Fourth Master, holding the ball, suddenly did a somersault, turning back to face Third Master and Eighth Master, who had caught up, a cryptic smile in his eyes. Third Master, looking at Fourth Master's expression, didn't understand what he was going to do; he should be throwing the ball right now.
Fourth Master suddenly spun the ball, sending it flying in a beautiful arc, soaring over Third Master and Eighth Master who were closing in, and landing precisely in Seventh Master's hands.
"He's over there with Seventh Brother!" Ninth Master suddenly shouted.
The atmosphere in the arena immediately became tense, and the spectators in the stands were on tenterhooks. Even Emperor Kangxi was intently watching the situation unfold.
Lanqin sat there, clutching her handkerchief, her eyes fixed on the fleeting figure of the Fourth Master.
Eighth Master and Ninth Master immediately turned around and chased after Seventh Master. Seventh Master slid back a few steps with the ball, while Fourth Master slowly followed behind the group, not in a hurry to get the ball again.
After Eighth Master and Ninth Master caught up with Seventh Master, Seventh Master threw the ball again, transferring it to Fifth Master. Fifth Master, positioned on the sidelines, suddenly accelerated and slid towards the opponent's goal. Third Master stepped forward, attempting to block Fifth Master's path.
Fifth Master was about to be intercepted by Third Master, but he suddenly raised the ball in his hand and threw it towards Fourth Master. Fourth Master caught the ball immediately, then turned and slid towards the opponent's goal. As he slid, he seized the opportunity and threw the ball into the goal. Because the goalkeeper had been defending in the direction Fifth Master had gone, he couldn't get back in time, and Fourth Master saw the opportunity, and the ball flew into the goal.
Yay~~~
Fourth Prince finally scored the first goal! Lanqin almost jumped up, but after seeing Consort De's eyes, she stopped her impulsive desire.
Before long, Liang Jiugong, Kangxi's personal eunuch, personally walked to Lanqin's side and said to her, "Consort, His Majesty requests your presence!"
Lanqin blinked her big eyes and looked at Liang Jiugong, saying, "What? Why does the Emperor want to invite me over?" Obviously, this question was redundant; the Emperor doesn't need a reason to ask you to do anything.
The Third Prince's Consort, sitting to the side, overheard this and a hint of jealousy flashed in her eyes. Why were they, the primary consorts, relegated to this seat while the Emperor had invited this secondary consort over? Lanqin glanced around at the envious gazes with slight embarrassment, but in her heart she thought: Do you think accompanying the Emperor is a good thing? Serving the Emperor is like serving a tiger! Go if you want, but I don't want to go.
Despite her thoughts, she dared not hesitate and followed Liang Jiugong to where Kangxi was sitting.
"This humble servant greets Your Majesty!" Lanqin raised the handkerchief in her hand and gave a very standard greeting.
"Girl, it's been a long time. Come, sit here with me." Kangxi naturally remembered this concubine who reminded him of the Third Princess who died young.
After Lanqin sat down next to Kangxi amidst the strange looks from the crowd, they all pricked up their ears, wanting to hear what Kangxi had to say to Lanqin.
When Zheng Chunhua saw Lan Qin approaching, there was surprise in her eyes, but not the hostility she showed towards others. Lan Qin smiled at her in return.
"Girl, what did you just say, 'Go for it'?" Kangxi laughed, clearly in a good mood today. But Lanqin didn't dare to be presumptuous; the fate of the Thirteenth Prince was frightening, and he was his own son.
"Your Majesty, I was just cheering for the Fourth Prince! I just blurted out those two words randomly." Lanqin couldn't think of a suitable reason for the moment, so she could only explain it this way!
"That's no nonsense. I heard Westerners using those two words when they cheered! Girl, you know quite a lot!" Kangxi said, his narrow eyes gleaming.
“Nothing can be hidden from Father Emperor. I enjoy reading Western books. I believe that some things from the West can be used for my own purposes!” Lanqin couldn’t help but say.
Kangxi narrowed his eyes and said, "You're quite bold. I have already banned Western Catholicism and stopped all contact with them. How dare you speak up for them in front of me?"
Upon hearing this, those who had been listening intently to Lanqin's conversation with Kangxi silently mocked Lanqin in their hearts, even wishing that she would be reprimanded by Kangxi at that moment.
"Your Majesty," Lanqin said gently, "I am ignorant of such matters of state. Your Majesty has your reasons for banning Western religions. I am merely a woman confined to my chambers, and I simply wish that Western clocks could accurately keep track of time, and I also admire Western telescopes for observing celestial phenomena, which can help me understand the stars in the universe." She was actually speaking according to Kangxi's preferences. Although the old Kangxi had banned friendly relations with the West, Western clocks were displayed everywhere in the palace, showing that he quite liked them. As for the second point, Lanqin knew that Kangxi also liked Western telescopes, as evidenced by the massive astronomical observatory built in the Yuanmingyuan Garden. Therefore, Lanqin deliberately spoke according to Kangxi's preferences.
As expected, after hearing what Lanqin said, Kangxi smiled slightly and said, "Indeed, some things from the West are quite good, and I like them very much."
Lanqin breathed a sigh of relief, and found it amusing to look at those disappointed eyes.
"Father, look! Fourth Brother is carrying the ball again!" At this moment, one of Kangxi's little princesses suddenly spoke up.
So, everyone's attention returned to the ice rink, where Fourth Master was seen skating towards the opponent's goal with the puck. Third Master, Eighth Master, and Ninth Master were still close behind him.
"This time, it might not be so easy for the fourth prince to use a feint attack again," Kangxi said.
Lanqin said, "Your Excellency never uses the same trick twice. I'm sure you'll score this time."
Kangxi raised his hand and stroked his mustache, saying, "You seem to have a lot of confidence in the Fourth Prince."
“Of course, Fourth Prince is my husband, so I naturally trust him completely,” Lanqin said.
Kangxi smiled without saying a word, and everyone's attention was focused on the princes and members of the imperial family on the ice.
As expected, Fourth Master didn't use the same strategy as last time. Instead, he launched a fierce attack. Because Third Master and the others suspected that Fourth Master would use a feint attack, they didn't follow him closely.
The Fourth Prince, on the other hand, found it easy and easily threw the ball into the goal. Of course, the Eighth Prince and his team also scored, but overall, the Fourth Prince's team scored more goals. Emperor Kangxi watched the ice skating with great interest, and in the end, he personally bestowed a jade thumb ring from his own possession upon the Fourth Prince. Lanqin privately thought that the Fourth Prince's reward for his hard work on the ice skating rink was far better than the rewards given to the other princes at the palace banquet that day.
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