The Crown Prince Chases His Wife
Chapter 109 Ice Skating Festival
The fourteenth day of the twelfth lunar month.
Earlier in the month, the Imperial Observatory Bureau, under the emperor’s orders, selected an auspicious date for the ice-skating festival to be held in the imperial palace gardens. That date was set for today.
The ice-skating festival was scheduled for the afternoon. Qin Yan and Feng Zhan had lunch at their home and took a short nap together. They both got up shortly after noon.
Taizi was originally scheduled to discuss matters with some court officials at the southern study of the imperial city in the morning, but the officials received a last-minute notification from the Taizi Mansion, informing them that the meeting time had been changed to the afternoon.
What they didn’t know was that the only reason for the change was that His Highness Taizi wanted to travel with Taizifei.
Qin Yan and Feng Zhan boarded Taizi’s carriage. The carriage swayed gently as it traveled, and just after noon, they arrived at the imperial palace gardens located west of the imperial city.
After Qin Yan got off the carriage, she turned to look at Feng Zhan, who had also alighted.
Feng Zhan reached out with his slender hands and adjusted the snow-white silver fox fur cloak draped over Qin Yan’s shoulders, speaking gently, “I’ll use your carriage.”
Qin Yan smiled, indulging in Feng Zhan’s little whim.
She then turned and boarded the sedan chair prepared for her and headed into the Xi Garden.
Feng Zhan watched Qin Yan’s back for a moment before boarding her entirely black six-horse carriage, heading toward the East Gate of the imperial city.
————-
Now, as the Taizifei, Qin Yan was permitted to bring a certain number of attendants with her when entering and exiting the palace and palace gardens.
Thus, following Qin Yan’s sedan chair were Shen Ying and some guards from her mansion.
When Qin Yan first returned to the capital at the beginning of the year, she had come to the Xi Garden to watch a polo match. At that time, the gardens were in full bloom. But now, the Xi Garden was draped in silver, showcasing a different kind of beauty.
As they approached Taiye Pool, the crowd along the shore was already visible. Qin Yan narrowed her phoenix-shaped eyes slightly as she gazed at the snow-white ice surface.
Taiye Pool…
This was the first time Qin Yan had returned to this place since she fell into the water here as a child.
The truth she couldn’t uncover back then, could she now, with her position as the Taizifei, find some clues?
Qin Yan smirked inwardly, this is why so many people long for power and status…
————
Every year, a dedicated person was assigned to inspect the ice layer of Taiye Pool, assessing the thickness, smoothness, and hardness of the ice in various locations.
If the ice makes a sound like a stone when struck, it can be used for skating.
This year, the hardest part of the ice in Taiye Pool was in the east-west direction, while the ice in the northern and southern corners was slightly weaker.
Thus, the best viewing point for the ice-skating festival chosen for the emperor was the water pavilion located in the middle near the eastern shore of the pool.
Today, the imperial family invited officials and their families to join in the celebration. In addition to the seating for imperial family members set up in the Qingxiao Pavilion on the northern bank of Taiye Pool, there are also seats on the southern bank for the officials and their families.
At this moment, on the ice surface near the western bank of Taiye Pool, numerous ice sculptures of various sizes were displayed. Each sculpture was clear and lifelike, said to have been crafted by folk artists from the northern regions. Such works had never been seen in previous ice-skating festivals, and the crowd could not help but applaud in admiration.
————-
From noon onward, people began to take their seats one after another.
By the time Qin Yan entered the Qingxiao Pavilion, there were already a few people inside.
Princess Changle, Feng Yunchao, and Princess Jingyi, Feng Yuyao, as well as the two sisters from the Left Prime Minister Mansion, Wang Jing Yi and Wang Jing Yan.
The Wang sisters’ seats had originally been arranged on the south bank with the official families, but since Feng Yunchao wanted to speak with Wang Jingyi and felt obliged, he invited Wang Jingyan and the Wang family’s young master, Wang Jingyu, as well.
Wang Jingyu, however, did not wish to be confined in the Qingxiao Pavilion and politely declined.
The guests stood up to greet Qin Yan.
“Greetings to Taizifei.”
Qin Yan nodded and then took her seat.
