Chapter 362: 456 chapters, I love him, he loves me too

456 chapters, I love him, he also loves me.

456 chapters, I love him, he also loves me.

――――A red apricot branch extending over the wall.

Li Bai followed Gao Lishi, swaying as they came before Xuanzong and the Imperial Consort.

Seeing the great poet Li Bai arrive, the Imperial Consort's face lit up with spring, her spirits soaring. Emperor Xuanzong, seeing the Consort so happy, quickly issued an order: 'Prepare brush, ink, and fine silk.'

The so-called 'prepare brush, ink, and fine silk' means to quickly prepare brush, ink, and fine silk for Li Bai to write a poem for the Imperial Consort.

Brush and ink need no explanation; everyone understands: formerly, writing meant grinding ink on an inkstone; fine silk—the textiles of the Tang dynasty were highly advanced, and in the palace characters were written on fine silk. This facilitated storage and preservation, and also appeared elegant and luxurious.

These words of Emperor Xuanzong were directed at Gao Lishi and the other eunuchs. The Imperial Consort, in high spirits, wanted to show her devotion to the great poet Li Bai, so she personally ground ink for him. Seeing the Consort hand Li Bai the brush and grind the ink—work normally done by eunuchs—she took it over, leaving Gao Lishi with nothing to do. Gao Lishi's eyes lit up: he hurried to find something to do to please the Emperor and the Consort.

Having nothing to do was tantamount to being laid off.

Gao Lishi was the eunuch Emperor Xuanzong most liked to have do things, grabbing both major and minor tasks. Because of this, many people criticized Gao Lishi, saying all sorts of negative things. My view differs: I think Gao Lishi's doing this is right.

From a human perspective, to come into this world as a person is to work. One must be diligent, not lazy. For a lazy life is not joy or comfort; having work is life, laziness leads to death, busyness brings joy and happiness, while having nothing to do leads to decay.

Because 'a person just sits there stupidly, fantasizing about things they cannot get, is of no use....'

I love the laborers among people, because he drives our day and night. I love him, because he endures hunger and starvation, yet lets us have enough food and clothing. I love him, because people wear new clothes, but he himself............ I love him, he also loves me. I love him, just as I love the tiny punctuation in a book that makes no sound or movement, just as I love the fine spring rain on the heavenly street that moistens like butter....

Lazy person,

You go and observe the ants' actions, and you can gain wisdom.

Ants have no marshal,

no officers, no sovereign.

Yet they store food in summer,

and gather grain at harvest time.

Lazy person, how long will you sleep?

When will you wake up?

Sleep a little longer, take a brief nap,

lie with your arms folded for a while,

your poverty will come like a bandit,

Gao Lishi well understands these simple truths of life. I don't know if you, my friend, understand this principle.

Enough idle talk, let's return to the main subject.

Seeing the Consort personally grind the ink and hold the inkstone for Li Bai, at this crucial moment Gao Lishi could not relax; he hurried to find something to do to show himself. Thus Gao Lishi quickly helped Li Bai onto the embroidered couch.

What is an embroidered couch? It is a bed formerly reserved in the palace for scholars to write on. The bed is draped with rich embroidery, and being in the palace, it is called an embroidered couch. In a commoner's home, even if you drape the bed with lots of embroidery, it cannot be called an embroidered couch; you may call it that, but people will laugh at you.

Gao Lishi carefully helped the great poet Li Bai onto the embroidered couch and seated him. To show his wholehearted loyalty and sincerity to the Emperor and the Consort, Gao Lishi personally helped Li Bai take off his boots.

You see how highly poets of the Tang dynasty were treated, enjoying the emperor's favor: the Consort personally presented the inkstone, and the eunuch Gao Lishi took off his boots. No wonder Tang poetry reached an unprecedented peak..................................................

(Heart with the disaster area, feeling with the disaster area: may peace, courage, confidence, and strength accompany and be with the people of the disaster area!)