SGEIRS -Chapter 36 Jingxi Eavesdrops

When Meng Jinyao saw how distressed her friend was on her behalf, looking so haggard from worry and lack of sleep, she felt deeply moved. In this world, apart from her two personal maids, only A-Ning truly worried and felt heartbroken over her situation.

She took out a handkerchief and gently wiped away the tears at Song Xinning’s eyes, then said solemnly, “A-Ning, it’s precisely because I’m not foolish that I didn’t choose the Second Young Master or the Fourth Young Master.”

Song Xinning looked puzzled. “What do you mean?”

Meng Jinyao replied calmly, “They are sons of the concubines from the main and second branches. Gu Xiuming is the heir of the Marquis’ household. If I chose between them, even if I became his sister-in-law, I’d still be inferior to him. How could the Second or Fourth Young Master protect me? Only Gu Jingxi could. He is Gu Xiuming’s father—he can suppress him.”

Song Xinning was stunned. After pondering her words for a long time, she nodded gently, then asked, “Then… does that old man of yours treat you well?”

Meng Jinyao thought for a moment and answered honestly, “Aside from being lecherous, he’s pretty good?”

“Lecherous?!”

Song Xinning’s voice shot up in shock. She stared at Meng Jinyao in disbelief. “Isn’t Marquis Gu supposed to have a hidden illness? If he can’t even do it, how can he still be lecherous?”

Qingqiu and Ningdong were also stunned. Thinking of the beautiful maids in the marquis’s courtyard—even the ones doing chores were quite pretty—they wondered if that was why their mistress thought he was lustful.

Even Song Xinning’s maid was surprised. They had seen Marquis Gu before; he was a man who barely glanced at beautiful women.

Meng Jinyao nodded lightly. “Even with a hidden illness, it doesn’t stop him from being lustful.”

She thought to herself: If Gu Jingxi weren’t lustful, why would he have secretly pulled open her collar the other night? Wasn’t it because he couldn’t touch, so he had to at least look?

Song Xinning hesitated. “My uncle is his close friend. He once said Marquis Gu is an upright gentleman who keeps himself pure and avoids women. A-Yao, could you have misunderstood him?”

Meng Jinyao replied, “That just means your uncle doesn’t know him well enough.”

Ningdong couldn’t help adding, “Miss Song, every maid in the Marquis’s courtyard is beautiful.”

Hearing this, Song Xinning and her maid felt that Meng Jinyao was probably mistaken. Any legitimate wife would feel uncomfortable seeing so many pretty maids around her husband and might overthink things. With other men, it might mean lustfulness—but Gu Jingxi? He couldn’t even perform. Even if he wanted to, he lacked the ability.

After a moment, Meng Jinyao said again, “Besides, what man isn’t lustful? Even my father, who dotes on my stepmother so much, still has several beautiful concubines.”

Song Xinning was briefly stunned and thought of her own parents. Though they were affectionate, her father still had two concubines and two illegitimate daughters. Fortunately, her mother was broad-minded and treated the concubines kindly, and they behaved themselves. Compared to other households, the Song family’s inner court was relatively peaceful.

She nodded in agreement. “That’s true. What man isn’t lustful? The only ones who aren’t are probably monks.”

Meng Jinyao smiled. “A-Ning, let’s stop talking about men and chat about something else.”

Song Xinning agreed and changed the subject. “A-Yao, your younger sister used to love hearing people belittle you and praise her. But yesterday, she actually spoke up for you. It was unbelievable.”

Meng Jinyao was surprised. “She spoke well of me? What did she say?”

“She said—” Song Xinning cleared her throat and mimicked Meng Jinyu’s tone, “ ‘What nonsense are you talking about? My eldest sister and brother-in-law are very close. She hasn’t been neglected at all. On the day she returned home, our whole family saw clearly how much my brother-in-law cherished her.’ ”

Meng Jinyao raised her eyebrows and laughed softly. “Looks like Meng Jinyu has gotten smarter. But with her brain, she couldn’t think that far ahead. It was probably my ‘good’ stepmother’s teaching.”

Song Xinning didn’t understand. “What do you mean?”

Meng Jinyao curled her lips in mockery. “If I live well in the Gu family and have my husband’s favor, even if my in-laws don’t support them, my family can still benefit. Others will show them respect because of the Changxing Marquis’s household. So what good would it do them to smear me outside? Wouldn’t that make people think I’m at odds with my natal family?”

She paused, then sneered. “But if I were mistreated in my husband’s home, they’d be eager to cut ties with me. They’d even kick me while I’m down, saying how disgraceful I am and pretending they never had such a daughter.”

Song Xinning suddenly understood. “No wonder she spoke up for you yesterday. I thought she’d changed.”

Meng Jinyao narrowed her eyes. “She’s doing it for her own future. The Yongchang Marquis’s household has declined, and her marriage prospects aren’t good. But having an elder sister who’s the Marchioness of Changxing and is favored by her husband—that’s different.”

Song Xinning frowned. “They really won’t act without profit.”

Meng Jinyao shrugged. “They’ve always been like that.”

In the Next Private Room

In the adjacent room, two refined-looking men stood close to the wall, listening intently to the conversation next door. They were Gu Jingxi, Minister of Justice of the Court of Judicial Review, and his deputy, Qi Yunwen. They were close friends, superior and subordinate, and the best partners who had solved countless cases together.

Gu Jingxi had lost interest when he heard the women talking about how all men were lustful. His expression grew dark. He glanced coolly at his friend, who was struggling not to laugh, and asked flatly, “Qi Mobai, is this what you called reliable information?”

“Mobai” was Qi Yunwen’s courtesy name.

Qi Yunwen hadn’t expected this either. He smiled awkwardly and explained, “Yaoling, the information I got really said they’d be discussing matters here. I didn’t expect it to be wrong. Who knew it’d be my niece and your little wife next door?”

Gu Jingxi frowned. His tone sank. “You didn’t expect it?”

“I really didn’t! It’s all because my subordinates were careless and the information was inaccurate.”

Qi Yunwen looked innocent and helpless. Thinking of what they had just heard, he couldn’t help laughing. He winked at Gu Jingxi teasingly.

“Old geezer, who would’ve thought? You act like a monk every day, yet you’re actually lecherous.”