Chapter 71: Poor health, early death!

"Ning Eldest, where have you been? If it weren't for you sending the notice, I'd still think your leg was really broken." The first to arrive, Zhang San.

At home he ranks third, but among the five of them, he's still third.

So his nickname Zhang San can't be shaken off.

"Keep it down." Ning Hanmo was holding a horse stance; although on break, when the time came there was no gong, yet he woke at the set hour, his body seemed to have formed a habit—formerly he found the quilt warm and cozy, now he can't stay in bed.

Not only the Regent Prince's Manor, but also the Kang clan at this moment.

"No, what are you guys doing? Why aren't you sleeping? It's only mao hour, the sky isn't even bright yet." Kang Lian looked outside the courtyard, where four people stood neatly, each doing horse stance.

This…

"Father, go to your court, don't worry about us." Kang Wen spoke right away, but at the same time he deflated, plopping onto the ground.

"What's wrong with you guys, not sleeping this early in the morning?"

Kang Lian stepped closer, seeing sweat already covering the children's heads, showing they had been practicing for a while.

"Dad, my fall is all because of you—other kids are trouble for their fathers, you're truly trouble for your kids!" Kang Wen cried with a woebegone face; today he actually fell before his third and fourth sisters, leaving him wondering where to put his manly face.

"Hurry up, hurry up, don't delay our training—poor health leads to an early death!"

Jiang Yun Chu swore she had absolutely never taught them these…

Kang Wen's words made Kang Lian's fists clench.

Yesterday father kind, son filial; today… chaos.

"Don't move your hands, okay? Although I can't beat you now, with my daily training progress, at most three years and I'll be able to beat you." Kang Wen rose from the ground, patting dirt off his rear.

At that moment, Kang Ziwei rose to her feet; she had reached her limit, big drops of sweat streaming down from her forehead.

Moreover, she is older, so it's harder for her than the others; if she didn't persist every day, she might fall behind.

"The Dean said filial piety is also a virtue."

Kang Ziwei caught her breath, tapped Kang Wen's head, and said instructively.

Afterwards she bowed to Kang Lian, saying "Father."

"We've long been accustomed; we can adjust our daily energy, both training the body and increasing focus." She smiled gently; if it weren't for the long skirt being in the way, she would have tied a big bow right now, and in both etiquette and tone she has exemplified the utmost of a lady from a respectable family.

"Hmm." Kang Lian nodded, stopped urging them, and strode off; if he didn't leave now, he'd be late for court.

"Second brother, we have one carriage today." Kang Lian said to Kang Yi.

Kang Yi glared, "What's up? Is this letting the eldest sister-in-law beat us out?"

"You don't even have any injuries—why aren't you riding your own carriage, but starting to bum a ride?"

As soon as they got on the carriage, Kang Lian fell into contemplation, sighing.

One sigh after another made Kang Yi want to kick him out.

"What on earth is happening to make the eldest brother so worried?" Kang Yi, suppressing his impatience, asked Kang Lian.

Kang Lian directly explained the children's morning oddity in full.

"What is Yun chu trying to do?"

"Isn't it the academy? Why are they getting up so early to train?"

Kang Yi thought of the lady practicing the long spear at home: "Martial practitioners begin body training before the sun rises."

"Eldest brother, you should thank Yun chu; without her, Kang Wen and Kang Wu wouldn't have another path."

One, the path to becoming a general.

They are a scholarly family, a lineage of civil officials.

But they are settled here, yet Yun chu has given these children a choice of path.

"Yesterday our bowls and chopsticks were all washed by Kang Wen and Kang Wu; Zi Wei and Nai Xin wanted to help, but those two brats wouldn't let them." Kang Lian laughed through tears; Kang Wen and Kang Wu were still competing, seeing who washed cleaner.

Kang Yi didn't understand, but…

"Father is here."

Father can raise them, so he naturally won't allow Kang Wen and Kang Wu to become good-for-nothings.

"Besides, my lady already said she'll bring our Four Knowledges when they return."

"Especially after seeing Kang Wen and Kang Wu's changes, if the academy weren't on break, she wouldn't have been able to sit still yesterday."

This morning spear practice was a full two quarters earlier than usual, showing how anxious his lady is.

"Zhi Dong is too young, right?"

Four years old?

Still a milk baby, trailing behind all day to be fed.

"My lady says we can give it a try first." Kang Yi smiled gently.

"Lady, lady, you're almost hanging her name on your lips all day." Seeing this, Kang Lian became annoyed.

A big man, now he's become a slave to his lady—whatever she says goes.

"Haha, my joy, the eldest brother doesn't understand."

Kang Yi wasn't angry, just laughed unrestrainedly; obviously he's enjoying it.

Kang Lian saw his brother like that; although annoyed, he couldn't interfere in his own household affairs as an older brother.

That would be overstepping.

This is how the second brother and his lady get along.

However…

Kang Lian still reminded them, "Have you decided? If you're to sign the life-death contract, can you bear to send the children over?"

Kang Yi burst out laughing, looking at the eldest brother.

He differs from the eldest brother; his lady is a general's daughter, raised since childhood in the frontier—if he hadn't pestered her relentlessly, how would she have agreed to marry into the Kang household and enter the inner quarters?

His lady actually prefers the wide battlefield, enjoying eating and drinking alongside the soldiers.

Upon seeing Kang Wen and Kang Wu for the first time, his wife made a decision.

"Send them away? Four?" At that moment he was extremely surprised. Although his wife was very strict with the children, after all they were her own flesh and blood; her strictness was intended to make them better, but she also doted on them.

But her affection was different, even more intangible; in the middle of the night she would go see whether the children had kicked off their blankets, and whenever a child got sick, she was always by their side.

She was not good at expressing herself, yet she gave all her warmth to these few children.

When his wife heard his question, she thought for a long time, then nodded.

"Brother Yi, haven't you noticed?"

"Yun chu isn't teaching the children in a conventional, rule‑following way."

"She, while drilling the troops, also imparts knowledge to them."

She couldn't describe this feeling; it was simply wonderful.

Although it's called troop training, the knowledge these children have to learn hasn't been reduced.

Although they are supposed to learn that knowledge, she instead trains them using battlefield methods.

She had never met someone like this before, but it sparked her curiosity, and she also looked forward to seeing how far the children could go.

Kang Yi thought carefully this time and realized that his wife saw things more deeply than he did—or perhaps only someone who has lived on the battlefield could perceive this issue.