He knew Qiu Ruoming was deliberately testing Ju Mu'er to see if she was truly helpless. But a simple test would suffice; why was he taking so long to stop the constables from pulling the shrew away?
How can a local official bully a blind and vulnerable woman like this?
At this moment, the yamen maid helped Ju Mu'er up and tidied her appearance. Ju Mu'er said, "My lord, the murderer is someone else. I originally wanted to go to the front hall to ask the waiter for some hot water. When I passed by room number six in the 'Heavenly' section, I heard the door open and a man scream. He only managed to shout 'Help!' before someone covered his mouth and dragged him inside. I instinctively turned my head in that direction, and the murderer thought I had seen something, so he dragged me in as well. I begged him to spare my life, explaining that I was blind and didn't recognize him. Then he knocked me unconscious. I really don't know what happened after that."
Qiu Ruoming nodded, his brows furrowed in deep thought. In truth, he did not believe that Ju Mu'er was the murderer.
Although it's possible that one side, after being stabbed twice, desperately knocks the other down, only to bleed to death themselves, it's not impossible. However, Zhu Fu is tall and muscular; it's highly unlikely that Ju Mu'er would stab him twice, each blow penetrating to the bone.
Moreover, with one knife in her waist and the other in her back chest, given Ju Mu'er's height, the knife that stabbed her waist would have to be held with her hand on the handle, while the knife that stabbed her back chest would have to be held with her hand on the handle. In such a hurry, she would have stabbed herself twice, and there would have been no chance for her to switch hands.
The murderer was clearly a tall, large man.
"Lu Sixian!" Qiu Ruoyun called out.
"I am here."
"You saw just now that Ju Mu'er had no power to kill Zhu Fu."
"My lord, although I found Miss Ju with a dagger in her hand, I do not believe she is the murderer. As I just said, I know both Boss Zhu and Miss Ju. I only took the dagger to check because I felt something was amiss. Unfortunately, someone saw me and I was mistaken for the suspect."
Qiu Ruoming snorted, "Did you hear clearly just now? Zhu Fu's employees and family all said that you wanted to buy Zhu Fu's tea shop for your boss, but Zhu Fu has been unwilling to sell. You met with him today to discuss this deal, didn't you?"
"Indeed."
"You've tried to negotiate the deal many times, but it didn't go through, so you've been harboring resentment. That night, you found Zhu Fu and remembered how the deal hadn't gone well during the day. He was drunk and out of control, and you argued with him. In a fit of rage, you killed him. Then, coincidentally, Mu'er happened to be passing by, so you decided to go all the way and knocked her unconscious, intending to frame her. If she was found guilty, you could get away with it. If I, the judge, investigated thoroughly and found that she wasn't the murderer, she wouldn't be able to explain herself. You arranged everything, intending to pretend to be the first person to discover the crime scene, but then someone suddenly appeared and witnessed everything. Your plan failed, and you were arrested on the spot. Isn't that right?"
As Qiu Ruoming spoke, he discreetly observed the expressions on everyone's faces. Zhu Fu's two employees looked grief-stricken, Zhu Chenshi was constantly weeping with her face covered, while the guests and innkeepers remained calm. Meanwhile, Master Long, sitting to the side, simply observed everyone's expressions intently, his face expressionless.
Qiu Ruoming's words shocked Lü Sixian, who kowtowed repeatedly: "No, sir, that's not the case. During the day, Boss Zhu had already agreed to sell the shop to the Long family. We only parted ways after finalizing the terms of the sale."
Upon hearing Lü Sixian's words, Zhu Fu's two employees and Zhu Chenshi were all shocked and exclaimed that this was impossible.
Qiu Ruoming confirmed with them whether Zhu Fu had said he was willing to sell the shop, and all three shook their heads, saying that Zhu Fu was unwilling to sell. Qiu Ruoming then asked Long Er if he had heard from Lü Sixian that the purchase of the shop had been settled. Long Er shook his head and said that this was not a small business, and Manager Lü would not have reported to him if he had not finalized all the details. Otherwise, if he had been stumped by Qiu Ruoming's questions, it would have been a sign of Manager Lü's incompetence.
