vstars Chapter 72 Never eaten pork, but at least seen a pig run
Chapter 72 Never eaten pork, but at least seen a pig run
Kangxi did take some of Yinzhuo's words to heart, but as the saying goes, one cannot speak without investigation. After Yinzhuo left, he sent people to investigate various households in the capital. They found that, as Yinzhuo had said, childbirth was indeed more dangerous for younger women than for older women. It was common for both mother and child to die. Moreover, even if the child was born, it was not as healthy or easy to raise as the child born to older women.
His aim was to increase the population and ensure the continuation of the imperial line. Since the survey showed that marrying later would be more beneficial for these reasons, and Kangxi had agreed that Yinzhuo could marry at the age of eighteen, he would naturally treat his other two sons the same way. He was also afraid that if the marriage was arranged too early, things might get complicated if it was delayed too long, so he was not in a hurry to arrange marriages for his three sons at this time.
The preparations had been so lively, but then it was suddenly called off. To make his abrupt cancellation of the imperial marriage seem more reasonable, Kangxi had someone announce the results of his investigation from a few days earlier. He then declared that from now on, the marriage age for both men and women would be changed to sixteen years old or older. This move naturally caused another stir in the capital.
And what was the Sixth Prince, who had been through another hurdle, doing at this moment? Yinzhuo had absolutely no interest in what was happening in the court and the capital. Right now, he and Yintang had set up a tent in his small courtyard, where they were brewing tea around a stove, enjoying themselves.
Ever since the first snowfall a few days ago, there has been a snowfall every few days, sometimes heavier and sometimes lighter. As the snowfalls have become more frequent, the weather has become increasingly cold. Yinzhuo is too lazy to go out in the cold, but he can't stand being alone, so he lets his little plot of land be disturbed.
"Sixth Brother, are you still planning not to participate in the ice skating this year?"
Yinzhuo was drinking tea when he heard Yintang's words. He nodded almost without hesitation, then put down his cup and said...
"Ice skating is certainly fun for you, but I can't skate. I can't even stand steadily on the ice. I'd be lucky to just sit there and watch. Participating? No way."
It would be a lie to say that Yinzhu had no interest in ice skating from the beginning. However, after his first time on the ice rink, where he fell flat on his face and lost all face, Yinzhu lost interest in this ice activity. It's not that he didn't try to learn ice skating afterward, but he almost always fell and got dizzy. Later, even Emperor Kangxi was worried that he would get hurt and advised him to give up. It can only be said that no one is perfect. Yinzhu himself was quite open-minded about this. After all, he was such a perfect person. If he were to be proficient in all eighteen martial arts, would he leave any room for others to survive?
"Sixth Brother, you usually have the most ideas. Do you have any way to help me win the race in the ice skating competition? You know I bragged about it last time, but I missed first place because my skate straps came loose at the last moment. I was so upset about it for a whole year. This time, I have to win no matter what."
Upon hearing that Yinzhi said the ice skate straps had come undone, Yinzhi's first thought was of modern one-piece ice skates. So he quickly had someone bring paper and pen, drew the design of the skates and blades, and gave them to Dexi to have sent to the Imperial Household Department, asking them to make them according to the drawings as soon as possible.
The making of these ice skates is actually quite simple. You just need to make a pair of shoes with wooden soles and then fix the skate blades to the soles. This way, you don't have to worry about the straps coming undone and the skates falling off while skating.
"Sixth Brother, are you sure the shoes you drew can glide on ice?"
Nonsense, of course Yinzhuo was certain. Even if he hadn't eaten pork, hadn't he seen pigs run? Besides, you guys can skate on ice even with a metal bar tied to the sole of your shoes, so there's no reason why my ice skates can't.
The Imperial Household Department was quite efficient; within two days, they had finished making the ice skates according to Yinzhuo's request and delivered them. Yinzhuo then sent someone to invite Yintang over and gave him the skates that the Imperial Household Department had just delivered.
"Give it a try, maybe this will be even faster than your previous one?"
Yinzhen held the shoes in his hands and examined them repeatedly for a long time, but he couldn't find anything special about them except that the ice skates were directly fixed to the shoes.
"Sixth Brother, are you sure these shoes will really make you skate faster?"
Yinzhu was just saying that; of course he wasn't sure. After all, the shoes had only just arrived and no one had tried them before, so who knew how fast they would go? Anyway, he was only in charge of the equipment. He thought his equipment was fine, so the rest depended on the young man's skills, right?
"I think my shoes are fine, but I don't know how good your skating skills are. Besides, instead of asking all these questions, why don't you take your shoes and go find a place to practice now?"
As it turned out, there was nothing wrong with Yinzhuo's shoes, and Yintang's ice skating skills were top-notch!
"Sixth Brother, please be patient. With these ice skates you invented, I'm sure I'll win first place this year."
Yinzhuo dared not take credit for it, and sighed helplessly after hearing Yintang's words.
"Your victory is due to your own skill, and has little to do with these ice skates. Besides, they weren't my invention; I just saw someone do them before."
To win first place in this year's ice skating competition, Yin Tang really put in a lot of effort. Whenever he had free time, he would find a place to practice for a while. Time passed quietly in Yin Tang's hard work and practice, and soon it was the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month.
The Ice Sports Grand Ceremony is held annually on the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month. Ice sports, also known as ice games, is a general term for all ice sports. The Manchus' love for ice sports mainly stems from their previous living environment and customs. Before entering the Central Plains, the Manchus lived between the Changbai Mountains and the Heilongjiang River. In winter, the water would freeze instantly, creating a harsh environment. To better walk and hunt on the frozen water and ice fields, they made the most primitive ice skates from animal bones and wooden planks. This tool was not only used for daily life and hunting but also for military campaigns. After entering the Central Plains, although they no longer had to struggle for a living, this custom was still well preserved and widely used in military training. Therefore, the annual Ice Sports Grand Ceremony is not only a form of entertainment but also a unique military review ceremony.
Although Yinzhuo didn't have to participate in the competition, he still had to attend the ice skating ceremony. On the morning of Laba Festival, before dawn, Dexi pulled Yinzhuo out of bed and dressed him from head to toe. Just as he finished changing his clothes, the Laba porridge bestowed by Emperor Kangxi arrived. Yinzhuo ate a few mouthfuls in a daze, and then, still half asleep, Dexi helped him onto the palanquin. They swayed all the way to the Qianqing Palace before he became somewhat awake.