"Lord Yun has handled many cases, so he naturally understands the situation clearly. Every crime has a motive. In my opinion, Lord Yun was embarrassed by Mu'er's rejection of his marriage proposal, so it's reasonable to speculate that he hired someone to kidnap Mu'er in a fit of rage. What do you say, Lord Yun?"
This was practically an accusation that he was the one who did it. Yun Qingxian's face darkened, but he hadn't spoken yet. Ding Yanxiang, however, couldn't hold back any longer and angrily said, "Don't make false accusations! My husband would never do such a thing. Second Master, how can you come here and cause trouble without any evidence?"
"If he won't do it, then what about you?" Long Er turned his head and looked coldly at Ding Yanxiang, turning his anger on her: "Back then, when you forced Mu'er into marriage on behalf of Lord Yun, wasn't it by threatening the safety of Mu'er and her family? And when that failed, you ordered those two matchmakers to carry out a scheme to deceive people into marriage. And when that failed too, you've been holding a grudge for a long time, haven't you? Now that Mu'er has been kidnapped, perhaps it's because you've put your threats into action, isn't it?"
Ding Yanxiang was so angry that her face turned ashen, but Long Er had hit the nail on the head regarding her shameful secrets, and she didn't know how to refute him.
Yun Qingxian, on the other hand, had always been at odds with Long Er, and he had been suppressing his hatred for the loss of Ju Mu'er. Now that Long Er had come to his door and said such outrageous things, Yun Qingxian wanted nothing more than to draw his sword and confront him.
He clenched his fists, took a few deep breaths, and finally suppressed his anger. In the end, he shouted at Long Er in a deep voice, "Get out!"
Long Er remained calm, looking the couple over carefully before sneering, "This time, it's my turn to talk to you. Just you wait and see!"
Long Er turned around, left the Yun Mansion, and strode away.
Inside the Yun residence, Ding Yanxiang covered her face and sobbed, "Husband, it's all my fault... I did something stupid. If I hadn't been so blinded by greed that day and gone to that house, you wouldn't be suffering from this insult..."
Yun Qingxian gritted his teeth and remained silent. After a long while, he sighed and waved his hand impatiently, saying, "Forget it, what's the use of saying all this now?"
Ding Yanxiang had tears in her eyes, but dared not say another word.
Yun Qingxian glanced at her a few times, but finally couldn't bear it. He reached out and wiped away her tears, then said, "I'm going out." With that, he turned and left.
Ding Yanxiang watched his retreating figure, clenching her teeth.
After leaving the Yun residence, Long Er went to the government office.
The head steward, having gathered information there, rushed forward to report to Long Er: "Second Master, the yamen has received reports that besides Miss Ju, other girls were robbed outside the city today, but in completely different directions. Miss Ju was to the east, and the others to the west. Those thieves even threatened to come into the city to find more girls. The prefect has ordered a full-scale investigation and has strengthened security within the city. We've also obtained information on the cases involving bandits and their locations, but the prefect said those cases are closed and their hideouts have been wiped out, so they probably won't be of much help. The locations of the unresolved cases are still unclear."
Long Er's face was expressionless. He pondered for a moment, then nodded. He went into the government office to pay his respects to Prefect Qiu Ruoming and personally pressured him to do everything in his power to search for Ju Mu'er.
Because of the previous case involving Zhu Fu, Qiu Ruoming had a very deep impression of Ju Mu'er. He repeatedly expressed that he was grateful for Ju Mu'er's help in capturing the real culprit that day, and that he would do his best to find her and rescue her.
After discussing and making arrangements with Qiu Ruoming, Long Er took his leave and returned to his residence.
Seeing that he was expressionless and seemed to have left his soul, the Iron Steward was very worried. He had watched the Long brothers grow up. Long Er was the most shrewd of the three, and also the most unpredictable in temperament. He would smile when angry, and glare coldly when annoyed. He often mocked and ridiculed, but it was rare to see him so expressionless.
Manager Tie thought to himself, "This Second Master has finally decided to get married after all this time, but it's been fraught with twists and turns. If Miss Ju is unfortunate enough to die, she might even lose her life. Even if she survives, there's a high chance she'll lose her chastity. The rumors outside are already nasty; even if we manage to rescue Miss Ju, who knows what will become of her? What will become of this marriage?"
