Upon hearing this, Zhong Ping opened his mouth but didn't dare to utter a word in rebuttal.

He really didn't dare to do that.

With the Li family as an example, and the Emperor wholeheartedly protecting them, even though he was a Grand Secretary, he had to avoid their sharp edge.

Moreover, he can no longer live without the immortal wine.

"Indeed, they cannot be confused. Personal feelings are personal feelings, and national affairs are national affairs; they are two different things."

Grand Secretary An's expression was also somewhat awkward; he felt that Liu An had just been mocking him.

He couldn't help but curse Zhong Ping in his heart.

It's not enough to keep your dissatisfaction to yourself; why do you have to curse it out? And in front of the Lady Protector's lackeys, you're such a fool, you have no brains at all.

“What you say is right,” Liu An said with a smirk. “I also think this makes a lot of sense. In the long run, there is no harm in this.”

"Bullshit!" Zhong Ping was furious and couldn't help but curse. "Even a fool would know there's no benefit in it. Don't be so shameless!"

How can there be such shameless people in the world? Even Qi Yong has more integrity than Liu An.

Grand Secretary An's expression was also not good.

He discovered that Liu An had truly lost all integrity ever since he found a powerful backer.

"Liu An, I know you have a good relationship with the Lady Protector of the Nation, and I am very grateful to her. However, as a Grand Secretary, we cannot act impulsively."

The implication was that Liu An was being overly sycophantic.

“I am not acting on impulse,” Liu An raised an eyebrow and said, “First of all, filial piety is the most important virtue. Our mothers gave birth to us and raised us, and we should respect them.”

“Liu An,” Zhong Ping said, his face ashen, “there’s no need to spout this nonsense.”

Their biological mothers had been dead for decades, and the only way to show respect was to offer incense occasionally.

“Alright, let’s be practical,” Liu An said, unconcerned. “His Majesty is ambitious, and the Great Zhou Dynasty is in dire need of rebuilding. Right now, what we lack most is manpower.”

We need people to reclaim wasteland, defend the borders, build imperial tombs, and open up trade routes to the west. Don't you agree?

“That’s true,” Zhong Ping couldn’t help but retort, “but Old Madam Jiang doesn’t have that ability.”

"Whether she has the ability or not is not important. Her presence shows that women are not without value and can improve their situation to some extent. Only when they are doing well can they have more and more children."

"wrong……"

"Something's not right," Liu An interrupted before Zhong Ping could finish, "Which man wasn't born from his mother's womb after ten months of pregnancy? If they're already dead, how can they have children?"

"That's just sophistry," Zhong Ping sneered. "She's just a marquis; do you really think she can protect all the women in the world?"

“If that’s really what you think,” Liu An scoffed, “why are you so wary?”

Hypocritical person!

They clearly understand the power of women, yet they belittle it to the extreme, as if women have no value whatsoever except to depend on men.

In fact, they kept them tightly in cages, fearing they would escape from the inner quarters and lose their former timidity and gentleness.

“A rooster crowing at dawn is a sign of national chaos,” An Qingyun said with a stern face. “Liu An, neither your stepmother nor your wife are easy to deal with. You should not help them achieve their ambitions.”

Has Liu An lost his mind?

He's been bullied so badly by his stepmother and wife, yet he's still obsessed with improving women's status?

Even with such severe suppression, there are still ambitious individuals. If the constraints are loosened, can we still expect peaceful days?

“I am different from you. I have long since let go of these things,” Liu An said with a smirk. “If you are afraid of even women, what are you talking about in serving the country? You should go home and retire!”

"You..." Zhong Ping was so angry that his mind went blank, and he couldn't think of any rebuttal.

An Qingyun was also furious, his face turning pale. "Liu An, it's best to leave yourself a way out, lest you die without even knowing how!"

"You don't need to worry about that. Rest assured, I will definitely outlive you."

After saying that, Liu An shook his head, put his hands behind his back, and left with a smirk on his face.

Those two shameless old bastards have caused themselves so much trouble, and they still want me to be on their side? Are they out of their minds?

What kind of time is this to be so naive? Instead of clinging to the Emperor's powerful backing, you're always thinking about your own petty schemes. You'll get what's coming to you sooner or later.

After Liu An left, Zhong Ping nearly ground his teeth to powder. "A petty person has gotten his way!"

“His Majesty’s word is law, and there is no going back on this matter. No matter how much you scold him, it’s just a few complaints,” Grand Secretary An shook his head. “It would be better to go back to your residence and deal with family matters.”

If something like this happens suddenly, the right thing to do is to sort things out your own backyard first.

Shaking his head, Grand Secretary An also left.

After informing the three Grand Secretaries, Ji Xuan acted swiftly, issuing an imperial edict to the Ministry of Rites the next day, instructing them to prepare accordingly.

The court was in an uproar.

The backyard of the Cui residence.

"Brother Cui, did you hear that? His Majesty actually bestowed the title of Marquis of Liuxian upon the mother of the Lady Protector of the Nation! He can do such an absurd thing. He's getting more and more muddleheaded!"

“Yes,” Cui Minghao’s face was grim. “I received the news just as dawn was breaking.”

Then, it was immediately spread out.

To his disappointment, the people did not react much, as if this absurd event was as commonplace as eating and drinking.

These fools! In the past, women would be beaten up if they sat at the table, so why is no one objecting to such a momentous event as bestowing a title upon a nobleman? Is it simply because she is the mother of a banished immortal?

Enraged, Cui Minghao vomited blood and decided to go all the way, directly turning the immortal into a monster and solidifying the current emperor's incompetence and tyranny.

Thinking of Liu An's behavior, he questioned Liu Ziyue with dissatisfaction, "What's wrong with your husband? Has he really become the lackey of the immortal?"

“I don’t know either,” Liu Ziyue said, feeling wronged. “He’s having a really bad falling out with his family right now, and he’s trying to find ways to cause trouble so that the clan can help him get rid of his wife and son.”

"You didn't actually agree, did you?"

Looking at Liu Ziyue's aggrieved face, Cui Minghao's bad premonition grew stronger.

"The ancestral hall was opened yesterday morning," Liu Ziyue said, increasingly regretting his decision. "If I had known, I would have made the clan delay it for two more days."

He had long said not to let Liu An succeed so quickly. Those old guys in the clan just couldn't stand seeing money. They rushed to get things done after he only gave them a hint.

Now things are much better. Lady Yuan has been divorced and sent back to her parents' home, and Liu Xun has also severed ties with Liu An. The clan's ties with him have been completely broken, and people no longer need to have any concerns.

Sure enough, he had just gotten rid of his wife, son, and children when he caused such a big incident, catching everyone off guard.

"Foolish! Why weren't you informed of something this big?"

Cui Minghao was absolutely furious with these incompetent teammates.

What is the Liu family? The reason he values ​​them so much is because of Liu An.

No matter how much Liu An disliked the Liu family, he would compromise to some extent as long as there was something to restrain him.

Cui Minghao never doubted this point; after all, the Liu family had used this to take advantage of Liu An for over thirty years.

But now, these idiots have actually taken care of the mother and son who were holding Liu An back. Could they be any more stupid?