Would You Like to Have a Drink

Chapter 12

As soon as the rules of the Ghost Valley were mentioned, it was inevitable that the meeting between the two would break up in disagreement again.

Regarding Yu Beizhou’s nonsense, Zong Luo didn’t bother to say a word, ignoring him to the end. Anyhow, he wouldn’t get a single ivory even in ten sentences that would come out of his mouth. When the time came, he got up and left. 

After the rebirth, Zong Luo’s purpose became very clear. There were only two things he had to do, one was to find out why he fell out of favor with the Emperor in his previous life, and the second was to seize the Crown Prince position.

Yu Beizhou and him were mortal enemies, and they have been hostile with each other  for a long time. Zong Luo never also compared himself against the protagonist of the original book, who’s journey was smooth sailing. After all, nevertheless he was also on a steady stride, but if he was a little careless, he would slip into the abyss of his previous life again.

*****

In the next few days, Zong Luo did not show up again at the Baijia Banquet.

Until the beginning of the hunting category, he stayed at the Confucian station. Every day, he would not go outside the door. He only brewed tea in the room. Occasionally, he would ask an attendant to carry a writing desk under the osmanthus tree in the yard, admiring the flowers and practicing with his sword.

In the previous years, the Baijia Banquet started with martial arts competition and ended with the debate category.

Martial arts and debate have always taken the longest time. Midway of this year coincides with the La Ri festival of the twelfth lunar month. Not only the civil and military officials, but also the students who participated in the Baijia Banquet were also invited in the Wu Temple to offer sacrifices to the gods and ancestors. This event was right after the end of the third category competition. It can also be regarded as an interlude in the middle of the Six Arts competition.

(t/n La Ri – Chinese folk traditional festival. This is a festival to worship ancestors, worship the gods and celebrate the harvest at the end of the ancient year. The La Ri is usually held in the last month of each year (the twelfth lunar month).

When Gu Ziyuan returned from the martial arts competition, the sun was just setting in the west.

“Brother Luo, have your eyes been more comfortable these two days?”

He looked at Zong Luo who seated himself right in front of a writing desk. He lifted the hem of his robe and sat on the ground, with undisguised concern in his words.

Zong Luo answered casually. “I feel more comfortable.”

“That’s good.” 

Gu Ziyuan breathed a sigh of relief. “The hunting competition is about to start. Brother Luo, you know that hunting lasts a day and a night, and even the horses have to be borrowed in advance. If one has any physical problems, it will definitely affect one’s performance.”

“If you really don’t feel well…..don’t force yourself, Brother Luo.”

Gu Ziyuan’s words were euphemistic enough.

In the early years, the Six Arts were not actually Six Arts, but the Seven Arts. There was no hunting, but only horse riding and archery. However, when horse riding and archery in Hu Fu became popular later, the two arts were neutralized and integrated into a hunting art, and its difficulty was also greatly improved. It would be hard even for ordinary people if they participated, let alone Gu Luo who was blind.

(t/n Hu Fu-Hufu is a general term for the clothing worn by the ancient Han people in the Xia Dynasty to the Hu people of all ethnic groups in the west and the north . Later, it was also called foreign clothing other than Han clothing. Hu clothing was quite different from the loose clothing in the Central Plains at that time. It was characterized by tight and narrow trousers, Guoluo belt on the waist, and belt hooks, which was convenient for riding and shooting activities.)

“Brother Ziyuan, don’t worry.”

Zong Luo smiled and said, “Perhaps the medicine of the senior medical sage has worked. According to legend, when the great sorcerer raised the dead, he turned his flesh into white bones. Didn’t he go through such piercing pain?”

Gu Ziyuan thought about it–seems to be the same. Therefore he felt reassured and said, “Brother Luo has always been stable and is wiser than his age, therefore he naturally understands the truth better than I do.”

“Right.” 

The Great Confucian picked up the tea, and seemed a little unaccustomed to the astringency of the un-fried tea dregs, and frowned.

“Recently, many disciples from the different schools have come to inquire about Brother Luo.”

“Oh?” Zong Luo remained calm.

“There are all kinds of questions, most of which were about the competition. There are also questions about which school or sect Brother Luo came from. Really, just a mix of people with good and bad intentions.”

Gu Ziyuan put down the tea cover. “Brother Luo, don’t worry, I’m very tight-lipped, and I won’t reveal any of this. I’ve also ordered the other Confucian disciples, so don’t worry.”

Zong Luo: “……”

He had no doubt now that Gu Ziyuan was really a pig teammate.

(t/n Pig teammate-refer to teammates who are as stupid as pigs; hold back the team)

In fact, Zong Luo expected that someone would come to inquire.

After all, he made such a big scene at the Baijia Banquet a few days ago. Pei Qianxue also met him face to face, not to mention the three princes.  If the appearance was similar, even the sound of the voice and the character, it was no doubt unusual. It would be strange if they didn’t send someone to inquire. Come, it was what Zong Luo’s heart desired. It would even be better to get the clues about his serious injury and amnesia from the Confucian disciples, so as to facilitate the next step.

Fortunately, although Gu Ziyuan was not familiar with the ways of the world, the other Confucian disciples were not so unclear.

Although the Confucian leader apparently appointed Gu Ziyuan to lead the Confucian team on this Great Yuan study visit, in fact, Zong Luo was the real leader of this team of Confucian disciples.

His death escape was too big, even if the Confucian leader was his Senior Martial Uncle, it was impossible to do charity for no reason and put the entire sect in a dangerous situation.

Therefore Zong Luo made a deal with his Senior Martial Uncle. If Confucianists strongly support his return to the Capital and provide unconditional help for the battle for the Crown Prince position. In the future, if Zong Luo inherited the great lineage, the Confucians will also get what they want and become a true scholar of state governance.