Lu Sixian quickly said, "Indeed, there is still one thing that is not settled. Boss Zhu only said that there are two long-time employees in the shop. He will sell the shop and then have to talk to them to see if they are willing to work for the Long family or take the money to make a living on their own. He said he would give me news tomorrow, but I did not expect this to happen in the night."
Qiu Ruoming asked, "Does anyone else know about this?"
Lu Sixian was taken aback. He had been waiting for news, so he hadn't mentioned it to anyone. As for Boss Zhu, judging from the current situation in court, it seemed no one knew about this matter either. Lu Sixian knew that both witnesses and evidence were against him. His face was ashen, and he could only kowtow and say, "Your Honor, please investigate thoroughly. I truly did not commit murder."
Qiu Ruoming pondered. Although this case could be speculated on in this way, there were still some doubts. He was somewhat at a loss. Apart from Lü Sixian, everyone else in the courtroom seemed innocent, without motive or suspicion, and all had relevant witnesses to corroborate their claims.
Only Lü Sixian is a prime suspect!
But what exactly is wrong?
“My lord,” Long Er spoke up at this moment, “I only have one matter to discuss.”
Qiu Ruoming looked at him, and Long Er looked directly at him, continuing, "As for the motive, the money that Manager Lü earns for my tea shops every year is enough to buy more than twenty Xiangfu Tea Shops. For me, Xiangfu Tea Shop is just a bonus; I haven't put any pressure on Manager Lü to make it happen. So, if a manager who controls many of the most profitable tea shops in the capital is so interested in a small tea shop that he'd kill someone in a fit of rage, I find that quite strange."
Qiu Ruoming pursed his lips, feeling very uncomfortable. As he was deep in thought, a constable rushed in and whispered a few words in his ear. It turned out that the constables had gone out to investigate the whereabouts they had just mentioned—the music shops, inns, restaurants, and even individual homes—and had questioned everyone. The constable had gathered everyone's information and returned to report to Qiu Ruoming.
What those people in the hall said was all true.
No one can verify Lü Sixian's words.
No one can prove he isn't the murderer!
At this moment, Ju Mu'er suddenly said, "My lord, may I speak a few words with Manager Lü?"
Qiu Ruoming, unsure of her intentions, simply agreed. Ju Mu'er stretched out her arm and groped her way towards Lü Sixian. The maidservant quickly supported her and led the way.
Ju Mu'er walked over and called out, "Manager Lü."
Lu Sixian hurriedly stood up, reached out to help her, and replied, "Miss Ju." Ju Mu'er grasped his arm and steadied herself.
Everyone stared at the two of them, wondering what Ju Mu'er wanted to say. She then said, "I just wanted to thank Manager Lü. If you hadn't discovered me in time, I might have died from my injuries. I believe Manager Lü is not the murderer. The magistrate will surely find out the truth, Manager Lü, please rest assured."
Lu Sixian wore a bitter expression. This was a major murder case, and the situation was so unfavorable to him. How could he feel at ease? The loud cursing from Zhu Fu's widow behind him made him even more distressed.
Qiu Ruoming's expression was also unpleasant. This blind girl was just like Master Long, throwing around accusations without considering the facts. He was a good official; why did he need them to put him through this ordeal before he could properly handle the case?
However, this case is indeed tricky, and it seems that we need to investigate it more carefully before we can make a judgment.
At this moment, Ju Mu'er suddenly said, "My lord, I have a head injury and am in great pain. I can't remember some things from when the incident happened, but I have a vague feeling that they are very important clues. I hope you will not rush to close the case and let me think about it carefully before reporting back to you."
Qiu Ruoming frowned. What significant clues could a blind girl possibly see? He couldn't count on her, but the retrial hadn't yielded any progress either. So he gave a few instructions, first taking Lü Sixian into custody, and then sending the rest home to await further investigation by the authorities.
Long Er was at a loss. He told Lü Sixian that he would settle things at home for him and that he should not panic, as he would definitely find evidence to prove his innocence.
Lü Sixian was taken away, and Long Er instructed Li Ke to find someone to bribe officials in the prison so that Manager Lü wouldn't suffer there. Li Ke obeyed and left.
Long Er exchanged a few polite words with Qiu Ruoming, confirming that Qiu Ruoming also felt there were still doubts, but had nothing specific to say for the time being, so Long Er took his leave.
