Would You Like to Have a Drink

Chapter 5.1 

Mu Yuanlong’s words silenced the Xuan Cavalry.

For a while, there was nothing but the sound of rain falling from the sky and the howling wind that occasionally whisked the fallen leaves off of the ground.

They were standing under the pouring rain. The chilly rain water streamed horizontally from the crest of the helmet gear to the lower jaw, then down across the breastplate, cleansing the black iron armor as it flashed with a frigid light.

“General Mu, His Highness… he has already…”

The captain opened and closed his mouth several times in a row. His voice was dry, his throat was blocked and he couldn’t say a word.

“Yeah.” Mu Yuanlong smiled bitterly, “I was a little bewildered.”

Right. If His Highness was still here, would they still be unable to take even a single Nanliang?

He threw one last gaze while holding the reins. The white figure beneath the eaves, veiled by the rain curtain, vanished. Like the flower in the mirror and moon in the water, an illusion of a boundless autumn moon.

(t/n the flower in the mirror, and the moon in the water- Originally refers to the flexible and elusive artistic conception in the poem, and later refers to an illusory scene.)

Just like in that dream, he lured the enemy to go deep alone, and finally resolutely put the sword across his neck.

Mu Yuanlong turned his head, gave a low command, and thumped the protruding belly of the horse to move forward.

With the sound of horses’ hooves stepping on the rain, the well-trained light cavalry finally disappeared at the end of Zhuque Avenue.

Not far away, Zong Luo, who was watching them galloped away through the door of the bookstore, quietly pulled the white silk up, covered his eyes again, and stood back without saying a word.

Now was not the time, at least not after the first step of the plan was destroyed by Yu Beizhou….

He can logically reappear in front of the Xuan Cavalry, but not right now, otherwise Emperor Yuan will be suspicious.

On the way back, Gu Ziyuan kept talking to him, looking very excited.

“Just now, I bought several kinds of famed papers, the ones with plum patterns, a peach blossom paper, and a narrow paper with rib, sprinkled with beautiful gold powder. Brother Luo, what do you want?”

(t/n Rib, Chinese word, pinyin is luó wén, refers to the swirling pattern or water pattern. Also refers to fingerprints.)

Zong Luo somewhat got a headache from his blabbering. “Ordinary is fine.”

“I understand.” Ziyuan immediately showed a knowing smile. “I chose all the colors that were simple and elegant. I also brought an incense from the Confucian Han Lu. After Brother Luo is done writing on it, give it to me and I’ll smoke it with the incense.” 

Zong Luo took the ridge paper. After thanking him, he turned around and placed it on the desk inside his room. The oil lamp dimly shone on the table, casting deep and shallow shadows around it.

Outside the window sill, the rain was still falling, pitter-patter, hitting the window with a slight force. The flames burned for a long time, and finally went out shortly after nightfall.

That night, Zong Luo had a very long dream.

He dreamed of his past.

In the beginning, he was just an ordinary new postgraduate tutor, who worked diligently in research every day and led students at the same time.

One day, after reading the students’ unintelligible papers, Zong Luo slumped on the chair, turned on his mobile phone as usual, and was going to find some online novels for entertainment.

Then he clicked on the “Would You Like to Have a Drink” series.

The narrative was fascinating. It effectively encapsulates the crux of the story. It depicts the story of a merciless hero who was beloved by tens of thousands. He rose from a prince of an aristocratic family of the Wei Country, turned his hands into the clouds and covered the rain with his hands among the seven countries. His power was immense. Finally, he usurped the throne, and successfully unified the Central Plains.

(t/n Turning one’s hand over for cloud and covering one’s hand for rain, pinyin fān shǒu wéi yún, fù shǒu wéi yǔ- describes people who are capricious or accustomed to playing with power.)

Zong Luo read the comments and discovered that the author was still serializing and had published only 40 chapters. The plot had recently been modified to the point where the main character had been crowned Emperor. But so far, the author has not revealed the identity of the true CP. There were a lot of fan wars in the comments, neither side was superior, and many supported the final MP’s decision. Many fans even chastised some other protagonists’ supporters for merely being powder fans.

