It wasn't that Wan Anran wouldn't allow it.

The main problem is that the helmets and armor are modified and quite heavy. Older people can still wear them, but as for Yinzhen, Yin'e, and Wenxian, they would probably be unable to move at all after wearing them, let alone play around.

Therefore, Wan Anran directly chose to refuse.

Wen Xian, who was obedient and understood, was one thing, but in order to prevent Yin Tang and Yin E from secretly playing around, or from letting the palace servants prepare things for the two of them while Xuan Fei, Ning Pin, and Yi Pin were unaware, Wan Anran specially sent someone to inform the three of them, successfully making Yin Tang and Yin E's cheeks turn into pufferfish in anger.

The Grand Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager also came to visit.

If they weren't so old, they too would have wanted to give it a try. The Empress also removed her hairpins, put on flat shoes, and gave it a proper try. As she rode past the flowers, grass, and willows, it was truly a unique experience, and she became a rare skateboarding enthusiast.

As the imperial harem became increasingly popular, the princes naturally heard about it.

For example, when there were no classes in the afternoon, Yinzhen would bring Yinqi and the others over to visit. Upon seeing his brother return, Yintao, who had gotten rid of his walker, awkwardly went forward to greet him, and while welcoming him, he would also complain: "Mother is bad, brother is disciplining mother!"

Yinzhi was delighted.

He nudged Yinzhen with his elbow and winked, "Fifth Brother, you're really something! I never expected you to be this kind of person in Chuxiu Palace!"

As he spoke, Yinzhi gave a thumbs up.

Yinzhen's forehead veins throbbed as he glared at Yinsi, speechless. Compared to the beloved, gentle, and prestigious Eighth Prince of his previous life, Yinsi in this life grew up spoiled by Consort Xi and Noble Lady Wei, and his personality was much more carefree, completely lacking the caution of his previous life.

A good personality remains a good personality.

He just always displeased Yinzhen, especially when he belittled others, which made Yinzhen even more irritable and frustrated.

Yinzhen led his younger brother away a little.

Yin Tao, who lived a calm and peaceful life in his past life... you must be like that in this life too, understand? Yin Zhen moved far away from Yin Si, while looking at Wan Anran: "Mother, what's all the fuss about in the garden, the skateboard?"

Wan Anran smiled and said, "Would you like to give it a try too?"

She enthusiastically led everyone to see it. Because of the excitement in the inner palace, Wan Anran even had the Imperial Household Department send two more pieces. Compared to the yellow and red ones, the ones sent this time were pink and delicate, clearly the style of a young lady.

Wan Anran performed a fancy skateboard show for Yinzhen.

Initially just curious, Yinzhen seemed thoughtful upon seeing this. He pondered for a moment: "This wheel can move freely?"

“That’s right. They were together at the beginning.” Wan Anran nodded, explaining with a hint of pride, “It was Mother who suggested improvements, which led the Imperial Household Department to revise them.”

Yinzhen looked at his mother in surprise.

He chuckled softly, "Mother, this is a great discovery!"

Wan Anran blinked, somewhat puzzled.

Emperor Kangxi gladly accepted Consort Qi's invitation and was surprised to find that Yinzhen was also there.

Several exquisite dishes were laid out on the round table.

There were four plates of vegetarian dishes alone, plus a plate of pearl meatballs, a dish of crispy shrimp, a large bowl of stewed potatoes and beef tendons, and a large bowl of hot and sour beef soup. In addition, there was a basket of... mushrooms?

After Kangxi took his seat, his gaze lingered on the shiitake mushrooms.

Its round and chubby shape looks exactly like... a mushroom, doesn't it? He wondered, pointing at the mushroom and asking, "Why are you putting the mushroom on the table?"

Wan Anran chuckled.

She picked one up in front of Emperor Kangxi and took a big bite.

Emperor Kangxi was dumbfounded and completely shocked.

It wasn't until Yinzhen offered a bewildered explanation that Kangxi finally gave Consort Qi a curious look: "You're just joking about food."

That's what they say.

Kangxi picked up a mushroom bun with great interest and examined it. The soft and fluffy outer skin, with black spots on it, smelled like long-lost chocolate. One bite revealed a rich, creamy, and soft outer skin, while the filling inside was a flowing custard filling. It was an excellent choice for breakfast.

Kangxi ate the food in twos and threes, still looking like he wanted more. After enjoying his dinner, he patted his round belly and wondered why Consort Qi had invited him over.

"Your Majesty, I miss you."

