Super System in the Early Tang Dynasty

"You'll know once you go in, my lord!"

Cui Zhiwen followed the burly man through a small stone gate. After turning left and right, he still couldn't see the owner. He then secretly surveyed his surroundings and found the courtyard to be quite well-organized and well-structured. He could vaguely discern some mystical formations and feng shui principles hidden within, but he couldn't see anything deeper. He only felt that the place had great depth and made him feel comfortable.

Sensing this, Cui Zhiwen's anxious mind calmed down, though he was secretly surprised: in terms of political and literary talent, although he was good, he was far inferior to his peers, being merely a member of a collateral branch of the Cui family and thus lacking much support. However, in terms of insight, Cui Zhiwen was in no way inferior to others. Even with the Cui family's resources, they might not have been able to create such a grand and imposing atmosphere!

After walking for some time, the view suddenly opened up before them, revealing a vast lake of lotus blossoms. The lovely, round, emerald-green leaves were dotted with pink and white lotus flowers! Suddenly, a person approached from afar, reaching the water's edge without stopping. With a light, graceful step, as if walking on water, they headed straight for the pavilion in the center of the lake! The Cui family parents stared wide-eyed in astonishment! As they drew closer, they realized that beneath the lotus leaves, close to the water's surface, lay a narrow wooden bridge, and they understood immediately!

As Cui's parents reached the floating bridge, the burly man who had been leading them stopped and gestured for them to proceed. Seeing this, Cui's parents continued on. After crossing the small bridge, they could clearly see the pavilion's eaves, its delicate and exquisite design resembling a crane soaring over a lotus-covered lake, a sight to behold!

Looking further into the pavilion, they saw a young man standing there with a smile, looking at the couple with an air of nonchalance.

Cui Zhiwen looked at the young man nearby and felt he looked somewhat familiar. After a closer look, he hesitated and asked, "Is that the eldest son of the Li family from Tanzhou back then?"

"It is my honor to trouble you, Master Cui, to remember this!" Li Xingzhi said with a smile. As he spoke, he invited the two men to come forward and sit down.

Inside the pavilion was a small table with some wine and other drinks, but the most important items were several kinds of crystal-clear fruits that no one else had ever seen. Each one was exquisitely beautiful!

“I dare not accept the title of ‘sir’!” Cui Zhiwen said, frowning. He was as serious as ever, but since he was already there, he decided to make the best of it and sat down, wanting to see what this eldest son of the Li family was up to!

During the Tang Dynasty, the term "大人" (daren, meaning adult or elder) was used to address one's parents or very close elders, which is why Cui Zhiwen frowned and said he dared not accept such a title.

"Of course, of course! After today we'll be in-laws! How could I not accept it?!" Li Xingzhi laughed. "Leaving aside everything else, you two are guests from afar, so please try this fruit." Li Xingzhi didn't want to talk to the two anymore. He took two large peaches, peeled and cleaned, and placed them in front of them. Then he took two straws from a plate and inserted them into the peach flesh. Next, he took a large peach for himself, inserted the straws, and slowly began to eat it.

Watching those crystal-clear, pink and lovely peaches slowly wither away, while at the same time, an extremely fragrant peach aroma slowly wafted out!

The Cui elders, exhausted from a long day's work and having slept soundly in the carriage, were already parched. Seeing the fruit on the table only intensified their hunger; saliva welled up in their mouths, flowing freely down their throats like a vast lake. Now, smelling the fruit and seeing Li Xingzhi enjoying it so much, they forgot everything else. They carefully picked up a peach from the table and began to eat it.

Amidst the slurping sounds, the slightly tense atmosphere melted away like ice and snow. As the saying goes, 'He who eats another's food is bound to do so,' how could the two members of the Cui family utter any words of reproach at this moment? Of course, if they knew their daughter had been kidnapped, their thoughts would likely be quite different!

Seeing that the two had tasted the fruit and their hunger and thirst were temporarily relieved, Li Xingzhi said, "The reason I invited you two elders here is to discuss the marriage between my sworn brother and my daughter!"

Upon hearing this, Cui Zhiwen's eyes widened. He was about to explain that his daughter was already married to Zheng Jialang and that their wedding was to take place that very day when a thought suddenly struck him. He thought, "Since this eldest son of the Li family discovered my journey and abducted me, he must already know about the marriage between the Cui and Zheng families. I wonder what his intentions are." Regardless of his intentions, he would simply meet force with force!

