Ju Mu'er shook her head: "Only one book can be hidden in one place. I left the other one with a trusted friend."
A trustworthy friend? The name Chen Liangze immediately flashed through Long Er's mind.
Ju Mu'er laughed: "It's not Aze."
Long Er felt a little embarrassed. Having a wife who understood him perfectly often brought him joy, but sometimes it could also be quite annoying.
Ju Mu'er mentioned someone. Long Er raised an eyebrow in surprise.
Long Er recalled that when he initially wanted to marry her, he wanted to show her his intelligence. However, the longer they spent together, the more he discovered her wisdom. He couldn't help but feel hatred for the person who had blinded her. If she hadn't gone blind, what a beautiful scene it would have been.
Ju Mu'er ultimately did not go to Guishan County. Just as Long Er had arranged, she stayed in the Long residence and never left the gate. Meanwhile, Old Man Ju began repairing the winery after the New Year holidays. The two thieves who launched the night raid were convicted by the government and imprisoned awaiting execution.
Everything seemed to be going smoothly. Only the Ministry of Justice and Long Er and Long San knew that their affair had escalated.
March was the same month that Shi Boyin was executed. The emperor used the night raid on his family's wine shop as an excuse, and coincidentally, there were some unrest in the capital. So, when the emperor went to court, he lost his temper and said that in the three years since he ascended the throne, the country had been peaceful and prosperous. How could there be one evil deed after another recently? It must be because the government officials were lax and negligent.
Therefore, the prefectural governor and the Ministry of Justice were ordered to conduct a thorough investigation and crackdown, and to thoroughly investigate and resolve all unresolved and unexplained cases. All prefectures and counties were to be strictly investigated, and all major and serious cases were to be reported to the imperial court.
The Emperor unleashed his imperial might, which truly startled the lazy and indolent officials, both high and low. They immediately became extremely vigilant in their response.
The local government was relatively easy to deal with; major, important, and long-standing cases that they couldn't solve could be reported to the Ministry of Justice. However, the Ministry of Justice was in a state of chaos. Ding Sheng was originally someone who acted according to the people he was dealing with; he would suppress many matters while protecting the people he was dealing with, and he would muddle through things, naturally for his own benefit. Now that the emperor had suddenly displayed his imperial power, he was caught off guard, which added a lot of unnecessary trouble. He stayed in the Ministry of Justice every day, dealing with his subordinates and factions, patching up one problem after another.
Actually, it wasn't a big deal at first. He had always had a plan for every task he dared to undertake, and some he had buried quite cleanly. It was just that they were all brought up and questioned at the same time. This time, the officials in court seemed to have conspired to investigate his weaknesses and vulnerabilities. While he could handle individual cases well, the sheer number of cases linked together made things difficult. Adding to this, the private spies employed by the Ministry of Justice were getting into trouble one after another.
Ding Sheng had begun deploying his own spies long ago, which could be considered a violation of the law by keeping a private army. However, his actions were not intended to rebel, but merely to preserve his power. The current dynasty's foundations were too deep for him to touch, so he only needed to remain a stable Minister of Justice. Even as a mere minister, he could still manipulate events with ease.
He knew every move in the martial arts world and the imperial court, and he wanted to eliminate everyone and everything that was against him. His faction became increasingly stable, and his forces grew larger and larger. Over the years, he had never made a major mistake.
He even devised many countermeasures for himself.
One of his points was that he had prepared numerous records of the great contributions his spies had made to the court. His files filled several volumes, and each and every one of them demonstrated that if these spies had not acted privately and their identities had been made public, these tasks would not have been possible, and the court would have suffered many losses. He bore the blame of the entire nation while dedicating himself solely to the court's loyalty.
Another strategy was to have a backup plan if things didn't go his way. Since Yun Qingxian became his son-in-law, he had been in charge of these espionage operations. If the way things were revealed wasn't suitable for him to claim heroism, he would push Yun Qingxian out. Not just Yun Qingxian, but several scapegoats would be more convincing. He had thought all of this through.
Ding Sheng had worried about the day when he would be exposed. Although he had great confidence in his spies, he also knew that nothing stays hidden forever, and he waited.
The day when the truth finally came out finally arrived, but the result was completely different from what Ding Sheng had imagined.
He thought that a hostile courtier would expose him in court and complain to the emperor.
But no. Everything was calm.
But his spies were quietly eliminated one by one.
His undercover agents were gradually and secretly dealt with by his rivals. They never intended to bring it up openly and cause trouble. This infuriated Ding Sheng because he couldn't resolve the situation. He couldn't use his public power to deal with it; being exposed was one thing, but admitting guilt without being asked was another.
