Ryuji was not only satisfied, he was overjoyed.
Another wife is coming, another wedding banquet can be held, and more gift money can be received!
87. The Second Marriage: The Second Master Meets the Emperor
That night, Ju Mu'er and Long Er had a fight.
Long Er feigned innocence: "I didn't force you to marry. It was the Empress Dowager's decree; I was truly forced into it."
He was not only forced into this situation, but his reasons were also legitimate, and there was absolutely no perfunctory helplessness on his part.
Long Er became increasingly smug, and grinned silently.
Ju Mu'er looked distressed, her face contorted with grief. "How would the Empress Dowager know who I am? What does it have to do with her that the Second Master divorced his wife?"
“Your reputation is well-known, so she naturally knows it. You also know how nasty the rumors about our marriage are. My reputation is ruined. Perhaps the Empress Dowager feels that I need to be taught a lesson, so she wants to force me to remarry my divorced wife as punishment.”
Ju Mu'er pursed her lips tightly. She simply didn't believe it. She simply couldn't believe that no one had gotten involved in this matter.
Long Er squeezed in and kissed her on the cheek, saying softly, "Don't be upset. It seems this was destined to happen. You're worried that the Long family will be implicated, but now there's an imperial decree from the Empress Dowager. If we disobey, the Long family will truly suffer. You don't want to see Bao'er and Qiao'er lose their homes at such a young age, do you? And Qingsheng, he's a pillar of the family. If his future is ruined at such a young age, who knows what will become of him when he grows up?"
Ju Mu'er asked, "What benefits did you give Princess Ruyi?" She knew about his visit to Ruyi with Fengfeng and Han Xiao last time.
“Princess Ruyi?” Long Er shook his head: “What benefits can I give her? She is a princess, and she has a good husband. She lacks nothing. I can’t bribe her.” He leaned over and pecked Ju Mu’er on the lips: “Wife, you are too suspicious.”
Ju Mu'er knew he was up to something, but she couldn't figure out how he had managed it.
He was certain that he would ask Ruyi to persuade the Empress Dowager, but he didn't have a deep relationship with Princess Ruyi, otherwise he wouldn't have gone with Fengwu and Han Xiao. Why would the princess be willing to help him? Ju Mu'er couldn't understand.
"Alright, let your brain rest for a bit. There are still many things to consider when it comes to this wedding. Fortunately, I've done it once before, so I still have a copy of the list of things that need to be purchased and arranged, which saves me a lot of trouble. It's just that the wedding crown and clothes need to be redone, which will take some time."
Ju Mu'er's mouth dropped open in surprise. "Are we having another one like last time? Isn't it just another wedding ceremony?"
"This is a marriage by imperial decree, known throughout the land. How can we just have a simple ceremony?" Long Er said matter-of-factly. "If we don't make a proper and grand celebration, where will the Empress Dowager's face be?"
If they don't organize the event properly and invite enough guests, they won't be able to collect enough gift money. Of course, this is only one reason. Long Er can't explain the other reasons to her yet.
"The wedding crown and robes don't need to be redone; the original ones are still there."
"Redo it! No newcomer wears old clothes."
"But those things that cost a lot of money, you're not marrying someone else, it's still me. As for the wedding crown and clothes, they're wearable. There's no need to waste them."
“Waste?” Long Er’s tone rose sharply: “When you were buying those 88,000 taels of gold, why didn’t you think about wasting it?”
One sentence shut Ju Mu'er up, and she immediately shut up and refused to offer any more opinions.
The New Year arrived quickly, but Long Dazhen was stationed at the border and couldn't come back this year. His family, naturally, went with him and didn't return either. Bao'er cried twice because she hadn't seen her brother Qingsheng for almost half a year and wouldn't even be able to see him for the New Year.
Because their house burned down this year, Grandpa Ju and his family spent the Lunar New Year at the Long family's house. Grandpa Ju hadn't been able to spend time with the little ones for a long time, and he adored Bao'er and Qiao'er. He loved to talk and tell stories, and Bao'er especially enjoyed being with him. When he saw Bao'er crying, he felt so sorry for her and spent ages trying to comfort her, even more anxious than most parents.
Long Er and Ju Mu'er's wedding date was set for the eighteenth day of the first lunar month. What a coincidence, this year is another auspicious day.
Ju Mu'er said, "Why is it this day again?"
Long Er said in a cool, drawn-out voice, "What's wrong with this life?"
Upon hearing this, Ju Mu'er immediately fell silent. The closer the wedding date got, the more arrogant her second master became. She should learn to be sensible and not go to his doorstep to be ridiculed.
