I served as Li Bai's page.

After Zhao Zhenzhong passed the imperial examination, Li Bai often lamented, "If only I could take the imperial examination too. I could pass and become a Juren, returning to the Longxi Academy in glory." However, Li Bai was not qualified to take the examination, which greatly frustrated him. Seeing his constant gloom and melancholy, I said:

"Young Master, we've stayed in Jinling for quite some time now, and visited many famous historical sites. Let's go to Yangzhou for a look."

"Alright then, tomorrow you go and tell Young Master Meng, and also Young Master Wang, that I want to invite them for drinks, and ask them to bring a few close friends. I'm hosting a banquet for them at Sun Chu Lou in Xishuiguan, Shuiximen."

The next day, several friends from Jinling came to Li Bai to compose poems and essays, and they went to Bailuzhou.

I arrived at Meng's Cloth Shop alone and happened to run into Master Meng, who was returning from Xiangyang.

"Master Meng is back." I greeted him as I saw him.

"I just got home, and you're here. Are you looking for Ning'er?" said Master Meng.

"I'm looking for Young Master Meng to tell him we're going to Yangzhou, and that my master has invited him to Sun Chu Lou for drinks tonight."

"Is Brother Taibai leaving?" Meng Ning came out from the inner room.

"Young Master Meng, we're leaving now. Tonight, I'd like you to take your friends to Sun Chu Lou for drinks," I said.

Master Meng asked, "Having gone to Yangzhou, are you not coming back?"

"We're not coming back; we want to see other places."

"Tell your young master that my elder brother, Meng Haoran, went to a Taoist temple in Anlu to cultivate. He asked me to tell your young master to deliver a message to him, asking him to go to the Taoist temple in Anlu to find him," said Master Meng.

"Alright, I will definitely tell my young master. Thank you, Master Meng. I'm going back now."

"I'll see you out," Meng Ning said, and followed me out.

"Brother Taibai, are you not used to living in Jinling? You've only been here a short time and you're already leaving?" Meng Ning asked.

"No, with so many friends like you accompanying him on trips and drinking every day, there's nothing he can't handle. But he can't stay like this forever. His purpose in coming here is to achieve fame and success, so he has to move forward."

"When are you leaving?" Meng Ning asked again.

"After tonight's gathering, we'll head to Yangzhou tomorrow."

"May I keep one of Li Bai's poems as a memento?"

"Okay, I'll go back and have the young master write it down, and I'll give it to you tonight."

"Thank you, Yuehua," Young Master Meng said happily.

"Young Master Meng, you don't need to see me off anymore. We've already arrived at the Confucius Temple. You should go back now. See you tonight." I said goodbye to Meng Ning and headed towards Wuyi Lane.

I returned to Wuyi Lane, but instead of going back to the inn, I headed towards the Prince's Mansion deep within the lane.

I arrived at the gates of the Prince's Mansion and saw that the gates were tightly closed, devoid of its former splendor. Suddenly, I recalled Liu Yuxi's poem "Black Clothes Lane": "Wildflowers bloom by the Vermilion Bird Bridge, the setting sun slants over the entrance to Black Clothes Lane. Swallows that once graced the halls of the Wang and Xie families now fly into the homes of ordinary people." The Wang and Xie families are no longer what they once were, but Wang An's character is still worthy of praise in Jinling City.

I walked to the gate, knocked lightly twice, and heard footsteps approaching. At the same time, I heard an old man's voice ask, "Who is it?" The gate creaked open.

"Uncle, I'm looking for Prince Wang An. Is he here?" I said.

"Looking for my young master? He's here. I'll go get him. Come in." The old man said, then walked into the courtyard.

I walked through the gate of the Prince's Mansion, turned past the screen, and came to the courtyard. The courtyard was very large, with artificial hills and fish ponds, and various flowers planted inside. The whole place looked neat and elegant, with an antique charm, but it lacked the extravagance of a wealthy family.

At this moment, a dignified and elegant noblewoman came out from the inner room, smiling kindly as she greeted him, "Young man, please come in and sit down. An'er is in the back study; she'll be here in a moment."

I quickly declined, saying, "No, I'm just here to deliver a message to my young master. I'll leave after I tell Young Master Wang."

At this moment, Wang An came out from the inner room and greeted her happily, "Yuehua, come in, what's the matter?"

After saying this, he turned to the old woman and said, "Mother, this is Li Bai's page, Yuehua."

"Is this the talented Li Bai whose poems you often read? Even his page seems clever and quick-witted. No wonder he can write such excellent poems. Why don't you invite him in and have him sit for a while?" Meng Ning's mother said.

Wang An walked towards me, took my hand, and led me towards the main hall of the Prince's Mansion.

"Young Master Wang, I won't go in. My master and I are going to Yangzhou tomorrow. He said he's inviting you and your friends for drinks at Sun Chu Lou tonight. Do you have time to come?" I said.

"We'll definitely be there when we have time. I'll go and let them know in a bit. Please come in and sit down for a while," Wang An said.

"No, I'm leaving." After saying goodbye to Wang An and his mother, I walked out of the gate of the Wang Mansion.

I arrived at the entrance of Wuyi Lane, intending to walk to Sun Chu Tower at the west gate of the Qinhuai River outlet. However, I had only walked a short distance from the entrance of the lane when a carriage stopped in front of me.

"Yuehua, where are you going? I can give you a ride." Hearing the voice, I looked up and saw that it was Yunxia's carriage. The person who had just spoken was Yunxia, ​​a famous courtesan from the Qinhuai River.

"I'm going to Sun Chu Lou. The young master is going to treat his friends to drinks there tonight. Why don't you come along?" I could tell that Yunxia liked the young master very much, so I invited her on his behalf.

"I'll definitely go. Come on up. I'm also going to Sun Chu Lou. A guest is hosting a banquet for relatives and friends there at noon today and asked me to sing a song." After Yunxia finished speaking, she moved over to the maid and made room for me.

I got into the carriage and soon arrived in front of Sun Chu Restaurant.

We alighted from the carriage, and Yunxia and her maid walked towards the restaurant. I approached the counter, and the manager recognized me immediately: "Aren't you Li Bai's page, Yuehua? I often see you here to pick him up, but he's not here today."

"I'm here to book a room, the best and largest private room, for tonight," I said to the innkeeper.

"Okay, I'll save it for you," the shopkeeper said.

"The food should be above average, but the wine must be good. It must be top-quality wine," I said.

"Is Li Bai treating us? He's a regular at the restaurant; I'll give you a discount."

"Thank you, innkeeper. It's settled then." Having finished my business, I walked out of Sun Chu Restaurant, gazing at this Taibai Restaurant, a thousand years in the future, filled with endless emotion. Li Bai: "At dawn I buy wine from Jinling, singing and dancing at Sun Chu Restaurant." How many times did he drink and sing heartily, gazing at the moon with drunken eyes, before people named the restaurant after him in his honor?

I stood beneath Sun Chu Tower, gazing at the Qinhuai River gently flowing from the inner river to the outer river, its surface gradually widening, with passenger and cargo ships shuttling back and forth. The thought that from tonight onward, Li Bai and I would set off from the Qinhuai River, passing through here, towards a wider world filled me with excitement. I quickened my pace and ran towards Wuyi Lane.