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

The inner courtyard of the city lord's mansion, the waterside garden, and the council pavilion.

Zhou Qingfeng stepped across the wooden bridge into the council chamber. He glanced around and saw that the bigwigs were already waiting inside. The First Lady sat on her throne, still looking at the book that had no cover or title.

When Zhou Qingfeng looked at Butler Qiu, Butler Qiu gave him an approving look.

Zhou Qingfeng smiled slightly, strode forward, clasped his hands in a salute: "Zhou Qingfeng, a member of the Council of Councilors and concurrently the commander of the anti-bandit squad, has returned to the city to report on his duties. This time, I have successfully led the anti-bandit campaign and have lived up to your expectations, annihilating all the bandits of Zhuxian Village."

After saying that, Zhou Qingfeng took out two booklets from his storage bag: "This is the list of meritorious service members and the detailed battle report. Please take a look, Madam."

Upon hearing this, the First Lady finally looked away from the erotic novel, glanced at Zhou Qingfeng, rested her chin on her hand, smiled faintly, and called out, "Chengde."

Upon hearing this, Butler Qiu immediately stepped forward and took the two booklets, one thick and one thin, from Zhou Qingfeng's hands. He then quickly walked to the lady and placed the booklets on the desk. Afterward, Butler Qiu stepped back ten paces away to await further instructions.

The First Lady closed the book, casually picked up the list of war merits, glanced at it, and then set it aside: "Not bad, they killed generals, seized flags, and captured and killed bandit leaders. These people should be rewarded according to the rules."

Then the First Lady picked up the detailed battle report and quietly read it.

This detailed battle report is less of a battle report and more of a complete written performance report.

From the preparations before the expedition to the final work, everything is written in a simple and easy-to-understand style, presented in a straightforward manner.

The First Lady watched calmly, and the more she looked, the more an irrepressible smile appeared on her stunning face.

Interesting, interesting, very interesting!

There was a plan that killed three warriors.

We now have three strategies to annihilate ten times the number of bandits.

Zhou Qingfeng, Zhou Qingfeng, how many more surprises can you possibly bring to this lady?

The First Lady closed the detailed battle report and calmly called out, "Chengde, take this to the assistant commanders. Didn't they say the battle report was fake? Let them see what strategy and genius are all about."

Upon hearing this, Qiu Chengde suppressed his curiosity, quickly stepped forward to take the detailed battle report, turned around and handed it to the assistant commanders present. The many assistant commanders looked at the detailed battle report with surprise and uncertainty.

Zhou Qingfeng stood quietly, like a statue, but his eyes were still silently observing the assistant commanders. There was one person he didn't recognize. Could it be his wife's adopted son, Ma Dalang?

With his wife's tacit approval, Ma Dalang eventually returned to the center of power. Although his injuries had not fully healed, maintaining his human form was no longer a problem, so he wouldn't be mistaken for a demon because of his appearance.

In the end, Ma Dalang was the eldest son of the lady. He made such a big mistake, so he was punished in private at the punishment hall, paid back the money he had embezzled, and stayed in the mansion for a few months. The matter was then considered closed.

If it were an outsider, the entire clan would probably be reunited on the road to the underworld.

"Hiss." The more the assistant commanders read the detailed battle report, the more alarmed they became. If any one of them had realized the strength of the bandits, they would have chosen to write to the emperor for help or withdraw their troops overnight.

But Zhou Qingfeng, at such a critical moment, decisively changed the bandit suppression strategy, took a risky move, and came up with three interconnected plans, which annihilated ten times the number of enemy troops into mincemeat. He was simply terrifyingly strong.

They finally believed that Zhou Qingfeng had annihilated over a thousand bandits from Zhuxian Village.

Ma Dalang's eyes drifted to Zhou Qingfeng, filled with intense longing. He thought to himself, "I've found you! So Qiu Qianchi is you! Good, good, good! I've searched high and low without finding you, and now you're mine without any effort!"

Zhou Qingfeng frowned slightly, noticing Ma Dalang's eager gaze, and immediately felt uncomfortable.

The First Lady said calmly, "Do any of you assistant commanders have any further objections?"

The three assistant commanders, Song, Tang, and Zhu, exchanged glances and bowed to Zhou Qingfeng, saying, "Assistant Commander Zhou's talent and strategy have won our admiration. His three interconnected plans have broadened our horizons, and we have no objections."

