An eight-year-old kid emptied his scumbag father's warehouse and followed his grandparents into

The first group to compete was twelve or thirteen-year-olds. Eight groups, each in pairs, competed simultaneously. Standing within a designated circle, punches and kicks flew back and forth, a whistling force. Some were knocked back two steps, barely stabilizing themselves; others, knocked down by a sweeping kick, gritted their teeth and climbed back to fight again. The cheers from the sidelines were incessant. Jing Chunxi had never witnessed such a scene before, so he watched intently.

A tall, thin young man had already defeated one opponent and thought he had a sure win in the second round, ready for the plum blossom pile. However, he was knocked out of the circle by a shorter and stockier child, causing everyone to exclaim in surprise. Prince Jing narrowed his eyes and commented, "That kid's lower body isn't stable. Brute force alone won't cut it."

The girls' competition was even more agile. A long-faced girl, about seven or eight years old, though thin, was slender as a swallow. She used her agility to repeatedly dodge her powerful opponent, dodging his attacks with a series of side flips. With a backhand push, her opponent stumbled back and fell out of bounds. Jing Chunxi couldn't help but applaud: "This girl has great skills!"

Xu Zize chuckled softly, "She practices light-body martial arts, which makes her suitable for being a spy or messenger."

Before the girls finished their competition and finally stepped onto the peach blossom pole, Jing Chunxi had already discussed with Xu Zize and decided on a few in his mind.

After two rounds of elimination in each group, only four people remained, and it was finally time to go up the plum blossom pile.

The heights of the plum blossom poles varied, with the tallest standing three feet off the ground and the shortest only half a foot, barely wide enough for half a foot to stand on. The young men had to fight on the poles, and the slightest mistake could lead to falls.

A young man with eagle eyes was the first to leap onto the poles. His limbs were as agile as a monkey, and he maneuvered through them without missing a single step. His opponent was much more cautious, each step steady and measured. After a few rounds of fighting on the poles, the eagle-eyed boy suddenly feinted, shifting his opponent's balance. Then, with a whip kick, he delivered—his opponent stumbled and fell, while he remained firmly planted on the highest pole, earning the crowd's applause.

The girls' competition was even more exciting. The long-faced girl in the lead rod stomped along with ease, even counterattacking while standing on one foot. Finally, she used a "swallow spin" to force her final opponent off the rod, landing lightly and bowing with her fists clasped.

Jing Chunxi and Xu Zize looked at each other and smiled. It was just as they expected.

The competition ended around noon.

Jing Chunxi finally selected seventeen girls and twenty boys, all of whom were good candidates with agility and strong character.

Prince Jing patted her shoulder with satisfaction and said, "Girl, if you train these people well, they will become great in the future."

Jing Chunxi nodded seriously and looked at this group of energetic boys and girls. She began to think about how to bribe her master to train these people as soon as possible and use them for her.

Yes, I have to use my mother to deal with the master, otherwise Pu Ge'er will get involved with him. If he is not trained well, he will not be allowed to return to the palace.

She knew that from today on, she was no longer just the daughter of Qingshan Villa, but had truly begun to cultivate her own strength. She could no longer always stand on the shoulders of her elders and enjoy their achievements.

Fortunately, after they got up the mountain, Ah Qi went to the kitchen to find them some steamed buns, otherwise they would definitely not be able to make it down the mountain.

It's just that the steamed buns they eat in the mountains are made of a mixture of white flour and cornmeal. They have a slightly rough texture and are not as soft. Jing Chunxi, Xu Zize, Jing Yi, and Qiyue didn't find them too bad.

Jing Chunxi and Xu Zize had endured hardships during their exile. They didn't eat black-faced steamed buns, but they'd taken a few bites to savor their flavor. Jing Yi, though an official in the military camp, shared the hardships with the soldiers and often ate such coarse grains. As for July, it goes without saying. Having been a beggar himself, there was no hardship he couldn't endure.

They all ate slowly and carefully, at least they didn't feel bad for their stomachs. But it was hard for Prince Hong, who had lived a life of luxury since childhood and had never eaten such food before.

Jing Chunxi watched him frown as he brought the steamed bun to his lips, carefully taking a small bite. He chewed it for a long time, but he couldn't swallow it. Even more surprising, he didn't throw it away. Instead, while no one was paying attention, he secretly put the bitten bun back into his sleeve pocket, without a trace of disgust on his face. The action was so subtle, but Jing Chunxi, with his sharp eyes, still caught a flicker of embarrassment on his face.

