Once I enter the pass, great Confucian scholars will surely debate the classics for me.

Inside the council chamber, only Butler Qiu and the First Lady remained.

Butler Qiu stood quietly to the side, his eyes downcast and his mind at ease.

The First Lady put away the erotic book, lazily stepped out of bed barefoot, and casually spread out the accounts on the desk with her slender hand. She looked at them quietly for a while, her eyes sparkling with a wise insight that seemed to see through everything.

After an unknown amount of time, the First Lady turned around and walked to the observation deck with her hands behind her back. She said calmly, "The accounts are quite well done. I didn't notice anything amiss. Chengde, how much money do you think the Fourth Prince embezzled?"

Upon hearing this, Qiu Chengde hesitated for a moment before truthfully replying, "Madam, Chengde does not know."

The First Lady glanced back with a half-smile, but didn't delve too deeply into the matter.

She knew that Silang liked to be greedy for small amounts of money, but she let it go.

A few hundred thousand or a few million is just a small amount; consider it as pocket money for the kids.

As long as no one reports or exposes it, and as long as it doesn't go too far, she will turn a blind eye.

That being said, this wasn't stealing money from home.

Strictly speaking, it's money that the child earns through hard work outside; how much they earn is up to their ability.

Although the family's connections and resources were also utilized, the family also received an extra 720 billion in legal tender. This unexpected gain has greatly alleviated the financial problems of the Sword Tower.

Even if the First Lady notices something amiss, she won't investigate the matter thoroughly.

Because she intended to support and nurture Zhou Qingfeng, and Zhou Qingfeng needed capital to train his subordinates, develop his power, and eventually become independent, she was willing to give him power, land, and money.

The First Lady slowly bent down and sat on the edge of the observation deck, gently placing her jade-like feet in the water. With her arms supporting her on the smooth wooden floor, she looked up at the sky and said, "In the past six months, Si Lang has been busy searching for treasures, and his cultivation progress has been slow."

Qiu Chengde clasped his hands and said, "Madam, I will take the time to supervise Silang's cultivation."

The First Lady said calmly, "The Heavenly Pride Competition will be held in six months. I hope that Si Lang will not miss this opportunity to gain experience. However, let's ask Si Lang's wishes first. If Si Lang does not want to participate, we will not force him."

Upon hearing this, Qiu Chengde lowered his head slightly and replied, "Yes, Madam."

The First Lady casually waded through the water when she suddenly remembered something and asked, "It's been half a year now. Have you thoroughly investigated Liao Huaizhen's background?"

Qiu Chengde clasped his hands and said, "Madam, we cannot find out the details, but we can confirm that this person has no ill intentions towards Silang. In the past six months, he has taken good care of Silang and has been well-behaved and law-abiding in his daily life."

The First Lady gazed at the clear, clean water, her jade-like feet gently swaying, splashing water droplets. She seemed to be considering how to deal with Liao Huaizhen. After a moment, she said calmly, "Let's keep him. A fox will always show its tail eventually."

Outside the Water Forest Park, Zhou Qingfeng and Ma Dalang walked one after the other towards the city lord's mansion.

Ma Dalang quickened his pace and walked alongside him, saying, "Fourth brother, would you like to have a drink with me sometime?"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Qingfeng smiled slightly: "Brother, how could I refuse your invitation? However, I haven't been home for half a year and would like to go home to visit first. I'm afraid it's a bit inconvenient today."

"Alright, let's get together sometime, brothers, and get to know each other better. After all, we're family. Let's not act like strangers and make ourselves a laughing stock."

The two walked out of the city lord's mansion while talking, and then went their separate ways back to their respective residences.

That day, Zhou Qingfeng went home first to meet with Shui'er and his uncle, and the family ate a quiet meal together.

The following morning, the people and items bestowed by the City Lord's Mansion were personally delivered to the door by Hall Master Jiang of the Hall of Merit.

Upon seeing this, Zhou Qingfeng hurriedly went out to greet him, clasping his hands in greeting: "Uncle Jiang, these things could have been delivered by our servants. There's no need to trouble you to make the trip yourself."

Master Jiang said with a smile, "Si Lang's affairs are my affairs, so of course I have to come here in person."

