So this result was almost predictable.

Liu Yuan had long known about and tacitly approved of the private affections between the two young people. He had met Ji Ci a few times and found his character and appearance to be indeed excellent. Not to mention in Xiang Town, even in Yangdi, he was a top-tier choice. If he could marry his daughter in the future, that would naturally be for the best. Liu Yuan, as a man, wasn't very concerned with matters of love and romance, but he was happy to see his daughter find a good match.

"The Ji Family never thought highly of your father, so their reaction is normal. If he doesn't come, then he doesn't come. In the future, you're going to marry Ji Ci, not his family, so why bother with them!" Liu Yuan comforted her. His words of comfort were both crude and direct.

He was also feeling irritable at the moment, so being able to comfort his daughter like this was already quite good.

Two equally gloomy faces stared at each other. After a long while, they suddenly burst out laughing at the same time.

Alright, Liu Zhen felt much better, especially seeing her father was also gloomy—two people in a bad mood, versus one person in a bad mood, felt as if someone was more miserable than you. Although this idea of "building one's own happiness on the suffering of others" was a bit immoral, it was undeniably much more comfortable psychologically.

"What is troubling Father?" As a matter of courtesy, Liu Zhen decided to comfort her father as well.

"Regarding whether to send troops to aid Mianchi, Mister Song opposes it, while your Third Uncle supports it," Liu Yuan said concisely.

Liu Zhen knew about this. Whenever she had free time from her studies, she would definitely pay attention to political affairs. Liu Yuan did not forbid her from entering the main hall to listen or to look at documents and records. Over time, Liu Zhen's understanding of the current situation grew daily. Sometimes, when Liu Yuan and Song Xie were discussing official business, she would even brazenly find a seat on the side. Of course, on such occasions, she had to be a silent, invisible person from beginning to end. Her age and gender were what they were; no matter how much Liu Yuan doted on her, he could not let Liu Zhen act recklessly.

"Then what about Second Uncle's opinion?" Liu Zhen asked.

"Your Second Uncle leans towards Mister Song. He also thinks Zhou Wen is bound to be defeated and there's no need to rescue him," Liu Yuan sighed. "But what your Third Uncle said is not without reason."

Liu Zhen was silent for a moment. "Father, I have a word, but I don't know if I should say it."

Liu Yuan was at a loss for whether to laugh or cry. When had this daughter ever been so polite? "Speak."

Liu Zhen stated bluntly, "You don't trust Song Wenjun."

"!!!" Liu Yuan's thick brows shot up. Anger first appeared on his face, his mouth opened to reprimand, his expression ferocious. However, Liu Zhen did not move, calmly meeting his gaze without any fear. After a short while, Liu Yuan clenched his fist, took a deep breath, and then slowly exhaled. There was no scolding. Instead, he said in a deep voice, "How can you tell?"

Liu Zhen knew she had hit upon Liu Yuan's private thoughts, otherwise his reaction would not have been so strong. And this matter, Song Xie might not be oblivious to it, An Zheng might not be oblivious to it, even Xu Zhongfang might not be oblivious to it, but none of them could say it, or dared to say it.

So only Liu Zhen could say it.

"Although Father treats Mister Song with all due respect, ever since taking him as a teacher, apart from the miscellaneous affairs of Yingchuan, the number of times you have listened to Mister Song's advice on external matters has not been many," Liu Zhen calmly pointed out the fact.

Liu Yuan was speechless.

Because Liu Zhen was not wrong at all. He indeed did not trust Song Xie.

In his heart, in terms of trustworthiness, if An Zheng and Xu Zhongfang each counted as one, then Song Xie could at best only count as half.

Because Song Xie was a former Qin official, and also the former highest administrative official of Yingchuan Commandery. If not for the desire to recruit talent and pacify the people, Liu Yuan might not have chosen to take Song Xie as his teacher at all.

Because Song Xie had not followed him from the beginning. He had even been forced to "board the pirate ship." His motive was not pure from the start.

Because even now, Song Xie was still being vague about the marriage between Liu Nan and the Song family's daughter, not giving a clear promise. This made it difficult for people to believe in the sincerity of his allegiance to Liu Yuan.

If one were to really delve into it, there were many reasons.