This kind of thing was not uncommon in other countries. The Hundred Schools of Thought seemed to be detached and refined, providing commoners with an opportunity to ascend to the sky. In fact, they were inextricably linked with the dignitaries of various countries, even the disciples cultivated from the Ghost Valley and Hermit Aristocratic Family. In fact, after each generation of disciples stepped out into the world and wandered in various places, all of them became good players in politics.

There was nothing wrong for the Confucians choosing this way.

After all, according to the general trend, the future of the Great Yuan was bright. The protagonist and the supporting characters gathered here together, with or without Zong Luo, in the future, they would sweep the six directions, the surrounding and faraway places and unify the Central Plains.

Zong Luo was a science student, and his history could only be considered acceptable.

“Would You Like to Have a Drink” was an overhead world. The level of productivity was not high. Similar to Greece, there had been such an era when various kinds of people rose, various schools of thought contended and philosophers appeared in large numbers. If he had to set a timeline for this fictional era, it might be in BC.

(t/n Overhead- without foundation)

I don’t know if the world in the book will be in line with the real world, but in reality, after discarding the dreg portions, Confucianism did have a profound impact on various dynasties.

Only after Zong Luo transmigrated inside the book did he understand how much of an empty talk the world peace he imagined was while staying in Ghost Valley. Under the tide of the great era, one person’s strength was meager. His future will only end up with the same fate as in his previous life if he looked at it arrogantly.

As a result, the reason why Zong Luo finally chose to cooperate with Confucianism was revealed.

In this group of people who came to Great Yuan to study, only Gu Ziyuan was unaware, while the other Confucian disciples had been given orders personally–to obey Gu Luo’s orders.

As for Gu Ziyuan….his Martial Uncle said that although Ziyuan had outstanding talent and read through works of sages and men of virtues, he had no experience in dealing with the world, just like a newborn child. If Zong Luo and Confucianism’s joint plan were to be disclosed in advance, people might see some clues from him, therefore they simply keep it a secret from him.

However, for this kind of objective, the point that should be mentioned still had to be mentioned. So Zong Luo said politely, “Ziyuan, revealing a little bit is actually fine.”

“Ah? Why?”

Gu Ziyuan opened his mouth in confusion, but halfway through speaking, he finally realized. “Okay.”

I don’t know what strange things this guy had in his head.

The expression on his face was a bit strange, he was looking embarrassed and he  blushed several times before he stammered, “Sorry, Brother Luo, it’s me who didn’t think about it.”

“Clearly, Brother Luo is not affiliated with the Confucian team. I always forget this.”

Gu Ziyuan’s expression looked very upset. “They came to inquire, maybe they were tempted to recruit. It was obviously a good thing for Brother Luo, but I screwed it up…”

Although what Zong Luo meant was not this, however–How did it come to this? In the end, he went around and came back to this meaning.

Therefore, Zong Luo didn’t say anything.

On the contrary, Gu Ziyuan was unhappy in his heart. He made tea for him silently, and repeatedly decided in his heart that if someone asked him next time, he would definitely boast Brother Luo into the sky and certainly find him a good home.

But Zong Luo really should also take action.

Hunting lasted a whole day and night, which required an extreme high endurance horse. If it was only used for riding, one only needed to pick a fast horse. But the ultimate determinant of the hunting competition was not speed, but the number of prey hunted.

Time, endurance, speed, archery accuracy, martial arts… these were the scope of the hunting arts. Most of the students would choose to borrow a horse that matches their character from the military barracks on the outskirts of the Capital. Many princes and nobles would also join in the fun. If one were to get their appreciation at the Baijia Banquet, they may even award you with a good horse.

Otherwise, there would not be so many students vying to emerge at the Baijia Banquet. But these were secondary, the most important thing was that now two of the princes seizing the Crown Prince position had progressed to a white-hot stage. This life, without any pretenses, Ye Linghan will still do anything possible to get ahead, Zong Luo must hurry up and cover up Zong Ruichen’s affairs before then.

****

The next day, Zong Luo got up early.

After he got up, he didn’t rush to go out first, but waited under the osmanthus tree.

Sure enough, after waiting for a while, a familiar figure appeared at the door.

Gongsun You stopped a Confucian disciple. Obviously, all the Confucian disciples knew this madman who was in the limelight at the Baijia Banquet on the first day, but was eventually defeated by Gu Luo. He suddenly became vigilant.

“Brother, what can I do for you?”

Gongsun You asked in a low voice, “The disciple named Gu Luo who lives in your station, is he feeling better today?”

In reality, after the first day of the Baijia Banquet, Gongsun You got up early the next day and went to Lanting Waterside Pavilion to wait early. He wanted to talk to Gu Luo for the second time. However, he waited till the sun went down, yet the blind gentleman didn’t appear.

On the third day, the same result again. Hence Gongsun You blocked a Confucian disciple, and learned from the other party that Gu Luo was ill and was unable to attend, and was recuperating in the Confucian station.

In the next few days, Gongsun You came to check in every day. Unfortunately, Gu Luo never showed up for the second time.

Now that the martial arts competition was about to start, the calligraphy only took a day, and the hunting was close behind. Gongsun You didn’t know what category Gu Luo applied for. Anyway, his martial arts bamboo slip had already been broken by himself, thus he took advantage of the free time to come to the Confucian station every day to hang out, and every day he blocked people to ask.

All the Confucian disciples got Zong Luo’s orders, therefore they naturally denied and shook their heads to all of his questions. Gongsun You was a little disappointed, and after asking repeatedly, he had no choice but to leave unwillingly.

After confirming that he was gone, Zong Luo turned around and asked the attendant.

“What day is it today?”