The rise of the poor

After the meeting ended, Yu Dayou came forward to pay his respects to Zhu Ping'an and reported on the detailed situation of the Zhejiang Navy.

"Yu Datou, go to the side first, we'll report another day!" Zhao Wenhua stepped forward arrogantly, waved his hand to send Yu Dayou away, and Zhao Wenhua had never taken military officers like Yu Dayou seriously.

A mere brute, nothing more than a tool.

Yu Dayou is nothing but a big-headed soldier! A lackey of Zhu Ping'an! What does it matter?

"Greetings, Lord Zhao."

Yu Dayou first clasped his hands in a salute to Zhao Wenhua, then looked at Zhu Pingan and asked for his opinion.

"You should go back now, General Yu. I'll stay here."

Zhu Pingan nodded to Yu Dayou, telling him to go back first and tell him where he was staying, so that he could come over later.

"This humble general takes his leave." After receiving Zhu Ping'an's instructions, Yu Dayou clasped his hands in farewell to Zhu Ping'an, Zhao Wenhua, and the others.

"Zihou, come on, Meilin and I are hosting a banquet at Zuiqiufeng. Let's eat and chat. I have many questions I want to ask you."

Zhao Wenhua put his hand on Zhu Pingan's shoulder, not allowing Zhu Pingan to refuse, and led Zhu Pingan out, his words clearly sarcastic.

"Lord Zhu, please." Hu Zongxian, standing on the other side of Zhu Ping'an, extended his hand in a gesture of respect.

"I've troubled Master Zhao and Lord Hu again." Zhu Ping'an knew why Zhao Wenhua had come here, so he chuckled and obediently let Zhao Wenhua put his arm around him as they walked towards Zui Qiufeng.

Of course, Zhao Wenhua would not walk there; his sedan chair was parked outside the Governor's Office.

"Son."

When Liu Dadao and the others outside saw Zhu Ping'an being held by Zhao Wenhua as if he were being held hostage, they hurriedly rushed forward to protect him.

"Da Dao, you all step back. What's the rush? Master Zhao and Lord Hu have invited me to a banquet at Zui Qiu Feng. You can go eat first and wait for me outside later." Zhu Ping'an waved his hand to indicate that he was fine and told Liu Da Dao and the others to leave.

Seeing that Zhu Pingan was alright, Liu Dadao and the others stepped back, but instead of listening to Zhu Pingan's suggestion to find a place to eat, they followed behind.

"Your guards are quite loyal," Zhao Wenhua said to Zhu Ping'an as he glanced back, got into the sedan chair, and said.

Zhu Pingan and Zhao Wenhua rode in the same sedan chair, while Hu Zongxian rode in another sedan chair, following closely behind.

"Zhao Shi's personal guards are just as loyal and exceptionally brave," Zhu Ping'an added, praising Zhao Wenhua's personal guards.

Zhao Wenhua's personal guards rode alongside the sedan chair, their armor gleaming, their horses magnificent. They looked far more imposing than Liu Dadao and his men following behind. Of course, this was only in appearance; their actual fighting prowess was certainly inferior to Liu Dadao's. Liu Dadao and his men were veterans of battle, while Zhao Wenhua's guards were probably formidable warriors from drinking parties.

Soon, they arrived at Zui Qiufeng, an impressive five-story restaurant, built of brick and wood, and resplendent in its grandeur.

"Lord Zhu, the whole fish feast at Zui Qiufeng is the best in Jiangnan. There is a poem that says: 'I have long heard of Xuanwu Lake, where the fish feast has left a name for itself. Plum blossoms bloom on the table, and pine trees lie on the plate. Carp are presented in three ways, and two dragons play with pearls. I especially love the clear stew, fresh and tender, Zui Qiufeng.'" Hu Zongxian was erudite and could recite poems at will, speaking eloquently.

Yingtian City has a lake within its walls, the Yangtze River outside the city, and the sea beyond that. Its abundant water resources have nurtured a rich variety of fish.

