"Then Second Master must have also investigated Lord Yun."
"Of course, of course we'll investigate him. He went to the capital at the age of fourteen, passed the imperial examinations, and held many official positions. Later, he became a disciple of Shi Zechun and then entered the Ministry of Justice, where he married Ding Sheng's daughter. He is from out of town, and his ancestral home is Guishan County. So, his background is somewhat similar to that of Yuanzheng Bugui. However, he left home at a very young age. If he incurred such a deep emotional debt at such a young age, causing people to long for his return and using it as a shameful secret, then I'm truly impressed by him."
Ju Mu'er couldn't help but laugh when she heard his sarcastic tone.
Long Er pinched her nose: "What, you're happy when I talk about that guy? I'm warning you, if you dare to cheat on me, I'll make you scream in terror."
Ju Mu'er slapped his hand away: "You're overthinking it. Can your brain even process that?"
She then teased him about something he had said before. Long Er pulled her over and bit her. Ju Mu'er cried out in pain, but dared not struggle, only rubbing her cheeks with a wronged expression.
Long Er held her tightly, but then brought up the important matter: "I sent people to Guishan County to investigate again. Although the age doesn't match, Yun Qingxian is very cunning. He might have really done something shameful since he was a child."
His tone made Ju Mu'er laugh again. He pinched Ju Mu'er's cheek and continued, "Putting aside the musical score, perhaps Shi Zechun has offended someone and caused trouble. I will also have my spies investigate in that direction."
Ju Mu'er frowned: "I still think this matter must be related to the sheet music."
“Now that one path is blocked, we naturally have to try other ways. Also, the third brother said that he discovered Ding Sheng sent people to search for the whereabouts of the zither score in the martial arts world. The matter of the zither score being a martial arts secret manual is getting bigger and bigger, and that old guy has also gotten involved.”
"Does he want the sheet music?"
"It's not certain whether he wants to investigate this matter or just wants the sheet music."
Does he know martial arts?
"Exceptional martial arts skills".
Ju Mu'er remained silent for a while before saying, "So the murderer didn't kill me because he wanted the sheet music?"
"Do you have that sheet music?" Long Er frowned.
"Yes, I hid it in a very secret place."
Long Er frowned even more deeply, but Ju Mu'er countered with a question: "Does Second Master know whether those people being investigated are currently in the capital?"
"Here I am."
Ju Mu'er thought for a moment and said, "Second Master, let's use the clue I kept. Although it's a bit risky, since someone sent her to monitor me, she must be related to that case. I think the murderer sent her. As long as I lay some bait, she will definitely go to that person to report. Second Master, send someone to follow her and investigate. We will find out the results."
Long Er pondered for a moment: "We agreed not to alert her, but without finding any evidence, even if she met with someone, it doesn't prove that person is the murderer. Although we have a target to investigate, it's easy for the other side to notice. If you don't choose the right time, your baiting will expose you, and she'll know you've been found out. Once the other side is prepared, we'll have accomplished nothing."
“I was worried about this before, but now I’m also worried that things might get complicated if I wait too long. Before, I just speculated and suspected, and didn’t take any action to help the case, so she was naturally at ease. But now things seem to have calmed down, but in fact, everyone is investigating. She’s a meticulous person, otherwise she wouldn’t have kept the detectives from seeing her contact with the person behind the scenes for so long. I’m worried that if this goes on for too long, she will find out that I’m lying to her. So I might as well take a risk while she still trusts me.”
Long Er got angry when the topic of being scammed came up: "You even fooled me, and you still don't have confidence in your own tricks?"
"The reason why scams are effective is because they can deceive people for a short time. The longer the deception lasts, the harder it is to gain their trust."
"Hmph." Although what she said made sense, Long Er still really wanted to pin her down on his lap and spank her. He remembered every single one of these old and new grudges.
In the end, things were carried out according to Ju Mu'er's plan.
