The life swap begins with Consort Hua becoming Lady Qin.

The aroma of tea wafted through the Gu residence.

Bai Ye put down his teacup and couldn't help but praise repeatedly, "Brother Gu's method is truly ingenious."

He counted on his fingers: "One plan that not only taught Li Wei a lesson, but also saved the young lady of the Wei family, and incidentally destroyed the entire brothel. From the madam to the hangers-on, no one got away with it. Even if Zhuge Liang were alive today, he probably wouldn't have achieved this."

Gu Tingyu sat opposite him, wearing a plain-colored outer robe, his expression still indifferent.

Faced with Bai Ye's praise, he only smiled lightly: "Not at all, it was merely a treacherous scheme of using someone else to kill; how could it compare to the legendary prime minister?"

He had barely finished speaking when he lowered his head and began to cough, the coughing becoming more and more urgent.

The curtain was quickly lifted.

A slender figure hurried in, carrying fresh tea in her hands. She skillfully handed it to Gu Tingyu and then reached out to pat his back, her eyes filled with anxiety and heartache.

Gu Tingyu finally recovered, took the tea to moisten his throat, and gently pushed the other person away, saying softly, "I'm fine, you can go out first."

The woman paused for a moment, but didn't say anything more. She just gave Gu Tingyu a resentful look and finally left reluctantly.

Bai Ye sat to the side, keeping his eyes down and pretending he hadn't seen anything.

After the curtain fell, the room became quiet again.

Bai Ye then frowned and looked at Gu Tingyu, unable to help but ask, "Have you seen any doctors about your health? What did they say?"

Gu Tingyu lowered his eyes, his expression somewhat gloomy.

After a moment, he gave a self-deprecating laugh: "I was born with a weak constitution, and this is how it will be for the rest of my life. No matter how good the medicine is, or how hard I try to treat it, there won't be much improvement. If I don't die young and my grandmother doesn't have to bury me, I'll consider it a mercy from heaven."

Bai Ye frowned even more deeply.

Gu Tingyu seemed unwilling to talk about this anymore and quickly changed the subject: "Let's not talk about me anymore."

He picked up a scroll from beside the table and handed it to Bai Ye.

"I know you will be setting off soon. I am burdened by this wretched body, and ordinary people look down on me because of my humble background. So, all these years, you are the only friend who does not despise me. I am giving this to you, hoping you have a safe and smooth journey. When you return, may you soar to great heights."

Bai Ye took it, initially out of curiosity.

But when he unrolled the scroll, his eyes lit up.

It turned out to be a map of the Liao Dynasty.

The map not only marks Liao Dynasty cities, mountains, and waterways, but also includes numerous small annotations. It marks where horses were abundant, where tribes lived together, where winters were particularly harsh, and where markets frequently traded with Song merchants. While not entirely accurate, its comprehensiveness alone reveals it was no random sketch.

Bai Ye was so surprised he could barely contain himself: "Where did this come from?"

Gu Tingyu chuckled, "You know, before my family fell into decline, it was once a founding marquis's mansion. My ancestors truly fought in the north, and many travelogues and handwritten letters were left behind. I'm frail and don't go out often, so I can only stay at home reading, and before I knew it, I had read all of these. I know the important thing you're thinking about, and I wanted to do something for you. After much thought, I made this. I just hope you don't mind."

"How could I possibly dislike it!"

Bai Ye's affection was almost palpable.

He looked down at the map in his hand, then at Gu Tingyu in front of him, a rare seriousness appearing in his eyes: "Don't worry, I will keep this map safe! If I see anything on the way, I'll tell you it's true, and if there are any discrepancies, I'll correct them for you. When I return, I'll send it to my uncle. If there are any rewards, you'll definitely be among them."

Gu Tingyu breathed a slight sigh of relief, but he also admired Bai Ye's magnanimity even more.

He stood up, bowed slightly, and said softly, "Thank you."

Bai Ye accepted it openly and honestly.

The two chatted for a few more minutes, but Gu Tingyu was exhausted. In the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, he looked visibly tired, so Bai Ye simply got up to say goodbye.

Gu Tingyu personally escorted him to the courtyard gate.

Bai Ye had initially intended to tell him not to see him off, but seeing his insistence, he didn't say anything more, simply clutching the scroll map tightly. As he left, he turned back and smiled, "When I return, I'll show you the real scenery of the North."

Gu Tingyu stood in front of the door and smiled slightly: "Okay."

Holding the map, Bai Ye left the Gu residence with light steps, but instead of going home, he went straight to the Bai family.

As soon as he entered, he ran excitedly into the inner courtyard, his voice carrying far and wide: "Grandfather! Grandfather! Look what treasure I've got!"

Grandpa Bai was drinking alone in the courtyard.

He lay on the recliner, with a pot of wine and two small dishes on a small table next to him, his legs crossed and swinging back and forth, looking extremely comfortable.

Hearing Bai Ye's loud shouting, he didn't even bother to lift his eyelids, and just slowly said, "What kind of treasure could you possibly have? Did you just win some junk from some brothel again?"

Bai Ye rushed over in three strides and spread the map out in front of him: "Take a look first."

Grandpa Bai then slowly opened his eyes.

He had only glanced at it casually, but once he saw the contents of the picture clearly, his swinging leg slowly stopped.

Old Master Bai sat up straight, reached out and took the map, examining it carefully for a moment. The laziness on his face gradually faded, replaced by genuine surprise:

"Where did it come from? How much did it cost?"

Bai Ye smiled smugly: "I didn't spend any money."

Old Master Bai looked up: "Who did this?"

"Gu Tingyu".

Old Master Bai paused, looked up at Bai Ye, then slowly put the map down, leaned back in his recliner, and resumed his leisurely demeanor.

"I remember telling you last time about the connection between his parents and our family."

Bai Ye scoffed and sat down on a chair next to him. "You said it yourself, that's a matter of the previous generation. In the end, my mother didn't remarry, did she? Your millions in assets are still intact. Oh, even if you gave them to the Li family last time, didn't I stand up for you? He was the one who came up with the idea, and he was the one who arranged for Li Wei to take the bait."

At this point, Bai Ye couldn't help but click his tongue: "I don't know how he did it. He didn't even leave the house, yet he handled everything flawlessly. I even specially arranged for Shi Tou to clean up the mess for him, but it was never needed."

Upon hearing this, Old Master Bai gave him a cool look and said, "That's truly fortunate."

Bai Ye had spent many years with his grandfather, so he naturally knew what he meant by those words.

He wasn't annoyed; instead, he patted his chest and said, "Grandfather, you're looking down on me again. Yes, I admit it. When it comes to brains, I'm probably not as good as him, and my methods and temperament are somewhat lacking. But I'm healthy."

He pounded his chest loudly.

"You have no idea how sick he is. He gets out of breath after just a few steps. Even in this weather, he's dressed in thick clothes, so he can't stand the slightest breeze."

At this point, Bai Ye's previous competitive spirit vanished, and he couldn't help but sigh, "Grandfather, do you know any miracle doctors who can cure him?"

Old Master Bai picked up his wine cup and slowly took a sip.

"What's the point of curing him? Curing him will bring glory to the Gu family, and then give Gu Yan a grand old age and a proper funeral?"