Super System in the Early Tang Dynasty

The next day, Ouyang Xun got up early.

By this time, his mother had gotten up and prepared steamed buns. Ouyang Xun ate the buns, feeling quite distressed. Since his father's passing, his mother's health had deteriorated, and the family had relied on his meager income to survive. He had originally possessed some talent, and could earn a little extra money by working as an accountant for wealthy families or teaching. However, after witnessing the sordid affairs of that rich family yesterday, the enraged master had banished him. After this incident, things would become much more difficult for him in the future.

If he had already achieved official rank, no one would have dared to offend him like this. Unfortunately, he was preparing for the imperial examinations when he was suddenly informed of his father's death, which delayed him for three years.

The weather remained gloomy. His mother saw him to the door, then he asked her to go back inside. He planned to go again today; after all, he couldn't afford to starve. If he could just get through this period and pass the imperial examination, there wouldn't be any more trouble. He was quite confident about passing the preliminary examination.

As Ouyang Xun stepped out and turned a corner, several burly men suddenly appeared before him, exuding a fierce aura! Ouyang Xun's heart skipped a beat, but his expression remained calm as he asked, "What brings you here?"

"My master requests your presence!" Without another word, the men lifted Ouyang Xun up and strode through the streets and alleys into a small doorway. Because they deliberately chose a secluded route, even if someone saw them, they dared not make a sound, fearing it would bring trouble.

When Ouyang Xun saw these men grab him and leave without a word, although his expression remained unchanged, he was beginning to panic! After all, as a scholar, he had never encountered such a situation before. He maintained his composure and didn't shout like most people would, knowing that yelling would be useless and would only cause trouble.

Upon arriving at a large courtyard, Ouyang Xun discovered that it was the infamous haunted house in Tanzhou City!

By this time, the surrounding servants had already left. Before him stood a middle-aged man, whose aura remained completely concealed, making him impossible to read. However, judging from the man's mustache, slightly drooping eyebrows, pale complexion, and expressionless eyes, combined with the gloomy sky and the secluded corner of the woods, if Ouyang Xun hadn't been a scholar with a strong sense of righteousness and disbelief in ghosts and gods, he probably would have screamed on the spot!

Even so, Ouyang Xun was still filled with apprehension.

"Come with me, my master is looking for you." The words were spoken without a trace of warmth or detachment; if there weren't only the two of them present, Ouyang Xun would have doubted whether the voice actually came from the person before him. Before Ouyang Xun could say anything, the middle-aged man ignored him and walked forward with effortless grace, so much so that Ouyang Xun almost cried out in surprise.

They walked along the path by the pond, crossed a small bridge, strolled through the woods for a while, and then entered a long corridor. Ouyang Xun initially followed, but he moved about restlessly and dared not speak. After a while, the silence of this place began to weigh heavily on his heart, and the occasional birdsong made him feel somewhat afraid! Although it is said that "Confucius did not speak of strange phenomena, physical prowess, disorder, or spirits," he was only a sixteen or seventeen-year-old boy. Although he could shoulder the burden of a family at this age, his Confucian cultivation was still not deep enough. Ouyang Xun dared not look around anymore, silently reciting Confucian classics in his mind, hoping to cultivate a trace of righteous spirit amidst the chaos in his heart! He hoped to use this to get rid of the fear in his heart brought about by the oppression of the outside world.

Passing through the moon gate, the space opened up dramatically, and he could hear the shouts of several burly men. Ouyang Xun finally felt a little relieved. He began to look around.

Here, black tiles and white walls, nestled among green trees, stood out. Aside from a lack of human presence, it was no different from any other grand residence. The layout, too, was secluded and offered three distinct views with each step, but upon closer inspection, it appeared more grand and tranquil. This apparent contradiction was simply due to the more layered arrangement of the plants. Before Ouyang Xun could examine it further, he soon arrived at a house.

The middle-aged man knocked on the door. "Ah Lang, the person has been invited."

"Let him in!" a rather young, clear voice said from inside. However, like the middle-aged man, it lacked a sense of everyday life, and being far away, it sounded somewhat indistinct.

At the middle-aged man's prompting, Ouyang Xun entered the room.

The room was warm and cozy, and a long screen immediately caught the eye. The entire screen was framed in a deep purple-red wood, and upon closer inspection, one could smell a faint, elegant fragrance, like orchids and musk. It was inlaid with moon-white brocade, embroidered with four scenes: plum blossoms, orchids, bamboo, and chrysanthemums. The four smaller screens were ingeniously connected and could move freely. What attracted Ouyang Xun most was not the elegant embroidery or the ingenious designs, but the four poems on it, and the words that wrote them!

Considering only the bamboo panel, embroidered on it:

Whether in pavilions or mountains and forests, your love is not limited to a thousand acres of shade.

Before it emerged from the earth, it had joints; but when it soared to the clouds, it had no intention of doing so.

These few lines may not be particularly brilliant, but they perfectly capture the "humility" and "uprightness" of the green bamboo. After reading these four lines, Ouyang Xun still felt that there was still something to explore.

After briefly digesting the poem, he carefully examined the characters, which were unlike any he had ever seen before. The writing wasn't particularly skillful, but to this "expert," it was pioneering, hinting at the grandeur of a master! The characters were dignified and square, yet not imposing; rather, they possessed a light and agile quality. Between the characters, a refined elegance and grace, unrestrained by rigid rules, flowed, captivating Ouyang Xun.

