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

Within the Sword Tower family, the power dynamics within the council chamber may seem complex, but they are actually quite simple and straightforward.

Roughly speaking, there are two factions within the council chamber.

One group consists of the younger generation, and the other group consists of the veterans.

The elder faction mainly consists of three collateral branches, represented by the three elders of the Sun, Moon, and Star.

The younger generation is represented by six individuals: Zhou Qingfeng, Mao Erlang, Ma Dalang, Tang Fushuai, Zhu Fushuai, and Song Fushuai. These are all rising stars in the Sword Tower, with Zhou Qingfeng being the latest to emerge and having the weakest foundation.

However, if we look at it in detail, the younger generation can be divided into three factions.

Mao Erlang and Song Fushuai shared the same pair of pants.

Ma Dalang, Tang Fushuai, and Zhu Fushuai are three close friends.

Zhou Qingfeng, a rising star in the council, is caught between the young and ambitious Ma and Mao factions. All he can do is temporarily survive and develop, play both sides to gain benefits, and gradually strengthen his overall power.

Upon seeing Mao Erlang's clear stance, Song Fushuai immediately clasped his hands and said, "Madam, this case must be thoroughly investigated. Daring to deliberately spread such terrifying corpse poison in Sword Tower City is clearly an attempt to overthrow Sword Tower. Their intentions are despicable."

Mao Erlang was the first to express his support for Zhou Qingfeng's thorough investigation. He could have simply watched and followed the crowd, or stood up to express his support along with Mao Erlang, but he would never go against Mao Erlang's wishes.

Tang Fushuai and Zhu Fushuai remained silent, glancing discreetly at Ma Dalang's expression. Seeing that Ma Dalang showed no intention of speaking, they also remained silent, not rushing to express their opinions.

Ma Dalang remained calm and clasped his hands, saying, "Mother, this concerns the safety of the Sword Tower. We absolutely cannot allow the thieves to cause trouble in the Sword Tower, otherwise the Sword Tower will inevitably suffer irreparable losses."

Upon seeing this, Tang Fushuai and Zhu Fushuai immediately followed suit, expressing their support for a thorough investigation.

The three elders, Sun, Moon, and Star, also clasped their hands in support of a thorough investigation, as it concerned the overall situation of the Sword Tower. The elders present would not oppose a thorough investigation into the case of the assassination of Guanmaru.

So here's the question: who will investigate such a big case?

The case of the murder of Guan Wan is related to the overall safety and security of Sword Tower City.

Whoever can capture the mastermind behind the chaos in Sword Tower will be a hero for maintaining order and stability in Sword Tower, and will inevitably be rewarded with honors, promotions, and titles.

Meanwhile, the protégés and family members of the assistant commanders present were all waiting for the opportunity to make meritorious contributions and be promoted.

How could they let such a great opportunity slip through their fingers?

After all, the cake is only so big. If some people eat more, others won't get any. If you don't want to get nothing, then you have to fight for it.

Moreover, having control over the case of the "killing official pill" means that one can use the pretext of the case to bring down officials from other opposing factions, and then replace those positions with one of one's own. The benefits of this are numerous.

Of course, there are benefits and risks. If the case of the murder of Guan Wan cannot be solved, the person in charge of investigating the case will be held responsible for the serious consequences that will be caused to Jianta City directly or indirectly.

The First Lady casually remarked, "This case is of great importance, involving the safety of everyone in the Sword Tower. Which of you, my esteemed advisors, do you think should be in charge of thoroughly investigating the case of the assassination of Guan Wan?"

Zhou Qingfeng decisively clasped his hands in a fist and volunteered: "Mother, this case is deeply connected with the case of killing an official and plotting a rebellion. I suggest that the two cases be investigated together and that the Fifth Division of the Censorate take over and continue the investigation."

He couldn't just sit idly by and watch others reap the rewards. The case of murdering officials and plotting rebellion had already been successfully solved, and it was the perfect opportunity to expand the results. He had to do everything he could to keep the power to handle the case under his control.

The First Lady nodded and asked, "Do any of you assistant commanders have any objections?"

"I object!" The assistant commander who shot down the sun was the first to jump out and shout his opposition.

The assistant coach of Xingyao also chimed in: "I also object!"

