The motive of the thief breaking into the house to rob is quite simple and straightforward, so there's not much to investigate. However, the thief's claim that Ju Mu'er hired someone to kill her to cover it up is worth examining in detail.
Why silence them? Who was silenced? What sheet music? What exactly happened in that case from several years ago?
This investigation eventually brought up the case of Shi Boyin. Pressed relentlessly, Ju Mu'er finally said the same thing Qian Jiangyi had said before.
Shi Boyin left behind a melody on his deathbed to appeal his innocence. She discerned the clues in the music and thus memorized the piece. Since the melody recorded a grievance, how could she have committed murder for it? Therefore, she certainly didn't hire the killer; she didn't even recognize the woman in her room.
She countered, "If those two thieves claim that the woman is Lin Yueyao, how can you prove it?"
How to prove it is a good question. Because the body was charred and unrecognizable, it cannot prove that she was Lin Yueyao, nor can it prove that she was not.
However, it is a fact that this matter is related to the case of Shi Boyin killing Shi Zechun back then. But now that Ding Sheng is in prison, more than one or two cases from the Ministry of Justice have been unearthed, so when Shi Boyin's appeal is brought up again, the Emperor and the officials' reaction is not as strong as it was when Qian Jiangyi first proposed it.
If the Ministry of Justice handles a case where the facts are unclear, it shall be retried!
This news gave Ju Mu'er a jolt. Fearing eavesdroppers, she and Long Er hadn't discussed the case at all in the prison. But Long Er understood her perfectly; with just a few words, "Some things we should discuss, some things we shouldn't," Ju Mu'er knew he agreed with her idea of using this opportunity to uncover the truth.
To protect others and to prevent someone from getting there first, Ju Mu'er only talked about the music, nothing else. She played the piece for everyone and carefully explained its deeper meaning. It was a love song expressing a woman's love and longing for her lover's return.
“Master Yi deliberately used the complex first half of the piece to explain and emphasize the meaning of the music. The motive for the murder should be hidden in this piece,” Ju Mu’er said, but unfortunately, no one agreed.
"This melody was rumored to contain a peerless martial arts manual, which is still sought after and fought over in the martial arts world. Now it's being called a love song."
"The so-called meaning of a melody, if not explained by the composer, is often fabricated by others due to their different understanding."
“We investigated back then. Minister Shi was an honest and upright man with a clean family background. He had nothing to hide. So even if it wasn’t about stealing the score but about love songs, it’s likely that Minister Shi knew some secret and that’s why he silenced them. If it was about silencing them, killing one person would have been enough. Why kill the whole family? That would only increase the risk and make things more difficult. It doesn’t make sense, it doesn’t make sense at all.”
Yun Qingxian and the officials from the Ministry of Justice and the government carefully reviewed the case files from that year. After much discussion, they came up with no better ideas. However, Ju Mu'er's memorization of the zither music was the biggest point of suspicion in the whole matter.
Because no one can remember that song.
Apart from Qian Jiangyi, who was far away, the officials and yamen runners visited all the qin players who had participated in the qin music gathering for Master Boyin's execution. Several of them finally revealed that they had worked together to study and memorize the qin score in order to clear Master Boyin's name. However, they all said that they had only memorized the first half of the music, and no one knew the second half.
Nobody knows why Ju Mu'er knows.
Shi Boyin had praised Ju Mu'er's zither skills, which attracted the zither envoy from Ximin Kingdom to come and see her. It would be hard to believe that he didn't know Ju Mu'er. But if he did know her, why would he lie and say he didn't?
So, was there some hidden story behind Shi Boyin's single-handed annihilation of the Shi family, or did he have other helpers behind him?
Ten days later, the matter finally reached the Emperor's ears again.
At that time, Yun Qingxian, Prefect Qiu Ruoming, and several other important officials were reporting to the Emperor on several major cases that had been resolved or were still under investigation. Long Er, however, was outside the palace requesting an audience with the Emperor, saying that he wanted to file a petition with the Emperor.
The emperor granted him permission to come, and Long Er, seeing all the officials present, exclaimed that it was perfect. He said that his wife had been imprisoned for over half a month without any evidence, and the matter was clear and straightforward; those two scoundrels were making baseless accusations without any concrete evidence against his Mu'er. Moreover, in the case of Shi Boyin, his Mu'er had provided important clues.