There were still some empty seats in the Qingxiao Pavilion. The second prince, the third prince, and the Shizi of the Duan Wang Mansion had all been summoned to the South Study by the Taizi.
Today’s banquet was not of high status, and the seating arrangement was not strictly hierarchical. With Qin Yan’s consent, Feng Yuyao had instructed the palace servants to move her seat to Qin Yan’s left side.
“Yan Yan, I thought you weren’t coming,” Feng Yuyao began to chat casually once she was seated.
Qin Yan felt a little helpless in her heart. She hadn’t originally planned to come, but Feng Zhan said he had official business in the palace for a few days and asked Qin Yan to accompany him into the imperial city, suggesting they also attend the ice-skating festival.
In other words, it was a matter of “husband and wife going together…”
Feng Yu Yao poured herself some wine and then leaned close to Qin Yan’s ear, whispering mysteriously, “Yan Yan, look over at the Shui Pavilion. Do you know why Imperial Concubine Shu and Imperial Concubine Jing are here today?”
Qin Yan gave Feng Yuyao a faint glance but didn’t respond. She had no interest in the answer to this question.
Feng Yu Yao continued talking to herself, “I heard that these two have been recently selecting primary and secondary concubines for the Second Prince and Third Prince respectively. Today, they’ve come to the ice-skating festival to meet potential candidates.”
Qin Yan followed Feng Yuyao’s gaze toward the Shui Pavilion on the east bank.
She understood the usual practice for such matchmaking events: first, portraits are presented, and if there’s interest, a public meeting is arranged. If there’s no interest, it avoids the awkwardness of a private meeting that doesn’t work out.
At that moment, Shen Ying approached Qin Yan and whispered, “Master, Miss Xi and Miss Lin are on the north bank. Should I send someone to keep an eye on them?”
Qin Yan shifted her gaze to the large crowd on the opposite bank and nodded.
Shen Ying understood her master’s instructions and went off to carry them out.
Feng Yuyao asked, “The two young ladies we met at Qianshui Lake? That’s rather interesting.”
Then Feng Yuyao seemed to spot something intriguing, smiling as she spoke, “Oh, Imperial Concubine Ning has arrived as well.”
“It seems that Imperial Concubine Ning has regained favor and many in the harem are envious.”
Qin Yan also noticed the face in the Shui Pavilion that resembled her mother’s and felt a twinge of coldness in her heart.
————
At this time, the south bank of Taiye Pool had some empty seats as the officials, led by the Left Prime Minister, had been summoned to the South Study by the Taizi.
The seats behind them were occupied by the families of officials.
Qin Xi and Qin Lin had come today with their father, the newly appointed Minister of Works, Qin Wenxuan, who had also gone to the South Study.
Although Qin Xi and Qin Lin were the daughters of a minister, their standing in the high society of the capital was not particularly favorable.
There were two main reasons for this. Firstly, Qin Wenxuan had previously been only an Assistant Minister in the Ministry of Works, which was not a prominent position in a city filled with powerful families. Moreover, they lived in a separate residence from the Prime Minister Qin Mansion, and Imperial Concubine Shu was not close to them. Qin Wenxuan hardly benefited from the favor of Imperial Concubine Shu or Prime Minister Qin. Secondly, Qin Wenxuan’s wife, Madam Zhu, came from a merchant family and was looked down upon by the noble circles of the capital. In fact, some people even treated her as a subject of ridicule behind her back.
As a result, Qin Xi and Qin Lin rarely appeared at such events.
At this moment, Qin Xi and Qin Lin felt somewhat isolated among the noble ladies.
The young men and women, aside from a group led by Wang Jingyu from the Left Prime Minister Mansion, were mostly gathered around Qin Nian and Qin Ming.
There were several curious glances cast toward Qin Xi and Qin Lin, with whispers of discussion not kept very quiet.
“Who are those two over there?”
“Don’t you know? They’re the two young ladies from the newly appointed Minister of Works, Qin Wenxuan’s family.”
“They seem quite genteel.”
“Hey, Nian Nian, aren’t those your cousins?”
Qin Nian didn’t respond. She didn’t have much interaction with those twin sisters.