Jing Yi naturally didn't dare to let his newly acquired cheap father down. He rolled his eyes, blinked at Jing Chunxi, and exaggeratedly made a chewing motion, indicating that the steamed bun was really hard to swallow.

Jing Chunxi understood and immediately acted innocent and naive. She jumped beside Prince Jing, pulled his sleeve and said coquettishly, "Grandpa Prince Jing, your steamed buns look different. Let me try some."

Prince Jing was stunned. He looked at the steamed buns in his hand instead of the children in the martial arts field: "What's the difference?" At this moment, Jing Chunxi had already handed over the warm and soft meat buns and the kettle filled with well water that he had exchanged from the space. Jing Yi snatched the two hard steamed buns from his hand.

Prince Jing took the bun without even looking at it, his gaze fixed on the two children on the plum blossom pile. When he took his first bite, the grease from the meat bun dripped down the corners of his mouth, and he didn't even bother to wipe it off.

He ate with gusto. His originally pale face gradually turned rosy. He looked radiant and even his back was straighter than before.

When they were going down the mountain, even though there were people in front and behind them, Jing Yi reminded Jing Chunxi: "Xi'er, don't tell mother about Master's recognition of your relatives." His voice was very low, but his eyes were fixed on Prince Jing and Prince Jun who were walking in front, for fear that they would hear it.

Jing Chunxi reacted quickly and responded immediately: "Why? Mother is tight-lipped, and Master knows that she won't tell anyone." When she said this, her voice unconsciously rose eight octaves, causing the two princes walking in front to look back.

The master said this as if he didn't believe his mother, which made Jing Chunxi feel a little uncomfortable. She pursed her lips and took heavier steps, causing the gravel on the mountain road to creak.

"No! Master doesn't disbelieve your mother. Master is..." Jing Yi was so anxious that sweat broke out on his forehead. He reached out to hold Jing Chunxi to explain, but she dodged him nimbly.

Seeing that his master couldn't make any sense after talking for a long time, Jing Chunxi got angry and kept silent. He just kept walking forward, kicking the pebbles on the mountain road far away.

"Don't blame your master, Xi girl. This is all my fault. I'll talk to the old general first and then make any plans." Seeing his youngest son hesitate, Prince Jing decided to take the blame himself. He stopped and turned around, his robes blowing in the wind.

Jing Chunxi felt even more puzzled and could not help but rush to the side of Prince Jing. Then he approached cautiously and questioningly, as if he wanted to find out the secret, and asked, "Did Prince Jing and my grandfather have conflicts in the court before?" She tilted her face up, her eyes wide open, with an innocent look, but her fingers were nervously twisting the corners of her clothes.

She was immediately glared at by Prince Jing, who shouted, "What are you talking about? Grandpa has always been a man who can distinguish right from wrong, and he knows the old general's character. The people of the Jing family are not bad either."

These words were spoken quickly and forcefully, with such force that the birds in the trees fluttered away.

He angrily swung his sleeves and took a few quick steps, as if he was really angry, ignoring Jing Chunxi. But after walking a short distance, he couldn't help but look back at the little girl who was standing there in a daze.

Xu Zize, who was walking at the back with Jing Yi, was worried that Jing Chunxi might be frightened, so he quickly took a few steps and grabbed her hand. The young man's palm was warm and dry, gently wrapping around her slightly cold fingers: "Prince Jing must have his reasons for doing this."

He whispered soothingly, his voice as gentle as a mountain stream, "Xi'er, just do as you are told. You don't trust Prince Jing, but you also don't trust Master?"

"What are you talking about, kid? My words are so unreliable. You little bastard!" Prince Jing's voice was full of energy. He turned around and glared at them who were following closely behind him. His voice echoed on the mountain road.

He even turned around and raised his fist, his graying beard twitching in anger. But when he saw that it was Jing Chunxi following behind him, he finally didn't hit her with his fist. He just flicked it over her head, causing a breeze to ruffle her bangs.

But turning back again, Prince Jing snorted and angrily walked down the steps, his boots clattering heavily on the stone steps. "I'm starving after all this trip with you! You heartless people!" He rubbed his stomach and complained as he walked, but his tone had softened, like an elder throwing a tantrum at a younger one.

Upon seeing this, Prince Hong hurriedly chased after him to support him, but Prince Jing shook his hand off: "I'm not old enough to need help!" But the corners of his mouth raised slightly.