"nature."
With Long Er's assurance, Ju Mu'er breathed a sigh of relief and smiled. She asked, "Will that distinguished guest be able to see what's going on here?"
"What do you think?" Long Er teased.
"I guess I could see that the Second Master turned to look at her just now."
Long Er's smile froze for a moment. Was this person really blind or pretending?
As Ju Mu'er reached for the teapot on the table, she said, "Second Master turns his head as he speaks; you can tell from his voice." She touched the teapot, seemingly wanting to pour herself a cup of tea. "If Second Master doesn't deny it, then that distinguished guest can see us."
Long Er pursed his lips and looked into her eyes. Okay, he confirmed that she really was blind.
He waited patiently, waiting for her to reveal her plan so he could refute it. He didn't believe she could have any brilliant ideas he couldn't come up with; perhaps she was just fooling him. He waited to find fault with her.
Ju Mu'er picked up the teapot, touched its temperature, and weighed it in her hand. Long Er watched her actions, wondering how a blind person could pour tea for herself. He even mischievously wondered if she would pour the tea onto the table if he secretly took her cup away.
Long Er was still lost in thought when he saw Ju Mu'er twist her wrist, causing the teapot lid to fall off and all the water in the teapot to splash onto Long Er.
With a "plop," a pot of tea was spilled, leaving Master Long stunned!
Caught completely off guard, Long Er was splashed with warm tea. The tea quickly soaked his clothes and trickled down his chest.
Ju Mu'er said softly, "Second Master, go back to the manor to change your clothes, and don't catch a cold."
Long Er was both shocked and furious. Ding Yanshan had already rushed over. She didn't have time to scold Ju Mu'er. She quickly took out a handkerchief to wipe the tea stains off Long Er's body. The tea servant next to her also brought a cloth and hurriedly wiped him.
At this moment, Ju Mu'er stood up and said, "I am blind and my hands are trembling, so I have wet Second Master's clothes. I am really sorry."
Long Er was so angry that his lungs ached, but he couldn't vent it. He gritted his teeth and replied, "It's alright."
Ju Mu'er nodded: "Then I'll take my leave." After she finished speaking, she took her bamboo cane, tapped it on the ground, walked down the steps, and headed straight for the gate.
Long Er gave him a wink, and Li Ke understood, quietly following Ju Mu'er out.
Ding Yanshan didn't notice any of this; she was both anxious and angry: "Are we just going to let her go like that? She clearly did it on purpose. Did she come to you asking for something and you refused? We can't let her go; we have to teach her a lesson."
"She's blind, how are you going to teach her a lesson? Will that sound good if word gets out?" Long Er's words silenced Ding Yanshan. But heaven knows he genuinely wanted to teach that blind girl a lesson!
Ding Yanshan gritted her teeth, looked at the puddle of water on Long Er's body, and said, "The autumn chill is harmful. You're wet. Go back to the manor quickly and change your clothes. It wouldn't be good if you caught a cold."
Long Er nodded, clasped his hands in apology, and asked the shopkeeper to send some good tea to Ding Yanshan to take back to her residence for the Minister to taste. After saying these polite words, he went out, got into his sedan chair, and returned home.
The sedan bearers hurried along, but Long Er's thoughts kept running. The more he thought about it, the more he felt that he had been tricked by that girl. After being tricked, he had to swallow it all down. And even after swallowing it down, he still had to keep his promise and pay her off.
What a loss! What a huge loss!
That blind man is so cunning! So incredibly cunning!
Long Er touched the damp spots on his clothes. He had racked his brains for a while, but hadn't thought of this simplest method. It was indeed a perfectly legitimate reason, especially coming from a girl who had come to his door, making it all the more convincing. And Ding Yanshan had indeed, as the blind girl had said, hurriedly sent him back to his residence. Everything she said was true; if he didn't build a shelter, wouldn't he be contradicting himself?
Long Er was unhappy, very unhappy. He thought and thought, then suddenly smiled. Ju Mu'er had schemed against him, but she hadn't anticipated that she would now be entangled with the Minister's daughter. Ding Yanshan was a feisty and troublesome woman.
Long Er smiled and said, "Yes, whoever makes him take out money has to pay a price."
Just as Long Er returned to the mansion, Li Ke was following Ju Mu'er.
Ju Mu'er walked extremely slowly, methodically and unhurriedly, tapping her bamboo cane twice on the path ahead before taking a step. Normally, being unable to see the road, she should have walked awkwardly and cautiously, but Ju Mu'er appeared completely at ease and relaxed.
