Chapter 111 Li Bai, my brother Taibai, awaits my recommendation!
Zhang Baichuan led his men on a swift journey straight to Songyang County.
"Brother, are we really going to find that Qin Shubao?" Lieutenant Li Dashan asked in a low voice. "I heard he has a strange temper and doesn't even give face to the First Prince. We..."
“It’s precisely because even the Crown Prince couldn’t persuade him that it’s all the more worthwhile to try!” A sharp glint flashed in Zhang Baichuan’s eyes. “Now that the imperial army is about to arrive, if we want to survive, we must find a master who can stand against the imperial court!”
He looked up at the faintly visible city wall of Songyang County in the distance, and slowly clenched his fist.
This time, he will definitely not leave empty-handed.
Qin Shubao was naturally completely unaware of this matter. If he had known, he would most likely have just laughed it off; he was already used to it.
With fame comes trouble; wherever you go, you're bound to be the subject of people's attention.
Moreover, he and Yuchi Jingde each received another three thousand yuan.
Having more people is an advantage; currently, only three people from their Tang Dynasty are in Songyang County. Du Fu, of course, also received three thousand coins, and being very righteous, he immediately wanted to contribute them.
But Qin Shubao and Yuchi Jingde waved their hands and said, "You can keep it yourself."
Du Fu was having a hard time, and besides, this was originally his money.
Du Fu said, "But I haven't done anything, so I feel guilty taking this money."
"Zimei, this money is yours, take it without worry." Qin Shubao said gently, his voice so tender that even Yuchi Jingde turned his head to look. When had this rough man ever been so gentle?
Du Fu was about to decline when Qin Shubao, pulling Yuchi Jingde along, vanished in a flash of white light and returned to the Tang Dynasty.
Now only Du Fu and Jiang Ge remained in the room. Jiang Ge gazed at Du Fu and asked, "Lord Du, what are you planning to buy?"
The system store screen was still hanging in mid-air, displaying many items. These items were all very good, but Du Fu simply didn't like them.
Ever since learning about Li Bai and his future, Du Fu tried every possible way to contact him, perhaps to prevent a tragedy from happening.
“Magistrate Jiang…” Du Fu’s voice was a little hoarse, “These items are fine, but they are not what I seek.” He paused, as if making up his mind, “I wonder… if there is any way to contact Brother Li Bai?”
Jiang Ge paused slightly. She noticed that Du Fu's hands were unconsciously clenched, his knuckles turning pale. His eyes held a mixture of hope and fear—a longing to find his dear friend, yet a fear that his friend would learn more of the cruel truth.
“I understand this request is somewhat abrupt…” Du Fu’s tone became urgent when he saw Jiang Ge’s silence, “But Brother Taibai… he…” He swallowed the words back.
Those prophecies about Li Bai's exile and death felt like knives stabbing into my heart.
In the friendship between Li Bai and Du Fu, Du Fu always maintained an almost childlike sincerity. Wen Yiduo once described it as: "In four thousand years of history, apart from Confucius meeting Laozi, there is no meeting more significant, sacred, or memorable than that between these two." Li Bai was as brilliant and unrestrained as a shooting star, while Du Fu was as profound and weighty as the earth.
He looked at Django, his eyes filled with undisguised earnestness: "Just a message would be fine... at least let me tell him..." At this moment, he was not the immortal poet saint, but just an ordinary person who was deeply worried about his dear friend.
Looking at Du Fu's anxious expression, Jiang Ge felt a pang of sorrow in his heart.
She unconsciously touched her empty pockets—if only she had a cell phone, a video call could ease this longing that transcends time and space. The conveniences of modern society flashed through her mind: instant messaging, video calls, voice messages... These ordinary things, at this moment, had become the most luxurious fantasies.
"Please wait a moment, Lord Du." Jiang Ge sighed softly, turning to quickly swipe across the system's online store screen. Her fingertips hovered over various communication products: cell phones didn't work because they lacked base stations, and walkie-talkies were too far away...
