This martial saint's health bar is too thick

Chapter 672 Not Allowing White Hair to Be Seen in the Mortal World

Imperial Palace, Yangxin Hall.

Lou Hongtao stood before the emperor, maintaining a bowed posture.

For a high-ranking official like him, there was no need to perform grand ceremonies when meeting the emperor. In places like the Hall of Mental Cultivation, which had a stronger sense of personal interaction, he could be even more casual.

When Qin Ziheng was still the Crown Prince, he and Lou Hongtao had once chatted happily in this Hall of Mental Cultivation.

Lou Hongtao is now adopting such a cautious stance because he cannot afford to relax in the slightest when faced with today's events.

Qin Ziheng held the thick booklet that Lou Hongtao had presented to him, remaining silent for a long time.

After a moment of silence in the Hall of Mental Cultivation, the Emperor slowly spoke:
"Lou Qing, have you read the contents of this booklet?"

Lou Hongtao lowered his head and said, "Your Majesty, I have not seen it!"

Qin Ziheng pursed his lips: "So you want me to investigate the case for you?"

Lou Hongtao's body trembled, and he suddenly looked up at the front.

The emperor's words have already revealed his attitude.

but.
"His Majesty!"

Lou Hongtao shouted, "The Prime Minister has dedicated his life to the country and its people, working tirelessly until his dying breath. Now, he is seriously ill and bedridden in office. How can we allow such a petty person to slander him?!"

If possible, he would not hesitate to order Ye Qin to be arrested and the booklet burned.

However, Ye Ze'an had been "building momentum" for Ye Qin for more than a month in advance. He knew that this matter could not be covered up, so he had no choice but to go to the palace to meet the emperor.

I just hope that Qin Ziheng can use his status as the emperor to completely suppress this matter!

"Lou Qing, is the Censorate's investigation always based on mere conjecture?"

Qin Ziheng's tone was not loud, and he sounded somewhat depressed.

Pfft!
Lou Hongtao, the head of the Supervisory Pavilion and an eighteenth-level civil official, actually knelt down on both knees in front of Qin Ziheng!

"His Majesty--"

"The Grand Secretary could never be a treacherous and wicked minister. Your Majesty, please reconsider!"

Qin Ziheng's hand, gripping the booklet, bulged with veins, and he remained silent for a long time.

Lou Hongtao could tell that the emperor was also hesitant, so he quickly said:
"Your Majesty, the western expedition is imminent. We have been preparing for it for six years. The court cannot afford to be embroiled in internal strife at this time!"

Qin Ziheng remained silent.

Just then, the voice of the imperial eunuch Feng Cheng came from outside the hall:

"Your Majesty, all the members of the Ten Great Clans have gone to the Ye residence!"

The gates of the Ye residence slowly opened.

The servants guarding the gate were already terrified by the scene before them, and dared not stop them.

The group filed in, their heavy footsteps shattering the tranquility of the Ye residence.

With a suffocating sense of impending doom, the heads of the ten powerful families stormed straight into the backyard where Ye Ze'an was recuperating.

Startled, Hu Tingzhong emerged from the reception hall only to be confronted with a scene he had never witnessed before, a spectacle capable of terrifying anyone. His face instantly turned deathly pale.
"Everyone."

However, he was completely ignored.

Ye Xuanming didn't even spare a glance for this Grand Scholar of the Purple Void Hall, and simply swept past him.

The other family heads also kept their eyes straight ahead. A martial arts master who was acting as a guard gently pushed Hu Tingzhong aside, making him make way for him.

He was left with only his back to the group of people; the lamplight stretched their shadows long, and the enormous shadow swallowed him up.

Hu Tingzhong stood frozen in place, his palms icy cold.

He saw the hidden anger in the eyes of these family heads.

This is the first time in history that the heads of the ten powerful families have stood together to target a single person!
In the backyard where Ye Ze'an was recuperating, a figure stood as still as a rock.

