"Before I could even ask anything, a customer recognized him as a constable. Once his identity was exposed, the constable couldn't say anything and quickly left. But think about it, if they didn't know something, why would they disguise themselves and come to my place to inquire? No, no, we'd better leave here quickly."
"How can we leave like this?" Madam Zhu shook her head. "The Prefect has instructed me that he may come to question me at any time. If I leave, won't that arouse their suspicion?"
"Then I'll leave on my own. With things so tense right now, they'll definitely find me if they keep investigating. I can't worry about you anymore."
Hearing this, Li Ke already understood about 70-80% of what was going on. The two then continued arguing about how to leave and escape, without offering any suggestions. Ren Baoqing said that if Zhu Chenshi couldn't make up her mind, he would leave on his own, immediately.
Seeing the situation was dire, Li Ke quickly slipped out and ran into the scout leading the constables. Li Ke told them what he had overheard, and the constables, realizing the urgency of the situation, immediately arranged for men to keep a close watch on Zhu Chenshi and Ren Baoqing, while simultaneously rushing back to report to the prefect. They then obtained arrest warrants and apprehended the two as they were packing their belongings at home, preparing to flee.
Long Er was overjoyed: "In that case, the real culprit has been caught, and Manager Lü will be released soon."
He instructed Li Ke to quickly send someone to the Lü residence to reassure the Lü family and put their minds at ease. He added that once the Prefect had identified the true culprit, the matter would be resolved.
But Long Er didn't expect that it wouldn't be so easy to settle this matter.
At night, Ju Mu'er, who had slept all day, finally woke up. She was rushed out of bed to eat and take her medicine at dinner time, and then went back to sleep. She didn't even know that her father had come to the Long Mansion to look for her out of concern.
When Old Man Ju arrived at the Long residence, he was treated as an honored guest by the Long family. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Long Er proposed marriage to Old Man Ju.
Old Man Ju was completely dumbfounded. Wasn't his daughter supposed to be there to provide evidence in the murder case? Instead of going to the government office, she stayed at someone's house and slept all day. And to make matters worse, before she even woke up, the person was already asking for a kiss?
Old Man Ju was stunned for a long time before finally coming to his senses. He replied, "Whether or not she marries is not up to me. It's up to Mu'er to decide."
The Long family members who were waiting to be spoken to were all speechless. What a terrible father!
So everyone waited for Ju Mu'er to get up, but before she did, a constable led two yamen runners to the door. They said that the prefect wanted to invite Miss Ju to the yamen to identify someone.
Now that something important had come up, Long Er also felt that this pig-like girl had slept long enough, so he sent someone to wake her up. Old Man Ju felt sorry for his daughter and hurriedly said that his daughter was just like that, she had to go to bed early every day, and if she didn't get enough sleep, she would have to sleep twice as long to make up for it.
Just then, the maid brought Ju Mu'er over. Ju Mu'er's fever had subsided, she had slept well, and she was much more energetic. When she heard that the officials had come to find her to identify people, she quickly agreed and said that she would set off immediately.
So before Granny Yu could get a good look at her, Long Er and Old Man Ju took Ju Mu'er and left with the constables and yamen runners.
After thinking for a long time, Granny Yu finally understood what the Second Master meant by "special" woman: "so special that people wouldn't care about her appearance, her personality, or her talent." Granny Yu thought that this girl was indeed like that. Apart from feeling that she was special, she really couldn't think of anything else about her appearance, personality, or talent.
Yeah, it's just special.
Long Er was unaware that Granny Yu had "understood" his "special theory." He took Ju Mu'er to the government office, where Qiu Ruoming gave them some instructions and then summoned someone to bring Ren Baoqing in, wanting Ju Mu'er to recognize him.
To avoid influencing Ju Mu'er's judgment, Qiu Ruoming didn't say much to her, but whispered to Long Er, "Second Master, what you said about that girl is absolutely right. This Ren Baoqing is of medium height and sturdy build, with many small burn scars on the back of his hands. However, there are no marks on his stomach from being poked with a bamboo cane, nor any scratches on his wrists. But we can't rule out the possibility that Miss Ju was too weak to injure the murderer as she imagined. The other points are all true."
