The rise of the poor

Chapter 2337 Off-topic

"Fatty Xu, I don't know why the young master thinks so highly of you, nor do I know exactly how capable you are, but I want to ask you, how do you compare to Zhuge Liang?" Liu Dadao stepped forward and asked Xu Wei.

"Even if I'm arrogant, I wouldn't dare compare myself to Zhuge Liang," Xu Wei shook his head, indicating his inferiority.

Liu Dadao got excited and snorted, "Then how dare you talk about the future? Zhuge Liang was incredibly capable. The stories say that Liu Bei visited Zhuge Liang three times to persuade him to come out of seclusion. As for you, your abilities are not even as good as Zhuge Liang's. My young master has visited you six times, giving you money, writing brushes, ink, paper, and books. You said you would repay him a hundredfold in the future, but it's all gone."

"Well, cough cough, isn't the spring examination just around the corner?" Xu Wei said awkwardly.

Liu Dadao glanced at Xu Wei and said, "If you fail the spring exam, there will be another spring exam, right?"

"I am certain that I will pass the imperial examination this spring. Of course, if I fail, I will go to Brother Zhu and serve him. Brother Zhu treats me as a scholar, and I will repay him as a national hero!" Xu Wei made this vow.

"Alright, Fatty Xu, you said it yourself." Liu Dadao slammed his hand on the table and looked at Xu Wei.

"A gentleman's word is as good as his bond!" Xu Wei said without hesitation.

"Pah, pah, pah, pah! What do you mean you can't pass? Let's drink tea instead of wine and wish Brother Xu all the best in this spring's imperial examinations!"

Zhu Pingan raised his teacup and addressed Liu Dadao and Xu Wei.

"Thank you, Brother Zhu."

Xu Wei raised his teacup to clink glasses.

"He said it himself." Liu Dadao also raised his teacup, and the three of them clinked their teacups together. They drank the tea in one gulp instead of wine.

With the spring examinations approaching and the eight-legged essay being of utmost importance, Zhu Ping'an said to Xu Wei, "Brother Xu, with the spring examinations just around the corner, I have some insights into the eight-legged essay for the imperial examinations. Do you have any excellent eight-legged essays that I would like to appreciate?"

"I have two essays here, Brother Zhu, please take a look." Xu Wei took out two essays in the eight-legged style and handed them to Zhu Ping'an with both hands.

Zhu Pingan opened and read through them, frowning as he carefully considered his words. He then said to Xu Wei, "Brother Xu, the eight-legged essay has a fixed content structure; free expression is a major taboo. In my personal opinion, while your two essays are eloquent, much of the content deviates from the fixed structure of the eight-legged essay, expressing your personal views."

"Brother Zhu, I understand everything you're saying. You reminded me before that this is just a regular day, not an exam. I'll just improvise a bit. But don't worry, when we get to the exam, I'll definitely follow the prescribed formula for my essay."

Xu Wei patted his chest and assured Zhu Ping'an that this was all from practice and he definitely wouldn't know how to do it in the actual exam.

Zhu Pingan reminded him, "Brother Xu, you should pay attention to your writing when you practice, so that you don't get used to it and can't correct it in the exam."

If Xu Wei had continued to write in this formulaic style during the examination, the examiners would definitely have rejected his paper!

The eight-legged essay emphasizes following the rules. If you write freely like this, they will see it as breaking the rules and going against the grain. It would be strange if you could pass the exam.

"Don't worry, Brother Zhu, I've got it." Xu Wei assured him.

Zhu Ping'an nodded, hoping that Xu Wei had truly remembered it, otherwise he would surely fail miserably in this spring examination.

However, it was a good thing for him, as Xu Wei had just promised that if he failed the spring examination, he would come to him for help.

Although he desperately wanted Xu Wei to lend him a hand, he still hoped that Xu Wei could change the course of history.

Of course, even if Xu Weichun fails in his attempt, he will help him change the course of history.

Sometimes choice is more important than effort. When Xu Wei encountered himself, he was already on the path to changing the tragedy of history.

"I'm confiscating these two of your free-flowing, formulaic essays. If you write any more formulaic essays, don't try to improvise; just follow the script."

As Zhu Ping'an spoke, he folded the two sets of eight-legged essays together and put them into his pocket, achieving the accomplishment: Old Zhu family's heritage +2.

Seeing that it was getting late, Zhu Pingan encouraged Xu Wei for a while, then took his leave with Liu Dadao.

Xu Wei saw him off to the alley entrance, and they bid each other farewell.

The next morning, Zhu Pingan bid farewell to Zhao Wenhua and set off early with his men on their way back to Shaoxing.

They had barely left Yingtianchengtian, less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, when the scouts who had been exploring ahead rode up to report that Liujiazhuang, five miles to the left, had been attacked. Flames were raging in the village, and thieves were killing, burning, and looting. Many houses had been burned down.

"Damn it, how come another group of Japanese pirates have come here?!" As soon as Zhu Ping'an heard that thieves were killing, burning, and robbing in the village, he immediately thought of Japanese pirates. These heinous acts were the specialty of the Japanese pirates!

"How many soldiers do the bandits have?!" Zhu Ping'an asked the scouts about the strength of the bandits from Liu Family Village.

The common people must be rescued, but different strategies should be adopted depending on the strength of the Japanese pirates. If the pirates are numerous, then the strategy should be to harass and wait for reinforcements. We should lead our own men to harass the pirates, hold them back, and send people to the city to ask for reinforcements. Once the reinforcements arrive, we can coordinate an attack from within and without. If the pirates are few in number, then we don't need to ask for reinforcements. We can just lead them in to fight the pirates directly.

"Sir, there are about ten thieves in the village, no more than twenty at most," the scout replied.

"No more than twenty people dare to be so arrogant? This is right under the nose of Nanjing!" Zhu Ping'an looked incredulous. This group of Japanese pirates was far too arrogant, burning, killing, and looting right under the city walls of Nanjing. Did they really think that the Ming Dynasty was without anyone?!

It's impossible that another group of fierce samurai-level Japanese pirates will sneak in like last time!

"gather!"

Zhu Pingan ordered the Zhejiang soldiers escorting him to assemble. There were fifty Zhejiang soldiers escorting him this time, enough to deal with this group of arrogant Japanese pirates. Soon, the fifty Zhejiang soldiers were assembled and ready to go.

"Target: Liu Family Village, move out! Wipe out this audacious and arrogant group of Japanese pirates!" Zhu Ping'an waved his hand and gave the order.

“Young master, there’s no need to use a sledgehammer to crack a nut. I’ll take half of my brothers to deal with these Japanese pirates, and the other half can stay here to protect you. I guarantee I’ll wring their heads off; I won’t disappoint you.”

Liu Dadao stepped forward and volunteered to lead half of his soldiers to wipe out the Japanese pirates in Liu Family Village. However, for Zhu Ping'an's safety, he asked Zhu Ping'an to come down and left half of his soldiers to protect him.

Zhu Pingan waved his hand and said to Liu Dadao, "Dadao, even a lion uses its full strength to hunt a rabbit. Since the Japanese pirates are so arrogant, they must have some evidence. Have they forgotten the wave of Japanese pirates who swaggered around Yingtian City before?! How many soldiers became their fallen souls! We must be extremely careful and use all our strength to not give the Japanese pirates any opportunity!" (End of this chapter)