"Si Lang, look, all these gifts are top-quality items that I have carefully selected. Each one is the best in the batch."

"Look at these hundred strong male slaves, all of them young and robust. With a little training, they can be used as guards. But that's not the main attraction. Come on, look over here."

Master Jiang clapped his hands, and outside the mansion gate, a hundred female slaves lined up one after another, holding their stomachs with their hands, and entered the Zhou mansion. Upon closer inspection, almost every female slave was a beautiful woman with fair skin and graceful figure.

One hundred female slaves bowed and clutched their bellies in unison in the courtyard, calling out in sweet voices, "This servant greets the young master."

Zhou Qingfeng: "..."

Master Jiang patted Zhou Qingfeng on the back and laughed, "I know you're young and full of energy, so I've picked out a hundred beauties for you. Enjoy them at home."

Zhou Qingfeng smiled faintly: "Thank you for your kindness, Uncle Jiang. Please come in, Uncle Jiang, rest your feet and have some tea."

Zhou Qingfeng knew that the person in front of him was no small fry and could not be underestimated.

First of all, Master Jiang is in charge of the Jiangshan Hall and is a good friend of the master. He is also deeply trusted by the madam. Otherwise, he would not have been placed in such a sensitive position. He is someone who can be won over and united.

Furthermore, all rewards issued by the City Lord's Mansion must pass through the hands of Hall Master Jiang, which means that Hall Master Jiang wields great power, so much so that officials of all ranks must show him deference and dare not offend him.

Although Hall Master Jiang cannot stop the distribution of the rewards, he can delay the distribution time. If anyone dares to urge him, it means that the process is still in progress. If the time comes when it can no longer be delayed, he can substitute inferior goods, greatly reducing the value of the rewards.

If you want to receive the reward smoothly, you have to pay a fee to Master Jiang for his hard work.

Otherwise, don't expect to receive your reward on time, in full, and in the correct weight.

If you're not satisfied, you can complain to the city lord, but then you shouldn't have anything to do with the Hall of Merit and Charity anymore.

However, these things cannot be discussed openly; it all depends on whether an individual is sensible and understands the rules.

Zhou Qingfeng and Jiang Tangzhu walked into the front hall chatting and laughing, and then Zhou Qingfeng gave Shui'er a look.

Shui'er immediately understood, and with a smile, she took out money and gave each of the porters a few hundred coins as a reward.

As Shui'er distributed the money, she smiled and said, "This is a reward from my brother."

"Thank you, Miss, oh no, thank you, Young Master Zhou, for the reward." Holding the reward money, the servants were immediately invigorated, their hands and feet becoming even more nimble, carrying the reward items swiftly and orderly like willows swaying in the spring breeze.

They knew that this generous gift was not only an affirmation of their hard work, but also a direct manifestation of the Zhou family's grandeur.

They were grateful and would always praise the Zhou family when they met someone: "The Zhou family is so generous. They only helped move some things and received a generous reward of several hundred coins. They are truly a noble family with a grand style."

Such positive word-of-mouth undoubtedly earned the Zhou family widespread praise and respect.

On the other hand, if they fail to receive a reward, these servants will inevitably feel disappointed, and their words may reveal their dissatisfaction with the Zhou family.

When they meet and talk in the streets and alleys, they might shake their heads and sigh: "Although the Zhou family is a wealthy and noble family, they are stingy and petty. They are reluctant to give even a small reward for carrying some valuables. Their behavior is not dignified as a wealthy family. They are even worse than nouveau riche."

Such word-of-mouth transmission would undoubtedly have a negative impact on the Zhou family's reputation, attracting gossip and tarnishing the Zhou family's image in people's minds.

It is evident that although the reward money was small, it was related to the Zhou family's public image and reputation.

Whether or not a reward is given, and how much or how little, directly determines whether the servants speak of praise or criticism, whether it's a story that enhances the Zhou family's reputation or gossip that damages it. In a noisy and chaotic environment, even the smallest details can be magnified and become important criteria for judging a family's heritage and refinement.

Therefore, Zhou Qingfeng wisely chose to win people's hearts with a reward, which not only demonstrated the generosity of the Zhou family, but also avoided possible negative public opinion.

It can be said to kill two birds with one stone.

The old man pulled Shui'er aside, glared at her, and said, "What are you doing? Even if you have money, you can't just throw it away like this."

