"No."
"What is the purpose of your visit, Madam?"
“I have no evidence to overturn the case, but I do have clues to follow. These clues are the hints that the master gave me when he played the piano on the cruise ship that day.”
What do you mean?
“The five pieces, ‘Fate,’ ‘Expedition,’ ‘Passing the Imperial Examination,’ ‘The Peacock Flies Southeast,’ and ‘Waiting for the Husband’, are interspersed and pieced together. Previously, everyone thought that this was a lamentation.”
Ya Lili said, "It is indeed a plea for justice. Yesterday, when I heard Mr. Qian's analysis, I was just puzzled. But just now, after hearing Madam's performance, I think Mr. Shi is indeed thinking the same thing."
"That's true, but not entirely," Ju Mu'er said. "I never thought of any other possibility until I heard the love song composed by you, Master."
"What's wrong with that love song?"
"Aren't those five song titles, taken together, the very essence of a woman's deep longing for her beloved's return after their separation?"
Ya Lili was taken aback: "Madam, do you mean that Mr. Shi wants to tell me that he understands my feelings for him?"
"No. If Master Shi wanted to express his feelings, there would be a more direct and clear melody, without going to such great lengths."
"I don't understand. I hope you can enlighten me, Madam."
Ju Mu'er said, "Minister Shi obtained a wonderful zither score, but he couldn't play it, so he invited Master Shi to interpret it. However, in the end, Minister Shi was poisoned to death, Master Shi was wronged, and the zither score disappeared. The zither score seems to be the key here. Why did Master Shi use these five pieces to plead his case on his deathbed? After listening to your zither music, I suddenly understood. Master Shi chose these five pieces to tell us the meaning of the music in the score."
"A love song?"
"A woman is waiting for the man she loves to return."
Yali frowned: "Kill someone for a love song? Why?"
"I don't know why, but I can investigate. If we can find the source of this music, we might be able to find out something. The style of that music is somewhat similar to the music you played, so perhaps they both come from the Western Min Kingdom."
Yali paced back and forth, thinking it over and over: "You're right. Whether it's to express feelings or to seek justice, Mr. Shi has simpler and clearer pieces to choose from. Choosing these five pieces, and using this method, is really choosing the more complicated over the simple. He must be worried that the real murderer is also there, and he doesn't want the murderer to know that he has passed on the message. He can only take a gamble in this way."
They bet the murderer wouldn't understand and would leave in peace, or that a musician would understand and seek justice for him.
Ya Lili felt her eyes welling up again. She dared not think about what her master Boyin was thinking before he died. He had gone to great lengths to do all this, but he was helpless and hopeless. His last glimmer of hope before he died was so dangerous and faint.
"I will definitely investigate this matter thoroughly. I will find any piece of music with this melody." Ya Lili wiped away the tears that streamed down her cheeks. "It's just a pity that I haven't seen the sheet music, and I don't know what the piece is about, but I won't give up. I am extremely grateful for your risk in telling me, Madam. If one day Mr. Shi's name is cleared..."
Before she could finish speaking, Ju Mu'er said, "I know."
"What?" Ya Lili was stunned by Ju Mu'er's words again.
“I know that melody.” Ju Mu’er stroked the zither, her fingers flying, and the music flowed forth. Her voice was soft and gentle: “I dream of this piece. I recite it silently every day, every moment, never daring to forget it.” She had memorized the score, but Hua Yibai was dead. At that time, her eyes could not see clearly, but her heart was as clear as a mirror. Now she was completely blind, but her understanding was even clearer.
Ya Lili was right about one thing: she said she was calm and collected. And she truly was. Although Ju Mu'er knew she was suspicious, she didn't intend to change. She thought suspiciously that only those who could remain calm could save their lives, and only those who were suspicious could save their lives.
Ju Mu'er played the piece three times. Ya Lili listened in silence for a long time, then sighed, "It is indeed a wonderful piece of music. It is a love song, but this person wrote it better than mine. It is really too good."
"The style of the music is similar to that of the master, and the musician must be a master with superb piano skills. This should be an obvious clue. The master can investigate this further after returning home."
Yali thought so too. She was quite excited that she hadn't returned empty-handed from this visit. She walked up to Ju Mu'er, took her hand in gratitude, and then suddenly bent down, almost kneeling.
Ju Mu'er was startled and helped her up. The two encouraged each other for a while, and Ya Lili suddenly asked, "Mr. Shi and Madam have never met. Why is Madam willing to help me?"
Ju Mu'er touched her cane and said softly, "I also have someone I love."
Ya Lili looked out the window at the Second Master Long who was peeking in from outside from time to time.
"If my beloved were to suffer misfortune, I would surely be devastated."
After Ju Mu'er finished speaking, she stood up: "I've stayed too long, my husband must be getting impatient. Now that things have been made clear, I'll take my leave."
Ya Lili agreed and quickly explained to Ju Mu'er how to communicate, promising to stay in touch in the future. Ju Mu'er nodded, but then said, "I have another guess that needs to be confirmed. I wonder if you could do me a favor, sir."
