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

After spending the night in Yong'an City, Zhou Qingfeng returned to Jianta City in the Tianlong carriage the next morning. Before leaving, he left behind his personal guards to assist his sister and uncle in building Yong'an City.

For a city to grow and prosper, it must have a core group of people. These guards are his loyal dogs who fought alongside him from humble beginnings to break through enemy lines. Their loyalty is beyond question, and they are fierce and fearless in battle.

In order to train the personal guard, a lot of resources have been invested over the years. It costs millions of dollars every year just to support the personal guard. Not to mention the welfare benefits, the mansion will also give extra rewards during festivals.

If the person unfortunately dies, there will be a large sum of compensation, and the position of bodyguard will be inherited by the children.

Their personal and family fates had long been intertwined with Zhou Qingfeng's.

These people may have varying abilities, but they are loyal and trustworthy. In addition, they are all quite capable, so there shouldn't be any problem for them to stay in Yong'an City as the top two leaders at the grassroots level.

If they perform well and gain experience at the grassroots level for a few years, gradually improving their abilities, they will be given priority for promotion simply because of their connection to Zhou Qingfeng's personal guard. Their future prospects are bright.

Of course, this was something Zhou Qingfeng did intentionally.

His dozens of personal guards are like invisible hands; if he wants, he can control, influence, and dominate all matters, big and small, in Yong'an City, even if he is thousands of miles away.

Furthermore, the underlings trained by these bodyguards will gradually take over the positions of the top and second-in-command at the grassroots level, forming a power network that covers Yong'an City and putting the entire city under Zhou Qingfeng's control.

Yong'an City was his fiefdom, his base of operations, and of paramount importance.

However, it's not worth Zhou Qingfeng personally managing it here.

Because his stage is in Sword Tower City, and only Sword Tower City is worth his time and effort to develop and make his mark.

Yong'an City was merely his base. By managing this base well, he could secure a stable source of income and cultivate his own loyal followers. In the future, he would have a sufficient pool of talent to draw upon for any undertaking.

Upon returning to Sword Tower City, Zhou Qingfeng immediately went back to his residence to burn incense, bathe, and change into new clothes. With the help of his maids, he put on a set of brocade robes with black backgrounds and red trim before taking a carriage to the City Lord's Mansion to pay his respects to his mother.

It was late March 1092, the end of winter and the beginning of spring.

Snow was melting everywhere in the city, and the temperature was gradually rising, but it only made it feel colder.

After getting off the carriage, Zhou Qingfeng walked alone into the city lord's mansion. Zhiqi and Jinwei were waiting outside. As Zhou Qingfeng walked into the inner courtyard, the servants he encountered on the way bowed and greeted him as young master.

Upon reaching the inner courtyard, they unexpectedly encountered a sword dancer with flowing white hair painting in the courtyard.

She sat on a chair in an elegant long dress, with an easel in front of her. She held a paintbrush and was depicting the spring scene of everything coming back to life. From the side, she was still as elegant and refined as ever, warm and gentle as jade. A faint smile appeared between her eyebrows and eyes, as if time had never left a trace on her.

"Sword Dancer, I, Si Lang, greet you." Zhou Qingfeng paused, then bowed and clasped his hands in greeting from a distance of several steps.

Upon hearing this, Jianwu turned her head and smiled, placed her paintbrush on the easel, stood up and bowed politely in return: "Long time no see, Silang, your cultivation has improved, you are now a cultivator of the Devouring Fiend Realm."

Zhou Qingfeng said with a smile, "Thanks to the sword-dancing girl, the ascent went very smoothly."

At this point, Zhou Qingfeng pretended to have just remembered and took out the gift he had prepared from the Holy Ring: "Oh right, I brought some of the new desserts from Wufangzhai for Miss Jianwu to try when I entered the manor."

