kingnovel Chapter 1128 A Childlike Heart, Patient Guidance
Chapter 1128 A Childlike Heart, Patient Guidance
The children around him had long forgotten the classroom rules and gathered around Ma Yue, their eyes sparkling with excitement.
"Big brother, your dad is amazing! Even Mr. Kan Ze praised him!"
"The part about military strategy I just heard had my palms sweating. It was even more exciting than listening to stories about battles!"
"Is your dad really like the legends say, able to take on a hundred people at once?"
The children chattered excitedly, their eyes practically overflowing with adoration. Ma Yue, surrounded by others, had a tense expression on his face, but he couldn't help but steal a glance at his father—Ma Chao was smiling and talking to Kan Ze, and when he glanced over from the corner of his eye, there was a hint of tenderness in his eyes.
The awkwardness he felt as a teenager suddenly eased, but he deliberately hummed and muttered under his breath, "Maybe...maybe they're just afraid of my dad, so they're saying nice things on purpose."
Upon hearing this, Kan Ze immediately bristled and slammed the book in his hand on the table, feigning anger, and said, "You brat, don't talk nonsense! I have dedicated my life to teaching and nurturing people, and I value 'truth' above all else. How can I allow you to tarnish my reputation like this?"
He stepped forward, bent down to look at Ma Yue, but his eyes didn't show real anger; instead, they held a hint of mockery: "Yes is yes, and no is no. General Ma's military discourse was perfectly reasonable, far more insightful than mine. That's obvious. I admit my inferior skills, and I'm not ashamed at all. But you, at such a young age, already harboring these ulterior motives. Be careful not to let your mind become crooked!"
As he spoke, he reached out and flicked Ma Yue's nose: "Your father is formidable, truly formidable, and has nothing to do with power. Back then, he made Cao Cao tremble with fear at Tongguan Pass, relying on his military might, not his words—such a hero deserves your admiration, and even more so, you should learn from him!"
Ma Yue blushed, her head bowed, not daring to look at him. Her small hands secretly twisted the hem of her clothes behind her back. The awkwardness of her previous stubbornness had long since vanished after Kan Ze's words, leaving only unconcealable shyness and a hint of panic at having her secret exposed.
Zhou Yu, watching from the side, laughed loudly: "Master Kan, don't hold it against the child. This kid is just stubborn." He beckoned to Ma Yue, "Come here and apologize to the master."
Ma Yue walked slowly to Kan Ze and whispered, "Master, I... I shouldn't have talked nonsense."
Kan Ze stroked his beard and smiled: "It's good that you know you're wrong. Remember, heroes aren't afraid to admit their mistakes, and true talent isn't afraid of praise. Your father is a hero, and if you want people to admire you in the future, you'll have to earn it yourself, not just by arguing."
The children listened intently, nodding in agreement. Their admiration for Ma Chao deepened as they looked at him—even the strictest tutor, Master Kan, said so, proving that their uncle's prowess was truly genuine.
Zhou Yu smiled and said to Kan Ze, “Mr. Kan, since we have already disturbed your school today, why not let the children rest for a while? I see they are very interested in the battlefield, so this is a good opportunity. Since my elder brother is here today, why don’t we let him tell the children about the events of that year? It would be better than me giving them vague accounts, which the children may not fully understand.”
Upon hearing this, Kan Ze stroked his beard and laughed, "In that case, I'll be able to relax for a while." After saying that, he bowed to Ma Chao and Zhou Yu, "With someone like Your Majesty telling us stories firsthand, it's much more vivid than my old teacher's books. Children, today listen to the King of Liang tell us stories from the battlefield, and learn them carefully."
The children immediately cheered, each carrying a small stool to gather around the front, their eyes sparkling as they gazed at Ma Chao with anticipation. Kan Ze watched this lively scene, smiled, shook his head, and turned to slowly walk out of the school, leaving the space to the children whose enthusiasm had been ignited by the heroic tale.
Looking at the children who were waiting for him with eyes full of admiration, Ma Chao said, "Children, before I start, I'd like to ask you a few questions. Can any of you answer them?"
The children all raised their hands: "Me! Me! Me..."
Ma Chao looked at the children's raised hands, his gaze sweeping over their innocent yet earnest faces, and said in a deep voice, "Children, listen carefully to my question—what should you do if someone breaks into your house, steals your things, and beats or scolds your mother?"
"Fight back!" Sun Shao was the first to stand up, his small face full of determination beyond his years, much like Sun Ce back then. "We absolutely cannot let them bully us!"
"Yes! Beat them to death!" Wu Niu shouted, rolling up his sleeves. "If anyone dares to touch my mother, I'll fight them to the death!"
Pan Hu and Gan Xiang nodded in agreement, chiming in with their own words: "We can't back down!" "Let them know what's what!"
Ma Chao raised his hand to signal them to be quiet, then asked, "If we fight back, will you get hurt?"
"Don't be afraid!" Wu Niu said, sticking out his neck and patting his chest. "Last time I fought with Gan Xiang, he dislocated my arm and it hurt for days, but I'm fine now, aren't I? I can fight again once I'm healed!"
Gan Xiang blushed, tugged at Wu Niu's sleeve, and whispered, "I already said it was an accident... why are you still bringing this up?" Then, feeling embarrassed, he shrank back into the crowd.
Ma Chao smiled and patted Wu Niu's head: "Hmm, Wu Niu is a brave boy." He then changed the subject, his voice becoming more serious, "But what if... he has to pay with his life?"
