SGEIRS -Chapter 110 Self-Refuting

Seeing him remain silent, Qi Yunwen continued, “Yaoling, why aren’t you saying anything?”

Gu Jingxi glanced at his friend, feeling puzzled, and asked in return, “Why should she bring me food? I have legs, don’t I? If I want a meal at home, I can just go back myself, can’t I?”

Hearing this, Qi Yunwen stared at him in astonishment, then silently gave a thumbs-up: “This is the first time I’ve heard of someone spoiling themselves like that.”

Gu Jingxi ignored him and continued eating. He had to admit—the Qi family’s cook was pretty skilled. Compared with the cooks at the Dali Temple, it was like night and day.

Though he didn’t speak, Qi Yunwen kept chattering away.

Gu Jingxi interrupted him calmly, “So what if someone brings you food or not? Madam Liu brings food to Lord Liu every day, yet that doesn’t stop them from quarreling. Didn’t you notice the bruise on the corner of Lord Liu’s left eye today? Yesterday he was fine; today it’s like that. Who do you think did it?”

Qi Yunwen was momentarily struck dumb. Madam Liu came from a military family—everybody said she was a tiger daughter of a general. She knew martial arts, while Lord Liu was a weak, scholarly man with no strength. He could only take the beating without being able to defend himself.

Gu Jingxi added, “Wife hasn’t brought me food, but she’s never hit me, nor argued with me.”

Qi Yunwen couldn’t help but roll his eyes at him.

Proud again, huh?

After a pause, Qi Yunwen countered: “Your wife is such a delicate little girl. She can’t carry a shoulder load, can’t lift much with her hands. Even if she wanted to hit you, she couldn’t. Do you really think she’d fight you on purpose?”

Gu Jingxi replied mildly, “Of course she wouldn’t hit me like Madam Liu hits Lord Liu. I’m just speaking factually. No matter how perfect someone seems on the surface, it doesn’t stop them from quarreling or fighting behind closed doors.”

Qi Yunwen: “…”

At first glance, it sort of made sense.

After a moment, Qi Yunwen glanced at him. “Although they fought last night, Madam Liu brought food to Lord Liu again today, so it’s obviously not a big deal.” He paused, then asked curiously, “Every man likes a virtuous, gentle wife. Are you an exception?”

Gu Jingxi found him annoyingly chatty—he couldn’t even eat in peace. With a calm voice, he said, “Maybe so. I’m more virtuous. I like to be gentle with my wife.”

Qi Yunwen: “?”

Gu Jingxi finished the last bite of rice, deliberately set down his bowl and chopsticks, and said, “I’m full. You can take your time.”

Qi Yunwen looked at his empty bowl, then at his own barely-touched rice, and finally looked up at him, as if to say: How long have you been starving? How can you eat so fast?

Gu Jingxi gave him a faint glance: “If you keep talking nonsense, it’ll be dark soon. You can count it as dinner.”

Qi Yunwen: “…”

In the end, he didn’t say anything else. He quickly finished lunch, cleaned up, and then started discussing the case with Gu Jingxi.

In the afternoon, Shen Zheng was off duty.

It wasn’t busy at the moment; all officials left on time.

As Gu Jingxi stepped out of the Dali Temple gate and was about to descend the steps, he saw a familiar figure—a young lady in a bright red long dress, standing quietly by the stone lion on the left side of the gate. A light early-summer breeze fluttered her skirt, drawing the eye, and two maidservants followed closely behind.

Gu Jingxi froze for a moment, then realized what was happening. He descended the steps and approached her, asking gently, “Wife, what brings you here?”

Meng Jinyao replied, “I have something to discuss with my husband. If you’re busy, I won’t disturb you.”

Gu Jingxi was surprised for a moment, then said, “It’s not convenient to talk here. Let’s go over there.”

Meanwhile, several officials who had come out saw Gu Jingxi speaking with a beautiful young woman and became curious. Their Gu Temple Minister had never been so close with a woman before.

One official stepped forward and asked, “Minister Gu, who is this?” He glanced at Meng Jinyao, and his eyes briefly showed admiration, quickly realizing his rudeness and withdrawing his gaze.

Gu Jingxi replied, “This is my wife,” then said to Meng Jinyao, “Wife, this is Minister Zhang.”

The official was startled and quickly cupped his hands: “Ah, Madam Gu! Pardon my rudeness.”

Meng Jinyao smiled and nodded: “Minister Zhang.”

Gu Jingxi said, “Minister Zhang, my wife and I have other matters. We’ll take our leave first.”

Minister Zhang quickly said, “Very well, Minister Gu, Madam Gu, please go ahead.”

Gu Jingxi nodded lightly and took Meng Jinyao toward the parked carriage, with Qingqiu and Ningdong following.

Seeing this, Minister Zhang and the other officials were both surprised and stunned.

They had privately speculated that Gu Jingxi and his wife might be at odds, that he was dissatisfied with his wife—after all, he had been forced to marry a fiancée meant for his son, which was humiliating.

But today, his wife came to see him, and he openly led her away, showing no signs of a bad relationship. If they were at odds, he wouldn’t even touch her wrist, let alone walk hand-in-hand.

The official Zhang stepped back a few paces and whispered to Qi Yunwen, “Qi, this time we believe you. Minister Gu and Madam Gu clearly have a good relationship.”

Qi Yunwen’s expression changed slightly. He smiled lightly: “Do you think I would lie to you about this? You actually doubted my words?”

Master Zhang quickly laughed awkwardly: “No, no, we didn’t doubt you. We just thought it was unbelievable.”

“Stop imagining things and spreading rumors.”

Qi Yunwen glanced at them, remembering what his friend had said at lunch, and continued: “Minister Gu is a virtuous and good man. He likes to be gentle with his wife and never wants her to be tired. Even when sending food, he worries she’ll overexert herself. And he said he has legs; if he wants a meal at home, he can go himself.”

The officials were dumbfounded: ???

They could understand not wanting his wife to be overworked, but their decisive and ruthless superior—Minister Gu—associated with the words ‘virtuous and gentle’?

Qi Yunwen waved his hand, helpless: “Alright, everyone, it’s time to leave. Go back. A bunch of grown men gossiping like women—makes me embarrassed just watching.”

The officials hurriedly smiled in agreement.

That day, rumors about Minister Gu and Madam Gu having a bad relationship were self-refuting. No one in the Dali Temple mentioned it again.

An older husband and a younger wife, with such a beautiful lady—of course, Minister Gu treasured her. How could he ever look down on his wife?