Because the guards watching over the tavern had made a discovery, Long Er, after careful consideration, agreed that the risks of dragging things out were indeed considerable. Since that was the case, it was better to resolve the matter sooner rather than later.
So everyone made arrangements and waited for the right opportunity.
In September, as a cool breeze began to blow, Ju Mu'er brought Lin Yueyao some warm clothes. The two chatted for a long time in Ju Mu'er's room, reminiscing about Hua Yibai's past. Naturally, the conversation turned to the time Hua Yibai had asked her to memorize the zither score. Lin Yueyao casually asked about the secret of the zither score Ju Mu'er had entrusted to her. Ju Mu'er hesitated for a moment, but finally revealed that she had forced herself to memorize the second half of the piece her master, Uncle Yin, played before his execution. However, Hua Yibai was dead, and she was frightened. At that time, she could still see a little, so she disassembled the score and pieced it together with other sheet music. Those were the two zither scores.
"Fortunately, I wrote it down back then. Now that so much time has passed, I don't remember the tune very well anymore. Those two books are probably the only scores of that tune in the world."
"When the young lady asked me to go back, was it because she hoped to have a chance to appeal to the emperor?"
Ju Mu'er nodded: "I was thinking of playing it by ear, but luckily Mr. Qian stepped forward first that day. When I realized the situation was not good, I gave up the idea."
Lin Yueyao said, "Then the young lady should keep those two musical scores safe. Perhaps there will be another opportunity in the future."
"I don't know if there will be another chance. I can't do anything by myself." Ju Mu'er seemed to have lost interest in this and changed the subject.
Four days after this conversation, Lin Yueyao went to a restaurant. Two spies from the Long family quietly followed her.
Lin Yueyao, alone, requested a private room, ordered tea, snacks, and food. After the waiter delivered the food, she closed the door and never came out again.
The spies from the Long residence waited outside but didn't see anyone go in. After a while, Ding Sheng and several other officials came up and sat in another large private room. Apart from the waiters serving food and tea, no one else went in or out of that private room.
The spies waited for a long time, only to find the two doors tightly closed. So one of them decided to disguise himself as a waiter and investigate. He changed into waiter's clothes, brought a pot of tea, and had another person keep watch for him. Without anyone noticing, he pushed open the door to Lin Yueyao's private room without saying a word.
Only Lin Yueyao was eating in the private room; nothing seemed amiss. The spy pretended to pour her tea and asked if she needed anything else, but Lin Yueyao dismissed him.
After the spy left, he went into Ding Sheng's private room. Ding Sheng and the officials were drinking merrily when the waiter came in and they immediately ordered several more jugs of wine. The spy, having found nothing, left.
The spies kept watch in the restaurant all afternoon. They observed that Lin Yueyao didn't contact anyone until she paid the bill and left, and the waiter who took her order and served her food seemed normal. They also checked the private room she was in, and apart from the leftover food and dishes, there was nothing amiss.
One spy followed Lin Yueyao away, while the other stayed at the restaurant to keep an eye on Ding Sheng. After quite some time, Ding Sheng, having finished his meal and drinks, also left, and the spy didn't see any other suspicious individuals approach him.
After a whole day of surveillance yielded nothing, Long Er frowned deeply. He instructed the guards at the wine shop to conceal their whereabouts and keep a close watch on Ju Mu'er's courtyard to ensure her safety.
Ju Mu'er also sensed that something was wrong, but she couldn't think of a better solution for the time being.
That day, Long Er was invited by the Emperor to go on an autumn hunt. He told Ju Mu'er that he would return in three days. But on the night after he left, someone entered Ju Mu'er's courtyard.
The weather was gloomy that day, threatening rain. The autumn chill was biting, and Ju Mu'er, who was afraid of the cold, went to bed early, wrapped herself in a blanket, and went to sleep.
When someone knocked on the door, she was still half asleep when she heard Lin Yueyao call out, "Miss Mu'er," and she instinctively responded. Then it dawned on her: her courtyard gate was locked. How had Lin Yueyao gotten in?
