The rise of the poor

Zhao Wenhua repeatedly confirmed with the steward that they had really lost. They had lost. How could they have lost? In the end, he had no choice but to accept the news that Hu Zongxian had defeated the Japanese pirates.

I was hoping for a great start, but instead I had a bad one. I was aiming for something big, but I ended up with a huge mess.

"Quickly, order Li Tao to lead troops to reinforce Meilin immediately, without fail!" Zhao Wenhua hurriedly gave the order to the steward.

Li Tao is a recently recruited commander. His ancestors were hereditary nobles. His great-grandfather followed Lan Yu to the desert, and his father followed Wang Yangming to quell the rebellion of Prince Ning and made military achievements. In his generation, he is the eldest son and inherited his father's position as commander.

Li Tao was renowned in the elite circles for his literary and martial talents; he could compose poetry and lyrics and was skilled in archery.

When Li Tao came to join Zhao Wenhua, in addition to giving him a truckload of local specialties, he also gave him a copy of his book "On Military Strategy, Ancient and Modern." He spoke eloquently about military affairs, and Zhao Wenhua felt that this man was quite capable.

"Yes, sir." The steward accepted the order and went to relay it.

Soon, Li Tao led a reinforcement force of about three thousand men to Songjiang Prefecture to support Hu Zongxian.

Li Tao is a veteran of many battles and comes from a family of military officers. With him supporting Hu Zongxian and assisting him, controlling the situation should not be a problem.

After giving the order, Zhao Wenhua felt a little relieved. He called someone in to tidy up the study and poured a cup of hot tea.

It is expected that once Li Tao arrives with his troops, he will be able to help Hu Zongxian stabilize the situation, turn defeat into victory, and bring back a series of good news.
Zhao Wenhua had such expectations.

Anticipation grew, and after what seemed like an eternity, hurried footsteps finally echoed outside the study once more. The steward, once again running, appeared at the study door. "Master, battle report from the front lines!"

"Tell me quickly, what's the situation?" Zhao Wenhua sat up abruptly, looking expectantly at the manager.

This time it must be good news, right?

"Master, sir," the steward said, speechless for a moment as he looked at the expectant expression on Zhao Wenhua's face.

My lord, this news doesn't live up to the expectation on your face.
"Speak up! Are you mute? What's the situation at the front? Has Li Tao helped Hu Zongxian stabilize the situation?!"

Zhao Wenhua asked impatiently, "Stabilizing the situation is the bare minimum requirement, and I don't think there will be any problem."

"Ahem, sir, we've suffered a crushing defeat," the steward coughed, summarizing the battle report in three words.

"A crushing defeat! Good, not bad. As expected of a veteran general and a noble family, the experience passed down from your ancestors is still reliable. Tell me in detail how Li Tao assisted Hu Zongxian in defeating the Japanese pirates?"

Upon hearing of the crushing defeat, Zhao Wenhua's spirits soared. "As expected of me! Timely troop deployment turned the tide of battle. Heh, not bad! I'll submit a report later to claim my credit."

Now, the position of governor should fall into my lap.

Thinking of this, Zhao Wenhua's excitement was palpable, and he rubbed his hands together excitedly like flies.

Holy crap, sir, I said we suffered a crushing defeat! How do you interpret that? When I said we suffered a crushing defeat, I didn't mean we defeated the Japanese pirates; I meant we suffered another crushing defeat. We were utterly defeated by the Japanese pirates once again.
Seeing the excited expression on Zhao Wenhua's face, the manager felt like he was swallowing a bitter pill, unable to express his suffering.

"Speak up! Are you mute?! How did Li Tao help Hu Zongxian defeat the Japanese pirates?"

Zhao Wenhua saw the manager opening and closing his mouth repeatedly but not making a sound, so he raised an eyebrow and cursed.

I need to hear some good news right now.

"Master, General Li did not assist Lord Hu in defeating the Japanese pirates," the steward replied constipatedly.

"Not General Li?! Hu Zongxian is quite something, managing to turn defeat into victory all by himself. He deserves a commendation."

"Check how the kitchen is doing. Bring up a jar of the century-old vintage wine sent by the Zhejiang Provincial Surveillance Commissioner to celebrate Meilin's success."

Zhao Wenhua nodded repeatedly as he talked to himself, "Not bad, Hu Zongxian. When you come back, we'll have a proper celebration for you."

"Master, it wasn't Lord Hu who turned the tables." The steward was almost in tears at this point.

My lord, please don't guess, I'm scared.
"Then tell me! Who defeated the Japanese pirates? How old are you? Can't you even speak properly?"

Zhao Wenhua glared at him with exasperation.

"My lord, no one has ever truly defeated the Japanese pirates. We have been utterly defeated by them once again. General Li led his troops to support Lord Hu, and the two joined forces to set up camp. Before they could even settle in, the Japanese pirates attacked. General Li and Lord Hu were caught off guard and their camp was set ablaze by the pirates, resulting in another crushing defeat with over three thousand casualties."

Li Tao dared not let Zhao Wenhua make wild guesses any longer, and quickly recounted the contents of the battle report in one go.

Another crushing defeat
Upon hearing this, Zhao Wenhua was completely stunned, standing there motionless as if someone had struck his pressure points.

The manager even wanted to check Zhao Wenhua's breathing with his hand to see if he was still alive, and whether he would be unable to accept this terrible news and pass away in an instant!
Just as the steward trembled as he raised his hand, Zhao Wenhua suddenly came to his senses. His face was a deep purple, almost dripping down his crotch. He was incredibly grumpy and started cursing at the steward, "Useless! You can't even pass on a message! A crushing defeat! A crushing defeat! If you had added 'again,' making it sound like another crushing defeat, would I, the master, have misunderstood?!"

"Yes, yes, yes, Master is right. It's all because of these useless servants who misled you." The steward nodded vigorously, bowing as if his back was broken. He was actually relieved. It was good that the master had scolded him. If he hadn't, he would have been in big trouble.

"Where are Hu Zongxian and Li Tao?!" Zhao Wenhua asked darkly, his face grim, suppressing his anger.

If the two of them were in front of him, he would slap them both across the face. "I gave you my trust, and this is how you repay me!"
"My lord, after their great victory, the Japanese pirates are in high spirits and have actually turned around and launched a counterattack, attacking Songjiang Prefecture again. Lord Hu and General Li have retreated to Songjiang Prefecture and are defending the city."

The steward replied.

"Hehe, those two are really something." Zhao Wenhua laughed in exasperation after hearing this.

He shamelessly used his power to forcibly recall Zhu Ping'an and the Zhejiang army back to Zhejiang, handing this great opportunity to Hu Zongxian. He had hoped that Hu Zongxian would reap the rewards of the Japanese pirates and gain some glory, which would make him look good. However, instead of looking good, he made a fool of himself and lost face big time.

Can't figure it out!
How can the difference between people be so vast! Zhu Ping'an, with 3,000 Zhejiang soldiers, chased and brutally beat the Japanese pirates, killing them until they cried for their fathers and mothers, hacking off heads until their swords were dulled, and capturing prisoners until their hands were sore! Hu Zongxian, with 10,000 elite troops and 3,000 reinforcements from Li Tao, ended up being chased and beaten by the Japanese pirates, running until his legs were sore, and the cleanup of the remnants turned into a defensive battle for the city.
The manager shrank back like a quail, trying his best to hide himself, fearing he might be caught in the crossfire. (End of Chapter)