Would You Like to Have a Drink

Gu Ziyuan suddenly woke up from his sleep.

 

He sat up straight from bed, and was covered in cold sweat.

 

Since disregarding the advice of the Confucian students the day before yesterday and breaking into the Third Prince’s Mansion upon hearing the news, Gu Ziyuan had stayed here.

 

It’s just that Gu Ziyuan was diligent in his studies before and was lazy in learning martial arts. In addition, the bones in his body were already poor. As long as he was exposed to wind and cold, it wouldn’t be easy for the high fever to subside. Zong Luo felt guilty towards him, thus he invited him to stay in the mansion to recuperate, coincidentally, an imperial physician was present as well.

 

Anyway, the Third Prince’s Mansion was huge and powerful, and could still support Gu Ziyuan financially.

 

When Gu Ziyuan heard Zong Luo inviting him to stay, he stammered. “This is not good.”

 

After speaking, he felt a little regretful in his heart, afraid that Zong Luo would think that he meant to refuse.

 

Fortunately, Zong Luo was well versed in social rhetoric, so he didn’t care about Gu Ziyuan’s refusal. Instead, he invited him again, saying that there happened to be two imperial physicians in his mansion, and since they’re here, might as well let them take a look at him.

 

Gu Ziyuan breathed a sigh of relief, and agreed with a reddened face.

 

It just so happened that Zong Luo was also forced to stay in the mansion to drink medicine these two days and didn’t go out much.

 

Thus Gu Ziyuan sat in the small pavilion with a book with a stove every day, however, his mind was not on the book at all, but on the prince in white performing a sword dance under the plum blossom tree not far away.

 

Where the sword pointed, clusters of plum blossoms and snow fell one after another.

 

After several days of recuperation, Gu Ziyuan felt much better.

 

Most of the witchcraft medicine for treating common cold had a hypnotic effect, same as tonight. After the evening meal and taking medicine, Gu Ziyuan went back to the guest room early to rest.

 

Because the medicine had a hypnotic effect, he had been in a dreamless state these nights.

 

What Gu Ziyuan didn’t expect was, as his consciousness became hazy, he actually dreamed tonight.

 

In his dream, he was still a Confucian disciple, and he also won the top in calligraphy. After the Baijia Banquet, being full of high spirits, he decided to stay in the Great Yuan, and successfully entered the Zhaowen Pavillion that he previously wanted to enter.

 

Gu Ziyuan’s perspective followed himself moving in the dream, watching himself clean up the vast bamboo slips and books in the Zhaowen Pavilion. Every day, write history books for the previous dynasty, and occasionally turn on the lamp to read at night. His daily routine was extremely peaceful, very simple and unchanging.

 

Strangely enough, there seemed to be no Brother Luo in the dream.

 

Himself didn’t seem to know Brother Luo either.

 

He was full of curiosity, but the body in the dream was not under his control. He could only watch ‘Gu Ziyuan’ continue his ordinary and dull daily life.

 

Until one day, a former classmate invited him to a teahouse for a gathering. After three rounds of tea, they began to chat about the current situation around the Great Yuan’s Imperial City.

 

“The Imperial City is really not very peaceful today ah. After this gathering, it is unknown when we’ll be able to come out for tea next time.”

 

‘Gu Ziyuan’ finally asked curiously, “Why say that suddenly? Isn’t it very good recently ah. There has been no external war, and there is only one Wei Country left. The Great Yuan will pacify the world. This will be the first great achievement in a thousand years.”

 

“Alas, Brother Gu, you really don’t pay attention to the matters outside, and revising history books of the previous dynasty is only in the heart.”

 

The person continued, “It is indeed good externally, but now the Imperial City is in a state of anxiety, don’t you know? Ever since the Third Prince was sent to the border by His Majesty, the trend of seizing the crown prince position in the Imperial City has become increasingly serious. Previously, it was only the Fifth and the Sixth Prince, but now the Fourth Prince had also joined in. It was said that the King of Beining greatly appreciates him, but it is still unknown who will truly inherit the throne in the end. I think the Fourth Prince who joined last is quite promising.”

 

Third prince?!

 

Gu Ziyuan’s heart was pounding.

 

He wanted to speak, but he heard his own self involuntarily speak again, “Isn’t the crown prince of Great Yuan selected by the Witch Sacrificial Ceremony? I remember that the Witch Sacrificial Ceremony was held not long ago, why haven’t they designated a crown prince yet?”

 

“Today’s His Majesty’s thoughts, must not use ordinary people’s thinking to speculate.”

 

The classmate took a sip of tea, finally couldn’t hold back, stealthily glanced around, then lowered his voice quietly. “But this matter ah, there are many speculations among the public. Many people guess that it is in the Great Witch’s prediction of the fate of the country that day, that it was not the crown prince His Majesty truly desired, or predicted that there will be some changes in the seizing of the crown prince position in the future, thus simply pushing it back.”

 

‘Gu Ziyuan’ said thoughtfully, “So it turns out to be like this. When I was revising history books, I also saw the bamboo slips regarding the Great Yuan before. In the early days, it was not that there were no emperors who wanted to go against the prophecy of the Witch Sacrificial Ceremony and appointed their desired crown prince. Because of this, during the reign of Emperor Jing, Great Yuan was almost reduced to the point of annihilation, thus from that time onwards, the rules of the Witch Sacrificial Ceremony should be followed.”

 

“Isn’t it?” The classmate sighed. “I feel sorry for the Third Highness. When I was still studying, and was in dire straits, hungry and cold, and still in the north of the city, I received a favor from His Highness.”

 

“After the Third Highness was sent to the border, all the students in the Imperial City who had received His Highness’ favor stood outside the palace entrance for a day and a night, submitted a jointly signed letter, but from start to finish, there was no response. If it weren’t for that time, no one would have thought that His Highness has helped so many impoverished students before.”

 

As he spoke, he slapped the table viciously, and said something rebellious, “The current emperor is cruel and heartless, one day, all of these will come back on Great Yuan’s head.”

 

‘Gu Ziyuan’ didn’t speak.

 

In other words, he himself was not interested in this topic, after all he didn’t know the Third Prince at all.

 

A person whom he never crossed paths with.

 

However, the ‘Gu Ziyuan’ in the dream was completely indifferent, while the Gu Ziyuan who dreamed of himself was anxious.

 

He had already discovered that this was a dream, but no matter how hard he struggled, it’s a dream he could not wake up from. He couldn’t walk or move, and could only be forced to use his own body to observe.

 

In the middle, it was like a quick review of one’s life when he’s about to die.

 

Dreams were always like this. Obviously, one had experienced a lot in the dream, to an extent as to a very long and many years. But when waking up, people often only remembered the most important plot or a few sporadic parts.

 

The same went for Gu Ziyuan.

 

Waiting until another transition, it seemed to be another morning.

 

He walked out slowly from the Zhaowen Pavilion with the book in his arms, and happened to hear the ferocious voices of officers and soldiers outside.

 

“All go in! All go in! Not hearing the command, don’t go out at will, those who disobey the order will be beheaded!”

 

Those who revised history books here were all frail scholars. Presumably it was like this. The Great Yuan placed value upon martial arts, and those who could learn martial arts would generally choose more profit, places that had promising futures, instead of running here.

 

Thus everyone took a step back silently and closed the doors and windows properly.

 

Since it’s impossible to go out, ‘Gu Ziyuan’ walked to the numerous bookcases, took out a book, and began to read it at a leisurely pace.

 

Behind him, others were whispering.

 

“This, what’s goin on?”