Long Er nodded and asked, "Did he admit it?"
"No, he'll never admit it, even if it kills him. That's why I was thinking of having Miss Ju come and identify him; maybe that would make him confess."
Long Er nodded again. He watched as Ju Mu'er listened intently to the sounds of Ren Baoqing being brought in. He kept shouting that he was innocent, but Ju Mu'er's expression remained unchanged as she listened to his voice.
When Ren Baoqing saw Ju Mu'er, he shouted, "I have never seen her. I did not kill Boss Zhu. My lord, I am innocent."
Qiu Ruoming ignored him and only called out to Ju Mu'er, "Miss."
Ju Mu'er nodded and took two steps toward Ren Baoqing. She asked, "Sir, may I touch his hand?"
Qiu Ruoming nodded in agreement. A day had passed since the murder, and the clothes and smell had obviously changed. The only thing that could be recognized was probably the scars.
Old Man Ju, standing to the side, was somewhat flustered, fearing that the thief would harm his daughter. He went over to support Ju Mu'er, thinking that if the thief made a move, he could step forward to shield her.
Long Er frowned. This woman had proposed to him, but now she was going to touch another man's hand in front of him.
He glared at Ju Mu'er, watching her touch Ren Baoqing's hand again and again, and he really wanted to chop that hand off so she could touch it to her heart's content.
After everyone waited for a long time, Ju Mu'er finally had her fill of touching. She stopped and took two steps back. Ren Baoqing trembled, clutching his hands in fear.
Amidst everyone's anticipation, Ju Mu'er finally spoke, saying, "It wasn't him."
The case of the 17 mystery lovers has taken a step closer.
Upon hearing the words "it wasn't him," Ren Baoqing burst into tears, crying and shouting, "Sir, I'm innocent! I'm innocent!"
Qiu Ruoming frowned: "Miss Ju, are you sure?"
Ju Mu'er nodded: "Reporting to my lord, this person has more scars on the back of his hand than the murderer, and he has a deeper scar that the murderer does not."
Ren Baoqing kowtowed repeatedly, crying out loudly, "Your Excellency, please investigate! Your Excellency, please investigate!"
Long Er frowned, went over and pulled Ju Mu'er away from Ren Baoqing, lest the man bump into her in his excitement. Then he found a chair for her to sit on. Old Man Ju glanced at the Prefect, and seeing that he didn't seem to mind, he also sat down in the chair next to Ju Mu'er.
Qiu Ruoming lowered his brows and pondered for a moment before ordering the yamen runners to take Ren Baoqing away. Then, he recounted the interrogation of Zhu Chenshi and Ren Baoqing to Long Er and Ju Mu'er.
It turned out that the constables had brought the two men back. Zhu Chenshi was terrified, and when Qiu Ruoming interrogated her, she confessed. Once she confessed, Ren Baoqing naturally couldn't hide anything either, and told them everything.
Zhu Chenshi had been married to Zhu Fu for many years. She said that although Zhu Fu treated her well, he was weak in bed and had been childless for many years. She was often blamed by Zhu Fu for this. She felt bitter but could not complain. She felt extremely wronged by Zhu Fu's blame.
One day, she went to a sesame oil shop on the same street to buy sesame oil and happened to run into Ren Baoqing, who was minding the shop. Ren Baoqing was young and strong and looked much more energetic than Zhu Fu. In addition, he flirted with her and teased her. She was immediately distracted.
As they continued to visit each other, she would often go to the sesame oil shop to buy sesame oil, and Ren Baoqing would frequently make suggestive remarks. The two of them began an affair and engaged in illicit relations.
At first, Zhu Chenshi was also guilty and scared, but Zhu Fu was focused on the shop and paid little attention to her. In addition, Ren Baoqing flattered her with sweet words, and she gradually became bolder. Sometimes when Ren Baoqing said that he was short of money, she would secretly give him some. In this way, Ren Baoqing became even more clingy to her.