Someone then spoke with a hint of mockery, “They seem genteel, but they have quite a few schemes.”
“What do you mean by that?”
The person glanced toward Qin Xi and Qin Lin and raised their voice slightly, “Not long ago, at Qianshui Lake in the south of the city, I saw those two young ladies making a fuss to get close to the Taizifei and Princess Jingyi.”
“One might think the Taizifei’s younger sisters are those two.”
“Some people really don’t know their own limits…”
After this remark, everyone cast complex looks at Qin Xi and Qin Lin.
Qin Lin appeared somewhat embarrassed. She was uncomfortable that their actions had been interpreted in such a way by others.
In contrast, Qin Xi seemed indifferent, her mind and eyes entirely focused on the upcoming ice skating festival performance.
Qin Ming kept his gaze lowered, hiding the sadness in his heart.
In the Qingxiao Pavilion, Shen Ying approached Qin Yan and whispered something in her ear.
Qin Yan frowned slightly and then instructed calmly, “Bring them over.”
“Yes, Master.”
Shen Ying acknowledged the command and went off to carry it out.
———–
On the south bank of Taiye Pool, the young men and women continued to fawn over Qin Nian and Qin Ming while belittling Qin Xi and Qin Lin.
“I heard that the Minister of Works’ wife comes from a lowly merchant background. It’s no wonder that such people produce daughters like that…”
“No surprise they lack decorum and don’t know their place…”
“You…” Qin Xi could no longer hold back and stood up, but Qin Lin immediately pulled her back down into her seat.
At this moment, there was some commotion in the crowd.
“Isn’t that the skillful maid who serves the Taizifei?”
“She’s here to invite Nian Nian and Young Master Qin to the Qingxiao Pavilion.”
“She must be. Princess Changle’s people have already summoned Young Lady Wang and Second Young Lady Wang.”
“Nian Nian, the Taizifei really treats you well.”
…….
Qin Nian found it somewhat unbelievable, but perhaps Qin Yan was doing this to maintain the reputation of the Right Prime Minister Mansion.
Qin Ming’s emotions were conflicted. He felt both anticipation and embarrassment. Ever since he had witnessed that scene, he had observed his parents’ interactions for days, and his unease had only grown. It seemed that his father’s questioning of his mother was not without reason.
Shen Ying moved swiftly and, in just a few steps, reached their side. However, she bypassed Qin Nian and Qin Ming and went directly toward Qin Xi and Qin Lin.
“Young Lady Xi, Young Lady Lin, Master requests your presence at the Qingxiao Pavilion.”
Shen Ying’s voice wasn’t very loud, but the surrounding silence made her words clearly audible.
Everyone was startled and turned their attention to Qin Nian and Qin Ming.
“Why are they being invited?”
Qin Nian and Qin Ming both looked a bit awkward.
Qin Xi, who was not particularly perceptive, had her excitement and smugness written on her face.
Though Qin Lin was uncomfortable being the center of attention, she realized that staying there might lead to conflicts with others because of Qin Xi. It would be worse to deal with later.
Qin Lin tugged at Qin Xi, stood up, and thanked Shen Ying, “Please convey our thanks to Taizifei.”
The two sisters left their seats under the envious glances of others, heading toward the Qingxiao Pavilion.
The Second Young Master of the Left Prime Minister Mansion, Wang Jingyu, looked at the group of awkward and embarrassed young men and women beside him and laughed, “Oh, they’re closer than real sisters!”
The young men around Wang Jingyu burst into hearty laughter.
This only deepened the discomfort of Qin Nian, Qin Ming, and those who had earlier mocked Qin Xi and Qin Lin.
Upon entering the Qingxiao Pavilion, Qin Xi and Qin Lin greeted everyone with polite bows and then quietly took their seats in the back row.
Qin Xi’s face lit up with undeniable excitement as she looked at her elder sister’s figure in front.
Qin Lin, on the other hand, was preoccupied with her thoughts.
Would she encounter that person inside the pavilion?
But once they were inside, and she didn’t see the person who had repeatedly focused their gaze on her face, a pang of disappointment suddenly surged within her.
Qin Lin inwardly cursed her bad luck.