However, the most important thing was that this protagonist was still a beautiful, strong and miserable character who was more intelligent than a demon.

Beauty was the standard configuration of a leading role of  ten thousand fans. To be able to attain power and usurp the throne in troubled times, naturally, there’s nothing much to say. It was said that he had suffered from a serious illness since childhood, and that he couldn’t control the urge to self-mutilate every night of the full moon. Although it was not stated in the story, viewers in the comment section had already produced essays on their own initiative.

Glancing at the latest chapter, even if the story was only up to 40 chapters, Zong Luo was immediately hooked.

But because he had to get up early the next day and continue to write the materials for an application, he had to go to bed early tonight. He made a point of only reading 3 chapters then afterwards, put the phone down to go to sleep. 

And then this sleep was one he struggled before finally falling asleep.

When he woke up again, he found out that he had transmigrated inside the incomplete story and even became a damned cannon fodder in the first chapter of his appearance.

Great Yuan was the country that finally successfully unified the Central Plains in “Would You Like to Have a Drink”, and it was also a hotbed for the protagonist to realize his ambition and conspiracy to usurp the throne.

When he transmigrated, Zong Luo became Third Prince of Great Yuan.

When the Third Prince of the Yuan Dynasty was born, the current Emperor Yuan was still only a prince, and the strength of Great Yuan was far less powerful. The most powerful country at that time was the Wei Country right after its implementation of political reform.

Therefore, under the pressure of the Wei Country’s army, the Third Prince, who was still under one year old, was forced to leave the Imperial City and go to the Wei Country to serve as a hostage.

Growing up as a child with a proton identity in a different country, one can imagine how difficult life must be. 

(t/n Proton identity, taken from Proton Diplomacy- Emperors and warlords sent their children, wives and other close family members abroad, mainly to hostile countries, forming a strategic diplomatic compromise. Proton diplomacy is an important diplomatic strategy in ancient China, which originated in the Spring and Autumn Period. It is generally seen in small countries expressing their surrender to big countries, and from then on diplomatically, they are subject to enemy countries everywhere.)

Fortunately, despite the hardships of life, there was an aristocratic family in the Wei Country, who was betrothed to the royal family, willingly receive them in private and surrender to the Great Yuan, so that he, the Third Prince of the Yuan Dynasty, would not starve to death in a foreign country.

In addition to being grateful, the Third Prince got acquainted with the son of the noble family, Yu Beizhou.

As the protagonist, Yu Beizhou, who was loved by the heavens and had a halo of admiration from the tens of thousands of people, was naturally also of noble birth. In terms of biological relations, he was likewise the Crown Prince of Wei’s cousin. With such a prominent background, he did not mind the status of the Third Prince at all. So the two hit it off at first sight and became good friends who talked about everything.

But, because “Would You Like to Have a Drink” was a danmei novel, and the protagonist had the halo of “as long as he is a person, he would fall in love with me,” it was natural for the Third Prince to harbor a hazy infatuation for Yu Beizhou.

Zong Luo:”………” This tutor felt very puzzled. 

No, they are only seven years old, is it reasonable to think about romance so early!

I don’t know if it’s reasonable or not, but that’s what the author wrote anyway.

Not only that, but it was also written in “Would you Like to Have a Drink”, that when Yu Beizhou and the Third Prince once went out together, they were spotted by the wandering master of the Ghost Valley, and wanted to accept the two as his closed disciples.

Beizhou readily agreed, but the Third Prince was unable to do so due to various reasons, so the two had to part ways and agreed to meet again after ten years.

Ten years later, Yu Beizhou started his apprenticeship and embarked on the road of stirring up the situation among the seven countries. 

His first act was to effectively use his childhood playmate’s proton status to incite strife between Wei and the Yuan Country. He poisoned the Third Prince himself and framed others. He wiped down the massive aristocratic Yu family with minimal effort and clever strategies. He personally destroyed the clan that gave birth to him and withdrew. From an outsider’s perspective, it looked like a major catastrophe.

