"He's not family to me at all," Ding Yanshan said angrily. "I've thought about it. Why is it such a coincidence that we were robbed at the same time? It's because you refused the marriage proposal, and he couldn't swallow that. But he wanted to do that despicable thing of robbing and destroying people, yet he was afraid that others would suspect him, so he dragged me into it. My sister is his wife, and he wouldn't dare to touch her. Otherwise, if something happened to his own wife, his reputation would be ruined. But sacrificing me doesn't matter. He has such a vicious heart."
“Miss Ding…” Ju Mu’er began, but did not know what to say.
Ding Yanshan continued, "That's what I originally thought, but I wasn't sure. After all, he's my brother-in-law. Although he was unfaithful to my sister, I've heard he's usually a good person. I even felt that thinking that way was unfair to him. But today, that bandit said that our Ding family used him but didn't take good care of him, causing eight of his brothers to die in prison and another brother to be stabbed to death. So he wanted revenge, which is why he kidnapped me..." Her voice choked up, and she stopped.
Ju Mu'er waited patiently, knowing that Ding Yanshan wanted to tell her more than just these things.
Sure enough, after a while, Ding Yanshan calmed down and asked, "Ju Mu'er, let me ask you, what was the reason you didn't want to marry your brother-in-law back then?"
She used to think it was a ploy to get her, and that Ju Mu'er was unwilling to be the main wife. But after this incident, she suddenly wondered if Ju Mu'er was a scheming person and that she might have discovered something earlier.
Ju Mu'er understood what she meant, and she shook her head: "Miss Ding, I really have no romantic feelings for Lord Yun."
"So you have feelings for Second Master?"
Ju Mu'er's face flushed slightly. From the very beginning, there was something inexplicable between her and Long Er. It was like a strange trust, an unspoken understanding, and a playful, albeit sometimes confrontational, connection. No matter how badly he treated her, she felt he wouldn't truly hurt her; she wasn't afraid of him.
In short, if she had to choose someone to marry, she would choose Long Er.
Ju Mu'er's expression infuriated Ding Yanshan again. She stood up and paced back and forth in the room.
"Ju Mu'er, even though you saved me, I still hate you."
Ju Mu'er pursed her lips. What could she say about this? It was best for her to remain silent.
After a while, Ding Yanshan sat down and said, "Have you heard? Those three constables were imposters. They took that bandit away, and he's disappeared. Even Xiaoyu's body..."
Ju Mu'er nodded: "I came to find you because I heard about this. I wanted to ask you if the bandit said anything."
"He said that our Ding family asked him to do something but then wanted to harm him." Ding Yanshan paused, then gritted her teeth and said, "I didn't recognize him. He said there was an urgent matter at the manor and he had to fill in for the coachman. I didn't pay attention and got into the carriage with Xiaoyu. When the carriage reached Ding'an Street, he said the horse's hoof was broken and he had to stop to check it. Since we were almost home, I still didn't pay attention. I was so stupid. I let him stop the carriage in the alley before I realized something was wrong, but it was too late."
Ding Yanshan choked up as she spoke: "Xiaoyu has been with me for many years. She has no family and we signed a lifelong contract. She once said that she would serve me for the rest of her life, and I also regarded her as family. But I never expected that she would die because of me, and I couldn't even keep her remains."
Ju Mu'er felt saddened upon hearing this and lowered her eyes.
Ding Yanshan wiped away her tears and said, "Ju Mu'er, I can only tell you about this."
Ju Mu'er frowned; her secrets were piling up.
Ding Yanshan ignored her expression and continued, "My sister is closest to me. Now that my brother-in-law has treated me like this, I can't say anything to her without real evidence. And my father, I've thought about it. He values my brother-in-law's talent to consolidate his power and needs him to do things for him. So even if he has his own thoughts about my kidnapping, he won't openly oppose my brother-in-law. Without evidence, I can't do anything. I was foolish before, I didn't think about these things, but now I know, so I can only tell you."
Ju Mu'er finally couldn't help but advise, "Miss Ding, you still have to keep your composure in some matters. Sometimes playing dumb isn't a bad thing."
“I know,” Ding Yanshan said. “I’m pretending to be stupid, but I’m not really stupid. I’m frightened, and I want to go stay with my sister for a few days so she can keep me company.”
Ju Mu'er opened her mouth wide in surprise.
Ding Yanshan leaned closer to her and whispered, "I won't give up until I find evidence. I'm determined to expose his true colors. Ju Mu'er, you're not that simple either, so you have to help me with this, or I won't let you have an easy time."
Ju Mu'er followed Long Er back to the mansion with a sullen expression.
Her mind was in turmoil. The wrongful conviction of her mentor, the death of Hua Yibai, the hidden crisis within herself, and now Ding Yanshan was also getting involved. Ju Mu'er couldn't possibly feel at ease.
