Chapter 312 Another Him
Meng Jinyao: "..."
A casual remark dealt a heavy blow to her fragile heart. She could only find something to do, or rather, study casually. Yet, he could master the subject and become the top scholar, while she herself had no effect despite studying diligently with him.
Some people are truly blessed with natural talent and quick thinking, making it easier for them to learn anything. This is something others can only envy.
However, he also has a rebellious side?
This was truly unexpected. The mature and composed Lord Gu was like this in his youth. She had always thought he was steady and reliable, and she really couldn't imagine that he would have this side to him.
A moment later, Meng Jinyao's gaze fell on his face. In the blink of an eye, this man was already thirty years old, at the age of thirty, but he looked no different and was still a gentle and elegant young man with a handsome face.
Many men start growing beards by the time they're thirty, but he doesn't. He doesn't look thirty at all; he looks like he's in his twenties.
Meng Jinyao asked curiously, "Husband, many men grow beards when they reach their thirties, why don't you have one?"
Gu Jingxi was taken aback at first, then touched the area above his upper lip, and shook his head: "I'm not used to having a stubble, so I didn't grow one."
Meng Jinyao was surprised to hear this: "But isn't it said that men grow beards at a certain age to appear more dignified and imposing?"
Gu Jingxi chuckled and then said, "If a man has to rely on his beard to highlight his authority, it proves that he is useless."
As he spoke, there was a hint of disdain in his tone, a disdain for a useless man.
These words reminded Meng Jinyao of her father. In her memory, her father had already grown a beard before he was even thirty years old. Now, hearing her husband say this, she felt that her father relied on his beard to highlight the dignity that the head of the family should have.
Gu Jingxi turned to look at her and asked, "Does Ayao like me growing a beard?"
Meng Jinyao shook her head hastily: "I don't like it. I think my husband looks good as he is, and he doesn't need to change."
Gu Jingxi nodded slightly and said seriously, "I also think so. Right now, I don't want people to say that I'm a good father taking my daughter out to play when we go out."
Upon hearing this, Meng Jinyao chuckled and teased, "Then you'd have to be like those men who marry young, getting married at twelve and getting your wife pregnant at thirteen, so you could have a daughter as big as me. But judging from what my husband just said, given his personality when he was young, he probably wasn't interested in women at twelve and wouldn't have gotten married."
Gu Jingxi's expression froze for a moment, then he nodded in agreement: "When I was twelve, I really wasn't interested in women."
Meng Jinyao suddenly became interested in his childhood, staring at him expectantly and asking with great interest, "What were you interested in back then, my husband?"
Gu Jingxi replied, "I'm interested in fortune telling."
"Fortune telling?"
Meng Jinyao stopped in her tracks, stunned, staring at him in disbelief. She couldn't believe he had ever been interested in such a thing.
Gu Jingxi also stopped in his tracks. Seeing the astonishment on her face, he smiled and asked, "Are you surprised?"
Meng Jinyao nodded hesitantly. How could she not be surprised? Lord Gu, the former heir apparent, was a man who had studied the classics and was raised from childhood to be the heir. How could he be interested in fortune telling?
"Actually, I was just curious and wanted to see if it was really accurate. I wanted to verify it, so I secretly followed the fortune teller to learn. But before I learned anything, my father caught me and beat me. I had to kneel in the ancestral hall to reflect on my mistakes for a whole night. After that, I went to learn again, but I was caught three times in a row and then I stopped trying." Gu Jingxi smiled, a hint of nostalgia on his face.
Although his father was not a good husband, he was a good father. He never neglected the education of his children, whether they were born out of wedlock or legitimate. Therefore, although his two older brothers born out of wedlock had their own little schemes, they were good at heart. The three brothers never engaged in the kind of life-or-death scheming that was common in other households.
Meng Jinyao was surprised. This was another Gu Jingxi, one she had never heard of before. When she first heard of Gu Jingxi, people described him as: knowledgeable, a brilliant judge of cases, of noble character, of high moral standing, gentle and refined, and the most handsome man in the capital.
These assessments are far removed from the image of that somewhat rebellious, mischievous, and unruly boy. However, as the eldest son who was pampered and favored by his parents since childhood, he would indeed live that way. He was exceptionally intelligent, yet retained the natural instincts of a young person, a nature carefully protected by his parents.
Gu Jingxi glanced at her and smiled, "Don't be too interested in your husband when he was young. I certainly wasn't the kind of person you would like back then."
Meng Jinyao smiled and said firmly, "No, I still prefer the dashing young man in fine clothes."
She even lived the life she admired and longed for.
Gu Jingxi back then must have been very likable. Although he was a little rebellious, he wasn't really rebellious; it was just the typical behavior of a young person. But his character was definitely just like it is now—excellent. He was also incredibly intelligent. How could anyone not like him?
Upon hearing this, Gu Jingxi's smile deepened, and after a moment he added, "Before the age of sixteen, you were a completely different person from now. You only gradually became more composed after the age of sixteen."
After sixteen?
Meng Jinyao's heart tightened. The year he was sixteen, the same year he was injured while saving the emperor, was the year such a big incident happened. Afterwards, his fiancée broke off their engagement, which was a huge blow that could completely change a person's personality. She had accidentally seen his old poems in the study before, and there was a sense of melancholy between the lines.
Gu Jingxi noticed her sudden silence, reached out and took her small hand, and said gently, "I don't regret saving the Emperor. In fact, I'm glad I did. If the Emperor had died back then, Prince Duan would have been cruel, stubborn, and pleasure-seeking. If he had ascended the throne, he would have been a tyrannical and decadent ruler. The people would have been full of resentment, and we wouldn't have the peaceful life we have now. There are gains and losses. If my injury can bring peace to the world, then it's worth it."
Meng Jinyao didn't think too much about it, she just felt sorry for him and muttered to herself, "Besides the Prince Duan who has already been executed, there was also the Prince Liang. At that time, the Prince Liang was not a child anymore and could also inherit the throne."
Gu Jingxi gently shook his head: "Although the Prince of Liang is benevolent, his methods are too gentle, he is indecisive, and he lacks great talent and ambition. He is not a suitable emperor and is easily manipulated by ministers with ulterior motives, becoming a puppet emperor. Only the current emperor is both firm and gentle, diligent in his duties and loves his people. He has the talent to govern the country. During his reign, the people have lived in peace and prosperity."
After hearing this, Meng Jinyao was stunned for a moment, then felt proud of him: "My husband is a wise minister with a heart that cares about the country and its people."
Gu Jingxi smiled and said, "I am in a position to do my job, I eat the emperor's food and bear the emperor's worries. I just did what I was supposed to do."
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