Chapter 1251: 罪名

Creak—

Han Meng slowly pushed open his door, and the full bloom of spring, accompanied by the scent of flowers, wafted towards him.

Compared to where Han Meng had been previously detained, the Pu family's environment was vastly superior. Not only was his freedom unrestricted, but his three meals a day were never repetitive; it felt more like a vacation than an imprisonment.

Despite such pleasant living conditions, Han Meng's expression showed no hint of joy.

He simply stood quietly at the doorway, clad in black, as cold and heavy as an iceberg, his presence completely out of sync with his surroundings.

“Good morning, Officer Han Meng!”

A bell-like voice drifted from afar.

Pu Xiachen appeared from behind the rock garden, strolling leisurely while carrying a bowl of cherries, and waved at Han Meng.

“Is something wrong?” Han Meng asked.

“Nothing, I just didn’t want to go to morning lessons, so I secretly snuck out,” Pu Xiachen said, familiarly offering the cherries. “Want some?”

Han Meng shook his head.

“These are cherries, they’re really good. I don’t think they grow in your Aurora Dominion, are you sure you don’t want to try?”

“I’ve had them before. I came to the Southern Sea Dominion many years ago… I just don’t like them.”

“Oh, alright then.”

Pu Xiachen didn’t press further, popping a cherry into her own mouth. “Are you bored? Want me to take you for a walk nearby?”

Han Meng had no objection; he had indeed been bored from daily confinement, and Pu Xiachen was one of the few Pu family members he trusted. After a slight nod, the two walked out along the cobblestone path.

“I heard about what you did from the Old Man. You actually judged the Alliance Council… that’s incredible, brother! I’ve always wanted to do that!”

Han Meng: …

“Regarding Chen Ling’s case, a few of us testified as well,” Pu Xiachen added.

“I know.”

“But they didn’t listen.”

“They don’t care what they hear from others… they only trust their own outdated experiences.”

“So, after you judged them… what did you see?” Pu Xiachen finally couldn’t hold back. Her eyes gleaming, she looked at Han Meng and asked her most curious question. “Were they guilty?? Were they??”

Pu Xiachen had been greatly shocked and exclamatory after hearing from the family head that Han Meng had judged the council members. She admired Han Meng, but she was even more curious about what kind of people these high-ranking officials were, who influenced the internal affairs of the Five Dominions… After all, the decisions of their council affected everyone’s destiny.

“Someone told me that the judgment results cannot be disclosed to anyone else,” Han Meng said calmly. “Otherwise, I’ll never regain my freedom.”

“That’s quite harsh… I won’t ask then.”

“But threats are what I fear least.”

Pu Xiachen paused, then burst into laughter, hugging the bowl of cherries. “Officer Han Meng, you’re so amusing! Tell me, I promise I won’t tell anyone.”

“Among them, there were indeed some who were completely innocent… but not many,” Han Meng began slowly. “Corruption and abuse of power, these were the charges most of them had…”

“What about the small portion remaining?” Pu Xiachen keenly noticed.

“And another part… Heh.”

Han Meng let out a cold laugh, saying nothing, yet seeming to convey everything.

Pu Xiachen quickly understood Han Meng’s meaning and wisely didn’t press further, but then she changed the subject:

“If there are people like that in the Alliance Council, Nan Haijun must know, right?”

Han Meng’s judgment of the Alliance Council had caused a stir. While it was hard to say about other high-ranking officials, Nan Haijun, as the current ruler of the Five Dominions, must certainly have known the outcome of Han Meng’s judgment… After all, judging by Han Meng’s demeanor, he was fearless and had no intention of concealing the results.

“Yes.”

“So those people…”

“Nothing happened,” Han Meng replied calmly. “Six months later, the Alliance Council is still the same Alliance Council, and those individuals are still in their positions… Nan Haijun protected them.”

“What?” Pu Xiachen frowned, seemingly unable to comprehend. “I thought he would…”

“Don’t harbor illusions about Nan Haijun, even if he is one of the Nine Monarchs.”

Han Meng’s expression suddenly turned serious.

He paused for a moment, then added:

“The vote that framed Chen Ling in the Alliance Council… was personally stamped by Nan Haijun.”

Pu Xiachen froze in place.

As the two had just walked to the lakeside, a figure hurried towards them!

“Oh dear, Miss, Mr. Han, why are you still here!”

“What’s wrong, Xiao Zi?”

“Two council members have arrived, saying they want to see the imprisoned Mr. Han… I have a bad feeling about them.”

Pu Xiachen seemed to realize something, her eyes narrowing slightly. “Where are they now?”

“They’ve already gone towards Mr. Han’s room. If they discover that Mr. Han isn’t actually imprisoned… I’m afraid…”

“We’re going back now.”

Pu Xiachen said without hesitation, turning to Han Meng, “Officer Han Meng, I’ll go with you. If they ask, just say I forced you out!”

Han Meng gazed coldly in the direction of his room, offering no reply.

“Cousin, you must be tired from your journey. I brought you some refreshing osmanthus wine to quench your thirst.”

Inside the spacious car, Pu Shu sat next to Chen Ling and pulled out a chilled drink.

Chen Ling nodded slightly, taking it but not opening it. He appeared to be gazing out the window, but in reality, he was constantly sifting through two sets of memories in his mind…

The memories exchanged by the Revolver yesterday also included social networks, so the moment Chen Ling saw Pu Shu, he felt a strong sense of familiarity, subconsciously substituting Pu Shu for Zhao Yi… Fortunately, Chen Ling hadn’t exchanged many memories, and a comparison with the Zhao Yi from the Integration Faction memories immediately revealed the conflict. So, he began to review past scripts in his mind, combining them with Pu Jianyue’s memories to re-establish the character relationships.

Finally, he confirmed the identity of the person before him.

Pu Shu of the Celestial Star Guild.

Pu Shu had once been a prominent figure among the Pu family’s younger generation. However, due to his father’s mistakes, their entire collateral branch was expelled from the Southern Sea. He took some younger relatives and eventually settled in the Aurora Dominion, gaining a foothold by relying on the Yan family. After the fall of Aurora, he returned to the Pu family.

The good news was that the Pu family had undergone significant changes over the years. The current family head believed that the mistakes of the older generation should not be entirely borne by the younger generation, and five years of hardship outside were sufficient. Furthermore, Pu Jianyue’s father’s status was rising, and Pu Shu held leverage over him, ultimately leading to his return to the Pu family after some maneuvering.

Pu Shu and Pu Jianyue had spent their childhood together, often engaging in mischievous and improper activities in private. They were truly two of a kind, birds of a feather.

After sorting everything out, a “brotherly” smile appeared on Chen Ling’s lips.

He reached out and lightly patted Pu Shu’s shoulder, saying with satisfaction:

“Only A-Shu knows how to look after his elder brother…”