Upon returning to his residence, Long Er didn't immediately go to the main hall for a meeting. Instead, he sent a scout to inquire about the recent activities of the Yun family and their reaction after the two matchmakers returned. He also instructed Steward Tie to prepare gifts, saying he would be visiting the Yun and Ding residences in the next couple of days to offer early New Year's greetings.
In addition, he instructed Li Ke to find someone to dig up Yun Qingxian and Ding Sheng's weaknesses.
Li Ke was taken aback: "Second Master, why are you going after the Ministry of Justice?"
"I have no interest in dealing with the Ministry of Justice. What I want to target is Yun Qingxian. However, this man is meticulous in his work and rarely has any loose ends, but Ding Sheng has been an official for too long and has long been corrupt. Instruct your undercover agents in the court to gather information. I need to know what incriminating evidence these two have against each other. If we can't catch Yun Qingxian, we'll catch Ding Sheng. That old fox Ding Sheng, if he gets stabbed in the back, he'll definitely find someone from his own side to take the fall. Yun Qingxian is not only his subordinate but also his son-in-law. Who else but him?"
Li Ke understood that Second Master wanted to settle the score for the forced marriage. He listened carefully to Long Er's explanation, made a mental note of everything, and then bowed and withdrew.
Long Er returned to the main hall and continued his discussion with the managers. As he listened to the managers of Fengcheng report on their business, his mind suddenly drifted to Ju Mu'er's beautiful, glossy black hair. Right, it's time; she must have washed her hair. Since the bandages on her wound had been removed, he should have checked the injury on her head today—he had completely forgotten.
While Long Er was not very focused on discussing business, on the other side, in the Ju Family Wine Shop, Ju Mu'er and her daughter Ju Sheng were also having a conversation.
Old Man Ju was filled with remorse for causing trouble today. If it weren't for Guard Li arriving with his men, he and his assistant wouldn't have been able to stop those old women and servants. If the betrothal gifts and return presents had been delivered to the Yun family, it would have been a huge mess.
Thinking about all this, Old Man Ju felt a chill run down his spine.
So once everything was done and everything was packed up, he quickly went to talk to his daughter.
"My daughter, what did your second master say to you today? Did he blame his father?"
"Don't worry, Father, Second Master didn't blame us."
"Oh, oh, that's good, that's good." Old Man Ju, holding the wine jar, felt relieved to hear that no one was blaming him and quickly took a big gulp.
Ju Mu'er smiled when she heard her father's commotion.
“Daughter, Second Master is really a good man. You made a good choice. Your taste is just as good as your mother’s.”
Ju Mu'er smiled and nodded.
"I thought you'd never get married in your life. I was prepared to take care of you for the rest of my life. Who would have thought you'd find such a wonderful son-in-law?"
Ju Mu'er nodded again.
Old Man Ju took a couple of sips of his wine, looked at his daughter, and said, "Daughter, are you unhappy? Are you blaming your father?"
"Nonsense." Ju Mu'er reached out, touched her father's arm, hooked it around, and leaned her head on his shoulder, acting coquettishly.
Old Man Ju was relieved. He patted his daughter's head and took another sip of wine.
Ju Mu'er then asked, "Father, do you think it would be unfair to Second Master if I married him?"
"How could that be? My daughter is the best girl in the world."
Is she a good girl who is blind, troublesome, and dangerous?
Ju Mu'er laughed self-deprecatingly. Would she be too wicked to marry him?
28. A Fragrance of Passion in the Chaotic Battlehouse
That night, Long Er went to the Jujiu Wine Shop to see Ju Mu'er.
Before they could even take a few glances, Old Man Ju set out some wine and insisted on drinking with Long Er, saying that the two of them, father-in-law and son-in-law, hadn't had a proper chat in so long.
It was supposed to be a conversation, but it was mostly Old Man Ju talking, with Long Er drinking beside him and occasionally chiming in. Fortunately, Old Man Ju's topics all revolved around Ju Mu'er, which Long Er found quite interesting, so he patiently sat down.
After a few rounds of drinks, Old Man Ju became more and more energetic, while Long Er was somewhat drunk. He slowed down his drinking pace, but Old Man Ju felt it wasn't enough, so he called over his servant, Li Ke, and the other two guards to drink together.
