A thousand-year-old family begins with one fighting against ten thousand.

"Since Brother Taibai has invited us, we are naturally willing to go."

Even though the speaker was a decrepit old man with a full head of white hair, he kept calling out "Brother Taibai, Brother Taibai" over and over again.

They wouldn't dare to act presumptuously in front of Li Bai. Li Bai might not care, but those who wanted to curry favor with Li Bai would be happy to teach them a lesson.

When Li Bai invited them, all the students who had participated in the imperial examinations agreed to attend the gathering.

There were thousands of students who participated in the imperial examinations, and even in Luoyang, few restaurants could accommodate so many people.

Therefore, Li Bai booked an entire area in the West Market of Luoyang, including several restaurants, to meet the demand and accommodate so many scholars.

After all the students were seated in the restaurant, the prepared food and wine were served one after another, and Li Bai then appeared.

Dressed in a white scholar's robe with a jade pendant at his waist, he was handsome and elegant.

Whenever he appeared in a restaurant, a loud cheer would erupt from the restaurant.

Hearing this, the people in the nearby restaurant couldn't help but feel tempted. Those by the window all looked out, while those inside tasted the delicious food and wine but found it tasteless.

"Fellow students, half a year ago, we gathered at the examination hall with hearts full of patriotism, only to be met with an empty list and suffer the humiliation and deception of powerful officials."

Fortunately, justice prevailed. The scholars of the Imperial Academy stood up and spoke out, exposing the treacherous minister's deception with a memorial detailing six crimes. The treacherous minister Li Linfu fell from power, and the Emperor, sympathizing with the grievances of the poor scholars, reorganized the imperial examination system and reopened the special examinations.

The preliminary examination has concluded today, and the exam papers are still being reviewed in Hengwen Hall. The list of successful candidates has not yet been released, and our futures remain uncertain.

Today, we have set up banquets on several floors. We will not discuss past disappointments or future gains and losses. I will go up to each floor and offer a small toast to everyone at each table.

May the examinations at Hengwen Hall be fair and just, allowing all talented individuals to realize their ambitions; may the court be peaceful and tranquil in the future, with no more obstruction of the path to virtue or attempts to whitewash the truth; and may we, whether or not our names are on the list, never forget our original aspirations to restore order to the country and to care for the common people!

Even though Li Bai called himself the "Immortal of Wine" and had an unparalleled capacity for alcohol, he still became quite drunk after being toasted cup after cup.

Finally, he was carried back to his own residence by his servants and slept for a full day before waking up.

"Brother Taibai is awake?"

Upon hearing the news, Du Fu and his companions rushed over and visited Li Bai in his room.

A maidservant fed Li Bai a bowl of soup. Li Bai rubbed his throbbing head and asked, "Have the students been properly settled?"

Li Bai asked the steward of the mansion.

The steward of the mansion was selected from the Prince of Yan's residence and was very capable.

"Don't worry, young master, everything has been arranged."

"Everyone was sent back to the post station that the imperial court had arranged for them."

Li Bai nodded and exhaled a breath of stale air.

This was the first time in his life he had drunk so much alcohol.

"Brother Taibai, you're awake?"

Gao Shi's voice came from outside the door, followed by greetings from the others.

"I'm fine now, just a little dizzy. I'll be fine after some rest."

Li Bai smiled slightly, had his maid help him up, and went with the others to the courtyard. The warm breeze made him feel much more comfortable.

"My teacher reformed the system for this imperial examination, making the names and honors anonymous, so the results will likely be released several days later than before."

"I plan to go out of the city to hide for the next few days to avoid anyone coming to my residence. I don't want to touch alcohol at all for the time being."

"Hahahahahahaha!"

"Who would have thought that even the most legendary drinker would eventually get tired of drinking!"

Du Fu joked.

Everyone laughed together. Li Bai rubbed his temples and said helplessly, "There were several thousand people. It was my own stubbornness that prevented me from listening to Brother Dafu's advice and insisting on offering a toast to each table."