The characters on it were written by Li Xingzhi, and then a good embroiderer embroidered them on. He had only practiced the Yan style and Liu style of calligraphy before, but he was always inconsistent in his practice. After coming here, he spent some time practicing every day, and only then could his calligraphy be considered presentable.

He lacked Yan Zhenqing's fortitude and uprightness, and could not be considered a moral gentleman; therefore, he could not learn the magnificent and dignified style of Yan's calligraphy. He also lacked Liu Gongquan's integrity and loyalty, and could not learn the unyielding spirit of Liu's calligraphy. But he possessed a free and unrestrained spirit, a playful attitude towards the world, which allowed him to express himself freely within the bounds of rules and regulations!

Li Xingzhi wrote calligraphy simply for the sake of writing, to enjoy the tranquility within it, and merely to cultivate his temperament. He never imagined that one day someone would appreciate his "masterpiece"!

Ouyang Xun reluctantly turned around the screen and looked into the inner room.

Inside the pavilion, there was a table with an unfinished wooden puppet and a handleless knife. Looking up slightly, one could see a young man sitting a little further away. He had a handsome face, a languid demeanor, and a slightly thin frame; he wore a moon-white robe, and his long hair flowed down his shoulders, exuding an ethereal and otherworldly air!

Ouyang Xun stared intently, his eyes practically bulging out of their sockets. He had never seen such a divine figure before!

However, the slight anxiety that had been lingering suddenly subsided.

It turns out that Li Xingzhi cultivated the true methods of Taoism, progressing step by step, so his aura wouldn't be so prominent. This time, Li Xingzhi had just made a breakthrough and then cycled through that illusory little world to cultivate the Longevity Technique. His cultivation hadn't stabilized, so his aura leaked out, which led Ouyang Xun to suspect he was a deity!

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Li Xingzhi watched a figure standing motionless in front of the screen, without urging him on.

Only after the figure passed over the screen did Li Xingzhi see the real person.

Li Xingzhi sized up the man before him. His clothes were somewhat disheveled, his features delicate and youthful, yet he possessed a mature air about him. This contradictory aura made him stand out, making him impossible to ignore.

Ouyang Xun bowed and said, "I am Ouyang Xun. Sir, you sent someone to invite me here. May I ask what important matter you have to discuss?" He emphasized the word "invite," clearly indicating that he was thinking about the unpleasant incident earlier.

Li Xingzhi did not notice the change in Ouyang Xun's tone.

He merely instructed Wang Xiucai to invite Ouyang Xun, unaware that Wang Xiucai would actually abduct him. Of course, Wang Xiucai might also have been testing Ouyang Xun's resolve.

Seeing Ouyang Xun's polite manner upon entering, Li Xingzhi immediately stood up and helped Ouyang Xun up, saying, "Sir, please don't be so polite!"

Seeing Li Xingzhi's politeness, Ouyang Xun felt much relieved.

Only then did he get a clear look at Li Xingzhi's height and hear Li Xingzhi's not-so-mature voice, realizing that the person in front of him was only fourteen or fifteen years old.

Just now, Li Xingzhi's aura was just too calm and mature!

With both lifetimes combined, Li Xingzhi was now in his thirties or forties, and he was certainly more weathered and mature.

Looking at Li Xingzhi's appearance, the question in her heart remained unresolved: "My lord, what is the purpose of summoning me?"

"Hehe, I saw you looking rather dejected yesterday, sir," Li Xingzhi paused, glancing at Ouyang Xun. Although Ouyang Xun's clothes were still somewhat disheveled, his demeanor was quite composed, seemingly unconcerned. Li Xingzhi nodded inwardly, "I have some ideas that I need your help with, sir." His words, however, seemed to imply no intention of asking for assistance.

"What is it?" Ouyang Xun frowned slightly, clearly having a bad impression of the previous matter of asking for help.

“I’m planning to open a bookstore and would like to ask you to manage it. What do you think?” Li Xingzhi said, looking at Ouyang Xun.

“The bookstore is good, but it is ultimately a business matter, and I cannot comply!” Ouyang Xun refused decisively.

"Not at all!" Li Xingzhi glanced at Ouyang Xun and said with a smile, "This is not a matter of business, but a great thing! A refined affair!"

"Appreciate further details."

“My ancestors were a family of scholars, leaving behind countless books. However, due to a major upheaval in our family, we had to retreat and go into business, and those books were left to rot.” Li Xingzhi paused, noticing the unusual look on Ouyang Xun's face, and continued, “If these books are left to decay like this, I'm afraid it would be a disservice to our ancestors. I plan to take them out and open a library for people to read. What do you think, sir?”

"If that's the case, it would indeed be a great thing!" Ouyang Xun said excitedly upon hearing this.

Li Xingzhi continued, "Since this is a refined time, we should naturally avoid being tainted by the stench of money. However, it is still necessary to establish a set of rules for everything."

"It's natural!"

"I am young and lack virtue; I need your help, sir, in this matter!"

"My lord, please don't be so modest. If this succeeds, it will be a great deed!" Ouyang Xun said excitedly. "Such a good thing, I will accept!"

Next, the two discussed the matter of the library.

Finally, it was decided that Wang Xiucai would cooperate with Ouyang Xun, and Wang Xiucai would naturally be in charge of the finances and accounts. As for the library, it would be built in the backyard of the Li family mansion, on the side near Wangfujing and Pozi Street. A door would be opened there, and a pavilion would be built for storing and reading books.