Instead of answering Liu Tián Qǔ said softly, "Little Dumpling most warriors drill many hours a day to train their body."

"If I train with you, can I lose weight? When my punishment is over, can I secretly come train with you?"

With a very serious face, Liu Tián Qǔ said softly, "Little Dumpling I don't mind secretly hiring an equestrian trainer to teach you horse riding. I also don't mind secretly hiring someone to teach you the art of the sword or even a little unarmed combat. However, I will not train you in the martial arts that I am training in without your parents' permission."

"Why? You will allow me to learn sword fighting or unarmed combat secretly. Isn't it all the same?" Little Dumpling asked in an angry voice. He didn't see much difference. Learning to fight in his eyes was just learning to fight.

Upon hearing this verbal exchange with Liu Tián Qǔ and Little Dumpling. The Grand Prince and the First Lady of Wang Royal Manor exchanged a look with each other. The Lady of the Manor had a wry look on her face, and the Grand Prince had a gloating smirk on his face.

When Little Dumpling had ran away from home. The Grand Prince was all too aware that Little Dumpling didn't have the training he needed if he needed to defend himself. The Grand Prince had already decided to began Little Dumplings' Martial Arts training as soon as his punishment was over. It was his wife, who was undecided. However, hearing that Liu Tián Qǔ was planning to secretly teach their younger son decided that matter for her.

"I know what I am saying may sound contradictory to you. However, the way I train is very different. I train very hard Little Dumpling I have no days off. I train every morning for a minimum of five hours each morning. The way I train is very painful. If you train with me, expect every day that some part of you will be in pain. The pain doesn't go away. You will have to learn how to control it. That is also why my training involves building your mental power and will power."

The Grand Prince, First Lady of the Manor, and Heir of the Manor stood outside of Little Dumpling's receiving room. Each of them had looks of deep contemplation on their face. They seriously began to wonder. Who was this Liu Tián Qǔ? However, if the Emperor didn't even inquire about Liu Tián Qǔ's true identity. Would it really be okay for them to take it upon themselves to investigate?

Seeing that Little Dumpling didn't believe what she was saying, Liu Tián Qǔ said, "How about this? I will teach you one move. This is a move that I must practice for at least one hour a day. If you can practice this move for even thirty seconds, I will convince your parents to let you train with me."

An excited Little Dumpling jumped up from the seat he was sitting on. "You can't go back on your words Big Brother. Show this move to me now. I will do it."

Liu Tián Qǔ looked at the naive Little Dumpling and smirked. "Come, we can do it right here."

The curiosity of the Grand Prince and the First Lady of Wang Royal Manor propelled them forward. They wanted to see what kind of move Liu Tián Qǔ was going to teach their son. They also wanted to be able to step in and put a stop to the matter if Liu Tián Qǔ was going to teach their son something that could harm him. Wang Fèn Yong followed in his parents' wake as well. The trio stood in the doorway closely keeping watch over Little Dumpling.

Liu Tián Qǔ and Little Dumpling walked to the side of the minimalistically decorated room. "I will show you the move first. The name of this move is called the Horse Stance."

Liu Tián Qǔ explained the move as she slowly performed the stance for Little Dumpling to see. Standing in a normal comfortable stance, Liu Tián Qǔ began, "First with your left foot take a step to the left, so your feet are wider than your shoulders." Liu Tián Qǔ said as she took a step to the left in demonstration.

Patting her knees, as Liu Tián Qǔ squatted, she said, "Then using your knees slowly squat as if your sitting on a stool. When you squat, your thighs must be horizontal to the floor." Liu Tián Qǔ patted her thighs to show Little Dumpling how her thighs were straight and horizontal to the floor.

"Keep your back straight, with your body pulled in extend," Liu Tián Qǔ said as she straightened her back and positioning her body correctly.

"Grip the floor with your feet and place your hands in front of your chest in prayer position holding your shoulders levelly and relaxed." Liu Tián Qǔ said as she brought her arms in front of her in a prayer position.

"Make sure your center of gravity is in the middle you must also watch your breathing," Quickly Liu Tián Qǔ explained the proper way to breathe while practicing the form of the horse stance.

"That looks easy I could do that," Little Dumpling said with confidence.

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Liu Tián Qǔ grinned and said, "The horse stance is both one of easiest and contradictorily also one of the hardest stances to do for beginners. Come now, you try. Remember, you have to hold it for thirty seconds." Liu Tián Qǔ said, rising from the horse stance. She gave way to Little Dumpling as he began to get into form.

"Good," Liu Tián Qǔ said as Little Dumpling took a step to the left. "Now, using your knees slowly squat."

"Deeper," Liu Tián Qǔ said as Little Dumpling sunk into what could only be described as half a squat. "Imagine you're sitting on an invisible stool."

"Not to bad, now straighten your back, you're leaning forward. Relax your shoulders. You are too tense. You're not centered. Gently grabbing the floor with your feet." Poor fat Little Dumpling little legs started to tremble in fatigue, and he barely started.