This wouldn't be something a court official would do. Such methods would be of no benefit to them. Moreover, after thinking it over, none of his rivals in court possessed such influence in the martial arts world.
Ding Sheng knew who did it.
It's Long Er, it's Long Fu.
While Ding Sheng was desperately trying to escape his predicament, there was another person who was also pondering the situation.
That's Ding Yanxiang.
During this period, the Ministry of Justice was in a state of chaos, and Yun Qingxian often stayed there overnight. When he returned home, he looked haggard and his brows were furrowed. When she asked him what was wrong, Yun Qingxian only said that the Emperor had ordered him to intensify the investigation of all cases, and he was tired.
Ding Yanxiang, however, was quick-witted; even a rigorous investigation of criminal cases shouldn't have driven her husband to this state. He had never acted this way, not even with the most difficult or dangerous cases in the past. Upon further questioning, she discovered that the Ministry of Justice had secret agents, and that this matter had somehow come to light. It would likely become a scandal in no time.
Yun Qingxian didn't continue, but Ding Yanxiang understood. Ding Sheng always had Yun Qingxian do the dirty work. This time, if the truth came out, Yun Qingxian would likely be the first to step forward and take the blame.
Ding Yanxiang was frantic, like ants on a hot iron pot, but Yun Qingxian advised her, saying that Ding Sheng never did anything without being sure of success, and he must have prepared a backup plan. He wouldn't need a scapegoat until the very last step.
"The next move?"
"He must have prepared evidence to exonerate himself, such as the purpose of these spies being loyalty, and what great things these spies did for the court and the emperor. But I searched the Ministry of Justice and found no such files."
“Of course he wouldn’t leave these in the Ministry of Justice; he must have kept them at home.” Ding Yanxiang gritted her teeth. “I’ll go back to my parents’ home tomorrow and look for them.”
The next day, while Ding Sheng was busy at the Ministry of Justice, Ding Yanxiang returned to her parents' home.
Back at the Ding residence, Ding Yanshan was embroidering a handkerchief. Ding Yanxiang laughed at her, saying that her younger sister was now so composed and sensible, able to calmly practice needlework. The two sisters chatted for a while and then had lunch together. Afterwards, Ding Yanxiang said she was tired and wanted to go back to her room to sleep for a while.
Ding Yanshan went back to her room for a midday rest, but she couldn't sleep. She had run into the Zhou family's young master a few times, and yesterday he sent her an invitation to go boating on the lake. Ding Yanshan was troubled by this. She couldn't say she liked or disliked the young master, but she knew her reputation was bad and she wasn't young anymore. If she dragged it out any longer, no one would want her.
Disturbed and troubled, Ding Yanshan got up and went for a walk in the garden. As she walked, she recalled discovering that the two fake constables in the courtyard were actually guards of the Ding family. She sighed, feeling a pang of heartache. She didn't know how others felt when they discovered their father had sacrificed himself for some purpose; she knew they felt fear, inferiority, anger, and helplessness. What could she do? She could only remain vigilant, hoping that one day she might hear that her father intended to harm Ju Mu'er and warn her.
Ding Yanshan was standing in a shady corner, lost in thought, when she suddenly saw Ding Yanxiang hurrying past. Ding Yanshan wanted to call out to her, but was stunned by the expression on her face. She subconsciously followed behind her, and then saw her sneak into Ding Sheng's study.
Ding Sheng's study was a forbidden area in the Ding household; no one was allowed to enter unless Ding Sheng gave the order. Even when Yun Qingxian came, he would hold meetings in the side hall and rarely went into the study. So why did Ding Yanxiang sneak in during the midday break when everyone was taking a nap?
Ding Yanshan waited in a secluded corner for a long time, but Ding Yanxiang did not come out. Just as she was wondering, she suddenly saw a young guard rush to the door of the study. Ding Yanshan was startled and was worried that her sister had been discovered, but then she heard the guard whisper, "Miss, the patrol guards have changed shifts and are coming this way."
Soon Ding Yanxiang came out and gave the guard a silver ingot. The two quickly separated and went their separate ways, and the area in front of the study returned to its quiet state.
Ding Yanshan was somewhat stunned. Although she was also a young lady and often bossed around the servants in the manor, she had never imagined that she could bribe her father's guards. What for? What for in the study?
After the patrolling guards had passed, Ding Yanshan emerged from a secluded corner. She went to Ding Yanxiang's room. Although Ding Yanxiang had married out, the Ding family still kept her room.