Li Ke was having some trouble keeping up with her. He could track down swift-footed masters of light-footed martial arts and find sneaky thieves hiding their tracks, but tracking a blind girl who walked extremely slowly was a first for him.
Given Ju Mu'er's walking speed, Li Ke couldn't keep up with her the whole time. So, he would walk ahead from time to time, browsing the roadside shops and looking at the street scenery. Once Ju Mu'er caught up, he would continue following her. He followed her like this all the way to the south of the city.
After leaving the south gate, Ju Mu'er walked for a while and then came to a bamboo forest path. There was a bamboo pavilion beside the path, so she went straight up to the pavilion and sat down.
Li Ke watched from afar, inwardly amazed by the blind girl's remarkable sense of direction; she hadn't strayed from the path and had accurately reached the pavilion to sit down. As he was observing, he heard Ju Mu'er say, "Brave warrior, would you mind coming over for a chat?"
Li Ke was taken aback. He looked around and saw that there was no one else there except him and Ju Mu'er. Could it be that this girl had made an appointment with someone? Li Ke concealed himself further and waited for a while, but no one came.
At this moment, Ju Mu'er said again, "You brave warrior have accompanied me all the way, why don't you come over for a chat?"
Li Ke now realized that the "hero" Ju Mu'er was referring to was him. He looked closer and saw that Ju Mu'er was looking straight ahead, seemingly unaware of his location. Li Ke, unsure of what she was implying, remained motionless.
Ju Mu'er waited for a while, but no one came. She sighed and said, "I only want to ask you, brave man, not to let my father and the girl next door know about what happened today. I was a bit rash. I hope Second Master Long will forgive me."
Li Ke finally couldn't hold back any longer and leaped into the pavilion, asking, "How did you know I was nearby, young lady?"
Li Ke's sudden appearance and words startled Ju Mu'er, who gasped. Li Ke clasped his hands in apology, but then remembered that the girl couldn't see him.
He asked again. Ju Mu'er recovered and replied, "I think Second Master Long probably wouldn't trust someone he doesn't know well. I was a bit rude just now, so he'll probably send someone to investigate. I only realized I forgot to ask Second Master for this after I left the shop, so I had to be careful the whole way. I can't see, so the strong man followed me without any hesitation, and he didn't try to hide his footsteps, so I found out."
Li Ke was secretly alarmed and quickly said, "I apologize for disturbing you, young lady. My name is Li Ke, and I am a guard under the Second Master. The Second Master was worried that you might have difficulty moving around, so he asked me to escort you to ensure your safety along the way."
Ju Mu'er smiled, not exposing Li Ke's polite words, and said only, "Then please ask Brother Li to go back and thank Master Long for me."
Li Ke agreed, and Ju Mu'er continued, "My name is Ju Mu'er. I live five miles south of the city in Ju Family Wine Shop. My father, Ju Sheng, is quite famous in the capital for his wine, so it's easy to find out about him. I am twenty years old this year and unmarried. Two years ago, I developed an eye disease and have been unable to see since. I used to be a qin player, but now I play less. I make a living by teaching children to play the qin and tuning the qin for music schools."
Upon hearing these words, Li Ke suppressed his surprise and remained silent, knowing that Ju Mu'er knew what he was about to do.
Ju Mu'er continued, "My background is not as simple as these words. Please tell Second Master that I pose no threat. However, my father and the neighbor's sister are very worried about me. Please understand and do not disturb them."
Ju Mu'er's words made Li Ke feel a little embarrassed. He felt that he had been bullying a blind and weak woman by following her all this way. He nodded quickly and agreed.
Ju Mu'er thanked him sincerely, then stood up with her bamboo cane and prepared to take her leave. Li Ke escorted her back to the bamboo forest path. Ju Mu'er continued to walk slowly. She was delicate and frail, and the warm sunlight filtering through the bamboo forest cast shadows on her as the sun began to set, making her appear serene yet pitiful.
She suddenly asked Li Ke, "Brother Li, I disturbed the Second Master's tea party today, but I wonder who that distinguished guest is?"
"She is the second daughter of the Minister of Justice."
Ju Mu'er responded lightly, her brows furrowing slightly. Li Ke suddenly realized he shouldn't have said anything more, so he quickly took his leave, but still followed her quietly from a distance until she returned home.
Following her all the way, he discovered that, just as Ju Mu'er had said, her home was indeed that Ju Mu'er's wine shop. Li Ke quietly circled around the area, thoroughly investigating the surroundings. Then, he entered the city and, under the guise of buying a zither, chatted idly at several music shops, subtly inquiring about her whereabouts. He also spoke with a beggar scout who specialized in gathering information about the common people before returning to the Long residence to report to Long Er.