She was in poor health and needed medication and rest; her long stay in prison had taken a toll on her. He had suggested to the prefect that Mu'er return home to recuperate, and that she could be brought to court again if necessary. However, Qiu Ruoming refused to release her, citing various reasons. Left with no other option, he had to come to the Emperor to demand an explanation.
Long Er's face was ashen; it seemed he had been holding back a lot of anger.
But the emperor was also in a bad mood. He had just given the officials in front of him a thorough dressing-down. The case of Shi Boyin was the first major case since his ascension to the throne, and now, three years later, some absurd and nonsensical claims had resurfaced. Qian Jiangyi's public protest had already embarrassed the emperor, and now that he had agreed to a retrial, they had made absolutely no progress; they were utterly useless.
Long Er's arrival is perfectly timed. The Emperor didn't summon him to hear his grievances; he simply had pent-up anger and was looking for someone to continue his tirade. Besides, according to the Ministry of Justice, Ju Mu'er and Shi Boyin's case are intricately linked, making Ju Mu'er a prime suspect. How dare Long Er come here demanding her release?
The Emperor sneered, giving Long Er a thorough dressing-down of his arrogance, and also cursing these useless officials once more. Finally, he said, "Stop telling me there's no progress. Since Ju Mu'er is a key person with inside information, you must get the truth out of her. If she won't talk, can't you at least use torture?"
Torture? Long Er's face darkened. Just as he was about to speak, Prefect Qiu Ruoming grabbed him and gave him a meaningful look: The Emperor is angry, don't talk back.
But the emperor seemed to think that Long Er was too good-natured, and said, "Tomorrow, transfer Ju Mu'er to the Ministry of Justice prison. Since it is related to the case of the extermination of a family of officials appointed by the court, the Ministry of Justice shall handle the trial."
Long Er gritted his teeth and lowered his head, remaining silent.
Yun Qingxian glanced at Long Er and loudly responded to the Emperor's order.
"Long Er, do you have anything else to say?" the emperor asked coldly.
Long Er didn't raise his head, remaining silent. Everyone watching felt that he was mentally swearing with every swear word they knew.
The emperor probably thought the same way, and gave a cold "humph," but did not reprimand him further.
At this moment, Yun Qingxian said, "Your Majesty, since Second Master Long is here, there are some things I must mention."
"explain."
“Your Majesty. It has been three years since the Shi Boyin case occurred. If Ju Mu’er is aware of the matter, she must have done a lot in these three years. She married into the Long family twice, and I don’t know if anyone in the Long family knows about the Shi Boyin case. The Long family has a special status. Since everyone is here in front of Your Majesty today, I ask Your Majesty to make the decision and allow me to report this to the court for a public trial.”
The Emperor listened and nodded. "What you say makes sense. But the Long family are founding heroes, three generations of generals, who have rendered meritorious service to the country. Although Long Er and Long San do not hold official positions in the court, they have still done a lot for the court. Moreover, it is common knowledge that no one in the Long family knows anything about the zither. To say that the Long family did something for the zither score would be hard to convince the public. It's just that when Ju Mu'er married into the Long family, I wonder if she brought any evidence with her."
The Emperor asked Long Er, "Long Er, were you aware beforehand that Ju Mu'er was involved in this case?"
"This humble subject does not know," Long Er replied, then hurriedly added, "Mu'er is exceptionally talented; it's normal for her to memorize the music after hearing it only once. There is absolutely no possibility that she is involved in the case."
This argument was not very convincing. The emperor thought for a moment and said, "How about this, the Ministry of Justice will send two people to the Long residence to ask questions and look around to see if they can find anything suspicious. Ju Mu'er has not been convicted yet, so let's not disturb the Long residence. We can conduct a search later if we have solid evidence."
Upon hearing this, Yun Qingxian frowned. What could they possibly find out by going to the Long residence like this?
At this moment, the emperor said again, "The Long family has been loyal for three generations. It would be best to distance yourself from the suspect as soon as possible. To murder an official of the court is a serious crime that can lead to the extermination of nine generations of one's family. Eunuch Chen."
The eunuch standing to the side responded.
