I served as Li Bai's page.

I dared not utter another word, and could only lead the horse behind Li Bai and Yuan Yan. By the time we left the town, it was already afternoon.

"Brother Taibai, let's set off for Yanmen Pass immediately, because I'm afraid we won't be able to reach it today," Yuan Yan said to Li Bai.

"We'll go wherever we end up, and find lodging when it gets dark." Li Bai said as he took the horse's reins from my hand, leaped onto the horse, and galloped off toward the official road. Yuan Yan and I also mounted our horses and chased after him.

The official road to Yanmen Pass was much flatter than the road to Wutai Mountain. After traveling for a while, the number of pedestrians and caravans on the road gradually increased.

"Young master, is this the road that Zhaojun took when she left for the border?" I urged my horse forward and walked alongside Li Bai and Yuan Yan.

"Yes, this road leading out of Yanmen Pass gave rise to a generation of heroines, bringing decades of peace to the borders of the Han Dynasty," Li Bai exclaimed.

"Wang Zhaojun was not acting voluntarily; she was merely a pawn in the hands of the rulers. Otherwise, she wouldn't have written such verses: 'Autumn trees are desolate, their leaves withered and yellow. Birds dwell in the mountains, gathering on mulberry trees. Nourishing their feathers, their forms gleam. Having obtained the clouds, they ascend to the winding chambers. Separated from the palace, utterly desolate, her body is broken. Her will is depressed, unable to find peace. Though she receives sustenance, her heart is filled with unease. What am I to do, my comings and goings constantly changing? The graceful swallows gather far away in the western Qiang. High mountains stand tall, rivers flow wide. Father and mother, the road is long and winding. Alas, my heart is filled with sorrow.'"

Yuan Yan said, "She, a frail woman, accomplished something extraordinary, which deserves our respect. I, a dignified man, am ashamed to say that I am inferior to a frail woman."

"Young Master Yuan, would you rather be a woman, staying at home to be a wife and mother, or would you rather travel around like you are now, drinking and making friends at will?" I asked Yuan Yan.

"We were talking about Wang Zhaojun, how did you bring me into this? Why don't you ask your young master?"

"Because my young master is a great man of his generation, his contributions to society are greater than Wang Zhaojun's, so there's no need to consider whether he's male or female."

"Then you should consider this question. If you were a woman, and you were asked to marry into a foreign power for the sake of the country, would you dare to say no?" Yuan Yan's barrage of questions left me speechless. If I were in that era, I probably would have had no other choice.

We talked about Wang Zhaojun all the way, and before we knew it, it was getting late.

"Young master, it's getting dark. There's an inn ahead; let's find lodging there," I said to Li Bai.

The three of us dismounted in front of the inn and entered. The inn was bustling with activity; many merchant caravans had lodged there. I went to the counter and asked:

"Boss, we need accommodation, three of us."

The shop owner stood up from behind the counter, stretched, and said indifferently:

"Go through the back door of this hall to the innermost room in the courtyard. There are two beds; the three of you will have to squeeze in, there aren't any spare beds." He tossed me a key. He added, "Take the horses to the stables outside the courtyard; you'll have to feed them yourselves. We're short-staffed, no one can handle this."

I asked, "If you don't care about the horses, what about the people's food?"

"Dinner will be served promptly at 12 noon and 6 pm. Latecomers will not be waited for," the owner said.

"But we missed mealtime today, is there anything left to eat?" I asked.

"There's flour; you can make it yourself. The kitchen is next to the living room."

"Thank you, boss." I took the key, handed it to Yuan Yan, and led the horse to the stable outside the yard to tie it up. When I returned to the yard, Yuan Yan and Li Bai still hadn't found their room.

"Have you found your rooms yet?" I asked.

"Not yet, it seems like every room is occupied," Li Bai said.

"The owner said it was the innermost room, couldn't you find it?"

I walked around the courtyard and headed to the far end. To my left was a narrow alleyway. Inside, there were two doors, one of which had a lantern lit. Using the dim light coming through the crack in the door, I opened the other door, lit the lantern, and saw two beds in the cramped space.

"Let's make do for one night. We'll be fine once we reach Yanmen Pass tomorrow," I said to Li Bai and Yuan Yan.

"It's alright, we can all take things as they come," the two said in unison, then took out their drinks and started drinking.

"You guys drink slowly, I'll go cook some noodles," I said.

"Go ahead, we'll wait for you while we drink. First, take the peanuts out of your bag," Li Bai said.

I handed the peanuts to Li Bai, then walked out of the courtyard in the dark and went to the counter to say to the shopkeeper:

"Boss, I'd like another kerosene lamp. I need to go to the kitchen to cook some noodles."

The shop owner said, "An extra light will cost extra."

I glanced at the boss, took the lantern he handed me, and walked towards the kitchen.

When I returned to the room carrying a lantern and a bowl of noodles, Li Bai and Yuan Yan were already quite drunk.

I took the wine away and said, "Let's stop drinking and eat." The two obediently put down their wine glasses and started eating noodles.

I was curious why the two of them were being so obedient today. I looked at them and then checked their luggage, only to find that they had already drunk two of the three jugs of wine.

"Yuehua, don't speak. We've saved a pot of water for when we're thirsty on the road tomorrow," Yuan Yan said quickly, seeing that I was about to get angry.

I glared at them and started eating my noodles.

After dinner, Li Bai and Yuan Yan talked about General Li Guang. I casually asked Li Bai, "Was Li Guang your ancestor?"

Li Bai hesitated for a moment, then finally said, "Our family descends from Li Ling, the third son of Li Guang. However, our ancestor Li Ling was defeated and captured during the war against the Xiongnu. Through the Xiongnu's repeated persuasion, coercion, and enticement, he was forced to marry a Xiongnu princess and become their son-in-law. He was even granted the title of Chanyu (ruler of the Xiongnu). However, all our relatives and friends within Han territory were killed by Emperor Wu of Han."

"It's truly tragic. They repeatedly performed extraordinary feats, yet they couldn't tolerate even the slightest mistake, only to have their entire family wiped out in their hometown," I said.

"Our ancestor Li Ling lived among the Xiongnu and passed down his lineage. Now, most people in Chengji, Longxi, are descendants of our ancestor," Li Bai said.

"No wonder you like drinking so much; it turns out you have Hunnic blood in you," Yuan Yan said.

"Young master, then you are half Han Chinese and half a minority ethnic group, you are of mixed race."

Li Bai and Yuan Yan asked simultaneously, "What is a mixed-race person?"

I rolled my eyes at them and said, "Take it literally."

The two said "Oh" and then fell silent.

After discussing Li Guang, the three of us fell into deep thought. Li Bai was perhaps reminiscing about the great achievements and hardships his ancestors had endured, while Yuan Yan was probably thinking more about how Li Bai could be of mixed race. But I was thinking that Li Bai was indeed a member of the royal family, but not a member of the royal family within the Han Chinese territory.

"Stop thinking about it. It's getting late, and we have to travel tomorrow. Let's go to sleep," Li Bai suddenly said.