These factors made it impossible for Liu Yuan to trust Song Xie in the same way he trusted An Zheng and Xu Zhongfang.

He could respect the other party, give them high-status treatment, but when it came to life-and-death decisions, Liu Yuan instinctively rejected Song Xie's opinion.

So Liu Zhen had hit the nail on the head.

"You're right." Liu Yuan finally admitted. He could be more honest with his daughter than with An Zheng and Xu Zhongfang.

Song Xie's former identity meant that he could take over Liu Yuan's power at any time and return to his original position. Apart from not having troops under him now, Song Xie possessed more prestige than Liu Yuan, so he was destined to be viewed with suspicion by Liu Yuan.

Liu Zhen said, "Does Father want to be a hero, or a formidable lord?"

"..." Liu Yuan's study curriculum was already very full these days, but the content was mostly related to practical use, not this kind of wordplay. So Liu the illiterate had no idea what the difference was between a hero and a formidable lord.

If it weren't for his understanding of Liu Zhen, he would not have the patience to ask, "I'd like to hear the details?"

Liu Zhen said, "If you want to be a hero, Father can follow his heart regarding who he likes and trusts. Since Mister Song's existence is a threat, then you might as well just kill him. That would also save Father from having to constantly worry about him rebelling. As for the other former Qin officials in Yangdi who are loyal to the old Qin and unwilling to follow Father, you might as well kill them all in one go!"

Liu Yuan's interest was piqued. "And what if I want to be a formidable lord?"

Liu Zhen smiled faintly. "A formidable lord must be able to tolerate what others cannot, and endure what others cannot. Even if your positions differ, as long as he can be used by me, then he will be used to the end. Father, just imagine, you are now brooding over a single Song Xie. In the future, if your domain extends beyond just Yingchuan Commandery, and there are more Chen Xies, Liu Xies, and Zhao Xies, what will Father do then? Won't you be worried day and night, tossing and turning, unable to even sleep well? If that's the case, I advise Father to forget about conquering the world. Just honestly guard Yingchuan Commandery and be happy one day at a time!"

These words were unsparing, but after hearing them, Liu Yuan was only stunned for a moment before bursting into loud laughter.

"How audacious! What kind of daughter admonishes her father like this?!"

Although he said that, his tone held no anger at all.

Seeing that her father had taken her advice to heart, Liu Zhen was also quite gratified.

"Father, you blame Mister Song for not being willing to serve you wholeheartedly, which is understandable. But in the final analysis, it is simply because we are not strong enough yet. If Father were now as powerful as the King of Zhangchu, talents like Mister Song would not only flock to you from a thousand li away, one after another, but they would even compete to form marriage ties with the Liu family."

Ultimately, when encountering setbacks, one should not rush to complain about others, but rather reflect on oneself. For example, in the era Liu Zhen came from in her previous life, many men complained that women were too materialistic, which was why they couldn't find a wife, yet they never reflected on themselves to find the reason. All the troubles in the world, though taking different paths, lead to the same destination; they are mostly self-inflicted.

Take Liu Yuan, for example. If his power were great enough, would it even matter if Song Xie was wholeheartedly devoted to him? It would just be a matter of using people's talents to their fullest. At that point, Liu Yuan probably wouldn't even get hung up on such a small matter.

Liu Zhen added, "In this world, those who have reached the position of Governer of Yingchuan Commandery like Father are few and far between. This alone shows Father's ability. Therefore, Father can be more decisive when encountering matters. Although the opinions of those around you should be considered, you need not let them trouble your heart or hesitate for too long. Otherwise, even if the Liu and Song families were to be joined by marriage, I'm afraid Mister Song would still look down on Father and feel that Father is not worthy of being assisted."

"My Ah Zhen has great talent, a pity she is not a boy!" This was not the first time Liu Yuan had made such a sigh. He smiled at Liu Zhen and said, "Since you speak so eloquently and know how to persuade me, I will use your words to enlighten you. There are plenty of good young men in this world, not just young master Ji. And Ah Zhen is so intelligent, why worry about not finding someone better than him? You need not keep dwelling on this matter. If he dares to fail you, I will not spare him! At worst, in the future, your father will find many more good young men for you to choose from until you are satisfied!"

Why was he talking and talking, only to circle back to her?

Liu Zhen was a little speechless, but strangely, also a little touched.