Chapter 5: The Poet Immortal Li Bai (Part 1) (Additional Content)

  The Supplement to the History of the Tang Dynasty, Volume 8, Additional Biographies.

  Friends are so supportive, it has already risen to No. 6 on the new book list, still owe two more updates, will make up for them later.

  A new week has begun, friends, let's work together! Now it's ranked 6th in the new book list, can we rush into the top three?

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  Outside the city of Longxi, on a hillside, the grass is lush and green, the trees are sprouting new leaves, and everything looks full of life.

  A huge bonfire, on which a yellow deer was hung, the bright flames licking the deer meat, making a sizzling sound, and the tempting aroma of the meat wafted into the nostrils.

  Ge Shuhan's bright eyes stared fixedly at the yellow rabbit, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down as he licked his lips, almost unable to wait to tear off a big chunk of meat.

  Li Changguo stirred up the yellow rabbit, and saw Ge Shuhan's greedy appearance in his eyes, couldn't help but laugh a little. This famous general who was about to "take the purple robe at Xitu Stone Fortress" actually had such a real side.

  Since Li Changguo and Gesu Han made an appointment to drink heavily, it was a situation that could not be stopped. The two men drank heavily for three days and three nights, and they were still not satisfied. Gesu Han even shouted with excitement.

  In addition to being delighted, Geshu Han was also depressed because he had always been fond of drinking and his capacity for liquor was extremely large. It could be said that he never got drunk even after a thousand cups. Among all the people he had met in his life, there wasn't anyone who could match him in terms of drinking capacity.

  In his opinion, Li Changguo was invincible in battle and had a set of skills for drinking, but he didn't expect that he wasn't Li Changguo's opponent.

  The first time Geshu Han drank with Li Changguo, he got drunk and lost. After waking up from his hangover, he refused to admit defeat and asked for a rematch. However, the result was the same - he was drunk again. This happened five times in a row, and Geshu Han had no choice but to accept that Li Changguo's drinking capacity was better than his.

  Despite this, Geshu Han was overjoyed. He had always taken pleasure in drinking and had never met a worthy opponent from the wine country, rarely having a satisfying time. Now that he had met Li Changguo, he finally felt an unprecedented sense of satisfaction, which was indescribably delightful.

  As a result, Geshu Han became even more relentless towards Li Changguo, dragging him out for a drinking binge every day.

  After drinking, the two went hunting together, using the game as an accompaniment to their wine and excitement.

  After the first hunt, Gesu Han took the initiative to take charge and personally cook a sumptuous feast for Li Changguo. It has to be said that Gesu Han's culinary skills were top-notch, and the dishes he cooked were very good. However, compared to the delicious food Li Changguo had eaten before, they were still somewhat inferior.

  It's not that Gao Shuhan is incompetent, but rather the modern culinary techniques are more advanced than those of the Tang Dynasty, after all, there has been over a thousand years of civilized accumulation.

  After the second hunting trip, Li Changguo treated Geshuhan to wine and dishes as a return gift. Who would have thought that Geshuhan almost swallowed his tongue, repeatedly praising the food as delicious, saying it was the most delicious thing he had ever tasted in his life.

  Geshu Han was a man of great experience, and he had eaten countless delicious foods, but none were as tasty as Li Changguo's cooking. From then on, whenever they went hunting, the task of preparing wine and dishes fell to Li Changguo.

  Li Changguo really likes Geshuhan's generosity, and the two get along like brothers. Although they are not biological brothers, they have a stronger bond than brothers. Whenever Geshuhan makes a request, Li Changguo will definitely respond to it, never disappointing him.

  "Brother, you're really something! I, Geshu Han, rarely admit defeat to anyone, but I have no choice but to concede to you! When it comes to drinking capacity, I've never met a match in my life, yet I lost to you! My martial arts skills are not as good as yours, and I'm not as good at fighting as you are. I don't care about those things, but losing to you in drinking capacity is something I find hard to swallow!"

  "If you were intoxicated by modern high-alcohol liquor for ten or twenty years, you would be the same! The Tang Dynasty was great in every way, except that the alcohol content of its wine was too low. I really miss strong liquor!" Li Changguo muttered to himself.

  "This wine is just like martial arts, the more you practice, the better you'll get." Li Changguo pursed his lips, suppressing a smile.