Thinking to himself, he said aloud, "My Cui family only has one daughter, who is already engaged to Zheng family's son, and the wedding will take place today. Li Dalang, didn't you know that you tricked me into coming here in such a hurry? If you are interested, please come with me for a cup of wine!"

"Everyone knows that 'one family's daughter is sought after by a hundred families.' Moreover, your daughter has long been engaged to my sworn brother through letters. Does Master Cui intend to break up this loving couple?"

The Tang Dynasty was relatively open-minded. Although marriages were often arranged by parents and matchmakers, the opinions of children were often respected, and mutual affection was valued. This was even explicitly stipulated in the law. However, in high-ranking and aristocratic families, the atmosphere was conservative, and the opinions of children were hardly considered.

"'The marriage is arranged by parents and matchmaker,' the betrothal gifts have been paid, and the wedding must take place today! There's no need to say more!" Cui Zhiwen refused sternly. His demeanor exuded an air of authority.

Cui Zhiwen was unwilling to get entangled with Li Xingzhi any further on this matter. As for the talk of "mutual affection" or "breaking up lovers," he didn't care, even if it were true, let alone that it was just empty talk.

"If we discuss this today, won't we have an arranged marriage? As for the bride price, we can pay it after the wedding, it's the same. As for the father-in-law's talk about marrying Zheng's son, well, they probably won't live to see the bride!" Li Xingzhi said, ignoring Cui's parents who were still stunned and confused by his words, and continued, "I invited you two here today for two reasons: first, to discuss the marriage; and second, to have you two as witnesses! How can parents and relatives not be present on their daughter's wedding day?"

It took Cui's parents a long time to process the meaning behind Li Xingzhi's words. No matter what they thought, they never expected Li Xingzhi to be so audacious!

Now that things have come to this, there's still room for redemption! Thinking this, Cui Zhiwen was about to stand up and question Li Xingzhi, and even more so, to persuade him to change his mind. But it wasn't for Li Xingzhi's sake; rather, it was to ensure the marriage with the Zheng family would go smoothly. As for anything else, that wasn't the time to concern herself with.

Just then, the two elders of the Cui family felt a gust of wind, their chests went numb, and they were unable to move their bodies!

"What kind of sorcery are you using?!" Cui Zhiwen cried out in terror!

"It's not some kind of sorcery, just ordinary acupressure technique. This method is directly related to the acupuncture technique in medicine," Li Xingzhi explained.

"What do you intend to do? Aren't you afraid that the Cui and Zheng families will join forces to kill us?! Our families will be destroyed and our lives will be lost in an instant!" Cui Zhiwen said with a livid face.

"There's no need for you to worry, sir. I have my own way of dealing with this. Now, I'll trouble you two for a moment." As Li Xingzhi spoke, he suddenly seemed to remember something and added, "You two should say what you have to say now, otherwise you might not be able to say it later."

Cui Zhengshi remained silent, and Cui Zhiwen's neck turned ashen, but he didn't speak either. Suddenly, both of them felt a numbness in their necks, and they were startled, trying to move their mouths. They couldn't utter a word!

At this moment, the front courtyard was filled with the sounds of gongs and drums. Everyone eagerly awaited the arrival of eight men carrying a magnificent sedan chair, surrounded by dozens of people, as they approached the Li residence!

Erlang, dressed in a crimson suit, looked even more radiant and joyful! Erlang's maid, Xiaolan, as his bridesmaid, helped the bride out of the sedan chair, and Erlang nervously carried her down from the sedan chair.

The young lady of the Cui family, wearing a crown, was unaware that the person beneath her had become the young man she so deeply longed for.

Only then did the surrounding crowd realize that Li Dalang's sworn brother had married a woman from the Cui family, one of the three most prestigious and powerful clans! Everyone began to inquire about who this sworn brother was, that the Cui family would willingly send their daughter to marry him! It was well known that women from noble families were always exceptionally beautiful; not only ordinary families, but even high-ranking officials and nobles would find it difficult to obtain a single woman. The crowd scrutinized Wang Erlang, wondering if he possessed three heads and six arms!

That one look was astounding!