The two had been engaging in illicit affairs for over six months, and Zhu Fu, being negligent, hadn't noticed. Recently, the shop had suffered heavy losses and was on the verge of collapse, but Zhu Fu was reluctant to sell his family's business, so he was focused on finding a way to recover the losses and revitalize the business. His single-minded focus on the business emboldened Zhu Chenshi, who frequently went to meet with Ren Baoqing in secret.
Unexpectedly, the day before Zhu Fu was to be killed, Zhu Chenshi, taking advantage of Zhu Fu's busy work at the shop, went to the sesame oil shop to meet Ren Baoqing. Unbeknownst to her, Zhu Fu had forgotten his account book that day and suddenly returned home, just in time to see her leaving, dressed in a glamorous manner and with a rosy complexion. Zhu Fu's heart skipped a beat, and he subconsciously followed her. This act of following her exposed Zhu Chenshi's affair with Ren Baoqing.
That day, Ren Baoqing closed his shop and stopped making a living, intending to spend some quality time with Zhu Chenshi. Unexpectedly, Zhu Chenshi arrived, and after only a few sweet words, Zhu Fu barged in. Zhu Fu was naturally furious and berated the two of them mercilessly. The two were terrified and helpless, saying they had been momentarily blinded by lust and dared not do such a despicable thing again, begging Zhu Fu for forgiveness.
Zhu Fu was also concerned about his reputation, so he didn't report it to the authorities. Instead, he took Zhu Chenshi home and gave her a good scolding.
That night, Zhu Fu didn't sleep, and Zhu Chenshi was frightened, shrinking into bed and not daring to sleep either. At dawn, Zhu Fu told her that since the shop had been losing money anyway, he couldn't continue. Now that she was treating him like this, he might as well sell the shop and give her some money to find a way to make a living.
This meant he planned to sell the shop and divorce his wife. How could Zhu Chenshi possibly agree? But Zhu Fu had leverage over her, and she was powerless to do anything about it. She wept bitterly and pleaded, but Zhu Fu said his mind was made up and he wouldn't change it.
He actually made an appointment to meet with Manager Lü, who had been talking to him about buying the shop, that very day.
Zhu Chenshi used the excuse of delivering food to go to the shop to inquire about Zhu Fu's whereabouts, and then rushed to the sesame oil shop to discuss with Ren Baoqing what to do.
Ren Baoqing had no real feelings for Zhu Chenshi; he was only with her because she was easy to please, gave him money, and was easy to control. Now that Zhu Fu had discovered their sordid relationship, he was panicked, fearing Zhu Fu would report him to the authorities and bring him trouble. Just then, Zhu Chenshi arrived, saying that Zhu Fu wanted to divorce her and that she would live with him from now on.
This terrified Ren Baoqing. If this woman had no money, why would he stay with her? He could easily marry someone younger and prettier with his own money. Besides, who knows, he might find someone else to give him money to spend in the future. Why should he hang himself on an old woman who had been abandoned by her husband's family?
Zhu Chenshi saw through his crooked thoughts. She threatened that if he didn't behave well, she would go all out and make a scene in the yamen, where no one would get away with it.
Upon hearing this, Ren Baoqing hurriedly tried to appease him, but he was still unwilling to give up. After thinking for a moment, he came up with an idea. He said, "Since Zhu Fu is unkind to you, you can be unkind to him too. In order for us to live a good life in the future, why don't we wait until he sells his shop and has money in his hands, then you can take his belongings and leave here to make a living elsewhere."
Zhu Chenshi initially hesitated, but Ren Baoqing persuaded her at length, saying that she had been divorced for no reason, and there would inevitably be gossip in the city. How could she possibly live with him under such circumstances? Leaving this place was the only right thing to do. But to leave, she absolutely needed money. Therefore, she had to take Zhu Fu's money with her.
Zhu Chenshi was finally persuaded by him, and the two agreed that they would make their move after Zhu Fu sold the shop and received the money. When they got to the point of being excited, the two made love again in the sesame oil shop.
