The next day, as the fifth watch drum sounded, the entire Maple Bridge military camp stirred to life like a slumbering giant awakening.
“What’s all this noise so early in the morning? Don’t people have any sense of decency?!”
Inside the tent, Uncle Zhu Shouren was in the middle of a pleasant dream when he was abruptly awakened by the sound of drums and horns outside. Still groggy and disoriented, he couldn’t help but curse loudly.
Hu Wei and Xia Qiang, who were also awakened by the noise, quickly realized where they were. They hurriedly tried to quiet Zhu Shouren. “Brother Zhu, keep your voice down! That’s the military drum. It’s already the fifth watch. The soldiers in the camp are up, and we should get up too.”
“Oh, I almost forgot. I thought I was still in the brothel, and some fellow patron was having too much fun,” Uncle Zhu Shouren muttered, shaking his head in annoyance.
Soon, Hu Wei and Xia Qiang got out of bed. They remembered Zhu Ping’an’s instructions from the previous night, telling them to rise at the sound of the fifth watch drum and either join the morning training or use the time for study and exam preparation.
However, Uncle Zhu Shouren showed no intention of getting up. As Hu Wei and Xia Qiang got out of bed, he pulled the blanket over his head, trying to block out the noise and catch a few more winks.
“Brother Zhu, Brother Zhu, didn’t your nephew say last night that we should get up at the sound of the fifth watch drum and either join the training or study for the exams?” Xia Qiang tugged at Zhu Shouren’s blanket, urging him to get up while reminding him of Zhu Ping’an’s instructions.
Zhu Shouren, still clutching the blanket tightly, retorted with conviction, “I *am* studying for the exams.”
“Studying for the exams… in bed?” Xia Qiang’s jaw dropped.
“Of course. Listen, I’m reciting: ‘The Master said by the river: What passes away is like this, day and night without ceasing,'” Zhu Shouren’s voice came muffled from under the blanket.
“Ah, Brother Zhu, you…” Xia Qiang was about to pull the blanket again when Hu Wei stopped him, giving him a meaningful look.
After stopping Xia Qiang, Hu Wei turned to Zhu Shouren, who was still buried under the blanket, and said, “Since Brother Zhu didn’t sleep well, he can rest a bit longer. If Commander Zhu asks, we’ll just say you’re studying for the exams in the tent.”
“Excellent!” Uncle Zhu Shouren was thoroughly pleased. The weather was cold, the blanket was warm, and sleep was calling. This was his nephew’s camp, which meant it was essentially the Zhu family’s camp. By extension, it was practically his own camp. Why should he suffer?
After Xia Qiang and Hu Wei left the tent, Xia Qiang whispered to Hu Wei in confusion, “Brother Hu, why didn’t you let me wake up Brother Zhu? Commander Zhu specifically told us last night to get up at the sound of the fifth watch drum. If Commander Zhu sees us up and about but not Brother Zhu, how are we supposed to explain it?”
“Brother Xia, don’t be foolish. What kind of person Zhu is, we both know very well. Even if we dragged him out of bed, would he honestly join the training or study for the exams? Besides, Commander Zhu only has so many positions to fill, and Zhu is his uncle. He already has an advantage over us. If he wants to sleep, let him sleep. It just means one less competitor for us. What’s not to like?”
Hu Wei pulled Xia Qiang into a corner and whispered his reasoning.
“But… isn’t that a bit underhanded?” Xia Qiang was clearly tempted but still hesitated.
“This is for Commander Zhu’s own good. What kind of person is Zhu? If he ends up in a high position next to Commander Zhu, he’ll be completely out of his depth—both morally and skillfully. He’ll only drag Commander Zhu down. We, on the other hand, are different.”
Hu Wei continued to persuade him.
“Hmm, Brother Hu, you make a good point. A scholar dies for his confidant. We’re doing this for Commander Zhu’s sake.”
Xia Qiang nodded vigorously.
The two of them headed toward Zhu Ping’an’s command tent. The guards at the entrance informed them that Commander Zhu had already risen and was training with the soldiers. After asking for the location of the training grounds, they hurried over.
“Mr. Hu, Mr. Xia, you’re up. Where’s my uncle?” Zhu Ping’an, who was running with the soldiers on the training field, noticed the two men looking around at the edge of the field. He jogged over to greet them and asked.
“Ahem, Commander, your uncle is in the tent, studying for the exams,” Hu Wei coughed and replied, though his voice lacked confidence.
Zhu Ping’an immediately understood what was going on. He smiled slightly and said to the two men, “Alright, if my uncle prefers to study in the tent, then let him be. What about the two of you? Would you like to find a spot on the training field to study, or would you like to join me for a run to stretch your legs before studying?”
“We’d like to join you for the run. As for studying, as we discussed last night, we can do that in the evening when we have free time. After the run, we’d like to assist you with some military affairs and do our part.”
Hu Wei and Xia Qiang replied eagerly.
Zhu Ping’an wasn’t surprised by their choice. He nodded slightly and motioned for them to follow him.
For the first hundred meters, they managed to keep up. By two hundred meters, they were already panting heavily. By four hundred meters, they had fallen behind. By seven hundred meters, they could no longer continue.
“Gentlemen, don’t push yourselves too hard. Take a rest here. Once I finish my run, I’ll take you back to the command tent to assign you some tasks,” Zhu Ping’an said to them.
“We’ve embarrassed ourselves in front of the Commander…”
Hu Wei and Xia Qiang, who had long been struggling, collapsed onto the ground as soon as Zhu Ping’an gave them permission.
Zhu Ping’an continued his run without them.
“Brother Hu, why is Commander Zhu, a fourth-rank official and the commander of an army, running with these common soldiers? Isn’t that beneath him? As the commander of an army, shouldn’t he just focus on strategizing and planning?”
Xia Qiang, sitting on the ground and avoiding the training soldiers, covered his mouth with his hand and whispered to Hu Wei.
“Eating and training with the soldiers is probably Commander Zhu’s way of winning their loyalty,” Hu Wei replied, also covering his mouth with his hand as he watched Zhu Ping’an running with the soldiers on the training field.
“Oh, I remember now. Ancient generals used to do the same—eating and living with their soldiers, even sucking pus from their wounds to win their loyalty. So that’s what’s going on. Commander Zhu is quite shrewd, no wonder he’s achieved such a high position at such a young age.”
Xia Qiang let out an “oh” of realization and couldn’t help but marvel, feeling a newfound respect for Zhu Ping’an.
“Shh, we just need to understand what’s going on. Those in power always rise to the top over the bones of others. Let’s not be like those foolish soldiers, deceived by appearances and willing to die for him. We’re here to find a path to advancement, not to throw our lives away,” Hu Wei whispered, covering his mouth.
“Right, right, Brother Hu is absolutely correct. Once we secure official positions, we’ll find a way to leave. Commander Zhu has offended Grand Secretary Yan. His future is uncertain, and he’s not someone worth following,” Xia Qiang nodded vigorously and whispered.
“Shh, let’s keep that between us,” Hu Wei put a finger to his lips, signaling for silence, then winked and patted his chest.
Xia Qiang followed suit, patting his chest and nodding emphatically.
