I served as Li Bai's page.

I took the poem written by Li Bai and returned to the Yuzhou government office, where the same yamen runner was still on duty.

"Brother, please deliver this letter to Lord Li, thank you!" I handed the packaged poems to the yamen runner and returned to the inn.

Li Bai and Wu Zhinan were planning a trip to the Three Gorges.

"Young Master Wu, I'm afraid that won't work. Your wedding is approaching, so you should go back to Qinglian!" I said.

"Yuehua, don't spoil our fun. I'm taking Brother Zhinan to experience the majestic power of the Yangtze River." Li Bai glared at me, his face full of displeasure.

Wu Zhinan said, "There should be enough time; we can stay for about ten days and then go back. Yuehua, don't worry."

I am speechless.

The two young masters meticulously planned their departure time and route, and simultaneously called out, "Yuehua!"

I looked up at them: "Please speak, gentlemen."

"Let me speak first," Li Bai said. "Go find another doctor to check if Young Master Wu's illness is completely cured. It will be harder to find a doctor once we get to the river."

I nodded and agreed, "Okay, I'll go invite him in a bit. Young Master Wu, what did you want to say?"

"I think you should go to the dock first and book the boat so we can set off early tomorrow," Wu Zhinan said.

"Yuehua, when you rent a boat, make sure the boatman is young and strong; that way, it'll be faster," Li Bai added.

"Alright, I'll find the doctor first, then I'll book a boat," I said, and then left the inn and walked into the street.

I found a pharmacy along the street, and luckily a doctor was there. I invited him into the inn, and he carefully took Wu Zhinan's pulse and examined his tongue: "This young master's pulse is a little weak, and his tongue is red, indicating excessive lung heat. I'll prescribe some medicine to reduce the heat. There shouldn't be any major problems."

"Thank you, doctor." I took the prescription and followed the doctor to the pharmacy, where I bought several doses of medicine and carried them with me. Then I headed towards Chaotianmen Wharf.

Merchant ships and passenger ships shuttle back and forth at the dock, creating a bustling scene.

"Young man, do you need a boat? Where are you going?" An old man saw me searching on the dock and came up to ask me.

"Old man, I'd like to rent a boat to tour the Three Gorges. I need a decent boat, a strong boatman, and someone who can provide us with meals. Do you know anyone like that?" I replied.

"Let my son and daughter-in-law take you. Come on, let's see if this boat will do." I followed the old man to the shore, which was a bit far from the dock. There were two boats moored there. One of the boats was newer, and everything on it was newly purchased. A man and a woman were tidying up their things on the boat. The old man led me to the boat.

"Xiao Yong, this young man wants to rent a boat to tour the Three Gorges. Can you let him see if our boat is suitable?" the old man said to the man.

"Alright, young man, please." The man and woman stepped forward.

I walked into the cabin and saw that it was spacious and bright. The main cabin and the bedroom were separate. The ship was kept very clean. Although it was not luxurious, it was very comfortable to sit inside.

"I want this boat. Tell me the rental fee. Who will steer it for us?" I said.

"Just my wife and I are going. My name is Xiaoyong, and this is my wife, Xiaoying. The rent is 15 taels of silver. We'll pay half upfront and the other half on the way back. Food expenses on the journey will be charged separately," the man said.

I took out eight taels of silver and handed it to him: "Keep the change. There are three of us, and we'll leave at eight o'clock tomorrow morning. Is that alright?"

"Of course, we'll go get ready. We'll be waiting for you here at eight o'clock tomorrow morning," Xiao Yong said.

"Okay, it's settled then." After saying that, I picked up the medicine and left the dock, heading towards the inn.

Back at the inn, I told them about booking the boat, then took two doses of medicine to the kitchen to brew. I planned to fill two extra cups so Wu Zhinan could drink it and get better sooner; I wasn't sure if brewing medicine on the boat would be convenient. Wu Zhinan's illness had become a real worry for me.

