This martial saint's health bar is too thick

Chapter 671 All Ten Families Arrive
The Ye residence was exceptionally peaceful under the cover of night.

During his years as Grand Secretary, Ye Ze'an spent the vast majority of his time living in the Zixu Palace in the Imperial City and rarely returned to his residence.

This made it difficult for many powerful figures who wanted to curry favor with and get close to these prime ministers to find an opportunity to visit them.

You can't just send a gift directly to the Purple Void Palace.

After the Grand Secretary fell seriously ill, he stayed at his residence. People came in droves to visit him, but the Grand Secretary refused all visits, citing his poor health as the reason.

Even so, people continued to come to the door with various expensive tonics or famous doctors.

Until June 22nd, the area in front of the Ye residence suddenly became deserted.

June 22nd, the eighth year of Yuanxing.

Ye Qin, the steward of the Ye family, Ye Ze'an's childhood companion and later confidant, went alone to the Supervisory Pavilion and reported Ye Ze'an to the Pavilion Master Lou Hongtao!
Ye Qin's matter has been making headlines for the past month, and the whole city knows about it.

He publicly accused Ye Ze'an, and the news spread throughout Lanling City at an astonishing speed!
The Censorate has not yet accepted Ye Qin's complaint. Ye Qin is staying in the Censorate, while the head of the Censorate, Lou Hongtao, has already gone to the palace to meet the Emperor.

Besides Lou Hongtao, many other cabinet ministers also rushed to the palace overnight.

The entire court and the public were shaken, and almost no one dared to approach the Ye residence, which was at the center of all this vortex.

A car stopped outside the Ye residence, and a man dressed in the robes of a Grand Academician of the Zixu Hall walked into the mansion with practiced ease.

"Lord Hu, the master has just gone to bed and is probably unable to see you."

The old steward of the Ye family said to Hu Tingzhong.

Hu Tingzhong was not particularly handsome, and his skin was rather dark; he did not appear dashing or debonair at all.

He calmly said to the old steward, "Then I will wait for my teacher to wake up at the manor."

"This"

The old butler looked troubled, yet dared not forcibly drive away the person in front of him.

Hu Tingzhong, Grand Secretary of the Zixu Hall.

Before Li Fei was appointed to the cabinet, he was the youngest "Grand Secretary" in the cabinet and also Ye Ze'an's favorite student.

Ye Ze'an was grooming Hu Tingzhong to be the next Grand Secretary, and Hu Tingzhong lived up to expectations, becoming Ye Ze'an's right-hand man. Over the years, he assisted Ye Ze'an in handling government affairs in an orderly manner and made great achievements.

However, few of the truly important figures in the court believed that Hu Tingzhong could succeed Ye Ze'an as chief minister.

The reason is simple—the background.

Hu Tingzhong was not from any of the Ten Great Clans, nor was he a member of any prominent family.

He came from a poor family. If Ye Ze'an hadn't taken a liking to him at first glance and promoted him step by step, let alone becoming a cabinet official, he would have been able to become the chief of a small city, which would have been the limit of his life.

Throughout the more than 500-year history of the Great Blue Dynasty, not a single prime minister has ever come from a humble background!
This is Hu Tingzhong's fatal flaw!
Originally, everyone thought that Ye Ze'an would arrange for his favorite student to marry a woman from the Ye family in order to make up for the other party's shortcomings and further strengthen the relationship between the two sides.

However, Ye Ze'an never did so, and even repeatedly and forcefully rejected the Ye family's arrangements.

Several of the Ten Great Families also tried to marry their daughters to Hu Tingzhong, but none of them succeeded.

Hu Tingzhong eventually married a woman from a humble family.

This makes people even less optimistic about his future.

When Ye Ze'an was in power, you, Hu Tingzhong, could "borrow the tiger's power" (i.e., act like a fox borrowing the tiger's might). But now that Ye Ze'an is gone, what makes you, an official from a humble background, think you can hold onto your position?

