I served as Li Bai's page.

After returning from Huanhua Creek, Li Bai and I were fine, but Wu Zhinan started coughing. I went to fetch a doctor to examine him, who said it was a cold and prescribed some medicine. I brewed the medicine for him on time every day and made sure he took it. After a few days, his condition improved, and I could occasionally hear him cough a couple of times.

Li Bai was busy all day long. Many people came to him to write calligraphy, and he even had to find time to go to the government office to inquire about news.

That afternoon, when Li Bai returned from gathering information, he happened to meet Wang Yu on the road: "Brother Li Bai, are you still lingering in Chengdu? With the year drawing to a close, Lord Li has already gone home to visit his family."

"Brother Wang, I still have matters to attend to in Chengdu. Once I have dealt with them, I will be leaving Chengdu soon. Whether Lord Li is here or not is none of my concern," Li Bai replied.

"I'm not on duty today, and I'd like to invite Brother Li Bai for a drink," Wang Yu said.

"Brother Wang, I'm busy today, so please excuse me." After saying this, Li Bai glanced at Wang Yu with disdain and returned to the inn.

When Wu Zhinan and I entered Li Bai's room, we saw Li Bai sitting by the window, silently gazing out the window.

"Brother Taibai, what were the results of your inquiry at the yamen today?" Wu Zhinan asked.

"The constable said Lord Li wasn't here, but on the way back I ran into Wang Yu, who said Lord Li had gone back to his hometown," Li Bai replied.

"It's already early November, so Wang Yu might not be lying," I said.

Li Bai turned to me and Wu Zhinan: "I have something to discuss with you. We can't wait here any longer. Lord Li's memorial has fallen into Lord Wang's hands, and we have no chance here. My master told me to go to Yuzhou to visit Li Yong, the prefect of Yuzhou. We'll go to Yuzhou tomorrow. What do you say?"

Wu Zhinan coughed twice and said, "Alright, we'll go to Yuzhou tomorrow. Is Lord Li Yong easy to talk to?"

"I don't know either. He has extremely high literary attainments and is known as a calligrapher of running script. I think his demeanor and literary cultivation should be no less than those of Lord Li Ting," Li Bai replied.

"No matter how knowledgeable he is, we should still be cautious," I said. "I'm going to pack my things; we'll leave first thing tomorrow morning."

I left Li Bai's room, went downstairs, checked on our horses in the stables, then returned to my room to pack my things. Next, I went to Wu Zhinan and Li Bai's room to pack my things; they were still there. "Young Master," I said, "Young Master Wu has only just recovered from his illness. Let's buy a carriage for him. It'll probably take several days to get to Yuzhou from here."

"Alright, Yuehua, you decide what to do," Li Bai said.

"There's no need to buy a carriage. I'll just ride a horse like you, it's faster. Besides, I'm used to riding horses, so I'm not used to riding in a carriage, it's not convenient." Wu Zhinan firmly disagreed with buying a carriage. I had no choice but to give up.

I went downstairs again and grabbed two more doses of medicine to carry with me, just in case.

Nothing happened overnight. The next day, I got up early, prepared breakfast for the two young masters, fed the horses, and then went to each room to wake them up. When I arrived at Li Bai's room, Li Bai was already up, getting dressed and reciting his lessons.

"Young master, get up. Shall I bring you breakfast, or would you like to eat in my room?" I asked.

"Let's eat in your room. No need to bring it back and forth, it's too much trouble," Li Bai replied.

I went to Wu Zhinan's door again: "Young Master Wu, are you up yet?"

Two coughs came from inside the house: "Get up, you'll be out in a bit."

"Breakfast is in my room; the young master is eating there."

After the three of us finished breakfast, we picked up our luggage and went downstairs.

I walked up to the counter and said to the owner, "Thank you for taking care of us these past two months. We're leaving now, please settle your bill."

"Is Li Bai leaving? Waiter, quickly tell everyone to come and see Li Bai off!" the shopkeeper shouted to the waiter.

