Super System in the Early Tang Dynasty

"Yuanfang, what are you doing?" the person who had reached out his hand asked with some surprise.

At this moment, Zhao Chen came to his senses and looked at the person next to him who had called his name. It was his former classmate and friend. The two were both from poor families and usually studied and encouraged each other. They were very familiar with each other.

He glanced at the burly man beside him, who was glaring at him menacingly, and carefully placed the book on the bookshelf, taking only one copy in his hand.

Zhao Chen glanced at his classmate next to him, gestured towards the books, and without saying anything more, picked up a book and walked straight up the stairs outside the second floor to the backyard of the library.

As soon as I stepped outside, I could vaguely see the shimmering water beneath the trees, which immediately calmed the chaotic thoughts in my mind.

He took a deep breath, carefully picked up the book, and walked downstairs.

The stairs were covered with thick linen, and when you stepped on them, they felt soft and made almost no sound.

Zhao Chen carefully stepped down the stairs onto the thick burlap.

After descending the ladder, a dense forest came into view. The wild grass, withered leaves, and tangled branches on the trees had all been tidied up, creating a sense of depth. Sunlight streamed in, and the clear chirping of birds in the empty forest calmed my heart, leaving it undisturbed.

A path was paved with fine sand and pebbles on the ground. He had only walked a few steps along the path when he saw five houses with black tiles and white walls.

Except for one smaller, somewhat unique room, the others are all left empty, covered only by screens. On the large screens are embroidered the four elements: plum blossom, orchid, bamboo, and chrysanthemum. Corresponding to these are several plaques with black backgrounds and red characters, which read "Plum Garden," "Orchid Garden," "Bamboo Garden," and "Chrysanthemum Garden," respectively.

Zhao Chen didn't linger. Holding the book, he headed straight for the Plum Garden.

He walked behind the screen, but couldn't hear any voices; it was unusually quiet. He slowed his pace, afraid of disturbing others.

After passing through that large screen, the interior suddenly opened up into a bright and spacious space!

This study was nearly ten zhang long and over forty or five zhang wide, with a large pillar rising from the middle and high beams, making the room exceptionally spacious. What surprised him most was that, even without any lights on, the room was remarkably bright at this early morning!

He looked in the direction the light was coming from and saw that there were several large holes between the black tiles, through which the light was leaking out.

Zhao Chen was greatly alarmed! What if it starts to rain?

By this time, many people had already taken their seats around the dozens of tables in the main room, but they were all engrossed in the books in front of them and paid no attention to the person who had just entered.

Zhao Chen didn't know why no one seemed to suspect anything about the several large holes in his head.

Could there be something else going on? He wondered to himself.

After thinking for a while, still unable to figure it out, Zhao Chen walked up to the nearest scholar who was sometimes crying and sometimes laughing, clasped his hands in greeting, and asked, "Brother, what is this large hole in the roof?"

The scholar sitting on the futon next to him shuddered, snapping out of his reverie. His brows furrowed, his face flushed, and his anger at being disturbed was about to erupt.

Just as he was about to vent his anger, he suddenly remembered where he was and listened to Zhao Chen's question, and his expression softened. With a half-smile, he looked Zhao Chen up and down before saying, "Brother, take another look?"

Zhao Chen looked up again and examined the area carefully. He then realized that it wasn't a hole at all, but rather pieces of something as clear as water, placed on the roof as roof tiles. He even had the urge to climb onto the roof to investigate and see what these crystal-clear things were!

After a long while, he finally came to his senses, only to see the man next to him still looking at him with a half-smile. He couldn't help but blush and cup his hands, saying, "Thank you for your explanation, brother. But I wonder which family has such talent?"

"I only arrived yesterday, and I haven't had the honor of meeting my benefactor!" His tone seemed to be full of admiration, as if he wished he could repay the favor with his own life.

For these impoverished scholars, the person who built the library was truly like a second parent to them!

