Leaving Nanling Prefecture, Chen Yuan's speed suddenly increased, because there was nothing along the way that could catch his attention. Now, he wanted to see how Tangshan Prefecture was doing.

Two months was neither a long time nor a short one.

It was enough for a prefecture to undergo changes.

In front of Tangshan Prefecture City.

Chen Yuan was dressed in a cyan robe, his long hair tied up, revealing a rather unfamiliar face, thanks to a human skin mask.

He wanted to take this opportunity to see the changes in Tangshan Prefecture.

Compared to before, Chen Yuan could immediately see that the flow of people in Tangshan Prefecture City had increased significantly, not doubling, but at least increasing by a third.

That's why he could notice such a significant change at a glance.

After the guards at the gate checked his identity, Chen Yuan officially returned to Tangshan Prefecture, which he had been away from for two months, his eyes constantly scanning the surroundings.

Besides the increase in the number of common people, the number and quality of martial artists had also increased dramatically.

At least, after walking for a quarter of an hour, cultivators at the Condensing Core realm were no longer rare, becoming commonplace, and the people around didn't seem to find anything to be surprised about.

After finding a crowded restaurant and having a meal, Chen Yuan understood the source of the changes.

Thanks to Tangshan's excellent geographical location, coupled with the efforts of Han Yu and Du Ming, many martial artists and merchant caravans were attracted to pass through here, showing signs of prosperity.

Although it was still far from Qingzhou City, compared with other prefectures, it had faintly opened up a gap, and this was only the change of two months.

Sitting in the restaurant, Chen Yuan noticed several patrols of the Celestial Guards carrying weapons while he was eating, as if it had become a routine.

Well done.

This was Chen Yuan's initial assessment.

After finishing his meal, Chen Yuan walked out of the restaurant and began to stroll around Tangshan Prefecture City, eventually stopping in front of a storyteller's stall.

Because the storyteller was talking about his deeds!

"Everyone, the reason why our Tangshan has undergone such great changes is all thanks to one person. He is the one who eliminated all the problems in Tangshan Prefecture,

giving the people a foundation to survive."

"He is the one who created the current Tangshan bureaucracy. Whether it is the current Qing Envoy, Lord Han Yu, or the Prefect, Lord Liu ZhengSong, all were promoted by him.

It is said that before he left, he warned Lord Han and Lord Liu, saying that they must treat the people kindly!"

"Speaking of this, I believe everyone knows who I'm talking about, right?"

The storyteller asked, gazing around.

As soon as he finished speaking, many responses rang out.

"Old Li, you say it every day. It's hard for us not to know."

"That's right, that's right."

"Do we need you to tell us these things? Don't we know that these are the achievements of Qing Envoy Chen?"

"We're tired of hearing about these things. I say, why don't you quickly tell us about the great things Qing Envoy Chen did in the capital?"

The storyteller laughed, slapped the table with a wooden block, and said loudly, "Alright, then I will tell you about Qing Envoy Chen's exploits in the capital."

"It is said that in the eighth year of Jingtai, in November, Eastern Ying martial artists came to the capital with ill intentions, wanting to set up a ring here and defeat the Dao hearts of the Central Plains martial artists..."

Chen Yuan listened attentively to the storyteller's narration.

It was quite interesting, really.

The only thing he found strange was that it was a bit too exaggerated, practically turning him into a great hero who saved the Central Plains, so much so that the Emperor wanted to bestow a marriage and take him as his son-in-law.

And that was only one thing. What really surprised him was that the other party even involved him in the ancestral sacrifice of the royal family, saying that if it weren't for Qing Envoy Chen turning the tide,

those demonic path powerhouses who wreaked havoc in the imperial city would have killed the Emperor!

This left him speechless.

To be aware, the impression he left during that great battle was not even worthy of being a passerby. Here, he's portrayed as so terrifying...

Sure enough, the more it's spread, the more outrageous it becomes.

"Your reputation in Tangshan is really great."

Suddenly, just as Chen Yuan was immersed in the storyteller's tale, Mo Luo's voice suddenly sounded in his ear.

Chen Yuan was startled and quickly asked,

"Senior, you're awake?"

"Yes, I was awakened."

"What do you mean? Are there strong experts spying around?" Hearing that Mo Luo was awakened, Chen Yuan was immediately startled and blurted out.

"No, I was awakened by something in your Heavenly Book."

"???"

"There is the power of sentient beings gathering towards you."

"What?"

Chen Yuan's pupils shrank, and without bothering to confirm, he quickly disappeared from this place, reappearing on the roof of a tall building in Tangshan Prefecture City.

Then, he took out the tattered Umbrella of Ten Thousand People.

Besides this thing, he didn't think there was anything else on his body that could attract the power of sentient beings.

"Is this the item the master was talking about?"

"Precisely."

"This item is called the Umbrella of Ten Thousand People. It was originally..."