The emperor said, "I hereby decree that Ju Mu'er be stripped of her status in the Long family. From this day forward, her marriages shall be entirely separate from his own..." Before he could finish speaking, Long Er looked up at him in astonishment.
The emperor stared at Long Er, then said to Eunuch Chen, "Go to the register office and deliver the message: watch them remove Ju Mu'er from the Long family register."
"This humble subject is not convinced!" Long Er was furious and was so anxious that he was about to rush towards the emperor, but two officials next to him quickly pulled him back.
The emperor shouted at him sternly, "Long Er, do you want to die?!"
Long Er was stunned for a moment, but was held down tightly by the people next to him and stopped speaking.
The emperor ignored him and then said to Yun Qingxian, "Minister Yun, you have heard this clearly. The case of Shi Boyin has dragged on until today, and I must make it clear and transparent. I don't want to hear any more excuses. No matter what means you use, you must find out the truth. If there was no mistake back then, then so be it. If there was a mistake, then it must be corrected. Ju Mu'er is to be thoroughly investigated by your Ministry of Justice. You cannot be as slow and indecisive as the prefectural government. I want to see this case resolved within ten days."
Yun Qingxian led the Ministry of Justice staff in a loud response.
The emperor glanced around at everyone, then looked at Long Er, snorted, and turned to leave.
Long Er seemed incredulous, somewhat stunned. An official beside him comforted him, "Second Master, the Emperor is on your side. No matter what happens in the future, the Long family has now extricated itself from this mess."
"Who the hell wants his help?" Long Er retorted rudely. The officials, hearing this, immediately moved far away from him, lest anyone overhear them thinking they were all cursing the Emperor.
Long Er glanced around and overheard Yun Qingxian and Qiu Ruoming discussing when to transfer Ju Mu'er to another prison. Qiu Ruoming said that the case files still needed to be organized, so it would be better to set it for early tomorrow morning at 7:00 AM.
Long Er refused to listen any longer. He turned and hurried away, heading towards the government prison.
Ju Mu'er was sitting in her cell, listening to Xiao Zhu recount what had happened at the Long Mansion. Long Er entered and dismissed Xiao Zhu. This surprised Ju Mu'er. Long Er hugged her tightly. Time was running out. He looked around; the jailers were still some distance away. He whispered to Ju Mu'er, "Mu'er, things have changed. You can't stay in jail any longer. I'll make arrangements. I'll take you out tonight at the hour of Chou (1-3 AM)."
A prison break?
Ju Mu'er stared in shock, but managed to keep herself from making a sound.
"Second Master!" Could things really have gotten this bad? Ju Mu'er grabbed Long Er's collar, wanting to ask but not daring to speak.
"Don't be afraid. I'm here for you." Long Er said quickly and urgently. "But once the prefect returns, I'm afraid the people of the Long residence won't be able to come in anymore. You'll have to stay by yourself for a while. I'll go out and make arrangements, and I'll definitely pick you up tonight. Don't panic, just stay by yourself until the hour of Chou (1-3 AM).
Ju Mu'er nodded, her mind in turmoil.
Long Er looked at her and suddenly pecked her lips.
Ju Mu'er was taken aback, and then she heard Long Er say, "I'm leaving. Don't forget tonight at the hour of Chou."
Ju Mu'er nodded and sat back on the edge of the bed. She heard the cell door close and Long Er's footsteps gradually fade into the distance. She was puzzled and uneasy.
Later, Ju Mu'er finally learned from the jailer that today was her last day in this prison. Tomorrow morning, she would be transferred to the Ministry of Justice prison.
Ju Mu'er finally understood what was going on. She closed her eyes and sat quietly for a while, then picked up the zither that Feng Wu had brought for her to relieve her boredom and began to play.
The music was stirring and continuous.
The jailers were initially quite happy to have a zither to listen to. However, they never expected that Ju Mu'er would play incessantly while alone. They tried to stop her twice, but Ju Mu'er ignored them and continued playing. The jailers didn't dare do anything to her and had no choice but to let her be.
On her last dinner in the government prison, someone came to visit Ju Mu'er.
Chen Liushi, Liu Yu.