When Ding Yanshan arrived, the maid guarding the courtyard said that the young lady was still taking a nap. Ding Yanshan ignored her and went into Ding Yanxiang's room. Ding Yanxiang was sitting on the edge of the bed getting dressed. When she saw Ding Yanshan come in, she smiled and said, "I heard your voice. It's already this late, you should get up. Otherwise, Mother will say that I don't behave properly when I come back to my parents' home."
Ding Yanshan looked at her sister and suddenly felt that she was a stranger, just as she had felt that her father was a stranger when she saw the two guards.
Ding Yanxiang smiled again: "What's wrong? Why are you unhappy?"
"I..." Ding Yanshan finally smiled when she met her sister's smile: "I wanted to ask my sister for advice. Someone wants to invite me to go boating on the lake, and I'm hesitating whether I should go or not."
"Oh, which young master is it?" Ding Yanxiang finished dressing and pulled her younger sister to sit down, seemingly very interested in the topic. Ding Yanshan tried hard to maintain a smile; she knew she had to smile, she had to act like her sister, pretending nothing had happened.
The days passed amidst this open and covert struggle.
In April, the brand-new home-style liquor store was completed and reopened.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Justice remained in a state of utter chaos.
In May, Ya Lili came to Beijing in a private capacity and met with several fellow musicians to exchange skills. One of them was Ju Mu'er, the second wife of the Long family.
Because the emperor was dissatisfied with the Ministry of Justice's performance, opposing factions seized the opportunity to attack it, dredging up several past scandals involving the Ministry's sloppy handling of cases that resulted in wrongful deaths. Heaven knows, two of these cases were even committed by Ding Sheng's predecessor, Ding Sheng. Immediately, the officials were outraged by the wrongful convictions and submitted numerous remonstrances, all feeling that the Ministry of Justice's actions had brought shame upon the emperor. The emperor, deceived and misled by the incompetent Ministry of Justice, suddenly found himself the greatest victim.
June.
Ding Sheng's secret spies were finally exposed. It was Yun Qingxian who, with righteous indignation, led over a dozen loyal officials from the Ministry of Justice to reveal the spies' activities. Yun Qingxian's report detailed Ding Sheng's organization, training, and deployment of spies, and included several eyewitness accounts from the spies themselves. Everything was crystal clear, leaving Ding Sheng with no way to defend himself. Yun Qingxian, acting under Ding Sheng's orders, was initially unaware that these spies were illegally kept and had even led them in performing many tasks for the court. He eventually discovered the truth, but repeated attempts to dissuade him failed, leaving him no choice but to gather evidence and report to the court.
Ding Sheng had a notorious reputation in the court, while Yun Qingxian was a conscientious and meticulous person. In terms of reputation, this son-in-law was far superior to his father-in-law. Furthermore, having been implicated in numerous scandals and misdeeds within the Ministry of Justice, Ding Sheng's fate was sealed. He was dismissed from his post, imprisoned, and awaiting further investigation and sentencing.
In these turbulent times, when people are in a state of panic, Yun Qingxian solves two cold cases amidst the chaos, bringing glory to the Ministry of Justice. The position of Minister of Justice is vacant, and although he has not yet been appointed, everyone in the Ministry of Justice is already following his lead.
The Ding family's world had collapsed, and Ding Yanshan seemed to know how it all had happened. Ding Yanxiang never returned to her parents' home, and Yun Qingxian led men to the Ding residence and ransacked Ding Sheng's study. When Madam Ding berated him, he only said calmly, "I merely struck first."
Ding Yanshan overheard these words clearly, and her heart skipped a beat. After some time, when the rumors had died down, she secretly went to the Long residence to warn Ju Mu'er and Long Er to be careful in everything they did. Although she didn't know what would happen, she felt it was best to be cautious.
It's July.
Long Er dislikes July very much. The last time he was tricked was in July.
90. A secret struggle led to wrongful imprisonment.
Yun Qingxian was busy every day and couldn't spare a moment for her. Ding Yanxiang was alone in her room, but her mood was actually quite good. She knew that the most dangerous hurdle had passed. Now, no matter how busy her husband was, his career was bright and his future looked promising.
Since her husband couldn't accompany her, she found her own amusement. So one day, she took her maid to the street to buy cosmetics and new clothes, but while resting and having tea, she overheard a young couple arguing nearby.
The subject of their argument was surprisingly Ju Mu'er.
Ding Yanxiang turned her head to look, and she recognized the man in the couple as Chen Liangze, Ju Mu'er's childhood sweetheart. The one who was scolding in a low voice because he cared about Ju Mu'er was probably his wife, Chen Liuyu.