This man held a long spear, had a gaunt face, and eyes brighter than the cold stars.

His name is Pang Li, a martial arts master with four supernatural powers, a retainer of the Ye family, and Ye Ze'an's personal bodyguard.

Ye Xuanming led a group of people into the courtyard, his gaze shooting towards Pang Li like icy arrows:

"Go away!"

Before Ye Ze'an took power, Pang Li was Ye Xuanming's bodyguard. He had accompanied Ye Xuanming in martial arts training since childhood and served as his sparring partner. He had a deep fear of this patriarch of the Ye family.

But at this moment, Pang Li bowed his head deeply, his posture respectful, yet his body remained rooted to the spot, completely still.

"Your Excellency, please forgive me. The Grand Secretary is currently resting and should not be disturbed."

His voice was not loud, but exceptionally clear; each word was like a pebble thrown into stagnant water, stirring up layers of suppressed ripples.

"presumptuous!"

Ye Xuanming's hair and beard stood on end, and his roar was like a thunderclap from a clear sky, causing the pillars of the corridor to hum and dust to fall from the eaves.

The group of powerful figures who followed all looked at Pang Li, and their overwhelming aura, like a tangible tsunami, crashed down upon him!
"I want to see my son, do I need your permission, you mere retainer?! Get out of my way, or you'll be executed on the spot under family law!"

Ye Xuanming made no attempt to conceal his killing intent, even going so far as to kill his own family's retainer!

Looking at the group of powerful figures before him, Pang Li knew that if he dared to resist, he could be torn to pieces in an instant.

His clothes fluttered in the wind, and his body was enveloped in a surge of qi that created a three-foot-wide barrier in front of him, keeping out the overwhelming pressure.

He raised his head, his eyes showing no fear whatsoever:
"Gentlemen, the person in the room is still the current Grand Secretary. I urge you to act with caution!"

In terms of seniority, all the family heads present were Ye Ze'an's elders.

But in terms of their official status and position, how can they compare to the current chief minister?

"Today is a family matter. The person inside is not the prime minister, but a member of the Ye family, my son!"

Ye Xuanming shouted sternly, "I'm saying this for the last time, get out of the way!"

Pang Li: "It is my duty to guard the Grand Secretary, but Ancestor... please forgive Pang Li for being unable to comply!"

The other family heads watched coldly. Xiao Ruiming, the head of the Xiao family, curled his lips into a cold smile. He only needed to think for a moment to unleash his formation and he could immediately suppress Pang Li.

However, since this was a tribute from the Ye family, Xiao Ruiming ultimately did not make the first move.

Ye Xuanming's anger intensified. If it weren't for the presence of so many family heads, and the fact that taking action would only make him a laughingstock, he would have already attacked Pang Li.

He stared at the tightly closed door, as if he could see through it his son, barely alive yet still stirring up trouble. A mixture of heartache from betrayal, fear of his family's impending collapse, and overwhelming rage at his son's foolish actions made him completely abandon any remaining leniency.

"Ye Ze'an, do you still dare to put on your airs as the Prime Minister in front of me?!"

The room was quiet, without the slightest sound.

"Good! Good! Good!"

Ye Xuanming was furious. "Ye Ze'an, ask yourself honestly, who did you rely on to get to where you are today? Do you really think you can become the Grand Secretary just by relying on your own talent?"

"Back then, when you wanted to promote the Ming and Reform Movement, my Ye family withstood the criticism and condemnation from all sides and gave you our full support!"

"You wanted to establish the Blue Patrol Pavilion, and it was I who overruled all objections, risked my reputation, and went to great lengths to communicate with various parties and beg for help on your behalf!"

"What do you want to do now? Turn your back on me after you've served your purpose? Be ungrateful?"

"Ye Ze'an, are you determined to be a heartless, unjust, unfilial beast who will bring disaster to your family and descendants?! Get out here now—!!!"

The final roar, carrying the despair of a betrayed old father, echoed in the night sky for a long time before slamming heavily against the tightly closed door.