Suddenly, an old-fashioned black box came into view.
"Found it!" Jiang Ge carefully took out a projector. "This thing is called the Image Recording and Audio Transmission Box. Although it cannot have real-time conversations, it can record images and sounds and send them to a designated person."
Upon hearing this, Du Fu's dim eyes suddenly lit up.
“Just press here to record,” Django pointed to the green button on the side of the box, “and write the recipient’s name and time here…” Her voice trailed off as she saw that Du Fu’s eyes were already red.
Du Fu gripped the black box tightly, his knuckles turning white. So many days and nights of longing, so many poems that had sunk without a trace—at this moment, they finally had a place to rest.
“But…” Django hesitated, “this box can only transmit an image once, and it costs three hundred…”
"Three hundred it is."
Du Fu did not hesitate at all. If he could contact his friend Li Bai, what was three hundred yuan?
He straightened his clothes, pressed the button, and after a long pause, slowly spoke:
"Brother Taibai, I heard that you have been exiled to Yelang, and I am truly worried about you. I remember when we traveled together to Liang and Song, we slept together under the same quilt in autumn, and walked hand in hand by day. These scenes are still vivid in my mind."
His voice was deep and steady, yet it carried an undisguised concern:
"Yelang is a remote and miasma-ridden place. I hope you will take good care of yourself. When traveling, avoid the miasma and be careful with your food and drink. If you feel unwell, remember to seek medical help and do not act recklessly."
At this point, Du Fu paused, a hint of pain flashing in his eyes:
"Brother's poetic talent is unparalleled throughout history. Even if you are in trouble for now, the clouds will eventually part and the moon will shine again. If you are pardoned one day, you can come to Sichuan to find me. By the Huanhua Stream, the new wine is ready, and we can continue our friendship, drinking and discussing poetry together."
Finally, he sighed softly:
"Life is unpredictable, and we may meet again someday. I only wish you peace and good health, my brother. I hope we can meet again someday and talk about farming."
The video recording is complete, and it's truly moving to tears.
That's too sentimental.
Jiang Ge thought that Li Bai would surely shed tears upon seeing this, and might even be inspired to write a poem for Du Fu. With this in mind, she clicked the send button.
At this time, Li Bai was on the perilous journey of being exiled to Yelang.
The cliffs on both sides of the Yangtze River were as if carved by a knife, and the rushing waters pounded against the boats. This once spirited poet, now with graying temples and a haggard face, was a testament to the long and arduous journey. His old ailment had flared up again, and he often woke up coughing in the middle of the night. Seeing his condition, the guards escorting him gradually relaxed their watch—after all, where could a frail old man possibly escape to?
When the people along the way heard that the poet was passing by, they all brought wine to welcome him. On this day, an old fisherman specially rowed his small boat close to the official boat and offered him his homemade rice wine.
However, Li Bai's poetic spirit remained unchanged. He even boldly told his brother-in-law Zong Jing, "The old man in the countryside laughs at my foolishness, but he brings a wine jug to urge me to drink with him."
His brother-in-law, Zong Jing, shook his head helplessly. He had thought that Li Bai would be devastated by the exile, but it turned out that the world had underestimated this banished immortal.
After drinking three cups, Li Bai laughed heartily and said to Zong Jing, "Brother, look! This turbid wine may not be as good as the fine wines of Chang'an, but it has its own unique flavor!"
Seeing that he was in high spirits, Zong Jing couldn't help but advise, "Brother-in-law, you should drink less. Your health..."
Li Bai waved his hand to interrupt, pointing to the distant, mist-shrouded green mountains, and said loudly: "Life is but a hundred years. To find joy in nature and the friendship of kindred spirits is the greatest blessing. Drink today's wine and be merry, why worry about tomorrow's troubles!"
Upon hearing this, the onlookers applauded and cheered. Li Bai, even more excited, stood at the bow of the boat and began to recite his new work. The river breeze lifted his wide robes, making his thin figure appear even more frail, yet exuding an air of pride.