As a result, Long Er seized this opportunity and was unwilling to let her off the hook. He said, "Are you trying to say that this day is bad, is that right? Are you trying to say that we got married on this day last time, but ended up divorcing, so in retrospect, this can't be considered a good day, is that right?"
Ju Mu'er lowered her head and remained silent. That was exactly what she was thinking.
Long Er poked her forehead with one finger. "Think about it, who was responsible for our eventual divorce? Who was out of their mind and just came up with bad ideas?"
Ju Mu'er dared not speak, but finally couldn't help asking in a low voice, "Then what does Second Master think is good about this life?"
"What's so good about it? It's good that the date is so close!" The Empress Dowager issued an order before the New Year to prepare as quickly as possible, and this date is perfect. Moreover, his Mu'er has been recuperating for several months, so there shouldn't be any problems with their wedding night. Therefore, choosing the closest possible date is the best thing ever.
Ju Mu'er remained silent. In any case, her only concern during this period was recuperating. She was taking medicine, eating nourishing meals, and sleeping to rejuvenate; nothing else was her concern.
Since Zhuo Yijun's death, the person behind the scenes seemed to have become wary and remained silent. Long Er's behavior was also somewhat mysterious; he often went out for long periods without revealing his whereabouts. However, Ju Mu'er was weak during that time and didn't have the energy to investigate further. The whole affair appeared calm on the surface, but who knew if there were undercurrents beneath the surface?
In any case, it's the 18th day of the first lunar month.
Ju Mu'er remarried.
She still married the Second Master Long.
The bridal sedan chair made a lively procession through the capital, its pomp and circumstance rivaling even the grandest weddings of first brides. But this time, Ju Mu'er wasn't nervous at all. She even thought that once you've been married before, it doesn't feel so new anymore, and most importantly, the groom was the same person, so she really couldn't be nervous.
The thought had barely crossed her mind when she realized that if Second Master knew she had such thoughts, he would definitely throw a tantrum. Thinking of his childishness, she couldn't help but laugh. When she first went to see him, she truly hadn't imagined he would be this kind of man. The things she'd heard people say about Second Master Long were that he was stingy, miserly, difficult, vengeful, and had a bad temper—it seemed that keeping his word was his only virtue. But the longer she spent with him, the more she found that every one of his flaws was endearing.
Ju Mu'er was lost in thought the whole way when the bridal sedan chair finally entered the Long residence. All the rules and procedures were the same as last time. This time, Ju Mu'er wasn't flustered at all. Long Er held her hand, telling her to step over the threshold, and she did; telling her to jump over the fire basin, and she did. She knew that the man beside her wouldn't let her fall.
After the couple bowed to heaven and earth, the eunuch sent by the Empress Dowager presented the congratulatory gifts. With this as a precedent, the others naturally couldn't hold back either. Each gift was better than the last, and Long Er's mouth was practically stretched to the back of his head with a grin.
As usual, Feng Wu accompanied Ju Mu'er in the bridal chamber, waiting for the groom. She kept saying how pitiful Ju Mu'er was, how tiring it was to get married, and that she had to go through it twice. Afterwards, the two women talked about how much money Long Er had made through the weddings. Just as they were having a good time, Long Er entered.
He got angry as soon as he saw the two of them eating and drinking without any restraint. Even though she was remarried, she should at least act like a bride and a new sister-in-law. That was bad enough, but he also overheard them calculating his dowry as soon as he walked in the door.
He said coldly, "We didn't manage to collect much; it certainly won't be enough for 88,000 taels of gold."
Upon hearing this, Ju Mu'er immediately became obedient. Feng Wu then gave her a sympathetic glance, took her leave, and departed.
After the wedding ceremony and the congratulatory chants, only the second-married couple remained in the room. No one came to make a ruckus in the bridal chamber this time, and Long Er, seeing that no one would disturb him, was in high spirits. He threw off his elaborate wedding attire, flopped onto the bed, and loudly called out, "Wife, come and give your husband a back massage!"
He emphasized the words "husband" very heavily. Ju Mu'er was amused by him and went over to massage his back.
After massaging her legs for a while, Long Er put his foot on her knee and said, "Give your husband a leg massage."
Ju Mu'er got punched again.
After pounding for a while, Long Er got up again, sat down in front of Mu'er, and placed her hand on his chest: "Undress your husband."
Ju Mu'er loosened his clothes and silently stripped him naked. After she finished, she stopped.
Long Er hugged her tightly and bit her ear: "You heartless thing, aren't you afraid of making me freeze in this cold weather?"
