SGEIRS -Chapter 95 The Involved Are Confused

The young lady sat there, dazed and lost in thought, though her emotions were relatively stable.

Gu Jingxi asked in a gentle voice, “Madam, can you tell me now?”

“Tell you what?”

Meng Jinyao looked up at him, puzzled.

Gu Jingxi replied, “Where did you go today, and what did you do?”

Meng Jinyao lowered her head and remained silent for a moment before softly answering, “I went back to my family home.”

Her tone carried a hint of grievance, and a subtle, almost imperceptible trace of resentment.

Gu Jingxi’s expression changed slightly. It seemed the young lady had never felt wronged over matters concerning her family; because she didn’t care much, her mind had always been calm. He asked again, “Why did you suddenly go back to your family home?”

Meng Jinyao answered truthfully, “The housekeeper said grandmother was ill, so I went to check on her. I didn’t expect it was for something else. My second younger brother passed the Lingshan Academy entrance exam and was about to enroll, but Meng Chengxing failed. When my grandmother learned that you and the head of Lingshan Academy are old friends, they wanted me to ask you to secure a spot for him. I refused.”

Gu Jingxi knew she was telling the truth, but he also knew that what had caused such a strong emotional reaction in her could not have been this.

Seeing that he said nothing, Meng Jinyao asked in doubt, “Husband, you don’t believe me?”

Gu Jingxi pressed his lips into a faint smile and said with a meaningful tone, “I believe you, but it seems madam doesn’t believe me.”

Meng Jinyao fell silent again.

Gu Jingxi didn’t push her. He said, “It’s fine. Tell me when you feel ready.”

Meng Jinyao’s lips twitched; she hesitated for a moment but remained silent. She instinctively wanted to clench her fists again, but the man quickly stopped her.

Grasping her hands that were about to form fists, Gu Jingxi smiled, “Madam, I have always thought you were a clear-headed, intelligent person. How could you punish yourself for someone else’s mistakes?”

Meng Jinyao countered, “What if I also made a mistake?” Before Gu Jingxi could reply, she added, “What if it involved someone’s life?”

Her voice trembled lightly. She seemed to realize she had spoken what shouldn’t be said, and she pressed her lips tightly together.

Gu Jingxi was slightly surprised. He hadn’t expected that this young lady could be involved in a case of death. He asked, after a moment, “Was it a mistake you made actively, or passively?”

Meng Jinyao was about to say “passively,” but the words that came out instead were, “What if it was active? Would you send me to prison, husband?”

Hearing this, Gu Jingxi paused. Looking at her, it was as if he were looking at a child throwing a tantrum. He smiled, “That depends. First, tell me—is this person someone who deserves to die or not? If they deserve it, then madam is just eliminating a villain for the people.”

Meng Jinyao was taken aback, incredulous. “Does the Minister of Justice not enforce the law? Whether the criminal deserves death or not, there are rules to follow. It’s not up to me to take the law into my own hands.”

“Sometimes, it’s not that one can’t choose to be blind,” Gu Jingxi said with a low chuckle. “A young lady like you, raised safely in a boudoir—how could you kill innocents? What reason would you have to harm the innocent? Anyone who could provoke you to use deadly force must surely be a villain who deserves it.”

Meng Jinyao was surprised, but indeed, she had no reason to harm the innocent.

Gu Jingxi looked at her. The young lady’s head drooped; fragile, like a porcelain doll that could shatter with a pinch. He patiently said in a gentle voice, “If it involves a death, why not tell me? There are things I might not be able to help you with, but I have handled many cases of death before. Perhaps I can assist you, madam.”

Meng Jinyao felt as if a sudden realization had struck her. She belatedly remembered that the Minister of Justice was exactly the right person for investigating cases. As a young lady in the boudoir, she didn’t know where to start—but the Minister of Justice, who had solved countless cases, was an expert.

She answered Gu Jingxi’s earlier question: “It was passive.”

After saying this, her voice choked slightly. She continued, “At that time, no one forced me. But the mistake had already been made. I realized too late that I had fallen into a trap, and it was too late to make amends.”

Gu Jingxi replied, “Those who do not know are innocent. That was not your fault—it was the fault of those behind the scenes.”

“Wasn’t it?”

Meng Jinyao whispered softly, her gaze vacant, her expression distant. Thinking of that small, cold body lying in the coffin, her heart ached. Chengyu didn’t have to die.

“Of course not,” Gu Jingxi assured her. Seeing her immersed in grief, guilt, and anger, he could tell that the person involved had been important to her. He asked, “Why not tell me exactly what happened, madam?”

Meng Jinyao looked up at the man in front of her. She thought to herself that the upright and stern Gu Jingxi would surely not spread this matter outside.

After a moment’s hesitation, she chose to trust him and spoke truthfully: “My brother Chengyu fell ill at the age of two. It wasn’t originally a serious illness, but unexpectedly, Madam Sun tampered with the medicine. The medicine I gave Chengyu became lethal poison, and he ultimately died. My grandmother said that Chengyu was killed because of me. She said that if I hadn’t been near him, he wouldn’t have died. Sometimes, I also think that way. If it weren’t for our close sibling bond, I would have personally administered the medicine, coaxing him to take it. Madam Sun would have had a harder time succeeding, and might not have succeeded at all.”

Gu Jingxi was momentarily stunned. He knew his father-in-law had three sons, and that the eldest had died young, but he had not realized the death was suspicious. Still, such dirty tricks were common in the inner quarters, so he wasn’t too surprised. If Madam Sun could embezzle a dowry meant for a legitimate daughter, it wasn’t shocking that she would try to harm a concubine’s child.

He looked into the young lady’s eyes and calmly asked, “If someone poisoned the well in my house without my knowledge, and you, passing by, drank a bowl of water I kindly gave you, and then died, would that be my fault?”

Meng Jinyao was initially confused but thought carefully about his words, finally shaking her head. “You were only being kind. If you had known the water was poisoned, would you have given it to a passerby?”

Gu Jingxi extended the analogy: “It’s the same with you. You only loved your brother and wanted him to get better, so you coaxed him and gave him the medicine. If you had known the medicine was harmful, would you still have given it to him?”

Meng Jinyao shook her head repeatedly. Even if she were mad, she would never harm Chengyu.

Gu Jingxi continued, “Madam, you have done nothing wrong. Why punish yourself for someone else’s mistakes? If your heart feels heavy, shouldn’t the real culprit be the one who suffers? Seeing the villain unhappy will make your heart feel better. Don’t you think so?”

His words were persuasive. His tone was gentle, calm, soothing her like a spring breeze nurturing a parched field.

Meng Jinyao’s emotions gradually settled. Reflecting on his words, she suddenly realized how foolish she had been. How could she punish herself while the real culprit remained unharmed? If her heart hurt, the one who should feel pain was the actual wrongdoer.

Seeing the young lady’s eyes light up, as if she had suddenly understood, Gu Jingxi smiled wryly. Even such a clever girl could sometimes get herself twisted into knots.

This, perhaps, was what people often said: those involved are confused, while outsiders see clearly.