The groom exuded heroic spirit, possessed a wealth of literary knowledge, and stood tall and straight like a bamboo pole. His face was as bright as the moon, his eyes as clear as black lacquer, his eyebrows as sharp as swords, and his lips as red as red as white as teeth. He was a truly extraordinary and handsome young man!

Upon seeing his appearance, everyone dared not utter another word, exclaiming, "Even the legendary Pan An and Song Yu of antiquity couldn't compare!" Several elderly women nearby, their eyes gleaming at his handsome face, wanted nothing more than to pinch him a few times! As for the young girls in the throes of first love, they only glanced at him before their faces turned red, and they turned away, only stealing glances out of the corner of their eyes.

Wang Erlang carried the young lady of the Cui family into the hall. After they got off the ground, a red scarf connected the two of them, while the bridesmaid helped the bride walk forward.

At this moment, three people sat high in the hall. To the left of the large table sat a handsome young man, none other than Li Xingzhi. Wang Erlang had no parents, and as the saying goes, "the eldest brother is like a father," so Li Xingzhi took this seat. On the other side were Cui's parents. The two sat high in the hall, expressionless and motionless, and no one could have imagined that they were in this state because their pressure points had been acupunctured.

Although Wang Erlang didn't know what method Li Xingzhi had used to get Cui's parents to 'cancel' the marriage with the Zheng family and marry their daughter to him, it didn't stop him from having a wedding ceremony with Cui's young lady.

After the two bowed to heaven and earth, it was time to offer tea to their elders.

Li Xingzhi smiled as he drank both cups of fragrant tea in one gulp as the two men offered him the tea. The two then took the teacups and offered them to Cui's parents. Unbeknownst to anyone, a gust of wind shot from the side, striking several pressure points on the arms of the two elders. Their arms stiffened slightly as they reached out, firmly grasped the two teacups, and brought them to their lips, only briefly touching them before setting them down…

The Li family was beaming with joy, while the Zheng family's side was a scene of utter chaos!

Just as the people from the Cui and Zheng families who had gone to fetch the bride came to their senses, they discovered that the bride was missing! With no one in charge at the moment, panic ensued! In the end, a few people stayed behind to tidy up the carriages and horses, while the rest of the group ran towards the Zheng family's house.

The Zheng family's main hall was packed with people, filled with music and celebration—a truly lively scene! Suddenly, several women and burly men, looking somewhat disheveled, rushed out from the side. The Zheng family steward, who had gone out to greet the bride, assumed they were just there to cause trouble and was about to order them thrown out when he realized upon closer inspection that they were none other than Aunt Cui and the rest of the Zheng family who had gone out to fetch the bride! He immediately panicked and hurriedly asked, "What's going on?"

"Something terrible has happened!" A woman immediately ignored the steward, who was still in a state of panic and speculation, and hurriedly ran into the mansion through the side gate, intending to explain the situation to the elders of the Zheng family and find a way to deal with the matter.

The steward finally managed to catch a servant at the very back and hurriedly asked, "What exactly happened?"

"Oh no! This is terrible! The young lady of the Cui family has been kidnapped!!" the servant cried out in a panic.

"What?!" The steward's eyes widened in disbelief. Once he came to his senses, he muttered frantically, "What should we do? What should we do!" He then turned and headed back into the mansion, intending to go to the person in charge of the Zheng family to check on the situation and, if anything had happened, to try and salvage the situation.

The steward entered the meeting hall and heard an elderly man in his fifties, who was impeccably groomed but whose beard was trembling and whose face was ashen, ask, "Where are the two from the Cui family? Why haven't they arrived yet?!"

A man stepped forward and replied, "I have already inquired with the Cui family. They said that the Cui family's parents have already taken a shortcut and arrived!"

Upon hearing this, the old man's already dark complexion darkened even further. Those around him, sensing something amiss, also sensed something was wrong.

The old man calmed himself down before saying, "Quickly send people to search in the direction the Cui couple came from! As for the young lady of the Cui family, there's no rush!"

Everyone agreed that this made sense. Once they found Cui's parents, no one would recognize the young lady of the Cui family since she was wearing a cap; they could just find any woman. They could find her later after the important matter was settled!

To save face, they only dared to secretly intensify their investigation. The Cui and Zheng families ultimately failed to find the Cui parents and the young lady! And at this moment, the auspicious hour had arrived!

