Chapter 738 - 447: The Rite of the Hunt

Zhu Zhengfu and Zhu Cheng explained the steps of the autumn hunt and heavenly ritual to Duan Rong in detail.

Duan Rong listened and asked questions, occasionally lowering his head to ponder.

"Officials above the third grade will all participate in the heavenly ritual, so the two of you should also be present that day, correct?" Duan Rong glanced at Zhu Zhengfu and Zhu Cheng.

"For such a grand ceremony, even if someone is ill, as long as they can still get up, they wouldn’t miss it." Zhu Zhengfu spoke, his eyes slightly sparkling, "However, that’s referring to the heavenly ritual. As for the autumn hunt, that’s not necessarily the case."

Duan Rong looked somewhat surprised. "Aren’t the autumn hunt and heavenly ritual part of the same ceremony?"

Zhu Zhengfu smiled faintly and said, "The ceremony, generally referred to by the entire court and public, is called the autumn hunt and heavenly ritual. But in fact, the autumn hunt is the autumn hunt, and the heavenly ritual is the heavenly ritual. Strictly speaking, the heavenly ritual is the main ceremony, and the autumn hunt is just a prelude in preparation."

Zhu Zhengfu paused slightly and continued, "Take me as an example. I have not participated in the hunting ritual for over ten years. But I’ve never missed the heavenly ritual even once."

Duan Rong’s expression shifted slightly as he looked at Zhu Zhengfu. "May I ask, Lord Zhu, is there a specific reason for that?"

Zhu Zhengfu replied, "Naturally, there is a reason. The autumn hunt on Wuji Mountain prohibits the use of Inner Strength; only physical strength is allowed to shoot and kill the prey."

Duan Rong noticed Zhu Zhengfu’s choice of words; he referred to it as the autumn hunt ritual. "Only allowed to use physical strength?"

"Indeed." Zhu Zhengfu spoke, then gave a self-mocking smile, "To be frank with you, sir, in these past ten years, my days have been somewhat comfortable, with my body growing soft again. I’m afraid that without using Inner Strength, merely relying on physical strength, I might not even be able to draw a bow!"

Duan Rong merely offered a gentle smile, showing no interest in Zhu Zhengfu’s admission of physical decline.

A few mornings ago, before dawn, he had stationed himself in front of the wonton stall, and back then, he had already used Divine Sense Investigation on Li Shensi.

In that cramped sedan, Li Shensi’s muscular arms were impressively strong, leaving him with a deep impression.

Duan Rong asked, "So, which officials generally participate in the autumn hunt ritual?"

Zhu Zhengfu said, "More Military Officers would attend. As for Prefecture Chief Wang Maochun, he hasn’t participated in the autumn hunt for years. Minister of the Ministry of Justice Chen Shanmeng, Adviser Ge Hengtai, and Grand Protector Jiang Zhuoyun are expected to attend."

Duan Rong understood Zhu Zhengfu’s implication; Minister of the Ministry of Justice Chen Shanmeng and Adviser Ge Hengtai have participated in the autumn hunt in previous years, while Grand Protector Jiang Zhuoyun, although newly appointed this year, is a Military General and would typically not miss this occasion.

Duan Rong slightly furrowed his brow and asked, "What about Li Shensi? Will he participate in the autumn hunt?"

"Well..." Zhu Zhengfu hesitated and glanced at Zhu Cheng, "Reporting to you, sir, since Li Shensi assumed office only two months ago, I am not yet familiar with his temperament."

Duan Rong directed his gaze to Zhu Cheng and asked, "Zhu Cheng, what do you think?"

Zhu Cheng cautiously replied, "Reporting to you, sir, I dare not make an uninformed judgment."

Looking at Zhu Cheng, Duan Rong said, "We’re just conversing informally, so don’t be restrained. Set aside right or wrong, and just speak freely according to your thoughts."

Only then did Zhu Cheng clasp his hands respectfully and say, "Yes, sir."

He was initially reluctant to speak for fear of being wrong, and secondly, after Zhu Zhengfu mentioned unfamiliarity, immediately providing an answer would be seen as undermining his superior.

Zhu Cheng said, "In my opinion, Minister of the Secretariat Li Shensi will definitely participate in the autumn hunt ritual."

"Oh!" Duan Rong’s eyes lit up as he asked, "What leads you to believe that?"

With a confident look, Zhu Cheng said, "Reporting to you, sir, from what I know, Minister Li Shensi’s grandfather prospered in the fur trade, and generations above were hunters. As a mischievous child, Li Shensi often went hunting in the mountains with his elders. During this autumn hunt ritual, with the prey being raised for half a year and now at their prime, how could he not be eager to participate?"

Duan Rong smiled subtly, glancing at the stack of documents on the table, where Zhu Cheng had detailedly transcribed all this information.

His opinion matched exactly with Zhu Cheng’s.

The autumn hunt ritual, Li Shensi will surely attend!

Duan Rong’s expression deepened, realizing that knowing Li Shensi’s attendance was only the first step!

Last night on the bed, an idea of using the autumn hunt as a setting crossed his mind again. He suddenly looked at Zhu Cheng and asked, "The heavenly ritual instruments and the horses and weapons for the autumn hunt, which office is responsible for providing them?"

Of course, Zhu Cheng knew this well, but he didn’t answer because he knew Zhu Zhengfu was also aware of the answer to this question.

Indeed, seeing Zhu Cheng’s silence, Zhu Zhengfu replied, "The heavenly ritual instruments have always been handled by the Prefecture Chief’s Office. As for the horses and weapons for the autumn hunt, they are generally supplied by the Secretariat."

"Secretariat?" Duan Rong furrowed his brow again. "Isn’t Zhu Peng the Imperial Secretariat Envoy?"

When Duan Rong suddenly mentioned Zhu Peng, Zhu Zhengfu remained silent.

Duan Rong continued, "During the autumn hunt, is it confirmed which horse each person will use?"

Zhu Zhengfu said, "Yes, it is confirmed. The hunting at Wuji Mountain adheres to rituals; Civil Servants and Military Officers, First Grade and Second Grade officials, the horses they ride and the bows and arrows they use are all different. They are structured according to ancient customs in a hierarchical manner."

"Structured in a hierarchical manner?" Duan Rong pondered slightly and asked, "When is the latest Li Shensi’s horse will be confirmed?"

At this point, both Zhu Zhengfu and Zhu Cheng were fully aware that Duan Rong intended to take action during the autumn hunt.