Upon leaving the government office, they saw a middle-aged couple helping Ju Mu'er onto a carriage. The man exclaimed repeatedly, "Oh, oh, what bad luck! Luckily you're alright. Otherwise, you were staying at that inn because you were busy working for my music shop. If anything had happened to you, how would I explain it to your father?"
Ju Mu'er looked tired, responded softly a few times, then got into their carriage and left.
Long Er turned and called to a quick-witted servant beside him, instructing him to follow the carriage and see where the two men were taking Ju Mu'er. He told the servant to return quickly if anything happened. The servant agreed and rode off after them.
After arranging his affairs, Long Er returned to his residence, and it was already past midnight. He didn't want to sleep at this point, so he went to the study and sat quietly by himself, thinking about all aspects of the case. No matter what, he had to rescue Manager Lü.
Long Er sat there until dawn. Li Ke came in and reported on the situation regarding Manager Lü's imprisonment and resettlement, as well as Ju Mu'er's arrival at the music shop owner Cheng Yin's home. He also arranged for the Long family's spies to investigate Manager Lü's case.
Long Er nodded, hoping these spies would be useful and that they could uncover some clues.
Just as dawn broke, a servant suddenly came in to report that Miss Ju Mu'er was requesting an audience at the main gate of the mansion.
Long Er was surprised. Why was that girl running around instead of resting with an injury on her head? He frowned and agreed, instructing the servant to lead her to the front hall.
After Long Er passed by, he noticed that Ju Mu'er's father was sitting next to her. After exchanging a few polite words, Ju Mu'er suddenly said, "I suddenly really want to see the beautiful zither that Second Master told me about last time. Since I'm passing by, I thought I'd bother you."
Long Er was taken aback. When had he ever told her he had a fine zither? But then he glanced at Old Man Ju's annoyed expression and realized what was going on. She must have something she wanted to discuss privately, but didn't want her father to know.
Long Er was suddenly delighted to have found a little leverage over her. He smiled and said, "The zither is in the library. If you would like to see it, please come and take a look."
Ju Mu'er breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing his cooperation and quickly said, "Then Father, please wait here for me for a while. I'll go touch the zither and come right back."
Seeing that they were in someone else's house, Old Man Ju couldn't say anything. He just muttered that he was a little unhappy. His daughter was injured and instead of going home to see a doctor and recover, she came to see the zither. He shouldn't have agreed to it.
Long Er instructed the servant to prepare tea, snacks, and breakfast for Old Master Ju and to take good care of him, then led Ju Mu'er away.
The Long Mansion was very large, with long corridors, gardens, and stone paths that twisted and turned. Ju Mu'er had a hard time following Long Er. Long Er noticed that she had changed into clean clothes and the cloth wrapped around her head was newly tied, but she looked even weaker than she had looked in the yamen at night.
Long Er felt inexplicably angry, so he simply found a nearby room and sat down with her. He called a servant to prepare hot tea and breakfast, and then began to speak.
"Did you sleep last night? Why are you running around with that ghost-like face?"
Ju Mu'er had no intention of arguing with him at the moment, and only explained, "My father came as soon as the city gates opened today. He found out about what happened last night and wants to take me back to recuperate. If I don't find an excuse to see Second Master, I'm afraid I won't be able to get by for the next few days."
"What do you want to say to me?" The servant brought tea and poured it for both of them. Long Er looked at Ju Mu'er's hands, which were pale from the cold, and tapped the table, making a sound, and said, "The tea is here, it's hot."
Ju Mu'er thanked him, picked up the cup, and held it without saying a word. Long Er asked again, "What did you want to say to me?"
Ju Mu'er took a deep breath, her face showing embarrassment and a little awkwardness. Long Er raised an eyebrow, wondering what she was going to say.
"Second Master," Ju Mu'er finally spoke, "I have a way to prove that Manager Lü is not the murderer, and I can also find the real culprit."
"Oh?" Long Er was very interested in this matter. He waited for Ju Mu'er to continue and see what solutions she had.
“However,” Ju Mu’er changed the subject, “I want to make a deal with Second Master.”
Is this another one?
