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

Sima Yan chuckled and said, "Young Master Ma is indeed a great leader. You swallowed the insult of having a thousand men killed, and now you want to take them in as your dogs. Impressive, impressive."

Ma Dalang said indifferently, "The man is already dead. What's the point of me killing Qiu Qianchi? Since Qiu Qianchi was able to wipe out my thousand-man army, it proves that he is more outstanding. With such a talent as my assistant, I can defeat thousands of troops."

Sima Yan shrugged. Indeed, Ma Dalang was a great ruler with a broad mind and the capacity to tolerate others. However, he was severely lacking in wisdom and strategy. If he had a first-rate strategist to assist him, he would surely achieve great things.

……

In the inner courtyard of the city lord's mansion, amidst an endless sea of ​​flowers.

The First Lady strolled casually through the sea of ​​flowers, her bare feet barely touching the ground, as if walking on thin air. Mao Erlang followed ten steps behind her.

"Erlang, is there something you want to say to your mother?"

"mother."

"Come closer and talk."

"Yes, Mother." After receiving the instruction, Mao Erlang walked to the First Lady's side and said, "Mother, I think it is still necessary to explain to you, so as not to create a rift between you and me."

The First Lady's delicate hand caressed a bright flower, and she casually smelled it.

Seeing this, Mao Erlang continued, "My suggestion to replace the bandit commander is not for personal gain. I think that Commander Zhou missed the opportunity and was afraid to fight, so I suggested replacing him. It was purely out of public interest."

Upon hearing this, the First Lady smiled slightly and pinched Mao Erlang's cheek: "Erlang, some things don't need to be explained. Explaining too much will only make it a cover-up, understand?"

Mao Erlang grinned: "Hey, nothing can be hidden from Mother. I just had a little selfish reason."

The First Lady patted Mao Erlang's head lightly and said with a laugh, "You brat, go ahead and check on your older brother's injuries to see if he's any better. Hopefully, a little hardship will teach him a lesson."

Mao Erlang chuckled, clasped his hands in a fist and bowed, "Yes, Mother."

Both Mao Erlang and Ma Dalang were raised by the First Lady. In their hearts, the First Lady was like a mother and father to them, and her position in their hearts was even greater than that of their biological parents.

It's just that as children grow up, they have more ideas. They may not want to live under the same roof and eat at the same table with their mother. They may steal some money from home and want to move out and start their own household. That's all normal.

They would never commit matricide and usurp the throne; firstly, they couldn't, secondly, they couldn't, and thirdly, they still couldn't.

If they couldn't do it, they would rather die than kill the mother who raised them. They were all made of flesh and blood, and their mother treated them like her own sons, so how could they possibly kill her?

Secondly, even if that's not possible, my mother still has my deceased father by her side to protect her. Even though he has already passed away, he still guards my mother through the long river of time, and no one can harm her in the slightest.

If they fail to achieve the three goals, the Sword Tower will be the first to seize power. If they manage to usurp the throne, a rebellion will immediately break out within the Sword Tower, and once the news is received from the outside, the major city lords and the royal family will lead their armies to besiege and suppress them, ultimately leading to their defeat and demise.

The so-called rebellion is nothing but a joke.

……

Time flies like an arrow, and soon Zhou Qingfeng led his bandit-suppression army back victorious.

To demonstrate her support and recognition of Zhou Qingfeng, the First Lady went out of her way to promote him, ordering a red carpet to be laid out, flowers to welcome him, and publicizing his glorious achievements everywhere.

Indeed, the First Lady seized the opportunity to add fuel to the fire, riding the wave of this resounding victory to personally create a new generation of heroes in the Sword Tower, symbolizing justice, light, and struggle, because the common people needed role models.

With role models in mind, they will work hard to make contributions to the first company.

Moreover, after this grand welcome, Zhou Qingfeng will have enough prestige in the Sword Tower. Given his merits, it would be only natural for him to be promoted and rewarded.

Moreover, in the eyes of the First Lady, geniuses should have the privileges and treatment that geniuses deserve.

When Zhou Qingfeng led his army back to the city, the people lined the streets with flowers in hand to welcome him. The long street was filled with the noise of people. Zhou Qingfeng was also stunned by the scene, but he quickly calmed down.

Zhou Qingfeng, riding his horse, waved and smiled as he greeted the people: "Good, good, good, it's what I should do, thank you everyone."

"Commander Zhou, Commander Zhou, Commander Zhou..." The excited mortals screamed wildly, looking at Zhou Qingfeng with admiration, waving their arms and flowers frantically, hoping that Zhou Qingfeng would see them.

They had all heard that Commander Zhou had led his troops to annihilate all the bandits in the territory, and that he had even won a victory against overwhelming odds with only a hundred cultivators of the Turbid Food Sect. This miraculous achievement drove the mortals mad.

They also heard that Zhou Qingfeng was born a refugee and went against the tide all the way to his current high position through his hard work and struggle. This is simply the template of the inspirational hero in the plays that ordinary people love to hear.

With their own hands, they strive and fight, defying fate to finally reap glory and flowers. This is what all mortals dream of. Yet, living examples appear before them, and they simply cannot contain their excitement.

At this moment, Zhou Qingfeng was showered with glory and became a rising hero in the hearts of the people of Jianta.

Ordinary people take Zhou Qingfeng as their role model and are proud of him. They will follow in his footsteps and strive to make contributions to the first family. Even on the day they die, they will think that they did not work hard enough, which is why they could not become heroes like Zhou Qingfeng.

Following Zhou Qingfeng, Xiao Hongyun, Ye Tingxiu, Jin Wei, and the anti-bandit squad all stood tall with their chests out.

They were so happy they couldn't stop smiling.

They had such dreams before.

Now, thanks to Zhou Qingfeng, all of these things have come true.

Upon arriving at the city lord's mansion, Zhou Qingfeng dismounted, let go of his horse, and strode into the mansion. Accompanying him were his two adjutants, Ye Tingxiu and Xiao Hongyun, while the bandit-suppression troops were sent to the military camp to await orders.

"Halt!" The red-armored axemen guarding the gate blocked their way.

Zhou Qingfeng reached into his waist token and said, "With Madam's special permission, you may come and go as you please."

The red-armored axeman pointed at the two people behind Zhou Qingfeng: "They are not allowed to enter without the lady's summons."

Zhou Qingfeng nodded, then turned to Xiao Ye and the other man and said, "I'm going to the mansion to report on my duties. Don't worry, I've already written the petition for your commendation. You two find a place to rest, and I'll invite you to my house for drinks when I'm done."

Xiao Ye and his companion stared at Zhou Qingfeng's retreating figure, their feelings a complex mix of emotions. They were all servants who had entered the manor at the same time, but now he was thriving while they didn't even have the right to freely enter and leave the city lord's manor.

Fortunately, everyone is in the same boat; the better Zhou Qingfeng does, the better they do.

"Come on, what are you looking at?" Ye Tingxiu kicked Xiao Hongyun's butt.

Xiao Hongyun scoffed and gave chase: "You brat, don't move, let me kick you..."