The relationships with the City Lord's Mansion need to be maintained, especially with the confidants around my mother. We must cater to their preferences, always have gifts ready, and give them whenever we have the chance. If there is no opportunity, we should create one. If we have a good relationship, the benefits will become apparent.

Jianwu took the dessert box, lifted the lid and glanced at it, a smile appearing on her face: "Luan bird jelly, peach shortbread, hibiscus flower cake, jade dew, and flat peach shortbread, as expected, they are all new desserts from Wufangzhai."

"But I heard that they are only available in limited quantities and for limited time. I asked someone to buy some for me several times but I still couldn't get any."

"Thanks, Shiro. How much did these snacks cost? I'll pay you back."

Zhou Qingfeng smiled and clasped his hands in a salute: "Miss Jianwu and I are friends who have always maintained a gentlemanly relationship. It would be vulgar to talk about money. Besides, this is not a valuable item. Please accept it with peace of mind, Miss Jianwu."

Sword Dance smiled slightly: "Alright, friend, I'll accept it."

Zhou Qingfeng nodded with a smile, and his nose caught that familiar smell of blood again. The scent was very difficult to detect because it was mixed with the aromatherapy, but he still managed to pick it up.

He sensed something was amiss. Once was a coincidence, twice was a coincidence, and three or four times was still a coincidence.

Either the sword dancer has an unhealable wound that is constantly bleeding.

Or perhaps they bathed in blood for a long time, making it impossible to mask the smell of blood.

Either he's killed too many people and they've become too ingrained with the flavor of murder.

Regardless of the possibility, Zhou Qingfeng did not intend to delve into it. He could tell that each of the fifteen sword attendants in the inner courtyard was very mysterious and probably not a simple person.

Jianwu, carrying a box of pastries, slowly walked to the swing next to her and sat down. While enjoying the pastries, she casually asked, "Is Silang here to pay his respects to the lady?"

Zhou Qingfeng stood with his hands behind his back and smiled faintly: "I'll trouble Miss Jianwu to tell me where my mother is, and I'll go find her myself."

Jianwu said, "The lady is in the warm chamber of the Red Chamber."

After saying that, Jianwu tilted her head, thought for a moment, and casually put the snack box into her storage ring. She clapped her hands, jumped off the swing, and said with a phoenix jelly in her mouth and half of her cheek puffed up, "Fine, I'll take you."

"Thank you."

Jianwu led the way, with Zhou Qingfeng following behind. The two chatted like friends, close yet maintaining a distance, like ordinary friends who hadn't seen each other for years, hypocritical yet enthusiastic, and speaking in a pleasant tone.

Along the way, they encountered fourteen sword servants, including Panda, Yao Guang, and Tian Xuan.

Zhou Qingfeng was only familiar with them by appearance; he didn't know what their preferences were.

But I figured that girls would like what they liked, so I prepared a set of everything the girls liked, such as face powder, rouge, pearls, jade, necklaces and earrings.

She didn't expect them to remember her kindness. As long as these sword servants didn't kick her when she was down, whisper evil words in her mother's ear, or secretly make things difficult for her, then these little gifts would be worthwhile.

After delivering the gifts, Zhou Qingfeng used the excuse of going to visit his mother to temporarily escape the entanglement of the many sword servants.

Upon arriving at the warm pavilion of the Red Mansion, Jianwu took the lead and stepped inside to announce their arrival.

Zhou Qingfeng waited outside for a while.

Sword Dance slowly stepped out again, gesturing with her hand: "Come in."

Zhou Qingfeng nodded slightly and followed the sword dance into the warm chamber of the Red Chamber.

Through the beaded curtain, I could see a blurry figure lying on the warm couch.

Zhou Qingfeng immediately bowed his head, lifted his robe, and knelt down, saying, "Your son greets Mother."

From the warm couch came the First Lady's languid voice: "Please take a seat."

Upon hearing this, Jianwu immediately brought over a chair from the side.

Zhou Qingfeng got up and sat down, sitting upright and properly.