Long Er raised an eyebrow, his heart pounding with excitement at the prospect of meeting a worthy opponent and encountering something fun. He picked up his cup, took a sip of hot tea, steadied himself, and asked, "What conditions do you want to exchange?"
Ju Mu'er bit her lip and didn't speak for a long time. Long Er waited patiently. After finishing one cup, he poured himself another and continued drinking.
Ju Mu'er took another deep breath and finally said, "I want Second Master to marry me."
"Pfft..." Long Er turned his head sharply and spat out a mouthful of tea onto the ground.
What the hell? Did he just hear someone proposing to him?
12. They talked about marriage.
Long Er could hardly believe his ears. Had he really been "proposed to"?
Long Er considered himself to have seen quite a few women. All kinds of appearances, personalities, backgrounds, and ages.
Many of them expressed interest in him, some by sending gifts, some by sending poems, some by conveying messages with their eyes, some by boldly expressing themselves with their body language, some by giving hints themselves, and some by sending people to relay their messages...
However, when it comes to marriage, no one has ever been so bold as to directly tell him: I want Second Master to marry me.
The boldest person Ryuji had ever encountered before was someone who asked him indirectly and evasively why he wasn't married. Hmph, how utterly boring.
But this isn't boring anymore; it's unexpected and shocking. Its impact completely exceeded Ryuji's imagination and expectations. What kind of woman would directly say to a guy she barely knows: "Marry me?"
Well, actually, Ryuji felt that he was quite familiar with her.
However, she did speak, but she looked exhausted and haggard, with a blood-soaked cloth wrapped around her head, wearing ill-fitting clothes that were obviously borrowed from someone else, without any makeup or hairstyle, and carrying a broken bamboo cane... that's how she came to tell him.
Honestly, he didn't even feel like scolding her anymore.
Such slovenly appearance shows that he is not taken seriously at all.
Long Er glared at the blind girl who was biting her lip and looking uneasy after proposing to her, and snorted inwardly, "So you know what unease is? I thought you were as brave as an ironclad shield."
He stared at her, then coughed twice after a while and asked, "Why?"
"Huh?" Ju Mu'er was stunned.
Long Er was very unhappy. Had he gone mad after proposing? He gave a slight "humph" and asked again, "Why should I marry you?"
“Because…” Ju Mu’er hesitated for a moment, then seemed to have made up her mind and said, “You said that Manager Lü earns enough money for you in a year to buy more than twenty tea shops, while I probably can’t even afford half a tea shop in ten years. Second Master is very shrewd and calculating, he must be able to figure it out. Adding me is much more worthwhile than losing Manager Lü.”
This reason is really...
Long Er felt a sense of déjà vu at this excuse; it was a reason he often used. But he couldn't afford to lose face; otherwise, he would never marry her. So he asked again, "How much dowry do you have?"
This time, Ju Mu'er was calm and composed, and answered smoothly: "If I marry into this family, Second Master Long can earn at least the equivalent of twenty more tea shops a year, two hundred in ten years, and four hundred in twenty years. Second Master certainly knows better than I how much a tea shop is worth. I believe that this dowry will be no less than that of any wealthy family."
Long Er choked for a moment. She had been using his words as a springboard, constantly reminding him how much less money he would earn without Manager Lü.
Hmph, is he really that materialistic?
Okay, he does value it, but is he the kind of person who would marry just for money? If it were for money, wouldn't he have married the female city lord who was willing to give him half a city's wealth just to marry him? Why would he have this skinny, barely-there, blind girl now?
So Long Er changed the subject: "Can you read account books? Do you know how to use an abacus? Are you capable of managing all the affairs of the manor?"
Ju Mu'er pursed her lips, feeling somewhat displeased. Was he deliberately humiliating her because she was blind? "Second Master has remained unmarried all this time. So it turns out he has taken a liking to the accountant and steward of the household?"
Oh dear, talking back!
Instead of getting angry, Long Er laughed and said, "You suddenly came to me asking me to marry you. Shouldn't you come up with some good reasons to convince me?"
Ju Mu'er replied neither humbly nor arrogantly, "Second Master is mistaken. I am not here to beg. In fact, I think Second Master has made a great deal by offering this exchange."