Zu An said with difficulty, "Your Majesty, I am only a marquis now, and I have no merit. How can I be qualified to be made a king?"

“Now I say you’re qualified, and that’s it. Besides, how come you haven’t made any contributions?” Liu Ning drew circles on his chest with her finger. “You made a contribution by protecting the emperor in Zishan, and later you brought back news of the emperor, the Prince of Qi, and the chief minister from the dangerous secret realm. Otherwise, the whole world would be at a loss. That’s already a huge contribution.”

"This is not enough to be granted the title of king; the major families in the capital will not agree to it." Zu An's rocket-like promotion speed in the past two years has already attracted the envy of many people. If he were to be promoted several ranks from marquis to king, the entire capital would probably explode.

If Zhao Hao knew that he had become a loyal minister who had rendered meritorious service in protecting the emperor, and that his empress was lying in his arms, scheming for him with understanding, I wonder if he would be so angry that he would come back to life.

Liu Ning smiled and said, "Under normal circumstances, these merits are indeed a bit insufficient, but don't forget that you also have another identity, namely the Regent of the Demon Clan. If we give you a lower position than this, wouldn't that be a blatant insult to you and push you to the side of the Demon Clan?"

"Furthermore, I now have the final say in the capital. If I say you can become a palace official, then you can become one. You will then be able to freely enter and leave the palace and come to keep me company every day."

Zu An was in a real bind. If he were to be pestered in the palace every day, Bi Linglong would naturally find out about their relationship, and the thought of that chaotic situation was unbearable.

Moreover, how could he cultivate under such circumstances?

During this journey to the secret realm, he obtained the "True Scripture of Embracing Simplicity," whose contents are vast and profound, requiring him to seclude himself and study it in depth to fully comprehend it.

He didn't care about any of these titles or ranks.

So he could only say, "Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty, but I am a married man and cannot stay in the palace for long..."

"What family background? Didn't you and that Chu man get divorced?" Liu Ning was somewhat dissatisfied, but finally sighed. "Fine, my future identity is the Empress Dowager, so I really can't be with you openly. Let other girls accompany you outside. In the palace you are mine, and outside you can marry wives and concubines as usual. I will not only not stop you, but I will also send you a big congratulatory gift."

Zuan: "..."

He originally thought that everyone would be testing each other and engaging in verbal sparring after coming here, but there's none of that now. Liu Ning is too good to him, which has made him lose his composure.

Zu An thought for a moment and said in a deep voice, "On my way back to the capital this time, I encountered an assassin."

"An assassin?" Liu Ning sat up abruptly. "Who wants to get you?"

"I don't know." Zuan hesitated for a moment, and then revealed the information that the client was a eunuch.

"That must be that woman, Bi Linglong," Liu Ning said coldly, her eyes flashing with a sharp light, clearly angry that the other woman dared to lay a hand on her man.

Zuan shook his head: "The Crown Princess has no motive."

“How could there be no motive?” Liu Ning sneered. “Now that I’ve cornered her, she’s been searching for my weakness in order to launch a counterattack.”

“If something happens to you, the nominal Grand General of the Crown Prince, no one will suspect her, and she will take the opportunity to frame me.”

"There's an unspoken agreement in the court that everyone follows the rules. Assassinations are the most taboo thing, because once it starts, it's hard to stop. It leads to a lose-lose situation and creates panic. So, if the officials think I sent the assassin, many ministers will become disloyal to me and side with her instead." Her expression grew more and more serious as she spoke. "What a brilliant self-inflicted injury scheme! This woman is truly shrewd!"

Zuan: "..."

Is this a game of Werewolf? Why does everyone seem like a suspect now?