SGEIRS -Chapter 359 The Plot Revealed

With Miss Qin’s departure, the performance had ended, and the other spectators gradually left as well.

Even though Du Sizhe knew that Meng Jinyu was his cousin’s sister, he didn’t concern himself further. He had always known that this younger cousin of A-Yao wasn’t a good person.

Meng Jinyu’s maids hurried forward when they saw their mistress collapse to the ground. They helped her up and escorted her into the carriage to return home.

At that moment, not far away, Gu Jingxi lowered the curtain of his carriage window and said to the driver in a calm voice, “Return home.”

The driver acknowledged and steered the carriage back.

Du Sizhe, hearing the carriage move, instinctively turned toward the sound and saw Gu Jingxi’s carriage. He was momentarily stunned—he hadn’t expected Gu Jingxi to still be there and only leave now.

Watching the carriage slowly disappear into the distance, he recalled their earlier conversation at the teahouse. He still harbored doubts about why Gu Jingxi had suddenly inquired about his father.

Changxing Marquis Residence

Upon returning home, Gu Jingxi told Meng Jinyao about the street altercation between Meng Jinyu and Miss Qin.

After hearing this, Meng Jinyao frowned. From what she knew, after Madam Dong entered the household, she hadn’t done anything particularly to Meng Jinyu or Meng Chengxing. The Meng family was no longer wealthy; Madam Dong managed the household with thrift and careful budgeting. Meng Jinyu and Meng Chengxing, used to indulgence, were naturally dissatisfied and likely harbored resentment toward Madam Dong. There must have been undercurrents of unrest brewing.

Moreover, Meng Jinyu was fifteen this year, only a few months away from completing her mother’s mourning and becoming eligible for marriage. She was attractive, and with her father being selfish, no matter how favored she was, she couldn’t escape being used for his benefit. So it made sense that Meng Jinyu, anxious for a way out, acted rashly.

But even in desperation, one shouldn’t recklessly pursue a man who already had a fiancée and cause such trouble. Even if she later staged a “proof of innocence through death” to clear herself of accusations of seducing another’s fiancé, a young lady’s reputation would still be affected.

After a moment, Meng Jinyao curiously asked, “By the way, which Qin family are you talking about?”

Gu Jingxi replied, “The Qin family of the Zhen Nan Marquis. The girl who had the altercation is the Marquis’s legitimate daughter.”

The legitimate daughter of the Zhen Nan Marquis?

Meng Jinyao was slightly surprised. She had met this Miss Qin before. Likely because of her military family background, she had inherited the fiery temper of the Zhen Nan Marquis—bold, outspoken, and different from ordinary noble young ladies. She was also not someone who would let herself be wronged; if she discovered someone attempting to seduce her fiancé, she would even resort to publicly assaulting the other party.

Miss Qin’s fiancé was the son of Grand Concubine Xiao’s family—her maternal nephew, the youngest legitimate son of her older brother. The Xiao family had married into the Qin family, probably attracted by the power of the Zhen Nan Marquis, intending to use it for the Second Prince.

When the two families arranged the engagement, many privately thought the match suitable. The Xiao family’s youngest son wasn’t particularly talented—he only had looks and family background—but he was simple-minded and easy to influence. Miss Qin also wasn’t calculating; paired with someone like him, she could be controlled. If he were too clever, she might not manage him and could be controlled instead.

Given this family background, it was no wonder Meng Jinyu, ignoring the fact that the young master already had a fiancée, risked everything to pursue him. Any intelligent young master would not fall for her; only someone like Xiao’s young master, who wasn’t too bright, would respond. Once he did, Meng Jinyu wouldn’t want to let the opportunity slip. Missing him would mean it would be difficult to find another match with a family as prominent.

Meng Jinyao said, “Madam Sun was clever, but Meng Jinyu is far from it. Even if Xiao’s young master disliked Miss Qin, as long as the engagement remained, Meng Jinyu couldn’t marry him even if she won his heart. At most, she could become a concubine. Her family, though fallen, still treats her as a legitimate daughter. Does she really rush to become a concubine?”

Gu Jingxi was unconcerned. “A-Yao, if a man truly wants to coax someone, convincing an inexperienced teenage girl isn’t difficult. Didn’t Xiuming once, even though he was engaged, coax Concubine Li to elope with him? Concubine Li’s goal was to become the wife of the heir. Otherwise, why risk everything?”

Meng Jinyao was momentarily stunned. “Could it be that Xiao’s young master tricked her, saying he would break off the engagement to marry her?”

Gu Jingxi replied, “That’s not impossible.”

“She’s clearly daydreaming,” Meng Jinyao scoffed, shaking her head. “The Xiao family—what status do they have? Even without Madam Sun affecting her reputation, the Xiao family would never let her in, let alone with Miss Qin around.”

Gu Jingxi pondered and said, “When someone reaches a dead end, they can lose their clarity. Tomorrow, I’ll have someone investigate the Meng family’s recent activities.”

The Next Day

Gu Jingxi had someone look into it and discovered that Meng Dongyuan was indeed preparing a husband for Meng Jinyu.

Though Meng Jinyu was attractive, being born into a declining family and having her reputation tarnished by her birth mother, marrying into a good household was difficult. If she were to marry, it would have to be to a family inferior to hers.

However, neither Old Madam Meng nor Meng Dongyuan would accept a family inferior to theirs. A girl raised with care for over a decade could not be married off without bringing benefits to the family—that would be a loss.

After careful consideration, Meng Dongyuan and Old Madam Meng decided to find Meng Jinyu a husband who was respectable but widowed. Young widowers with good family backgrounds might not be interested in the Mengs, but older men were different.

Thus, Meng Dongyuan sought a government official over forty years old for Meng Jinyu. The official was receptive, and Meng Dongyuan planned to marry her off once her mourning period ended. She would become his secondary wife.

The previous day’s incident had not been reported to the family immediately, but by today, the Meng household had learned of it. Meng Jinyu had been slapped twice by Meng Dongyuan, sharply scolded by Old Madam Meng, and then locked in the Buddhist hall to reflect.

After hearing this, Meng Jinyao, briefly shocked, said, “So she was truly at her wit’s end. She probably didn’t want to become the official’s secondary wife, being a stepmother and eventually a grandmother, so she acted recklessly in desperation.”

Gu Jingxi said slowly, “Although she failed to connect with the Xiao family, the incident yesterday, even if she was wronged, damaged her reputation. People will still wonder if she truly had a past with Xiao’s young master. That marriage is likely over. In that sense, escaping it can also be seen as a success.”

Meng Jinyao nodded lightly and said calmly, “That’s true. But losing this marriage doesn’t mean my father will stop trying to use her for gain. Once this matter settles down, I wonder what kind of husband he will arrange for her next.”