Therefore, during the period when Ye Ze'an was seriously ill, Hu Tingzhong's situation was not good, and could even be described as quite difficult.

Many government orders suddenly became ineffective, many departments suddenly stopped cooperating, and many colleagues suddenly began to distance themselves from him.

Hu Tingzhong went to the reception hall of the Ye residence, took out a book from his sleeve, and quietly began to read.

The old butler personally served him tea and snacks, sighed, and withdrew.

The hall was very quiet, with only the occasional sound of Hu Tingzhong turning the pages of a book.

This book, titled "Mingxin Ji," was written by Ye Ze'an himself. It contains his insights and experiences regarding the Mingxin Reform, which he personally presided over.

Ye Ze'an is a man of great talent in governing the country, a fact that even his political enemies, who hate him to the bone, would not deny.

However, the Grand Secretary's literary talent can only be described as average.

When Li Fei first heard the chief minister's speech at the grand court assembly, he felt that compared with the other ministers, Ye Ze'an's words were utterly devoid of literary flair, consisting almost entirely of plain language, though his logic was clear and easy to understand.

Despite serving as Grand Secretary for decades, Ye Ze'an never produced a single masterpiece to be passed down through generations.

Ye Ze'an had no intention of circulating the copy of "Ming Xin Ji" that Hu Tingzhong held in his hands.

He did not write books, establish doctrines, write poems, had no interest in writing brushes, ink, paper, or inkstones, and disliked ancient paintings and antiques.

He didn't seem to value the things that scholars valued.

He simply stood in the position of Grand Secretary day after day, year after year, handling government affairs, implementing new policies, and patching up this ancient empire that had existed for more than five hundred years.

Hu Tingzhong slowly turned the pages of the book in his hands, as if he were reliving Ye Ze'an's life.

After turning to a certain page, Hu Tingzhong suddenly stopped.

This page was written one evening after Ye Ze'an's reform movement had finally achieved some initial success.

Ye Ze'an did not express any joy between the lines:
"The biggest obstacle to this reform is not the emperor's lack of support, nor the difficulty in implementing decrees in local areas, nor the lack of wisdom among officials."

The biggest obstacle to the reform came from powerful clans!

The scourge of powerful families has left its poison for over a century.
In my lifetime, I will dedicate myself to thoroughly cleansing and eradicating the poison from the Great Blue Dynasty!

Hu Tingzhong stared silently at the text.

When he first read this, he didn't pay much attention to it.

It wasn't that he didn't believe in his mentor's determination and skills, but rather that his mentor himself came from a prominent family.

The biggest help comes from the powerful families, so how can we overthrow them?

How can a person lift themselves off the ground by their own hair?

A moment later, Hu Tingzhong quickly turned to the last page of the book, where a line of small print had been added later:

"The imperial court and the powerful families are already inextricably linked. To cure a serious illness, strong medicine is needed. But how can someone who is terminally ill withstand strong medicine?"

Without extraordinary talent, one cannot accomplish anything.

Although I am not an ordinary person, I unfortunately lack extraordinary talent.
In my life, I have done my best.

Hu Tingzhong held the book, his hands trembling slightly.

He had already vaguely sensed that something was wrong when Ye Qin's incident first occurred.

The number of violations committed by the Ten Gates Valve in the past is countless, and even if most of them were exposed, they would have no effect on the Ten Gates Valve at all.

The only thing that could truly affect the Ten Gates Clique is that some key figures have been implicated.

But how could such a secret be easily leaked and given away by someone?
If the ten-gate valve is really that useless, how could it have been passed down for so many years?
Even if Ye Ze'an were exceptionally capable and actually managed to seize upon a fatal weakness of one or two powerful clans, that would be one thing.

But how could he possibly have incriminating evidence against every family?

Hu Tingzhong could only think of one possibility—

Ye Ze'an personally participated in those confidential matters!

Only if the prime minister himself gets involved could other powerful families be drawn into the fray.

Moreover, this matter would not arouse any suspicion whatsoever.

Who in office doesn't seek personal gain?

