Chapter 129: Must Die
The Mid-Autumn Festival moon worship ceremony is an ancient sacrificial ritual that expresses people’s beautiful wish for the moon god to descend to the world.

To be precise, this was Li Hu’s first Mid-Autumn Festival in this world. He came late the first time, and last year he was busy escorting the Left Protector of the White Lotus Sect to Beijing. He had to sleep in the open air all the way and had no time to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival.

There is a taboo custom among the people that “men do not worship the moon, and women do not worship the kitchen god”. Only women can worship the moon, and men stand aside and watch the women worship the moon.

Li San was right. If Lin Daiyu had not come, the Li family would not even have anyone to offer sacrifices to the moon.

All of this was arranged by Lin Daiyu. When the moon rose, Nanny Wang asked the maids to set up an altar in the direction of the moon, with a statue of the moon god hung high above. On the altar were burning incense sticks, candles, and melon cakes and various fruits.

The ground was covered with brocade prayer mats.

Usually an elderly female elder or housewife will serve as the main priest.

But the Li family has only Lin Daiyu as their only child, so she is the only one who can offer sacrifices.

Wash your hands before worshipping.

After washing her hands, Lin Daiyu would put the moon worship prayer into the brazier, pour some wine, and do some kneeling worship, and finally wash her hands and burn incense.

Then it’s over.

The moon was white, and Li Hu and Lin Daiyu stood side by side in the moonlight.

Lin Daiyu stared at the moon in a daze.

A gust of wind blew by, and the bamboo forest not far away made a rustling sound.

Li Hu took a cloak from Amber and put it on Lin Daiyu, while asking, “Do you miss your father?”

Lin Daiyu pursed her lips and asked, “Is father also looking at the moon?”

Li Hu thought for a moment and said softly, “The Emperor has agreed to the Jurchens’ request for peace. It won’t be long before the Jurchen envoys arrive in Beijing. As long as both sides sign a contract, the north will have a year or two of peace. I have to organize a new army before the New Year and don’t have time. After the New Year, when spring comes and flowers bloom, I will take you to ‘ride a crane to Yangzhou’ to see our father.”

Hearing this, Lin Daiyu’s eyes lit up and she said “hmm”.

Li Hu smiled and said, “Let’s go and enjoy the moon.” Then he took Lin Daiyu’s arm and walked towards the water pavilion.

What Grandmother Jia said was right, it is best to appreciate the moon on the mountain.

Li Hu had made up his mind. After two years, when he was granted the hereditary title, he would not only buy the house next door, but also the vacant land behind the garden. He would then build a large garden and then pile up a hill of earth in the garden.

The pavilion has been prepared. The tables and chairs are round in the shape of the moon, symbolizing family reunion. Fruits, melons and moon cakes are placed on the table.

Lin Daiyu asked Nanny Wang, Amber, Zijuan, Xueyan, Qingwen and the maids to take some mooncakes, watermelons and fruits downstairs to eat, and she also sat down to admire the moon.

According to folk legend, the later you sleep on Mid-Autumn Night, the longer you will live.

Li Hu accompanied Lin Daiyu in appreciating the moon, drinking and chatting. Before they knew it, the moon was already at its zenith.

Lin Daiyu covered her mouth and yawned.

Li Hu smiled and said, “If you are tired, let’s go back and rest.”

Lin Daiyu shook her head: “You can only sleep after the 15th or 16th.”

Li Hu smiled. This girl actually believed this. He looked around. Nanny Wang went to the small kitchen. Qingwen, Xueyan and the little maids went back to prepare toiletries. Only Amber and Zijuan were left standing there.

“Let’s walk back slowly and sit in your room for a while. It will be almost sixteen.”

As Li Hu spoke, he took out a pocket watch from his bosom and took a look. Sure enough, it was still a quarter to the midnight of the 16th.

Lin Daiyu leaned her head closer.

Li Hu said to Hubo, “Tell Nanny Wang to send the porridge to Miss Lin’s room.”

Amber: “Yes.” She answered and walked out quickly.

Li Hu stood up.

Lin Daiyu, however, looked at him with blinking eyes.