Long Er dismounted and entered the house, with Steward Tie following behind, unsure how to comfort him. Suddenly, Long Er turned back and said, "She'll be alright."
The railway manager was stunned, his mouth agape, unsure how to respond.
Long Er's face was stiff, but he said again, "She will wait for me to come and save her. She will be fine."
The railway manager moved his lips, wanting to say "yes," but felt it was inappropriate to go against his conscience and coax him at this moment. If things went against his expectations, the damage would be even greater.
Long Er added, "She'll be fine. You don't know how smart she is. She'll wait for me."
Seeing him like this, the head steward's eyes welled up with tears, and he almost shed one himself. Long Er, however, ignored him and turned to walk quickly inside.
Li Ke greeted them and said, "We've already followed the direction of the kidnapping carriage, but there are many forks in the road along the way, and there's no good news yet."
"What about the Ding and Yun families?" Long Er asked. He had stormed into their homes and kicked them a few times today, so they should have some kind of reaction.
"Lord Yun went out and went to the Ministry of Justice to gather men. He quickly sent them out, seemingly to search for someone. Spy agents followed him in several groups. Two others were also keeping an eye on Lord Yun. There was absolutely no movement from the Ding residence."
Long Er remained silent for a while before saying, "Find an opportunity to kidnap Ding Yanshan and imprison her in a house. Since those bandits say they're going to the city to find girls, let's help them make it look like it is. Whether it was the Ding family or the Yun family who did this, with Ding Yanshan missing, let's see how they can keep up the act."
Li Ke agreed and immediately went out to make arrangements.
Long Er sat down and held out his hand to Steward Tie: "Where are the case files?"
The Iron Steward quickly handed over the case file, and Long Er flipped through it page by page, asking indifferently, "Has the Third Brother returned with any news?" His subordinate quickly replied that there was no news.
Long Er asked again, "What about the spies at the brothel? Have you given them all the instructions? These kinds of bandits love to boast and brag. Maybe the girls in the brothel have some clues. We should also find out about the prostitutes in the secret brothels." His subordinate replied that everything had been arranged, but there was still no news.
Long Er listened, then paused for a moment in a daze before lowering his head to continue reading the case file. Seeing his stiff movements, Steward Tie sighed inwardly and quickly ordered a servant to bring Long Er a pot of hot tea. He then hurriedly went out to arrange the search and relocation.
After Long Er finished reading the case file, he took out a map of the capital and its surrounding areas and studied it carefully. Just then, a scout rushed back and shouted, "Second Master, Miss Ding has really been kidnapped!"
Long Er raised his sharp eyes: "Who?"
“Two men dressed as cargo carriers in plain clothes,” the scout replied. “We had just finished our preparations, planning to sneak into the Ding residence when we saw Miss Ding run out the back door. She wasn’t with any maids, and she looked quite disheveled from crying. Judging from the direction she was heading, it seemed she was going to the Yun residence. Just as we were about to make our move, two burly men drove by in a carriage. They saw Miss Ding, knocked her unconscious, put her in a burlap sack, and loaded her into the carriage. Then they turned the carriage around, went out of the east gate, and headed out of the city.”
"Are you keeping up?"
“We’ve caught up.” The scout nodded. “Don’t worry, Second Master, the brothers know what’s important and won’t lose them. They’re heading east, with Master Li personally leading the men to follow them. I’ll rush back to report to you, Second Master.”
Long Er nodded and stared at the map.
East!
His large hand slammed down on the eastern city gate on the map.
I've been quite busy lately, also considering how to revise the story and plan for future developments, so I haven't had enough time to reply to comments. I'm truly sorry, but I have read them. Quite a few people have been urging me to get married soon in these chapters, so I'll address that question here.
Actually, I tend to rush when writing stories. I get anxious if I haven't written the events I've planned, but because of this, I often mess things up. For example, the foreshadowing in the first few chapters was done too early. When it's done too early, the characters' emotional reactions are off, and the pacing of events is affected. So now I have to revise it.
