Master Pu

Master Pu did indeed serve as a tutor for a time, and the reason, in short, was his repeated failure in the imperial exams. Gossips often whispered that he had no real learning, but Big Zhao would argue for hours if he overheard such slander. "Failing the exams doesn't mean lacking knowledge," he'd insist. "Master Pu knows everything under heaven and has unique insights. He's more like a Know-it-all! Master Pu lived up to Big Zhao's faith. In recent years, he'd penned The Record of the Soaring Dragon through relentless writing at home. Rumor had it that the hit opera Chivalrous Escort in the Fair Grounds theaters was adapted from this very book. Big Zhao stared in disbelief and asked if it was true, but Master Pu only hedged. "Never mind that! Have some roast pork first."