I served as Li Bai's page.

Chapter 88 Li Bai's Promise

When I woke up the next morning, I heard the sound of reading coming from the garden, and my heart finally settled down.

After I got up and tidied myself up, I went to the garden. Li Bai was walking around reading the Analects of Confucius. Xu Ziyan sat on the swing, covered with a thin quilt, quietly watching him.

I walked over and asked quietly, "Are you alright last night?"

"It's okay, I'm quiet as soon as I fall asleep, I don't move at all. Thank you for helping me, Yuehua. This is the first time I've encountered something like this, I didn't know what to do."

"It's what I should do," I said.

Li Bai must have noticed Xu Ziyan and I talking out of the corner of his eye, walked over, and asked, "You two are talking about me, aren't you?"

Xu Ziyan said, "What gives you the right to say we're talking about you? Aren't we, master and servant, allowed to speak?"

"Judging from Yuehua's soft-spoken manner, either he or I did something wrong. But I don't think I did anything wrong."

"You're still being stubborn, that's the one who's wrong." Xu Ziyan said, then stormed back into the house.

"Young Master, really! You don't speak when you should, and you have to interrupt when you shouldn't. It's so early in the morning, why aren't you going to comfort him?"

Li Bai looked at me, bewildered, and said, "What did I do wrong? I didn't do anything to her."

I told him about how he got drunk last night, and he immediately said, "I'll go and comfort him right away."

It was quite amusing to see him rushing back into the house.

I returned to my room and went to the outer room. Xiaoqian had just gotten up. I asked her:

"Xiaoqian, you've been with Miss since you were very young, haven't you?"

"Yes, I was bought by Butler Wu from the market. I grew up with Miss since I was little."

"Then don't tell anyone else about what happened last night, including the master and mistress. Miss is married now; she has her own family. As the saying goes, 'Don't wash your dirty linen in public.'"

"I know, Yuehua, the four of us are family."

"Xiaoqian is clever."

After dealing with Xiaoqian, I went to the courtyard. Madam Xu was taking a walk there and asked me:

"Yuehua, did you go to the Taoist temple yesterday and come back very late? My son-in-law must have been drunk again."

"No, Madam, we returned very late because Master Ziyang and the others were leaving today, so we stayed a little longer."

"It's good that he's not drunk. It's not that we don't want him to drink, but getting drunk frequently is bad for his health."

"Thank you for your concern for the young master, Madam. I will keep an eye on him."

"With you here, I feel at ease."

At this moment, Xu Ziyan walked out of the room with a playful laugh, followed closely by Li Bai. The two of them went into the courtyard and called out in unison, "Mother!"

Mrs. Xu looked at the two of them with satisfaction.

Zhang Ma came into the courtyard and asked, "Madam, would you like your breakfast brought to this courtyard, or would you like it eaten in the dining room?"

"It's rare that Miss didn't sleep in today. Everyone's here, let's go to the restaurant. Come on, let's eat." The lady led us towards the restaurant.

Upon arriving at the restaurant, Madam Xu led Li Bai and Xu Ziyan to their seats. Just then, the second concubine, arm in arm with Master Xu, entered, chatting and laughing. The second concubine said in a sweet, coquettish voice:

"Master, I was too tired last night, I need to eat more. Zhang Ma, please serve me some rice."

Madam Xu's face immediately turned very pale. Master Xu quickly said, "Madam, you've gotten up so early today. Let's go see how the construction is going for Bai Zhaoshan's daughter's new house."

Xu Ziyan, also holding her breath, said, "No need to go see it. My husband and I already went yesterday. We'll move to Baizhao Mountain after the Spring Festival. After dinner, go to the study; I have something to tell you."

Mr. and Mrs. Xu quickly replied, "Alright. We'll do as our daughter says."

After dinner, Master Xu took the initiative to have Madam Xu escort him through the garden to the study. Xu Ziyan then invited Li Bai and me to join them.

I quietly asked Li Bai, "What did the young mistress want to say? Didn't she give you a hint?"

"I don't know either. I hope you won't tell me I was drunk last night."

"She's not that stupid, she shouldn't be, don't worry."

Actually, I was constantly on edge, not knowing what Xu Ziyan was up to.

After Mr. and Mrs. Xu sat down in the study, Xu Ziyan pulled Li Bai to stand in front of them and said:

"My husband and I have been married for over a month, but I haven't met my parents-in-law or my husband's family yet. We'd like to go back to our hometown before the New Year. Please allow us to do so, my parents."

Madam Xu quickly said, "Western Shu is a thousand miles away. How can a frail woman like you endure such a long journey? No, I disagree. If they want to see you, ask them to come to Anlu."

"Mother, now that I've married Li Bai, I must fulfill my duties as a daughter-in-law. It's my duty to pay respects to my parents-in-law."

Master Xu said, "My daughter has a point. Back then, your mother also traveled thousands of miles to Anlu to marry me. And it was all fine, wasn't it? When do you plan to leave?"

"As long as Father and Mother agree, we'll start preparations now and leave in a couple of days."

Mrs. Xu said, "I also want to visit my in-laws. I won't stay at home; out of sight, out of mind."

"Madam, there's no need for such angry words. It's only natural for our daughter to visit her in-laws. What are you going to do with her? What will I do with this large family if you leave? I don't agree to you going."

Madam Xu and Master Xu were locked in a stalemate, exchanging words back and forth, and it seemed their hopes of returning to Longxi Courtyard were about to be dashed. I interjected:

"Madam, please come with us next time. The young master and young mistress's new house is at a crucial stage right now, and you need to help the young mistress keep an eye on it. Besides, the master feels empty if he doesn't see you for a day. You really can't go this time."

Master Xu quickly replied, "Yes, Yuehua is right. Don't I come to this courtyard several times a day? It's all to see you. With you here, I feel at ease. No matter what a concubine is, she's not as important to me as my wife."

After Mr. Xu finished speaking, I saw that Mrs. Xu's expression immediately softened.

"Fine, I won't go. I'll stay here with you and our daughter and guard this home. Let's see who dares to mess with me," Madam Xu said with a sigh.

I saw Li Bai gently wipe his forehead and let out a long sigh of relief.

Xu Ziyan and Li Bai knelt before their parents and said, "Thank you, Father and Mother. We'll get ready to go now." Li Bai helped Xu Ziyan to her feet and they walked towards the door. Xiaoqian and I were about to follow them out when Madam Xu called us back.

"Yuehua, Xiaoqian, you two must protect Miss this time, especially Yuehua. You've seen your share of storms outside; you must stay by her side at all times."

"Yes, Madam, we will definitely protect Miss and ensure she doesn't suffer any harm," I said.

"Go downstairs. Make sure you have plenty of food and clothing for the journey, and be prepared to return as soon as possible," Madam Xu said.

"I understand." After saying that, I walked out of the study with Xiaoqian and went to find Li Bai and the others.

Arriving outside Li Bai's new house, they overheard Li Bai saying to Xu Ziyan, "Ziyan, you've made the best decision today. I will be grateful to you for the rest of my life. I promise you, I will never take a concubine. You are my only one."