Unexpectedly, when Zhu Chenshi returned home, she was approached by the tea shop's waiter who asked if Zhu Fuyou had returned home. Zhu Chenshi naturally didn't know. After dismissing the waiter, she went to discuss the matter with Ren Baoqing. Because she had been followed last time, which led to the exposure of their scheme, she felt guilty this time and was afraid that Zhu Fuyou had followed them again and discovered their plan to rob them. If he reported it to the authorities, things would be terrible.
Ren Baoqing and Zhu Chenshi agreed that since that was the case, they should avoid meeting for the time being, stay away from the limelight, and first figure out Zhu Fu's thoughts before making a decision. Zhu Chenshi hurriedly agreed and returned home.
She was restless at home. Zhu Fu hadn't returned, and she dared not sleep. In the middle of the night, officials came to her door, saying that Zhu Fu had been murdered. Lord Yin summoned her for questioning.
Madam Zhu was startled. She had thought that Zhu Fu had confronted Ren Baoqing and fought to the death, but when she looked in the hall, she found out that it was a completely different story.
Ren Baoqing, however, said that he was sleeping at home that night and had no idea what had happened. He only heard from the neighbors the next day that Zhu Fu had died.
After Qiu Ruoming finished speaking, he continued, "Ren Baoqing's motive is obvious, and all the conditions match what Miss Ju said. He said he was asleep at home when the incident occurred, but no one can corroborate that. Also, Zhu Chenshi was with him in the shop that day and smelled of sesame oil on her, so when Miss Ju smelled it up close in the hall, that's why. But now Miss Ju says that the murderer is not Ren Baoqing, then this matter is truly suspicious."
Ju Mu'er replied solemnly, "My lord, Ren Baoqing is indeed despicable. If Boss Zhu hadn't already been murdered, who knows if he would have stolen his property after selling the shop, or if another conflict would have broken out. But if someone is guilty, he must be held accountable; if he is innocent, he must not be wronged. My lord is discerning and will surely bring the real culprit to justice."
Qiu Ruoming said loudly, "Well said. If a person is guilty, he must be punished. If he is innocent, he should not be wronged. Miss Ju, I really underestimated you before. Zhu Chenshi and Ren Baoqing are vicious. Putting aside everything else, the crime of adultery has already been established. I will investigate further and see if I can find any other clues."
Long Er then said, "Sir, now that we have identified the murderer's characteristics, we can deduce that this case is unrelated to Manager Lü. When will you release him?"
Qiu Ruoming said, "Second Master Long, although I believe Miss Ju's words, it is still just talk without proof. If Ren Baoqing is the real culprit, that would be fine, as it would prove that what Miss Ju said is true. But if he is not the culprit, how can Miss Ju prove it? I cannot convince the public with just the words 'I believe'. Therefore, before the truth is clear, I'm afraid Lü Sixian cannot be released."
Long Er's face darkened upon hearing this. He understood that Qiu Ruoming intended to use Manager Lü to control him. If Manager Lü were released from prison, he would no longer concern himself with this case. However, as long as Manager Lü remained in jail, Long Er would do everything in his power to help solve the case.
Qiu Ruoming is quite the fox!
Long Er was displeased, but he couldn't find fault with Qiu Ruoming's words. Ju Mu'er's testimony was indeed unsubstantiated, and it would be difficult to refute if it were falsely claimed that he and Ju Mu'er had colluded. Therefore, without solid evidence, it was indeed difficult to proceed.
Long Er turned to look at Ju Mu'er, who was sitting there deep in thought, frowning and not saying a word. Long Er thought that this girl was injured and it must have been hard for her to travel so much.
After a moment's thought, Long Er asked, "Sir, is the clerk at the sesame oil shop a suspect?"
Qiu Ruoming shook his head: "He was a fourteen-year-old boy, thin and short. He was asleep at home when the incident happened, and his parents can testify to that."
