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

Sword Tower City, the inner courtyard of the City Lord's Mansion, the lotus pond on Lotus Peak.

The First Lady reclines on a lotus platform, enjoying the cool air and escaping the summer heat. Beside her is a small table laden with various chilled exotic fruits and even more luxurious sweet treats. Knowing that the Fourth Prince's favorite fruit is lychee, she has had chilled lychees prepared.

"Fourth Prince, try it and see if it's good." The First Lady smiled and peeled a lychee, handing it to him.

Zhou Qingfeng knelt on the cushion, took the lychee with both hands, took a bite, and said with a smile, "Delicious."

The First Lady smiled and reached out to take out another lychee.

Upon seeing this, Zhou Qingfeng quickly said, "Mother, I am terrified. How could I dare to trouble you to prepare the lychees again?"

The First Lady smiled and didn't seem to care. She got up, sat cross-legged at the small table, casually pulled out a silk ribbon, wrapped it around her shoulder and tied it at her chest. Then she rolled up her sleeves and secured them with the ribbon to ensure that the sleeves wouldn't hang down and interfere with peeling lychees.

She peeled the lychees one by one and placed them in bowls and plates with meticulous and focused movements.

"It's alright, you eat your food. I'm happy just watching you eat."

“You have been in seclusion for eleven years and six months, and your mother often thinks of you.”

"I'm happy to see you today. I know you like lychees, so I'll peel some extra for you to eat."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Qingfeng remained silent, focusing solely on eating lychees. He quietly watched the First Lady carefully peeling lychees, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

The First Lady smiled and said, "You have made the greatest contribution by annexing unclaimed lands within eight years. Is there anything you want? Just say the word."

Zhou Qingfeng hurriedly tried to stand up, bow, and clasp his hands in response.

The First Lady gestured first, saying, "Sit down and talk. It's just a family chat, not a formal occasion. No need for formalities. Just be casual and have a chat with your mother. Say whatever you want to say, don't hold back."

"Yes, Mother." Zhou Qingfeng was unsure whether to bow or not, so he reluctantly knelt on the cushion and accompanied his mother to enjoy the cool air, taste lychees, admire the scenery, and chat. However, what was said to be casual conversation was actually a series of important matters.

"Mother, it is my duty to share your burdens, how dare I ask for a reward?" Zhou Qingfeng certainly had something he wanted. He wanted to enter the first library again to find the sacrificial rituals and secret texts he desired, but could he say that? Of course not.

It was something I couldn't say before, and it's even more unspeakable now.

Rewards are never something we ask for; we simply accept whatever is given to us from above.

As the saying goes, thunder and rain are both blessings from heaven, and this is no exaggeration.

Thinking himself the fourth young master, with his merits and outstanding talent, he seemed to think that the Sword Tower couldn't function without him. Relying on his favor, he dared to ask the First Lady for rewards. That shows that he didn't know his place. Usually, people who don't know their place will at least be reprimanded, or at worst, suffer a terrible fate.

Upon hearing this, the First Lady smiled and pointed at Zhou Qingfeng: "You, you're just saying one thing and meaning another."

Zhou Qingfeng: "Every word I said is true, I would never dare to deceive my mother."

"Since you've said so, then I'll reward you with a lychee." The First Lady peeled the lychee shell with her slender fingers, stood up, bent down, and stuffed the lychee into Zhou Qingfeng's mouth. Zhou Qingfeng had no choice but to open his mouth and eat the lychee, a bitter smile on his face.

Then the First Lady looked at Zhou Qingfeng and said with a smile, "Look, you're not happy even though I only gave you a lychee to eat."

Zhou Qingfeng: "..."

The First Lady picked up a handkerchief from the table, wiped her hands, placed the peeled lychees in front of Zhou Qingfeng, and sat down with a smile, adopting a very casual posture. Her left leg was bent at the knee, her right leg was crossed under her hips, and her arm was resting on her knee. This posture did not resemble that of a person in power who wields life and death authority, but rather that of a housewife chatting with someone. She was high-ranking yet approachable, friendly yet still exuding nobility.

"Your mother sees that you have already reached the peak of the Devouring Fiend realm, and you are only one step away from ascending to the next level."

"Hmm..." The First Lady pointed at Zhou Qingfeng, pondered for a moment, and said, "I hereby grant you entry into the First Library, with free access to the third floor and below. You may choose whatever you wish for. Little boy, please do not peek at the forbidden books."

Zhou Qingfeng: "Mom, I'm forty-three years old this year, almost fifty."

The First Lady clicked her tongue: "If you're not married, aren't you just a child?"

Zhou Qingfeng: "..."

“Speaking of settling down, your mother has picked out some suitable girls for you over the years. Take a look and see if there’s one you like.”

The First Lady finished speaking.

Sword Dance arrived through the air, stopping ten steps away, holding many exquisite scrolls in her hands.

"Come here." The First Lady beckoned, and Jian Wu leaped over the lotus platform in the lotus pond. After approaching, she placed the scroll on the table and turned to leave. With a smile on her lips, she deliberately winked her left eye at Zhou Qingfeng, as if to say, "Little rascal, you're getting married. Not bad."

"Choose one, these women are all outstanding in talent and beauty from the first family."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Qingfeng clasped his hands in a salute and said, "Yes, Mother."

Even if a member of a collateral branch, a noblewoman from the First Family is of immeasurable status. Even if she marries, she is usually the principal wife. Both Ma Dalang and Mao Erlang's principal wives were noblewomen from the First Family. If the royal family hadn't insisted on interfering, how could a noblewoman from the First Family have become a concubine?

Even if she marries a city lord, she is still the city lord's wife; if she marries a prince, she is still a princess; if she marries a prince, she is still an imperial concubine. It's not uncommon for women to become concubines, but they are rare. In the entire Python Sparrow Empire, there are only a handful of women who can become concubines of the noblewoman of the first family.

There is absolutely no need for them to lower themselves; the daughters of the most prestigious families have no trouble finding husbands.

This marriage has caused great controversy within the first family, with no one in the family willing to let their daughter marry into the family.

It's not that Zhou Qingfeng is bad; Zhou Qingfeng is very good. Whether judged by his ability, talent, strategy, identity, status, wealth, power, appearance, or character, he is almost an impeccable perfect man. If he wanted to get married, the line of women could stretch from Jianta to the capital.

Many girls within the First Family also like Zhou Qingfeng, and many of them are naive young girls who grew up listening to Zhou Qingfeng's stories.

Not only the first family, but also countless unmarried girls in Sword Tower City, all wanted to marry into the Zhou family, even as concubines. The key is that Zhou Qingfeng is not lustful. He completely regards women as mere skeletons, as proud as the sun, dazzling and unattainable.

A man who is desirable but unattainable, someone you can never have.

This drove women even crazier, secretly writing erotic novels in their bedrooms, using Zhou Qingfeng as a model, and even sharing them with their best friends to satisfy their bedroom fantasies. Zhou Qingfeng was incredibly popular in their minds.

But now the situation has changed somewhat. Because being a concubine is a disgrace to the family, even if the girl agrees within the main family, her parents will not agree, because a family is made up of many smaller families. If the parents say no, the girl cannot marry as a concubine even if she voluntarily agrees.

But the First Lady didn't care about any of that. Of course, she wanted to choose the best wife for her son. So she held a family-wide selection, with three thousand beautiful and charming young ladies up for marriage. Through layer upon layer of screening, she narrowed it down to thirty-six.

These thirty-six women are all exceptional beauties, possessing both talent and looks.

It was all the same list of beauties, the most stunning women in the world.

Furthermore, both parents are among the most influential members of the family.