Chapter 467 Marriage
Waiting is a torment, especially waiting under the gaze of a room full of women. Li Hu has never felt so miserable in his entire life.

Li Hu sat there, staring at the blazing charcoal fire in the brazier. He leaned forward slightly, then sat up straight with dignity.

Shi Xiangyun, who had just been driven out of her bedroom by Lady Jia, burst out laughing, but quickly held it back.

Li Hu glared at her unhappily.

Shi Xiangyun blinked her eyes and said, “Brother-in-law Lin, what are you afraid of? We are not tigers.”

Li Hu’s face turned red: “You know nothing~~ hammer!”

Shi Xiangyun also blushed. Although Li Hu did not completely say the word “fart”, everyone present understood what he meant.

“I’ll tell Sister Lin.” Shi Xiangyun pulled Jia Tanchun away to complain.

After being disturbed by Shi Xiangyun’s words, Li Hu relaxed instead. He picked up the tea bowl and drank several sips before putting it down.

Finally, Jia Baoyu and his nephew Jia Lan came in.

Jia Baoyu: “Brother Li, the auspicious time is coming.”

Before she could finish her words, Nanny Wang called for several maids to come with a new scarlet felt, which they spread from the bedroom to the moon gate outside the courtyard.

As soon as Li Hu stood up, there was a deafening sound of firecrackers outside the courtyard gate, followed by the deafening sound of horns.

Li Hu adjusted his hat and strode out.

A large sedan chair covered with red satin was parked at the end of the new scarlet felt outside the courtyard gate. Eight strong-armed soldiers were standing with their hands on their hips, waiting with smiles on their faces.

The bride does not go out to get into the sedan chair as soon as it arrives. Firecrackers are set off and music is played before she goes out to get into the sedan chair.

The “crackling” sound of firecrackers rang out again, and the drummers blew even louder!

Li Hu stood beside the sedan chair and looked at the open door.

Finally, Lin Daiyu’s step-aunt came out with a red umbrella, opened it, and scattered a handful of rice into the sky, implying that Lin Daiyu would have many children after she got married.

Then, Lin Daiyu, covered with a red veil, was supported out by Zijuan and Xueyan on her left and right. The matchmaker led the way in front, and the women from Jia Mu and Jia and Lin’s families wiped their tears and sent Lin Daiyu to the bridal sedan.

“Get up the sedan!”

The master of ceremonies gave a long shout, and the bridal sedan was slowly lifted up amid the deafening sound of firecrackers and drums. Surrounded by the crowd, it moved towards the gate in a mighty procession. At the gate, several members of the Lin family’s side branches who had been prepared in advance poured out the water in the copper basin after the wedding procession left.

The procession on the way back was even more spectacular. In addition to the huge dowry procession, Jia Mu, Lin Ruhai and others also had to follow. As the parents of the bride, they accepted the kneeling worship of the newlyweds.

The most time-consuming part of the wedding was the bride parade. It was already dusk when they returned to the Duke of Lu’s mansion.

The Duke of Lu’s mansion was already packed with guests, and the streets were filled with people who came to watch the fun.

The middle door was wide open, and a scarlet felt carpet led directly to the side of the door.

“Get down the sedan!” the master of ceremonies shouted loudly, and eight personal soldiers carried the sedan and landed it steadily in front of the red carpet.

“The newlyweds get off the sedan!”

Amid the earth-shaking sound of firecrackers, the curtain of the sedan chair was lifted, and Zijuan and Xueyan helped Lin Daiyu out, supporting her as she walked towards the middle door on the red felt carpet.

Li Hu only has Li San as an elder, who is also a bachelor, so Li Hu has to go personally to the gate to pick up Lin Daiyu and bring her into the mansion.

At this time, Lin Daiyu was holding a love knot in her hand. This love knot also had its own particularities. It was made of a piece of colorful satin from each family.

Li Hu, who was standing inside the door, took the other end of the knot handed to him by Xueyan, then held Lin Daiyu’s arm and said softly, “Slow down, be careful with your steps.”

Then, Li Hu helped Lin Daiyu cross the fire basin, saddle and rice bag, which symbolized prosperity, peace and a rich and healthy life in the future, and that her descendants would inherit this happiness.

