Rebel

Seeing Dian Bushi staring at him with a provocative look, Qiu Mu was slightly stunned, then sighed with some regret, glanced at Gu Ao, then at Dian Bushi, took a step back reluctantly and said: "...If that's the case, then I won't bother."

Dian Bu Shi saw Qiu Mu listened to his words, seemed to put away the unpleasant eyes just now, lowered his eyes, and gave way to Gu Ao's side to Dian Bu Shi.Dian Bushi watched Qiu Mu go, and then said angrily: "Is this embarrassing son mentally ill?"

Gu Ao turned around and took a few steps to sit on the couch, picked up the leg of lamb and handed it to Dian Bushi, and ate a piece himself: "While the wind and waves rise, sit firmly on the Diaoyutai, we come here, the most important thing is to do our own thing well."

Dian Bushi followed a few steps, took the mutton leg that Gu Ao handed him, and asked, "Brother, shall we watch the city defense tomorrow?" As he spoke, Dian Bushi gave Gu Ao the shochu he bought at the market Filled up a cup and pushed it in front of Gu Ao.

Gu Ao picked up the wine cup and took a sip, said: "You and I have traveled so many places, before we saw everything in the countryside, but I thought about it on the way out of the capital, so many things , there must be a key point, otherwise everything will have no clue."

"...What do you mean?" Dian Bushi has grown up a lot with Gu Ao these days, so he asked, "Don't we just look at the landforms, the grain and taxes?"

"...These are the general outlines," Gu Ao sighed, "The so-called cut-in outline just now, in terms of taxation, is nothing more than the relationship between landlords and tenant farmers, as well as landless farmers, depending on different people. Each occupies a few percent of the countryside; and the outline of military equipment cut-in, we still have to start in a more detailed way... Before we looked at it too roughly, the few counties we walked through earlier, we only knew the rich and poor in the counties, the grain production Geometry, population size, folk customs; but the likes and dislikes between landlords and peasants have not been thoroughly investigated, and soldiers are the same. We just watched the offensive and defensive trends, and we still remember the guards we met in Yingchuan County. What's the name of a poor family?"

Dian Bushi nodded: "I remember."

Gu Ao said: "In wartime and in peacetime, the promotion and positions in the military are different, and the Central Plains and Rong are also different. But for thousands of years, those who stabilize the north have determined the world. If we investigate the military, the focus is on the north. The former As Shi Chang said, there are indeed deep-rooted evils in the army, but I also want to see how the north is. From the south to the north, the fields and fields are still a little clear, but it is not easy to go deep between the army... When I first arrived here, Since this Mr. Chou is interested, why not take advantage of him and take a look at the army of the Northland tomorrow?"

Dian Bushi was stunned for a moment: "Just him? I don't like him, so it's fine to send him away today. Why do you want to watch the army together tomorrow?"

"...It's not him who really worries me." Gu Ao said slowly, "He's just the son of a lowly prince attached to the Yong family. I'm worried about Mr. Yong."

Dian Bushi was puzzled and said, "As for that young master who is talking nonsense, why should he worry?"

"Traveling in the capital for the past few days, I gradually realized that the name of Mr. Yong is so resounding in the family... Later I thought, after years of wars and chaos in the world, the artifacts have been changed, and I will appear on the stage after you sing, but it will make the family of the family feel so resounding. There are many people who don't think about making progress, and the atmosphere is getting worse, not to mention their own affairs. In the court, they quarreled over petty gains, and there were many fights for self-interest... But I heard that he always relied on his own ideas. However, he managed to unite the younger generations of the aristocratic families in the capital under his command and persuaded them to join Huben in order to revive the style of the aristocratic families. In this way, it may become a trend in the future..."

Dian Bushi nodded half-understanding: "...So that's the truth." Dian Bushi thought for a while, but returned to the original point, and said: "Anyway, I don't like embarrassing son!"

Gu Ao raised his eyebrows, scratched his head again without knowing Dian, and said, "It's comfortable to stay with Mr. Yu! I like Mr. Yu!"

Gu Ao laughed, and was about to make fun of his ignorance, but during the conversation, the Yu family's Anqu knocked on the door and came in: "My lord, I have your letter." As he spoke, he stepped forward and put a bamboo tube Offer your hands to Gu Ao.

Gu Ao took it in his hand, opened the bamboo slip, took out the folded silk cloth, and unfolded it by the candlelight. It turned out that it was a letter from Yu Junfan:

"Brother Gu Xunqi,

Jun Fan only found out recently that Young Master Yongchi had tried his best to invite Brother Gu to become an official in the capital, but Brother Gu declined politely.Mr. Junfan Guanyong thinks that the job of recruiting is an important place in the capital.If it is not sincere, how can we get rid of the meaning of wealth and honor?

This matter has been heard by many families in the capital, and they all falsely said that Brother Gu's eyes are higher than the top, but he is a fanatic from a poor family, and he advised all the families not to accept it.Jun Fan would like to hear about Brother Gu's original intentions and make plans for him. "

Gu Ao read the letter, so that Dian didn't know how to put a pen, ink, paper and inkstone in the luggage, and wrote back with a pen on the table:

"I dare not become an official in the capital. It's not because I entrust myself with greatness. There are three reasons. First, my family is poor, and when I become an official in the capital, I have no place to stand if I don't have a lot of gold. Third, I still have some students following me in Jiangqu, and if I become an official in the capital, it will be difficult for them to settle down. I also hope that Young Master Yu will be a lesson for me."