Long Er nodded and said, "Sir, if the murderer premeditated Zhu's death, he must have followed him and knew his whereabouts before he could strike. If it was a spur-of-the-moment decision or he went to the wrong room, he must have been someone who frequented that inn. Sir, you locked down the inn after the incident, but have you found anything yet?"
Qiu Ruoming said, "There weren't many guests at the inn that day. We checked everyone and found no one suspicious. We even questioned the people around the inn, and they were all found to be innocent."
Long Er nodded again and asked, "Has Your Excellency examined Boss Zhu's personal belongings in detail?"
Qiu Ruoming said, "Second Master, are you saying that if it was murder for money, then there must be no valuables among Boss Zhu's belongings, meaning the murderer must have taken them. If there are still valuables, then he must have been brutally murdered for some other reason, right?"
Long Er nodded, and Qiu Ruoming said, "I already knew this. I checked everything in the room at the time, and Zhu Fu's money bag was still there, with a piece of silver inside."
"A single piece of silver?" Long Er raised an eyebrow. "Sir, if the murderer could think of framing someone, he must also have thought of keeping some money in his pocket. Sir, why don't you investigate how much Mr. Zhu spent on food and drinks at the inn that day, plus his overnight stay? Would a single piece of silver be enough to cover that? As far as I know, Mr. Zhu is cautious and wouldn't spend lavishly if he didn't have any silver on him. Sir, you could check the restaurants and other places he visited yesterday to see if you can find out about his finances. If you can determine whether it was for money, love, or revenge, then you can narrow down the suspects and continue the investigation. What do you think, sir?"
Qiu Ruoming smiled and thanked Long Er for the reminder. He arranged for the constables and yamen runners to carefully search all the places along Zhu Fu's trail. Seeing that he was investigating the case seriously and had no intention of being perfunctory, Long Er was somewhat relieved.
He took his leave of Ju Laodi and Ju Mu'er with him, bidding farewell to Qiu Ruoming. Then he personally escorted the father and daughter back home in a carriage.
Ju Mu'er remained silent the entire way. Long Er and Old Man Ju didn't say anything either. The three of them arrived quietly at Ju's Wine Shop in one car.
Old Man Ju got out of the car first, intending to wait for his daughter, but Ju Mu'er said she wanted to chat with Second Master Long for a few minutes. Old Man Ju looked aggrieved, paused for a moment, then touched his nose and walked aside.
Li Ke, with keen insight, called the coachman aside, leaving Ju Mu'er and Long Er a place to talk.
After everyone had left, Long Er said, "Alright, no one's around anymore. What do you want to say to me?"
Ju Mu'er bit her lip and asked softly, "Second Master, if... if the real culprit in Manager Lü's case can't be caught, would you still be willing to marry me?"
Long Er raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised that she asked this. In his view, this matter was a foregone conclusion, how could there be any changes? But seeing Ju Mu'er's uneasy expression, he realized that she really wanted to marry him, and his mood improved. With his mood improved, his voice softened: "Since I have agreed to it, it naturally stands."
Ju Mu'er's face lit up: "Then that's who I'll marry, right?"
"right."
When Long Er saw her smile, he couldn't help but smile too. But then she yawned, and Long Er yawned as well. Then he got annoyed, as she had ruined the good atmosphere.
Are you sleepy again?
"Well, it's time to rest."
Long Er couldn't help but grit his teeth: "You slept all day today."
"That's to make up for yesterday's portion; this is today's portion. Hearing that Second Master is going to marry again, I feel relaxed and then I feel sleepy."
Ryuji really didn't know what to say about her.
Ju Mu'er called over Old Man Ju, and with his help, she got out of the car. Then she turned to Long Er and said, "Second Master, take care and get some rest."
Her voice was soft, and it softened Ryuji's heart as well.
The father and daughter slowly made their way home. Long Er closed the car door and was about to call the driver to set off when he suddenly heard Old Man Ju shout. Startled, Long Er opened the car door and saw Old Man Ju running back like the wind, shouting, "Second Master, Second Master!"