I served as Li Bai's page.

Nothing happened that night. When we woke up early the next morning, our master urged us to pack our bags. After breakfast, the five of us bid farewell to Mount Dai and rode our horses toward Chengdu.

When we arrived in Chengdu, it was past noon. The prosperity of the metropolis was incomparable to that of a small place like Qinglian Town. The streets were bustling with people, with businessmen haggling over prices and tourists laughing and joking. It was a scene of great prosperity.

We ate a quick bowl of noodles at a roadside stall, and then the five of us led our horses to find a place to stay. We came to a small alley next to the Jinjiang River. The buildings on both sides were antique, with carved dragons and phoenixes, flying eaves and walls, all made of wood, and clearly very old. Wine shops, inns, and snack shops were lined up one after another. As we walked and looked around, we came to an inn. Looking up, we saw the three characters "Gaosheng Inn" written in the center of the inn.

"Let's stay at this hotel; it has a very auspicious meaning," I said.

"Gaosheng Inn, staying at this inn is my hope that everyone will be promoted. Let's stay at this inn," the master said.

We went into the inn, handed the horses to the waiter, and I went to the counter to book our rooms. Everyone took their luggage and went into their rooms to settle in.

Exhausted from the long journey, I fell asleep immediately after entering the house, fully clothed, and lay down on the edge of the bed.

When the knocking woke me up, I opened my eyes and saw that it was already dark.

"Moonlight, wake up! It's getting dark." That was Wu Zhinan's voice.

"Get up," I replied as I got out of bed.

"We're drinking at Fuchun Winery next door, hurry up and come downstairs." With that, Wu Zhinan went downstairs with a thud.

I stood up, stretched by the window, and a gentle breeze made me shiver. I quickly put on another layer of clothing and went downstairs to find Li Bai and the others.

Fuchun Winery was right next to the inn, lavishly decorated. When I entered the lobby, it was already packed with guests. In the center of the lobby was a slightly raised stage, where a satirical Sichuan opera, "The Feud," was being performed. The sounds of opera singing and drinking games filled the entire inn with lively chatter.

"Yuehua, over here!" Wu Zhinan stood up and called out loudly.

I quickly went over, pulled up a chair, and sat down next to Li Bai.

Li Bai poured me a cup of rice wine: "Yuehua, have a cup too, to warm yourself up."

"Thank you, young master." I took the cup with both hands, took a sip, and placed it on the table.

"Distinguished guests, now taking the stage is Miss Panpan, a famous courtesan from Chengdu. She will be performing a song called 'Jianjia.' Please welcome her with applause!" the host announced enthusiastically. At this moment, the Sichuan opera backdrop was removed from the stage and replaced with a semi-transparent screen.

A tall, graceful lady, veiled and carrying a pipa, slowly walked onto the stage. She bowed to the hall, walked behind the screen, adjusted her posture, picked up the pipa, and her lips parted slightly: "The reeds are green, the dew is white as frost. The one I long for is on the other side of the water. I trace my steps back upstream to find her, but the road is long and difficult. I follow the current downstream to find her, but she seems to be in the middle of the water."

Reeds are thick and lush, the white dew has not yet dawned. My beloved is at the water's edge. Following her upstream, the path is obstructed and steep. Following her downstream, she seems on an island in the water.

The reeds are lush and green, the white dew has not yet ceased. The one I long for is on the water's edge. I trace my steps upstream to find her, but the path is difficult and winding. I follow the current downstream to find her, but she seems to be on a small island in the water.

The song was melodious and lingering. A graceful figure appeared and disappeared behind the screen. When the song ended, applause, cheers, and jeers erupted throughout the hotel. Panpan stood up and bowed again to the lobby through the screen: "Thank you everyone."

The guests shouted in unison, "One more song!"

Panpan turned around and sat down, then sang another song for everyone.

After listening, Li Bai said, "This song is good, but it's too weak."

Li Yangbing added, "This woman is beautiful, but unfortunately, she's a woman of the pleasure quarters."

"Come, let's drink and enjoy the show." The master raised his wine cup and drank it all in one gulp.

After Panpan finished her performance, she got up and walked off the stage, holding her pipa in her right hand and lifting her skirt with her left. She hurriedly walked towards the exit of the wine shop. As she passed our table, the pipa accidentally bumped into Li Bai and fell to the ground. When she bent down to pick it up, her veil fell down, revealing an exquisitely beautiful face to Li Bai. Li Bai was stunned for a moment, then quickly got up to help her pick it up.

"Thank you, young master," Panpan said softly. Her face flushed with shyness, and her large, watery eyes stared straight at Li Bai.

"You're welcome, young lady, please take care." Li Bai handed over the pipa, and Panpan put on her veil and brushed past him.

It was quite late when we left Fuchun Wine Shop after dinner. The alley was lined with night market vendors. People were packed together, and the five of us squeezed from one end of the alley to the other, but there wasn't much to buy. So we decided to head back to the inn to sleep.

Just as they returned to the inn's entrance, two people came out. One of them said, "Tomorrow, Lord Li is going to Hejiang Pavilion to attend Lord Wang's gathering. We can wait for him at Lord Wang's door."

I quickly stepped forward and asked, "Gentlemen, is the Lord Li you're referring to Li Ting, the Chief Secretary of the Yizhou Governor's Office?"

"Yes, it is Lord Li Ting, who cares deeply for the people."

"May I ask you two gentlemen where Hejiang Pavilion is located?"

"Not far from where you exit this alley, across from the Prince's Mansion."

"Thank you both for your guidance."

I returned to Li Bai's side and told him what I had just learned. Li Bai pondered for a moment and said, "I have an idea. Let's go back inside and discuss it."

The five of us returned to the house, and Li Bai explained his plan: "On the way to the Prince's mansion, we will intercept Lord Li and present him with our petitions."

"Won't doing this offend Lord Li?" Master Shi offered a different perspective.

"I don't think so. I've heard that Lord Li is a man who cherishes talent. As long as the letter we present is excellent enough to make him think we're talented, he'll definitely take it seriously," Li Yangbing said.

"Our current situation is that we don't have any strong connections to recommend us to him. Instead of waiting here, we might as well take the initiative. If Lord Li truly values ​​talent as people say, then he will definitely take us seriously," Li Bai analyzed earnestly.

"Then let's decide on this. Yuehua, go out tomorrow and find out when Lord Li will be passing through here." The master agreed.

"Okay, I'll get up early tomorrow and keep watch at the alley entrance."

"The three of you should take out the petitions for tomorrow's audience and analyze and revise them again to ensure they are flawless," Li Yangbing said.

Li Yangbing doesn't submit petitions; he has a good job in Jinyun, and his trip to Chengdu is merely to accompany Li Bai.

Li Bai took out "Ode to the Great Roc" and carefully read and revised it once more. He also personally wrote a copy, intending to present it to Lord Li the next day.

"Yuehua, make another copy of 'Imitation of the Ode to Regret.' If Lord Li wants to see other works, give him 'Imitation of the Ode to Regret,'" Li Bai said.

"Alright, young master." I turned around and went back to my room to copy "The Ode to Hatred".

Everything is ready; we're just waiting for tomorrow.