It turns out that Ju Mu'er was quite famous in the city. She was exceptionally intelligent from a young age, well-read in poetry and literature, and had extraordinary musical skills. Such talent in a young woman naturally became known in the neighborhood. Ju Mu'er's mother passed away from illness when she was ten years old. Ju Sheng only had this one daughter, so he doted on her and let her do whatever she liked without any interference.
Ju Mu'er did indeed have a younger sister next door, living not far away. The girl's name was Su Qing, and she had a seriously ill mother. Su Qing made a living by picking and selling flowers, and occasionally she would pick some herbs to exchange for money. She usually sold her wares along East Street. She had indeed fallen seriously ill after being caught in the rain and almost died.
"So, everything Ju Mu'er said is true?"
Li Ke replied, "That's true."
"Then how did she go blind?" Long Er asked.
Li Ke hurriedly replied, "Two years ago, there was a shocking case. The 'Sage of Qin,' Shi Boyin, murdered the entire family of Shi Zechun, the Minister of Personnel, in order to seize a superb qin score. Shi Boyin was sentenced to beheading, but because of his great reputation as the 'Sage of Qin,' the Emperor, valuing his talent, allowed him to play a piece before his death..."
Long Er nodded: "I know about this. Master Boyin only plays the zither if there is a kindred spirit present, so the Emperor granted permission for all the famous zither players in the country to attend the execution."
In fact, the Emperor had sent an invitation to Long Er to join in the fun, but although the qin (a seven-stringed zither) was very popular in Xiao Kingdom at the time, and the whole country admired the art of the qin, Long Er was completely illiterate when it came to the qin, so he had no interest in this fun at all.
He didn't go, so could it be that Ju Mu'er went?
Li Ke nodded: "Miss Ju went to the Execution Qin Society and became obsessed with playing the qin after she returned. It is said that she studied the qin day and night and researched the scores, which ruined her eyesight. This is not far from what she told her subordinates about going blind due to illness."
"She told you herself that she was blind due to illness?"
"Yes." Li Ke recounted how he followed Ju Mu'er, how she discovered him, and their conversation.
Long Er listened carefully and smiled coldly: "This blind man is indeed cunning."
Li Ke was puzzled, and Long Er said, "She is weak and frail, and her steps are heavy. She clearly does not know martial arts, so how could she hear your footsteps? She was just testing you. Once you acknowledged it, she was certain that I had someone following her."
After thinking about it carefully, Li Ke wondered if he had really been deceived.
Long Er continued, "She revealed some trivial details to lower your guard, and then when she casually asked who the distinguished guest I was talking to was, you told her."
Li Ke knew this, and he hurriedly bowed his head to apologize: "It was my fault for not doing a good job. Please punish me, Second Master."
“No punishment.” Long Er leaned back in his wide-backed armchair, a slight smile playing on his lips. “You did a good job. She needs to know that she has offended a woman she can’t afford to offend. She’s worried and anxious. That’s the right thing to do.”
Hmph, this woman spilled tea all over him and made him spend money to build a shelter for no reason. How can he let her have peace!
3. Investigate the underlying grievances thoroughly.
Long Er was still angry, but Li Ke still had something to say.
It turns out that the case of the Qin Saint Master Boyin was initially handled by the Ministry of Justice, with Vice Minister Yun Qingxian personally investigating and prosecuting the entire affair. He even verified the identities of the Qin players who could attend the execution ceremony before granting them permission to observe the execution. Yun Qingxian was also a skilled Qin player, possessing exceptional talent. After the execution ceremony, he interacted and exchanged skills with several Qin players, forging friendships, including with Ju Mu'er.
Long Er's eyes lit up upon hearing this: "You mean, that annoying and irritating guy Yun Qingxian is flirting with Ju Mu'er?"
Li Ke rubbed his temples. Sure enough, his master was very interested in the topic of nemesis. He quickly continued.
Ju Mu'er originally had a fiancé surnamed Chen. The marriage was arranged since childhood. Ju Mu'er and Young Master Chen were childhood sweethearts and had a deep affection for each other. However, because of her obsession with the zither, the marriage was repeatedly postponed, and she planned to marry when she turned eighteen. Unexpectedly, as her eighteenth birthday approached, Ju Mu'er went to her master Boyin's execution zither gathering. After returning, she became obsessed with the zither as if she had gone mad. Later, she also developed an eye disease and was finally forced to break off the engagement. From then on, Yun Qingxian frequently showed his affection for her, and everyone knew that he was deeply in love with her.
