The Ye Mansion was extraordinarily serene under the night sky.
Throughout his years as the Grand Secretary, Ye Ze'an mostly resided in Zixu Hall within the Imperial City, seldom returning ho.
This made it difficult for those seeking to curry favor with the powerful Grand Secretary to find an opportunity to pay him a visit.
It was impossible to send gifts directly to Zixu Hall.
Since the Grand Secretary fell seriously ill, he has been residing at the mansion instead, and many people have been arriving in an endless stream to visit him. However, citing his ill health and inability to receive visitors, he refused to et anyone.
Despite this, people continuously arrived, bringing various precious tonics or accompanied by renowned Divine Doctors.
Until June 22nd, the entrance of the Ye Mansion suddenly beca deserted.
The Eighth Year of Yuanxing, June 22nd.
Ye Qin, the Ye Family's steward, who was Ye Ze'an's companion from childhood and later a trusted confidant, went alone to the Monitoring Pavilion to accuse Ye Ze'an before the Pavilion Master, Lou Hongtao!
The affair involving Ye Qin has been causing a great stir over the past month, and it is known throughout the city.
His public accusation of Ye Ze'an spread through Lanling City at an astonishing speed!
The Monitoring Pavilion has yet to accept Ye Qin's accusation, with Ye Qin remaining inside while Pavilion Master Lou Hongtao has already entered the palace to et with Your Majesty.
Besides Lou Hongtao, many Cabinet Ministers have rushed to the palace overnight.
The court and the public were shaken, and almost no one dared to approach the Ye Mansion, which was at the center of this whirlpool.
A car stopped outside the Ye Mansion, and a man dressed in the Zixu Hall University Scholar's attire walked effortlessly into the residence.
"Master Hu, the lord just went to bed and may not be able to see you."
The elderly steward of the Ye Mansion said to Hu Tingzhong.
Hu Tingzhong did not appear extraordinary and had sowhat dark skin, looking anything but suave and handso.
He calmly said to the steward, "Then I will wait in the mansion for my ntor to wake up."
"This..."
The steward looked troubled but dared not forcibly expel the person in front of him.
Hu Tingzhong, Zixu Hall University Scholar.
Before Li Fei 'assud office and entered the Cabinet', he was the youngest 'cabinet minister' in the Cabinet and also Ye Ze'an's prized student.
Ye Ze'an grood Hu Tingzhong as the next Grand Secretary, and Hu Tingzhong lived up to expectations by becoming Ye Ze'an's right-hand man, assisting him in managing state affairs smoothly over the years, with significant achievents.
However, on the court, not many of the real bigwigs believed Hu Tingzhong could succeed Ye Ze'an as Grand Secretary.
The reason was simple—background.
Hu Tingzhong did not co from any of the Ten Gate Valves, nor was he a descendant of an Aristocratic Family.
He ca from a poor family and would not have beco a Cabinet official had Ye Ze'an not recognized and gradually promoted him. Even becoming a Chief in a small city would have been the utmost of his career.
In the five hundred years of the Da Lan Dynasty's history, no Grand Secretary has ever co from a poor family!
This was Hu Tingzhong's fatal flaw!
Originally, many thought Ye Ze'an would arrange for his outstanding student to marry a daughter of the Ye Family to compensate for Hu Tingzhong's shortcomings and further strengthen their relationship.
But Ye Ze'an never did so, and even strongly refused the Ye Family's arrangents several tis.
Several families among the Ten Gate Valves also tried to marry their daughters to Hu Tingzhong, but none succeeded.
Hu Tingzhong ended up marrying a woman from a small, humble family.
This just made people even more pessimistic about his future.
While Ye Ze'an was in power, Hu Tingzhong could 'ride on the authority', but once Ye Ze'an was gone, what would a poor-born official rely on to secure his position?
Thus, during Ye Ze'an's serious illness, Hu Tingzhong's situation was not good and was even quite difficult.
Many administrative orders suddenly faced obstruction, many departnts suddenly stopped cooperating, and several colleagues suddenly began to distance themselves from him.
Hu Tingzhong went to the reception hall of the Ye Mansion and pulled out a book from his sleeve, quietly reading it.
The old steward personally served him tea and pastries, sighed, and withdrew.
The hall was very quiet, with only the occasional sound of Hu Tingzhong flipping the pages.
This book, written by Ye Ze'an himself, is titled "Mingxin Records," detailing Ye Ze'an's hosting of the Mingxin Reformation and his experiences and insights.
Ye Ze'an had the talent to govern, and even those political enemies who hated him to the core would not deny this against their conscience.
However, in terms of literary skill, the Grand Secretary could only be described as diocre.
When Li Fei first heard the Grand Secretary's speeches in a grand court eting, he felt that compared to others, Ye Ze'an's words were utterly plain, with no literary flair, but they were logically clear and straightforward.
After decades as Grand Secretary, Ye Ze'an never produced any well-known writings.
The "Mingxin Records" in Hu Tingzhong's hands was not sothing Ye Ze'an intended to spread.
He did not write books, did not leave words, did not write poetry, was not fond of ink, paper, and brushes, and did not enjoy ancient paintings and collectibles.
He seed to not value what scholars typically valued.
He rely stood year after year in the position of Grand Secretary, handling state affairs and implenting new decrees to nd and patch the five-century-old Empire.
Hu Tingzhong slowly perused the book as if reliving Ye Ze'an's life.
Upon reaching a particular page, Hu Tingzhong suddenly paused.
This page was written on a night after Ye Ze'an achieved a milestone in the Mingxin Reformation.
Ye Ze'an did not express any joy between the lines:
"....The biggest obstacle to this reformation is not in the lack of support from Your Majesty, not in the challenge of implenting decrees at the local level, nor in officials not being virtuous enough.
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