The First Lady slowly rose, her bare feet stepping onto the tiger-skin rug. After walking more than ten steps, she lifted the beaded curtain and came out. Just as Zhou Qingfeng was about to get up and pay his respects, the First Lady casually gestured for him to sit down without further formalities.

Holding an unnamed book, she walked around Zhou Qingfeng with her hands behind her back, her gaze frequently falling on him, making Zhou Qingfeng feel a little uneasy.

However, on the surface, Zhou Qingfeng remained composed, calmly accepting his mother's scrutiny.

After a long while, the First Lady stretched out her slender hand and placed it on Zhou Qingfeng's shoulder: "Ten years of secluded cultivation have indeed greatly improved your cultivation level. You must have suffered a lot. Your mother has noticed that you have lost weight."

Hearing this, Zhou Qingfeng felt a warmth in his heart and immediately replied, "Mother, I didn't suffer. Cultivation takes a long time; it passed in the blink of an eye. The process of climbing the steps went smoothly, and I didn't suffer at all."

Upon hearing this, the First Lady smiled slightly and tapped Zhou Qingfeng's forehead lightly with a book in her hand: "You're just too sensible, child. Being too sensible only creates distance. I'd rather you pour out your grievances."

Zhou Qingfeng scratched the back of his head awkwardly, unsure of what to say. He could only remain silent, watching the First Lady pace back and forth barefoot with her hands behind her back, the book she held rhythmically tapping her buttocks, as if she were pondering something.

After a long silence, the First Lady suddenly spoke up: "It's been ten years since we last met. Let me give you a test."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Qingfeng immediately stood up, clasped his hands in a fist and replied, "Yes, Mother, please ask me any questions you have. I will answer them to the best of my knowledge."

The First Lady said calmly, "First question: If you were the city lord, how would you develop the Sword Tower?"

Zhou Qingfeng's heart tightened. Good heavens, this is a death trap question.

Can you answer this question?

I definitely can't answer that.

If I answer that, I'll be dead in the blink of an eye.

Zhou Qingfeng didn't know what the First Lady was thinking, but he thought that what those in power hated most was having someone below them coveting their position, even if it was their own son, let alone their adopted son.

Don't even think about such a thing. To even think about it is a sin, and to even think about it is to die.

Although the First Lady may not have thought that way, and may simply be testing Zhou Qingfeng's leadership abilities, Zhou Qingfeng is intelligent, knows when to advance and retreat, and is not an incompetent person who relies on divination for everything.

“Mother, I have never thought about becoming the Lord of Sword Tower City. How to develop Sword Tower is not my concern.”

"I don't know what to do. Silang has disappointed his mother."

The First Lady pointed at Zhou Qingfeng, her eyes crinkling with a smile: "You little rascal, trying to be clever again. Alright, I won't make things difficult for you. You get zero points. Let's change the question. If you were to manage the five major workshops, how would you do it?"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Qingfeng breathed a sigh of relief, saying, "You've come to the right person to talk to about this."

Although he is keen on pursuing power and strength, he also has some experience in business management.

Who can blame me when my dad is a successful entrepreneur?

Having been exposed to business and management since childhood, I also had some background in those areas.

After a moment's thought, Zhou Qingfeng slowly spoke: "The five major workshops are the economic lifeline of my First Company, and are related to my First Company's treasury. They are extremely important. If I were to manage them, the first step would be to increase revenue and reduce expenditure."

"First, lay off idle staff and reduce expenses."

"Secondly, expand business and increase revenue streams."

"Of course, it's easier said than done."

"The nepotism within the five major workshops is too complicated. Most of them are children of powerful and wealthy families, and each has someone behind them."

"Of course, this phenomenon is not limited to the five major workshops; most jobs that pay well, have little work, and are close to home are like this."

“The Tower of Swords spends 50% of its annual tax revenue to support them.”