The area boasts a wide variety of fish, all of which are fresh, tender, and delicious. The fish-eating techniques here are also unparalleled.

Zui Qiufeng is the number one restaurant in Yingtian City when it comes to fish. Zhu Pingan had also heard of this restaurant; the food was good, but the price was also the highest, ridiculously expensive.

Hu Zongxian had arranged the banquet in advance. As soon as Zhu Pingan and the others sat down, a group of beautiful maids came together to serve the dishes.

"Delicious food from the green pot soothes the hungry, its fresh aroma wafts in all directions. Don't say that heaven has many delicacies, for even immortals descend to earth to seek fish soup. Dear sir, this is our shop's signature dish—Wu Tan Green Fish Soup. We select fresh green fish from Wu Tan, and pair it with smooth tofu made by the Tofu Beauty herself. We simmer it over a low flame for a full hour, a perfect match of fish and tofu."

"Butterflies flutter over the wall, making one wonder if spring's beauty resides in the neighbor's garden. This is the shop's signature sashimi—'Butterfly Wings,' made with carefully selected peach blossom sea bass from Taojiang, Hunan. The chef's knife flashes, slicing the fish as thin as butterfly wings, preserving the essence of each piece."

A maidservant introduced each dish in a sweet voice.

"Alright, get down, get down, put the dishes down, all of you get down, we have something to talk about, don't come any closer!"

Zhao Wenhua waved his hand impatiently, interrupting the maid's recitation of the menu, and sent her away.

The maid dared not linger. She placed the dishes of the whole fish feast on the table, arranged them, and then bowed to take her leave.

As soon as the maid left and the door closed, Zhao Wenhua impatiently questioned Zhu Ping'an with an unfriendly expression, "Zihou, what are you doing at the Governor's Mansion?! When did you become so easy to talk to? Zhou Chong tried to seize your Zhejiang Navy, and you happily gave it to him?! You even went so far as to flatter him and offer him a deputy position?!"

"What did you tell me before you came that your Zhejiang Army was on leave? And while the Zhejiang Army was on leave, you handed over your navy?!"

"Zihou, are you trying to climb the social ladder by sucking up to Zhou Chong after I failed to become governor?! Tell me the truth! If you tell the truth, we can part ways amicably after all our teacher-student relationship."

Zhao Wenhua, like a resentful woman, bombarded her with questions, implying that Zhu Ping'an was trying to climb the social ladder.

He kept saying things like "it's good for teachers and students to part amicably," but you could tell from his resentful expression that he wasn't being sincere and was just saying one thing and meaning another.

"Master Zhao, please calm down and have some tea." Zhu Ping'an couldn't help but smile slightly, and got up to pour Zhao Wenhua a cup of tea.

"Don't rush to drink the tea, Zihou. Answer my question first, and tell the truth," Zhao Wenhua said, pushing the teacup aside without drinking and urging Zhu Ping'an.

"Alright, I'll answer Master Zhao." Zhu Pingan couldn't help but smile.

"Zihou, tell me the truth, don't hide anything, don't lie to me!" Zhao Wenhua emphasized again, urging Zhu Pingan to tell the truth.

"Master Zhao, Lord Hu, the reason I agreed to Governor Zhou taking command of the Zhejiang Navy and even volunteered to serve as his deputy" Zhu Ping'an paused here and looked at Zhao Wenhua.

"Speak quickly, you're leaving people in an awkward position," Zhao Wenhua urged again.

Hu Zongxian was also watching Zhu Pingan intently, curious and attentive, waiting for Zhu Pingan's answer.

"It's because Master Zhao is going to get him," Zhu Pingan said slowly.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Wenhua immediately stood up from his seat, glaring at Zhu Ping'an with displeasure. "Zihou, you know I'm going to get him, yet you still support him and give him your entire navy. Are you deliberately going against me?!"

Hu Zongxian also frowned and looked at Zhu Ping'an with a puzzled expression. (End of this chapter)