I served as Li Bai's page.

After visiting the Mingtang and Tiantang, the three of us returned to the inn. I brought chairs for Li Bai and Yuan Yan, saying, "You must be tired, let's rest for a while."

Yuan Yan said, "Brother Taibai, your follower is quite understanding."

Li Bai glanced at him and said, "Listen to the rest of the story."

Yuan Yan quickly shut his mouth.

I said, "The following is what Master Yuan would like to say: why you invited my young master."

Yuan Yan cleared his throat, took a sip of water, and said, "It's like this. My father wrote to me saying that the imperial court is sending an imperial envoy to Bingzhou (Taiyuan), and asked if I had time to meet him. I thought this was an opportunity, so why not invite Brother Taibai along? That's why I wrote that letter."

Li Bai quickly clasped his hands in a fist and bowed, saying, "Thank you, Brother Yuan, for always thinking of me."

“We’re all brothers, no need to be so polite. My father is the Prefect of Bingzhou. Although he’s not a high-ranking official, he can introduce us to the Imperial Envoy when he arrives,” Yuan Yan said.

"Great! I need to make some preparations. Yuehua, go get the manuscript, let's organize some of it." Li Bai said excitedly, already rubbing his hands together, eager to try.

I returned to my room, picked up my schoolbag, and went to Li Bai's room. We carefully selected the manuscripts we needed to submit. Yuan Yan offered his advice from the side.

Yuan Yan said, "After we have made all these preparations, we will set off for Bingzhou tomorrow. It is better to go sooner than later. We would rather wait for the Imperial Envoy than arrive later than him."

"Alright, Brother Yuan, we'll listen to you. We won't drink Dong Zaoqiu's wine. We'll drink it another time," Li Bai said.

"That's right, drinking is a minor matter, we can't keep thinking about alcohol," I said.

"No, Yuehua, you're wrong. Drinking is also a big deal," Li Bai and Yuan Yan said in unison.

I muttered to myself, "Birds of a feather flock together."

We finished organizing the manuscript late at night. I went back to my room, lay down fully clothed, and fell asleep.

A rapid knocking startled me awake. I got up and saw that it was already broad daylight. I opened the door, and Li Bai stood there, saying, "Your sleeping habits are just as good as Yuan Yan's. One is impossible to wake up no matter how much you shake him, and the other locks the door and won't let me in."

"I'm sorry, young master, I went to bed late last night and overslept this morning," I said.

"You can pack your things now. We're going to Bingzhou. I'll go downstairs and ask the waiter to bring breakfast to our room."

"Alright, is Master Yuan awake yet?" I asked.

"Not yet. I've called him several times already. Go and call him again." Li Bai said as he went downstairs.

After I finished packing my luggage, I went to Li Bai's room. Yuan Yan was still fast asleep with his head covered.

I exclaimed loudly, "Young Master, is this Dong Zaoqiu's wine? It smells wonderful!"

Yuan Yan sat up in bed.

Li Bai, however, said from behind me, "I haven't even opened the bottle yet! How can you smell the fragrance?"

I turned around and saw Li Bai standing behind me, holding a wine pot in one hand and a plate of steamed buns in the other.

"Young master, why are you carrying a jug of wine again? It's breakfast time."

"I bought this to drink on the road. When crossing the Taihang Mountains, the mountain roads were rugged and deserted, and it was impossible to find a drink of water."

"I give up, you're really good at making excuses."

Yuan Yan rolled out of bed, walked to Li Bai, took the wine pot, and was about to unscrew it and take a sip when I snatched it away.

"I can't drink now. I'll drink when I'm thirsty on the way." I put the flask in my backpack and carried it on my back.

The waiter brought in a bowl of porridge and a dish of pickled vegetables.

Yuan Yan asked him, "Is there any wine left to sell to this young master?"

"Yes, plenty. They're all produced by the Dongzaoqiu workshop southwest of Tianjin Bridge."

"Bring us two more jugs," Yuan Yan said.

"You'll get drunk, this wine is quite strong," the waiter warned.

"We won't drink it all at once, so we won't get drunk. Don't worry," Li Bai said.

"I'll bring it up to you right away," the waiter said before going downstairs.

After we finished breakfast, each of us carried a jug of wine, left the inn, mounted our horses, and rode off towards the official road leading to the Taihang Mountains.

The three of us kept going without stopping, paying no attention to the scenery, our only thought being to reach Bingzhou as soon as possible. At noon, we ate a bowl of noodles at an inn on the way to the Taihang Mountains, and Li Bai and Yuan Yan drank a pot of wine before continuing our journey. By evening, we had entered the Taihang Mountains.

"Young master, we should find an inn to stay in. We can't go any further; it's getting dark soon," I said, pulling on the reins and stopping the horse.

"Let's walk a little further. There's a small town in the mountains. I know this road well, don't worry," Yuan Yan said loudly, running past me.

I had no choice but to hurry up and catch up with them again.

We rode for about fifteen minutes, and sure enough, there was a small town nestled in the ravine ahead. By then, it was completely dark, with only a few lights twinkling in the town. We dismounted and led our horses into the town. Yuan Yan led us to an inn in the center of the town.

"Young Master Yuan, are you going to Bingzhou again?" A young man came out of the inn and greeted Yuan Yan.

"Yes, go check on my father, Mr. Zhao. Are there any rooms available?" Yuan Yan asked.

"Yes, there are no other guests in the inn, all the rooms are empty. You can stay in the three rooms upstairs." After saying that, Boss Zhao led our horses to the backyard and led us upstairs.

"I'll go cook for you, and I'll call you for dinner in a bit," said Boss Zhao.

"Thank you, Mr. Zhao. Is there anything I can help you with?" I asked.

"No need, there's not much good food in the mountains, I can only cook noodles for you," said Boss Zhao.

"Anything is fine, we're not picky eaters," Li Bai said.

After I put my luggage in the room, I went to Li Bai's room. Li Bai and Yuan Yan were already in bed.

"Young Master, Master Yuan, are you feeling unwell?" I asked as I walked over.

"No, I'm a little sleepy after running around all day. Let's lie down for a bit," Li Bai replied.

"You guys go to sleep. I'll wake you up when it's time to eat," I said, and left the room.

Back in my room, I turned the lantern up a bit. I went to the window and opened it; it was pitch black outside. The mountain night was so quiet, with only a few lights occasionally flickering like stars in the sky, so distant and unreachable. The mountain wind blew, rustling the branches like countless whispers. Somewhat timidly, I closed the window and locked the door. I placed my unfastened sword beside me, ready to respond to any unexpected situation.

"Young Master Yuan, come downstairs for dinner." I heard Boss Zhao's footsteps heading towards Li Bai's room, followed by a loud knocking on the door.

I opened the door and said to Boss Zhao, "They're asleep. You can go downstairs; I'll wake them."

I walked towards Li Bai's room with my sword in hand. Just as I was about to push open the door, Li Bai came out, saw me with the sword, and asked, "Is there any danger?"

"I don't know. The night here is so quiet, it's frightening me, so I took my sword. The boss is calling us for dinner, let's go eat. Is Master Yuan still not awake?"

"I'm up. Let's go eat. Take your valuables and important things with you," Yuan Yan said.