"Not only that, they have also used their power to enrich themselves, and now they have become too powerful to control."

"Rushing to lay them off without arranging a proper place for them could cause internal turmoil."

"So I manage them, and while laying them off, I also need to develop new businesses on multiple fronts, throw these people into them, let them charge into battle, make contributions, and increase my company's revenue streams."

"If they are incompetent and mess things up, then they should be punished fairly and without any objection."

Upon hearing this, the First Lady's eyes flashed with a strange light, and she couldn't suppress a smile. She turned around, lifted the beaded curtain, and went inside to avoid laughing out loud out of joy.

Zhou Qingfeng was taken aback when he saw this, and secretly thought to himself that his answer should be perfect.

"Mother, have I said something wrong?"

"Go see your master, he misses you." The First Lady's voice came from behind the beaded curtain.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Qingfeng had no choice but to suppress his doubts and, led by Jianwu, left the Red Mansion Warm Pavilion.

Behind the beaded curtain, the First Lady, with a smile on her face, tiptoed and glanced outside. Seeing Zhou Qingfeng leave, she clapped the book in her palm a few times with delight: "I wasn't wrong, this child is intelligent."

"Sword Dancer, tell me, where did I go wrong just now?"

"You're right, you're very well said." Jianwu praised with a smile.

"Hiss, why is Mother suddenly ignoring me?"

Jianwu glanced at the warm pavilion. She knew that the lady was very happy, but she couldn't say it. So she smiled gently and said, "Silang, go back and go talk to your master. It's been ten years since you last saw each other."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Qingfeng silently clasped his hands in a salute and said, "Sword Dancer, I take my leave."

On his way out of the inner courtyard, Zhou Qingfeng pondered the meaning behind his mother's test today. Was she trying to entrust the five major workshops to him but also worried about his abilities, so she deliberately set a test for him?

Since Mother meant it that way, why did she stop saying it?

After leaving the inner courtyard, they soon arrived at the independent courtyard where Qiu Chengde lived. When the master and disciple met, they had to kneel and pay their respects. After exchanging pleasantries, they were led to the main hall to sit down.

Zhou Qingfeng took out a handwritten music book and presented it: "Master, this is an erhu piece that I came across by chance. It is called 'Moon Reflected in the Second Spring.' I don't know much about erhu music, so I don't know if it is good or not. Please give your opinion, Master."

Qiu Chengde was taken aback. He took the music book and looked at it carefully. A look of joy and happiness appeared on his face. He couldn't wait to take out his beloved erhu and began to play the music as if no one else was around.

The music, once played, evokes endless melancholy and sorrow.

After playing a piece of music.

Qiu Chengde, still not satisfied, looked up at Zhou Qingfeng and said, "Disciple, how did you know that your master likes to play the erhu? I don't remember ever mentioning it to you, let alone playing the erhu in front of you."

Zhou Qingfeng clasped his hands and bowed his head, answering truthfully: "Last time at my elder brother's residence, I heard him say that Master likes the erhu, so he must need some good erhu music. Therefore, I put in some effort to find this piece for you."

Qiu Chengde was deeply moved upon hearing this.

Ten years ago, a casual remark made by someone has remained a thought in my mind ever since.

This filial piety moved even the hard-hearted Qiu Chengde deeply.

He put away his erhu and music, stroked his beard and smiled, praising three times: "Good student, good student, good student!"

Zhou Qingfeng respectfully clasped his hands and said, "Master, you flatter me. I only did what I was supposed to do."

Qiu Chengde liked Zhou Qingfeng more and more as he looked at him, treating him like his own precious darling: "Sit down, sit down, why are you standing up? We're master and disciple together, so let's skip the formalities. Sit down and talk to your master."

Zhou Qingfeng adjusted his robe and sat down, respectfully asking, "Master, I have a question I would like to ask you."

P.S.: Please give a good review, a tip, a free gift, follow me, and keep up with my updates.