SGEIRS -Chapter 106 Taking Out Her Anger on Jingxi

Meng Jinyao was momentarily at a loss for words.

After a moment, she glanced at Gu Jingxi, puzzled. “Husband, you asked me to come over—what is it that you need me to do?”

Gu Jingxi spoke in a gentle tone, “Wife, let’s sit down and talk first.”

Meng Jinyao was slightly taken aback but nodded, moving to the chair and sitting down. In her mind, she wondered what a woman confined to the inner household could possibly do—she knew nothing about matters of the court.

Gu Jingxi walked to the writing desk, picked up an envelope, and then turned back, taking a seat beside her. He handed her the envelope. “Wife, take a look at this first.”

Meng Jinyao took the envelope and lowered her eyes to see the front—blank, without any indication of the recipient. She looked up at Gu Jingxi, silently asking him what it meant.

Gu Jingxi said, “Just look at it first.”

Meng Jinyao obeyed, opening the envelope and taking out the letters inside. There were several sheets of paper. She glanced at them casually at first, but when she saw information about her stepmother, Madam Sun, she became serious and focused.

The documents contained a detailed network of relationships of Madam Sun and the people around her.

Everyone close to Madam Sun was reliable, but the most trustworthy was undoubtedly Nanny Qiao, a loyal servant who would risk her life for Madam Sun.

After reading the list, she instantly understood—it was something Gu Jingxi had specifically investigated for her, to help her uncover the truth behind Chengyu’s death and bring down Madam Sun.

It had been only a few days since she had told Gu Jingxi the situation, and now he had already provided such detailed information. This showed that as soon as she finished explaining, he had begun his investigation.

Few people paid so much attention to her matters. In her hand, a few light sheets of paper felt heavy, and a complex, indescribable feeling surged in her heart.

Seeing her dazed over the papers, Gu Jingxi waited a while before softly asking, “Wife, what’s wrong?”

When she didn’t respond immediately, he called again, “Wife?”

Only then did Meng Jinyao come back to herself. She looked at him, confused. “Husband, you called me just now?”

Gu Jingxi nodded. “What were you thinking about so intently?”

Meng Jinyao shook her head lightly, looked at the man beside her, and smiled. With a bright, clear voice, she said, “Thank you, husband.”

The young woman’s face held a gentle smile, her eyebrows curved like crescents. She clutched the letters tightly, her expression like she had found a treasure—it was clear she was overjoyed.

Gu Jingxi said in a warm tone, “It was nothing; you don’t need to be so polite.” He paused briefly, then asked, “But tell me, do you plan to gather evidence and hand it over to the authorities, or deal with it privately?”

Meng Jinyao’s smile deepened. “Of course we’ll hand it over to the authorities.”

Her wicked stepmother had been jealous that Concubine Du had taken some of the favor, jealous that Concubine Du had a pair of twins, and used underhanded means to get rid of her, leaving Meng Jinyao to be blamed for her brother’s death.

Madam Sun had enjoyed her success for so many years, lucked out for so long. One day, when her downfall was known across the capital and her children were mocked as having a mother who was a murderer, would she regret her past cruelty?

If dealt with privately, her father would at most use her health as an excuse to send Madam Sun away from the household as punishment—but that wouldn’t be as satisfying as seeing her face justice through the law.

Gu Jingxi calmly observed the young woman. Her delicate face held a radiant, sweet smile, yet her half-lidded eyes concealed a hidden ferocity. He smiled quietly to himself: so she was like a little cat that only scratches.

After a moment, Meng Jinyao asked, “Husband, if a legitimate mother poisons her young stepson, what is the punishment?”

Gu Jingxi replied, “Because the rights between parents and children are unequal, our law imposes strict punishment on parents who kill their children. A stepmother who kills a child is treated as murder; a legitimate mother who murders a stepson is treated the same. The principal offender faces execution; accomplices fall into two categories: those who physically participated are hanged, and those who plotted but did not act are caned one hundred times and exiled three thousand li.”

Meng Jinyao’s eyes brightened.

Execution and hanging were both fine—seeing the master and servant punished together, one beheaded publicly and the other hanged, would honor Chengyu’s spirit.

Seeing her excitement, Gu Jingxi sensed she had overlooked something else. Though he didn’t want to dampen her enthusiasm, he had to warn her: “However, if children accuse their parents, it is considered unfilial. The crime of being unfilial is also punishable. I ask that you think carefully; your husband doesn’t want to see you visiting him in prison in the future.”

Meng Jinyao’s expression faltered. When Madam Sun had taken her mother’s dowry, she had used the authority of the Changxing Marquis household to pressure them into returning it and threatened to report it to the court.

That time, she had absolute certainty, evidence, and the backing of the household. Even without reporting to the court, they would have returned it. That’s why she could speak so confidently of taking it all the way to court.

Now, however, lives were involved. Even with the household’s backing, she couldn’t force her father to accuse his wife of murdering his child in his own name.

Madam Sun wielded the authority of the elders. Accusing her stepmother would be unfilial; her younger brother accusing his mother would also be unfilial. Most seriously, if her brother accused his mother, he would be deemed unfilial and barred from official positions in the future.

According to the law, descendants who accuse grandparents or parents, or wives who accuse husbands or their family, even if the accusations are true, face twenty lashes and three years of penal servitude. False accusations result in hanging.

For this reason, descendants could hide the crimes of grandparents or parents, and wives could conceal the crimes of their husbands, without punishment.

The reverse was allowed: elders could accuse descendants, and husbands could accuse wives.

Meng Jinyao curled her lips, sneering at this law. “This law is terrible, deeply flawed and unreasonable. If elders commit crimes, they cannot be reported. How is justice upheld? Why does no one oppose it?”

Gu Jingxi answered quietly, “Because of the word ‘filial.’ Since ancient times, filial piety has been exalted. Even the emperor must show filial devotion. When filial piety dominates, all unfairness becomes justified.”

Meng Jinyao’s face darkened with indignation. She asked again, “Why would a wife be guilty for accusing her husband? A wife has no obligation to be filial to her husband.”

Gu Jingxi replied, “A husband is the head of the household. According to proper moral order, a wife cannot accuse her husband. Otherwise, it violates ethics, and committing an unethical act is a crime.”

In an instant, Meng Jinyao’s anger surged, and she even looked at Gu Jingxi with displeasure—because he was also a man, also her husband.

She couldn’t understand why such an unreasonable law existed and was even respected.

At the same time, a sense of bleakness arose in her heart.

So-called filial piety placed men above women, like an invisible mountain pressing down on countless people, leaving them gasping for breath.

Such a moral order would likely remain unchallenged for a very long time. Perhaps one day, children could accuse criminal parents without being punished, and wives could accuse criminal husbands without imprisonment.

Gu Jingxi met her angry gaze and knew he was being unfairly targeted. He rubbed his nose innocently and asked gently, “Wife, are you angry at me as well?”