Chapter 1921: A Fight Breaks Out

Xie Zhao's gaze was fixed tightly on Liu Zheng's expression.

The air instantly turned silent; the people present were all Liu Zheng's confidants, but at this moment, they wished they could pierce their own ears, pretending they had never heard this sentence.

Yet, they were also looking forward to Liu Zheng's answer.

Liu Zheng was the Chief Minister, and the power he held in his hands had already reached its zenith.

But to go a step further, according to their way of thinking.

In the history of Longyan, such a situation could only mean becoming a monarch, following the same old path of the Monarchy.

Liu Zheng would crush the Xie Clan dynasty, establish a new dynasty, and become the emperor himself.

Returning to being a country under a Monarchy.

Liu Zheng was stunned for several seconds, then laughed heartily: "Xie Zhao, oh Xie Zhao, do you think I need to be an emperor now?"

"Put away those pitiful thoughts of yours; the monarchical system of Longyan will no longer exist."

"If I were to become emperor, that would only weaken my power."

"Re-establishing a dynasty is not something I want to do."

Upon hearing this statement from Liu Zheng, his confidants were slightly stunned; if Liu Zheng did not become emperor, wouldn't they be without hope for the rest of their lives?

Liu Zheng swept his gaze over the crowd and said: "I will establish a ruling party for Longyan; the Parliamentary System is the future of Longyan."

"The Councilors of Longyan will decide the majority of Longyan's power in the future."

The crowd was stunned, not understanding what Liu Zheng meant; currently, it was the Cabinet that held the power of the state.

Almost all decisions were made by the Cabinet, while the Six Ministries were only responsible for execution and management.

And the parliament was a new type of governing institution created by Liu Zheng, whose current power was merely responsible for some elections and decisions on minor matters.

Liu Zheng glanced at Xie Zhao and said: "The Monarchy will not appear in Longyan again; from now on, the royal family of Longyan will only be a symbol."

"I know you Royalist Faction members want to use the emperor to continue to solidify your Noble Class privileges and maintain your power."

"But, Xie Zhao, you are a smart man; you should know what changes have occurred in our Longyan after these nobles were gone."

"The take-off of the economy and the prosperity of the people are all our current manifestations."

"I have said my piece; you and your Royalist Faction should think it over carefully—continue to sink into the past era, or conform to the development of the times!"

Liu Zheng pushed past Xie Zhao and walked out.

Stung into silence by Liu Zheng's words, Xie Zhao had no idea how to respond.

Indeed, under the policies pushed by Liu Zheng, the progress of Longyan could be seen every single day.

Xie Ming was the emperor of Longyan, but the emperor held no power in his hands, only the title of emperor.

And the framework Liu Zheng spoke of was currently taking shape.

Xie Fang fell silent; he was truly beginning to consider the possibility of the Longyan emperor continuing to exist.

……

Liu Zheng walked out of the room and saw the guests filling the seats outside, all there to offer blessings to his son, little Liu Qian.

He knew his father wanted to host a proper hundred-day banquet this time, but he hadn't expected his father to invite so many people.

Among those he recognized and those he didn't, Liu Zheng counted them; there were at least envoys from dozens of countries who had come here.

Xie Chan was so busy she couldn't attend to them all, so Liu Zheng hurried forward to help Xie Chan out of the predicament.

As the protagonists of this banquet, the two of them were undoubtedly the busiest.

But under Liu Zheng's cover, the two of them still managed to find a quiet place to sit down.

Xie Chan looked at Liu Zheng and said: "Finished with your business?"

Liu Zheng nodded and took his precious son into his arms: "Finished, just some minor matters."

"I didn't expect our father to bring so many people here; I thought he had just called over those friends of Longyan." Xie Chan shook her hand.

(Note: The source text split this sentence across two lines 【39】 and 【40】)

Having held little Liu Qian for so long, she felt her son had become heavier again.

Liu Zheng held little Liu Qian and shook his head; seeing so many people for the first time, little Liu Qian didn't cry or fuss, just blinked his eyes curiously.

Xie Chan said again: "I just saw Hu Xi'er and Mo Cheng."

Liu Zheng turned his head and asked: "They returned from Britain? Didn't I tell them both to stay in Britain for the time being, and I would go to Britain myself to pick them up after a while?"

Xie Chan glanced at Liu Zheng and said: "Are you really ignorant or just pretending? They were both placed under house arrest by Britain; if it weren't for Lord Li Hongtian sending a Messenger to bring them back—"

"Who knows how long they would have had to wait for them? Wait for you? Forget it, do you even have the time?"

Liu Zheng smiled awkwardly, and after hearing Xie Chan detail what Hu Xi'er and Mo Cheng had encountered in Britain, his expression sank completely.

"It seems George III wants to experience the terror of Longyan; once today's matters are over, I will let George III know who cannot be provoked!"

Xie Chan nodded.

Liu Zheng looked at the sleeping little Liu Qian, then at Xie Chan, and said with a mischievous smile: "When are we going to have a second child?"

And just at this moment, a voice devoid of emotion rang out.

"Liu Zheng, Xie Chan has just finished her postpartum confinement, and you're already wanting a second one? Are you that desperate?"

Liu Zheng's expression turned indignant; he followed the voice and saw the woman in elegant clothing, exuding a scholarly temperament, walking over, and his expression changed slightly.

The person who arrived was none other than Zheng Yue Ru.

Seeing her arrival, Xie Chan grabbed Liu Zheng's arm and said affectionately: "Sister Yue Ru, you finally came."

Zheng Yue Ru glanced at their intimacy and sat down to the side.

Seeing her sit down, Xie Chan's expression changed slightly.

In her heart, she cursed silently.

Xie Chan knew about her affair with Liu Zheng; at that time, Xie Chan had not yet risen to prominence.

It was she who had cooperated with Liu Zheng.

She had long harbored feelings for Liu Zheng, and now she managed all the accounts for the various businesses belonging to Liu Zheng throughout Liangzhou.

Liu Zheng raised an eyebrow; he could vaguely sense the smell of gunpowder spreading through the air.

Zheng Yue Ru looked at little Liu Qian held in Liu Zheng's arms, a sweet smile appearing on her face.

Seeing that little Liu Qian had fallen asleep, Zheng Yue Ru praised, "When your son is asleep, he looks just like his father."

Liu Zheng's right eyelid twitched, and he hurriedly looked toward Xie Chan.

But he saw the expression on Xie Chan's face change slightly, though she still wore a smile.

Liu Zheng took a breath, feeling that something major might happen today.

Zheng Yue Ru chuckled and said, "Has little Liu Qian asked for a godmother yet?"

"I have had little Liu Qian's fortune calculated, and I am the most suitable person to be his godmother."

Xie Chan narrowed her eyes, shooting out a cold light; the visitor was not here with good intentions.

She poked Liu Zheng hard; the person who tied the bell must be the one to untie it, and this matter was most suitable for him to handle.

Liu Zheng glanced at Zheng Yue Ru, his mind spinning rapidly as he exhausted two lifetimes of experience in coaxing women, and said, "This matter must be decided by little Liu Qian, right, little Liu Qian?"

Shifting the blame for this matter onto his own son was undoubtedly the smartest choice.

Both of their faces darkened as they looked at each other; Liu Zheng felt the sharp edge of their gazes, like needles against wheat awns.

And just at this moment, another voice rang out.

"According to the customs of our Li Dynasty, a godmother is not chosen by a child."

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