"If only we had listened to Brother Dafu and toasted everyone on each floor, we wouldn't be in such a sorry state!"

"How much did I drink that day?"

Li Bai asked the crowd curiously.

The group exchanged glances, recalling Li Bai's madness that day, and couldn't help but feel a little uneasy.

Since Li Bai had already made a promise, he naturally had to stick to it to the end.

Gao Shi held up three fingers at him, "Three hundred cups!"

Li Bai: "..."

"Three hundred cups?!"

Li Bai exclaimed in surprise.

"I'm still alive? What a relief!"

"Brother Taibai, you should be more careful in the future. If it weren't for the Prince of Yan sending some pills, we probably wouldn't be able to see you again."

Gao Shi sighed, for he was genuinely worried about Li Bai's health.

Li Bai was silent for a moment after hearing this, then nodded. This time, he was indeed a little frightened.

"How about we compose a poem on the theme of Brother Li Bai drinking wine?"

Wang Wei suggested.

"How wonderful!"

Du Fu clapped his hands in praise, "Then I'll make a fool of myself."

"Li Bai could write a hundred poems after drinking a cup of wine, and he would sleep in a tavern in Luoyang."

"The emperor summoned him, but he refused to board the boat, proclaiming himself a wine immortal."

After a moment of contemplation, Du Fu slowly began to recite a poem.

Li Bai's eyes lit up; this poem touched his heart.

Before he was to enter the court, he devoted himself to the beauty of nature and was personally invited by Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, Li Longji, but he declined.

The description of him refusing to board the emperor's boat when summoned, and proclaiming himself a wine connoisseur, perfectly captures his state of mind at the time.

"The Immortal of Wine, wondrous, wondrous, wondrous!"

Li Bai praised it, and reached for his waist, but could not find his wine gourd, which he always carried with him.

"It's a pity I can't drink these days, otherwise I would definitely drink three big bowls!"

Li Bai said regretfully.

"Me too."

"I remember when we shared wine at the Liang Garden, you poured a whole jug and got drunk on the plains."

"Drunk, I wield my brush to scorn worldly affairs; in my heart, I harbor grand strategies to help those in need."

"The poem falsely claims three hundred cups, but in reality, I lie on the long street awaiting the dawn."

"Now that I'm going to the imperial examination again, I must not let fine wine ruin my grand plans."

Gao Shi's words revealed a lot of concern. Li Bai had drunk so much wine that he was unconscious for a whole day, which startled him.

This also serves as an opportunity to advise Li Bai against excessive drinking, emphasizing that alcohol consumption should be moderate and restrained.

Li Bai naturally understood the meaning in Gao Shi's poem, and felt a warmth in his heart.

"A thousand cups of barbarian wine from the frontier cannot compare to a single cup of your wine."

"People vie to recite three hundred lines, but who knows that a single jug of wine can bring intoxication in the capital?"

"With a heart full of strategies to save the world and uphold justice, his pen holds the stars and his family's pride."

"Wait until the results are announced and you rise to prominence; let us not waste the moment when we drink to celebrate this glorious era."

Cen Shen's poem is full of high spirits, praising Li Bai's amazing drinking capacity and talent, while also expressing his expectations and confidence in his own performance in the imperial examination.

Riding the wave of the imperial examinations to rise to the top, he used his talents to save the world and bring peace to the people!

Yuan Jie had briefly served in officialdom, and thus still harbors resentment towards the corrupt minister Li Linfu for manipulating the imperial examinations.

"In the past, the list of successful candidates in the imperial examinations was empty, and powerful ministers blocked the path for the virtuous."

"Your name is Chen Zhongce, and you sing a hearty song in indignation at your loneliness."

"Wine can soothe melancholy but cannot eliminate ills; I cherish the common people and await the holy dynasty."

"I only hope that the judges will uphold justice and not let talented scholars become like fishermen and woodcutters."