After brewing the medicine and returning to the room, I did another round of packing. We're always on the road, and this time I was smarter. I threw away as much as I could, but the one thing I couldn't throw away was Li Bai's manuscripts. I packed them into my backpack and never forgot about them for a moment.

The next morning, I found the innkeeper, paid for the room, left my horse at the inn, and then took Li Bai and Wu Zhinan to the rented boat. The two were quite satisfied with the boat, praising it, "Yuehua really knows how to get things done."

We were preparing to set sail when the old man came to see us off with his two children. Xiao Yong handed the old man the eight taels of silver I had given him: "Dad, keep the money. Go buy some New Year's goods, and get new clothes for the children and yourself. They'll be back after they've finished their Three Gorges cruise."

The elderly man instructed, "Be careful on the road and ensure the safety of your guests."

"I understand, don't worry." The boat left the shore and headed towards the center of the river.

Li Bai and Wu Zhinan were incredibly excited. Standing at the bow of the boat, gazing at the clearly defined river below, letting the gentle breeze caress their faces, watching the green mountains and clear waters on both banks, and the farmland and houses rushing past, they couldn't help but be inspired to write poetry. They recited poems from the Book of Songs to those by Tao Yuanming and Xie Lingyun, one after another.

"Young Master Wu, don't stand at the bow of the boat in the wind. You're not fully recovered yet," I reminded him.

"It's alright. Breathing in this fresh air will clear my lungs and I'll feel better soon. I wish to travel with Brother Taibai to all the beautiful landscapes of our motherland," Wu Zhinan said passionately.

"Brother Zhinan, you're absolutely right. We must immerse ourselves in the vast world to truly appreciate its wonders," Li Bai said.

As the boat sailed on the river, the three of us sometimes stood on the deck facing the wind, and sometimes sat silently in the cabin, feeling the selfless gifts of nature.

When the ship reached Pingdu Port, we made a short stop, and Xiaoyong and his wife set up a stove to cook.

Li Bai said to me, "Yuehua, let's go see if there's anywhere that sells wine. Let's buy a few jars to take on the boat. And let's also buy some peanuts to go with the wine."

The three of us disembarked and found a brewery on the streets of Pingdu. We bought three jars of wine, some dried fruit and peanuts from a roadside shop, and then headed back onto the boat.

Xiao Yong and his wife had already prepared the meal. Li Bai picked up the wine jar and filled several bowls, and the five of us began to drink. Xiao Yong and his wife couldn't drink much because they had to sail, and I didn't want to drink much either. Li Bai and Wu Zhinan then sipped their wine slowly.

Seeing that it was almost time and Li Bai and the others were still drinking, Xiao Yong asked me, "Young man, should we set sail or wait until they finish drinking?"

"Let's set sail. It won't stop them from drinking, and we shouldn't waste time," I said.

Xiao Yong set sail and entered the center of the Yangtze River. The small boat sped downstream with the current. Li Bai and Wu Zhinan sat at the bow, raising their cups to each other and praising the green mountains on both banks and the surging river.

We soon arrived at Qutang Gorge, the western entrance to the Three Gorges of the Yangtze River. When we reached Baidi City, the starting point of Qutang Gorge, it was already past 4 PM. Xiao Yong docked the boat at the Baidi City pier. Li Bai led Wu Zhi and me towards the Baidi Temple on Baidi Mountain, where the three of us offered incense and knelt in prayer to the White Emperor. Afterwards, we visited the nearby Temple of the First Emperor and the Zhuge Liang Shrine. I have always held the legend of Liu Bei entrusting his son to Zhuge Liang in high esteem. Liu Bei's wise decision and foresight in entrusting his son to Zhuge Liang laid the foundation for the Three Kingdoms period.

Li Bai lamented, "Zhuge Liang's talent could only be fully displayed when he met a wise ruler like Liu Bei. When will we, his contemporaries, encounter someone with discerning eyes?"

"Young master, there's no need to worry. There are plenty of discerning mentors in the world," I replied.

Wu Zhinan said, "The moonlight is most comforting to the heart."