I served as Li Bai's page.

After enjoying the beautiful scenery, Li Bai said to me:

"Yuehua, I've decided to stay here and not leave."

Upon hearing this, I immediately objected: "No, I can stay here for a few days, but not long-term."

"I am truly exhausted. In Anlu, I was slandered by many, and I repeatedly petitioned Prefect Pei to defend myself, but I have yet to receive his forgiveness. My trip to Chang'an also ended in failure. I don't want to travel any further. I will settle down in these deep mountains, spending my days and nights surrounded by beautiful scenery. This is my true home."

"Young Master, there's no need to be discouraged. As the saying goes, the more setbacks you face, the more courage you gain. Without setbacks, where will you get the courage to move forward? Stay here with Yang Shanren for a few days, and then we'll go find Yuan Danqiu," I said.

"If you want to leave, then leave. I really don't want to leave." When Li Bai said this, I saw the disappointment in his eyes.

"Young Master, let's not talk about this. Let's settle in first and then discuss it."

I took my luggage to the room and tied the horse to the bamboo next to the house.

Yang Shanren said to Li Bai and me, "Our mountain dwelling is simple; please find whatever you need yourselves."

Since we arrived after noon and no one had eaten lunch yet, I went into the kitchen and said to Master Yang, "Master Yang, I'll go make lunch. Could you keep my young master company for a while? His second child is only a few months old; they haven't even met him yet."

Yang Shanren immediately understood what I meant and said, "Don't worry, I want to read Brother Taibai's masterpiece and feel his bold and unrestrained passion."

I took out a collection of Li Bai's poems from my luggage and handed it to Yang Shanren, saying, "These are poems that the young master wrote as he traveled over the past few years. This is just one volume; please read it first."

After saying that, I went into the kitchen, took out the flour, and started making lunch.

Li Bai and Yang Shanren sat facing each other at a stone table on the platform. Yang Shanren was reading Li Bai's poems with his head down, while Li Bai would look down at the valley floor and then look up at the high mountains, seemingly lost in thought.

When Yang Shanren read Li Bai's "The Road to Shu is Hard," he recited it aloud: "I stop drinking and eating, I draw my sword and look around, my heart filled with confusion. Brother Taibai, how did you come up with such beautiful lines? You express a person's helplessness so vividly. I admire you greatly; you are truly a master of poetry."

Li Bai glanced at Yang Shanren and said, "Brother Yang, you flatter me. This is just a few words playing tricks. Brother Yang, come on, let's take a walk around the area."

Li Bai stood up, put down the manuscript in Yang Shanren's hand, and pulled him towards a nearby ravine.

They followed a path halfway up the mountain, through a pine forest, and came to a valley nearby. A mountain stream flowed down from above, and next to it was a wide flat area with two thatched huts built on it. The stream flowed right in front of the huts, and bamboo and pine trees grew sparsely around the huts.

Li Bai immediately took a liking to this place. He asked Yang the Hermit, "Is anyone living here?"

Yang Shanren said, "No, when I first arrived, there was a Taoist priest practicing here, so I built my residence on that platform. Not long after, the priest's family came looking for me, so he went home. Before he left, he even offered me a place to stay, but I thought this place was fine, so I didn't move, and it's been abandoned ever since. Brother Taibai, do you fancy this place?"

"Brother Yang, you know me too well. I also want to build a residence on Jade Maiden Peak so I can often feel the breath of nature."

"Brother Taibai, your talent and ambition dictate that you will not settle for such a position. You should abandon this idea."

"Brother Yang, sometimes I really feel very tired. Wouldn't it be better to stay here with you? We can talk about the past and present all day long, and seek immortals and the Dao together."

"That's my life. Are you sure your heart can find peace?" Yang Shanren asked Li Bai.

Li Bai did not immediately answer Yang Shanren's question. Instead, he looked around the thatched hut and said, "The trees desire stillness, but the wind will not cease. I am also conflicted."

"In that case, why don't we clean this place up? When you're feeling down, you can stay here for a few months. I'll take good care of this place for you."

"Brother Yang, your idea is absolutely perfect! Let's do it right away!"

When I finished cooking and came to this valley to call them for dinner, I saw that the two of them were working very hard.

"Young Master, what are you two doing? Dinner's ready."

"Brother Yang, let's eat first, then we'll get back to work," Li Bai called out.

"Okay, let's go eat," Yang Shanren replied.

Walking along the road, I asked Li Bai, "Young master, why are you tidying up that room? Do you really want to waste your life here?"

"Moonlight, it's not what you think. Just as Brother Yang said, when you're feeling weary, you can come here for a few months. That's what I'm thinking too."

Seeing Li Bai's firm stance, I could only say, "That's more like it."

After lunch, I found some tools and went back to the valley with Li Bai and the other man to tidy up the house. Most of the thatch on the roof had rotted, so Yang Shanren climbed a ladder and wove a new layer on top. It must be said that people who live in seclusion are indeed more capable of living alone than ordinary people. Without Yang Shanren's help, Li Bai would never have been able to build this thatched hut.

After several days of renovation, Li Bai's new residence appeared before us with a brand-new look. A stone table and benches were added under the big tree in front of the house. Li Bai sat on the bench, leaning against the tree, holding a wine pot, drinking wine while listening to the gurgling of the clear spring. Such a life was indeed pleasant.

Li Bai rode his horse and went to the market at the foot of the mountain with Yang Shanren to buy a lot of things. Except for some necessities, I put everything in Yang Shanren's house.

"Yuehua, why don't you move back to your place?" Yang Shanren asked.

"We're leaving in a few days, and we don't know when we'll be back. You can keep it," I said.

"However, your young master is still in high spirits and shows no sign of leaving."

"I'll figure something out. But you have to help me."

"I will do my best," Yang Shanren said.

That evening, after dinner, Li Bai sat at the stone table in front of the door, watching the mountain stream cascade down from the heights, its destination unknown. I approached him and said, "Young master, let me read you a poem. It's called 'Autumn Evening in the Mountains': 'After a fresh rain in the empty mountains, autumn arrives in the evening. The bright moon shines between the pines, and a clear spring flows over the rocks. The bamboo rustles as washerwomen return, and the lotus stirs as fishing boats descend. Though spring's fragrance fades as it may, the noble one may still linger.'"

"Who wrote this? The first four lines seem to describe the Jade Maiden Peak," Li Bai said.

"Young Master, this isn't about Jade Maiden Peak, but about Zhongnan Mountain, and it's written for Princess Yuzhen."

"Is that Wang Wei? I've heard of him; he was a guest of honor of Princess Yuzhen," Li Bai said.

"You know this person exists, so why do you still want to live in seclusion? You are the one who should be Princess Yuzhen's most honored guest. Princess Yuzhen would especially like the poem you inscribed at her villa."

"That's all in the past. I didn't even get to see the princess, so what right do I have to talk about being an honored guest?"

"Young Master, you will definitely see Princess Yuzhen, but the time is not yet right."

My words made Li Bai fall into deep thought.