The guards initially hesitated, but Long Er's shout of "Drink!" made them all sit down. With more people around, the conversation naturally became more varied, which Long Er found boring. However, since others were drinking with Old Man Ju, his attention was no longer on Long Er. So, Long Er quietly left the table and went to Ju Mu'er's hut to find her.
Ju Mu'er sat cross-legged on the bed, a zither on her lap, idly strumming the strings. Long Er knocked on the door twice, then pushed it open and went in without waiting for an answer.
"Second Master?" Ju Mu'er stopped what she was doing and asked, tilting her head slightly.
"Who else could be so rude as to enter your boudoir like this?" Long Er said without any politeness, not at all feeling that he had been impolite.
Ju Mu'er smiled and, going along with his suggestion, said, "It can only be Second Master."
Long Er was very satisfied. He walked over, plopped down on the edge of her bed, and let out a sigh of relief. This old man Ju really had a high tolerance for alcohol; he'd gotten him a little tipsy.
Ju Mu'er tilted her head, facing his direction, waiting for him to speak. But Long Er saw the zither on her lap at that moment. He felt that the zither had taken his place, so he said gruffly to the zither, "Get out of the way."
Ju Mu'er blinked, not understanding. Should she leave?
She was about to ask a question when she heard Long Er say, "This is my place."
Ju Mu'er paused for a moment, then smiled: "Is Second Master drunk?"
"I'm not drunk." Long Er said, picking up the zither and tossing it to the foot of the bed. Ju Mu'er felt a pang of heartache upon hearing the sound of the zither hitting the bed. But the next moment, she felt a weight on her lap; Long Er had leaned down and rested his head on her knees.
Ju Mu'er reached out and touched Long Er's head. Long Er turned around, took her hand, and pressed it against his face.
Long Er's face was flushed from drinking, and Ju Mu'er's cool hands felt comforting against it. He sighed inwardly and closed his eyes.
"How much did Second Master drink?"
"I didn't count." Old Man Ju drank from a bowl, with jar after jar of wine laid out beside him, pouring bowl after bowl. Long Er really didn't know how much he had drunk. But for someone as experienced in drinking as him to feel dizzy, he must have drunk quite a bit.
Ju Mu'er gently stroked his face and asked softly, "Does Second Master feel nauseous?"
"Won't."
Will you feel dizzy?
"A little."
"May I make you a bowl of hangover tea to help you sober up?"
"Okay." Long Er replied, but didn't move. He felt very comfortable lying there.
Ju Mu'er smiled, not urging him, but gently stroking his face. Long Er lay there for a while, then began to complain, "Your bed is so small."
"It certainly can't compare to the Second Master's family." Ju Mu'er stroked his hair.
"Are you sleepy?" Long Er remembered that this lazy girl loved to sleep.
"A little." She gently stroked his forehead.
"Just bear with it when you're sleepy. Who sleeps like this every day?"
"Yes, Second Master is right." Ju Mu'er smiled.
"Once we're married, you'll have to get up early every day to serve me," Long Er said, taking advantage of his drunken state.
"good."
"When I'm reviewing case files and writing, you grind the ink for me. When I'm bored, you keep me company. When I'm out inspecting the shops, you stay home and take care of the children."
"Okay." Ju Mu'er blinked, trying to suppress the slight unease in her heart. He spoke so beautifully, and she felt happy just listening to him.
“My eldest brother has a son, and my youngest brother has two daughters. We also want to have two children, and we want a son.”
"good."
"If you can't give me a son, I'll divorce you."
"good."
Long Er frowned and reached out to pinch her chin: "What's so good about it? You agree to everything. Are you bothering me again?"
"Mu'er wouldn't dare."
"Hmph, do you have any fear?"
Ju Mu'er laughed: "I haven't taken my leave yet. I'll make a scene for Second Master when it's time for me to take my leave."
"What kind of trouble are you planning to cause?"
"That depends on whether Second Master likes to cry or roll around on the ground. If he wants to throw a tantrum or threaten suicide, I can do that too."
Long Er laughed, sat up, hugged her, and pinched her cheek: "I knew you were the most interesting."
"Mu'er will definitely take it upon herself to please the Second Master, and will do her utmost to the utmost, even unto death."
