Super System in the Early Tang Dynasty

After the flower maid at the gate inspected the flowers, the two men, accompanied by their servants, took the two pots of peonies and went straight upstairs. The peonies were covered with a cloth, so their appearance was not yet clearly visible.

Wang Dalang was still in a daze, thinking about the fleeting glimpse he had just caught when Li Xingzhi lifted the cloth covering his subordinate's flowerpot! Li Xingzhi, however, had already gone upstairs.

"Brother Li! What brings you here!" Li Xingzhi had just come upstairs and hadn't even taken in his surroundings when he felt a fragrant breeze waft towards him, and a soft, supple embrace wrapped around his arm.

He stared wide-eyed, only to see a beautiful young woman with a full figure looking at him happily. Her clothes fluttered and her long skirt danced, so thin that her flesh was visible. When he lowered his head slightly, he could see her breasts rising prominently, seemingly about to engulf him. Their white, soft, and tender appearance, trembling slightly, was enough to make one's heart tremble with fear, wanting to touch them but daring not to!

"Gao Yang?!" Li Xingzhi looked at the girl in front of him and called out unconsciously.

"I thought Brother Li didn't recognize me anymore!" Gao Yang said coquettishly. "It's been so long since Brother Li came to see me! I didn't know where you'd been all this time. I thought you were hiding from me!"

"Why would I avoid you?" Li Xingzhi asked, puzzled.

Li Xingzhi was about to say something when he suddenly noticed an eerie silence around him. He looked up and saw a group of dozens of people, some sitting, some crouching, some standing, and some leaning against the door, all looking at him with very strange expressions!

Among them were two young men who looked similar. One had wide, angry eyes, glaring as if he were about to spit fire! The other had disdain in his eyes, slightly turning his head away, as if he had seen something filthy and was utterly disgusted!

At this moment, Gao Yang also came to her senses. She saw pairs of eyes, each filled with various colors, staring at the two of them, their expressions unchanged. But when she saw the young man who had turned his head away, her eyes also revealed a hint of disdain and disgust. Seeing the angry young man standing beside her, she shouted with even greater disgust, "Fang Er! Are you dissatisfied with me?!"

Gao Yang's voice boomed like thunder in Fang Yi'ai's ears! He snapped back to reality, his anger vanishing instantly. His slightly straightened back quickly bent again as he walked to Gao Yang, his eyes filled with admiration. He bowed and said, "Please forgive me, Princess! I, Fang Er, dare not be displeased with you!" As he spoke, a hint of malice flickered in his eyes as he glanced at Li Xingzhi.

Li Xingzhi felt the venomous gaze directed at him and thought to himself: This Fang Er is no pushover either! Who knows how far these two will go? I'd better be careful; if I get involved, it'll be troublesome!

"Whether you're dissatisfied or not, I don't want to see you right now!" Gao Yang said in a commanding tone, her expression filled with disgust. "Go back now! Don't get in my way any longer!"

Gao Yang really didn't give her nominal husband any face at all.

The young man standing beside Fang Er, who bore a resemblance to him, moved his lips, as if about to stand up and say something, but suddenly sat back down, sighing and looking dazed. He muttered something under his breath. Fang Er glanced at him, his eyes deepening with suspicion!

Li Xingzhi smiled wryly: "I'm just lying here and getting shot!"

The young man watched Fang Er's departing figure and followed him out.

Hearing Gao Yang's words, the people around turned to look at the two Fang brothers who had left, their eyes showing a hint of sympathy. Every now and then, they would turn to look at Gao Yang and Li Xingzhi standing at the top of the stairs, revealing a slightly amused expression.

"Hey, what are you doing?"

At this moment, Wang Dalang from the Wang family of Luoyang also came up. He noticed the eerily quiet atmosphere upstairs, with everyone looking at him with strange expressions. "No wonder," he thought.