The audience's eagerness to see the wedding isn't just about the wedding itself, but also about their hopes for faster progress. I understand, because I feel the same way. However, if the plot isn't fully developed and the characters' transformations aren't complete, the wedding alone won't be enough to advance the story. These chapters are meant to clarify Ju Mu'er's feelings for Long Er, from their first meeting to her first marriage to him. This requires navigating various relationships, the influence of past events and present circumstances, and ultimately, the so-called third marriage becomes more plausible.
Regarding Ju Mu'er, I feel there are still some shortcomings in the handling of certain details, such as her reactions and dialogue. Therefore, I will continue to refine and revise them as I go. I hope to write this story well. Please be patient, she will definitely get married. Thank you for your support!
Also, please feel free to share your thoughts and opinions. I'm not afraid of criticism. It would be great if we could come up with some good ideas through discussion.
36 Perilous Places Reveal Secrets
The robbers' house was large, cold, and had a musty smell.
Ju Mu'er was pushed in forcefully, and she stumbled and fell to the ground. Su Qing quickly helped her up and helped her back to the corner of the room.
Ju Mu'er touched her fingers; the dampness from the floor still lingered on her fingertips. She thought, this isn't a place these bandits usually live.
Sure enough, one of the robbers shouted, "It's fucking cold! Is there anything here to use for a fire?"
The other person replied, "There's a woodshed in the back; find it yourself."
The burly man who had complained of being cold muttered something as he left.
Then Ju Mu'er heard a flurry of heavy footsteps, which sounded like robbers wandering around the various rooms. After a while, one of the robbers said, "We've checked them all. There are four rooms and three beds. There are so many of us, how can we possibly have enough room to sleep?"
One of them said, "How do you sleep? Sleep with women, of course." The burly men all burst into laughter.
Ju Mu'er and Su Qing held hands tightly, and couldn't help but shiver amidst their laughter.
Another person added, "There aren't enough women to go around."
"What's the rush!" the bandit leader shouted. "They should be back soon, and then we'll have wine, meat, and girls, and everyone can have a good New Year."
The bandits cheered loudly upon hearing this.
At this moment, the bandit leader stared at Ju Mu'er and Su Qing, who were huddled in the corner of the room, and rubbed his chin, saying, "These two women are really well-behaved. They don't cry, shout, or run away. They're so easy to deal with."
Upon hearing this, the other robbers turned their attention to the two girls. One of them laughed and said, "He's blind, so where could he run off to? I wonder how a blind woman compares to a sighted one?"
This crude remark drew another round of laughter from the crowd.
Ju Mu'er tensed up in fright, her whole body seemed to ache, and Su Qing gripped her arm tightly, revealing her own fear.
After a while, a commotion arose outside. Four burly men escorted two girls and carried three large bundles in. When the bandits met, they cursed at each other, laughed, and joked. One of the burly men put down the bundles and said, "We've brought back a lot of wine, meat, and food. Let's have a good time today, brothers."
Su Qing glanced around furtively and counted eight robbers in the room. As she tried to memorize their faces, one of the robbers turned and met her gaze. Su Qing flinched and lowered her head in fright.
At this moment, the bandit leader said, "Don't rush to eat and drink, wait for Ma Zi and the other two to come back. Let's discuss the important matter first." As he said this, he glanced around and pointed at Ju Mu'er and Su Qing, saying, "Throw these two into the innermost room."
Hearing this, Ju Mu'er knew that the two women were not in immediate danger. She didn't want them to hear the secret because she didn't want to kill them so soon.
A robber came over, grabbed the two women, and dragged them towards the back room. Ju Mu'er heard one of the robbers ask, "Boss, should we separate them and imprison them?"
The bandit leader laughed, "A blind man and a child, what are you afraid of?" Then he added, "The other two, throw them into another room. Let's talk business first."
After that, Ju Mu'er couldn't hear what they said anymore. She was pushed into a cold room, fell to the ground, and then the door behind her creaked shut.
"Sister!" Su Qing rushed to Ju Mu'er as soon as she saw that no one was around.
Ju Mu'er held her hand tightly, even though she was scared half to death herself, she still comforted her: "Don't be afraid."
Su Qing looked around the room and saw a bed against the wall. She helped Ju Mu'er sit down on the bed, then walked around the small room, looked out the door, pulled on the door, and ran back to Ju Mu'er, hugging her and saying, "Sister, there's no one else here, just the two of us."