"It was Second Master who told me to take it off."
"What did you call me?" Long Er patted her bottom lightly and pulled her down onto the bed.
"My lord."
"Yes," Long Er grinned in response, clearly pleased with the form of address.
But after calling out, there was no response. Long Er patted her again. Ju Mu'er, sensing the situation, called out again, "Husband."
"Yes," Long Er replied again.
After agreeing, he excitedly stripped off his wife's clothes; getting married is truly a joyous occasion.
"Husband, you said there's been no movement for so long, is he planning something?" Ju Mu'er was still worried about the person behind it all.
“My husband, you’ve been so busy lately that I haven’t had a chance to properly discuss this matter with you. Now that things have come to this point and we’re married, the case must be handled properly no matter what. Otherwise, if something really happens, it will implicate the Long family.”
Long Er had already undressed and gotten into position, ready to get intimate and enjoy his second wedding night. But his second wife kept bringing up unpleasant things.
He stopped what he was doing and stared at Ju Mu'er.
Ju Mu'er seemed to sense his displeasure, but couldn't help adding one last sentence: "Really, look, I thought everything was fine, but my house burned down. If something else happens..."
Before she could finish speaking, she let out a cry of surprise and was flipped up. Now she was sitting on Long Er's lap.
“Long Jushi, I don’t want to talk to you right now.”
Ju Mu'er sat timidly, unsure how to react. Long Er fell silent after saying that, and Ju Mu'er remained silent, waiting quietly.
"What should you say now?" Long Er asked, displeased.
"Don't you want to talk?"
"I won't say it, but you can."
"What would you like to hear me say, my lord?"
Long Er choked, then wanted to spank her again.
Are you cold?
"A little." The room was heated by a small stove, so it was actually not too bad. However, she was always afraid of the cold, and since she had been stripped naked and had no blankets to cover herself, she felt a little chilly.
"Why don't you hug me to keep warm when you're cold?"
So that's how it is.
Ju Mu'er bent down and quickly hugged Long Er.
"If I don't want to talk to you, can't you just shut me up first?"
Quickly give him a kiss.
Long Er held her tightly and kissed her deeply. After finally letting go, he heard Ju Mu'er say, "Second Master, have Guard Li and Lord Ya Li sent back any useful news yet?"
"Shut up."
"But then something suddenly occurred to me."
Long Er sighed inwardly, "Fine, fine, if she won't shut him up, I'll shut her up."
That night, Ju Mu'er ultimately failed to properly discuss the case with her second husband. Not only did she fail to discuss it, but she also suffered a severe beating. In the end, she had to invoke the medical advice of Doctor Han Xiao, saying that she could not overexert herself, to end this long night.
Ju Mu'er told Long Er about what she had thought of three days after the wedding. She wondered why such a wonderful piece of music had remained unknown before it reached Shi Zechun's hands. Most musicians have a tendency to show off, so how could no one have heard of such a wonderful piece? It was only after Shi Zechun that it was passed down by his master's uncle.
Long Er couldn't answer that question. He felt that the reason why no one knew about this piece of music wasn't the point; the real clue was where Shi Zechun obtained the score. Unfortunately, no one knew this, so they had no way of investigating.
On this day, Long Er went to see the Emperor. He brought with him the files on the spies secretly employed by the Ministry of Justice. He wanted to report that Ding Sheng of the Ministry of Justice and his subordinates were plotting a rebellion.
But perhaps that's not what they meant by keeping private spies, and Long Er couldn't determine from all the evidence that they had that intention. But Long Er knew that he had to drag the Emperor down with him.
False accusations are merely a means to an end.
The Emperor wouldn't be able to do anything to Ding Sheng or the Ministry of Justice just by looking at the case file, and Long Er himself was just a commoner, so he couldn't use this matter to do anything to Ding Sheng or the Ministry of Justice. But what he needed to do was to make the Emperor suspicious and wary of the Ministry of Justice.
Then, he could begin what he wanted to do.
From the moment he remarried Ju Mu'er, all of this was just the beginning.
88. Bo Junyi uncovers the truth.
The emperor finished reading the documents without saying a word. He simply ordered a chessboard to be set up, intending to play a game with Long Er.
After the two had finished speaking, the emperor dismissed his attendants. Only then did he speak: "How did your Long family discover these things?"
"My third son has been secretly working for the court for quite some time now," Long Er said casually, pressing down a chess piece. This wasn't entirely wrong; many things the court couldn't do openly were indeed done secretly with the help of Long San's influence in the martial arts world, something the emperor was well aware of.
But he's not so easily fooled.