On the third day in the palace, Emperor Kangxi, along with his wives, princes, princesses, and grandsons, went to watch the ice skating competition at the Royal Ice Skating Rink. Lanqin saw Zheng Chunhua once again, dressed in her finest attire. Beside Kangxi, she resembled a dazzling and beautiful butterfly, radiant yet poignant. Perhaps Lanqin knew of Zheng's relationship with the Crown Prince, for no matter how charmingly Zheng smiled beside Kangxi, Lanqin felt that her smile seemed insincere.
Zheng Chunhua sat to the Emperor's left, and Consort Wang to his right. The four concubines sat at a distance, while the princes and their wives were naturally seated even further away. Lanqin only caught a glimpse of Zheng Chunhua's profile from afar and could not greet her directly.
"Why do you keep staring at that woman?" Fourth Master noticed Lanqin's unusual behavior.
"No, I just haven't seen Father Emperor for a long time, so I couldn't help but take a few more glances," Lanqin said, trying to hide her inner panic.
"No, you're not looking at Father Emperor, but at Consort Zheng next to him." Fourth Prince stared at Lanqin with displeasure. He didn't like the little woman lying to him.
"Master, the ice skating has started." Lanqin noticed that a dozen young men dressed in identical uniforms were skating onto the large white ice rink below.
"I'll deal with you when I get back tonight!" Fourth Master muttered, then focused his attention on the people on the ice rink.
Lanqin's heart skipped a beat. She could no longer look around; she immediately focused on the people dancing on the ice. The Jurchen tribes originally lived in the dense forests north of Jilin. They were born with the ability to ride horses and, almost by nature, to ski. Because for three or four months of winter, the ground was covered in snow, skiing was the best way to travel. Lanqin was astonished that the Qing Dynasty's ice skating skills had reached such a level. She saw ten young men, their feet strapped to ice skates, performing a powerful and beautiful dance on the ice. Lanqin had witnessed men's dance at the palace banquet that day, and now watching them dance so gracefully on the ice, she was utterly awestruck.
"They skate so well!" Lanqin couldn't help but exclaim, feeling that they were no less skilled than the national figure skaters she had seen on TV before.
"These are all specially trained skills, meant for Father Emperor's enjoyment. They must have practiced for a long time. Ice skating is also one of the essential skills. I've been practicing since I was a child," said the Fourth Prince.
"Can you really slip around like that, sir?" Lanqin asked.
"Next time, how about I take my concubine to the ice rink?" the Fourth Prince asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Alright, I can manage a little too, Your Highness, please guide me a bit," Lanqin said cheerfully, completely unaware of the smile on Fourth Master's lips.
After the ice dance, ice football began! The princes were about to take the field.
Lanqin had no idea that the Fourth Master would be playing. She stared in disbelief as he got up, and then the entire numbered legion got up and went off the field to prepare for the football match.
So he was keeping it from me! Was he trying to surprise me? Lanqin thought to herself as she watched Fourth Master's retreating figure, but she was also really looking forward to seeing him glide gracefully on the ice.
"Consort Niu, can you ice skate?" Taking advantage of the Fourth Prince's absence, the Third Consort finally had the chance to mock Lanqin.
Sigh, some people just like to act like this, as if they won't live long if they don't provoke others!
"I'm not very good at it, but does Third Princess know how?" Lanqin asked the Third Princess, who was sitting diagonally in front of her.
"I'm not very good at it either, but our Third Master is a master ice skater," the Third Princess said proudly, her expression telling everyone that her husband was an ice skating expert.
What's there to brag about! Lanqin silently worried about the Third Prince's intelligence. No wonder the Third Prince didn't like her much. The Consort Tian beside her looked much smarter and more lovable than the Third Prince.
On the ice rink, Fourth Master, Fifth Master, and Seventh Master formed one team, Third Master, Eighth Master, and Ninth Master formed another, and there were two other unfamiliar players, probably members of the imperial clan. With a whistle, a soccer ball made of woven fabric was tossed into the air.
Several princes began to desperately chase after the football in the field. The Fourth Prince's movements were very graceful, leaving Lanqin dumbfounded.
Wow, Fourth Master's ice skating is amazing, just as good as those dancers!
Not only is Fourth Master a good skater, but Seventh Master, Eighth Master, and Ninth Master are also excellent skaters. They must have started practicing skating from a young age. Judging from their posture and physique, they are completely comparable to the national skating champions that Lanqin has seen.
The princes were enthusiastically playing Cuju (ancient Chinese football) on the ice rink, while the women in the stands began to chatter amongst themselves about who skated best and most beautifully. Old Kang also became more energetic, holding a monocular telescope and watching the ice rink, occasionally exchanging a few words with the nobles beside him.
Lanqin was naturally keeping a close eye on Fourth Master, watching him glide forward and backward with the agility of a rabbit. Suddenly, Third Master skating in front of Fourth Master blocked his path, and the two began to fight over the ball on the ice.
Third Master was indeed a very good skater; he clung tightly to Fourth Master, preventing him from skating forward with the ball. Eighth Master and Ninth Master also seized the opportunity to surround Fourth Master. All three of them wanted to snatch the ball from Fourth Master's hands. Fifth Master and Seventh Master, however, were hesitant to go and help.
Lanqin felt anxious and blurted out: "Fourth Master, come on, come on!"
Upon hearing this, the lively chatter backstage was instantly silenced by Lanqin's shout, and even Old Kang turned to look at her. The Fourth Master in the room seemed to have heard Lanqin's voice as well, and everyone else was taken aback.
Taking advantage of this moment of distraction, Fourth Master nimbly slid past Third Master and headed straight for the opponent's goal with the ball.
"You have no manners! What are you saying!" The Third Princess Consort said angrily to Lanqin when she saw that the Fourth Prince had gotten rid of her man's blockade.
Old Kang didn't take it to heart. When he saw Lanqin stick out her little tongue shyly, he was amused by her playful facial expression.
Fourth Master led the way, sliding powerfully toward the opponent's goal, followed closely by Third Master, Eighth Master, and Ninth Master. Naturally, Fifth Master, Seventh Master, and several others also followed.
Fourth Master saw the opposing goalkeeper standing guard at the entrance with his arms outstretched. As he slid, he thought about how to lure the goalkeeper away.
"Stop him!" Third Master shouted to his goalkeeper.
As Fourth Master slid, he kept a close eye on the goalkeeper's subtle movements. He was about to slide into the shooting zone, but he still hadn't thrown the ball. If he didn't throw it soon, it would be wasted once it entered the shooting zone.
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