Li Xingzhi had no idea that what was a trivial matter to him had earned him such prestige among these impoverished scholars.

Seeing that the man next to him was starting to get engrossed in the book, Zhao Chen didn't dare to disturb him any longer and eagerly opened the book in his hand to start reading.

"A true teaching can be conveyed in a single sentence, while false teachings fill countless volumes!" Although Zhao Chen had long been familiar with classics such as the Four Books and Five Classics, it was only today that he truly grasped their essence. Many of his long-standing doubts were resolved one by one in those few casual words.

Instantly, all the pent-up frustration in his chest dissipated, leaving him feeling completely at ease!

A confident smile appeared on his face, but before he knew it, tears were streaming down his face!

"If I hear the Way in the morning, I can die content in the evening!" He couldn't help but sigh, just like the sage of old!

Those around Zhao Chen were already used to his appearance and paid him no heed, focusing instead on their own studies, frantically absorbing the knowledge they usually couldn't find...

When Zhao Chen looked up again, the sound of the night watchman's drum, "Bang!—Bang!" could be heard outside, indicating that the library was about to close.

Only then did he realize that, without him noticing, quite a few people had already sat around him, making the once spacious courtyard feel crowded.

Suddenly he heard someone calling him. He turned around and saw several classmates and friends. They were chatting about what they had learned that day and walking back together.

Zhao Chen did not own any property in Tanzhou City. He worked for a wealthy family surnamed Sun, and apart from being provided with food and lodging, he received nothing else. Occasionally, when the young master of the Sun family took pity on him, he could read some books.

Even though they were often bullied, the occasional book they could read was a small comfort!

As night was falling, he returned to the Sun family home and was walking towards his secluded and simple dwelling when the steward was already waiting for him at the door.

Zhao Chen knew something was wrong as soon as he saw the manager.

"Where has my scholar Zhao gone today? Why is he only returning now?" the steward said rather sarcastically. This steward himself was of lowly birth, and he took pleasure in bullying poor scholars every day.

In the past, Zhao Chen would have kept his head down and let this arrogant man insult him in order to read one more book. After all, Han Xin had also suffered the humiliation of crawling between someone's legs!

However, upon reading the words of the sages today, in the midst of my surging spirit, I felt a sense of unease and displeasure, so I loudly rebuked them: "How dare you, a mere old dog, defame the disciples of my sages?!"

Although this single curse lacks the literary flair of Du Fu's "Your bodies and names will perish, but the rivers will flow on forever," it is a hundred times more vicious!

It turns out that this steward was born to a maid, but none of the masters acknowledged him. However, he lived a comfortable life in the mansion, and most people gave him some face. The steward, on the other hand, was extremely sensitive about others discussing his background. Zhao Chen's words were tantamount to exposing his past and reopening old wounds.

The steward was stunned, wondering where Zhao Chen got the audacity to curse him like that. He was so intimidated by the imposing manner of Zhao Chen's words that he took a few steps back and dared not come forward to answer.

By the time he came to his senses, the room was empty, and Zhao Chen was nowhere to be found. He had no way to get revenge, and a lump of anger welled up inside him, making his face flush red. All he could think about was how he would teach that scoundrel a good lesson when he saw him that day.

After scolding the steward, Zhao Chen felt a sense of relief. However, after taking the package and leaving the room, he felt a little scared. Since things had already come to this, there was no other way. He went straight to the house of a classmate and friend, intending to stay overnight and then figure out what to do next.

When he arrived at his friend's house, he found it was already packed with people. Many of them, like him, could no longer stand the humiliation and were cursing the villain, which was why they had come to ask for lodging.

Having no other option, the group decided to have a long, candlelit talk, setting aside their sordid affairs and discussing what they had learned that day. Every now and then, they would express their admiration for the great philanthropist who had established the library.

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Here's one chapter for today. Please read on. My hands are so frozen from being in the library that I really can't type anymore.

The boy bows to everyone!