Long Er laughed heartily, putting on a manly air, and patted her on the back, saying, "Go, pour me a cup of tea."
Ju Mu'er agreed, got out of bed and walked to the table. She first took out two small jars from the cabinet next to the table, then went out for a while and came back with a bowl and a spoon. She then took out the thick juice from the two jars and poured in hot water.
Long Er watched her movements quietly, smelling the sweet scent of oranges in the air. He said, "I don't drink sweet things, I want tea."
Ju Mu'er turned and smiled in his direction, coaxing, "It's tea, hangover tea. Dad's wine has a strong aftereffect; be careful, you might have a headache tomorrow."
Looking at her gentle smile and smelling her sweet fragrance, Long Er suddenly felt that the room was filled with a hazy, enchanting aroma. He stood up, took a few steps over, and hugged Ju Mu'er from behind.
Ju Mu'er was afraid of the cold, and there was a charcoal brazier burning for warmth in the room, so she wasn't wearing a thick cotton coat. When Long Er hugged her, a large hand naturally grasped her chest. Ju Mu'er stiffened, but didn't struggle.
"Mu'er." Long Er's breath, reeking of alcohol, brushed against her ear.
Ju Mu'er didn't move, but simply responded softly, "Second Master."
Long Er hugged her tightly, lowered his head, pressed his face against hers, and called out again, "Mu'er."
This time, Ju Mu'er didn't respond, because the next moment she felt her ear being sucked. The warm, soft touch made her very nervous, but she didn't move. Long Er's lips and tongue moved down, sucking on her earlobe, and he mumbled, "Mu'er."
Ju Mu'er's heart pounded wildly, her face flushed red, but she didn't struggle or move, remaining soft, docile, and obedient. This emboldened Long Er, who gently bit her earlobe, breathed on her neck, and felt her tremble slightly before kissing her neck.
Ju Mu'er bit her lip, obediently turning her face to let him brand her neck, feeling the teasing of his lips and tongue. Ju Mu'er felt a little flustered, she closed her eyes and leaned against him.
The next moment, she was turned over, and he captured her lips. Without any need for conquest, she obediently leaned against him, and Long Er grasped the back of her head, slipped his hand into her mouth, and forcefully sucked on her tongue.
Ju Mu'er winced in pain and couldn't help but let out a soft "hmm" through her nose, but Long Er refused to let go and kissed her even deeper. Ju Mu'er responded by standing on tiptoe, and Long Er's scalp tingled from the teasing. He held her waist and pressed her down towards him, his hand slipping under the hem of her clothes.
Just as they were lost in passion, someone knocked on the door, followed by Old Man Ju's voice: "Mu'er, Mu'er..."
Long Er ignored her and continued kissing her freely. Ju Mu'er's mouth was covered, so she couldn't speak and could only pat his back. Outside the door, Old Man Ju knocked again and called out, "Second Master, is Second Master in?"
"Get out!" Long Er, enraged by the disturbance, turned and shouted at the door. Silence immediately fell outside.
Ju Mu'er patted him hard and whispered, "He's my dad now."
To tell your father-in-law to "get out"—does he have to be so arrogant? Besides, she's not even married yet. He's already crossed the line by doing all sorts of things in her bedroom. She's determined to obey him completely, except for the time when her father caught them in the act outside the door, and he put on such a haughty act.
Long Er blinked, looked down at Ju Mu'er's flushed face, and sobered up halfway. Ju Mu'er nudged him again: "Go open the door for my father."
Long Er reluctantly let go of her, tidied her hair and clothes, and then reluctantly went to open the door. After opening the door, he asked very seriously, "What is it?"
Old Man Ju, who had been cowering outside and not daring to utter a sound, was now caught off guard by the question and didn't know what to say.
Ju Mu'er sighed in the room. This Second Master was lucky to have met her father. If it were any other father-in-law, he would have been beaten out with a big stick.
Having exhausted all other options, Ju Mu'er had no choice but to step in and resolve the situation herself. She asked, "Father, have you finished drinking?"
"Oh, right, right, they've finished drinking. Three of them have passed out, and the others don't look like they can hold on much longer, so I came to find Second Master to see what to do?"
"Please trouble Father to make them some hangover tea."
"Oh, okay, I'll go make some hangover tea." Old Man Ju dashed off in a little trot.