Long Er asked her what Ding Yanshan had told her. Ju Mu'er thought for a moment and said that Ding Yanshan had saved her life and she wanted to thank her.
Long Er pinched her chin: "Thank you? Why do you look so sad after thanking me?"
"She says she hates me, but then she thanks me. It's really frustrating."
Long Er chuckled and let her rest inside. He then summoned his guards and spies, gave them orders, and went to the government office to discuss the robbery with Qiu Ruoming. He didn't return until late at night.
Ju Mu'er also took the opportunity to think things through from beginning to end during this half-day. Now that things have come to this point, she probably needs to change her original plan.
That night, Ju Mu'er lay in bed with Long Er and asked Long Er a question.
"Second Master, what kind of person is the Emperor?"
Long Er glanced at Ju Mu'er and deliberately dragged out his voice as he replied, "Long Ju Shi, you are lying in my bed now, yet you are asking me about another man. Even if that man is the Emperor, I will still be unhappy."
Ju Mu'er was stunned for a moment, then sighed inwardly. My lord, please stop fooling around!
60. The second master advised against seeking redress.
"You've been badmouthing me in your heart?" Long Er propped his head up and looked at Ju Mu'er. His wife had been tossing and turning, unable to sleep properly, and now she was finally willing to talk? But why was she asking about the Emperor?
Ju Mu'er frowned: "Second Master is not wrong, he can't make things up. In my heart, I have always praised Second Master."
"Hmph." Long Er poked her cheek. He was quite pleased that she'd gained some weight since she married into the family. "How did you praise me?"
"That's too much praise, I'm embarrassed to say it."
They make it sound so real.
Long Er leaned over and bit her: "Your flattery skills haven't improved at all."
"Thank you for your kind words, Second Master."
"I wasn't praising you."
"Yes, he praised me. Second Master praised me for being honest and not telling lies."
Long Er couldn't resist biting her cheek again: "You're so shameless, it hurts."
Ju Mu'er rubbed her face and smiled. Long Er pulled her into his arms: "I thought that after what happened today, you would be scared and depressed, but I didn't expect you to be so open-minded and calm. In that case, I don't need to be too polite. Since you can't sleep, I'll keep you company and help you move around. Once you're tired from sweating, you'll be able to fall asleep."
"Husband!" Ju Mu'er stretched out her arms and hugged Long Er, burying her head in his chest, and said, "Husband, please don't tease me. I have something to say."
"I'm not kidding, I really want it."
Ju Mu'er blushed: "Husband..."
"Alright, let's hear what you have to say first." Long Er smiled and stroked her flushed cheeks. She looked much more energetic now, which was good.
Ju Mu'er breathed a sigh of relief, considered the matter in her mind, and finally asked, "Husband, what kind of person is the Emperor? If the common people have grievances and go to him for redress, will it be effective?"
"It depends on what the injustice is, who it is, who is involved, and whether this matter benefits the Emperor himself," Long Er replied without hesitation, his tone devoid of any further sarcasm.
Ju Mu'er fell silent.
Long Er continued, "The Emperor is the ruler of the country. Mu'er, you must remember that anyone with power and influence, regardless of their position, will have their own concerns and considerations. No one is purely virtuous."
Ju Mu'er didn't speak; she knew all this.
Ryuji was silent for a moment, then asked, "What are you planning to tell me?"
Ju Mu'er hesitated for a moment before finally saying, "Second Master, more than two years ago, in the case of Minister Shi's family being massacred, Mr. Shi was wronged." She felt Long Er's body stiffen slightly, as if he were very surprised. So she continued, "I want to seek justice for Mr. Shi."
Ryuji's body froze completely.
He was surprised.
He knew that Ju Mu'er traveled around the market teaching the zither to wealthy families, courtesans, and children in plain clothes. At first, he found it a bit strange. She was blind, and her father's wine shop could support her, so why did she have to work so hard?
But there were no flaws in the explanation, and he couldn't figure it out. He could reasonably conclude that she enjoyed teaching the zither and didn't want to be confined to the house. Besides, she stayed quietly in the mansion after the marriage, so he didn't think much of it.
But now that she suddenly says she wants to seek justice for others, he suddenly understands.
She was doing this to try and gather information.
Who would have thought that a blind woman would want to overturn the verdict in a case that shocked the entire nation?
"Who is that Shibo Yin to you? Did she teach you the zither?"
“I have never been taught. I have only long admired your reputation, and like other qin players, I greatly admire your qin skills.”
"Since you have no relatives or friends with him, why do you want to seek justice for him?"
Ju Mu'er blinked, and in the darkness, she seemed to see Long Er's piercing gaze fixed on her. "As fellow lovers of the zither, it's inevitable that we feel a sense of kinship. Master Shi is a saint among zither players; if he has been wronged, I should speak out for him, otherwise I will find it difficult to have peace of mind."