Upon hearing Wang Dalang's words, everyone quickly turned away to resume their poetry and conversation, acting as if nothing had happened. A few who were acquainted with Wang Dalang stood up and went to greet him. Passing by Gao Yang, they could only bow respectfully. As for Li Xingzhi, the 'culprit' who had caused this situation, he had become completely invisible.

Wang Dalang was about to introduce Li Xingzhi to everyone when he suddenly noticed Princess Gaoyang, who was clinging to Li Xingzhi's arm and had a petite and beautiful appearance. He was immediately startled and stood frozen in place. After a long while, he stepped forward to pay his respects and said, "This humble subject greets Princess Gaoyang."

Wang Dalang bowed respectfully, glanced at Li Xingzhi with pity in his eyes, and gave Li Xingzhi a slight bow in return. He remained silent, his strange expression seeming to say, "Brother, good luck to you!" He then turned and greeted several acquaintances who came to greet him, before sitting down a little further away to chat.

However, seeing the strange look Wang Dalang kept glancing at Li Xingzhi, he knew it wasn't anything good.

Li Xingzhi sat down with Gao Yang, casually pulling his hand away from her tight embrace. He didn't seem to care about the strange looks he was getting from the surroundings. He sipped his tea and wine and ate some snacks, chatting with Gao Yang from time to time about the interesting things he had seen and heard along the way, the local customs and geography. He was having a good time!

The two listened intently to each other, their laughter tinged with a girlish schadenfreude, oblivious to their surroundings. They were completely unaware of the whispers around them muttering "cheating couple." Even if they had heard them, they probably wouldn't have cared!

Just as the two were engrossed in their conversation, they heard a gasp of surprise from the crowd. Li Xingzhi turned around and saw a slender woman dressed in plain white emerge from behind a screen, her figure graceful as a willow swaying in the breeze.

Li Xingzhi thought the woman looked familiar and asked, "Who is this woman?"

Seeing Li Xingzhi turn his head away, Gao Yang also turned to look, and saw a beautiful woman walking out from behind the screen. She frowned slightly, looking displeased, but when Li Xingzhi asked her a question, she smiled and said, "She's the top courtesan of Lan Gui Fang, named Yingying! They say she's a master of both the qin and xiao! I think it's just that those vulgar men flattered her because she has some looks! They say they're listening to her play the qin, but who knows what filthy things they're thinking!"

Seeing the sourness in her voice, Li Xingzhi guessed that she was uncomfortable seeing others being fawned over, so he changed the subject and said, "I was wondering why she looked so familiar. It turns out I saw her in Lan Kwai Fong." This woman was the one who played the zither in that building that day.

"Brother Li also goes to that brothel?" Gao Yang asked in surprise, frowning.

"Cough~~" Li Xingzhi choked on his tea and quickly said, "I'm just curious about what the inside of a brothel is like."

At that moment, a clear and crisp zither melody seemed to drift from the deep mountains, ethereal and elusive, its destination unknown. Suddenly, as the sound shifted and transformed, a faint sense of clashing swords and galloping horses could be heard within the clear and melodious music! It was tinged with sorrow, indignation, and resentment!

Li Xingzhi frowned deeply upon hearing this! He looked around, and it seemed that everyone was so engrossed in the 'beauty playing the zither' that they hadn't grasped his meaning.

Standing beside him, Zhang Daniu, holding a peony in his hands, suddenly stared blankly at the woman sitting in the middle playing the zither, his eyes revealing an incredulous look of surprise! His hands and feet trembled, making Li Xingzhi's heart pound with fear, lest the flowerpot in his hands fall to the ground.

The woman sitting in the middle, playing the zither, seemed to notice Zhang Daniu's extremely intense gaze. She snapped out of her reverie and turned to look. Upon seeing him, she too stared blankly, her hands almost stopping playing the zither!