Author's Note: This chapter is quite long; consider it making up for yesterday's short chapter.
79. Seeking a way out through confrontation and wit.
Before Ju Mu'er could think it through, the knocking sounded again.
Ju Mu'er quickly responded, hurriedly got up, put on an outer garment, picked up her cane, and stood behind the door to ask, "What is it, Miss?"
"Miss Mu'er, please open the door quickly, I have something important to discuss with you."
Ju Mu'er sensed something was amiss, but she had no choice but to open the door. Fortunately, the guards of the Long residence were keeping watch in secret, which made her somewhat at ease. So she said, "Wait a moment," took out a candle, lit it, and then reluctantly went to open the door.
The door had barely opened a crack when Lin Yueyao squeezed in.
Ju Mu'er was forced to take two steps back and hurriedly asked, "Miss, what's wrong?"
"I'm being watched. I feel like someone wants to kill me." Lin Yueyao's tone was filled with panic, which startled Ju Mu'er.
"Someone wants to kill you? Why?"
Lin Yueyao closed the door, and Ju Mu'er heard a "click" sound, as if the door had been bolted shut, but it didn't sound like the noise coming from inside the house, and her heart tightened.
Lin Yueyao seemed to have brought some helpers.
“Lately, I’ve felt like someone’s been secretly watching me, so I got suspicious. A few days ago, I went to a restaurant, and someone pretending to be a waiter barged in. I think they wanted to kill me.” Lin Yueyao spoke from behind the door, effectively blocking it. “Miss Mu’er, what do you think I should do?”
She knew everything after all.
At this moment, Ju Mu'er calmed down. Waiting several days before coming to interrogate her meant she was prepared. Coming to her door in the dead of night meant she had ulterior motives. And now, feigning to test her, what was she trying to do?
"Young lady, do you know who this person is? And why they want to kill you?"
"I don't know about that. Could it be because of Mr. Shi and Yi Bai? But Yi Bai's death has been clarified. Although I am very unwilling, it is a fact that he died in an accident. Apart from that, I have no enemies."
"Perhaps Brother Yibai's death wasn't an accident? Perhaps someone discovered that you were investigating this matter?"
"No one is investigating this matter. It's flawless and without any loopholes. Why would anyone investigate?" Lin Yueyao's tone suddenly turned cold, as if she were talking about someone else's business.
Seamless, without a single flaw? So she's not going to keep up the pretense any longer?
Ju Mu'er gripped her cane tightly, tugged at her clothes, and sat down.
"So he didn't drown while drunk?"
“He is.” Lin Yueyao sat down as well. “The drinking buddy I mentioned does exist. Miss Mu’er must have investigated, right?”
Ju Mu'er didn't speak. She had indeed told Long Er to have someone investigate. However, she didn't think the investigation would be so extensive that Lin Yueyao would know about it. So, it was probably just that Lin Yueyao realized she had seen through her, which was why she made that deduction.
Lin Yueyao didn't wait for Ju Mu'er to speak and continued, "That day, Yi Bai left Xichun Hall. It was indeed that drinking buddy who dragged him out for drinks. They were both drunk. You know, drunk people are prone to falling, especially after rain when the muddy path along the riverbank is slippery." She paused, "Of course, even if he didn't fall, someone skilled in martial arts could easily trip him by flicking a pebble at his foot. That possibility isn't out of the question. Anyway, Yi Bai falling into the water while drunk that night was absolutely flawless. That drinking buddy witnessed it; he's a witness. No matter how this is investigated, the conclusion will always be accidental death."
Ju Mu'er's heart sank as she listened. She knew that this woman was telling her all this because she wasn't going to let her go. She had to buy time; the longer she dragged things out, the more likely the guards outside would notice something was wrong inside the room.
"That witness's testimony will also be flawless, because every word he says will be the truth, right?"