Shui'er explained helplessly, "Father, this is called spending a little money to buy a reputation. You don't understand. My brother made me do it."

"What does Qingfeng mean? When did he speak to you? I didn't hear him."

"Alright, alright, Father, don't worry about it. Be your good miser. All these things are entrusted to you for safekeeping. Don't you love counting money the most? There's enough money here for you to count until your hands cramp. If you're really bored, go and have some younger brothers with my concubines. My brother is still waiting for me. I'm going to take care of some important business first."

The old man watched as Shui'er took out 500,000 banknotes from the money box, and saw her off. He couldn't help but scratch his head, feeling that his daughter had indeed changed since she started studying.

Shui'er put the money and tickets into the tea box, then into her storage bag, and stood outside the front hall to wait quietly.

In the front hall, Zhou Qingfeng smiled and said, "Uncle Jiang, how is this tea? Do you like it?"

Master Jiang took a slow sip and smiled slightly: "Good tea."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Qingfeng smiled and said, "Uncle, why don't you take some with you? Sister, prepare some tea!"

Shui'er entered the front hall and bowed slightly: "Yes, brother."

"No need, no need..." Master Jiang politely gestured to stop him.

Zhou Qingfeng smiled and said, "Uncle Jiang, it's just tea, nothing valuable."

Upon hearing this, Master Jiang had no choice but to accept it.

Shui'er turned and walked out of the front hall. She silently counted to one thousand outside, then took out the prepared tea box from her storage bag and walked back into the front hall. She placed it on the tea table next to Master Jiang and stood aside with a smile.

After finishing his tea, Master Jiang smiled and put down the cup, saying, "Fourth Master, I have other matters to attend to, so I won't stay any longer."

Upon seeing this, Zhou Qingfeng immediately got up to see him off, all the way to the door.

Only after Hall Master Jiang boarded the carriage and sat down did he open the tea box and glance inside. There were banknotes containing 500,000 coins. A smile appeared on Hall Master Jiang's lips: "This child is sensible."

Master Jiang lifted the carriage curtain, holding a tea box, and said, "Fourth Master, I love this tea, thank you."

Zhou Qingfeng stood at the door, clasped his hands in a salute, and smiled, saying, "I'm glad Uncle Jiang is happy. Please take care."

"Let's go!" With a command from Hall Master Jiang, his attendants followed him back to the Hall of Merit and Goodness.

Zhou Qingfeng watched with a smile as Hall Master Jiang and his entourage left. He knew that even the best relationships needed money as a lubricant, and with his master's connection, Hall Master Jiang would certainly not withhold or delay his rewards.

However, the fact that they are so attentive to their reward today, personally selecting and delivering it to your residence, is definitely not because they are bored. To a large extent, it is because they intend to make friends and show goodwill, rather than because of their master's sake.

Since that's the case, Zhou Qingfeng was happy to send some return gifts to get closer to Hall Master Jiang.

After seeing off Hall Master Jiang, Zhou Qingfeng took Shui'er and returned to his residence.

In the following days, Zhou Qingfeng began to lavishly reward his people.

Rewards are given based on each person's merits, ranging from 300,000 to 3 million coins.

Some people didn't want the legal fees but wanted equivalent resources, and Zhou Qingfeng agreed.

Finally, Zhou Qingfeng offered Chen Fuzi a monthly salary of six thousand coins, officially employing Chen Fuzi as Zhou's private physician. From then on, Chen Fuzi worked in the Zhou household and was at Zhou Qingfeng's beck and call.

The old cripple had no desire for money. Even when Zhou Qingfeng offered him millions of coins as a reward, the old cripple politely refused, treating money like dirt. There was no other way but to appeal to the old cripple's emotions.

Send out Shui'er, this powerful weapon, to deal with his master.

The old cripple eventually gave in to Shui'er's persistent pleading and agreed to stay at the Zhou residence to teach Shui'er her daily cultivation and studies, and would no longer return to the Night Wanderer's Archives.

The old cripple said quietly, "I have only one condition: food, drink, and lodging are provided. You can decide on the wages. Apart from teaching Shui'er, I will not participate in any affairs of the Zhou family, and don't expect me to do any hard work for you."

