SGEIRS -Chapter 555 Changed a Lot

Late at night, when all was quiet.

After a bout of indulgence, Gu Jingxi lay there looking thoroughly satisfied, holding the soft, warm body in his arms. His heart felt full. These past days, he’d grown unaccustomed to sleeping alone—if he hadn’t been truly exhausted, he would have found it hard to fall asleep.

Seeing him lean in to kiss her again, Meng Jinyao feared he would keep at it until dawn. She hurriedly raised a hand to press against his chest and shifted back, putting as much distance between them as she could. In a gentle voice, she said, “Husband, it’s late. Let’s rest early.”

Gu Jingxi tightened his embrace, kissed her lips in a way that brooked no refusal, and slid one hand to her waist, kneading it with just the right amount of pressure. “Is A-Yao tired?” he asked.

Meng Jinyao shot him a look. “I’m worried about you. You rushed back today, covered in travel dust, and you still haven’t rested.”

“I’m not tired,” he replied.

And as he spoke, he proved it with actions.

Much later, Meng Jinyao was so worn out she didn’t want to move at all. Looking at the man who still seemed full of energy, she felt utterly aggrieved. “So tell me—are you thirty-two, or am I thirty-two?”

Hearing that, Gu Jingxi’s expression froze. He pinched her cheek lightly and asked in a low, dangerous tone, “A-Yao, are you blaming your husband for being old? What’s wrong with being thirty-two?”

She shook her head repeatedly. “Don’t overthink it. I’m not blaming you. I just think you’re in such good spirits—so late, and you’re still not sleepy.”

Gu Jingxi replied, “If A-Yao knew martial arts, your stamina wouldn’t be bad either. Like Chan’er—she can lift a whole table with one hand.”

Meng Jinyao: “……I wasn’t talking about stamina.”

He nodded solemnly. “Mm. I know. A-Yao is saying your husband can withstand plenty of… exertion.”

Her mouth twitched. “Who’s exerting themselves on you?”

He promptly corrected himself. “I’m the one exerting myself on A-Yao.”

That left her speechless. Wasn’t he just saying she was weak—that she couldn’t take it?

Instantly, Meng Jinyao didn’t want to pay him any attention. She ignored him for quite a while. Only after he held her and coaxed her with soft, gentle words did she finally respond, abruptly changing the subject. “Husband, why did you suddenly leave the capital half a month ago?”

Gu Jingxi hesitated for a moment, then told her the truth. “It has to do with Noble Consort Xiao’s maternal family.”

Meng Jinyao asked again, “Then the Xiao family is going to be unlucky, right?”

Gu Jingxi smiled meaningfully, saying nothing—but everything was clear.

Seeing this, Meng Jinyao understood. The Xiao family was the Second Prince’s maternal clan. If something happened to the Xiao family, the Second Prince would inevitably be dragged down with them. For the emperor to suddenly move against the Xiao family, there must have been a reason.

In a flash, Meng Jinyao thought of something and asked softly, “Husband, does it have anything to do with Crown Prince Huizhao’s death?”

Gu Jingxi replied, “The incident itself has nothing to do with Crown Prince Huizhao’s death, but the emperor’s decision to move against the Xiao family does indeed stem from it. This time, the investigation targets Madam Xiao’s maternal family. Tug one hair, and the whole body moves. Anyone aligned with the Second Prince—especially those closely tied to the Xiao family—if their background isn’t clean, they won’t come to a good end.”

Meng Jinyao seized on the key point. “So Crown Prince Huizhao’s death… was it the Xiao family’s doing?”

“And also the Second Prince’s intention,” Gu Jingxi answered.

Meng Jinyao fell silent. Back when Crown Prince Huizhao was assassinated, many people had privately suspected the Second Prince. After all, with the Crown Prince gone, the Second Prince—then at the height of his power—would have a chance to ascend. But without evidence, no one dared to speak openly.

To sit upon the throne of supreme power, fratricide was unavoidable. No emperor ever mounted the dragon throne without blood on his hands. It was just a pity for Crown Prince Huizhao—a capable and virtuous heir who died to his brother’s schemes before he could realize his ambitions.

—

On leave for three days, Gu Jingxi did not touch official matters at all. He stayed home to accompany his wife, child, and elderly mother, not stepping out the door once. Qi Yunwen came looking for him, but he declined visitors.

Old Madam Gu held her grandson in her arms, watching her son and daughter-in-law playing a game beside her. She felt that her son had changed a great deal since having a wife and child. He was far more home-loving than before. In the past, when would he ever have leisure to keep her company? His mind had been entirely on official duties.

Suddenly, she felt that this was what true family happiness looked like. She liked quiet, and usually the younger generation didn’t come around often—she’d enjoyed her peace. But now, with her son, daughter-in-law, and grandson by her side, she liked these days even more.

At noon, Gu Jingxi and his wife stayed to have lunch.

After the meal, Old Madam Gu went to take her afternoon nap, and only then did the couple leave with the child.

Nanny Feng said with a smile, “Old Madam, they say men change after marriage. The Marquis has truly changed a lot.”

Old Madam Gu replied, “Before, without a wife, he put all his heart into his work, thinking only of solving cases. Now that he has a wife, there’s a little wife waiting for him at home every day—of course it’s different.”

Nanny Feng nodded lightly. “That’s true. In the past, even while eating, the Marquis would still be thinking about cases.” As she spoke, she suddenly remembered the rumors circulating in the capital these past two days and added, “Old Madam, lately everyone outside has been talking about the Seventh Princess of Anguo and the Marquis.”

Old Madam Gu frowned. “What could Yaoling possibly have to do with the Seventh Princess?”

Nanny Feng replied, “Naturally, there’s nothing between the Marquis and the Seventh Princess. People outside are saying the Marquis was frightened by the Seventh Princess, and to avoid another young lady misunderstanding his age and secretly falling for him, he deliberately ruined his own looks—letting his beard grow wild.”

Hearing this, Old Madam Gu laughed helplessly. “I think they’re just bored with nothing better to do, making things up at random. That boy Gu Yaoling cares more than anyone about his face—he’s afraid of looking old and not being worthy of A-Yao. Ruining his own face over a sudden admirer? Impossible. Right now, he’d dress himself up like a peacock every day, just to spread his feathers in front of A-Yao.”

Knowing her son well, Old Madam Gu added, “When he first came back a couple of days ago, he did have a beard. But now it’s already shaved. Those days, he probably just didn’t have time to tidy himself up.”

Nanny Feng continued, “That’s what this servant thinks as well. It’s just that everyone outside keeps spreading it. I’ve heard the Seventh Princess even felt guilty over it. And now she’s taken a liking to our Third Prince. The two of them went together to ask His Majesty for a marriage decree—likely hoping to settle the engagement early and suppress all that idle gossip.”

Old Madam Gu paused briefly, then said, “That’s good. If not for this Yaoling incident, the Seventh Princess should have been engaged to a royal clan member more than half a month ago. Only through a marriage alliance between Anguo and Zhao can greater benefits be secured. I think even if the Seventh Princess hadn’t set her sights on Yaoling but on some other young, capable, unmarried official—or the son of an official—Anguo still wouldn’t have agreed to her marrying into an official’s household. She could only marry into the royal family.”

Nanny Feng nodded in agreement. Although Anguo was a vassal state, it was not to be underestimated. A marriage alliance would bring considerable benefits. And the Third Prince of Anguo—just as the Old Madam had casually mentioned before—likely hoped to gain Zhao’s support.