How can anyone remain untainted in the corrupt world of officialdom?
Looking back now, were all those powerful families really just trying to snatch Ye Qin, using their hidden influence and connections built up over many years?
Perhaps some people have already noticed something and are using this method to warn and stop Ye Ze'an!
With the combined strength of the various powerful clans, only a Grandmaster could bring Ye Qin back to Lanling City safely.

And which of those forces with Grandmasters would dare to get involved?
Who would dare to stand against so many powerful families at the same time?

But in the end, Ye Ze'an still managed to do it. In Hu Tingzhong's heart, he always regarded his mentor as a saint!

But today, Ye Qin publicly accused Ye Ze'an, and the charges he listed have already spread throughout the cabinet.

They corrupt the country and oppress the people! They usurp power and disrupt the government!
Corruption and embezzlement! Disregard for human life!
If all of these things are true, then how could Ye Ze'an be a saint?
His hands have been stained with blood over the years, and he can't wash them clean no matter what!

The number of people who have died unjustly because of him over the years is simply too many to count!

Just as Ye Qin said, Ye Ze'an is indeed a wicked and evil person!
"I have done my best in this life."

Hu Tingzhong looked at this sentence over and over again, and before he knew it, tears were streaming down his face, wetting the pages of the book.

"My dear teacher, why did you have to go this far? Why did you have to go this far!"

Heartbreaking cries echoed through the hall.

Suddenly, a commotion came from outside the hall.

Hu Tingzhong quickly wiped his face and turned to look.

A man and a woman, led by the old butler, entered the reception hall.

Hu Tingzhong stood up and bowed to the two men.
"Young Master Ye, Miss Ye."

The two are Ye Ze'an's eldest daughter and youngest son.

Ye Yuxi, Ye Jingyan.

Ye Ze'an has two sons and one daughter.

The second son, Ye Jingyan, has some talent in martial arts and can accommodate implants, but his current cultivation level is only at the mid-stage of Qi Transformation. Like his elder sister and elder brother, he has not entered the imperial court as an official.

As members of the Ye family and fathers who wielded immense power, the three of them were quite 'incompetent' compared to other spoiled brats!
Both at the mid-stage of Qi Transformation, Prince Qing's only son had just entered the Zhenxi Army under the influence of Yan Weifeng, the patriarch of the Yan family, and became a captain capable of commanding a hundred men.

As the fifth largest imperial army of the Great Blue Dynasty, and a sure-fire force destined for the Western Expedition, the Zhenxi Army is so powerful that it's no exaggeration to say that even a local military commander position leading three thousand men might not be as valuable as a battalion commander position in the Zhenxi Army!
On the other hand, Ye Jingyan, the son of the Grand Secretary, is still fooling around with people in the martial arts world at his advanced age. Countless people in Lanling City are secretly laughing at him.

"I dare not accept such praise. Greetings, Grand Secretary Hu!"

When Ye Yuxi and Ye Jingyan saw Hu Tingzhong bowing to them, they seemed very reserved and quickly returned the greeting.

Hu Tingzhong sighed. In the past, when the two of them saw him, they would affectionately call him Brother Hu.

As his official rank rose, he grew increasingly estranged from the two men.

"Have you come to visit your mentor?"

Hu Tingzhong asked.

Ye Yuxi and Ye Jingyan sat down in the seats furthest from him.

"Yes, we want to see our father."

"Yes, my mentor has already gone to sleep. I plan to wait here for him to wake up."

"Grand Secretary Hu."

"This is at home, so please call me Brother Hu."

"Yes, Brother Hu, I heard today that someone has reported Father. Is this a serious matter?"

Ye Yuxi asked nervously.

Looking at the expressions on their faces, Hu Tingzhong felt even more sorrowful.

Ye Ze'an not only refused to arrange a future for his children, but also forbade them from entering officialdom.

"If you don't have the talent, don't embarrass me!"

These are Ye Ze'an's exact words to his three children.