Anqu, who delivered the letter just now, went to sleep outside after handing in the letter. Gu Ao also saw that it was not early, so he handed the letter to Dian Bushi and said, "I will hand it to that person tomorrow..."

Dian Bushi nodded, accepted Gu Ao's reply letter, and asked curiously, "Is that a letter from Mr. Yu just now?"

Gu Ao nodded, and Dian Bushi said with some itch: "Can I have a look?"

"You see."

After reading the letter, Dian Bushi put away the letter, and said in his heart: "Brother didn't become an official in the capital, so that's the reason. I thought that brother didn't want to stay in the capital because he couldn't make decisions in the capital. At that time, the eldest brother always said that he was the same no matter where he was... It doesn't matter if he doesn't go to the capital..."

... I don't know Dian and I don't know why I think so, but I just instinctively feel: "No matter where the elder brother lives, he will naturally be the boss, and he can't live in the capital."

Gu Ao saw that Dian Bushi had put away the letter and was about to wash up and go to bed, so he also blew out some candles, leaving only one light in the hall.

Leaning on the cold couch in Beidi, Gu Ao couldn't help thinking that it was impossible for him to become an official in the capital, but why?

... The reason is only known to him. During those days in Shanyun Academy, he felt that he had found a direction that he was willing to fight for all his life; and staying in the capital for a long time would not only make him unable to advance bravely, but would also make him lose his true self. real roots.

The two were silent all night.

In the early morning of the next day, Gu Ao had just left the gate of the annex, and when he raised his eyes, he saw a very luxurious carriage lined up in front of the gate.

It was expected that someone would greet him, but what was surprising was that Mr. Qiu actually sat in the seat of the ruler, and when he saw Gu Ao coming out, he immediately smiled and said, "Brother Gu..." It turned out that Qiu Mu Gu Ao submitted the recommendation last night. After reading the letter over and over again, I was almost able to recite it backwards. The word "Gu Ao" has long been engraved in my heart, and now I opened my mouth: "Brother Gu, I have been thinking about it for a long time... even if it is just a few days, please write it down. I will be the ruler."

After saying that, Young Master Chou jumped out of the carriage, opened the door to Gu Ao and said, "Please get in the carriage!"

Gu Ao glanced at Qiu Mu, nodded with a smile, and boarded the car unceremoniously. Dian Bushi also got into the car behind him, and sat side by side with Gu Ao. Gu Ao said to Qiu Mu in front: "I want to Going to see the defenders of Yuyang County in the north of the city, does Mr. Qiu know the way?"

Qiu Mu nodded without hesitation, "I know!"

...Driving to the northernmost Yanmen, in the vast wilderness, the sun was getting late, Gu Ao looked all the way today, his frown never relaxed, and he thought: "This defense is too poor, not to mention the capital, Jiangqu is simply inferior to Hejian County..."

Although Qiu Mu was sitting in front of the carriage, he turned his head to observe Gu Ao's face from time to time. Seeing that Gu Ao's brows had not opened, he cautiously said: "...these are all relics from the past. It has been nearly 20 years in Yuyang County now. There has never been any trouble with soldiers, and today the son is on good terms with the Rong people...so there is no preparation for war here."

"You really think so?"

Qiu Mu is the worst at military affairs, seeing Gu Ao's questioning, he was a little confused at the moment: "This..."

In front of him is the Yanmen Pass Camp, Gu Ao said: "Stop the car..."

The car stopped, Gu Ao and Dian Bushi got out of the car together, looked at the surrounding terrain and the level of the garrison, couldn't help sighing a little worriedly, and walked towards the camp, Dian Bushi followed behind Gu Ao.

At this time, Qiu Mu also lost his car to the accompanying attendant, caught up with him a step, and said beside him: "Brother Gu, what do you want to eat tonight, I'll ask someone to prepare it?"

Gu Ao bowed and took a handful of soil from the Northland. He held it in his hand. The soil was dry and flowed across his fingertips like sand: "What do the soldiers eat here?"

Qiu Mu was slightly taken aback, the questions that Gu Ao asked him along the way, although he knew the basics, but he couldn't answer any of the questions that Gu Ao asked deeply...

If you ask him about Gong Shangjiao Zhengyu, or about the scenery, he can talk about it for a whole day and night, but he really doesn't know what the soldiers eat, looking at the handful of dirt in Gu Ao's hand, Qiu Mu is a little confused Dazed.

Gu Ao said: "If Mr. Qiu doesn't mind, I would like to eat with the soldiers in the camp today."

----

Riding on the east wind of Qiu Mu's responsiveness, Gu Ao walked into the real military camp for the first time... Qiu Mu ordered all the commanders in the camp to be summoned to accompany Gu Ao for dinner, but Gu Ao waved his hand and thanked him for his kindness. Together with Dian Bushi, he walked into the places where ordinary soldiers rested and ate, got into the group of the dirtiest and cheapest soldiers...

Mr. Chou watched from afar... He couldn't help taking a breath, in his eyes, those people were covered with lice and smelled bad, but Gu Ao sat with them on the thatched pile, and let him follow him The big man 'Huang Er' next to him poured wine for those people one by one. Those people thankfully held the best shochu in the Northland, raised their heads and drank it hurriedly, and the big man 'Huang Er' was beside him haha Laughing and pouring wine again, Gu Ao started chatting with everyone...

Qiu Mu stood looking at this scene from a distance, a little at a loss as to what to do.

At this moment, an enemy suddenly approached beside him, stepped forward, bowed and said: "Young master, there is a letter in the capital!"