SGEIRS -Chapter 255 He Is the Cure

Changxing Marquis Manor.

After returning home, Meng Jinyao had barely sat down when she let out a long breath. It felt as though two enormous stones pressing on her chest had finally been lifted, and she was suddenly filled with an unprecedented sense of relief.

Madam Sun occupied the position of her stepmother, which made it difficult for Meng Jinyao to sue her at the magistrate’s office and accuse her of unfilial conduct. Now that matters had not escalated to the authorities, and she had still achieved the outcome she wanted, it truly had not been easy.

For more than ten years, Madam Sun had carefully cultivated her reputation as a virtuous wife and loving mother. Yet now, she had become a venomous woman discussed in people’s after-dinner gossip. Even her two children would never be able to shake off this stain for the rest of their lives. Meng Chengxing and Meng Jinyu had not killed anyone, but their mother had. They could only blame their mother’s countless misdeeds for implicating them.

Seeing her sitting quietly with two streams of tears running down her face, Gu Jingxi’s heart tightened. He sat beside her, pulled her into his arms, and gently coaxed her.

“A-Yao, don’t cry.”

Meng Jinyao broke into a smile through her tears.

“Husband, don’t worry. I’m fine. I’m just happy. All these years, I’ve been thinking about how to bring Madam Sun down. Now she’s finally received the punishment she deserves.”

As he wiped her tears, Gu Jingxi asked softly, “Are you really just letting her off like this?”

“How could that be? I’m not that magnanimous.”

Meng Jinyao shook her head at once. The corners of her lips curved into a meaningful smile.

“This is only the beginning. A life for a life is only natural—how could I let her go so easily? They say killing someone’s heart is worse than killing their body. Today’s punishment still isn’t enough. After I finish watching the show, I’ll report her to the authorities and have her arrested. Husband, remember the laws you taught me? They fit her perfectly now, don’t they? She became my stepmother because of my father. Now that my father has divorced her, she’s no longer my stepmother. If I accuse her, it won’t count as being unfilial.”

Gu Jingxi was slightly stunned. His little wife was even smarter than he had imagined. She had planned every step so carefully.

With admiration, he said, “A-Yao, you’ve learned very well. You truly deserve to be the wife of the Minister of Justice.”

Meng Jinyao wrapped her arms around his neck and planted a loud kiss on his cheek, giggling.

“That’s because my husband teaches well. With such an excellent teacher, how could a student not learn properly?”

“That’s all for the tuition?”

Gu Jingxi raised his eyebrows lightly, clearly dissatisfied.

She was momentarily speechless, then quickly complied. She pressed her lips to his, taking the initiative and refusing to let him turn the tables. They kissed deeply, lips and tongues entwined.

When they finally parted, Gu Jingxi held her close, his forehead resting against hers. Looking into her watery eyes, he murmured in an extremely intimate tone: “A-Yao, not only have you learned the laws well, you’ve also learned this very well. It seems my teaching skills are quite good.”

Meng Jinyao’s face flushed crimson. She shot him a shy glare and turned her head away.

“There’s no need for you to praise me for that. I know it myself.”

Gu Jingxi chuckled and continued teasing her.

“You still haven’t paid the tuition for this lesson.”

She turned back to look at him.

“Then what do you want?”

“I’ll let you owe it for now and collect it next time.”

As he spoke, he kissed her flushed cheek and then asked, “There’s still one accomplice left. How do you plan to deal with him?”

Meng Jinyao replied calmly, “He bears half the responsibility for my mother’s death. He was there at the time. Madam Sun did the killing, and he helped cover it up. But he can’t be touched for now—at least not until Chengzhang enters officialdom and stabilizes his position.”

After thinking for a moment, she continued, “Let’s wait another ten years or so. He’ll only be in his forties then, and he’s always been healthy. He’ll definitely live that long. Besides, if he dies now, Meng Chengxing will inherit the title. I don’t want that, though I won’t scheme against him either. Without Madam Sun restraining him, let’s see whether he can behave himself. If he can’t and causes trouble, my father might be forced to act righteously and memorialize the emperor to strip him of his heir status and instead appoint Chengzhang—who is already recorded under my mother’s name as the eldest legitimate son—as heir.”

Gu Jingxi greatly approved of her approach. Even though he deeply resented his father-in-law as one of the murderers, she had not been blinded by hatred. Her mind remained clear.

With his ability and talent, Chengzhang could take the academy exam next year. Passing as a xiucai would be easy. Three years later, he could sit for the provincial exam. With diligent study, passing would not be difficult, nor would becoming a jinshi in the future.

Her father indeed could not be dealt with too quickly. Once he died, Chengzhang would have to observe mourning, during which he could not take the imperial examinations.

Even if he passed and entered officialdom, dying shortly afterward would mean leaving no achievements behind. He would be forgotten by the emperor, lose his post after mourning, and be reassigned to some insignificant position, taking years to rise again.

At the very least, he needed to leave an impression on the emperor first.

This was no exaggeration. Many officials who served outside the capital rarely saw the emperor, so they constantly sent memorials filled with trivial greetings—asking whether His Majesty had been eating well, sleeping well, whether his health was good, even reporting how beautiful the flowers were in their jurisdiction—all just to remind the emperor of their existence.

Meng Jinyao sneered.

“I used to think that although Father had concubines, he truly loved Madam Sun. He cherished her for so many years. Now I see that he only loves himself.”

Feeling increasingly indignant for her mother, she said bitterly, “He didn’t love my mother, yet he married her. He indirectly caused her death, helped Madam Sun conceal her crime, and in the end pinned the blame on me. For over ten years, he ignored me and let Madam Sun torment me. I even believed he neglected me because he thought I brought misfortune to my mother. Now I know it was because of his guilty conscience. Every time he saw my face—which resembles my mother’s by seventy percent—he must have remembered how they killed her and how despicably he covered it up. These two accomplices truly deserve to die.”

Feeling her intense emotional turmoil, Gu Jingxi held her tighter and looked into her eyes gently.

“A-Yao, those who commit evil won’t meet good ends. Let’s just wait and see what happens to him. Even if we don’t take his life, we can secretly make things difficult for him. In any case, we won’t let him live too comfortably.”

Listening to his voice, Meng Jinyao gradually calmed down. She buried her face in his chest, breathing in the faint orchid scent on him, and felt her heart settle.

Softly, she said, “Husband, it’s so good to have you.”

Gu Jingxi smiled.

“How am I good?”

He had thought she wouldn’t elaborate, but she suddenly looked up at him. Her bright almond eyes were filled only with him.

Slowly, she said, “I think you’re like a dose of medicine—a medicine that can heal me. Whenever I feel miserable, after talking to you, my heart always feels lighter.”