Neither the Cui nor the Zheng family wanted to lose face. So, the two families discussed it and found another suitable woman from among the Cui family's daughters, with the elders of both families acting as their elders to continue the marriage.

The guests from the Zheng family who came to offer their congratulations saw the elders of both the Cui and Zheng families personally presiding over the wedding. At first, they simply thought it was a sign of the importance the two families attached to this marriage. But after a moment's thought, they felt something was amiss. Looking at the rather forced smiles on the faces of the Cui and Zheng families, they sensed there was more to the story. Those with better connections inquired a little, and the truth of the matter became clear.

What secrets could there be in Chang'an? Once a third person knows something, everyone in Chang'an will know very quickly. At this time, the Zheng family's affairs had not yet spread throughout Chang'an, but they had already reached the ears of all the Zheng family's guests.

Thus, the originally joyous wedding ended hastily amidst the host's stern face and the guests' expressions of sympathy, pity, and mockery!

Meanwhile, the Li family's wedding banquet was coming to an end. Guests gradually left, while the bride and groom had already entered their bridal chamber.

The bridal chamber in the Tang Dynasty was somewhat peculiar. It was a small tent erected in an auspicious spot in the southwest corner of a courtyard. This tent was called the "Green Hut." Above the Green Hut hung a curtain of a hundred children.

The Li family's wedding had far fewer elaborate rituals. Since there were no other younger relatives in the family, there was no tradition of "teasing the newlyweds in the bridal chamber." The bridesmaid simply lifted the curtain outside the bridal chamber, led the bride inside, and poured a cup of wine for each of them. After they drank the nuptial wine, the bridesmaid, Xiaolan, combed their hair, tying it together – a ritual called "tying the hair." After the bride and groom had their hair tied, Xiaolan closed the curtain and stood guard outside.

At this moment, only two people remained inside the green hut. Their breathing could be faintly heard.

With slightly trembling hands and a hint of nervousness, Wang Erlang removed the bride's headdress. The bride had her head bowed, her eyes slightly closed, her eyelids drooping, and her face expressionless.

"Ru'er!" Wang Erlang couldn't help but call out as he looked at the lovely girl in front of him.

Hearing that familiar yet strangely familiar call, Cui Ru'er suddenly looked up in surprise. Looking at the face she had longed for day and night, tears streamed down her face. Her lips moved as if she wanted to say something, but fearing it was all just a fantasy, she didn't utter a sound. Instead, she reached out and stroked Wang Erlang's face, finally managing to utter, "Erlang~".

That cry was enough to break one's heart!

Her face turned deathly pale, and she exclaimed, "What are you doing here? Let's get out of here!" Cui Ru'er still didn't know that Wang Erlang was the groom. In her mind, this should be the Zheng family's residence, not the Li family's. She couldn't imagine who would be so audacious as to kidnap the Zheng family's bride!

"Where are you going?! This is our new house!" Wang Erlang said with a smile, touching Cui Ru'er's forehead.

Cui Ruer looked at Wang Erlang's eyes in disbelief. Seeing that he did not flinch at all, and then looked around and at their intertwined hair, she felt a mix of surprise, joy, and unease. It all happened so fast and so unreal!

She moved her lips, wanting to ask something, but didn't know how to say it. After calming down a bit, she looked at Wang Erlang with a worried expression.

"Today you are my bride, tomorrow you will be my wife! No one can take you away from me! As for the Zheng family's affairs, there's no need to worry about them. I still have my elder brother!" Although Wang Erlang was also worried about the Zheng family's counterattack, his worries subsided when he thought of Li Xingzhi's methods.

Cui Ru'er had no idea how powerful Li Xingzhi was. But she was well aware of the immense power of the Zheng and Cui families! In her eyes, no matter how powerful one person was, could they possibly oppose the entire world? Although the Zheng and Cui families couldn't represent the whole world, mobilizing their influence was enough to shake half the world! Fortunately, this matter was too far-reaching to be brought into the open, so the two families could only take actions in private.

Seeing that Cui Ru'er was still worried, Wang Erlang simply said, "Even if I die, I would be willing to die with you!"

Upon hearing this, Cui Ru'er's face flushed crimson, her lips curved into a smile, and her slight worry vanished. Perhaps, in her eyes, the situation was beyond repair, so she might as well cherish the present moment. (To be continued.)

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