The woman seemed to know that now was not the time for anything else, and she forcibly suppressed her emotions. The slightly disordered zither music flowed smoothly again. Fortunately, there were no great zither masters here, and apart from Li Xingzhi, no one noticed the disorder in the music at that moment.

Li Xingzhi patted Zhang Daniu on the back and asked, "Do you know her?"

Zhang Daniu was still stunned and couldn't come to his senses. After a long while, he turned around and said excitedly, "She is Ying'er, Junior Sister Ying'er!"

Upon hearing this, Li Xingzhi snapped out of his reverie. He recalled the junior sister that Zhang Daniu and the others had asked him to inquire about years ago. At that time, he was still establishing the foundation of the Tang Dynasty and had not heard from her for a long time. Gradually, they gave up the idea. Unexpectedly, they had the chance to meet again today!

"You're not mistaken?" Li Xingzhi, observing the eye contact between Zhang Daniu and the woman, was already certain of the situation, but still remained doubtful. The contrast between his junior sister and the several burly men like Zhang Daniu was too stark, making him suspicious.

“I’m not mistaken, she’s definitely my junior sister! There’s no mistake!” Zhang Daniu affirmed.

"Don't rush," Li Xingzhi reassured him gently. "Let's wait until this peony festival before discussing anything else. Now that we've found the person, everything else will be easier!"

"I'll listen to my master!" Zhang Daniu said repeatedly. After all these years together, he had complete faith in his master!

Leaving aside Zhang Daniu's anticipated reunion, the melody of the zither has just faded away, and the Peony Flower Festival is about to begin!

By this time, a circular platform had already been set up in the center. A square, plain white cloth was laid on the platform to prevent the heavy, wooden surface from obscuring the colors of the peonies and to allow those below to see the peonies more clearly.

As soon as the stage was set up, the host uttered an opening verse, and several pots of veiled peonies were placed on it. After a few more words of introduction, the veils were lifted, revealing several pots of magnificent peonies! The flowers were enormous, exuding an extreme sense of wealth and luxury! However, the initial appetizers were mostly varieties like "Zhao Fen," "Er Qiao," and "Dan Feng." Although they were more vibrant than ordinary flowers, they were nothing particularly special. Amidst the reds and greens, Li Xing glanced at them once and never looked again, simply listening to the interesting flower-related poems while drinking wine and sipping tea alone.

"Brother Li, do you find these patterns boring?" Gao Yang asked from the side.

"These flower-related words are quite novel, but the flowers themselves are rather commonplace." Li Xingzhi noticed Gao Yang glancing at the small cup held by the maid beside her and casually remarked, "I'm curious what beautiful flowers you have in there!"

Upon hearing Li Xingzhi's words, Gao Yang smiled smugly. "Brother Li, how about we have a competition to see whose pattern is better?"

“Okay!” Li Xingzhi replied.

"Brother Li, now that you've made it to me, you must grant me one request!"

"Not good, not good!"

"Brother Li, are you afraid of a mere woman like me?"

"No, no! If I lose, I'll grant you a request. What if you lose?" Li Xingzhi said with a smile.

"I lost?" Gao Yang asked doubtfully. That peony was stolen from her father's small garden; it was his prized possession, a rare and exquisite variety. How could she possibly lose? Although Gao Yang thought this, she still said, "If I lose, Brother Li, you can do whatever you want!"

Neither of them had imagined they would lose. Gao Yang's confidence stemmed from the power of being the "Number One Person Under Heaven," while Li Xingzhi's confidence came from his trust in the mysterious celestial cave.

Li Xingzhi felt a shiver run through his heart at Gao Yang's words, "I'll do whatever you want." He quickly snapped back to reality, muttered "demon" under his breath, and fell silent, waiting to gaze at the peony-shaped cup of wine that Gao Yang was holding.

After Gao Yang finished speaking, he stood up and, without waiting for the maid beside him, took the flower cup himself, walked to the flower stand, and placed it there.

