bullyxtreme Chapter 88 Better to be a husband
Chapter 88 Better to be a husband
Although Minglan is quite skilled at pitch-pot, she still can't compare to Gu Tingye.
She wouldn't have won if Gu Tingye hadn't let her win.
Gu Tingye fell silent again, fully aware of the ultimate consequences of his actions.
Therefore, he was somewhat in the wrong in this matter.
"Brother-in-law!"
Just then, Sheng Changbai walked over hurriedly, holding a rolled-up map of the territory in his hand.
"Zecheng, why did you take out the map of the territory?" Zhou An asked in surprise.
"Many of my classmates from the academy live in my study. I was worried they might damage the map, so I took it down to return it to their rooms. Then I learned that Brother Feng was gambling with someone at a game of pitch-pot, so I rushed over!"
Sheng Changbai explained briefly, then hurriedly asked, "Brother-in-law, do you know that Brother Feng made a bet with someone in the game of pitch-pot?"
"It's all over now."
Zhou An raised his chin at Gu Tingye and said, "This is the man who made the bet with Changfeng at the pitch-pot game, Gu Erlang from Bianjing, courtesy name Zhonghuai!"
Gu Tingye bowed somewhat awkwardly and said, "My name is Gu Tingye, courtesy name Zhonghuai. Greetings, brother!"
Sheng Changbai glanced at him and said indifferently, "I've never been to Bianjing, but I've often heard that the sons of the powerful and wealthy there love to play with cats and dogs. Seeing it today, I can confirm that the rumors are true!"
Gu Tingye was even more embarrassed upon hearing this. It was true that he was a notorious playboy in Bianjing, but that was all because he was trying to get his father's attention by spiteful behavior.
Otherwise, if someone mocked him like that, he would definitely retaliate with insults.
Now that he was in the wrong, he could only swallow his anger after being told that by Sheng Changbai.
"Zecheng, you are a guest after all, you cannot be impolite."
Zhou An chuckled at Gu Tingye's embarrassed expression. After Sheng Changbai finished speaking, he said, "Let's go, let's sit in your courtyard for a while."
"Brother-in-law, please!"
Sheng Changbai glanced at Gu Tingye and gestured for him to leave.
Zhou An and Sheng Changbai walked ahead, while Gu Tingye could only follow behind.
The three of them arrived at the side courtyard, and Zhou An heard a commotion coming from the study.
"Brother-in-law, please come and sit in my room for a while."
Sheng Changbai did not take the two to the study, but led them to the flower hall.
Gu Tingye felt awkward and worried that Sheng Changbai would continue to mock him, so he took the initiative to start a conversation, saying, "Zecheng, could I take a look at your map of the territory?"
"hehe."
Sheng Changbai sneered, "How could a spoiled brat like you possibly understand?"
"What happened today was indeed my fault!"
Gu Tingye stood up, bowed deeply, and said, "I swear to God, I will never gamble with anyone again!"
Although Sheng Changbai was angry, his anger dissipated considerably when he saw Gu Tingye's sincere attitude.
"Zecheng, let him take a look. Zhonghuai comes from Bianjing, so his knowledge must be extraordinary," Zhou An said.
Sheng Changbai's understanding of many issues concerning the Great Zhou Dynasty remained superficial.
Of course, this is not his problem, but rather a consequence of his social status.
Sheng Hong was only a sixth-rank official, and given his shrewd nature, he naturally wouldn't say much about things that had little effect on the imperial examinations.
But Gu Tingye is different. Born into a noble family, he knows more about certain things than they do, even without deliberately seeking them out.
Sheng Changbai did not refuse and handed over the map of the territory.
Gu Tingye took it and unfolded it to read.
"This map shows the northern territory at the beginning of the founding of the People's Republic of China, and it is very different from the current map."
Gu Tingye looked at it for a while and then looked up, saying, "Although Zecheng has marked the current Zhou-Liao territory, some places are wrong. I've seen the latest map of the Zhou-Liao territory and can help you fill in the gaps as an apology!"