Zong Jing watched his brother-in-law's retreating figure, feeling both heartache and helplessness. He knew that this was Li Bai—even in adversity, he would live a magnificent life; even if he were to fall tomorrow, he would still drink and sing his heart out today.
This inherent boldness cannot be erased by any hardship.
As Li Bai was getting drunk, a black box suddenly appeared in front of him. As soon as he saw it clearly, a clear light flashed and condensed into a familiar figure—a man in a blue robe with a slender face and clear features. Who else could it be but Du Fu?
A sudden gust of river wind swept through, causing the illusory figure to sway. Li Bai felt a chill run down his spine, and he sobered up considerably: "Du Er...you...you are..." His voice trembled, and he worried about his old friend, "Could he have already passed away?"
Before he could finish speaking, Du Fu's lips parted as if he wanted to say something but hesitated. Li Bai's hair stood on end, and he finally couldn't hold back any longer—
"A ghost!!!"
Li Bai staggered back a few steps before suddenly stopping, slapping his thigh and laughing loudly: "Well done, Du Er! In life, he was a stern and gloomy man; in death, he's learned to play the role of a ghost!" With that, he grabbed a wine jug and splashed it at the phantom, "If there's wine in the Yellow Springs, save a jar for me!"
The wine jug passed through the afterimage.
At this moment, Du Fu finally spoke.
The ethereal figure swayed slightly in the mist on the river, finally speaking: "Brother Taibai..." His voice was faint, yet every word was earnest. He spoke of the hardships of the Shu Road and his concerns for Li Bai's health.
After hearing this, Li Bai remained silent for a while, then tilted his head back and drank the wine in the pot in one gulp, saying, "I never expected Zimei to care about me so much."
The river breeze suddenly subsided, and for a moment the bow of the boat was so quiet that one could hear the sound of wine sliding down one's throat. Li Bai raised the jug and drank heartily, for the sake of friendship.
During his exile, Li Bai certainly experienced cold shoulders and neglect, suddenly transforming from a star of the Tang Dynasty into an exiled prisoner. The contrast between his former glory and his current situation is self-evident.
The heartache and disappointment could only be swallowed silently.
A sense of uncertainty about the future filled his heart. He once expressed this in his "Reply to Prefect Meng's Letter on Behalf of Shoushan":
"Expressing the theories of Guan Zhong and Yan Ying, devising strategies for emperors... bringing great peace to the world and unifying the land" clearly identifies oneself as aspiring to the positions of Guan Zhong and Yan Ying, pursuing the career of a prime minister who "secures the nation and benefits the people."
In other words, Li Bai wanted to be the prime minister.
Unexpectedly, after repeatedly hitting roadblocks in his political career, he has now been exiled.
I'm still a little heartbroken.
Finally, Du Fu added, "Brother Taibai, I was recruited by immortals to serve as an official. I spend my days in the fairyland and my nights returning to the Tang Dynasty. This fairyland is different from what others imagine. But I can see Emperor Taizong, as well as Generals Yuchi Jingde and Qin Shubao."
It is important to know that Li Bai also greatly admired Li Shimin. However, this admiration was essentially an intertwining of the collective memory of the literati of the Tang Dynasty and his personal political ambitions, that is, a general yearning for a wise ruler.
If he had met Emperor Taizong, would things have been different?
"Clang—"
The wine jug in Li Bai's hand rolled off the gunwale, splashing a small drop of water. His eyes, still hazy with drunkenness, were now wide open, even the veins on his forehead were clearly visible. Good news kept coming in one after another: Du Er wasn't dead! Du Er had truly encountered an immortal! But then he thought—this fellow had gone on his carefree journey alone, without even taking him along!
Du Fu's figure began to fade rapidly, leaving only a faint echo:
"Brother Taibai, please wait for my recommendation..."
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Author's Note: Li Bai was startled by Du Fu [melted][melted][melted]
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