The colors in the dream seemed particularly dim and desolate.
This was a season where winter and spring intersected.
Almost as soon as he entered the dream, Gongsun You reacted.
He didn’t dream often, but whenever he did, they were almost always lucid dreams, the kind where he could control his own dreamscape.
But this dream seemed particularly real.
He stood atop a high city wall, with dark clouds pressing down in the distance, flashing with layers of lightning. Anyone who understood the signs of the sky could tell at a glance that a storm was about to come.
Like him, countless people stood here, all gazing into the distance, their faces hesitant or uncertain.
Gongsun You swept his gaze over the faces of these people around him without a trace, surprised to find that their facial features were all properly placed on their faces, clear-cut, with no blurred boundaries.
Usually, when he dreamed, the strangers he saw in his dreams mostly had blank faces. However, the people in this dream all had facial features, and some faces were even ones that Gongsun You had seen before, such as Duan Junhao, the grand commander of the Imperial City Garrison, and the old general who had not come out of the mountain for a long time, whom he had only seen from a distance once.
With just a casual glance, he saw no less than two or three forces vying for the throne.
On ordinary days, the people of the Sixth Prince and the Fifth Prince, who were at odds with each other, Zong Chengsi’s wine and meat friends, and even saw the Ninth Prince, Zong Hongjiu. (TL: wine and meat friends-brothers in debauchery)
Even if it was a dream, such a group of people could not possibly gather on the city gate of the Imperial City.
Gongsun You muttered in his heart, and suddenly heard “himself” speak.
“Everyone, what’s the news?”
Immediately, a general in armor said, “Gongsun Daren, the scout reported yesterday that the Third Prince was inexplicably ambushed on his way back to the city, and only a few hundred people broke through the encirclement. They should be arriving soon.”
Gongsun You remembered this warrior.
Previously at the Qing Si, he had been following the Fifth Prince, and should be a vassal of the Fifth Prince.
“Has the Fifth Prince still not spoken?”
This time, the old general who had been closing his eyes to rest on the side finally spoke, “My presence here is enough to represent the attitude of the Fifth Highness.”
The city wall quieted down again.
Although the old general had not asked about things for a long time, his accumulated prestige was still there, and his mansion also represented the Dingbei Army, so no one wanted to add more discord.
“If the Third Highness knew that so many people were welcoming his return, he should be very happy.”
Upon hearing this, ‘Gongsun You’ responded in a sarcastic tone. The others just looked straight ahead, minding their own business.
Gongsun You was secretly shocked in his heart.
He was now nothing more than an unknown strategist following behind Zong Chengsi. However, in the dream, it seemed like he had quite a bit of power. Just a few casual remarks, and several forces were giving him looks, as if they all considered him one of their own.
After a while, the old general finally said, “Instead of worrying about the Fifth Highness, Gongsun Daren might as well worry about himself. Whether this move has been approved by the Sixth Highness.”
The Sixth Highness? What does this have to do with the Sixth Highness? Could it be that in the dream, he was a strategist of the Sixth Highness’s line?
This statement seemed aggressive, but in fact, it was just labeling the ‘Gongsun You’ in the dream.
Gongsun You felt that this dream was extremely strange, so much so that he was completely confused.
He didn’t know what this dream represented, but he instinctively felt it was important and began to analyze the situation in the dream.
“General Wei must be joking. If the Sixth Highness did not agree, I would not be here.” The ‘Gongsun You’, standing with his hands behind his back, laughed, “Besides, Young Master Ye will come in person later, his attitude need not be said by me.”
“Young Master Ye!” Someone on the side gasped.
The previously restless crowd suddenly quieted down.
Gongsun You listened attentively, only to hear them whispering, with voices mixed with phrases like “the Wei Country Proton Ye Linghan”, “the hound of the King of Beining”, “originally thought that only three princes were involved, didn’t expect this one to also get involved”.
Soon, Gongsun You distilled the key points.
The Fifth prince, Sixth Prince, and the Fourth Prince actually joined forces, seemingly wanting to do something big. There also seemed to be the involvement of the King of Beining.
In order to facilitate the big event, they invited many unrelated officials.
That’s right, many of the officials on the city wall didn’t know what was about to happen, and only the confidants of the three princes knew the truth.
Although they each had their own positions on ordinary days, their influence was undeniable, let alone when they joined forces. Gongsun You knew well that they could only stand together for a common interest or a common enemy.
In the dream, Ye Linghan represented the faction of the King of Beining, and he was the strategist of the Sixth Prince. It was unknown what the Fifth Prince’s attitude was, and the old general was the one who came forward.
Of course, whether this ‘Gongsun You’ was truly loyal to the Sixth Prince was still up for debate. He knew his own nature and was more inclined to believe that he had a foot in each force, but the one he was truly loyal to was someone else.
Moreover, with so many people gathered together, there was one person missing.
Gongsun You suddenly had a bad feeling in his heart.
With so many princes, there wasn’t his Lord, could it be…
Before he could figure out why, a eunuch’s voice came from afar.
“Prime Minister Pei has ordered, close the city gate quickly! No one is allowed to enter!”
As soon as these words came out, the officials were in an uproar.
“Prime Minister Pei would actually issue such an order.”
“Alas, it seems that the Third Prince really has lost His Majesty’s heart, it’s been two years now.”
“But wasn’t Prime Minister Pei originally from the Third Prince’s party, and even a close friend of the Third Prince. Now that His Majesty is bedridden, he treats his former friend like this, it’s really chilling.”
‘Gongsun You’, who had just been confident of winning, had a calm expression, as if he had anticipated this.
Gongsun You was burning with anxiety, straining his ears to listen to the voices of others.
After piecing together various pieces of information, he finally managed to piece together some fragments.
In the dream, the Witch Sacrificial Ceremony had already been held, and something unexpected happened during the ceremony. Emperor Yuan was furious and had been dragging on for two years without appointing a successor. Later, he even sent the Third Prince to the border, where he stayed for two years.