  "I've been drinking since I was five years old, and now it's been forty years, but I'm still not as good as you!" Ge Shuhan exclaimed in a tone that was almost mournful.

  Li Changguo shrugged his shoulders. He didn't intentionally want to strike Geshuhan, but rather was possessed by the evil spirit of excessive drinking in modern times. It can't be blamed on him.

  The yellow rabbit was roasted well, Li Changguo tore off a piece of leg meat and threw it to Gesu Han. Gesu Han grabbed it with one hand, and hastily stuffed it into his mouth, taking big bites, extremely bold and unrestrained, surpassing the heroic scholars of ancient times!

  "Brother Geshu, we've been together for these days, and I should be on my way too. Let's consider this meal as a farewell feast." Li Changguo said while eating the roe deer meat, bidding farewell to Geshu Han.

  "Are you leaving?" Ge Shuhan hesitated, feeling reluctant to part ways. "If it weren't for my military duties, I'd truly want to drink with you for another year or two. As the undefeated king of wine, although I lost to you, these days have been the most enjoyable of my life. It's hard for me to bid farewell."

  "I am too!" Li Changguo highly appreciated Geshu Han, and suddenly asked: "Wang Zhongshi refused to send troops to Shigucheng, what does Brother Geshu plan to do?"

  "Brother, I'll tell you the truth, I highly agree with General's strategy. The Stone Fortress is not that easy to conquer. If we really send troops, there will definitely be heavy casualties. Without 50,000 to 60,000 deaths, there won't be a glimmer of hope."

  Ge Shuhan thought for a moment, his brow furrowed, and said: "However, the Stone Fortress City is too important. If we can take it down, we can block the Tibetans in the high mountains and dense forests, and the Hexi region will be worry-free from then on. We can also deploy more troops to enter the Western Regions and compete with the Arabs."

  He wouldn't be unaware of the importance of Shibao Castle; he also wouldn't be unaware of how difficult it is to take, so his words are quite contradictory.

  "Sometimes, you need to be ruthless, grit your teeth and prepare to pay a great price." Li Changguo hinted, "Only with great cost comes great gain!"

  Ge Shuhan furrowed his brow into a "川" shape and fell silent in contemplation.

  "The way of using troops is originally risky, and there has never been a case where one can use troops with absolute certainty. Even the cautious Zhuge Liang had to take risks. Li Changguo reminded him, "Brother Geshu, you took up your sword at the age of 40 and vowed to do something great. If an opportunity arises, Brother Geshu must seize it."

  "I've been foolish for decades, and it wasn't until I was 40 that I suddenly woke up. My brother Geshu Han can't spend his life like this. A man should do great things!" Geshu Han's eyes shone brightly, full of heroic spirit, staring at Li Changguo: "Brother, what do you mean by these words?"

  Li Changguo smiled and stopped talking, sometimes it's better to just hint at things. For now, he would just tell Ge Shuhan that he would soon take the "Purple Robe" from the Western Butcher Stone Fortress, but he definitely wouldn't believe him.

  Li Changguo bid farewell to Gesu Han and set off towards Chang'an.

  Geshuhan sent him off again and again, sending him for over a hundred miles. It was only after Li Changguo's persuasion that he reluctantly bid farewell.

  From Longxi to Chang'an, the road was very smooth. Along the way, whether it was civilians or soldiers, upon hearing that Li Changguo and his party were envoys of victory from the Anxi Protectorate, they all showed great enthusiasm and provided them with convenience, saving Li Changguo a lot of trouble.

  They finally arrived at Banqiao that day.

  As soon as they arrived at Wanqiao Bridge, Li Changguo couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.

  Only the willows on both sides of the Wanqiao Bridge are planted with countless willows: ancient willows sway, willow leaves unfold, and willow catkins are like snow; the wind blows up the catkins, green clouds hang in the fields; in the gentle breeze, the willow threads are like millions of strands, like smoke and mist.

  A serene and enchanting atmosphere with a hint of misty greenery, leaving one's heart feeling expansive and refreshed.

  Li Changguo has been to many places, and he has seen many beautiful sceneries. Few places can compare with the beauty of Qujiang Bridge, which is a wonderful feeling.

  Under the ancient willow as white as snow, a middle-aged scholar stood tall, with an air of elegance and refinement, his demeanor was like that of an immortal descending to earth, making people look up to him.