Yali readily agreed.
"I would like to ask you, sir, to help me find a young lady at Xichun Hall to deliver a message."
Yali leaned in to listen closely and nodded in agreement.
The next day, Yali sent someone dressed as a pleasure-seeker to Xichun Hall.
On the third day, the envoy from Ximin Kingdom set off to leave Xiao Kingdom.
On the same day, something happened at Xichun Hall—Miss Lin Yueyao left a note and ran away, saying she wanted to leave the capital and return to her hometown to live with her mother. She left money to buy her freedom. Xichun Hall reported the incident to the authorities and searched everywhere, but they could not find her whereabouts.
Author's Note: I'm so sleepy I can barely keep my eyes open. Goodnight everyone.
69. The clever layout is beginning to show.
Ryuji is a person who is very careful in everything he does.
Ever since Qian Jiangyi caused a scene at the piano duel, he had instructed his subordinates to pay attention to the reactions from all sides.
In front of all the ministers and the emperor, Qian Jiangyi slapped the Minister of Justice hard across the face. Regardless of whether the slap hit him or not, or how painful it was, it would enrage Ding Sheng.
It's hard to say what might happen if Ding Sheng gets angry.
If there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding the investigation back then, then at most Ding Sheng would secretly cause trouble for Qian Jiangyi to save face, and do things to make Qian Jiangyi regret his actions in order to establish his authority. But if there really is something hidden in this case, then it's probably not just Qian Jiangyi who will be in trouble; everyone involved in this matter back then will be dragged into it now.
Including his Mu'er.
Qian Jiangyi's recklessness was like throwing a pile of boulders into a calm lake; if a raging beast lay beneath, it would be awakened. The boulders couldn't harm it, but they would enrage it.
Long Er wasn't one to meddle in other people's business; he only cared about his family. Therefore, in his view, it didn't matter who killed Shi Zechun. Shi Boyin was dead, which meant the matter was closed. The real culprit had found a scapegoat, no one would pursue the matter further, and everything would return to normal.
But Qian Jiangyi, that idiot, wanted to make a big fuss without considering his own limitations. By so publicly claiming it was a miscarriage of justice, he angered the Ministry of Justice, and the real culprit, hiding in the shadows, must have felt threatened.
No one believed that Qian Jiangyi was the only one who filed the complaint; all the musicians who participated in the execution ceremony that day were suspected of involvement. This was precisely what angered Long Er the most.
He cursed Qian Jiangyi as an idiot a hundred thousand times in his heart. But since things had come to this, he had no choice but to find a solution and absolutely could not let anyone have designs on his Mu'er.
Long Er waited for ten days.
The past ten days have been peaceful; no one has used knives or swords, and no one has encountered any major accidents.
Qian Jiangyi stayed at home and refused to come out, presumably because he was afraid.
He was afraid, but others were even more afraid.
None of his usual friends who were musicians visited him to offer their condolences or comfort, and even the musicians who taught at his music school resigned from their jobs.
Ding Sheng didn't touch Qian Jiangyi, but instead sent someone to secretly investigate those who had been associated with him in the past. The spies from the Long family told Long Er all this, and after pondering for a long time, Long Er sent someone to summon Steward Tie.
The more composed these people are, the more dangerous they seem. Qian Jiangyi is unreliable, whether he's trying to gain the Emperor's favor or he's simply not bright enough to believe he can get justice this way. In any case, he's a great danger and will one day implicate Ju Mu'er.
Long Er still remembered Qian Jiangyi's visit to Ju Mu'er. Therefore, he felt that he had to deal with Qian Jiangyi's troubles before things got out of control.
Long Er sent the Iron Steward on a long journey. Not long after he returned, a wealthy merchant from Suilan City sent his steward to the capital, intending to offer Qian Jiangyi a large sum of money to teach the qin at his qin academy.
Suilan City was far from the capital, but it was a wealthy little town. In the past, Qian Jiangyi would never have left the capital, after all, it was the place of fame and fortune. But now that he was in trouble and living in constant fear, someone was offering him money and a place to stay. For Qian Jiangyi, this was undoubtedly a windfall.
Qian Jiangyi readily agreed, quickly packed his bags, and set off with his entire family.
After gathering all the information, the head steward returned and reported: "It is true that someone went to investigate the situation in Suilan City, but this old servant followed the Second Master's instructions and made several roundabout arrangements. There is no way they will trace it back to us. Suilan City has long admired Mr. Qian's name, and they were overjoyed to be able to invite him this time. There is absolutely no flaw in their plan."
Long Er nodded, very satisfied.
Qian Jiangyi, that fool, wouldn't dare to make a move, so he'd give him a hand. Getting rid of this troublemaker meant he wouldn't cause any more trouble, and the Ministry of Justice would have nothing to do with it. Once everyone dispersed, whether there were people behind the scenes or not, the matter would settle down.
Instead of passively waiting for things to happen, it's better to strike first.