Chen Yuan quickly recounted everything that had happened before.

"Benefactor is merciful."

Mo Luo said in a deep voice.

"I dare not accept such praise, it was just a casual effort."

"To have this heart already proves that you actually have good intentions. Judge by actions, not by intentions. No one is a saint if judged by intentions." Mo Luo's soft voice echoed in Chen Yuan's ears.

Chen Yuan quite agreed with this sentence.

If one were to truly judge by intentions, probably no one could be considered a good person.

Who would dare to say that they had never had evil thoughts?

"Senior, what do you mean by the power of sentient beings gathering?" Chen Yuan changed the subject and asked.

"Hold up the Umbrella of Ten Thousand People."

Chen Yuan did as he was told.

Then, he saw a magical change.

The Umbrella of Ten Thousand People, which was originally tattered, was now emitting a faint light. In a place Chen Yuan couldn't see, streams of light gathered from all over Tangshan Prefecture.

"This is... repairing it?"

Chen Yuan asked in surprise.

"Precisely..."

It was like an invisible force supporting the tattered Umbrella of Ten Thousand People. The colorful strips of cloth on it were now being woven together. In a short while,

the tattered Umbrella of Ten Thousand People was completely repaired.

This... greatly exceeded Chen Yuan's expectations.

At least, before coming to Tangshan Prefecture, he didn't expect that the Umbrella of Ten Thousand People could actually be repaired. He originally just wanted to put this item in the Heavenly Book as a souvenir.

Or repair it through other methods.

This situation had to be called magical.

He guessed that it was probably because of the instructions he gave to Madam Xu before, coupled with various promotions, that the people of Tangshan Prefecture had already mythologized him.

Breathing out a sigh, Chen Yuan was silent for a long time before shifting his body.

......

......

Inside the Celestial Patrol Division.

Madam Xu was looking seriously at the official documents presented by Liu ZhengSong and Han Yu. Only a portion of them were about government affairs, while the vast majority were about their efforts to expand their influence.

With Chen Yuan's authorization and the excellent resources of Tangshan Prefecture, they were expanding their influence very quickly. The Martial Army had secretly recruited thousands of people.

Adding to the previous Martial Army.

Tangshan Prefecture already had an army of ten thousand!

These people could be called elite soldiers, all of them martial artists.

Although most of them had just begun their cultivation, they were still martial artists.

Of course, expanding the military to such an extent had basically reached the limit of Tangshan Prefecture. Ten thousand people eating and drinking would bring a lot of consumption.

Most importantly... Yuan Crystals!

For high-ranking officials, they couldn't be paid with gold and silver, Yuan Crystals were required.

Even with the support from Qingzhou City, it was still at its limit.

Chen Yuan also knew about this matter, and even remotely directed them to stop expanding the military and instead expand their influence through other methods, in the surrounding prefectures near Tangshan Prefecture.

His hand had already been inserted...

And this hand was gradually starting to infiltrate more prefectures.

As for the training of those Martial Army soldiers, it was also different. In addition to the normal practice of forming battle formations, the sentence these soldiers shouted the most every day,

was to pledge allegiance to Chen Yuan.

If you eat Qing Envoy Chen's food, you should risk your life for Qing Envoy Chen!

Of course, Chen Yuan was well aware of the stakes involved. He knew that if this matter were to spread, the Emperor would never tolerate him. Therefore, he had ordered many loyal subordinates to be placed in various parts of the military camp in advance.

But even so, some people still wanted to report this matter, feeling that Chen Yuan had the heart of rebellion. However, they were detected early and left this world silently.

The training of these people was completely closed, with no one allowed to enter or exit. Arrays and martial artists were even inscribed around them to guard it.

The location was placed in the vast Tangshan Mountains!

"These matters will be entrusted to you, gentlemen."

After reading it once, Madam Xu stamped the official documents in her hand with a specially made official seal and had the maid next to her hand them over to the three gentlemen below: Du Ming, Han Yu, and Liu ZhengSong.

Han Yu and the others looked respectful, not daring to show the slightest disrespect.

Although Chen Yuan was not here, Madam Xu was equivalent to Chen Yuan's avatar!

Coupled with Chen Yuan's booming reputation, who would dare to have the slightest bit of disloyalty?

Most importantly, they were already tied to the current Chen Yuan. Expanding their power, assassinating court officials, privately recruiting soldiers, any of these things was enough to have their entire family executed.

Therefore, the best path for them now was to go all the way with Chen Yuan.

Rebel?

That would be courting death!

Even they didn't know how many spies Chen Yuan had in Tangshan. Although he seemed to be delegating power, he was actually watching very closely. In addition to reporting major and minor matters to Madam Xu,

Chen Yuan's previous personal guards, Yue Shan, Yan Qing, and Mo Donghe, each controlled a significant amount of power.

