"Yeah." Ah Man giggled. On the first day she came back, Huo Jincheng took her to the Taifu Mansion. Old Madam Huo was extremely excited to see her, and she was also very happy. She smiled at her for the first time and pulled her into her arms for a long time, asking her about her health and checking whether she was injured.
"Grandma, I heard my grandfather call my grandma Qingdong, so I know her name."
"Little clever girl." The princess pinched her cute little nose, and touched the faces of Erniu and Sanniu with her hands. Looking at the two faces that were dressed the same and looked almost the same, her eyes were filled with tears.
"Mother." Jian Ning was afraid that she would get emotional, so she hurried forward and pulled Erniu and Sanniu over, waving her hand for Ma Xiaomai to come forward. "Look, mother, this is my daughter's apprentice, who is learning martial arts from me. I practiced with Aunt Li when I was young, and later studied with my master for a few years. Xiaomai is my daughter's first apprentice."
"Grandma." Sanniu said, "We are also Mother's disciples. My two sisters, my brother and I all know martial arts. Mother taught us."
"My name is Ma Xiaomai. I want to be a general in the future. Ma Xiaomai greets the prince and princess." Ma Xiaomai clasped his fists and bowed to the Prince of Pingnan and the princess.
When he saw the famous war god Pingnan King of Dayan Kingdom, Ma Xiaomai was a little flustered. His etiquette was not standard and his words were incoherent. He was afraid that Pingnan King would not accept him, so he came forward to declare that he wanted to be a general, so that the prince would not look down on him.
The King of Pingnan laughed heartily a few times, then looked him over and said, "Good boy, you're not big, but you're so arrogant. What did your master teach you? Why don't you show me your skills later?"
King Pingnan looked better today. He changed into casual clothes at home and wore a fu hat on his head. His aura seemed calmer than yesterday, but he still gave people a sense of oppression from someone in a high position.
"Dad," Jian Ning said, "Xiaomi is a good boy. His ambition is to become a general. It's a good thing to have ambitions. Dad will test him later. If he passes Dad's test, can I send him to the military camp to train him? It will also cultivate talents for the court!"
"Yes, my master is right. I can definitely do it and will not embarrass my master!" Ma Xiaomai said loudly with his head held high and chest puffed out.
"Okay, okay, you are a brave boy, you have that kind of energy." Looking at Ma Xiaomai's fearless spirit, King Pingnan couldn't help but think of his own youth, and suddenly became interested.
"Let's go to the training ground now and see how capable you are." After saying this, Prince Pingnan turned to Jian Ning and said, "As long as your disciple can survive three moves from your concubine Li, father will send him to the Nanshan military camp to serve as a child soldier."
Duan Hong and the father of the princess's current maid Doujia are both in the Nanshan military camp. When Concubine Li heard that the prince wanted to test Ma Xiaomai herself, she went back to change her clothes.
Concubine Li usually practices martial arts at home every day. She usually only wears a double-breasted training suit with buttons on the front. Today, because Ma Xiaomai is going to the military camp to serve as a soldier, she specially changed into the armor she used to fight in the battlefield with her father. When she walked into the training ground, Ma Xiaomai saw her and said, "Wow, so impressive!"
It was the first time that Ma Xiaomai saw real armor. He had only seen it in storybooks before. His eyes lit up and he was very excited.
"My aunt's kung fu is very good, all of it is real hard work. Don't panic, you just need to withstand three moves from her. Relax your hands and feet, and she won't hurt you." Jane Ning reminded him in his ear.
"Thank you, Master. I know and I won't embarrass you."
Ma Xiaomai had some skills learned since he was a child. In addition to Jian Ning's systematic teaching, he also learned from his second uncle and his two fathers. However, he could not use a spear, but only a whip and a sword. Although he was a young boy, he could wield the sword with great vigor.
"Wow, Brother Xiaomai is so awesome! Come on, Brother Xiaomai!" Erniu, Sanniu and A'man were jumping up and down to cheer him on. The noise here was heard over to the rockery in the garden. Duan Xinyan was sitting on the rockery, looking at the flowers in the garden with her chin in her hand, thinking about her worries in a depressed mood.
Hearing the noise, she stood up and looked over. Feng Zheng was afraid that she would fall, so he hurried over to support her and looked in the direction she was looking.
"Oh, that young man is quite remarkable. I heard that the eldest lady brought a disciple here today. I'm afraid it could be him?" Feng Zheng stretched her neck and said on tiptoe.
Duan Xinyan turned around and glared at her, "Are you blind or do you have an eye disease? Where did this young man come from? He's clearly just a wild boy from the countryside!"
With a flick of her handkerchief, Duan Xinyan sat back on the stone, her mind a mess, utterly annoyed. Last night, Prince Pingnan had returned and told her about her mother. She couldn't understand why her mother had pretended to be a princess. She couldn't fathom why her mother was so cruel, wanting to harm her mother and two sisters. Wouldn't it be better to just be a well-fed and well-clothed concubine?
Duan Xinyan couldn't understand why anyone dared to neglect her during these years when Concubine Li was no longer in charge. If her mother hadn't harmed anyone, how wonderful it would be for the whole family to be together happily now!
There was another commotion over at the training ground. Ma Xiaomai had passed Concubine Li's assessment. Concubine Li could be considered Xin Ning's enlightenment teacher. She was in the mood to fight with Jian Ning, and Jian Ning didn't refuse. She took a spear from the weapon rack and soon danced with Concubine Li with swords and sabers. The prince stroked his beard and laughed heartily while watching. The princess stood beside him with a frown on her face, but a smile was all over her face.
"Lian Fu is still so brave, Your Majesty. Our Ning'er is not weak either. She seems to be willing to give in to Lian Fu, isn't she?" The princess spoke in a very soft and gentle voice. Prince Pingnan glanced at her with a smile, took her hand and said, "Yes, you have seen it all. Lian Fu is naturally aware of it as well."
"Your Highness, can I go to the military camp now?" Ma Xiaomai had not received the prince's personal consent yet, and was still worried.
Prince Pingnan smiled and nodded. "I'll send you there tomorrow. You'd better think carefully. Your family is not in the capital. If you go there for three to five years, you may not see your family and won't be able to return home."
"Ah?" Ma Xiaomai was very surprised when he heard this. Obviously, he hadn't expected this. For a moment, the image of Qiao Feng flashed through his mind. However, becoming a general had been his ambition since he was a child, so he quickly stated, "I'll go!"
In the martial arts training ground, Concubine Li was the first to stop, "Yes, it's true that you are different after learning from a famous teacher. Now, my aunt is no match for you."
"Thank you for the compliment, Auntie. You are still as skilled as ever, and your spear skills are even more perfect than before."
"Just try to coax Auntie. You're already a mother yourself, yet your little mouth is even sweeter than before." After Concubine Li finished speaking, she heard the eunuch's drawn-out voice outside: "The imperial edict has arrived!"
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