At this moment, everyone saw Gao Yang walking over and no one dared to go up. On the wooden platform, there was only a lonely pot of flowers.

Princess Gaoyang glanced at Li Xingzhi with her beautiful eyes, then gently removed the cloth covering the flower cup. Instantly, a large, blood-red, bewitching peony appeared before everyone's eyes! The peony's magnificence and noble beauty were perfectly displayed by this red peony! However, besides its boundless magnificence, it also exuded a bewitching aura unlike that of ordinary peonies, just like Princess Gaoyang beside her—the flower was beautiful, but the person was even more so! This magnificent peony had not a trace of vulgarity; it was entirely an aura of wealth and nobility!

Looking at the peony and the beautiful woman beside it, everyone held their breath, and no one could utter a word! Even the scholars and literati who had just been eloquently commenting on the magnificent peonies were now speechless and unable to say another word!

At this moment, even Li Xingzhi was captivated by Gao Yang's radiance and began to take her identity as a princess seriously.

By the time everyone came to their senses, Princess Gaoyang had already returned to Li Xingzhi's side.

"How's my peony?" Gao Yang asked with a smile, her cheeks flushed with the peony's red. Her tone was filled with undisguised pride.

"Indeed! One person and one flower perfectly capture the splendor of the world! There is not even one peony in this world that can rival its beauty!"

Hearing Li Xingzhi's words, Gao Yang's smugness shone even brighter, his face beaming with a smile, exuding an undeniable air of suave charm. "Brother Li, are you admitting defeat? What about that thing you promised..."

“Who said I gave up?” Li Xingzhi looked at Gao Yang’s 'you cheated' expression and said, “I have a peony here that doesn’t belong to this world!”

It is indeed a peony that does not belong to this world.

Not only Gao Yang, but also the others around her showed some curiosity upon hearing Li Xingzhi's words. However, most people were unconvinced! Having seen the splendor of Gao Yang's peony, what other peony could possibly be worthy of their attention?!

Seeing the disdain and disbelief in everyone's eyes, Li Xingzhi did not argue. He nodded to Zhang Daniu beside him, who understood and picked up the large flowerpot in his hand and walked towards the central flower platform.

The flowerpot was larger than anyone had imagined, taking up almost half the size of the wooden platform. When it was placed on the platform, the entire surface shook. The crowd, who had initially been dismissive, gradually turned their disdain into curiosity as they looked at the unusually large pot.

Seeing Li Xingzhi's signal, Zhang Daniu carefully lifted the cloth cover, and gradually, a sliver of bright yellow light leaked from the basin. Under the expectant and curious gazes of everyone, Zhang Daniu slowly unveiled the cloth cover, and instantly, the dazzling light made everyone present tremble! After regaining their composure, they could clearly see the enormous yellow peony in the center.

The giant yellow peony is four or five times the size of a regular peony, exuding an extraordinary grandeur! The peony is predominantly yellow, with a brilliant golden center, like a radiant sun shining in all directions, bringing warmth and peace to all who behold it! Gradually towards the edge of the flower, the color fades, becoming translucent and tinged with a serene and elegant simplicity, further highlighting the magnificent and opulent central yellow! Several palm-sized, dark green leaves unfurl from beneath the flower, and instantly, under this bright green backdrop, the entire peony bursts with vibrant life!

Just then, from somewhere, a flute melody, carrying a faint, hoarse, and melancholic tone, flowed from outside the window into the quiet attic. As a result, a bright yellow peony in the attic swayed, its plump and graceful figure, with a lively and charming aura, was so enchanting!

The whole room was filled with bright and luxurious light!

Enough with the small talk and apologies, let's get to the arrangements.

I've been taking exams lately, finishing on June 28th. I'll be saving up some drafts for the next few days, and starting July 1st, I'll update at least 5,000 words daily. This story will then conclude in the next month or two.

Finally, thank you to everyone who stayed with me until the very end. (To be continued.)

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