The poor Third Prince in the original text was thinking about his little bamboo horse. He didn’t go back when Great Yuan sent someone to pick him up several times. He just wanted to wait for Yu Beizhou and see his only good friend one last time. 

(t/n Bamboo horse are used to describe the beautiful childhood feelings between men and women)

It was indeed the last time, after all, he was poisoned to death after finally meeting each other.

Until his death, the Third Prince did not know that Yu Beizhou had never regarded him as a bamboo horse. He was used as a stepping stone that was thrown away when he was done with it. The first chapter can’t be pushed past, so it served as the stepping stone for the spring of hatred for Zong Lou.

When reading the text that night, Zong Luo didn’t think there was anything wrong with this, and even sighed that the protagonist was as ruthless as the author said. Very charismatic!

Now that he was dressed up as this cannon fodder, he can’t wait to buy a train ticket to escape this planet overnight.

Although he had only read a few chapters, thanks to the comment area. Zong Luo was very aware of the true character of the protagonist of “Would You Like to Have a Drink”, and the meaning of “this is not a good person” was revealed between the lines.

In the book, Yu Beizhou was skilled at manipulating powers in court and calculated people’s hearts. He was unscrupulous. He would do anything to achieve his goals and he would do things according to his preferences. Even close family members agree. His entire being was insane and in a state that could not be treated by any medicine.

Just like this, there were so many people in the book who have followed him forward, swearing allegiance to the death, helping him to seek power and usurp the throne, and change the dynasty, without asking for anything in return.

By the time Zong Luo transmigrated inside, the Third Prince was already seven years old and had already officially met Yu Beizhou. It was the time where the two got along very well together and often went out to play together when they had nothing to do.

After Zong Luo found out, he wished he could draw a clear line with Yu Beizhou that night. So in the next month, whenever Beizhou came to find him, he had his servants avoid him, or pretend to be still in bed.

It was hard counting the days and waiting for that opportune date. Zong Luo secretly went out with his baggage and arrived at the place where the Ghost Valley master appeared in advance according to the location written in the book. 

Sure enough, Zong Luo met the master himself there, and the other party also wanted to accept him as a disciple, just as what was written in the book.

“This humble servant is from the Ghost Valley. I had observed the stars last night, and had the intuition that I should head West. Sure enough, I was not wrong.”

The middle-aged Taoist threw out three copper coins, lowered his eyes, and said with satisfaction. “I see that you have excellent bones. You are a martial arts prodigy and you have an extraordinary destiny ahead of you. You are without lofty aspirations and can determine right from wrong. Would you like to worship me as a teacher and devote yourself to 10 yrs of painstaking cultivation?” 

Everyone knew that the Ghost Valley Master traveled around the world all year round, and his whereabouts were uncertain. Even the greatest sorcerer can’t figure out where he was, saying that it was covered by heaven and cannot be leaked or it would be like a confirmation of the reality of a fantasy. 

Zong Luo remembered the reason why the Third Prince in the book refused to be a disciple. It was because he didn’t want to make his father and brother worry far away in Great Yuan. However, now that he had become the Third Prince, and his life was about to die. Who would still care about this? He immediately knelt on the ground and kowtowed. Without looking back, he left the Wei Country with the Ghost Valley master.

The master himself was an all-rounder, and so were his disciples. He can recite poetry, kill the enemy in battle, manipulate the world chess game while talking and laughing, and travel all over the seven countries. 

Furthermore, Zong Luo’s bones were unique, and he was an adult behind the shell, not to mention he was carrying the wisdom of future generations. He was intelligent and quickly picked up on everything, which made the Ghost Valley master, who loved talents, taught him without any reservation.

It just so happened that Zong Luo was also very interested in the world inside the book, not to mention that there was a slightly mysterious setting in “Would You Like to Have a Drink”, there existed a wizard island and there was Qinggong and internal force. Although a sword can not open mountains and rivers, it had no problem splitting a wall.