The Great Blue Dynasty also values ​​filial piety and brotherly love. If tonight's events were to spread, the fact that the current Grand Secretary was publicly berated by his own father as an unrighteous, unfilial, and cruel beast would definitely shock the world!

Any official who was reprimanded in this way by his father would have no choice but to resign immediately.

But the room remained quiet.

Ye Ze'an seemed determined not to come out and face these angry family heads.

Or perhaps, he couldn't bear to face a father who was extremely disappointed.

Ye Xuanming's heart turned completely cold, and he closed his eyes:
"Do it!"

boom--

Inside the courtyard, a fierce wind burst forth, its immense force seemingly about to burst the entire courtyard apart at any moment!

"puff--"

boom! boom! boom!
As if a hallucination had descended, the martial arts masters and contemporary experts who were about to make their move suddenly felt a great shock, and then they all fell backward and lost consciousness.

The family heads present were all stunned, and they all looked at Xiao Ruiming, who had the highest cultivation level.

However, Xiao Ruiming, this top-tier master, seemed to have turned into a wooden figure, his eyes wide open, frozen on the spot, with obvious fear on his face.

"Xiao"

Yan Weifeng had barely opened his mouth when it was as if someone had suddenly grabbed him by the throat.

A figure appeared in the courtyard.

The newcomer was dressed in a golden robe and was very young.

Despite not emitting any imposing aura, the heads of the ten powerful families present were silenced by fear!
The greatest person in the world has descended upon this place!

Ye Xuanming, who had just been furious, didn't dare to say another word.

Both were dukes, yet he dared to curse the duke lying inside, but dared not show the slightest disrespect to the duke standing before him.

Xiao Ruiming looked at Li Fei, who had suddenly appeared, with a complicated expression.

In fact, he and the Huo family's Grandmaster were both present yesterday in that forest outside Lanling City.

If Xiao Tao, who is ranked first on the Earth Ranking, still can't defeat Ye Qin, there is another top-level True Person and Grandmaster behind him!
However, after Sangji revealed his identity, both Xiao Ruiming and the Huo family master gave up the idea of ​​taking action.

The two of them working together might be able to kill Ye Qin at Sangji's hands, but the person who might be standing behind Sangji makes them hesitant to make a move.

Li Fei's appearance has completely shattered the last glimmer of hope for Xiao Ruiming and the others.

Li Fei was indeed involved in this matter!
Li Fei's cold gaze swept across the faces of the family heads present. Without saying a word, he turned and walked into the house.

"The Duke of Jing'an!"

Ye Xuanming called out to him.

Li Fei turned around and looked at the Ye family patriarch.

Ye Xuanming: "When the Great Blue Dynasty was founded, the Ten Clans already existed. The two sides were interdependent, each with its own interests. Now that the Western Expedition is imminent, any turmoil will weaken the Great Blue Dynasty's national strength! Duke Jing'an has the ambition to rule the world, and I hope he will not do anything that will hurt his own people and please his enemies."

Li Fei twitched the corner of his mouth.

He turned around, looked at the family heads, and calmly said:
“Before this whole thing started, I told the Prime Minister that we didn’t have to go through all that trouble; I could just kill you all.”

These words made Ye Xuanming and the others freeze in shock.

The Great Blue Dynasty has never had anyone like Li Fei.

Even Wenren Zheng or Yun Shu in the past would not dare to, and could not, turn their swords against the Ten Clans.

If we do this, we will face a backlash from the entire Great Blue Dynasty!

But Li Fei is different.

His strength, influence, and temperament determined that he truly dared to take action against the Ten Clans, and he truly had the ability to do so!
If Li Fei hadn't been so special and powerful, Ye Xuanming's words would have been even more forceful, and the Ten Clans' counterattack would have been even more fierce, instead of everyone standing here humiliated, watching Li Fei's expression.
"But the Prime Minister rejected my proposal. He said that killing would only result in ruins, and he hoped that the Great Blue Dynasty could flourish anew."

