I served as Li Bai's page.

After Li Bai finished singing, everyone remained stunned for a long time. When I played the last note on my bamboo flute, Yuan Danqiu sighed, "This music should only exist in heaven; how often can it be heard in the mortal world?"

Cen Xun picked up his wine glass, stood up, and said, "Yuehua, this glass is for you. I never imagined you, at such a young age, would possess such profound musical talent."

"I learned all of this from my young master," I said.

Li Bai was pleased to hear this and said with no small amount of pride, "This is related to my strict requirements; the saying 'a strict teacher produces outstanding students' is exactly like this."

The three of them drank and chatted, and when they were in high spirits, they even recited poems and composed verses, completely embodying the image of refined scholars living in seclusion.

I felt ashamed and dared not argue with them. I sat aside, slowly savoring and appreciating the ordinariness and perseverance of a great man.

After several jars of wine, Li Bai, Cen Xun, and Yuan Danqiu all passed out drunk in their seats.

I used all my strength to help the three of them onto Yuan Danqiu's stone bed, covered them with blankets, and went to the cave where the books were kept. I picked up a scroll of Lao Tzu's "Tao Te Ching" and started reading.

Perhaps due to the fatigue of the journey, I soon fell asleep on the table.

In a daze, I saw Li Bai walking towards me, draping a robe over my shoulders, and saying, "Yuehua, go back to Longxi Courtyard to find Ziyi. I want to stay on Mount Song, accompanied by Yuan Danqiu, to seek the path to immortality." After saying this, Li Bai left without looking back. I screamed in fright, "Young Master!"

I woke with a start, and Li Bai was standing beside me. "Yuehua, what's wrong? Are you sick?"

Li Bai touched my forehead and said, "It's alright, you don't have a fever."

I pushed Li Bai's hand away and said, "I'm fine, young master. When do we set off for Anlu?" I secretly resolved to send Li Bai into the besieged city.

"It's not good to leave so soon after arriving. Let's spend a few more days with Yuan Danqiu." Li Bai walked towards the cave exit, somewhat annoyed. After a few steps, he turned back and said to me, "I brought you a blanket. You can sleep on the couch in this cave. Remember to cover yourself well; it can get a bit chilly at night in the mountains."

After Li Bai left, I couldn't sleep at all. I sat on the couch, wrapped in a blanket, and started reading the Tao Te Ching again. I don't even know when I fell asleep.

"Yuehua, get up, let's go out to watch the sunrise." The sound of messy footsteps came from outside the cave. Li Bai and the other two had already gotten up.

I got off the bed, straightened the blankets, combed my hair again, tied it into a bun as before, and dressed as a man. I went into the cave, where the three of them were already waiting.

"Yuehua, stop dawdling. By the time we reach the top of the mountain, the sun will be up." Cen Xun urged me.

We emerged from Ziyun Cave as dawn was breaking, and, guided by the faint light, began our ascent to the summit of Ziyun Mountain.

Yesterday, going down the mountain didn't feel difficult, but this morning going up the mountain felt like it took forever. It's true what they say, going down is easy, going up is hard.

When we reached the summit, a sliver of dawn was just appearing on the horizon, illuminating the continuous peaks of Songshan Mountain and giving the illusion that the clouds were so deep that one could not see into the distance.

I stood atop Ling Mountain and jumped, the sound of my feet thumping echoing far, far away in the quiet night sky.

"Yuehua, stop jumping. Stay still, and you'll see a different kind of sunrise," Yuan Danqiu said, gazing ahead.

"Master Yuan, do you often come to watch the sunrise?" I asked.

"We rarely come here. We're usually practicing our martial arts at this time. I came especially to accompany you today."

"Shh." Li Bai covered his mouth with two fingers, signaling us to be quiet.

At this moment, deep within the distant Songshan mountain range, a red sun burst forth with boundless light, instantly transforming the entire Songshan mountain range into a golden world.

I was so astonished that I was beyond words; all words seemed so pale and powerless in the face of this golden hue.

Li Bai came to my side and whispered, "Such a beautiful world, how can you bear to leave?"

I was somewhat taken aback. Was this Li Bai's purpose in taking me to see the sunrise?

I approached Yuan Danqiu and Cen Xun: "Gentlemen, may I ask your understanding of 'not being elated by external gains, nor saddened by personal losses; when in high office, one should worry about the people; when in retirement, one should worry about the ruler'?

Li Bai and the other two looked at me with even greater surprise.

Li Bai said, "I can hardly believe that such profound truths came from the mouth of my page. I am ashamed of my reputation as a talented scholar of Western Shu."

"Young master, this is not my saying, but that of an ancient person. Of course, you don't know him," I said.

Li Bai said, "What a fine saying, 'Not elated by external gains, nor saddened by personal losses.' Whether living in obscurity or in the imperial court, one should always prioritize the well-being of the nation. Alas, when will my ideals be realized?"

After Li Bai finished speaking, a dejected expression appeared on his face.

"If you choose to live in seclusion in these mountains for this golden land, not only will your ideals be forgotten, but even your honor as a descendant of the Li family will be buried. So, young master, we must go," I said sincerely.

Cen Xun then walked over and said, "Yuehua, don't worry, Anlu will definitely go. He won't interfere with your young master's important business."

"What important matter is it? Tell me, maybe I can help," Yuan Danqiu said.

Cen Xun briefly told Yuan Danqiu about Meng Shaofu's matchmaking for Li Bai.

Yuan Danqiu said, "I can help with this. I know Ma Zhenggong, the governor of Anzhou. Let's go to Anlu together."

"Thank you, gentlemen." I knelt down with a thud and kowtowed three times to Cen Xun and Yuan Danqiu.

"It seems you are truly devoted to your young master, always thinking of him. But I fear he is distracted and his mind is not on this. Get up," Yuan Danqiu said, helping me to my feet.

Li Bai smiled noncommittally, walked over, put his right hand on my shoulder, and said, "Little page, you're being a bit too nosy."

After watching the sunrise from the top of Ziyun Mountain, we returned to Ziyun Cave, where Li Bai and the other two began discussing Taoism again.

I went to the kitchen, ladled out a bowl of rice, and slowly simmered a pot of porridge over a low flame. I also stir-fried some vegetables, placed them on the table, and called out, "Young Master, come and eat."

Cen Xun was the first to rush over, sitting down at the table and urging, "Yuehua, hurry up and get me some rice, I'm starving!"

I served him the rice and placed it in front of him, saying, "Be careful, it's hot."

"It's so nice to have a pageboy, Brother Taibai, transfer your pageboy to me," Cen Xun said to Li Bai half-jokingly.

"Stop daydreaming. Don't you dare lay a finger on my page." Li Bai gently tapped Cen Xun's head and said.

"Stop joking around, let's eat. After we finish eating, we'll go for a walk on Mount Taishi." Yuan Danqiu said, picking up a bowl of porridge and starting to eat.

"Instead of going to Mount Taishi, I'll go to Mount Shaoshi. I want to see the world-famous Shaolin Kung Fu." I suddenly thought of the movie "Shaolin Temple" and felt that this was a rare opportunity to see it live.

Li Bai said, "Alright, as you wish, let's go to Shaoshi Mountain."

After breakfast, Yuan Danqiu prepared four water bottles and some dry food. He carried one water bottle himself and handed the rest to each of us, saying, "The weather is getting hot, so keep your water bottles safe and stay hydrated to avoid heatstroke."

The three of us took the water bottles and carried them on our shoulders. Yuan Danqiu closed the gate of Ziyun Cave, and we set off for Shaoshi Mountain.