SGEIRS -Chapter 309 Expelled from the Clan

Weirui Pavilion

Gu Jingxi looked at her. On the surface, he appeared silent and somewhat gloomy, as if he were truly saddened by his unfilial son’s fate. But when he saw that she had eaten half a bowl more than usual, he knew exactly how delighted she was inside. Of all people, she was the happiest about Xiuming’s downfall.

When the couple lay down on the bed, preparing to rest, Gu Jingxi suddenly asked, “A-Yao, is there something you want to tell me?”

Meng Jinyao paused slightly. She looked at him with confusion and asked in return, “What does my husband want to hear?”

Gu Jingxi met her gaze and said unhurriedly, “I heard that in the past few days you’ve been going to the back garden for walks. But you’re afraid of the cold—when the weather is chilly, you usually stay indoors, and when it’s especially cold, you even curl up in bed and refuse to get up. So why, these past few days, have you suddenly been going out to the back garden every day?”

Hearing this, Meng Jinyao’s expression stiffened. She replied awkwardly, “Husband… you’ve already guessed?”

Gu Jingxi raised an eyebrow. “I’ve seen countless criminals. What tricks haven’t I seen? Do you think your little scheme could fool me?”

As he spoke, he reached out and pulled her into his arms.

At first, Meng Jinyao thought he was about to interrogate her, and her heart skipped nervously. But when he embraced her, her unease was instantly soothed.

He gently pinched her cheek. “So, can you obediently tell your husband now?”

Meng Jinyao glanced at him and muttered softly, “I did set things up and deliberately created the conditions for them, but I didn’t take action myself. I was just waiting for them to fall into the trap. They were like rabbits that ran into a tree and killed themselves. If they hadn’t had malicious intentions, my walks wouldn’t have affected anyone.”

Gu Jingxi had already guessed as much, but he still asked, “Then how did they know you were suddenly going out to exercise every day? Surely they weren’t watching your every move.”

She answered honestly, “I asked Ningdong to mention it casually to other maids when Xiuming passed by. After he heard it, he probably planned everything with Concubine Li.”

Gu Jingxi nodded in understanding and continued, “Who else knows about this?”

Hearing his series of questions, Meng Jinyao suddenly felt like she was being interrogated. She replied obediently, “Only Ningdong and I. Qingqiu doesn’t know. That’s why she didn’t have to act—it looked more real. I didn’t even bring Ningdong with me when I went walking, in case she slipped up.”

After listening, Gu Jingxi fell silent for a moment. He wasn’t blaming her, but he disapproved of her acting alone.

He said sternly, “Don’t do this again. If you want to do something, discuss it with me first. Don’t act rashly. It’s fine if nothing happens—but what if something goes wrong?”

Meng Jinyao pursed her lips and muttered, “It wasn’t a big deal. I was confident I could get out safely, so I acted. Husband, do you trust me so little?”

Gu Jingxi looked at her. “It’s not that I don’t trust you. I’m worried about you.”

Her heart warmed at his words. She smiled faintly, hugged his waist, and asked, “Then… are you angry at me for scheming against them?”

“Once a person’s heart goes bad, even if they don’t have a chance to do wrong, they’ll create one. If Xiuming hadn’t harbored evil intentions, he wouldn’t have had crooked thoughts even after hearing about your walks.”

His voice was calm, but there was disappointment in it—disappointment in Gu Xiuming.

She understood that he wasn’t blaming her, yet she still felt guilty, like a child who had done something wrong.

“Husband, I was impulsive this time. I even implicated you and made you get punished by His Majesty. Losing a year’s salary is one thing, but you also have to stay at home and reflect for half a month.”

Gu Jingxi smiled lightly. “With such a ‘filial’ son, I was bound to be punished sooner or later for poor discipline. It was only a matter of time. I never planned to let him inherit the marquisate anyway. You just made it happen earlier.”

Meng Jinyao looked stunned.

He kissed her cheek to comfort her and continued, “To ask the Emperor to strip him of his heir title, he must have committed serious faults. As his father, I naturally bear responsibility. So you don’t need to blame yourself.”

She said apologetically, “But you still have to reflect for half a month. That will delay so many things.”

“It won’t,” he replied casually. “The Court of Judicial Review doesn’t rely on me alone. Others will keep working.”

Smiling, he added, “We’ll even have half a month of leisure. We can do what other couples do—brew tea and discuss poetry, read and splash tea for fun, play music together, play chess, paint…”

Only then did her guilt finally fade. She rubbed her head against his chest like a spoiled child and promised, “Husband, I won’t do this again. I’ll definitely discuss things with you first.”

He gently patted her back. “Good.”

The Next Morning

Gu Jingxi sent people to invite his retired second great-uncle and several other highly respected clan elders in the capital.

Second Great-Uncle Gu was over eighty years old, with white hair and wrinkled skin. He walked unsteadily and had to be supported as he slowly entered the hall and took the seat of honor.

After he sat down, the other elders followed, and then Gu Jingxi and the younger generation took their seats.

Gu Jingsheng and Gu Jingsong had taken leave from work after receiving word from their third brother the night before. Seeing this scene, they exchanged glances and shook their heads slightly, unsure what was going on.

Soon, Gu Jingsong had a sudden realization. He looked at his elder brother and saw him nod.

They shared the same guess: since the marquisate no longer had an heir and Xiuming had been exiled, their third brother was probably planning to adopt a child from the clan.

Second Great-Uncle Gu looked at the juniors and asked, “Yaoling, why did you summon us old men here today?”

Gu Jingxi replied respectfully, “It’s because of that unfilial son of ours. That’s why I’ve troubled Second Great-Uncle and the uncles to make this trip.”

The elders exchanged glances. They had already heard about yesterday’s incident. They never expected Xiuming, as heir, to ruin his own future like this. Such an unfilial disgrace had brought shame to the Gu family.

Second Great-Uncle asked, “I’ve heard about Xiuming. What are you planning, Yaoling?”

Gu Jingxi answered calmly, “Xiuming disrespected his elders, has poor morals, and is unfilial. He is no longer worthy of being a member of the Gu family. Therefore, I have invited you here today to discuss removing him from the Gu clan registry.”