By this point, the ceremony was almost complete. After the ceremony, Lin Daiyu had truly entered the Li family.

Hundreds of guests came today. In addition to the generals and their families from the Rui Shi Camp and the Yong Wei Camp, there were also the Jia family, the Shi family, the Xue family, the Liu family of Duke Liguo, the Shi family of Duke Shanguo, the Feng family of General Shenwu, as well as officials from the Ministry of War and various provinces stationed in Beijing, and even William and others came to eat and drink for free.

Many civil servants also came, all of whom were fellow Jinshi students of Lin Ruhai and close relatives of Lin Ruhai.

The witness today was Jia Jing, the Grand Secretary of the Cabinet. No one knew what kind of magic potion he and Jia She had given Lin Ruhai. The master of ceremonies was Li Shouzhong, the chief priest of the Imperial Academy, Jia Lan’s grandfather and Li Wan’s father. He was also recommended to Lin Ruhai by Jia Jing and Jia She.

This is where Li Hu is embarrassed. He has a very bad relationship with civil officials. It is already a great honor for Lin Ruhai that his classmate can come to the wedding, but it is impossible for him to be the master of ceremonies.

Both the Li family and the Lin family have small populations, and there are no elders who can shoulder the burden.

Li Hu could only accept it. He once asked Lin Ruhai what Jia Jing and Jia She had said to him in Jia She’s study that day, but Lin Ruhai just smiled.

The carriages of Lin Ruhai and others did not follow the parade, but changed the route and arrived at the Duke of Lu’s Mansion ahead of time.

The main hall was decorated in a festive atmosphere. The floor was covered with new scarlet felt and a large red “囍” character was pasted on the front wall. Li San and Lin Ruhai, as the parents of the bride and groom, sat at the top, while Jia Mu and others sat on chairs on both sides, talking in low voices.

The light in the hall gradually dimmed, and the old women lit tinder and red candles.

At this moment, there was a burst of drum and firecracker sounds outside the door.

Everyone understood that a new person had arrived.

“The new guy is here!”

Following the master of ceremonies’ loud shout, Lin Daiyu, with her veil covering her head, walked in, supported by Li Hu and the matchmaker.

At this time, the self-ringing clock in the corner rang, and the auspicious time had arrived.

Li Shouzhong, the master of ceremonies, said some words of blessing to Li Hu and Lin Daiyu. Then Jia Jing, the witness, spoke a long paragraph of four-six parallel prose that Li Hu could not quite understand. He understood the last sentence in plain language: “May the couple love each other and grow old together.”

The next step is to worship heaven and earth.

“The auspicious time has come. The newlyweds are in the hall! Bow to heaven and earth.” The master of ceremonies shouted loudly. A maid had already placed a kneeling mat. The two turned around and knelt on the mat together, bowing to the sky outside the hall.

“Two thanks to the high hall!”

He turned around and knelt down to Li San and Lin Ruhai who were sitting at the top, to thank them for raising him.

“Couple greetings!”

Then, Li Hu and Lin Daiyu faced each other and bowed their heads deeply. From that moment on, they officially became husband and wife.

“It’s done!”

The master of ceremonies shouted loudly: “Send the bride to the bridal chamber!”

The sound of firecrackers and drums rang out again. Lin Daiyu was supported by the matchmaker and walked towards the new house in the backyard. Li Hu could not leave yet. He had to thank the guests and drink the thank-you wine before he could enter the bridal chamber.

The bed in Li Hu’s bedroom was replaced with a three-entry Qiangong Babu bed, with a picture of hundreds of children carved all around. Children were playing in the courtyard, which had a small bridge over flowing water, pavilions, terraces, travertines, flowers and plants. The children were either frowning or happy, or playing and chatting, or playing chess and watching flowers, with different expressions, vivid and lifelike.

Not only does it give people a sense of exquisiteness everywhere, but it also sets off a beautiful atmosphere of joy, auspiciousness, and fertility.

Lin Daiyu sat quietly on the bed, feeling both happy and anxious.

“The master is back!” came the maid’s voice from the living room.

Lin Daiyu’s heart began to beat rapidly. Listening to the footsteps getting closer, she slowly clenched her fists.

At this time, Xueyan’s voice came from outside the veil: “Second Master, oh no, it’s the Master!”