He never spoke kindly or showed any affection to his children. In this mansion, the total time his children spent together was less than the time he spent with Hu Tingzhong alone.

With such a father, his children were terrified of him, daring not to be angry or resentful.

Hu Tingzhong also felt that his mentor was too strict with his children and had advised them on this matter more than once.

But Ye Ze'an just smiled each time and didn't discuss the matter in depth with Hu Tingzhong.

Looking at it now...
Without hope, there is no disappointment, let alone despair.

If you've never had it, you won't have to experience the pain of losing it.

"Brother Hu?"

Looking at Hu Tingzhong, who was lost in thought, Ye Jingyan couldn't help but ask, "Is this matter very troublesome?"

Hu Tingzhong took a deep breath, suppressing the urge to burst into tears:
"You don't need to worry, the teachers will handle it all, at least... at least it won't involve you."

Upon hearing this, the two men turned deathly pale.

"Brother Hu, is Father really going to be in trouble this time?!"

"Your teacher has already made arrangements, so don't worry."

Hu Tingzhong calmed himself down and tried his best to comfort the two of them.

At this point, perhaps the only thing I could do was to ask them not to cause any more trouble for their mentor.

It took him a while to calm the two down.

The two ultimately did not stay up all night with Hu Tingzhong and went back to their own rooms.

In the stillness of the night, Hu Tingzhong was still reading in the hall.

Suddenly, a large number of luxury cars arrived outside the Ye residence!
If you look closely, you'll notice that the license plates of these luxury cars all have different family crests.

These badges are imbued with magical markings, making them difficult to forge, and grant access to many confidential locations.

The Ye family, the Xiao family, the Wang family, and the Yan family.
Ten powerful families gathered at the Ye residence!

Then, people got out of the luxury cars one after another. Those who got out first were either as energetic as a furnace or as introspective as an ancient well, with a hidden glint in their eyes.

He's either a martial arts master or a true master of our time!

There were more than a dozen martial arts masters and immortals in total. Such power was even enough to kill a grandmaster!

This is the foundation of the Ten Clans. With the martial arts resources and cultivation manuals they possess, although they cannot guarantee that someone in every generation will become a top expert, they can at least guarantee that each generation of the family will have more than one martial arts master or contemporary true master.

In the martial arts world, top forces can temporarily stand alongside powerful clans by relying on a Grandmaster, but once the Grandmaster dies, these forces quickly decline. Tiancha Mountain, which lost Ying Jie, is a recent example.

There were no "Seven Great Families" more than 500 years ago.

But there were already ten gates five hundred years ago!

After the group of powerful figures got out of the car, they opened the car doors for the people in the back seats in a guard-like manner.

What kind of noble status must these powerful individuals have to be to be willing to act as their guards?
The patriarch of the Yan family is Yan Weifeng, and the current head of the Wang family is Wang Ruiyu.
Among them, the two most important are Ye Xuanming, the patriarch of the Ye family, who is also the biological father of the Grand Secretary Ye Ze'an.

Another one is Xiao Ruiming, the current head of the Xiao family, which is the head of the ten major clans.

Unlike others, Xiao Ruiming did not bring any powerful guards tonight, because he himself had already reached the cultivation level of a top-tier True Person, making him one of the strongest experts in the world.

The heads or leaders of the ten powerful clans have all arrived!

These important figures at the very top of the Great Blue Dynasty's pyramid have come tonight for only one person—

Ye Ze'an, the current Grand Secretary, lies ill on his sickbed!
These important figures all had somber expressions, their eyes either cold or scrutinizing.

They exchanged no pleasantries, their somber gazes fixed on the brightly lit yet eerily quiet Ye residence.

Ye Xuanming, the white-haired patriarch of the Ye family, had his face contorted with extreme anger, radiating a chilling aura and majesty that sent shivers down one's spine, like a volcano about to erupt!

He stepped forward first and angrily shouted at the tightly closed gates of the Ye residence:
"Open the door!"

P.S.: Tomorrow will be the final day for the Chief Minister.
(End of this chapter)