————–
At the Shen hour (3 – 5 pm), Emperor Hui arrived at the west bank of Taiye Pool and then ascended an ice bed shaped like a dragon boat.
The ice bed, over ten yards long, was decorated with golden patterns on both sides. It featured a carved dragon throne with a golden lacquered canopy and yellow satin drapery, looking extremely splendid.
The ice bed was pushed by a dozen or so guards from the Northern Yamen Imperial Army and moved swiftly from the west bank of Taiye Pool towards the east.
“His Majesty has arrived.”
Everyone rose and paid their respects, “Welcome, Your Majesty.”
When the ice bed reached the east bank, Emperor Hui disembarked and entered the Shui Pavilion, taking his seat on the central throne.
“Rise,” announced Li Fuquan.
Everyone stood up.
The ice festival this year followed the usual format with four performances scheduled.
The first performance was the game of “Yuanju,” which was ice football.
The second event was ice archery, the third was speed skating, and the fourth was ice acrobatics.
Except for the fourth performance, the first three were designed for military training, intended to strengthen the physical fitness of soldiers and enhance their resistance to the cold. Thus, most of the participants were soldiers.
At this moment, dozens of soldiers dressed in red and yellow from the Southern and Northern Yamen Imperial Armies stood in the center of the field. Two goals were set up at either end of the field, and the players took their positions, ready for action.
The leaders of the two teams were the respective deputy commanders of the Southern and Northern Yamen.
The deputy commander for Southern Yamen was Xie Zhao.
An official stood in the center of the field, holding an inflated sheepskin ball. At the signal from the announcer, the official forcefully threw the ball into the air. Before the ball landed, both teams rushed forward, fiercely contesting for possession.
Xie Zhao gained control of the ball first and then passed it out. The players used both their hands and feet, with the Northern Yamen players also fiercely contesting. The scene was thrilling, with frequent collisions and the icy Taiye Lake splattered with white ice spray, creating a spectacular sight.
The spectators cheered loudly, their voices echoing across the field.
After several touches, Xie Zhao managed to pass the ball in front of the opposing goal and scored the first goal of the day.
Both on the field and on the sidelines, there were excited cheers.
Today’s match between the Southern and Northern Yamen had subtle changes compared to previous years. Although the competition was intense, the personal grudges that used to be prevalent had significantly diminished.
However, few were aware of the private dealings between Xie Changyuan, the commander of the Northern Yamen, and Taizi Feng Zhan.
———–
At today’s ice skating festival, the Emperor encouraged a jovial atmosphere and allowed open betting, with the most enthusiastic participant being Wang Jingyu, the Second Young Master of the Left Prime Minister Mansion.
“Come, come, place your bets! No matter the amount, just for the excitement of it!”
On the north bank, near the Qingxiao Pavilion, things were much quieter, which was understandable given Wang Jingyu’s reluctance to come over.
Feng Yuyao clicked her tongue in appreciation.
“Not to mention anything else, the two sons of Marquis Xie have impressive physiques and looks.”
“Indeed, Yan Yan?”
Qin Yan’s expression remained indifferent, and she didn’t respond.
Wang Jingyi unconsciously followed the tall figure on the field with her gaze, to the extent that she didn’t even hear Wang Jingyan speaking softly next to her.
“Sister, you’re not getting any younger. If the Taizi Mansion isn’t considering you, shouldn’t you think about your own future?”
“Sister, sister…”
Wang Jingyan followed Wang Jingyi’s gaze to the field and then continued, “Could it be that you’re interested in the young master on the field?”
“I’m just taking a look. The highest-ranked person on the field is…”
At that moment, Wang Jingyi finally came to her senses but kept her gaze fixed on the field, with only the irregular rise and fall of her chest betraying her current feelings.
Don’t say that name…
However, contrary to her wishes, Wang Jingyan tried to guess, “The only one left is the illegitimate son of the Marquis of Yongding, Xie Zhao…”
Wang Jingyi coldly interrupted, “Court officials are not to be spoken of lightly.”
Wang Jingyan was initially taken aback but then leaned in with a sarcastic smile, “Oh… Sister wouldn’t really be…”