Commander Liangyue shouted, "Oppose! Oppose! Oppose!!!"

The First Lady looked at the three of them and said calmly, "What are the three assistant commanders opposing?"

The assistant commander of the Sun-Shooting Army stepped forward and clasped his hands in response: "Madam, the case of the Killing Official Pill concerns the safety of everyone in the Sword Tower. How can it be handed over to a single department, the Fifth Division of the Censorate, to handle? That would be far too hasty."

Liang Yuefu said, "Madam, in my opinion, we should form a special investigation team, composed of the best talents from our First Family, to investigate this case and ensure that nothing goes wrong."

Xingyao Fushuai said, "Madam, I think Duanmu is very suitable to be the leader of the special investigation team. He is mature and steady, meticulous, and also an outstanding talent of the new generation of our family. He is capable of great things."

The three elders, Sun, Moon, and Star, took turns speaking, effectively stripping Zhou Qingfeng of his case-handling authority. It was clear they were vying to reap the rewards and give the collateral descendants of the first family a chance to rise to the top.

Ma Dalang stepped forward, clasped his hands in a salute, and said, “Mother, I agree to merge the two cases into one and continue to have the Fifth Division of the Censorate investigate them, because my fourth brother is the person in charge of the case and knows the whole story from beginning to end.”

After saying that, Ma Dalang smiled and nodded at Zhou Qingfeng.

Zhou Qingfeng looked friendly and nodded with a smile.

Seeing the eldest and fourth brothers exchanging glances, Mao Erlang's face darkened. He quickly added, "I also agree to merge the two cases into one, with the fourth brother continuing to be in charge. I believe the fourth brother will definitely be able to find the mastermind behind it all."

Zhou Qingfeng looked at his second brother and nodded in thanks.

Mao Erlang smiled slightly. He was not only befriending the fourth brother, but also going along with his mother's wishes. His mother's intention was very clear: the fourth brother should take full responsibility. There was no need for him to jump out and disagree.

With the support of Ma and Mao, the three assistant commanders, Song, Tang and Zhu, had no choice but to abandon their idea of ​​recommending their own people to take control of the case. They clasped their hands and said, "We agree to merge the two cases into one, and let the Fifth Division of the Censorate continue to be responsible for the investigation."

The First Lady looked at the three elders, Sun, Moon and Star, her beautiful face devoid of any emotion, as if giving them a notice: "Let's temporarily form a special investigation team to jointly solve this case. Since this case was started by Si Lang, it should be finished by Si Lang, so that it can be properly concluded."

"But..." The three elders of the Sun, Moon and Stars were about to say something more.

"No need for further explanation, it's settled then." The First Lady rose and walked out of the council chamber, strolling along the wooden bridge. She didn't give the three elders of the Sun, Moon, and Stars a chance to continue their entanglement. She had made it clear that asking was just a formality.

Qiu Chengde followed closely behind his wife, walking about ten paces away. Before leaving, he glanced at Zhou Qingfeng.

The three elders, Sun, Moon, and Star, exchanged a helpless glance, then looked at Zhou Qingfeng, snorted coldly in unison, and left together. They were dissatisfied but had no choice but to swallow their anger, since Zhou Qingfeng was the lady's darling.

Mao Erlang chuckled and patted Zhou Qingfeng's arm: "Fourth brother, when you have time, call Shuiyao back to the Sword Tower. My Yuling keeps talking about her, saying that Shuiyao doesn't go visiting anymore, and she doesn't even have anyone to talk to."

Zhou Qingfeng smiled and said, "Okay, I'll call Shuiyao back when I have time, and we'll go to my second brother's house together as guests."

Mao Erlang laughed and said, "Alright, alright, your second brother welcomes you anytime. Oh, by the way, if you encounter any trouble while investigating a case, remember to come find your second brother. There's nothing your second brother can't handle in the Sword Tower."

Zhou Qingfeng clasped his hands in a salute and said, "Thank you, Second Brother."

"Keep up the good work, I believe in you." Mao Erlang patted Zhou Qingfeng on the shoulder.

Ma Dalang stepped forward, hooking one arm around Mao Erlang's shoulder and the other around Zhou Qingfeng's shoulder, as if he were hooking arms around two underlings, and asked with a smile, "Second brother, what are fourth brother talking about, they seem so happy?"