Long Er remained silent for a long time, while Ju Mu'er's heart pounded with nervousness.
After a long pause, he finally asked, "Why do you think he was wrongfully killed?"
"His music before his execution told me the truth."
"Really? What did his music say?"
"Is this important?" Ju Mu'er frowned. Shouldn't we be investigating how the injustice was committed and how to seek redress?
"Naturally, it is important. Tell me about it."
Ju Mu'er couldn't discern the emotion in Long Er's voice. The man lying beside her now was the shrewd, capable, composed, and unflappable Long Er, not her eccentric, playful, and teasing master.
"Alright. It's like this. Master Shi's zither music is divided into two parts: the first part is a lament, and the second part is a recounting of the cause. For the lament, he cut and blended five famous pieces. One is called 'Fate,' a famous love song that tells the story of a couple who love each other but are separated because the man goes off to pursue his career. They are destined to be apart, their love has nowhere to go. Master Shi cut this piece into four variations and arranged them in the music, with different melodies, and the meaning of 'fate' is transformed into distance, resentment, and injustice. Another piece is called 'Expedition,' which comes from an ancient legend of a general from the Liang Kingdom. It tells the story of a farmer who was wrongfully conscripted into the army, but later became a general to protect the country and finally died on the battlefield. There is also the word 'injustice' in this piece. Another piece is the popular 'Passing the Imperial Examination,' which is played when people pass the imperial examination. You must have heard it before, sir."
Long Er couldn't help but ask, "Is there a story in this piece of music? Is there a grievance in this story?"
"No, there is no story or injustice in the piece; it simply expresses the joy of finally passing the imperial examination after studying hard. But Mr. Shi played this piece using the same technique as his piece 'Fate'."
Ju Mu'er thought for a moment, unsure how to explain the techniques used to change the melody. She murmured for a while, "Um..." before finally saying, "It's really just about the rhythm and tempo..."
"Okay, you're right, these things aren't important."
Long Er's words relieved Ju Mu'er. Explaining profound zither techniques to a complete novice, while making him understand without hurting his pride, was too difficult.
"Why did he make it so complicated? He can't appeal his case in prison. Now that he has the opportunity to face so many musicians, wouldn't it be easier for him to just directly protest his innocence?"
"We heard that Mr. Shi injured his tongue in prison and is unable to speak."
Ryuji remained silent.
After a while, he said again, "Since you have to express your meaning through playing the zither, why not just keep playing the same song about injustice, fate, distance, and resentment, since you just want to say that he was wronged? Wouldn't it be easier for the musicians to understand if you just kept playing the same song? What's the point of making things mysterious?"
Ju Mu'er frowned. She hadn't considered this before; she thought that if several pieces conveyed the same meaning, it would be easier to confirm the word "injustice." The musicians were caught up in the challenge of deciphering the meaning of the music, excited about understanding its implications. But Long Er's explanation also had its merits.
Five famous pieces, with varying melodies, interwoven and spliced together—is it really too complex? Why is it so complex?
"Perhaps he knew it was his final performance, so he deliberately showed off his skills. You know, Master Shi was originally eccentric and arrogant. This was his last performance, and it was in front of so many famous musicians, so it's normal for him to deliberately show off his skills." Ju Mu'er felt that this made sense. If it were her, she would definitely use all her skills to amaze everyone and make a name for herself in history when she played the zither for the last time before she died.
"Hmph, that's why I said all of you who study the piano are crazy." Ryuji said dismissively.
These words made Ju Mu'er very uncomfortable. She shut her mouth and bit her lip.
Long Er continued, "Besides the zither music, do you have any other evidence? Any concrete evidence that can prove Shi Boyin was wronged?"
After thinking it over and over, Ju Mu'er had to admit, "No, there isn't any."
"No?"
"I've inquired about the case from back then. It was a servant of the Shi family who narrowly escaped death and reported it to the authorities. The prefect sent constables to the scene, where they arrested Mr. Shi, who was trying to put out the fire and retrieve the musical score. At that time, the Shi family's house was on fire. It was said that before Minister Shi was poisoned, he fought desperately with Mr. Shi, knocking over the candles, and the musical score was ultimately destroyed. The servant left the capital after the case was closed, and no one knows where he went. As for the musical score, it was gone, and everyone only heard Mr. Shi play it once before his execution."
"Is the piece in that musical score the second part you mentioned earlier?"
"That should be it."
"should?"
Long Er's questioning tone made Ju Mu'er feel inexplicably guilty. She replied softly, "Because I haven't seen the score, I only deduced it based on the meaning conveyed by the music and the events surrounding it. It's probably the piece on that score."