I served as Li Bai's page.

Li Bai and I finally set off. We didn't dare disturb Pingyang and Boqin when we got up in the morning. After quietly saying goodbye to Xu Ziyan, Li Bai and I walked out of the house. Wu Chao had already led two horses to the gate. We jumped on the horses and galloped towards the official road.

Seeing that we had already left Anlu, I spurred my horse and rode quickly to Li Bai's side, asking, "Young Master, what brings Master Yuan to the Eastern Capital this time?"

"He didn't say anything in his letter, only that I should come to Luoyang to meet him as soon as possible," Li Bai said.

"This Taoist priest is being deliberately mysterious, young master. I didn't take much money with me when I left home. I secretly put the money the young mistress gave me back to her. We need to be frugal."

"Okay, you're in charge, but don't be too stingy."

I glanced at Li Bai, whipped the horse's tail, and ran forward with all my might.

After several days of travel, we finally arrived in Dongdu.

"Young Master, where does Master Yuan want to meet you?"

"Of course, it's the usual place. Follow me."

I followed Li Bai to the tavern south of Tianjin Bridge. I searched upstairs and downstairs, but I couldn't find Yuan Yan.

"Young Master, has Master Yuan not come? Or has he not arrived yet?" I asked.

"Why are you in such a hurry? We can wait for him here. It will take him time to get here from Qiao County."

"You're quite understanding of him. He wouldn't lie to you, would he?"

"Believe me, your young master's friends are all trustworthy. I have that much discernment," Li Bai said.

We waited from morning till afternoon but still didn't see Yuan Yan. I said to Li Bai:

"Young master, let's find an inn to stay in and come back to wait for you tomorrow. It's getting dark, and I'm afraid Master Yuan won't be able to make it today."

Li Bai stood up, greeted the shopkeeper, and then led me, holding the horse, toward the Tianjin Bridge. Li Bai and I stood on the Tianjin Bridge, looking at the Luo River at night. The lights on both banks flickered, and occasionally a small boat with lanterns sailed by on the river, creating a scene full of poetic beauty.

We arrived at the north side of Tianjin Bridge, near the palace. Although it was no longer the capital, it was still incredibly prosperous. In particular, the emperor's frequent visits to Shangyang Palace added a touch of mystery to the area.

Li Bai and I found a simple inn nearby and stayed there, waiting for Yuan Yan's arrival. As we entered the inn room, I opened the window and could clearly see the magnificent splendor of Shangyang Palace.

I asked Li Bai, "Young master, do you think the Emperor is at Shangyang Palace right now?"

Li Bai walked to the window, looked out, and said, "I haven't heard anyone say that the Emperor has come to Shangyang Palace; he should be in Chang'an."

"Is the palace still this lively even without the Emperor? Listen, the singing and music are endless."

Li Bai rubbed his ears, stuck his head out the window to listen carefully, and said, "Yuehua, your ears are better than mine. The palace is certainly quite lively."

Li Bai and I chatted while gazing at Shangyang Palace, and before we knew it, the night had deepened.

Li Bai said, "Let's go back to sleep. We still need to wait for Yuan Yan tomorrow."

"Alright, young master, you should rest too." I made up Li Bai's bed and then returned to my own room.

The next day, Li Bai and I went to the tavern south of Tianjin Bridge again. Perhaps we were a little early, as the tavern was not yet open. We strolled around the area south of Tianjin Bridge, along the tree-lined path next to the tavern. Li Bai smelled the aroma of wine, and we came to a winery. At that time, the workers were just starting their shift. When we opened the workshop door, a strong aroma of wine wafted out.

"Young master, you're already drunk even if you don't drink," I said.

Li Bai took a deep breath and said, "Let's go in and take a look."

Li Bai and I entered the winery workshop, where the workshop owner came out to greet us.

"Are you two here to buy wine? Bulk discounts available, plus delivery."

Li Bai smiled at the shopkeeper and said, "We'd like to check the quality of the wine first."

"How can you tell the quality? You have to taste it to know. Come with me." The owner led us into a room where there was a long table with more than a dozen wine jars on it.

The shopkeeper said, "These wine jars contain wines brewed in different years. You can taste them one by one before deciding which one to buy."

Li Bai looked at the wine jars in surprise, his eyes shining with joy.

I said, "I'll try a little of everything; I hope I won't get drunk."

"Try it first, how will you know if you don't try?" Li Bai said.

The owner brought over wine glasses and led Li Bai to taste the wine jar after jar. After finishing, Li Bai's face was flushed and his steps were unsteady.

I asked him, "After tasting them, which wine was good?"

"Either is fine, I'll take them all. Send them to the tavern up ahead, my brother and I will drink slowly," Li Bai said.

"The tavern in front is my family's property, and all these hotels are part of it," the owner said.

"Boss, give me two jugs, I've had so much of yours, I feel bad if I don't buy some. My young master loves to drink," I said.

"It's alright, you can give my distillery a name from now on. My distillery is called Dongzaoqiu," the owner said.

"No problem, I guarantee your workshop will be passed down through the ages," I said.

"I don't expect my name to be remembered for a thousand years. I just hope that everyone knows about my business right now and will come and support me," the owner said.

"That's right, thank you, boss. Please give me two more jugs, let's go to the tavern up ahead." I helped Li Bai out of the winery and headed towards the tavern south of the bridge.

When they arrived at the tavern, Yuan Yan ran over.

"He got drunk first thing in the morning and didn't even wait for me," Yuan Yan said.

"We waited for you, but you didn't come. What I drank was the original brew, freshly made in the workshop," Li Bai said.

"I'm so envious! I want to go there too, no matter where it is."

I handed the wine jug I was carrying to Yuan Yan and said, "Here, the original brew. Drink up. We haven't said anything else since we met, all you talk about is wine. You brought my young master all this way just to drink?"

Yuan Yan took the wine jug, took a sip, and said, "Of course not. Let's go back to the inn. I'll tell you all about it slowly after Brother Taibai sobers up."

Yuan Yan helped Li Bai up, and I went to the market to buy some snacks to go with the wine. We returned to the inn. As soon as we arrived, Yuan Yan and Li Bai sat down at the table without saying a word and started drinking again. Fortunately, there were only two jugs of wine, and by the time they sobered up, it was already dusk.

"Young masters, it's getting dark. Are you hungry? I'll go buy you some food."

Li Bai got up and walked around, looking out the window at Shangyang Palace under the night sky. He said, "I haven't eaten all day, I'm actually a bit hungry. Let's go out to eat, Brother Yuan, get up."

Yuan Yan sat up in bed and said, "Going out to eat is fine, but I can't drink anymore; my head still hurts a bit."

"You're dreaming! You want to drink again tonight? Dream on!" I said angrily.

Li Bai said, "We won't drink tonight, just eat. After dinner, we'll go for a stroll in the Purple Palace City."

We went to the main street outside the inn and randomly chose a small restaurant for a meal. After the meal, Li Bai took Yuan Yan and me to the Mingtang and Tiantang once again to experience the splendor of the Tang Dynasty.