Li Fei looked at these family heads and said, word by word:

"The so-called Ten Great Clans have been passed down for hundreds of years and have a history longer than the country. As the heads of such families, you must be very proud, right?"

"In my opinion, all of you combined are no match for one of that person's fingers!"

After saying that, he turned and walked into the house.

The heads of the ten powerful families, who had been humiliated on the spot, had grim faces and dared not speak out against their anger.

squeak--

Li Fei pushed open the door and entered.

The room was simply furnished. Upon entering, you could see a bed with an elderly man with white hair and frail health lying on it.

Ye Ze'an was already emaciated. He lay on the bed with his eyes open, tears streaming down his face.

Li Fei felt a pang of sadness.

Although the former prime minister was just an ordinary person, every time Li Fei stood in front of him, he could feel the other party's strong will and full spirit, like a giant who would never fall!
But now, the other party is just an old man whose life is about to end.

Since ancient times, beauties and famous generals have not been allowed to grow old in this world.

This is because beautiful women and famous generals often meet tragic ends.
Li Fei gently closed the door.

Ye Ze'an, lying on his sickbed, finally noticed him, his gaze shifting:
"You came."

Li Fei walked to the other person's bedside, sat down, and said with some difficulty...

"It's not too late to turn back now."

Ye Ze'an laughed: "How come the once ruthless and decisive Green-Faced Ghost has become soft-hearted?"

"."

"The sins I have committed are a hundred times, a thousand times more serious than those of the officials you have killed! How can you allow me to live?"

"."

When Ye Ze'an took the initiative to find Li Fei and told him about the sins he had committed over the years, Li Fei initially found it hard to believe.

Only after Ye Ze'an presented irrefutable evidence did Li Fei have nothing to say. As the head of the Ye family and the current Grand Secretary, Ye Ze'an personally expressed his 'goodwill' and willingness to cooperate with other powerful clans for mutual benefit. Who would refuse?

Moreover, although the ten powerful clans have always been fighting each other, they also have exchanges of interests, which has been the norm for hundreds of years and no one doubts it.

From the initial cooperation to the later deepening cooperation, it was only natural that Ye Ze'an dragged all the key figures of the major clans into the mess.

"In officialdom, it's not that difficult to be an honest official, but it's very difficult to be an official who can get things done."

Ye Ze'an said slowly, "Because if you want to do something, you will definitely need the cooperation and help of everyone."

"If I were merely an official in a city or province, the Ye family's power alone would be sufficient to implement my policies. But what the current Grand Secretary wants to do is far beyond what the Ye family alone can accomplish. I need the help of those powerful clans; I need them to lend me their power."

Li Fei remained silent.

Only now did he fully understand Ye Ze'an's plan.

Over the years, the other party has been colluding with those powerful families and clans, not just by personally getting involved and collecting evidence.

That would be a gross underestimation of the prime minister.

Ye Ze'an was also using the power of those powerful clans to implement his policies through exchanges of benefits.

The biggest obstacle to the Ming Dynasty's reform movement came from powerful clans, so why did Ye Ze'an ultimately succeed?

Because the Ye family is powerful enough?
No! Because Ye Ze'an reached an agreement with various powerful families through various means!
As he said, it is not difficult to be an honest official, but it is very, very difficult to be an official who can get things done!

This is precisely why Ye Xuanming and the other heads of major clans were so angry with Ye Ze'an.

From their perspective, Ye Ze'an was indeed an ungrateful and despicable person who betrayed his benefactors!
Ye Ze'an looked at the silent young man sitting beside him and said with difficulty:
"I thought I would never live to see this day, never be able to take this step, but thankfully the Great Blue Dynasty has you now."

"."

As Li Fei remained silent, a knock sounded on the door behind him.

"Master, may I come in?"

It was Hu Tingzhong's voice.

Li Fei looked at Ye Ze'an, who nodded slightly.

So he used force to open the door and let Hu Tingzhong in.

Outside the courtyard, the heads of the ten powerful families had already left with their unconscious guards.

"Teacher!"

Hu Tingzhong entered the room and, upon seeing Ye Ze'an on the bed, burst into tears. He walked to the bedside and knelt down with a thud.

Since Ye Ze'an fell seriously ill, he has not seen anyone, not even his prized student Hu Tingzhong, whom he has only seen for the first time in recent months.

He never expected that Ye Ze'an's health would deteriorate to this extent in just a few months.

As the Grand Secretary of the current dynasty, Ye Ze'an naturally enjoys the best medical treatment.

Not only that, he can also obtain any longevity-enhancing elixirs.

But he is already ninety-three years old this year. For an ordinary person without cultivation, all the means to prolong life have been exhausted, and he has reached his limit.

Even with Li Fei's unparalleled cultivation, he was powerless to help.

"Tingzhong."

Ye Ze'an stretched out his hand, which was nothing but skin and bones.

Hu Tingzhong quickly reached out and grasped her hand: "Master, I'm here! I'm here!"

"You are my student, and you will inevitably be implicated by me this time. But it doesn't matter, your hands have been clean all these years."

“My dear teacher, it’s me.”

“Listen to me. Even if you are misunderstood or suppressed, it doesn’t matter. You are in the Emperor’s heart, and there will always be a time for you to be reinstated.”

"Yes, rest assured, teacher, I will certainly live up to your expectations!"

Ye Ze'an turned to look at Li Fei:
"Li Fei, I'm entrusting my student to you."

Li Fei pursed his lips and said, "Okay."

A childlike smile bloomed on Ye Ze'an's aged face:

"Those people always thought that my student would never become the Grand Secretary because he had no connections... cough cough cough... hahaha. I found him the number one person in the world to be his backer. Who among them can compare?"

Li Fei remained silent, while Hu Tingzhong was already sobbing uncontrollably.

Ye Ze'an seemed to be struggling after speaking so much.

He paused for a moment, and finally said:
"It's impossible to completely eliminate powerful clans in a short time. Kill some, suppress some, and recruit others. I've paved the way for you, so don't be impatient."

"."

Li Fei had nothing to say.

He could indeed kill all the members of the Ten Clans single-handedly.

But if that happened, the entire court would be completely paralyzed!

The four border armies and the five imperial guards are all about to fall into turmoil!

With the Great Blue Dynasty's national strength weakened, turmoil within the country was inevitable.

If they continue the westward expedition under these circumstances, the Great Blue Dynasty will immediately descend into chaos the moment Li Fei and Wenren Zheng leave with their men!
Upon hearing this, Hu Tingzhong was even more heartbroken, for he recalled the last sentence Ye Ze'an wrote in "Ming Xin Ji".

The other party was willing to risk their own life and reputation to set up this scheme.

But Ye Ze'an knew better than anyone that even if he risked everything, he still wouldn't succeed in the end.

All he could do was what he said—

"I have done my best in this life."

On June 23, the sky over Lanling City was a hazy, pale gray.

An imperial edict was issued from the palace—

"The Censorate has officially launched an investigation into Grand Secretary Ye Ze'an! A special investigation team has been established, with Lou Hongtao, the head of the Censorate, serving as the team leader, and Li Fei, the head of the Blue Patrol Pavilion and Duke of Jing'an, serving as the advisor."

On that day, members of all six cabinets were summoned, and the entire capital was in a state of panic!
Some officials were assassinated, some committed suicide at home, and some turned themselves in.

Arson, poisoning, murder, and even mutiny
In an instant, Lanling City was plunged into unprecedented turmoil!
Centered on Lanling City, this turmoil is spreading to the other twenty-three provinces!
The leaders of the Ten Clans will not sit idly by and wait for their doom.

They displayed an air of being willing to drag the entire Great Blue Dynasty down with them, trying to scare away those who raised their knives!

But these disturbances were quickly and forcefully suppressed.

Within the capital city, the most powerful person in the land personally took action to suppress all evil spirits and demons!
Outside the capital, troops stationed in various places, including the Imperial Guard and the Barbarian Extermination Army, were all mobilized!
With the assistance of the Secret Investigation Division's powerful intelligence capabilities, the Blue Patrol Pavilions in various locations accurately strike enemies hiding in the shadows.

The Ten Gates' overt forces had been under close surveillance and prepared for from the start. As for their hidden forces, they were exposed over the past month because of Ye Qin.

The major clans may have anticipated Ye Ze'an's intentions, but this was an open scheme. They couldn't just stand by and watch Ye Qin, a key witness who had participated in many important events, go to Lanling City, so they had no choice but to intervene.

Of course, if the Ten Gates were to go all out, the turmoil they could cause would be far more than this.

Even if the world's number one expert were to suppress him with force, Li Fei was ultimately only one person and could not be in two places at once.

When fires broke out everywhere, even Li Fei couldn't save them all!
The real key issue wasn't external attacks, but rather problems within the Ten Gates Corporation.

Ye Ze'an had already reached an agreement with some of the collateral branches of the family that this incident would not involve them, and on the contrary, they would be supported to take over.

If only Ye Ze'an were to make the guarantee, even if he were the Grand Secretary, not many people would dare to follow him and take the plunge.

But with the number one person in the world as a guarantor, the situation is different.

As more and more people from within the Ten Gates faction stepped forward, the turmoil was quickly brought under control.
On June 28th, the Censorate posted a notice to the public, the paper densely covered with accusations against the current Grand Secretary and his associates—

"In the 29th year of Hongguang, Ye Ze'an conspired with the Liu family of Dongyang to embezzle more than 28 million taels of river construction funds, causing the Huai River to breach its banks, resulting in disaster in five cities and more than a thousand deaths."

"In the thirtieth year of Hongguang, Ye Ze'an colluded with Jin Huiyan to frame Zhou Yunzheng, the deputy governor of the southern border, and tortured him into confessing, ultimately leading to the execution of the entire Zhou family."

In the thirty-first year of the Hongguang reign, Ye Ze'an, under the guise of promoting reform, joined forces with the Xiao family to forcibly seize 5,000 hectares of military farmland, driving 278 military households to their deaths.

Starting in the 27th year of the Hongguang reign, the Great Lan Dynasty implemented the Mingxin Reform.

During the seventeen years of the reform, Ye Ze'an 'cooperated' with various powerful clans in order to implement his policies.

The accusations published by the Censorate, totaling more than thirty, each clearly listed one or more prominent aristocratic families and key figures involved.

When the news spread, the whole city was in an uproar and the whole world was shocked!
The Mingxin Reform is hailed as the greatest reform in the history of the Great Blue Dynasty, bringing unprecedented changes to the lives of hundreds of millions of people and giving the Great Blue Dynasty a new life.

The greater and more glorious this reform was, the more hateful the crimes hidden behind its name were!
On June 29th, in Lanling City, outside the Zhengyang Gate of the Imperial City, a group of scholars set up a simple wooden platform and took turns reading aloud the details of the crimes announced by the Censorate.

More and more people gathered below the stage.

After the more than thirty charges were read aloud, a middle-aged woman dressed in plain brocade silently stepped forward.

Although she was simply dressed, her demeanor and bearing revealed her extraordinary background.

"I am the daughter of the late Deputy Admiral of the Southern Border, Zhou Yunzheng, and I married into the Marquis of Anding's family."

The woman's voice was calm, yet it carried a chilling undertone. "In the thirtieth year of the Hongguang era, my father offended Yan Weifeng, the head of the Yan family, and the Yan family coveted his military power. He was then framed by the Grand Secretary Ye Ze'an and the Yan family for treason."

On stage, she recounted the tragedy that had befallen her family years ago:
"My Zhou family of seventy-three, including my younger brother who had just turned thirteen, are all dead!"

She spoke with such intensity that she almost fainted from crying on stage.

Next up on stage was an old soldier who had lost a leg. He stood with a wooden crutch, his empty trouser leg fluttering in the wind.

"My name is Zhao Erzhu, and I used to be a soldier in the western border army."

The veteran's voice was rough: "In the thirty-first year of the Hongguang reign, the higher-ups said they would re-allocate military land, but I don't know how it was changed in the end. Hundreds of brothers in my unit lost their family land! I led my brothers to confront the higher-ups, and we were almost branded as rebels. Many brothers died without any explanation, they all died!"

"I've been holding my breath for so long, and now I finally know what happened! Ye Ze'an, I'll fuck your ancestors!!!"

One victim after another took the stage to recount their tragedies and express their anger after the truth came to light.

These tearful accusations were like sparks falling on dry tinder, igniting the people's anger.

Public discontent was boiling over!
That afternoon, tens of thousands of people gathered outside the Zhengyang Gate of the Imperial City.

People held white banners with slogans such as "Severely punish traitors," "Purge the powerful clans," and "Give us justice."

More and more people joined the team, and their roars echoed through the sky!
On this day, Grand Secretary Ye Ze'an was officially dismissed from his post, stripped of his title, and imprisoned.

In addition, three cabinet ministers, five deputy cabinet ministers, thirty-three cabinet members, and over a hundred senior officials were imprisoned!
The news caused a sensation in the capital. Firecrackers went off all night, restaurants and teahouses were packed, and people raised their glasses in celebration.

Heaven Prison.

Li Fei and Hu Tingzhong passed through layer after layer of checkpoints and arrived at the deepest prison cell.

Ye Ze'an, dressed in prison clothes, lay on the bed, with a skilled healer by his side performing healing arts on him.

Upon seeing Li Fei, the man immediately stood up and bowed.

Li Fei raised his hand to indicate that the other party did not need to be so polite.

"Duke, he has already..."

"I know, go ahead."

The man bowed again and left the cell.

Li Fei and Hu Tingzhong approached Ye Ze'an. Hu Tingzhong knelt down and grasped his mentor's hand.

Ye Ze'an opened his eyes with some difficulty and looked at the two of them.

After a short while, his complexion became rosy, and his spirits improved.

“Tingzhong, the Twelve Strategies for Governing the Country that I left you may not all be correct. You must have your own judgment and adapt to the times and places.”

Hu Tingzhong nodded frantically, his eyes red-rimmed.

Li Fei had also read Ye Ze'an's "Twelve Strategies for Governing the Country".

One of the most crucial tasks is to build eleven more universities!

Like the already established Hongyi University, these eleven universities will admit more students from ordinary families and those from impoverished backgrounds.

Ye Zean had already gained relatively mature experience by using Hongyi University as an 'experimental site'.

But only now, after the powerful clans have been completely suppressed, have the remaining eleven universities been able to be established smoothly and achieve the desired results.

Ye Ze'an paused for a moment, then spoke again:

"In my life, I can't be considered a good father, much less a good son. Could I be considered a good official? I don't think so either."

He turned to look at Li Fei:
"Li Fei, over the years, I've been pondering a question—is it really right to take the wrong measures in pursuit of a perfectly correct outcome?"

Li Fei opened his mouth, but ultimately shook his head and said nothing.

Given his temperament, the answer is actually yes.

But looking at the thin, bony old man in front of him, there were some things he simply couldn't bring himself to say.

The other person gave their all in their life, only to be misunderstood by their own children, parents, relatives, and even by the people of the world.

What did we ultimately gain?

"What a pity, we can't see the future."

Ye Ze'an opened his mouth, and finally said:
"You go and see for me."

On the seventh day of the seventh month of the eighth year of Yuanxing.

Ye Ze'an died in prison.

There will never be another Chief Minister Ye.

(End of this chapter)