Upon hearing this, Jiang Chao raised his eyelids slightly. "Tell the truth, what are you plotting this time?"
"What could I possibly be scheming against?" Liu An glared fiercely at Jiang Chao. "How could you think of me like that?"
Upon hearing this, the four of them rolled their eyes in unison.
Anyone who has experienced what they went through should learn a lesson from it.
That old geezer can't be trusted!
Upon hearing this, Liu An blew hard on his beard and said, "Am I really that unworthy of your trust?"
"Please don't insult the word 'trust'."
"Jiang Chao, I think you deserve a beating!"
"Uncle Liu, is there really no trap? Why are they seeing us off for no reason?"
Huang Chuan didn't believe it either.
He didn't think these people really had that much face; it would be more like they were immortals descending to earth.
Cough cough...
Liu An was afraid that the others would not cooperate, so he did not dare to hide it.
He cleared his throat awkwardly and then explained, "In recent years, the Great Zhou has not been in a good situation. Natural disasters and man-made calamities have occurred frequently, and the Gandan people in the northwest have also caused trouble. His Majesty wants to make great strides, but he is often thwarted. For the time being, he can only borrow the power of the banished immortal to unite the people."
"By the way..."
"I'd also like to ask you for a little help."
"What kind of help?"
“Your Majesty intends to eliminate the abuses, but the court officials all disagree,” Liu An said, taking out a memorial and waving it around. “I would like to present it to you through your hands.”
After all, the immortal's fame was known throughout the world, and no one doubted her abilities.
Furthermore, since people needed her help, even if they were slightly dissatisfied, they dared not completely break ties with her.
Upon hearing this, the four men's faces darkened.
Even the most foolish person knows the seriousness of eliminating malpractices and practically puts them on the fire to roast.
“No, I don’t agree,” Huang Chuan said firmly. “Major matters of the court are not something the four of us can participate in, and my mother would not agree either.”
The lineage of the banished immortals can only maintain a transcendent and superior position; they are not suitable for participating in court politics.
Huang Chuan understood this, and Liu An understood it even better.
"Cousin, why bother talking to him so much? Pack your things and let's go."
In short, they will not cooperate.
Is this just a case of scheming once or twice, treating people like dough to be kneaded?
The four of them may have lost face, but they could not afford to gamble with the future of the entire household.
"Uncle Liu," Huang Xiaosan said with a grim expression, "you should stay in the capital and serve as a Grand Secretary from now on."
This manager is someone his family can no longer afford.
They could tolerate the Grand Secretary's aloofness and arrogance, but they would not tolerate his repeated scheming.
"What do you three think I am?" These words made Liu An's chest ache with anger. "Even if I am despicable, I would never betray my master for personal gain. Can you please let me finish what I have to say?"
"Then continue."
"This reform of the system mainly focuses on the imperial examination system, breaking down barriers based on social class to allow those from poor families and commoners to participate. Thanks to the papermaking and printing techniques that your mother previously presented, the cost of studying has been greatly reduced. His Majesty intends to support those from poor families and commoners, but because the matter is of great importance, he can only entrust it to you."
"This is a momentous event that will benefit future generations. Although it involves politics, it does not involve factions. Given the current fame of the banished immortal, it will not have much of an impact."
Upon hearing this, the four exchanged glances.
Huang Lao Er, the most impatient of them all, spoke first, "Does my mother know?"
“Yes,” Huang Laoda also realized, “We’ll listen to my mother. If she agrees, then we agree.”
"She lets you choose for yourselves; she won't interfere."
Thinking of this, Liu An felt helpless.
Only a woman of great virtue would have the courage to give her son such a significant opportunity to practice.
"Did your aunt give us any instructions?"
"Just walk your own path, and bear the consequences yourself, good or bad. Think twice before you act, and proceed with caution." After saying this, Liu An advised, "This matter is entirely beneficial. The Emperor will appreciate it, and the people will remember your kindness. This opportunity will not come again."
"Let's discuss this first."
"What's there to discuss? I would never lie to you."
"Don't you feel any remorse saying this? What happened before you stopped lying to us?"
"That's called concealment, not deception."
"There's no difference, the result is the same!" Huang Lao Er gritted his teeth and squeezed out these words.
"You're so young, you can't even handle this little bit of hardship," Liu An couldn't help but shake his head. "You still need more experience!"
"You should leave," Huang Lao Er suddenly felt an itch in his fists. "I'm afraid I won't be able to resist beating up my elders."
Not a single word Uncle Liu said was pleasing to the ear.
He's already pushed himself to his limit by enduring this long.
Upon hearing this, Liu An snorted coldly, "Ungrateful wretch!"
Then, he turned and left.
"Jiang Chao, how should we choose in this situation?"
Three pairs of eyes stared at Jiang Chao, making him suddenly tense. "Why are you all asking me? Didn't we say we'd discuss it together?"
"You're quick-witted and have a long-term vision, so naturally I'll listen to you."
"You can't put all the pressure on me."
"No, if anything happens, the four of us brothers will face it together."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Chao felt a headache coming on.
He didn't want to make any choices.
If you're right, that's fine; but if you're wrong, you'll feel guilty for the rest of your life.
Huang Xiaosan noticed his concerns and immediately said, "Jiang Chao, don't think too much about it. No matter what the outcome, your brother won't have any complaints."
"Yes, we should all share the burden."
"How about this, let me analyze it first, and then we can discuss it further."
"become!"
Upon hearing this, Jiang Chao quickly racked his brains, "First of all, we can only believe seven-tenths of what Uncle Liu says, and we should be careful with the remaining three-tenths. The old fox is too cunning and deceptive, so we can't believe him completely."
"Secondly, the benefits he mentioned may exist, but only if His Majesty succeeds."
"Then, if we refuse, we will indeed lose an opportunity to add the finishing touches."
Upon hearing this, Huang Lao Er immediately said, "We don't need to add anything extra."
“That’s right,” Old Huang echoed.
“However,” Jiang Chao continued, changing the subject, “since Grand Secretary Liu dared to come, it means that Aunt did not object. Even if there are risks involved, they won’t be too great.”
"You mean," Huang Xiaosan tentatively began, "that Mother wants us to agree?"
“No,” Jiang Chao shook his head. “What I mean is that this matter doesn’t have a big impact on Aunt, but it’s different for the four of us.”
Upon hearing this, Huang Lao Er became somewhat impatient. "Jiang Chao, just give me the conclusion. Can you agree or not?"
After going around in circles and coming back to himself, Jiang Chao was helpless. He cleared his throat and stopped being mysterious, "I suggest you agree."
"First of all, this matter is indeed beneficial to the country and the people. If more and more people can read and write, the Great Zhou will have more and more people to use."
"Secondly, as long as Auntie is still alive, we will not be in any danger. Afterwards, these troubles can be used as a whetstone to train us."
"In the end, I felt that refusing was useless. His Majesty would definitely find a way to achieve his goal. We know his methods, and we can't defeat him."
A powerful figure who can manipulate the entire court is truly beyond the reach of weaklings like them.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com