"...No one visits the palace without a reason, Consort Qi, you should think about it yourself." Kangxi added, a hint of sourness in his voice. Compared to the other concubines' eagerness, Consort Qi was truly a model of Buddhist detachment; during the more intense competition for favor last time...

Hmm, it was Yinzhen who just went to the Imperial Study.

A hint of sorrow flashed in Kangxi's eyes. Seeing that Yinyou and Yintao were around, Consort Qi certainly had no intention of vying for the emperor's favor.

Wan Anran gave an awkward smile.

She nudged Yinzhen: "Actually, it was Yinzhen who reminded me. I thought of something."

Kangxi: "Hmm? Tell me about it."

Wan Anran laughed and said, "Does Your Majesty still remember the skateboard?"

Kangxi raised his eyebrows: "Of course I remember."

He suddenly had an incredible idea, and Consort Qi's next words confirmed her thoughts. Wan Anran chattered on and on about Yinzhen's idea, which happened to be the application of wheels in a four-wheeled carriage. Wan Anran even blushed a little as she spoke: "I always travel by carriage, but I never thought of this issue. It was Yinzhen who thought of it as soon as he saw the skateboard."

"Yinzhen is just like me, so intelligent!"

"..." I'm getting annoyed by what you're saying.

Perhaps it was because Consort Qi's chilling gaze was too frightening, or perhaps Kangxi felt it was time to get down to business, but he changed the subject and smiled again, saying, "Yinzhen was a step too late; the people from the Imperial Household Department have already discovered it."

Wan Anran let out a soft "Ah!"

Her cheeks puffed up in anger: "Why didn't the Emperor say a word?"

"You didn't ask."

"It was clearly me who discovered this."

"At most, it can be said that Yinzhen discovered it—" Kangxi lectured Consort Qi with a stern face, then turned to Yinzhen with a kind smile and began to bestow a series of rewards.

Wan Anran pouted, unhappy.

Emperor Kangxi was amused by her reaction and reached out to poke Consort Qi's forehead: "I'll take you to a place later, I guarantee you'll be satisfied."

Wan Anran's eyes lit up: "Really?"

Emperor Kangxi nodded emphatically: "When have I ever lied to you?"

A few days later, just when Wan Anran had completely forgotten about the incident, Kangxi, accompanied by Consort Qi, boarded a dragon boat and sailed to the northernmost corner of Changchun Garden. Here, the forest was deep and the trees were dense, birds sang and flowers were fragrant, and the untouched garden had a wild charm. Walking along the secluded path, one could see the hidden courtyard with green tiles.

Wan Anran never expected there to be houses here. She looked around in surprise and followed Kangxi closely as they walked inside.

The scene before her eyes soon made her gasp in surprise.

Behind the courtyard, a rockery stood tall, and inside the wide, exquisitely decorated fence, several plump white bamboo bears strolled leisurely. They were not afraid of people, and when they heard any noise, they would only lazily glance over, their attention still focused on the toys in front of them.

Wan Anran covered her mouth, her eyes sparkling.

This bamboo bear chasing a ball is so cute! This bamboo bear swaying on a swing is also adorable! This bamboo bear climbing a tree is incredibly cute! And then there's this one, and that one...

For a moment, she didn't know which way to look.

Wan Anran's cheeks flushed with excitement as she reached out and tightly grasped Kangxi's hand: "Your Majesty~"

Kangxi laughed heartily: "You're happy now?"

This rhetorical question sent a jolt through Wan Anran. Her eyes widened in disbelief, her mind seemingly turning to mush as she stared blankly at Kangxi.

Emperor Kangxi did not try to hide it.

He led Consort Qi into the house with great interest. This was where the servants worked. Several palace servants hurriedly came forward. The head eunuch, Wan Anran, looked quite familiar. He was the one who used to work in the South Garden.

The eunuch looked at Consort Qi, whom he hadn't seen in a long time, and sighed inwardly. The servants in the South Garden were truly suffering now. In previous years, the Emperor would at least stay with his consorts for three to five months, but since the Empress's incident, the time had suddenly decreased to half a month or ten days, and it was rare for them to receive any rewards.

Their Zhaoxiang Garden was completely deserted, and life became harder every day. For a time, she didn't know which way to turn. Unexpectedly, she was fortunate to have the help of Zhu Xiong in the end.

Wan Anran went into the inner room.

The baby bamboo bears inside looked like little dumplings, lying in the bamboo basket and whimpering. Wan Anran reached out and gently rubbed them, but didn't dare to rub them any further, worried that their mother wouldn't accept them.

