SGEIRS -Chapter 306 The Storm Is About to Break

At this point, the doctor no longer dared to argue. His voice trembled as he confessed, “Y-Yes, that’s right. We originally agreed to say that she had eaten something wrong. But some time ago, that maid came to fetch me and told me on the way that I must insist it was a fall that disturbed the fetus.”

His gaze fell on Gu Xiuming, who was still kneeling on the ground, and he continued, “This young master gave me a fine jade ornament as payment. I got greedy and agreed. But I truly didn’t know they were going to frame someone.”

Meng Jinyao took out the large embroidered pouch Yu Chuan had just given her. Opening it, she removed a palm-sized pixiu carved from top-grade mutton-fat white jade and asked, “My unfilial son receives a fixed allowance every month and spends lavishly. He rarely has cash on hand. The only thing he could have given you would be something like this. Take a look—was it this jade ornament?”

When the doctor saw the pixiu, he nodded repeatedly. “Yes, that’s it. My useless son squandered money with bad friends and secretly pawned it at a pawnshop as a dead pledge. It couldn’t be redeemed. That’s why I had no choice today but to insist the concubine had miscarried. But… how did it end up in Madam’s hands?”

Meng Jinyao took out a pawn ticket from the pouch and replied calmly, “You weren’t lying. It was indeed a dead pledge. But our people paid to buy it back and retrieved the duplicate receipt as well, just in case. We wanted solid evidence. I didn’t expect it would really come in handy.”

Hearing this, the doctor’s regret was overwhelming. If only he hadn’t been greedy. Now he was covered in filth. This was the Marquis of Changxing’s household—what was he supposed to do?

With pleading eyes, he looked at Meng Jinyao. “Madam… then what should I do now?”

She answered coldly, “You may not have intended to harm anyone at first. But after hearing my unfilial son’s words earlier, you should have known he was trying to frame me. Yet you still didn’t tell the truth. So you are not innocent. If I hadn’t had evidence, I would have been ruined by you. As for what will happen to you, I don’t know. We’ll wait for the Marquis to return and decide. He is the Minister of Justice and knows the law well.”

The doctor almost fainted on the spot. Ordinary people feared officials most of all. Now he was about to face a high-ranking official of the Court of Judicial Review—how could he possibly survive?

Meng Jinyao glanced at him and said nothing more, sitting calmly as she waited for Gu Jingxi to return.

By now, the truth had fully come to light. Everyone understood that this had been a calculated scheme from the start. It had begun in the back garden—either Li Wan’er had seized the chance to frame Meng Jinyao, or she and Gu Xiuming had long harbored such intentions and merely waited for an opportunity.

Madam Zhang and Madam Chen felt as though they had watched the most thrilling play of their lives.

Just then, Qingqiu ran over and shouted, “Madam! The Marquis is back! He’s coming this way!”

As soon as her words fell, the doctor’s vision went black. He fainted and collapsed to the ground.

The others merely glanced at him. Seeing that he had fainted from fright, they ignored him and continued waiting.

Gu Xiuming knelt on the cold floor, afraid to rise. Cold sweat drenched his forehead. He had a feeling that this punishment would be far worse than when he had fled from marriage before. His iron-faced, impartial father would never spare him—especially since his father cherished and pitied Meng Jinyao.

Before long, Gu Jingxi appeared in everyone’s sight.

His face was dark as he strode toward the hall. Even before he entered, an oppressive aura swept over them.

After entering, he scanned the room with icy eyes. When his gaze fell on Meng Jinyao, the chill in his eyes faded.

He asked gently, “A-Yao, what exactly happened?”

Meng Jinyao glanced at Gu Xiuming and calmly recounted the entire incident.

Gu Jingxi frowned deeply. Looking down at his terrified son, his narrowed eyes surged with anger.

He ordered in a low voice, “You few—tie up Concubine Li and Hongling and bring them here. Yu Chuan, prepare brush, ink, paper, and ink paste.”

Yu Chuan immediately understood and went to carry out the order.

The others were bewildered. Why prepare writing materials at a time like this?

Gu Xiuming’s heart sank. His father hadn’t even spoken to him once. When he heard “brush and ink,” an indescribable fear rose within him, choking his voice.

Soon, Li Wan’er and Hongling were dragged over, bound. Knowing their scheme had failed, both knelt trembling.

Not long after, Yu Chuan returned with the writing materials and a table, then pinched the doctor awake.

Only then did everyone understand: Gu Jingxi had turned the small hall into a temporary courtroom.

In front of everyone, without sparing Gu Xiuming any dignity, he interrogated Gu Xiuming, Li Wan’er, Hongling, and the doctor like criminals, leaving no room for excuses.

Afterward, he made each of them sign and fingerprint their confessions.

Terrified, Hongling, Li Wan’er, and the doctor confessed readily and signed without resistance.

Gu Xiuming tried to refuse, but Yu Chuan forced him to comply.

Gu Jingxi read the four statements. He handed two of them to Yu Chuan and instructed, “Escort Hongling and this doctor to the authorities. Submit these confessions and let the law deal with them accordingly.”

Yu Chuan accepted the order and led them away.

Now only Gu Xiuming and Li Wan’er remained.

Li Wan’er continued trembling. Gu Xiuming, seeing he wasn’t being sent to the authorities, regained a sliver of hope and thought of begging for leniency.

But Gu Jingxi didn’t even look at him.

He ordered the servants to bind Gu Xiuming and lock him in a room under heavy guard. Then he took Meng Jinyao’s hand and left.

Madam Zhang and Madam Chen followed, full of curiosity about the final punishment.

Gu Jingxi ignored them and led Meng Jinyao straight out of Qingyu Pavilion.

Knowing how furious he was, the two ladies dared not gossip and hurried away.

Meng Jinyao glanced at their backs, then at the courtyard gate, and asked softly, “Husband, Hongling and the doctor have been sent to the authorities. What about Xiuming and Concubine Li?”

Gu Jingxi paused and looked at her gently. “A-Yao, you’ve suffered. Tomorrow, I’ll give you a satisfactory answer.”

She was startled. “Does their punishment need to wait overnight?”

He replied meaningfully, “If it were just a beating, I could deal with it now. But for other matters, we must wait until tomorrow. It’s getting late. Go back and eat dinner. I’m going to see Mother.”

Meng Jinyao’s heart skipped.

She had a feeling—her husband was planning something big.