Long Er laughed heartily: "That guy Yun Qingxian has a wife. Isn't he Ding Yanshan's brother-in-law and Minister Ding's son-in-law? Yet he still goes out and flirts with girls. And to make matters worse, he flirts with a blind man." The more he thought about it, the more interesting it seemed: "This is really amusing."
Who is Yun Qingxian?
He was the favorite general and son-in-law of Ding Sheng, the Minister of Justice, a favorite of the Emperor, and also the beloved disciple of Shi Zechun, the Minister of Personnel who was murdered by his mentor, Shi Boyin. It was Shi Zechun who had promoted Yun Qingxian and strongly recommended him to the Emperor, which led to Yun Qingxian's current position. He and Shi Zechun were like father and son, so in the case of Shi Zechun's murder, Yun Qingxian devoted himself wholeheartedly and meticulously, ultimately bringing the murderer to justice.
Yun Qingxian was handsome and upright, and extremely meticulous and inflexible in his work. He served as the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice, while Long Fei, the third son of the Long family, was a江湖 (jianghu, the martial arts world) man who was involved in all sorts of shady cases. Despite the explicit and implicit instructions from the Minister of Justice and the Emperor, Yun Qingxian always caused trouble for Long Fei.
You see, causing trouble for Long San is essentially causing trouble for Long Er. With Long Er around, how could the Long family allow anyone to bully or manipulate them? Thus, the feud between the two was formed, and it only grew deeper over time.
Long Er was dissatisfied with Yun Qingxian's pretentiousness, rigidity, and abuse of power for personal gain, as well as his constant targeting of the Long family. Yun Qingxian, in turn, resented Long Er's scheming, cunning, and manipulative tactics, particularly his efforts to cultivate connections in the court. The two men, being of similar age, one an official and the other a merchant, were both outstanding, leading to constant comparisons and support among the townspeople. This only intensified their inexplicable and extreme dislike for each other.
These two men were bound to clash whenever they met. As a result, all the high-ranking officials and nobles in the capital had a consensus: whenever one of them was present at a banquet or gathering, the other would not be invited.
Hearing that Yun Qingxian had such an indecent act, Long Er was very pleased and said, "Ding Yanshan must know that her brother-in-law is having an affair with Ju Mu'er, that's one grievance. Today, Ju Mu'er disrespected me in front of her and ruined her good time, that's the second grievance. With these two grievances combined, given her temper, she will definitely not let Ju Mu'er get away with it."
Li Ke rubbed his temples again and sighed inwardly. A pitiful, weak blind girl was about to be bullied. What was there for his master to be proud of?
"Li Ke." Long Er glared at him and said coldly, "What, do you pity Ju Mu'er?"
"Your subordinate dares not."
Long Er stared at Li Ke's expression and said, "You've only met her once, and you already like her?"
"No, Your Majesty." Li Ke was sweating profusely. Master, please stop joking. He was a very serious and proper subordinate.
"Yeah, you see, playing the victim is really a woman's best weapon." Long Er stood up, patted Li Ke's shoulder, and laughed, "Even Yun Qingxian fell for it. It's only natural that you feel sorry for her, isn't it?"
The master was implying that he was so wise and powerful that he wouldn't be fooled by such a trick, right? But Li Ke only dared to swallow these words.
Long Er's smile remained: "There really are hidden truths in this marketplace. Interesting, very interesting!"
Li Ke pursed his lips, holding back from saying anything. Rumors circulated that his second master was greedy, vengeful, and stingy, and that his unmarried status must be due to some hidden illness. But he couldn't say any of this, absolutely couldn't; he didn't want to be assigned to clean the latrines.
Long Er was still daydreaming: "If Ding Yanshan really wants to deal with Ju Mu'er, she won't have much time to bother me anymore. And if Ju Mu'er is bullied, Yun Qingxian will definitely be restless. If he intervenes, how will he explain to the Ding family? If he doesn't intervene, Ju Mu'er will suffer, and he will definitely feel bad too." Long Er imagined Yun Qingxian's predicament of being caught in the middle, and he was really happy.
"If he can't resist and secretly tries to stop Ding Yanshan, which will anger the madam and his sister-in-law, and the two sides start fighting, then this would be really wonderful."
Ding Yanshan, oh Ding Yanshan, don't let me underestimate you! Hurry up and do it! This kills three birds with one stone, getting rid of all those who have been making him unhappy, truly making him feel great.
Long Er was right; Ding Yanshan recognized Ju Mu'er and indeed intended to teach her a lesson. As soon as Long Er left that day, she sent sedan chair bearers to take her to the Yun residence.