Long Er didn't intend to tell Ju Mu'er about this. He felt that Ju Mu'er was very well-behaved and obedient now, and he didn't need to remind her of the foolish thing of seeking justice.
Long Er had no idea that Ju Mu'er was also hiding something from him.
Just as Long Er was running his business as usual, secretly kicking Qian Jiangyi out of the capital, Ju Mu'er encountered someone—Lin Yueyao.
Lin Yueyao appeared when Ju Mu'er accompanied Feng Wu and Bao'er to the street.
At that time, the family members were choosing face powder at a face powder shop. Bao'er pestered Fengwu to buy some too, saying she wanted to pick out a box to give to her brother Qingsheng. Fengwu told her that her brother Qingsheng was a boy and didn't need face powder. Bao'er then asked why.
As Ju Mu'er listened with a smile to Feng Wu and Bao'er's long-winded explanation of why men don't use face powder, she suddenly heard a familiar voice call out to her: "Madam Long."
Ju Mu'er was taken aback, nodded slightly, and then casually moved closer to the direction of the voice. The person who spoke tugged at her sleeve and quietly led her to the other end of the shelf.
The two stopped, and Ju Mu'er called softly, "Miss Yueyao."
Lin Yueyao shushed her and said softly, "From now on, please call me Xiao Lan, Madam."
Ju Mu'er understood and nodded, asking, "Where is Miss Lan currently residing? Why did you leave your hometown?"
Lin Yueyao said, "Madam has also heard about it? There are indeed hidden details to that matter, but this is not a suitable place to discuss it. Let's find another place."
"I'm going back to my parents' home tomorrow. It will be almost noon. Miss, you can wait for me by the Houlin River."
Lin Yueyao agreed and left quickly.
The next day, Ju Mu'er returned to Ju's Home Wine Shop.
Long Er was never too strict about Ju Mu'er's visits to her parents' home; he only had two requirements. First, she had to be present if he returned to the manor for a meal. Second, she could not stay overnight at her parents' home. As long as she didn't violate these two rules, Ju Mu'er could go back to see her father whenever she wanted.
Long Er made no demands on Ju Mu'er, and neither did Ju's father. He even kept the small courtyard where Ju Mu'er lived spotless and the house in its original state, as if his daughter were still living at home.
Long Er had a business dinner that day, which was arranged a few days earlier with a merchant from out of town. Ju Mu'er had already told Long Er that she would be going home to have lunch with her father.
Old Man Ju was overjoyed. A while ago, one of his waiters from the wine shop got married and moved to a neighboring city to live with his wife's family. The wine shop had become quiet and deserted with one less person. Now that his daughter was here, she could keep him company. He prepared fine wine and food, intending to have a good chat with her.
"Daughter, you've been married for half a year now, why is there still no sign of pregnancy?" This is a key topic that Old Man Ju talks about every month.
"How could it be so fast?" This was Ju Mu'er's standard reply every month.
"How can this be fast?" Old Man Ju said with some worry. "I'm not worried about anything else, but your health isn't good. Giving birth is no small matter. Second Master's family is large and powerful, so he must value this matter as well."
Ju Mu'er smiled and said, "Father, you're overthinking it. Second Master treats me very well. I eat and sleep well every day, so how could I be unwell? There's no rush. Second Master hasn't said anything, so Father, don't worry."
Old Man Ju nodded: "Then when you go back today, take two more jars of wine with you for Second Master."
Ju Mu'er laughed again. What use are two jars of wine if they really anger the Second Master?
"Speaking of which, hasn't Father always wanted to travel around the world and taste all the fine wines?"
“That was when your mother was still alive. I promised her I would take her there. After you were born, I thought we would go when you grew up and got married.”
Ju Mu'er pouted: "Anyway, you don't want to take me."
Old Man Ju chuckled and patted his daughter's head: "It's a pity your mother passed away so early."
"Mother is gone, and Father isn't going. Will Mother feel regretful?"
"Huh?" Old Man Ju thought for a moment and scratched his head.
"Why don't you go now, Father? I'm already married, and Second Master treats me well. You don't need to worry at all. Only Brother Anan is with you at the wine shop, and we're not short of money now. Why not take advantage of your still strong and healthy body and let Brother Anan accompany you for a trip? Didn't you think of handing the wine shop over to Brother Anan? It would be good to take him out to see the world. By the time you come back, I might have a little Second Master. I'll definitely bring the baby to visit you often then, and you won't have the chance to travel around anymore. So why not go now?"
Old Man Ju thought the idea was pretty good. Being an impatient man, he immediately consulted with Anan. Anan was overjoyed to hear this. Old Man Ju went back into the house and spoke a few words to the memorial tablet of Mu'er's mother. Then he ran out: "Mu'er, Mu'er, I've talked to your mother, I'm taking her with me. Anan, Anan, hurry up and get ready! We're not taking any new orders. We need to finish delivering all the wine we ordered these next couple of days, then we'll make arrangements. Let's go to Shiquanling first; their Guoquan wine is the most famous. Oh dear, I need to think about it carefully; there are so many places I want to go."