I served as Li Bai's page.

"My dear son-in-law is right. Come, let's have a drink." Seeing Master Xu raise his wine cup, the others also raised their cups. After clinking their cups, the men drank it all in one gulp, while the women took a small sip.

While pouring the wine, I whispered to Li Bai again, "Young master, too much talk leads to mistakes, so be careful what you say." Li Bai nodded knowingly and said no more.

After Li Bai and the others finished their meal, they strolled in the garden with Master Xu, Madam Xu, and their two concubines. Xiaoqian and I also came to the garden after our meal, just in time to see the second concubine forcefully push away the third concubine and take Master Xu's arm. The third concubine followed behind, looking aggrieved.

Xu Zixia was playing alone in a corner of the garden. I walked over, squatted down in front of her, and said, "Little Zixia, why don't you call your mother to come and play with you?"

"Mommy needs to stay with Daddy, otherwise Daddy won't love us anymore."

"Does Little Zixia want her mother to accompany her?"

"think."

"Daddy has so many people with him, and Mommy is walking behind. Why don't you ask Mommy to come and play with you? Give it a try."

Zixia called out, "Mommy, come and play with me!"

Hearing her daughter's voice, the third concubine turned around and said to Master Xu, "Sir, may I go and keep my daughter company?"

"Go ahead, my daughter and son-in-law are enough for me here," said Master Xu, releasing his second concubine's hand. "You go and keep Zijun company too. I won't be coming today."

"Master, I just want to stay with you, I won't leave," the second concubine said coquettishly.

"Go on, be good, I don't have time for you today." After saying that, Master Xu took Ziyan and Li Bai's hands and walked forward.

The second concubine's expression instantly changed from coquettish to angry, and she turned and walked towards her own courtyard.

Madam Xu turned and glanced at her, a cold smile on her face. Seeing this, I thought to myself: How complicated must this family be? Can the young master handle it?

We were taking a walk in the garden when it got late. The third concubine took her daughter back to the house.

Madam Xu said, "Let's go back inside. It's getting chilly at night, don't catch a cold." She stepped forward, took Master Xu's hand, and walked towards the inner courtyard.

Xu Ziyan walked behind Madam Xu. Li Bai took a few steps forward, wanting to reach out and pull Xu Ziyan, but after several attempts, he withdrew his hand.

Back in the courtyard, Master Xu said to Li Bai, "My dear son-in-law, you should go and rest too. Your mother and I are going to rest."

"Goodnight, Father and Mother," Xu Ziyan and Li Bai said in unison.

Master Xu and his wife went back to their room, and we also returned to our own rooms.

"Yuehua, I feel very stifled in this mansion. Even the wine is being drunk freely. I'm going back to the Taoist temple tomorrow," Li Bai said, standing at my door.

"No, you understand better than I that once the arrow is on the bowstring, it must be released," I said.

"I'm in a bind now. I should have known better than to agree to move into your house."

"Young master, just bear with it. Once you're married and move to Baizhao Mountain, you'll be free."

"No matter what, I'm going to Baizhao Mountain tomorrow." After saying this, Li Bai turned around and went back to his room, where he sat on the bed and pondered a solution that would satisfy both sides.

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, Li Bai was already practicing his sword in the garden. I, as his sparring partner, also got up early and practiced with him. Perhaps it was the sound of our swords clashing that startled Miss Xu. Xu Ziyan, wearing a red velvet cloak, her hair slightly disheveled, and without makeup, came to the garden, sat on the swing, and watched Li Bai and me practice.

"Young Madam, I'm sorry to have disturbed you. The young master has a habit of doing morning exercises and reading every day without fail," I said.

"Ziyan, you should go inside. Don't catch a cold sitting here," Li Bai said.

"You guys practice, I'm fine. I've never gotten up this early before."

I took a thinner quilt from Li Bai's bed and had Miss Xu cover herself with it.

We practiced for about half an hour, then Li Bai handed me the sword and said:

"Put the sword away and go to the study to get me a book."

I went back inside and put my sword away. Looking out over the garden, I saw Li Bai and Xu Ziyan sitting together on a swing. Li Bai was using his hand to comb Xu Ziyan's messy hair.

Just as I was hesitating whether to go get the book, Xiaoqian walked in.

"Yuehua, don't you guys let people get any sleep? We've never gotten up this early before."

"This is your son-in-law's habit; he'll get used to it gradually," I said.

"Why do I have this habit of all? It's so frustrating!" Xiaoqian yawned, rubbed her eyes, and went back to her room.

I went to the study, looked around, and took out a copy of the Book of Songs to give to Li Bai.

Li Bai sat on the swing, holding a book in his right hand and using his left hand to tuck the blanket around Xu Ziyan as he read. Xu Ziyan watched Li Bai intently, listening carefully, afraid of missing a single word.

"Ziyan, after breakfast, I need to go to Baizhao Mountain to retrieve our luggage," Li Bai said to Xu Ziyan.

"I want to go too. I'm going to burn incense at Master Xuanmeng's place."

"We live in that Taoist temple. Xuanmeng said you would come to offer incense, so I went down the mountain to meet you every day, but you never came."

"Every time I'm about to go out, something else comes up. If I had known you were up in the mountains, I would have gone no matter what."

Li Bai took out the portrait of Xu Ziyan that I had painted from his person and said, "I've always kept this on me, afraid I wouldn't recognize you if I saw you."

Xu Ziyan also took out a portrait of Li Bai from her person and said, "I've always carried this with me, hoping to meet you someday."

The two placed the portraits together and exclaimed in unison, "The portrait of Yuehua is truly lifelike."

After breakfast, Xu Ziyan said to Madam Xu, "Mother, I'm going to Baizhao Mountain to offer incense. Li Bai will come with me."

"Go ahead, and come back soon." After saying this, Madam Xu instructed Wu Chao to prepare a carriage.

Li Bai stepped forward and said, "Xiao Wu, prepare only the young lady's carriage; Yuehua and I will ride horses."

After we finished packing, we arrived at the Xu residence. The carriage was already waiting there. Xu Ziyan and Xiaoqian got into the carriage, while Wu Chao sat in front and drove. Li Bai and I mounted our horses, with Li Bai leading the way and me following behind, as we headed towards Baizhao Mountain.

Da'an Mountain is only five miles away from Baizhao Mountain. The scenery along the way is picturesque. Looking at Baizhao Mountain in the distance, the clouds and mist are swirling around it. Under the sunshine during the Mid-Autumn Festival, it is colorful and makes people yearn for it even more.

Since leaving the Xu residence, Li Bai felt completely free, singing and reciting poetry with abandon. Xu Ziyan leaned out of the carriage, gazing at Li Bai's handsome figure on horseback, her eyes filled with admiration.

We arrived at the foot of Baizhao Mountain. Li Bai and I jumped off our horses and walked to the carriage. Wu Chao had already put down a stool. Li Bai stepped forward and lifted the curtain. Xu Ziyan, wearing a veil, placed her hand in Li Bai's hand, and Li Bai led her down from the carriage.

Looking at her bound feet, I was truly worried for her. How long would it take to reach the top of the mountain along that long stone path?

Wu Chao and I walked in front, Xiaoqian helped Miss Xu walk in the middle, and Li Bai walked behind Miss Xu. I think Li Bai was deliberately lagging behind because he was afraid that Miss Xu would fall.

Reaching the summit, I shouted loudly into the Taoist temple, "We're back!"

Yuan Danqiu and Cen Xun ran out: "Why are you back? Hope something's happened."

I pointed halfway up the mountain and said, "Miss Xu has come to burn incense."