Zhou Qingfeng slapped his knee and said, "Alright, Mr. Liao, as long as you agree to stay at the Zhou residence, anything is fine. Shui'er, take good care of your master from now on. If Mr. Liao is unhappy and wants to leave one day, be careful I'll spank you."

Shui'er said with a bitter face, "Brother, Master is leaving, why are you hitting me?"

Zhou Qingfeng glanced at him sideways: "I can't beat him, but I can beat you."

Shui'er: "..."

Zhou Qingfeng is currently eager to find talented people, but he has too few capable people, even fewer trustworthy people. If the Zhou family needs to grow stronger, it needs to constantly absorb fresh blood and talent into the Zhou family.

Time flies like an arrow, and Zhou Qingfeng spent a few more quiet days in his mansion. During this time, he also considered whether to hold a banquet to celebrate his promotion to Deputy Commander of the Censorate.

However, after thinking it over, I felt it was a bit too ostentatious and would easily attract envy and cause trouble. So, I decided that it was better to have a small banquet at home so that my family could have some fun together.

One day, the Censorate sent a letter summoning Zhou Qingfeng to report for duty, and included two sets of brand-new official robes. The new robes were purple with gold trim, embroidered with birds and beasts symbolizing power and status, and were exceptionally beautiful.

Zhou Qingfeng frowned slightly. He still didn't really like the purple official robe; he didn't think the bright red one looked as good. However, rules are rules, so he should put it on as soon as possible and head to the Censorate to report for duty.

Outside the Zhou residence, a carriage was still waiting quietly.

The Calamity-level Heavenly Dragon Chariot is still in Dragon Shepherd Valley, guarded by its dedicated Dragon Shepherds.

The powerful and wealthy would only ride such dragon-shaped vehicles when they needed to travel long distances or attend important occasions. Generally, it was not allowed to drive these dragon-shaped vehicles in the city, in order to avoid accidents that could cause large-scale casualties among ordinary people.

If anyone disobeys, the anti-air formation will be activated, and they will immediately fall from the sky.

Zhou Qingfeng boarded the carriage, and Jin Wei drove it towards the Censorate. Halfway there, Zhou Qingfeng happened to see a teahouse and ordered Jin Wei to buy a cup of lychee black tea. They drank the lychee black tea and arrived at the Censorate.

"Young Master, we've arrived." Jin Wei lifted the curtain and helped Zhou Qingfeng down from the carriage.

Zhou Qingfeng held a bamboo tube of lychee black tea, looked up at the Censorate, and saw two stone Qilin sculptures on each side of the steps leading up to the Censorate. The steps numbered over a thousand, making it truly magnificent.

"The steps of the Censorate are really high."

"Jin Wei, you should go back first. Don't wait for me. I don't know when I'll be able to get back today."

Upon hearing this, Jin Wei clasped his hands in a fist and replied, "Yes, young master."

Zhou Qingfeng slurped up his milk tea in one go, placed the bamboo tube in Jin Wei's hand, and climbed the steps with his hands behind his back. He walked slowly and steadily until he reached the main gate of the Censorate, where there were two lines of text on the left and right.

"Those who are afraid of death should not enter this gate."

"If you're looking for promotion and wealth, go elsewhere."

Zhou Qingfeng read it aloud with a half-smile, not taking it seriously, and continued walking inside.

The guards at the gate saw Zhou Qingfeng's commander's robes and knew that this was the young master Zhou, who was rumored to be coming to take up his post at the Censorate. So they immediately clasped their hands in greeting and said, "Your subordinate greets Deputy Commander Zhou."

Zhou Qingfeng nodded slightly: "Since you know me, then I'll trouble you to take me to the commander to report."

One of them immediately reached out and led the way: "Please follow me. The commander has been waiting for you for a long time."

Zhou Qingfeng followed the guards through the halls and courtyards, and soon arrived at a main hall.

The guard bowed respectfully towards the head of the main hall, then silently took his leave.

Zhou Qingfeng looked at the person in the head seat with a strange and extremely surprised expression.

The head of the group shouted, "How dare you! Why don't you bow to me?"

Zhou Qingfeng chickened out, clasped his hands in a salute, and said helplessly, "Master, stop joking. How come you're still the Commander of the Censorate?"