Just study hard, maybe you can find a way to return to reality.

Just when Zong Luo was studying the six arts, thinking that he had escaped his inevitable death, he did not expect that the next year, the master would suddenly bring a young boy in red to him.

(t/n Six arts- learn etiquette, music, archery, horsemanship, calligraphy, and numbers.)

“This is your junior brother and the last closed disciple this Master will take. His name is Yu Beizhou.”

The Ghost Valley master beckoned. “Come on, call him Senior Brother.”

“Jin Yu! It’s great that you’re alright.”

The little boy stuck his head out from behind and gave him a sweet smile. “The Yu family and the two countries have been looking for you, but they couldn’t find you, so you are here all this time!”

Zong Luo’s face was cold.

Logically speaking, table characters should be given along with the coming-of-age ceremony, but the Third Prince left his hometown when he was young. If he stayed, the crowning ceremony would have to be held in the state of Wei. That’s why when he left the Great Yuan, he was already given a table character.

(t/n Table characters- are names other than the real name that express virtue or the meaning of the real name. Also called secondary personal names.)

Because the Third Prince admired Yu Beizhou so much, he naturally told him his character.

The master clasped his hands behind his back and said, “The etiquette cannot be ignored. Even if you know each other before, you still have to abide by the rules after entering the door.”

“Ah…Okay.” So “Xiao Beizhou” had no choice but to be good and behave well.  

In the book, it was written that in the early stage, in order to restrain his wings, Yu Beizhou disguised himself with a harmless appearance, and it was precisely by relying on this camouflage that he deceived the Third Prince and let the latter dig his heart and liver for him.

(t/n Dig the heart and dig the liver, Chinese idiom , pinyin is wā xīn tāo gān, which means to be very kind to a person, to be kind to him wholeheartedly)

But no matter what, Zong Luo was a little relieved that he was a generation older.

After that, the entire Ghost Valley became lively. 

Although Yu Beizhou was cruel by nature, he was still young, and most of the time, as described in the novel, it was largely him disguising himself. But, on the other hand, he had an exquisite appearance, a sweet mouth and can talk very well, and it had never been a disadvantage to please others. Furthermore, the original attribute of “having tens of thousands of people’s attraction” was still there. Therefore, in just a short period of time, the entire Ghost Valley was captured by this sweet and beautiful little junior brother, except for Zong Luo.

Zong Luo not only did let himself be fooled by this, but also treated him lukewarm and extremely cold. In the beginning, Yu Beizhou would still pretend to be a white lotus flower and every day he would intentionally meet him by chance. One day, he caught up to him–

-why did you leave without saying goodbye at first? Why were you suddenly so cold, and what did I do to make Jin Yu unhappy?

Annoyed by the noise, Zong Luo swiftly remarked, “Only friends can call each other by their secondary personal names. You and I have not yet reached our coming of age ceremony, and we are both martial brothers. This time is different from the past, so the names should also be changed.” 

Then he admired the whole process of the twisting and changing of Yu Beizhou’s perfect mask that it could barely even hang on. 

In the end, he was still young, and his attainment in Tao skills and abilities was still shallow. Since that unhappy breakup, Zong Luo has not seen Beizhou for a long time. 

The latter must have also realized that the other party might already know something, and secretly tried to test it. However, Zong Luo only made a cold face when he stumbled or met an obstacle several times, and eventually, came to Beizhou’s door for a fight.

After the two fought with their bare hands in the valley, Beizhou finally let go of the pretentious disguise, and the two reached a settlement.

On the surface, they treated each other like normal martial brothers, but they played tricks behind each other’s backs. Of course, Zong Luo always had the upper hand.

No matter how talented Beizhou was, he was still a little kid, and no matter how powerful he was in the future, it was still in the future. Zong Luo was a dignified tutor, who was upright and selfless and awe-inspiring. If he asked to change the graduation thesis tonight, the students would never dare to delay it until the next day. Where can’t Zong Lou handle such a naughty boy?