“tired?”

“Ah.”

Li Hu squatted down and stretched out his hand: “Come up.” “Hee!”

Lin Daiyu happily lay on him and commanded, “Let’s go.”

Li Hu easily carried her on his back and tossed her up, “You’ve gained a lot of weight.”

“Hate!”

Lin Daiyu hit Li Hu on the shoulder, then leaned her head on his neck and closed her eyes.

Li Hu smiled and carried her on his back as he walked out of the garden.

The moonlit night was quieter than the dark night. There was no light in the bedroom. Only the moonlight came through the window, illuminating the pale white patches on the floor of the room.

Under the moonlight, Jia Zhen sat quietly on the couch, like a pale statue.

On the couch by the window, there was a memorial.

There was the sound of footsteps, and Jia Rong’s voice came from outside the window: “Father.”

After a long while, Jia Zhen spoke: “Go and have a rest. Let me clear my mind by myself.”

“Yes.”

Listening to the footsteps gradually fading away, Jia Zhen closed his eyes.

As the old saying goes, practice, practice, if you don’t practice for one day you will lose three days’ practice.

Li Hu has developed a habit of practicing martial arts and swordsmanship every morning. In addition to self-defense, it can also improve one’s reaction ability, enhance body coordination and reaction speed.

Li Hu, dressed in a cotton short-sleeved shirt and long pants, was practicing swordsmanship. There was not much routine in Li Hu’s swordsmanship, just five moves: chopping, slashing, blocking, cutting and sweeping. However, every move of his swordsmanship was powerful and heavy, and his swordsmanship was extremely domineering.

Every time Li Hu swung his sword, a sound of breaking air was heard in the air.

Under the eaves of the main house, several little girls were watching with fear and trepidation.

Amber came out and placed a bowl of tea on the low table under the eaves. Then she picked up the copper kettle, poured hot water into the copper basin, and wrung out a hot face towel.

At this time, Li Hu stopped his moves and sheathed his sword.

Amber walked over to Li Hu and slowly wiped his face. After wiping his neck, she said, “The girl hasn’t woken up yet. I’ll help you take a bath first, and then I’ll go over and have breakfast with the girl.”

Li Hu nodded.

Amber took the tea from the maid and let Li Hu drink a few sips. She said, “Third uncle has sent people to Ningguo Mansion to inquire about the news.”

Before he finished speaking, Zhang San rushed in like a gust of wind, panting: “Dead, dead.”

Li Hu’s heart skipped a beat. Qin Keqing is dead? !
Zhang San swallowed his saliva and said, “Jia Zhen, Jia Zhen is dead!”

Li Hu was really shocked. Jia Zhen was actually dead!

Zhang San: “Jia Zhen was hanged in his bedroom with a white silk thread, and left behind a letter of apology.”

Is this old guy so brave?
There was a gleam in Li Hu’s eyes. Yes, only if he died would this matter end, and only then could the reputation of the Jia family and the royal family, especially the royal family, be preserved.

It was Jia Zhen’s bad luck. In order to establish the image of a benevolent and magnanimous monarch in front of the world, the emperor issued an imperial decree to announce the matter to the whole country, causing such a joke to be made. Not only the emperor, but also the royal family and the court were disgraced.

Jia Zhen must die!
Some people speculate that in the original novel, Qin Keqing committed suicide because she was “caught in an affair”, and now Jia Zhen also committed suicide because of “caught in an affair”. Is this retribution?

In addition, regardless of whether the rumor was spread by Prince Beijing’s Mansion or not, the two families have formed a mortal feud, which will cause further divisions within the lineage of the Four Kings and Eight Dukes.

Thinking about it, Li Hu’s face became serious. Is it the emperor?

Li Hu suddenly remembered that Jia Zhen was dead, what should he do with the favor he owed him? Would it be a waste of time? !

Just then, Nanny Wang came in and said, “Second Master, there is a funeral invitation from Ningguo Mansion.”

Li Hu took the funeral invitation and read it. If nothing happened in the palace, not many families would come to visit after such a thing happened.

(End of this chapter)