Zhou Qingfeng smiled slightly and clasped his hands in response: "Commander Song, Commander Tang, Commander Zhu, you flatter me."

"The younger generation only has the advantage of being young, quick-witted, and bold."

"The three assistant commanders are mature and prudent, and have great strategic vision. Any one of them could do a better job than the younger ones when they go on a campaign."

These three assistant commanders held high positions and wielded great power, yet they did not take advantage of his time suppressing bandits to secretly plot against him.

Whether they are friends or not is hard to say, but at least they are in a neutral position. Of course, we should try to win them over if we can. It won't do us any good to ruin our relationship with them. We should still say nice things, since there's no harm in it.

The three assistant commanders, Song, Tang, and Zhu, exchanged a smile, clearly pleased with Zhou Qingfeng's compliments.

On the other hand, I'm finding Zhou Qingfeng increasingly terrifying.

If he only had exceptional talent for cultivation, that would be one thing; at most, he would just be a brute with great personal strength.

Zhou Qingfeng is not only exceptionally intelligent, but also so adept at navigating social situations; he's practically a prodigy.

The First Lady glanced around.

Neither Mao Erlang nor Ma Dalang showed any intention of speaking, tacitly acknowledging Zhou Qingfeng's achievements.

The three elders, She Ri, Xing Yao, and Liang Yue, exchanged a glance and remained silent. After reading the detailed battle report, they knew perfectly well that it was highly likely that the annihilation of the thousands of bandits from Zhu Xian Village was true.

Besides, this matter is not difficult to investigate. If Zhou Qingfeng really dares to fabricate something, he is really courting death.

Seeing that no one objected, the First Lady glanced at Qiu Chengde.

With just one glance, without needing to say a word, Butler Qiu knew it was time to announce the reward for Zhou Qingfeng.

So, Butler Qiu stepped forward and called out, "Zhou Qingfeng."

Zhou Qingfeng immediately clasped his hands in a respectful gesture and bowed, saying, "Qingfeng is here."

Butler Qiu said in a serious tone, "Zhou Qingfeng is unparalleled in loyalty and righteousness, and has outstanding talent. The lady takes pity on you, an orphan with no parents and no one to rely on, and has decided to take you in as her adopted son."

"I hereby bestow upon you a set of materials for leaping to the Catastrophe Realm, as well as a set of resources to assist in the advancement."

"Enter the first level of the White Bone Foundation Building Tower for cultivation, with a time limit of one year."

"In the first library, you can freely choose two secret manuals from the Food Disaster Realm."

"Ten bottles of Turbid-grade Cleansing Heart Pills, ten bottles of Turbid-grade Blood-Increasing and Bone-Strengthening Pills, ten bottles of Turbid-grade Heart-Nourishing Pills, ten catties of Turbid-grade Vampire Blood, 500,000 incense coins, 500 catties of fine wine, 100 bolts of silk, and a box of rare treasures."

"Effective immediately, he is promoted to Deputy Governor of Cambridge and concurrently appointed as a member of the Legislative Council."

"Hiss!" The entire audience gasped in unison, followed by a chorus of "Wow!"

They expected a large reward, but they never imagined it would be this large.

Although the gifts were plentiful, they were nothing special in the eyes of these bigwigs.

But being adopted as a godson is a different story.

This signifies a complete transformation in Zhou Qingfeng's status; he is no longer a household slave or a favored subject.

From then on, they turned the tables and became the masters of their own destiny.

From this moment forward, the first family has produced its fourth young master!

Promotion to deputy governor is the standard for the young master of the first family. Ma Dalang and Mao Erlang both have the title of deputy governor. With this title, one stands at the top of the pyramid.

In the entire Sword Tower, you could count the number of people who could stand on equal footing with Zhou Qingfeng on two hands.

Now, the only person standing above Zhou Qingfeng is the First Lady.

The First Lady sat up straight and smiled slightly: "Fourth Prince, why don't you pay your respects to your mother?"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Qingfeng couldn't hide his joy. He had thought this day would come, but he didn't expect it to come so soon and so suddenly.

Without hesitation, Zhou Qingfeng lifted his robe, knelt down, and bowed deeply, saying, "Your son, Zhou Qingfeng, greets Mother. I will definitely be a good son to you in the future."