Where are we?
“In a small room.” Su Qing described the furnishings of the room to Ju Mu’er: “There is a small window, a bed, which is where we are sitting, a broken wooden table, and a chair with a missing leg.”
Ju Mu'er thought for a moment and asked Su Qing to show her around the room. Su Qing agreed and helped her start from the door, then to the table and chairs, and then to the window. The window was a bit high, and she had to raise her hand to reach the bottom edge. She tried to pull it, but couldn't budge it. Finally, they returned to the bedside.
The room was quite far from the outer room, so the two of them couldn't hear anything outside. Su Qing ran to the door, pressed her ear to it, listened for a while, and then came back but couldn't hear anything.
Now that there were no bad guys watching, they weren't so afraid. Su Qing ran back to Ju Mu'er's side and whispered, "I wonder how those two girls are doing?"
Ju Mu'er lowered her head, her fingers gripping the bamboo cane so tightly they turned white, and she whispered, "I've dragged you down, Qing'er."
"Sister, don't say that. In that situation, of course I couldn't abandon you. Blame those evil people outside, it has nothing to do with you." Su Qing gritted her teeth: "It's just that I'm not capable enough to save you. If we're lucky this time, once I get out, I'll definitely find a master to learn martial arts so I won't be bullied by these evil people again."
Ju Mu'er remained silent, seemingly lost in thought. After a while, she reached out to Su Qing, pulled her into her arms, and whispered, "Qing'er, there's something I think I might never have the chance to tell you again if I don't tell you now."
Su Qing was startled and hurriedly sat up to look at her: "Sister."
Ju Mu'er pulled her into her arms again and whispered in her ear, "Listen carefully to what I have to say. I've kept this a secret for a long time."
She had just finished speaking when the door was suddenly pushed open roughly, startling both girls so much that they sat bolt upright. It turned out to be just a robber who opened the door to see if they would behave. Seeing them huddled together, looking quite frightened, he smiled smugly and shouted, "Stay put, or I'll chop off your hands and feet."
Ju Mu'er and Su Qing lowered their heads and dared not speak. The robber was very satisfied and locked the door before leaving.
At first, neither of the girls dared to move. After a while, Su Qing jumped up, reached the doorway to listen for any sounds, and then turned back to Ju Mu'er and whispered, "Sister, there's no sound now. Please continue."
Ju Mu'er thought for a moment and said carefully, "Qing'er, have you ever heard of the legendary bird that is very magical? It can sing and it can also mimic human speech."
"Never heard of it." Su Qing shook her head.
"I want to tell you about this kind of bird. One day, a flock of these magical birds flew into a place. There stood a man there, and he sang a beautiful song. After he finished singing, he died. The birds were both frightened and excited because they felt they had overheard a great secret. But someone discovered that the birds could sing, and he didn't want them to reveal the man's dying song, so he tried to capture them. But there were too many birds, and he wasn't sure which one had learned the song, so he searched diligently."
Su Qing asked softly, "Can't the birds fly away? Fly far away and sing however they want?"
Ju Mu'er shook her head: "The birds originally intended to fight back, but the outstanding leader died, so the other birds scattered and didn't know what to do. One of the birds had sung that song with the dead bird. Although it seems no one knows, that bird is still very scared. It is injured, and there are many prying eyes around it. It doesn't know who is trying to catch them, and it doesn't know what to do."
Su Qing listened intently, and Ju Mu'er continued, "The bird wanted to hide before that person discovered it, but it didn't know who to hide from, and it had nowhere to hide. One day, the bird saw a magnificent cage. The cage was very sturdy, and the door was open. The bird thought that if it could fly inside, it might be very safe."
Ju Mu'er paused here, seemingly lost in thought. Su Qing quickly asked, "Did it fly inside?"
"not yet."
"If it can fly into the cage, why doesn't it fly farther?"
“It’s injured,” Ju Mu’er said in a deep voice.
Su Qing felt very nervous and asked again, "Was it discovered? Did it eventually fly inside?"
Ju Mu'er shook her head, but before she could answer, Su Qing anxiously asked another question: "What injury did it suffer?"