The eunuch laughed and said, "Princess Qi, don't be afraid! Bamboo Bear has gotten used to being cared for by others. The servants are the ones who take care of the cubs. Bamboo Bear's mother won't be furious."

Wan Anran's lips twitched.

Goodness, bamboo bear, your wildness is degenerating way too fast! In just a few years, you've already relaxed and handed over your cubs to humans?

Muttering to myself is one thing.

Overjoyed, Wan Anran carefully and cautiously cradled a small bamboo bear in her arms. The bear lay on its back, its soft whimpering sound like tiny fists hitting her heart, making Wan Anran feel as if she were walking on clouds, her feet floating on the ground.

This is so cute!

This is so cute!

This is so cute!

Wan Anran decided—she wouldn't leave; she'd just stay here…

it's out of the question.

Half an hour later, unable to bear the sight any longer, Emperor Kangxi ordered his men to take the bamboo bear away.

Under Consort Qi's murderous gaze, the young eunuch fearfully carried the bamboo bear away from her embrace, and the group ran away as fast as they could, as if they had greased their feet.

Wan Anran felt lost and disappointed.

She was both jealous and envious of the little eunuch who left, and her gesture of biting her handkerchief made Kangxi's mouth twitch. He practically grabbed her by the back of the neck and dragged her out of the courtyard: "Really, you can stay in the garden as long as you want. If you like, you can come over every day."

"Really?"

“Really, if you like it, you can take it to your own courtyard and have someone serve it.” Kangxi waved his hand, and remembering what Consort Qi had worried about last time, he added with a smile, “If you’re still worried, you can come with me and take another look inside.”

Wan Anran followed Kangxi inside.

The further she walked, the wider her mouth opened. She saw that the walls on both sides of the passageway were made of large pieces of glass. Behind the glass windows, on one side was the leisurely Bamboo Bear Paradise, and on the other side were several lambs and calves. These animals were all calm and relaxed in the face of the two-legged creatures that had suddenly appeared.

Several eunuchs were cleaning the area inside, walking around among the bamboo bears, but they were completely ignored. There were even some half-grown bamboo bears hanging on their legs, dangling around with their legs slung over their shoulders.

I'm so envious—! No, wait!

This scene was like a zoo! Wan Anran was extremely shocked, but more important than the bamboo bear was the glass in front of her. She touched it again and again: "What's with this glass?"

Emperor Kangxi laughed and said, "Consort Qi, have you forgotten? You've been nagging me for a long time about those ten thousand taels of glass glasses."

Wan Anran's cheeks flushed slightly, followed by a series of gasps of surprise.

Upon closer inspection, the glazed windows weren't as clear and clean as those in later generations; there were still traces of sediment inside. Of course, compared to the commonly used roof tiles nowadays, glazed windows were incredibly bright. She secretly calculated how long it would take to renovate the Chuxiu Palace as well, and at the same time, she asked with a hint of annoyance, "Your Majesty, have you recouped your investment yet?"

Emperor Kangxi gave Consort Qi a deep look.

Seeing Qi Fei's eyes practically turning into gold ingots, he was both amused and annoyed: "Of course we've taken them back, and we could easily build ten, twenty, or even fifty more Bamboo Bear Paradises!"

Wan Anran gasped.

She suddenly thought of a question, and Wan Anran subconsciously tugged at the corner of Kangxi's robe: "This was my idea, Your Majesty. If Your Majesty were to give it to me as a reward, wouldn't that be like getting something for nothing?"

Emperor Kangxi was speechless.

Thinking about it after considering what Consort Qi said, it seemed there was some truth to it? His previous smugness vanished, and Kangxi felt inexplicably depressed. Feeling somewhat guilty, Wan Anran quickly grabbed Kangxi's arm, secretly laughing, "Your Majesty, I thought Your Majesty had long forgotten..."

Kangxi regained his spirits.

He gently tucked a strand of Wan Anran's hair into his hand, his eyes softening: "How could that be? I remember it all."

"emperor……"

"Consort Qi..."

Springtime romance lingers in the passageway.

An enchanting atmosphere enveloped them. Kangxi and Consort Qi exchanged glances, their eyes sparkling with starlight. The distance between them gradually closed, as if they could feel each other's breath. At that moment, Wan Anran placed her hands on Kangxi's shoulders and exclaimed, "Your Majesty, I have a brilliant idea!"

Kangxi: "...Huh?"

Wan Anran exclaimed excitedly, "Open a zoo and make money from ticket sales!"

Kangxi: …………

Regardless of whether the zoo was practical or not, he felt he should shut Qi Fei up first to prevent her from ruining the atmosphere with her nonsense.