The classroom fell silent instantly. The excitement on the children's faces slowly faded, replaced by a look of bewilderment in their eyes. The word "life" was too unfamiliar to them, as if shrouded in a thin mist.
Pan Hu hesitated before speaking, "Is it... like my father?" His father was Pan Feng, who died in battle alongside Ma Chao.
Ma Chao's Adam's apple bobbed, and he nodded: "Yes, just like your father."
The children fell silent. Sun Shao clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white; Wu Niu opened his mouth but couldn't utter a word; Gan Xiang lowered his head, his fingers digging into the hem of his clothes. They weren't afraid of pain or bloodshed, but the thought of "death" felt like suddenly falling into ice water.
"If I die..." a little girl whispered, her eyes reddening, "my mother will cry."
"My mother is in poor health, who will buy her medicine?"
The chatter resumed, but the earlier enthusiasm was gone, replaced by a subtle sense of panic. For the first time, they realized that courage wasn't just about charging forward; it also meant having people to care about behind you.
Zhou Yin clutched the hem of his clothes and asked in a low voice, "Then... what if we don't fight him to the death?"
Looking at his pale face, Ma Chao's voice was heavy, as if a stone was pressing down on it: "If you don't fight back, they will empty your rice jar, smash your mother's loom, and steal your winter clothes. They will bully your mother and even kill her; your aunts, neighbors, and playmates will all be hacked to the ground by them."
Zhou Yin's face instantly turned pale, and his lips trembled as he was unable to speak.
Just then, a young but exceptionally firm voice suddenly rang out: "Then let's fight!"
Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw Ma Yue standing among the children, his small body ramrod straight, his eyes shining: "For my mother, for my family, for the place we live, we must fight them! Even if we die, we can't let them bully us!"
No sooner had he finished speaking than Wu Niu raised his fist and shouted, "That's right! Let's fight them! That's how my dad protected us back then!"
"Fight! We have to fight even if we can't win!" Sun Shao clenched his small fists, and the veins on his forehead stood out.
The children, like a pyre that had been set ablaze, blushed, waved their little fists, and shouted "Fight!" and "Let's fight!" The small schoolroom was instantly filled with a fierce, all-or-nothing spirit. Even Zhou Yin, who had just turned pale with fright, slowly clenched his fists, a hint of stubbornness appearing in his eyes.
Looking at the group of children, Ma Chao felt a surge of warmth in his chest. Wasn't he fighting in Xiliang all those years ago to protect people like them? For the light in their eyes, for their shouts of "We must fight," all the suffering was worth it.
Zhou Yu watched from the side, secretly turning his face away and wiping the corner of his eye with his sleeve. "Bo Fu, look, the children have grown up. They understand what should be protected and what should be fought for."
Ma Chao looked at them, a sharp glint in his eyes, which quickly softened into gentleness: "Then remember this, that's what your father thought back then—he'd rather bleed himself than let those behind him suffer. That's not foolishness, it's responsibility. But we need to learn how to bleed less and protect more people, understand?"
The children listened with great enthusiasm, their little faces flushed, nodding vigorously and swaying their necks as if they were about to break.
"Yes! Fight them!" Wu Niu almost overturned the small stool, wishing he could grab something and start sparring right now.
Sun Shao clenched his fists and paced in circles, muttering, "I need to hone my skills! I need to be stronger than them! Otherwise, how can I protect people!"
Even Zhou Yin, who had been timid just moments before, joined in loudly, "Attack...attack them!"
Standing in the middle, Ma Yue watched her younger siblings' enthusiasm, a maturity beyond her years appearing on her small face, but she quietly straightened her chest even more.
Looking at the group of children who resembled little wolf cubs, Ma Chao suddenly burst into laughter, the sound of which made the windowpanes vibrate: "Good! This is how we should be! Remember this spirit, and no matter what happens in the future, first ask your heart—should you stand up, should you charge forward!"
He reached out and patted Sun Shao, who was closest to him, then ruffled Wu Niu's hair, before finally fixing his gaze on Ma Yue with a hint of approval: "With this kind of spirit, you haven't lived in vain. But enthusiasm alone isn't enough; you also need to learn skills. This afternoon, I'll take you to the training ground and teach you a few real kung fu moves to protect yourselves, how about that?"
"Good!" the children shouted in unison, their voices crisp like gongs, shaking the dust off the roof. Zhou Yu watched from the side, a smile on his lips revealing deep satisfaction.
Ma Chao took a deep breath, suppressing his surging emotions, and said in a deep voice like an ancient bell in the wind: "Three years ago, the winter snow fell heavier than in previous years, so heavy that it reached above the horses' knees. The tribes on the grasslands formed an alliance and pounced on our Han lands like a pack of wolves that had gone mad with hunger—the Xianbei alone sent 300,000 cavalry."
“Three hundred thousand…” Wu Niu murmured, gesturing with his small hands, but he couldn’t figure out how many people that was. He just felt that they were as numerous as the stars in the sky.
Ma Chao nodded, his eyes darkening. "Their horses' hooves crushed the snow, and they crushed the city walls. I saw villages burned to the ground in Xiqiang, with only half a charred roof beam remaining. People were frozen in the snow, clutching the cornbread they hadn't had time to give to their children. There was a baby about your age lying in his mother's arms, his eyes still open, his eyelashes covered in ice..."
He didn't describe any more bloody scenes, but the children were stunned. The excitement they had shown earlier vanished from their little faces, replaced by a heavy sadness.