Super System in the Early Tang Dynasty

After returning to the Li residence, they rested for a few more days.

That day, Li Xingzhi was enjoying fine fruits and fragrant tea in the backyard pavilion, admiring the spring scenery of the lake, when the Li family's gate, which had been closed for several days, creaked open. A handsome young man, accompanied by one or two pageboys and a few attendants, entered from outside the gate.

Several servants from the Li household came out to greet them, their expressions quite respectful.

"The esteemed young master of the former Wang family of Luoyang has graced us with his presence," a man who appeared to be a steward said respectfully as he stepped forward.

The steward then said to a servant beside him, "Lead the young master of the Wang family to the guest room and serve him some of the finest fragrant tea!" After saying this, he respectfully said to the young master of the Wang family, "I will go and fetch my young master first. If there is anything you need, please just give the order!"

Upon hearing the words "fragrant tea," Wang Dalang of the Wang family in Luoyang's eyes suddenly lit up, gleaming green like a starving wolf. Then, hearing the steward mention going to fetch Li Xingzhi, his eyes lit up, and with a flick of his sleeve, he laughed, "No need to fetch him. Just take me to see your young master!"

Upon hearing this, the steward hesitated for a moment, then winked at a servant beside him and turned to lead Wang Jialang toward the waterside pavilion where Li Xingzhi was resting.

"Look at you dawdling, I wonder when you'll get there. Is your husband at the waterside pavilion in the backyard?" Wang Dalang asked, noticing the steward's slightly hesitant movements and clearly knowing what he was up to.

The steward was inwardly groaning. The previous times this young master Wang had come, he'd gone straight to the backyard, finding many fine things, which had cost Li Xingzhi a fortune. As a result, Li Xingzhi had been resentful and had given the steward a good dressing down several times. This time, he'd learned his lesson, but little did he know, the steward was fully aware of his ulterior motives.

The steward knew that Wang Dalang was from a prominent family, while he was merely a servant of a merchant. Seeing that Wang Dalang was asking him a question, he dared not refuse and hesitated for a moment before replying, "It is indeed at the waterside pavilion."

Wang Jialang knew the way to the pavilion very well; with just a few steps and a few turns, he reached the lakeside. The Li family's steward followed behind, panting. Just then, he saw a servant emerge from the pavilion. He breathed a sigh of relief, a look of joy spreading across his face—this time, they had finally notified him in advance.

When Wang Jialang entered the pavilion, the various rare fruits on the stone table had long since vanished, leaving only a faint fragrance for contemplation. Then, a bluish-purple flame flickered on the stove, the tea bubbling and steaming, its aroma instantly filling the air. At that moment, the last vestiges of fruit fragrance were also masked.

Wang Dalang entered the waterside pavilion. The aroma of tea instantly refreshed his mind! His eyes lit up as he looked at the clear, bubbling tea on the stone table. He then glanced around the stove and other parts of the pavilion, but couldn't find the fresh fruit he had tasted last time. His bright eyes dimmed slightly, and without waiting for the host to speak, he chose a stone bench and sat down. He poured himself a cup of fragrant tea and slowly began to sip it.

"A dignified young master from the Wang family of Luoyang, coming uninvited and taking things without asking—is this not a sign of 'the world going to the dogs and people losing their morals'?" Li Xingzhi said with a sneer, looking at the young master of the Wang family who had abandoned his usual polite and refined demeanor in public.

"Since when did Li Dalang start paying attention to these rules?" Wang Dalang chuckled. "If someone weren't so stingy, why would I be in this situation?"

He glanced at the solitary cup of tea on the table, beckoned to a servant of the Li family beside him, and said, "We have distinguished guests. Go and bring us a serving of dried and fresh fruit from the manor! How can tea be served without fresh fruit?"

The servant, hearing Wang Dalang's words, looked at Li Xingzhi. Li Xingzhi, hearing Wang Dalang's words and seeing the servant's gaze, nodded with a wry smile.

“Every time you come, you plunder everything. Months' worth of grain are confiscated by you. You’re worse than a bandit!”

"Li Dalang, haven't you heard the saying 'It's better to share happiness than to enjoy it alone'?" Wang Dalang said, eagerly grabbing a fresh fruit, putting it in his mouth and taking a bite. Juice burst out! In no time, he had swallowed the large fruit clean.

He touched his slightly swollen belly, sighed with a bitter face, and said, "Such delicious fruits are right in front of me, but unfortunately my stomach is not cooperating. What can I do?"

Seeing Wang Dalang's bitter expression and his sighing with a wink, Li Xingzhi said irritably, "Just a little fruit. I'll have someone bring it to you when you leave."

Upon hearing this, Wang Dalang's face immediately lit up with a smile again.

"Speak, what good news have you brought this time?" Li Xingzhi said, looking at Wang Dalang. Although Wang Dalang was thick-skinned, he was the type who wouldn't come to the temple without a reason, and he wouldn't come for a little bit of gossip.

“Of course there are some interesting things,” Wang Dalang said.

"You've lived in Chang'an for several years, don't you know there's been some good news lately?" he retorted.

Li Xingzhi thought for a moment, but couldn't come up with anything. Suddenly, he caught sight of a dignified and elegant flower out of the corner of his eye and wondered, "Could it be the 'Peony Festival' in Chang'an? I've seen it for years, what's so interesting about that flower?"

Wang Dalang was taken aback for a moment, then laughed and said, "This 'Peony Flower Festival' is not that 'Peony Flower Festival.' It's vulgar for those rich and powerful flower farmers to hold peonies, but what if there are graceful beauties to add to the charm? What if there are also a few poets and writers reciting poems? The scenery at Changxi Tower of Yuelai Inn is quite nice. Today, I will take you to see it!"

Upon hearing "Yuelai Inn," Li Xingzhi was taken aback, then realized that Wang Dalang had no idea that he owned the Yuelai Inn. Although the Yuelai Inn was his, he had never actually owned it.

"In that case, I really should go with Wang Dalang to see it for myself." He had been in Chang'an for so long, but he had never actually seen any 'talented scholars and beautiful women,' nor any romantic affairs, poetry, or composing. This was also due to his long-term stay at home and his extremely narrow social circle.

……

The two men, accompanied by several servants, strolled out of the Li residence. The group headed straight for a spot with upturned eaves not far away.

By this time, the sky was bright, and the sun had risen high in the sky. The hour of Chen (7-9 AM) was almost over.

After walking for about fifteen minutes, we arrived at a tall, elegant wooden pavilion. People came and went inside, all dressed in silk and satin, yet the place felt neither noisy nor bustling; instead, it possessed a quiet tranquility. From the outside, the space, though not large, seemed exceptionally spacious. In the center of the pavilion, a large plaque bore the inscription 'Yuelai Inn'.

Looking at the wooden building before him, Wang Dalang, adopting the air of a host, introduced it: "I don't know who built this Yuelai Inn, but even I find it exquisitely elegant, unlike anything I've ever seen! Not to mention the extraordinary beauty of its dishes; perhaps only yours, Li Dalang's, can rival it! Staying here for a few days is so comfortable, it's like ascending to heaven... This Yuelai Inn has four main buildings in the east, west, south, and north, with countless smaller buildings and pavilions. The west building is for commoners and peddlers, simply furnished; the south building is for wealthy merchants, and is the most magnificent; the east building is for noble families and scholars; as for the north building, ordinary people cannot enter, only those from prominent families and noble households can..."