The whole argument was pointless; it was just Chen Liangze delivering fruit to Old Man Ju and making a brief visit. Chen Liuyu immediately suspected her husband was still thinking about his ex-wife. Why didn't he save the fruit for their own child instead of sending it to someone unrelated to him? She suspected it was because he was concerned about Ju Mu'er and wanted to find out about her situation.
Ding Yanxiang looked at Chen Liushi's fierce appearance and couldn't help but sneer. The face of a jealous woman is truly ugly.
Liu Yu hurled a few unpleasant curses, seemingly still seething with anger, and stormed off. Chen Liangze eagerly followed. The two walked further and further away.
Ding Yanxiang watched their retreating figures and silently made a mental note of them.
While Ding Yanxiang was living her own life, Ding Yanshan was struggling alongside her mother as her father fell from power and the family's servants scattered. If being kidnapped by bandits instigated by her own family made her mature, then her father's dismissal and imprisonment made her strong overnight.
She comforted her mother, stopped the concubines from wailing, discussed the aftermath with her maternal grandfather, dealt with all sorts of people who came to inquire about the situation, managed the servants, and revitalized the Ding family.
Together with the steward, she calculated the remaining wealth in the manor. She dismissed half of the servants, gathered all the guards, and left behind a group loyal to the Ding family.
She also found the guard she had personally witnessed being bribed by Ding Yanxiang. Under interrogation, the guard confessed everything, but he only knew that the young lady had ordered him to keep watch and keep an eye on the other guards to ensure that no one would discover that she had secretly entered the study. He insisted that he knew nothing else.
Ding Yanshan sat in her room all night. The next day, she tidied herself up, used her connections, and entered the Ministry of Justice prison to see Ding Sheng. There were some things she had found difficult to tell her father in the past, but now, she was determined to ask.
The day Ding Yanshan went to the Ministry of Justice prison, a major incident occurred at the Long residence.
Ju Mu'er had just woken up from her afternoon nap, and Xiao Zhu was helping her wash up and combing her hair. Long Er, however, insisted on joining in the fun and insisted on drawing Mu'er's eyebrows himself.
Ju Mu'er laughed and dodged. Every time Second Master Long tried to draw her eyebrows, the result was a mess. Either he'd wash them off after each attempt, or he'd start taking her hair apart to play with it, saying he wanted to practice his hairstyling skills, ending up with a grotesque mess that once even scared Xiao Zhu. Or, he'd just end up going back to bed while he was drawing her eyebrows.
Long Er was full of confidence this time, saying that he would definitely draw Ju Mu'er beautifully.
Ju Mu'er had absolutely no confidence in this matter. It was just that her husband had this interest, so she had no choice but to play along. But with nothing to do while they sat idly by, and Long Er had been drawing for so long without finishing, Ju Mu'er started making conversation.
"Why haven't you gone to inspect the shops these past two days, sir?"
"The sun is so strong, it'll burn your husband, don't you feel bad?"
"Is it alright to leave the business like this? If my husband earns less, won't he feel bad?"
He poked her forehead with a finger: "Do you think your husband is this greedy?"
Ju Mu'er blinked, not daring to say "yes". Instead, she said, "Husband, I know why your eyebrows are always uneven."
Long Er stopped drawing and frowned as he looked at the uneven eyebrows he had drawn. He really couldn't get them aligned.
"Why?" Actually, he didn't want to know; he was just asking casually.
"Because my husband is always looking at the abacus, the beads on the abacus are rising and falling, so my husband can't keep them aligned."
Long Er tossed aside his eyebrow pencil, snorted, and turned away.
"Husband, aren't you going to paint anymore?" Ju Mu'er touched her eyebrows, wondering if she could rest. Long Er returned with a wet wipe in his hand and vigorously cleaned her two twisted eyebrows. Then he picked up his brush and continued painting.
Ju Mu'er sighed inwardly. She had made plans to play blind man's catching fish with Xiao Zhu and Bao'er, but she didn't know when she would finish drawing.
"Draw it until it's aligned." Long Er seemed to have heard what she was thinking and said irritably.
"What if they're aligned, but one is thick and the other is thin?" Ju Mu'er obediently tilted her head back and let him draw, but she was very serious about pouring cold water on his enthusiasm.
Long Er paused, then stopped. Not only was one line thick and the other thin, but it was also drawn flat. What to do?
Long Er was a little unhappy. He had clearly used a pen to align the eyebrows, but who knew that drawing eyebrows well would be so difficult? He had once secretly watched his older brother draw eyebrows for his sister-in-law. How did he manage to draw them so quickly in just a couple of strokes?
Ryuji wiped off the badly drawn eyebrows and started over.
Ju Mu'er suddenly laughed: "Husband, it turns out you can't play the zither, and you must not be very good at painting either."