Chapter 104: The Stepmother

Chang'an.

Meng Mansion.

"Come on!"

"The lads have surrounded this Meng Mansion!"

"Not a single fly may get out!"

Li Tan, gripping the knife at his waist, was invigorated and extremely excited, and loudly issued orders to the Xuanwu Guard Embroidered Attire Envoys behind him.

"As you command."

In an instant, the Xuanwu Guard Embroidered Attire Envoys moved in unison, sealing off the Meng Mansion completely.

Just after being summoned back by the Qiu Official Office, Meng Yinbing breathed a sigh of relief, but upon hearing the Ming Jing Office approach, he hurried out, met the swaggering Li Tan head‑on, gasped and asked, "Li Mirror Keeper, what are you doing here?"

Panic was unmistakable in his brows.

The Ming Jing Office hangs like a sharp sword over the heads of Chang'an officials' families; what good could the Demon Star's visit bring?

Meng Yinbing, serving as Market Management Officer, is in charge of market administration.

"Lord Meng, why do you pretend to be ignorant when you know the truth?"

Li Tan halted, leaned forward, sized up Meng Yinbing, and smiled, "Your Meng Clan has committed treason, so I, the Mirror Keeper, am naturally ordered to raid your household!"

"False accusation!"

A sudden jolt seized Meng Yinbing's heart, and he immediately shouted his innocence, "Our Meng Clan is wholly loyal; how could we commit such deeds?"

"Please, Li Mirror Keeper, see clearly!"

Earlier, when at the Qiu Official Office, the Grand Minister of Justice had said he would protect him and investigate the truth...

But he never expected that just after returning, the Ming Jing Office would follow right behind!

Is it still coming to raid the house?!

The other people emerging from the Meng Mansion also echoed the cries of innocence.

War correspondent Chen Yan, comrade, lagged half a step behind Li Tan, watching Meng Yinbing's emotional shifts with interest.

He wasn't the organizer, yet how could he let this fine drama pass him by?

"Whether you did it or not, you know best..."

Li Tan's lips curled with a wicked charm as he said, "The evidence is solid; where is there any doubt of innocence?"

Saying so, he raised his left hand and made a light backward gesture.

From among the Xuanwu Guard Embroidered Attire Envoys behind him, a middle‑aged man in plain clothes stepped forward, his gaze at Meng Yinbing chilling, and he sneered, "Brother, long time no see—how have you been?"

"Little brother, I've missed you and second sister terribly!"

Li Tan turned, exchanged a glance with Chen Yan, and silently stepped back together.

He made ample space for the forthcoming affectionate brother‑and‑sister reunion.

"Meng Hanren!"

Upon recognizing the newcomer, Meng Yinbing's eyes reddened, fury blazing, and he scolded, "You ingrate!"

"You're really a scoundrel!"

"How dare you frame me!"

Meng Yinbing fell into a hysterical state.

When summoned by the Qiu Official Office, he learned that Meng Hanren's handwriting was involved.

He never expected that the beast himself would dare appear before him!

"What is framing?"

In stark contrast to the affluent Meng Yinbing, Meng Hanren's face bore wear, his temples already white, and he couldn't help but laugh, retorting, "Brother, aren't the letters I reported written in your hand?"

"They're forged!"

"All of them are forged!"

"Everything is your planting of false charges!"

Meng Yinbing glared, leapt up in agitation, pointed at Meng Hanren, and accused through clenched teeth.

The so‑called evidentiary letters do exist; he admits they are real, but the claims of aiding the enemy, profiting, and providing convenience are utterly baseless!

He has never done so!

"Does that matter?"

Meng Hanren smiled, his wrinkles gathering, looking rather fierce, and shouted, "If the Ming Jing Office says it's true, then it is true!"

Meng Yinbing's handwriting, of course, Meng Hanren recognized...

As for whether it was forged, he didn't care and could even vouch for its authenticity!

And the Ming Jing Daren who control the narrative will inevitably deem it true!

"Meng Hanren, brothers quarrel, brothers in arms, planting false charges, harming the clan—how will you ever have the face to descend to the underworld and meet the ancestors of our Meng Clan?"

Meng Yinbing, furious, roared his question.

