Chapter 1089: Arrest
The middle-aged woman spoke with a gentle expression, “It’s been so many years already. Why bother dwelling on it? Besides, aren't we living well now? Although you don't have much real power, everyone knows you're related to Lord Zhang by marriage. They give us some face because of that.”
"As for our hometown, needless to say. Last month, a letter arrived from home saying that the magistrate of our county had ordered the ancestral tombs of your family to be renovated. With you being an official in the capital, your entire family is honored."
"Aren't these all good things?"
Meng Bingwen let out a muffled groan and said, "You don't understand. In the local area, things are at most just local politics and relationships. Coming and going, I always manage to keep them in check. But in the capital, even the slightest ripple can be a monstrous wave that could shatter me to pieces."
From her husband's words, she heard helplessness and fear. The middle-aged woman hurriedly asked, "But what happened today? I've been on edge all day, and only when I saw you return did I feel at ease. But now there's a recurrence?"
Meng Bingwen was about to speak when a hurried knocking came from the door.
The knocking came suddenly and forcefully, startling Meng Bingwen who was already on edge.
Before he could speak, the butler immediately appeared and rushed to open the door.
The steward, still oblivious to what was happening, held himself with the airs of a Right Minister's household and opened the door with a dark face. "Who is it? Who are you? Don't you know the rules? Knocking at this hour, are you looking for trouble? Do you even know whose house this is..."
Before he could even finish his sentence, a signature embroidered spring knife was pressed against his neck, forcing him in.

Then, a squad of Jinyiwei rushed in.
They divided the labor, with several people surrounding Meng Bingwen and his wife while others immediately went to search every room in the mansion, bringing out anyone they found.
Meng Bingwen suddenly stood up, his heart sinking to the bottom of the valley, but he still forced himself to remain calm and shouted angrily: "What do you want to do!?"
"I am the right minister of rites of the current dynasty! You dare to break into my residence with weapons? Don't you want to live anymore!?"
The Jinyiwei ignored him.
A centurion stepped forward, his conical hat dripping rain like a beaded curtain. His unremarkable face held eyes that were chillingly cold. "The one we've captured is you, the Right Minister of Rites," he stated.
"Don't get any ideas. On my way here, I've dealt with officials bigger and more troublesome than you. In the end, they all ended up being taken away by me willingly. So I advise you to resist less. The higher-ups have issued a strict order: anyone who resists will be killed without mercy. Your family will suffer the consequences. It'll be you who gets hurt, not someone else."
The centurion's words instantly quelled the resentment and bitterness welling up in Meng Bingwen's heart.
He looked at his wife, her face as white as a sheet with fear, then at his several children, driven out and standing there bewildered. He pleaded almost desperately with the centurion: "Can you spare my family's lives?"
The centurion let out a cold laugh and said, "I'm only responsible for apprehending people. My orders are to arrest you personally, seal your estate, and prevent anyone from entering or leaving. As for whether your family will escape this fate, I have no say in the matter."

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