I served as Li Bai's page.

Li Bai hadn't returned by curfew that night, and Pingyang and Boqin kept asking me, "Uncle, curfew's here, Father can't get home, what should we do?"

"Don't worry, the uncle with him will figure something out. He's the Emperor's chief bodyguard; he knows many people in the capital."

At midnight, Li Bai and Yuan Danqiu helped each other back to the inn.

"Master Yuan, did you go drinking too?" I asked.

"Not just me, but also Lord Cui. We had a great time drinking today," Yuan Danqiu replied.

"How did you all get together? Wasn't it just the young master and Lord Zhang?"

"It was Lord Zhang who sent someone from the winery to summon Lord Cui and me. I won't be going back to Xuandu Temple tonight; I'll be staying here to spend the night with you."

I tidied up Li Bai's bedroom, brought water for Li Bai and Yuan Danqiu to wash up, and then helped them to bed.

The sound of Li Bai and Yuan Danqiu clashing swords woke us up early the next morning. Pingyang, pressed against the window, shouted, "Uncle, brother, come quick! Dad and Uncle Yuan are fighting!"

I walked to the window and glanced out, then said, "That's not fighting, it's sparring. Look, they didn't hurt each other, did they? They just touched each other and stopped short of serious injury."

Li Bai and Yuan Danqiu returned to their room, their foreheads covered in sweat from practicing.

Li Bai said, "Yuehua, bring up the breakfast you've prepared. After breakfast, Yuan and I are going to meet Brother Lu and Brother Wang. You take Pingyang and the other two to explore the city; safety first."

"Understood, young master, don't worry."

After finishing their meal, Li Bai and Yuan Danqiu left the inn. No sooner had they left than Pingyang urged me to take them out to play.

The capital city was so vast that we were completely disoriented walking down the street. Boqin and I followed Pingyang and unknowingly found ourselves back at the gate of Daxingshan Temple. Just as the three of us were about to go inside, we suddenly heard a voice behind us calling "Yuehua." I turned around and saw that it was none other than the third concubine of the Xu family in Baizhaoshan. The third concubine and her daughter, Xu Zixia, were walking towards Daxingshan Temple.

"Third Madam, Second Miss, what brings you to the capital?" I asked in surprise as I ran over.

Pingyang excitedly ran over and grabbed the hands of Third Aunt and Xu Zixia, shouting, "Grandmother, Aunt, I haven't seen you in so long!"

Bo Qin stood shyly in front of them, smiling as he looked at them.

The third concubine, with one arm around Pingyang and the other holding Boqin's hand, said, "My Boqin has grown taller, and my Pingyang has grown up. Let your grandmother take a good look at them." The third concubine and her daughter carefully examined Pingyang and Boqin. Xu Zixia looked up at me and asked:

"Yuehua, isn't your brother-in-law with you? When did you arrive in Chang'an?"

"Replying to Second Miss, we've only been here a few days. When did you arrive?" I asked in return.

The third concubine said, "We've lived in Chang'an for several years now. It's a long story. Come, let's go to our house, and I'll tell you slowly. Go, and call your son-in-law to come along."

"My young master went out with his friends and had nothing to do at the inn, so I took Pingyang and Boqin out for a stroll."

"Where do you live? Is it far from here?" Xu Zixia asked.

"Auntie, it's not far, it's in the inn behind that Taoist temple," Pingyang said, pointing to the inn on the small hill next to Xuandu Temple.

"We live in the neighborhood, not far away. Come on, let's go to our house." The third concubine held the two children tightly and walked towards the square in front of Daxingshan Temple.

"Third Madam, what brings you here? Please take care of your business first, then we can head back."

"If you hadn't reminded me, I would have forgotten about this. We've come to fulfill a vow. Pingyang, Boqin, you two are going to have a little brother."

"Congratulations, Madam and Miss! We'll accompany you inside to fulfill your vow."

Third Concubine led Pingyang by the hand, Xu Zixia led Boqin by the hand, and I followed behind them as we walked toward the Mahavira Hall of Daxingshan Temple.

Pingyang, who always enjoyed the sound of the wooden fish drum, eagerly took three incense sticks and knelt on the prayer cushions in the main hall as soon as she entered the temple. The four of us also took three incense sticks and knelt beside Pingyang. A bell rang, and chanting began. We finished our prayers amidst the monks' blessings. The third concubine stood up, took out several silver notes from her sleeve, and dropped them into the donation box. At this moment, a monk approached, clasped his hands together, bowed, and said, "Your merit is immeasurable. May the Bodhisattva bless you with happiness, health, and many children and grandchildren."

"Thank you for your kind words, Master," the third concubine said, pressing her palms together in return.

After we finished worshipping Buddha and left the temple, the third concubine hurriedly walked towards the square in front of the temple, holding a child in each hand. There was a horse-drawn carriage waiting in the square.

We arrived at the carriage, and the third concubine said to me:

"Yuehua, come to our home. You are the young lady's family in this world, which means you are my and Zixia's family too. If it weren't for the young lady taking care of us back then, we wouldn't be where we are today. Now that you've met, you should go home and stay here."

"Third Madam, it's fine to visit your place, but you can't stay there. Otherwise, my young master will scold me."

"Let's go home first. When is my brother-in-law coming back?" Xu Zixia asked.

"My father went drinking and won't be back until tonight. I'm going to my grandmother's," Boqin said.

I helped my third concubine and Xu Zixia onto the carriage, then carried Pingyang and Boqin onto the carriage as well. I then jumped down next to the coachman and sat down, following my third concubine and the others towards the neighborhood.

The neighborhood was located in the West Market of Chang'an City, to the left of the Xuandu Temple. The carriage passed through Zhuque Avenue and headed into the West Market along a wide side road. Shops lined both sides of the road, and the streets were bustling with people and vehicles. The West Market was mostly filled with ox-drawn carts, and people carrying loads on their shoulders and backs would often come here early to exchange for what they needed, and then happily head home around noon.

Our carriage slowed down as it weaved through the crowds.

The third concubine said from inside the carriage, "It's almost noon, just in time for the market to close. Old Wang, don't worry, it's okay if we get back a little late."

"Yes, madam," replied Old Wang, the driver.

The carriage moved slowly forward with the flow of people. As the crowd thinned out, the road began to bend. After the carriage rounded the bend, we arrived at the back of the market. Here, various luxurious and simple mansions stood intricately, rising up the hillside. Many of the courtyards had unique shapes and bright colors, clearly foreign architecture.

"These houses are so beautiful!" Bo Qin lifted the curtain, stuck his head out of the carriage, and said excitedly while pointing at the houses.

"Many foreigners live here, and their houses are built differently from ours. This is the style of their hometowns," Xu Zixia said.

"There are also foreign children living here; there are several in your uncle's school," the third concubine added to Pingyang and Boqin.

"Is your uncle a teacher? My younger brother is also studying in Rencheng," Pingyang said.

"Yes, your uncle has more than a dozen students, including one female student who is Persian. Her clothes and jewelry are very beautiful," Xu Zixia said.