"Now place your hands in front of your chest in prayer position," Liu Tián Qǔ reminded Little Dumpling, "Focus on your breathing and try to relax your body."

Although Little Dumpling's Horse Stance was terrible, Liu Tián Qǔ started the counted down because his little legs were already shaking.

"One, two, straighten your back, three, squat deeper, four, five monitor your breathing don't hold your breath," Little Dumpling had broke out in a light sweat and was breathing very hard. He had started holding his breath in an attempt to gain control of his breath.

"Six, tuck your butt in, don't poke it out, seven, don't tip your body, keep it straight, eight, relax and try to center yourself, nine."Little Dumpling body was trembling horribly and began to tip. His face had flush blood red, and he collapsed in fatigue on his butt on the count of ten.

Across the room over near a window was a long low table. Near the table was a pot of hot water on a brazier with very low flames under the pot. This hot water was kept in reserve to brew a fresh pot of hot tea. Little Dumpling had dismissed his servants when Liu Tián Qu arrived. Before he dismissed them, he had them keep hot water in reserve just in case he needed to make a fresh pot of hot tea.

On the long low table was a tea tray with an empty teapot and several teacups. Next to the tea tray was a carafe of drinking water with several cups for water. Liu Tián Qu quickly ran over to the long low table, poured out a cup of water, and ran back over to Little Dumpling. However, Little Dumpling's body trembled in fatigue. Liu Tián Qǔ was afraid he would drop the cup if she gave it to him. So Liu Tián Qǔ knelt in front of Little Dumpling and carefully held the cup to his mouth as he gulped down the water in between struggling to catch his breath.

Unbeknownst to Liu Tián Qǔ and Little Dumpling, Little Dumplings' mother father and older brother stood in the entrance of Little Dumpling's receiving room. They had watched the whole show.

Sinking into a crossed legged sitting position in front of Little Dumpling, Liu Tián Qǔ asked in concern, "Are you okay Little Dumpling?"

"Yes," Little Dumpling gasped with a small nod, "I didn't think it would be so hard. My legs burn."

Liu Tián Qǔ chuckled lightly and said with a doting smile, "Little Dumpling, that was the easy version. Now you understand why I wouldn't train you without your parents' consent?" Liu Tián Qǔ said as she leaning forward and started massaging Little Dumpling legs.

Little Dumpling eyes popped open in shock as he breathed hard, "If that was the easy version, then how hard was the hard version?"

"Very hard. However, once you can focus the mind, build your will power, and control the pain, it becomes easier." Liu Tián Qǔ said briskly, massaging up and down Little Dumplings legs.

"How do you do the hard version?"

"Well, for beginners, one of the harder versions is you must hold the stance with a bowl of water on your head. Your arms must be extended out on each side of you. You must hold a bowl of water in each hand. Another version that is also hard is you must do it with a bowl of water on your head and on each shoulder. My master was able to do it with seven bowls of water, and I never saw him spill a drop of water from either bowl."

"Seven bowls of water? Where do the seven bowls of water go?" Little Dumpling gawked in shock, his eyes boggling out of his head.

"One bowl is balanced on the head, one on each shoulder, when you fold your arms in the prayer potion, a bowl of water is placed on each arm and one on each thigh.

I am in the beginning stage and can only manage three right now. One on my head and with my arms stretched out. I hold one bowl of water in each hand. Even then, sometimes they fall and the bowl break.

"A harder version is you must stand on stilts and do the horse stance on the stilts. I'm working on that now. I can only manage to keep the bowl on my head, maybe a minute or two max before it falls. The thing with the horse stance is even for an adult that practiced martial arts all their life. When first starting out on the horse stance, it's a challenge. Very few can hold the horse stance more than a minute or two if that at all, when they first start out." Liu Tián Qu said as she popped back on to her knees from her cross-legged seated position to better massage Little Dumpling's legs.

"Why do you have to do it? What does it do? How long can you hold the horse stance?" With big wide eyes full of curiosity and deep interest, Little Dumpling began asking a chain of questions.

Just as Liu Tián Qǔ opened her mouth to answer, a movement at the door drew her gaze. She glanced towards the door and saw the Grand Prince, the First Lady of Wang Royal Manor, and Wang Fèn Yǒng standing in the doorway watching them.

Rising calmly to her feet, Liu Tián Qu bowed towards the trio, standing in the doorway. Just from looking at the expression on their faces, Liu Tián Qǔ was quite sure they eavesdropped on much of the conversation between her and Little Dumpling. As she bowed in greetings, Liu Tián Qǔ quickly mentally reviewed the conversation she had Little Dumpling.

Rising from her bow, Liu Tián Qu decided that although they may have overheard the situation with Commander Jiang. No harm was done. Just from Wang Fèn Yǒng and Little Dumplings' upbringing, Liu Tián Qǔ could tell that the royal couple knew how to keep their mouths shut.

Everything else she was unconcerned about. Liu Tián Qu walked forward towards the royal couple. Liu Tián Qu introduced herself and immediately greeted the lord and lady of the manor and Wang Fèn Yong. Behind her, Little Dumpling felt like he was about to have a heart attack.