"Who exactly are you? How did you manage to see Zhou Liao's latest map of territory?" Sheng Changbai asked, frowning.
Gu Tingye is right; he did indeed mark the territory on the map based on some information he had learned.
The goal is to restore the true map of the Zhou-Liao border as accurately as possible.
After all, he was studying the map to simulate the situation on the border.
However, the information he received was all passed down from others, and it was bound to be somewhat distorted.
However, the latest territorial map is not something that ordinary people can access.
Even among officials in the capital, many were not qualified to have access to these things.
"My father is the Marquis of Ningyuan," Gu Tingye revealed his identity.
When Sheng Changbai heard that Gu Tingye was the son of the Marquis of Ningyuan, he suddenly realized.
Marquis Ningyuan was deeply trusted by the emperor and served in the Northwest Army in his early years, even serving as the commander-in-chief of the Northwest.
Although he has now returned to the capital, he still serves as the Vice Commander of the Left Battalion of the Western Suburbs Camp.
The Western Suburbs Camp was a military force that guarded the capital. Because they were all located in the western suburbs of Bianjing, they were collectively known as the Western Suburbs Camp.
In reality, it was divided into five major camps, each with a vice commander.
Gu Tingye's father was a high-ranking military officer, so it was quite normal for him to have access to the latest territorial maps.
However, he was only slightly surprised and did not show much emotion because of Gu Tingye's identity.
Gu Tingye glanced at Zhou An and saw that he felt the same way, which made him feel more appreciative of the two of them.
"I never expected that Zhonghuai would come from a marquis's family, and that your father was the famous Marquis of Ningyuan."
Zhou An smiled and said, "Back when the Great Zhou was at war with the Western Xia, Marquis Ningyuan was ordered to support Lingzhou. He was ambushed en route, but managed to defeat the enemy army decisively. He is truly admirable!"
"I am paid by the emperor, and my duty is to be loyal to him."
Gu Tingye wasn't particularly proud of this, and was even reluctant to mention it, saying, "Although I had my reasons for what happened before, it did indeed have some negative impact on the Sheng family. Although completing the map of the territory is still not enough to atone for my sins, it makes me feel a little better. I would be grateful if someone could fetch me some writing materials."
"No!"
Sheng Changbai shook his head and said, "I'm just studying it casually. The latest map of the territory is related to the safety of the north. If you complete it and the news leaks out, it won't be good for the court or for either of us!"
"That's right!"
Zhou An nodded and said, "Although the possibility is small, it concerns the safety of the border, so we must be cautious. Zhong Huai, why don't you tell us about the current situation in the North and Northwest?"
"If it weren't for your reminders, I would have almost made a terrible mistake!"
From childhood to adulthood, Gu Tingye had seen many maps of the Great Zhou Dynasty in his father's study, but he didn't find them particularly interesting.
After hearing what the two of them said, I also felt that it was somewhat inappropriate.
Upon hearing Zhou An's suggestion, he pondered for a moment and then gave a detailed account of the border situation between the Great Zhou and Liaoxia.
Some of what he said, Sheng Changbai had mentioned before, but Gu Tingye's explanation was more detailed.
He also said many things that Sheng Changbai had not said, giving the two of them a deeper understanding of the situation on the northern and northwestern borders.
As he got excited, Gu Tingye said, "Why shouldn't a man carry a Wu hook and reclaim fifty prefectures beyond the passes! I don't know if I'll ever have the chance to lead troops to recover the sixteen prefectures of Yan and Yun!"
Upon hearing this, Sheng Changbai shook his head and said, "Joining the army cannot save the Great Zhou, much less recover the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun!"
Gu Tingye frowned upon hearing this and said, "Better to be a centurion than a scholar! If joining the army can't recover the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun, does that mean studying and passing the imperial examinations will make it possible?"
In the past, Emperor Taizu wanted to redeem the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun with money and established a sealed treasury. He sent envoys to Liao many times, but no one could persuade Liao to return the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun!