This martial saint's health bar is too thick

Chapter 673 Soul and Nation Rest, Rivers and Mountains Forever

Royal palace, royal garden.

Sui Zihua accompanied Qin Ziheng on a walk.

Qin Ziheng's complexion was clearly not good, and his expression revealed an unconcealable weariness.

"Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager is still waiting in the Hall of Mental Cultivation. The Empress Dowager is not in good health, so perhaps we shouldn't keep her waiting too long?"

Looking at Qin Ziheng's expression, Sui Zihua asked cautiously.

The Ye Ze'an case implicated all ten powerful families, including the Xiao family.

The Xiao family is related to the imperial family, and the younger sister of Xiao Ruiming, the head of the Xiao family, is the current Empress Dowager!

Xiao Ruiming was personally suppressed by Li Fei and then imprisoned in the Heavenly Prison.

After the incident, Empress Dowager Xiao tried various means to plead for her brother, but all her efforts were unsuccessful.

In the end, Empress Dowager Xiao personally intervened and pleaded with Qin Ziheng.

In fact, Empress Xiao was not the only one who pleaded with the emperor during this period.
The Yan family and the Prince Qing’s mansion have been linked by marriage for generations and are considered to be related to the imperial family. Even if their relationship is not as close as that of the Xiao family, how could Prince Qing sit idly by when the Yan family is in trouble?

These past few days, the emperor's uncle has been coming to the palace every day.

Furthermore, the Ten Clans and the royal family are all related to each other to some extent. With all these connections being used, Qin Ziheng has had a very difficult time these past few days.

Since ascending the throne, this emperor has been very diligent every day and rarely indulges in pleasure. He has also visited the imperial garden only a handful of times.

In the past few days, Qin Ziheng has been going to the Imperial Garden every day.

"Then you should persuade the Empress Dowager to return to the palace and rest properly as soon as possible."

Qin Ziheng said to Sui Zihua.

Sui Zihua's expression darkened: "Your Majesty, I have already tried to persuade you, but I'm afraid I cannot persuade Your Majesty about the Empress Dowager's heartache."

Qin Ziheng stopped and turned to look at Sui Zihua, his gaze scrutinizing her.

"Is it that you can't persuade them, or that you don't want to persuade them?"

Sui Zihua knelt down with a thud, and immediately burst into tears, her eyes streaked with tears.
"Your Majesty, please forgive me!"

Qin Ziheng sighed and helped his wife, who had been with him since he was the crown prince, to her feet.

Sui Zihua's father was the Duke of Zhongguo, whose title was hereditary. Although the Sui family was not one of the Ten Great Clans, they were still related by marriage to the Liu family of Dongyang, which was one of the Ten Great Clans.

After the Liu family ran into trouble, they had already sought help from Sui Zihua.

However, despite the pressure from her family, Sui Zihua never asked Qin Ziheng for leniency.

Only now have I finally been able to let out the emotions that have been building up inside me.

"Your Majesty, is there truly no room for compromise?"

Sui Zihua asked, crying.

Qin Ziheng sighed, "Those martial arts masters and True Persons who were arrested this time, even if they committed capital crimes, will not be executed immediately according to the law. Instead, they will be given a chance to redeem themselves. Xiao Ruiming is a top-level True Person, and he will also have this opportunity. I will send them out on the upcoming expedition to the Western Continent."

Sui Zihua looked worried: "However, the western expedition will inevitably be led by the Duke of Jing'an, given his temperament..."

Looking at Qin Ziheng's expression, she didn't finish her sentence.

It seems this matter is settled and cannot be changed.

"Your Majesty, I am a woman of the inner palace and should not interfere in state affairs. But is this turn of events truly entirely within Your Majesty's control? Or is it..."

Was His Majesty also coerced?

Sui Zihua didn't say the last, outrageous sentence directly, but the meaning was already clear.

Qin Ziheng and Sui Zihua looked at each other and saw deep worry and a hint of fear in each other's eyes!

He chuckled self-deprecatingly: "Zihua, the world only knows about the Ten Great Clans, but you and I both know very well that in the Great Blue Dynasty, there will always only be one major clan, and that is the royal family!"

Sui Zihua was startled and his face turned pale instantly.

These past few days, the greatest fear in her heart was not the possibility of her family being implicated, but this matter itself!

Now that Qin Ziheng has directly exposed this matter, Sui Zihua's body cannot help but tremble.

Qin Ziheng held her cold hand and said softly:

"No need to worry. If Li Fei really had such intentions, my throne would have been unstable long ago."

With the world's number one cultivation level, two ninth-grade exotic beasts as allies, and the assistance of a 'sword immortal' ranked fourth in the world.

This is a force even more powerful than the Western Kingdom at its peak.

If Li Fei really wanted to become emperor, he was entirely capable of doing so!
The reason Qin Ziheng was worried and had doubts in the first place, and the reason the Xiao family went to test Li Fei on his behalf and reminded him to be cautious, was because they were afraid that such a day would come.

But it's all about timing and fate. Without Li Fei, the Great Blue Dynasty wouldn't have made it to where it is today.

The Great Blue Dynasty, now in its current state, can no longer suppress Li Fei, who has risen to power.

If Li Fei is merely using this opportunity to prove his Dao and ascend to the pinnacle with the help of the Great Blue Dynasty's national fortune, Qin Ziheng has absolutely nothing to worry about.

Because if Li Fei were to betray the Great Blue Dynasty, he would immediately fall from grace!

However, Li Fei's unprecedented five-certificate peak and his ties with the Great Blue Dynasty were not that deep, so even if he really betrayed the Great Blue Dynasty, the impact would not be that severe.

“Before this matter began, Li Fei had a frank talk with me.”

Qin Ziheng said to Sui Zihua.

He recalled the conversation that took place more than two months ago in the Imperial Study, where Li Fei and he sat facing each other.

For the first time, Li Fei did not submit to him, but looked at him with completely equal eyes:
“My adoptive parents knew that war would be very dangerous, and they could have used my power to take my sister to live a life of luxury, but when the Great Blue Dynasty was in danger, they still supported my sister to stay on the front line to fight the enemy without hesitation. Because they deeply love this country.”

“When I was at the bottom of society, I met my master Hao Yi. Without his selfless help and guidance, and without the seed of the [Refining] supernatural power that he left me, I would not be where I am today.”

"My master was a man who cared deeply for the people and was a pure idealist. He hoped that this country could become a better place, and for this he was willing to sacrifice his martial arts career and his life!"

"Throughout my journey, I have never lacked any cultivation resources or secret manuals, all thanks to the late emperor's promotion. It was the late emperor who ensured my cultivation was worry-free and my future was secure. In the end, he even helped me condense supernatural powers, enabling me to reach the peak of the five realms. Without the [Jing'an] supernatural power, I absolutely could not have done it."

"Before his death, the late emperor spared no expense in sacrificing the nation's fortune to gather the [Jing'an] divine power for me, so that I could become the pillar of the Great Blue Dynasty."

"If I were to rebel, I would betray the late emperor's kindness and trust, and that would be disloyalty!"

"If I rebel, Grand Marshal Wenren will fight me to the death, as will Commander Zuo Jun, the White Flame Army, the Azure Frost Army, and the Azure Iron Cavalry. These people who once fought alongside me and entrusted me with their lives will all turn against me with swords drawn. It would be unjust for me to kill them!"

"Once I raise my sword, ten years of calamity befall the people! If I rebel, regardless of the final outcome, the world will surely fall into chaos again, and countless innocent people will be implicated. If my master were still alive, he would not want to see such a scene. My adoptive parents would not be happy to see the country plunged into turmoil again, with corpses strewn across the fields. This would be—unrighteous! Unfilial!"

"If I were to rebel, even if I succeeded in the end, I would only become a disloyal, unjust, unkind, and unfilial figure, all alone. Does Your Majesty think I would choose this path?"

Qin Ziheng sat opposite Li Fei, looked into his eyes, and shook his head.

If it were anyone else, they would be capable of any heinous act if they were to become emperor!

There have always been many people like this throughout history.

But Li Fei is different.

All the choices he made along the way, and the path he followed, destined him not to become that kind of person.

Qin Ziheng might have had doubts about this in the past, but now, standing at a new height and having experienced real storms, he is increasingly able to understand the contents of the letter that Emperor Hongguang left for him.

"What Li Fei seeks is to live a life of pleasure! How can he still be pleasure-seeking after becoming emperor?"

Li Fei laughed.

Qin Ziheng also smiled.

Yes, the emperor may seem to be the most unrestrained person in the world, but in reality, he is also the most restrained person in the world.

A dragon throne, a vast empire—how many heroes and great men have been trapped in its clutches?
In the Imperial Garden, Qin Ziheng said to Sui Zihua:

"You don't need to worry about the Duke of Jing'an. As long as the Great Lan Dynasty does not betray him, he will never betray the Great Lan Dynasty!"

Sui Zihua gradually calmed down, but still couldn't help asking:

"But Your Majesty, this time...the royal family has suffered a great loss."

Ye Ze'an's main target was the Ten Clans, but as a result, far more than ten families were implicated.

There were many other imperial relatives like the Duke of Zhongguo and the Prince of Qing who were implicated.

The Xiao family and the Sui family, including the Duke of Zhongguo, can both be considered staunch supporters of the emperor!
Therefore, if Li Fei and Ye Ze'an want to weaken the powerful clans, they will inevitably weaken the power of the royal family and attack the emperor's "own people".

More than 30 cabinet officials alone were imprisoned. How many officials in the 23 provincial capitals across the country were implicated?
Some of these people had followed the emperor since he was still the crown prince, and had gone from being the crown prince's cronies to the emperor's protégés.

Now these "disciples of the emperor" have also been arrested!

No matter how you look at it, this seems to indicate a change of dynasty!
It's no wonder that Sui Zihua felt panicked and fearful about this.

Qin Ziheng smiled and said:
"Before the matter was launched, Li Fei asked me a question on behalf of Ye Ze'an."

"what is the problem?"

"Does Ye Ze'an want to ask me whether he views the royal family as a powerful clan, or the entire world as one family?"

"."

"If my vision is limited to the rise and fall of a single family or clan, then the royal family is nothing more than a powerful clan. If my vision extends to the entire world, then the whole world is my home!"

Qin Ziheng gripped the Empress's hand tightly, more spirited than ever before:
"When the Great Blue Dynasty prospers, my family prospers. How can the rise and fall of one family or clan shake my foundation?"

"Zihua, a person who can't give up anything is destined to gain nothing. To achieve something unprecedented, you must do something that has never been done before!"

"Without the constraints of powerful clans, the Great Blue Dynasty's national strength will continue to increase, and an unprecedented situation will emerge!"

"Next, we will launch an expedition to the Western Continent to truly unify the world. Under my rule, the Great Blue Dynasty will reach unprecedented heights!"

"Thousands of years from now, no matter what the situation is like, my name will be remembered!"

Sui Zihua stared blankly at the other person, seeing in him a kind of martyr-like pleasure and obsession.

Such paranoia often appears in those who are prone to extremes, such as Hao Yi, Qingxu, Li Fei, and Ye Ze'an.

Now, Qin Ziheng seems to have become that kind of person too.

This side of Qin Ziheng felt unfamiliar to Sui Zihua.

"Perhaps... this is the inherent nature of the Qin royal family?"

Sui Zihua couldn't help but think this.

Therefore, the late emperor was willing to sacrifice himself to carry out the plan, even at the cost of his life.

Therefore, even though the former third prince knew it was 'letting the wolf into the house,' he still wanted to fight for a chance for himself.

Therefore, even though the former crown prince knew he would be taking the blame for others, he still chose to become the ruler of the Western Kingdom.

Now, it's Qin Ziheng's turn.

He also made his own choice!

"Your Majesty, I wish that your wish may be fulfilled and that you may rule the world."

Sui Zihua knelt down and bowed deeply to Qin Ziheng.

Blue Patrol Headquarters.

The main pavilion is located in the inner city, adjacent to the headquarters of the other pavilions in the inner city.

This wasn't the first or second time Yu Hong had reported to the General Headquarters, but this was the first time he had been so nervous.

Because Sangji found him today and said that the Duke of Jing'an wanted to see him!

Yu Hongcheng has been an inspector for two years and has never seen Li Fei.

Not to mention him, even many first-level inspectors in the pavilion may not have seen their own pavilion master.

Therefore, Yu Hong was both nervous and expectant about today's private meeting.

Yu Hong sat alone in the room, unable to calm down for a long time. After an unknown amount of time, the door opened, and Li Fei, dressed in a golden robe, walked in, carrying a wooden box in his hands.

Yu Hongshua stood up abruptly, staring wide-eyed at Li Fei:

"Yu Hong, a third-level inspector of the Blue Patrol Pavilion, greets the Pavilion Master!"

Li Fei nodded to Hong:

"Don't be shy, sit down and let's talk."

"Yes!"

Yu Hong sat down stiffly, unsure of what to do with his hands and feet.

Li Fei put down the wooden box, looked at Yu Hong, and a smile appeared on his face:
"Sangji told me everything about you."

Sangji truthfully reported Yu Hong's performance in Chongcheng, as well as his various words and actions along the way, to Li Fei.

After hearing about Yu Hong's behavior at the restaurant in Chongcheng, Li Fei had some thoughts in mind.

Seeing him in person now has only strengthened this feeling.

"You're probably aware of what's been happening in the capital lately, aren't you?"

Li Fei asked.

Yu Hong sat up straight: "Does the Pavilion Master mean the case of Grand Secretary Ye Ze'an?"

Li Fei nodded: "What do you think?"

Yu Hong was a little nervous and said truthfully, "I am not experienced and have not participated in the investigation. I do not know the inside story, so I cannot make a judgment."

After Ye Ze'an's case was made public by the Supervisory Council, almost everyone in Lanling City was cursing Ye Ze'an.

Officials and江湖人士 (people from the underworld) who knew a little about the inside story were also cursing Ye Ze'an.

Yu Hong was the first person Li Fei met who said he didn't know the inside story and therefore couldn't make a judgment.

"They really do look alike."

"what?"

"nothing."

Li Fei snapped out of his daze and looked into Yu Hong's eyes:
"I can tell you with certainty that the charges announced by the Oversight Council are all true. There is no fabrication, no framing, and no forced confession."

Yu Hong stared wide-eyed, finding it hard to believe that the Prime Minister of a country could commit such a crime!
He clenched his fists instinctively, his eyes filled with anger and confusion.

"I'd like to know, how is Ye Qin doing now?"

After a moment of silence, Yu Hong asked a question.

An expression of admiration appeared in Li Fei's eyes.

"After confessing to all his crimes, Ye Qin committed suicide in prison last night."

"Suicide?"

Yu Hong pursed his lips, and the old man's voice and smile from the past month or so came to mind.

Back in Chongcheng, when facing Huang Wenshan, who was ranked eighth on the Earth Ranking, the opponent was clearly at a disadvantage, yet still did his best to protect himself.

The other person and I were just strangers who met by chance.

How could such a person be a villain who has committed heinous crimes?

Why did this villain choose to turn himself in?
"Was this incident deliberately arranged by that leader, Ye Ze'an?"

After a moment of silence, Yu Hong looked up at Li Fei and asked.

"Yes."

Li Fei did not hide anything from Yu Hong: "In order to suppress the powerful clans, Ye Ze'an had cooperated with various powerful clans many years ago. Of course, he did not only plant 'explosives' but also wanted to use the power of the various powerful clans to promote his own policies. This is how the Mingxin Reform succeeded."

"The Ming and Xin Reforms?"

Yu Hong opened his mouth, never expecting that the reform that brought new life to the Great Blue Dynasty and benefited hundreds of millions of people would hide such a truth behind the scenes.
"So, he's willing to go to any lengths to get things done. How could he possibly..."

Yu Hong's thoughts were already somewhat confused.

Even after learning the real inside story from Li Fei, he didn't know how to judge it for a moment.

Li Fei looked at Yu Hong quietly, with a scrutinizing gaze.

After calming down, Hong Ping asked:
"Now that you know the inside story, do you think Ye Ze'an did the right thing?"

"I"

Yu Hong opened his mouth, then slowly lowered his head under Li Fei's gaze:
"I'm sorry, Master, I feel I shouldn't have done it this way!!!"

He finally mustered the courage to speak up.

He wasn't stupid. After serving as an inspector for two years, he had a certain understanding of the officialdom and power of the aristocratic families in the Great Blue Dynasty.

He knew that without a powerful force above everyone else suppressing the situation, nothing could be done, and the Great Blue Dynasty would probably have already fallen into complete chaos!

Ye Ze'an's strength alone is far from enough, even with the emperor's support.

Based on the relationship between Sangji and Li Fei, Yu Hong could easily guess that there was another powerful figure behind this incident!

Li Fei was supporting Ye Ze'an from behind, so everything makes sense.

Knowing that Li Fei supported Ye Ze'an, and knowing that Li Fei's words could decide his future or even his life, Yu Hong still mustered the courage to speak his true feelings:
"This is not how things should be done. Did those who were sacrificed deserve it? Should they die so that the majority could have a better future?!"

As he spoke, he slowly raised his head to look at Li Fei.

He expected to see an angry face, but to his surprise, Li Fei was looking at him with a faint smile.

"Uh, Pavilion Master?"

"very good."

"what?"

"It's good that you think this way and dare to say it to me. But it's not enough to just raise questions; you must be able to solve them."

"Uh"

"If you can only raise questions but have no ability to solve them, what right do you have to question and criticize those who are doing their best to solve problems?"

"."

“I once knew a man who also saw many problems in this world. But he didn’t complain, didn’t blame others for inaction, or didn’t do a good enough job. He also gave it his all and tried his best to solve the problems he could solve. He was my mentor, and his name was Hao Yi.”

"Yes, sir."

"Oh?"

"I have heard about the matter between the Pavilion Master and your mentor."

"Yes, you are very similar to my mentor."

Li Fei said to Hong.

Yu Hong was stunned, then froze.

Li Fei smiled and said, "If my mentor were alive, he would definitely not agree with Ye Ze'an's approach. But in fact, Ye Ze'an and he are the same kind of people. Ye Ze'an, like my mentor, also risked everything to try to solve the problems he saw."

"I think that when Ye Ze'an was in that position, he must have thought of countless methods, encountered countless obstacles, and made countless attempts, but in the end, there was only one path in front of him."

"He didn't know how this path would end, or whether he was right or wrong, but it was the only path he had left, so he chose to continue."

Yu Hong fell silent.

Although he still could not agree with Ye Ze'an's actions, at least he could no longer make any judgments about the former prime minister.

"Sacrificing a few to save the many—I've seen many people use this as a pretext, but in reality, they're just trying to satisfy their own interests. Their faces are disgusting."

Li Fei rarely opened up to others, but he did so to a boy he had only met today:
"Ye Ze'an did the same thing, but what did he get in the end? He could have retired with honor as the Grand Secretary, and after his death he would have been awarded the most glorious posthumous title of 'Wenzheng' for scholars! Based on his past achievements and the reforms he presided over, he would have been remembered in history and his name would have been passed down for generations!"
But he chose to destroy it all with his own hands. His parents and relatives resented him, and the people of the world cursed him. Even someone as upright as you, even after knowing all the inside stories, still cannot understand him.

These past few days I've been thinking, what exactly did Ye Ze'an gain?

Yu Hong opened his mouth, but could not utter a word.

Li Fei suddenly stood up and picked up the wooden box on the table.

Yu Hong quickly got up as well.

"Come on, come with me."

Li Fei said to Hong.

Yu Hong didn't ask where they were going, he just nodded and followed.

The two arrived at the backyard of the main building. Li Fei summoned a black boat, took Yu Hong aboard, and then flew away.

Li Fei piloted the flying boat and quickly flew out of Lanling City.

He opened the wooden box he was holding, grabbed a handful of ash, and sprinkled it downwards.

"Master, what is this?"

Yu Hong couldn't help but ask.

Li Fei: "These are Ye Ze'an's ashes."

Yu Hong: "Huh?"

Li Fei turned to look at him: "Ye Ze'an told me before he died that he could not enter the Imperial Ancestral Temple or the Ye Family Ancestral Hall after his death, so let his ashes be scattered throughout the entire Great Blue Dynasty."

Yu Hong fell silent again, unsure of what to say.

In the days that followed, Li Fei really took him all over the twenty-three provinces of the Great Blue Dynasty, and even to the grasslands, deserts and northern barbarians.

Wherever they went, Li Fei would take him to hide his identity and randomly find a place to explore.

As he visited more and more places, Yu Hong gradually gained some insight.

This trip was both Li Fei's way of fulfilling his promise to Ye Ze'an and his way of finding the answer.

Or perhaps, so that Ye Ze'an's spirit in heaven could see that answer—

The Great Blue Dynasty has twenty-three provinces, each with its own officials. Local powerful families, gangs, or martial arts sects are all implicated in Ye Ze'an's case.

When the government publicly announced the crimes of these people and brought them to justice, there was applause, laughter and cheers everywhere in the Great Blue Dynasty!
The Ten Powers still exist, and the evils of the world have not been completely eradicated.

But the lives of many people in the Great Blue Dynasty did indeed improve a little as a result, and they had more hope for the future.

The Ten Valves may never recover from this setback and will eventually be swept into the dustbin of history.

Or perhaps new ten-valve systems will emerge in the future.
But no matter what the future holds, that old man will never see it again.

Li Fei finally brought Yu Hong to Wu'an University, to the small mountain where Principal Shi Caiming lived in seclusion.

He scattered the last bit of ashes from the wooden box onto the mountain, looked up at the sky, and his lips moved slightly.

"Prime Minister Ye, I have scattered your ashes throughout the entire Great Blue Dynasty. May your soul rest with the nation and accompany the rivers and mountains in the future, witnessing the future of the Great Blue Dynasty together."

After doing all this, Li Fei led Yu Hong to Hao Yi and Shangguan Xiao's graves and said to Yu Hong:
"Yu Hong, would you be willing to become my disciple?"

“I will not promise you wealth and glory, nor will I promise you that you will definitely become a top expert. The only thing I can promise you is what you already knew when you became an inspector—from now on, the world will not be cramped, and heroes can stand tall.”

After spending more than a month alone together, Yu Hong no longer felt the initial nervousness towards Li Fei.

Moreover, Li Fei had given him a lot of guidance during this period, so he was already somewhat prepared.

Without hesitation, Yu Hong knelt before Hao Yi's grave and kowtowed to Li Fei:

"Disciple Yu Hong greets Master!"

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(End of this chapter)