When the innkeepers heard that Li Bai was leaving, they all came out of their rooms. The shopkeepers on both sides of the alley, as well as the residents living around the alley, all came into the alley. When I finished paying for my room and led my three horses onto the street, I saw Li Bai saying goodbye to everyone who came to see him off.

These people are all beneficiaries of Li Bai's calligraphy and paintings. Recently, more and more people have come seeking his works, and the alley is bustling with activity every day; every business is thriving. People are grateful to Li Bai.

"Everyone, go back now. If I have the chance in the future, I'll come back here to stay and be your neighbor. Please go back now." Li Bai waved goodbye to everyone.

The three of us mounted our horses and headed out of the city. We were supposed to go directly east to Yuzhou, but Li Bai insisted on taking a detour via Sima Bridge. As we rode onto the bridge, Li Bai sighed, "Sima Xiangru once crossed this bridge and swore that he would return in a grand sedan chair drawn by four horses, or he would never return to Chengdu. He fulfilled his vow and was highly valued by Emperor Wu of Han. And me? Whether I will have Sima Xiangru's luck on this journey remains to be seen."

"Brother Taibai is learned and talented, far surpassing Sima Xiangru. He will surely be highly valued by the Emperor," Wu Zhinan praised Li Bai.

"Thank you for your kind words, brother. Today we cross this bridge, and one day we will surely return home in glory." Li Bai finished speaking, his eyes brimming with confidence. He reminded me of that vibrant young man on Little Kuang Mountain.

We crossed the Sima Bridge and turned towards Yuzhou, traveling along the official road. Before we knew it, we had covered half the distance. Seeing that it was getting dark, I said to Li Bai, "Young Master, let's find a place to rest for the night and continue our journey tomorrow."

"Alright, there's an inn up ahead, let's stay there for the night." After Li Bai finished speaking, the three of us rode our horses to the inn. I dismounted and went inside: "Innkeeper, are there any rooms available? We need a room."

"There's only one room left. How many of you are there?" the owner replied.

"The three of us need at least two rooms," I said.

"No, that's all. The Spring Festival is coming soon, and there are a lot of people passing by, so rooms are in high demand," the owner replied.

At this moment, Li Bai and Wu Zhinan walked in: "What's wrong? No rooms available?" Li Bai asked.

"Young master, there's only one room left, we can't fit everyone in," I said.

"One room will do, we'll have to make do. Boss, take us upstairs." After Li Bai finished speaking, the boss led the three of us upstairs.

Entering the room, I was relieved to find there were two beds. I put all my luggage on one bed and said to Li Bai, "I'll sleep on this bed, and you and Young Master Wu can sleep on the other."

"Let Young Master Wu sleep alone, you and I can squeeze in together, don't be so fussy. Be a good boy," Li Bai said.

I turned around angrily, put the luggage on the bed on the table, and made the bed for Wu Zhinan.

"Young Master Wu, please go to bed and rest for a while. I noticed your cough is getting worse." I said, reaching out to help Wu Zhinan to the bed.

Wu Zhinan lay sprawled on the bed, coughing violently again. I quickly handed him a glass of water: "A sip of water will make you feel better. You should sleep for a while, I'll go brew your medicine." With that, I headed towards the inn's kitchen.

When I brought the cooked soup into the room, Wu Zhinan was already asleep, and Li Bai was sitting by the window reading.

"Young Master, Young Master Wu's cough just won't go away, we need to find a way to fix it," I said to Li Bai.

"Once we get to Yuzhou, we'll find a doctor to examine him. Boil the two doses of medicine you got in Chengdu, put some in a thermos, and take it with him tomorrow so he can drink it on the road; that way he'll recover faster."

"Okay, I'll go make it in a bit."

After dinner, I helped Wu Zhinan drink his medicine, and he turned over and fell asleep again, still half asleep.

After Li Bai finished washing up, he was about to take off his clothes to sleep when I quickly helped him put them back on, saying, "The inns by the roadside aren't very clean, so you should sleep in them." I glared at him.

"Yuehua, you're like a little girl, so cunning." After saying that, Li Bai lay down on the bed fully clothed.