Gou'er only vaguely understood what He Jiuniang was saying, so was the emperor good or bad?

However, he didn't have much time to think about these things. Soon they arrived at the old emperor's palace, where the security was much tighter than in other places, and the little guy's expression became much more serious.

The young eunuch who was leading the way went in first to report, and then came out to lead them in.

This time, the old emperor was not alone; Consort Liu was also by his side.

He Jiuniang and her son performed the proper greetings. The old emperor waved for them to rise, offered them seats, and then looked at Gou'er first, asking, "Are you Gou'er?"

No one had ever mentioned this to the old emperor, but it was easy for him to know one thing: he knew just as much about the Lu family as the crown prince did.

The dog stood up and replied in a serious manner: "Dog is my nickname. My formal name is Lu Ziyu."

The old emperor seemed surprised that the boy, at such a young age, could actually reply. He smiled and deliberately asked, "Oh, then tell me why you have such a nickname as 'Dog'?"

"Because I was frail and sickly when I was a child, my grandma said that giving me a humble name would make me easier to raise, and I really did survive!"

The dog looked delighted, as if it had truly survived because of this name. Because of this, it didn't mind having such an unpleasant nickname, but that didn't stop it from introducing its formal name to others.

Children think, "Even though I have an awful nickname, my formal name is still very nice."

"Hahaha, how amusing! When I was a child, I was just as frail and sickly as you, and I also had a lowly name. I won't mention it because it was so unpleasant. Come forward a few steps so I can take a look at you."

The old emperor beckoned to the dog, who felt his smile was particularly kind, like that of his grandfather, and wasn't afraid, so he went straight up to him.

The old emperor stretched out his somewhat withered hand, cupped the boy's small face and examined it carefully, and sighed, "Indeed, you look very much like Minister Lu. I have heard that you are skilled in both literature and martial arts at a young age, especially martial arts. If you can demonstrate it to me, I will grant you a request, how about it?"

How to demonstrate it?

When a dog blinks, does it mean it wants to fight someone, or is it just making a gesture?

Do you know swordsmanship or fist techniques?

The dog nodded, and the old emperor said, "Then let's have a match."

"Mother, Father just taught me a sword technique, so let me show it to His Majesty the Emperor!"

Gou'er turned to look at He Jiu Niang, his expression full of confidence. He had already mastered the new sword technique his father had taught him, and none of his brothers could compare to him. Moreover, he had even sparred with Mei Xiao, which had improved his skills considerably. Showing it off in front of the old emperor would be no problem.

"Okay, you can find a small stick to use as a sword and practice."

Seeing him so naturally trying to establish a kinship with the old emperor, He Jiuniang wanted to laugh, but she didn't think there was anything wrong with it. Anyway, the old emperor seemed quite happy, so she let him be.

The dog nodded and turned to run out to find the stick. Fortunately, a eunuch had already helped find it. He thanked him sincerely and then took the stick and started gesturing with it in the hall.

When he's not practicing martial arts, he's incredibly cute and cuddly. But once he stands at attention, his entire demeanor changes. The little stick in his hand seems like a real sword, ready to follow him and wreak havoc at any moment.

"ha!"

He gave a soft, childish shout, and then unleashed a series of movements that dazzled onlookers.

The old emperor originally thought that he was just a child playing martial arts, and that having him demonstrate was just a pretext to give him a gift. He never expected that this little guy would be such a pleasant surprise.

Consort Liu was also stunned, unable to believe that the little guy was not even five years old.

Children in the palace, regardless of their birth status, are all raised with comprehensive education from a young age, but none of them are as outstanding as Gou'er. You can feel the pain in his every move; it's not just some fancy footwork.

"Your Majesty, I have finished my demonstration."

After finishing, the dog stopped what it was doing, stood up properly, and looked at the old emperor with anticipation, waiting for him to fulfill a request he had just agreed to.

The old emperor didn't react for a moment, and was stunned for a moment before saying, "That's right, speak, I will grant you whatever you ask for."

"Tomorrow I will be going to the Imperial Academy with my brother, the Crown Prince, but he said that the Imperial Academy does not have a martial arts training ground. Could Your Majesty build one for the Imperial Academy?"

Although he had already made an agreement with his elder brother, the Crown Prince, to have the Crown Prince do it, he felt that it was his own wish and he couldn't let his elder brother help him persuade the Crown Prince. Now that he had the opportunity to face the old emperor directly, he would definitely take the opportunity to speak up.

The old emperor had prepared to reward him with things that children like, but he never expected that his first request would be for a martial arts training ground.

"Training ground?"

The old emperor looked at He Jiuniang with some confusion, hoping she would give him some explanation.

He Jiuniang knew her son well and said, "He's recently become addicted to martial arts. He's completely using martial arts as a pastime and a way to relieve stress. At home, he has older brothers and sisters who can practice with him, but now that he's studying in the capital alone, he has no one to practice with, so he's set his sights on the academy."

There must be students in the academy who are good at both literature and martial arts. He can find one or two to be his sparring partners. Having a training ground will allow him to perform better. He will also have a legitimate reason to spar with others, so that people won't say that he is causing trouble or fighting in the academy.

Her son is young, but he's very shrewd.

The old emperor then understood, and turned to look at the dog, who grinned, showing off its little white teeth: "Hehe~"

That cunning look instantly amused the old emperor. At his age, he had many grandchildren, some of whom he especially doted on, but upon seeing Gou'er, he felt that all his grandchildren paled in comparison.

His current mood is just like Ms. Sun's when she saw Su Su; she couldn't wait to hug her and cherish her for a while.

"Very well, a gentleman's word is as good as his bond! Since I've agreed to your request, I can certainly do it. I'll have someone build a training ground at the Imperial Academy in a little while; you can have as big as you want!"

If the existing grounds of the Imperial College are large enough, then we can build it directly. If they are not large enough, we can expand it outwards before building it. In any case, his word is law, and he would never lie to a child.

Besides, this little kid calls him "Grandpa Emperor," so he's practically his grandson. What's wrong with a grandfather building a training ground for his grandson? Absolutely nothing wrong with that!

The old emperor was not very rational, but Gou'er was. He knew that his father had just been promoted and should keep a low profile. Upon hearing this, he hurriedly said, "It doesn't need to be very big, just enough for a few people to compare!"