon King! My son, you'll be perfectly safe riding in my boat!" The old man's face creased with wrinkles as he listened to the servant's words, and he replied loudly.

Li Xingzhi was already quite satisfied when he saw the boats. Although there weren't many boats, they were still quite good for this situation.

Soon, the three of them boarded the boat.

The boatman didn't delay. He untied the rope tied to the shore, picked up a bamboo pole, and lifted the boat off the bank. The boat then began to sway and bob on the undulating water.

Before long, the voices faded into the distance, replaced by the gentle lapping of waves against the boat's hull. Peeking out from under the boat's canopy, one is greeted by the cool, refreshing mist and the sound of crashing waves. Then, a vast, open expanse unfolds before you, unlike the bustling activity of land. Beneath the surface, a unique tranquility exists, slowly calming the heart.

At this moment, the boatman planted the green pole diagonally on the side of the boat. His hand was already holding the wooden oar, and he began to row seemingly leisurely. Only the undercurrents on the water revealed the powerful force contained within the oar.

The boat suddenly became lighter and nimble, drifting swiftly away with the rolling waves.

The three were already comfortably seated in the cabin, which was furnished with soft furs. No one was seasick; the gentle swaying of the boat on the calm waters dispelled any drowsiness, and the three drifted into a deep sleep…

After an unknown amount of time, a loud, unrestrained song drifted from afar, startling the group awake.

Li Xingzhi listened carefully, but could only hear the joy and relief in the song; he couldn't make out any deeper meaning.

Suddenly, a loud and clear song rose from outside the boat, rising and falling in harmony with the distant singing. The songs echoed back and forth. At this moment, the songs on the water, near and far, grew louder and louder, creating a magnificent spectacle.

Li Xingzhi poked his head out. Looking outside, all he could see was a vast expanse of white. Only a little closer could he make out a few dark, shadowy boat silhouettes.

Hearing the commotion behind him, the boatman turned around.

"Did we disturb our husband? We people on the water just sing a few songs to relieve our boredom. Whoever sings the loudest wins. Back and forth, in this foggy weather, we can tell someone is coming from the other side."

Perhaps because he had been holding his breath in the water for too long, the old man started rambling after only shouting a few times.

“Just listening to it is quite a sight. I never heard this when I was on a boat before,” Li Xingzhi said, then asked, “How much longer until we reach Chang’an?”

"It will take about two more hours. We'll be there around sunrise." The surrounding area was shrouded in a thick white fog, obscuring everything, but the old man knew exactly what was going on.

Hearing the old man's words, Li Xingzhi lost interest in continuing and retreated back into the cabin. Outside, the boatman's mournful song echoed once more…

When the sun, which had long since set, burst forth again from the horizon, the ship was already steadily docked at the shore.

After the group disembarked, a tall city came into view in the distance.

When we left the Northwest Plain, it was still snowing heavily. But when we arrived here, it was already April! The surrounding mountains were green and the water was clear, with willows swaying in the breeze. Yellow, white, and red flowers of all sizes were blooming in unison. Many people had already come out of the city, greedily taking in this dazzling array of sights and feelings.

When the three men led their horses to the city gate, the gate was already wide open. Stepping into Chang'an, a feeling of warmth and familiarity instantly filled their hearts, and they felt a surge of joy, as if exclaiming, "This is my hometown!"

In April, Chang'an was overrun by peonies. Every household had several pots of magnificent and elegant peonies displayed in front of their doors and windows.

At this time, Wu had already entered the palace, but was still living as a concubine, given the name Wu Meiniang. Therefore, Peony had not yet turned into "burnt bones" and had not been banished from Chang'an.

The entire city of Chang'an was immersed in the aura of wealth and luxury brought by peonies. Many people even spent a fortune for a rare and exquisite peony. They believed that the more unique and noble the peony, the more wealth and luxury it would bring.

Of course, Grandpa Li Gao was no exception. In his old age, due to some minor disagreements with Li Xingzhi, he couldn't find the joy of "doting on his grandchildren," so tending to flowers and plants became one of his few forms of entertainment. His home contained many top-quality peonies that Li Xingzhi had specially "cultivated."

As the saying goes, "Flowers bloom and fade in twenty days, and the whole city goes wild!"

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It is said that the term "peony" appeared after the Wu Tang dynasty; before that, it was called "peony" (芍药). After the peony was introduced, there was a saying about cultivating peonies and peonies: "clear peony, turbid peony." Of course, whether the former statement is true or not is hard to verify, and we novelists don't concern ourselves with such details.

Um... I'm not being pretentious with these explanations; I just saw them and wanted to say something.

Finally, thank you to "reamaker" for the donation!