Li Hu’s voice: “You too. Go out. We don’t need you to serve us here anymore.”

Xueyan: “No, the young lady and the old man haven’t had their wedding wine yet! And there’s also the wedding ceremony.”

Li Hu nodded, lifted the veil and walked in.

On the mahogany table with marble tops were a pot of wine, two sets of cups and chopsticks, and several plates of exquisite dishes.

A pair of big red candles are flashing bright red light!
Li Hu slowly walked to the bedside, looked at Lin Daiyu with a smile, and said softly: “Sister Lin”

Lin Daiyu clenched her hands and hummed like a kitten.

Li Hu saw it and said with a smile, “Sister Lin.”

Lin Daiyu hummed again.

Li Hu: “Lin Daiyu”

Lin Daiyu raised her voice: “Are you done yet?”

Li Hu smiled, “That’s right, why are you so nervous!” He picked up the scale on the dressing table and lifted the red veil on Lin Daiyu’s head, “Madam, it’s time to drink the wedding wine.”

Lin Daiyu responded with a red face.

The cups for the wedding wine are also connected together with a red string.

After drinking the wedding wine, there is one final ceremony, the tying of the knot.

Li Hu and Lin Daiyu took the scissors brought by Xueyan, cut off a strand of hair each, and then tied the two strands of hair together, symbolizing the loving relationship between the newlyweds and their long life together.

In addition, there is an old saying that “one’s hair is given by one’s parents and one should not damage it”, and hair is as important as life. Cutting off one’s hair means handing over one’s life to the other party, so only the original wife has this qualification, so she is called the first wife.

Li Hu: “Are you tired? I’ll help you take off the Phoenix Coronet.”

Lin Daiyu’s pretty face turned red and she said “hmm”.

Li Hu smiled and took off her phoenix crown and hairpin. Her long hair immediately fell down. Then he helped her take off her gown and bridal veil. He asked, “Xiangyun and the others are clamoring to make trouble in the bridal chamber. Where are they?” As he spoke, he took off his own dress as well.

Lin Daiyu blushed and replied, “She was taken away by the old lady.”

Li Hu smiled. The bridal chamber pranks at this time were not as varied as in the previous life. They were just about spreading the bed. The women scattered auspicious fruits such as red dates, longans, peanuts, and lotus seeds on the wedding bed, saying auspicious words while scattering them.

After scattering the fruits, they will hold the fruits in front of the bride and ask her what they are. Only when the bride says “Zao (Zao), Li Zi (Li Zi)” will they disperse.

The bed was covered with fruits. Xiangyun and the others obviously did not let Lin Daiyu go. Alas, I am back late!
Li Hu: “Are you hungry?”

Lin Daiyu shook her head slightly.

Li Hu coughed and said, “Well, it’s late, it’s time to rest.”

“Yeah.” Lin Daiyu just responded, not daring to look at Li Hu.

Li Hu gently lifted her chin with his hand and stared at her pretty face, which was as white as jade, with eyes like stars, eyebrows like the moon, and rosy lips.

Lin Daiyu blushed and lowered her eyes shyly, not daring to meet Li Hu’s fiery gaze.

Li Hu smiled, he finally succeeded in cheating and it was now legal.

He bent down and kissed her, then put his arm around her waist and lay down.
The battle for the garrison thousands of miles away also came to an end. Under the attack of the Sauron soldiers and the White Lotus Sect, the garrison was finally breached, and the three parties engaged in a brutal hand-to-hand combat.

There were corpses everywhere in the fort, and blood flowed like a river.
The last few defenders stumbled into a stone house. The last Sauron soldiers and White Lotus followers surrounded them, trying to capture them alive.
At the foot of the mountain, Shui Rong put down the telescope. It took him nearly three hours to fight for a garrison of 500 people, which was completely beyond his expectations. Fortunately, he finally took it!
At this moment, a shocking explosion was heard in the garrison!
Shui Rong was stunned by the rising flames and black smoke.

Yang Qilong: “It’s over!”

Shui Rong’s face looked grim. He didn’t care how many people died, but the garrison was in ruins. How could he control Yinshan Baidao and stop the government troops of Baidao City from going north?

(End of this chapter)