“That’s right.” Lin Yueyao also sat down at the table, right next to Ju Mu’er.
"When the young lady told me that Brother Yibai had indeed died in an accident, was she trying to dissuade me from pursuing the matter further?"
"Yes. All along, it's just the two of us investigating. But we haven't made any progress in the past two years. And after you met with the Emperor and saw Qian Jiangyi's fate, and then being divorced by your husband's family, you must have been quite devastated. If a partner who has always stood by you finds out that the doubts were all unfounded, a normal person would give up."
Ju Mu'er smiled, recalling what Long Er had always said—that those who learn the piano are all obsessed. She said to Lin Yueyao, "Are you trying to say that I'm not normal?"
"It should be said that you are indeed different from ordinary people."
Ju Mu'er smiled faintly and asked casually, "Did you come all this way just to tell me this? To praise me for being different from others?"
"I just said that I'm being watched and someone wants to kill me. I'd like to ask you for advice, what should I do?"
"I really can't do anything about this. I've been under surveillance for the past two years, and someone wants to kill me, but I haven't been able to come up with a good solution."
"You're overthinking it." Lin Yueyao sneered. "Maybe no one wants to kill you. Otherwise, how could you have survived unscathed for over two years?"
"That's true. But it's a bit strange. Girl, why doesn't anyone kill me?"
Lin Yueyao didn't answer, but instead asked, "How did you realize someone was watching you? Where did they slip up?"
Ju Mu'er didn't answer, but instead asked, "And how did you know someone was watching you, Miss?"
Lin Yueyao laughed heartily: "Miss Mu'er, you're really amusing. To be honest, I've met quite a few men and women, but none of them have been as composed as you. You know why I'm here. You're blind, you can't beat me, and the door is bolted from the outside. It won't open unless you're dead. Also, I know there are Dragon Mansion guards hiding in your courtyard. Since I'm prepared, I won't come rashly. Does saying all this make you a little more nervous?"
"I'm very nervous, I'm afraid of dying," Ju Mu'er said, but her face remained calm.
"I really couldn't tell."
"I'm just good at pretending."
Lin Yueyao laughed heartily: "I never thought that we would be able to tell each other the truth only at a time like this."
Ju Mu'er couldn't laugh; her mind raced. Lin Yueyao's confidence meant she must have done something to those two guards. Therefore, she didn't mind sitting down and talking to her slowly; she believed Ju Mu'er was now trapped, unable to escape Lin Yueyao's grasp.
Ju Mu'er felt that her palms were sweaty and she could hardly hold the cane.
At this moment, Lin Yueyao asked, "Do you know why I only came today?"
"The sky is overcast, and there is no bright moon. I've been preparing to find help for several days. Also, the Second Master has left the capital."
"Smart." Lin Yueyao nodded. "He said you're smart, and I actually think so too. However, I'm not stupid either. Do you want to know how I knew you saw through me?"
"Please speak." Ju Mu'er didn't mind Lin Yueyao showing off; she needed time to think of a solution, and she needed Lin Yueyao to talk to her.
“You divorced Master Long and lived alone, which was originally not suspicious. Master Long has an eccentric temperament, and you are not an ordinary woman, so it is understandable that you quarreled and fell out. Originally, this was a good opportunity for you to give up the investigation, and I did take that step. But later I found that your sadness and grief only lasted for a few days. After you recovered, when I saw you again, you were filled with undisguised joy and tenderness.”
Lin Yueyao sneered at this point, then continued, "Ju Mu'er, you are indeed very good at pretending, but do you know that no matter what kind of woman she is, when she is with someone she truly loves, there will be an indelible aura about her. A woman's appearance can be made up, and her expression can be faked, but the aura of love and hate within her cannot be changed. Ju Mu'er, I have seen too many people. Even if you put on a stern face and act as if nothing is wrong, I can still see that you are still a little woman who is loved by others."
Ju Mu'er was stunned; she had never expected this reason.