It is said that Liu Yu and Ding Shanxiang hit it off immediately and got along very well. After only half a month of friendship, they could talk about anything. Both of them harbored a lot of hatred for Ju Mu'er, and in the midst of their conversation, Liu Yu said bitterly, "I really wish this woman didn't exist in this world." Ding Shanxiang then gave her an idea.
The idea was: use poison.
The slow-acting poison didn't cause immediate death, but rather a mysterious death several hours later, impossible to trace, a perfect cover-up.
Liu Yu didn't believe such a potent medicine existed. Ding Shanxiang insisted she did, saying her father and husband worked in the Ministry of Justice and she had connections in the martial arts world; she was well-informed and had connections. She had tested these medicines before, and they were very effective. Eight strong men had been poisoned in that prison, and no one had been able to find out the truth to this day.
Liu Yu was tempted, but Ding Shanxiang advised her again: "You have a way to get close to her without arousing suspicion. You just need to dissolve the powder in water and sprinkle it in her food. It's colorless and odorless. She won't take effect immediately after eating it; it will take effect several hours later. By then, you will have already left, and no one will suspect you. You didn't deliver the food, right? You just need to go in and visit her when she's eating."
After being persuaded several times, Liu Yu was finally moved. "How about this," she said, "since we didn't announce our meeting, let's not see each other again to avoid arousing suspicion. Your husband works in the Ministry of Justice. When the time is right, have someone deliver the medicine to me. Write down clearly what I need to do and how to use the medicine. I'll follow your instructions. Even if the officials question me, I'm just a peasant woman; how would I know anything about poison? You can cover for me from behind. Since we don't know each other, no one will suspect anything."
Ding Shanxiang praised her for her thoughtfulness and followed her advice.
Ding Shanxiang had been closely monitoring the Ministry of Justice's movements, and finally learned that Ju Mu'er was to be transferred to another prison. This was the perfect opportunity. The Emperor had already dispelled Ju Mu'er's marriage agreement with Long Er, leaving the Long family without status to remain in prison, and Ju Mu'er would be all alone. If she took poison and suddenly died before the transfer, how could any investigation be conducted in such chaos?
Ding Shanxiang was overjoyed. She hurriedly wrote a letter to Liu Yu, tucked a packet of medicine powder inside, and had her maid secretly deliver it to the Chen family.
So, on Ju Mu'er's last night in the government prison, around dinner time, Liu Yu went to visit her. She didn't stay long, only about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea before she came out.
After she came out, she saw Ding Yanxiang's maidservant waiting for news outside the prison. She nodded to her and smiled slightly. Then she calmly left.
The maidservant received the news and happily went back to inform Ding Shanxiang.
This night was very long.
It was Ju Mu'er's first time being alone in prison, and she was naturally terrified, especially since she was planning to escape. Despite her heavy eyelids, she forced herself to stay awake.
She remembered Long Er's words clearly. He said he would come to pick her up at the hour of Chou (1-3 AM) tonight.
92 were rescued from prison and trapped in a small room
Mu'er eventually fell asleep.
She leaned against the wall inside the tent, clutching her cane, her shoes still on, her clothes perfectly neat. She didn't know what time it was; she just grew increasingly sleepy until she could no longer keep her eyes open and fell asleep.
She didn't know how much time had passed when she was suddenly awakened.
At first, she didn't know what was happening, but then the almost inaudible creaking of the cell door brought her back to her senses.
Someone's coming!
It's Second Master; he's come to pick her up.
Mu'er wanted to call out, but then she remembered that this was a prison break and she didn't want to make any noise.
The newcomer didn't speak, but approached and gave a very soft "shh," signaling her to be quiet. Mu'er nodded and held out her hand to him. He took her hand with one hand and her cane with the other, leading her outside.
Once outside the cell, there was no other sound except for the jailer's loud snoring.
After walking a few steps, the man stopped. He pulled Mu'er down to squat, took her hand and made her touch a large box in front of her. After Mu'er finished touching it, she felt a lightness on her body as she was picked up and placed into the large box.
He stroked her hair, signaling her not to be afraid, and then gently closed the box.
Mu'er wasn't afraid of the dark; she was used to it. However, the cramped space wasn't comfortable for her. She reached out and touched the top of the box, finding several holes, presumably for her to breathe.