Meng Hanren stepped forward a few paces, sneering repeatedly, snorted, and retorted, "When you and Meng Wan poisoned my mother and schemed to drive me out, did you ever consider that we share the same blood?"

"Isn't that also brothers in arms, harming the clan?"

"From where does your face come, to utter such grandiose words?"

Meng Hanren felt only nausea.

The past scenes, even after many years, remain vivid in his memory!

His own elder brother and second sister are poisonous beasts with snake hearts behind Buddhist mouths!

They still have the nerve to stand on a moral high ground and point fingers?

"Even if the elder brother once erred, you should never, ever push the clan toward an irrecoverable calamity!" Meng Yinbing gasped, rebuking.

He sat with an air of double standards, dismissing the facts.

"Big brother, if you don't die, how can you comfort my mother's spirit in heaven?"

Meng Hanren listened with pleasure, laughing like Dark Hawk, "The Meng Clan can be buried with them; what's the problem?"

"Hahaha!"

Moral blackmail on Meng Hanren?

Even the massive Meng Mansion, I still don't have a single person I care about!

I wish everyone would just die!

This act is truly spectacular; no wonder big brother comes in person to watch… Li Tan, witnessing the scene, clicked his tongue in amazement.

However, although he hadn't been heavily involved before, he could be sure that nine‑tenths of it was this big brother's instigation…

After all, gathering Meng Hanren also required considerable effort.

"I'll choke you to death!"

Meng Yinbing, provoked to a boiling rage, widened his eyes and lunged at Meng Hanren.

"Bang!"

"Ah!"

Meng Yinbing's move was sudden, but the Xuanwu Guard Embroidered Attire Envoy reacted faster, striking his face from both left and right.

He pinned him to the ground, unable to move.

"What?"

"Do you think the Mingjing Department lives on dry rice?"

"Still planning to attack the witness, kill and silence?"

Li Tan, seeing this, let out a light hum and mocked.

"Big brother, rest assured, the Meng Clan cannot be destroyed!"

Meng Hanren walked up to Meng Yinbing, stopped, his smile full, leaned forward and said, "Although the bloodlines of your few branches will be completely eradicated…"

"But later, this brother's branch will become the sole legitimate bloodline of the Meng Clan!"

Between the lines, it was all about killing and crushing the heart.

The one he despised most, his descendants' bloodline eventually became the legitimate Meng line…

"Ah!"

"I'll kill you!"

Driven mad by provocation, Meng Yinbing tried to struggle, to no avail, and furiously shouted, "Meng Hanren, you scoundrel!"

"That day, I really should have choked you to eliminate future trouble!"

At this moment, Meng Yinbing's heart was filled with hatred!

From the start, there should have been no trace of feminine mercy; it should have been exterminated.

"Big brother!"

"What's going on?"

At that moment, with the Xuanwu Guard Embroidered Attire Envoy at the gate deliberately lax, an anxious woman with two young men barged straight in.

The newcomers were Meng Wan Yi, and his two sons, Chen Cijiu and Chen Gubai…

The struggling, futile Meng Yinbing on the ground, as if seeing a savior, shouted, "Wan Yi, think of a way to save me!"

"Meng Hanren is about to destroy my Meng Clan!"

Another main figure arrived, this time in full formation… Chen Yan's mouth twitched slightly upward, a secret smile in his heart.

"Chen Yan, it's you!"

"All of this was your design!"

Chen Cijiu's eyes were sharp, keenly noticing Chen Yan hiding among the Envoy and watching the scene, and suddenly guessed the mastermind behind it.

"Hey, don't stare at me so!"

Chen Yan clasped his hands to his chest, nudged his lips toward Li Tan, and laughed, "I'm just here for the spectacle; this case is being handled by the Xuanwu Guard…"

Chen Cijiu was about to speak when his mother, Meng Wan Yi, moved toward Chen Yan, poised to kneel, and said, "A Yan, ask a favor of your uncle for him, help him!"

"You can't just stand by and watch someone die, can you?"

"Mother bows to you!"

Chen Yan watched the scene, it resembled a classic sketch from a comedy troupe: the Empress Dowager wants to enthrone the Prince of Fenyang, scheming to drive out Cao Guojiu…