What was most frightening was that Qingzhou City turned a blind eye to this matter and even helped to cover it up. This was not something a Gold Envoy could do!

They privately felt that Lord Chen's power had probably reached all aspects of Qingzhou City.

Although he was far away in the capital, he was in control of everything.

"Yes, we obey your orders."

"Yes, we obey your orders."

"Well, I heard..."

Just as Madam Xu was about to say something, suddenly, an invisible force enveloped the entire hall. Everyone was shocked and shouted in a deep voice, "Who dares to spy..."

"It's me!"

Chen Yuan's voice echoed in everyone's ears.

"My lord!"

"My lord!"

Han Yu and the others were suddenly startled, then showed joy on their faces.

"Husband..."

Madam Xu suddenly stood up.

Then, Chen Yuan's figure slowly appeared in front of everyone.

Dressed in a black robe, exuding an aura of domineering!

"Your subordinate greets Your Lordship, welcome back Your Lordship!"

"Your subordinate greets Your Lordship, welcome back Your Lordship!"

"Your subordinate greets Your Lordship, welcome back Your Lordship!"

"This servant greets Your Lordship."

"This servant greets Your Lordship..."

After appearing, everyone immediately bowed.

"Rise."

Chen Yuan looked around, nodded slightly, and turned to sit down.

An invisible force instantly lifted up everyone who was bowing.

"You... are back?"

Madam Xu's eyes were slightly red.

"Just staying temporarily, don't reveal that I have come here."

"Well... not even to Zhi'er?"

"Is he here too?"

Chen Yuan raised an eyebrow, seeming somewhat surprised.

"He is resting in the city, visiting this concubine." Madam Xu replied.

"Well... then it wouldn't hurt to see him."

Chen Yuan said after pondering for a moment.

He was about to set off for Shuzhou. It seemed good to learn more about the destination of this trip.

"This concubine will go and call Zhi'er over immediately."

Madam Xu nodded repeatedly, then quickly left with two maids. In the blink of an eye, only the four of them were left in the hall.

Chen Yuan looked at them one by one, revealing a faint smile:

"Everyone, long time no see."

"Your subordinates are always thinking of Your Lordship." Everyone said quickly.

Compared to when he left before, Han Yu and Du Ming's cultivation had improved again in just two months. Their auras were condensed, and they had quite a bit of power.

This was also normal. Managing a region could always train people.

In addition, Chen Yuan's support for their resources made their cultivation improve rapidly, which was also normal. It was just a pity that there was still some distance before breaking through.

Chen Yuan tapped the table with his fingers and asked in a deep voice:

"How is it now?"

Everyone naturally knew what Chen Yuan was asking and quickly reported what had happened in the past few months. Although Chen Yuan had been corresponding through letters,

the journey was long after all. They didn't dare to reveal too much to avoid leakage, and they didn't have treasures like the 'Heavenly Book'. Therefore, what they knew was mostly biased.

Now that he was back, he naturally had to understand everything in detail.

Delegating power didn't mean not managing.

He liked the feeling of controlling power.

Liu ZhengSong, Han Yu, and Du Ming reported in turn. Overall, it was progressing steadily. The government was firmly in their hands because everyone was loyal to Chen Yuan.

There wouldn't be a second voice.

With Chen Yuan's previous instructions, Liu ZhengSong had relaxed a lot in regards to the common people, building porridge sheds, repairing roads, using work as a form of relief, and using other methods to allow many refugees to settle down in the vast Tangshan Prefecture.

Of course, he also didn't forget to promote Chen Yuan's name, hiding himself behind the scenes, saying that everything was Chen Qing Envoy's advice before he left.

This was why countless Tangshan people were grateful to Chen Yuan.

This was why he attracted the power of sentient beings after he appeared in Tangshan Prefecture.

Chen Yuan encouraged and praised him a few words, saying that Liu ZhengSong had done well. This was the way to be an official, and he was truly talented. It was a pity that he was trapped in a corner of Tangshan.

These words made Liu ZhengSong quite frightened. He quickly pushed back, saying that this was originally Chen Yuan's credit.

Han Yu basically controlled the Celestial Patrol Division and the forces that had expanded outwards. He said that no one in the Tangshan Celestial Patrol Division dared to have any disloyalty and that they were all loyal to Chen Yuan.

Moreover, their power was now growing bigger and bigger, not only being rooted in the surrounding prefectures but also expanding the business routes outside of Qingzhou.

Although they had encountered some jealous people who caused trouble, they had all been swept away with the help of Jin Envoy Jiang.

As for Du Ming, his power was all in the Martial Army. He talked about the current situation of the Martial Army, saying that they could initially condense into a ten thousand-man battle formation, which could fight Grandmasters.

He hoped that Chen Yuan could go there when he had some free time.

Many soldiers knew that they were loyal to Chen Yuan, but most of them had never seen him, and they always had this wish.

Chen Yuan pondered for a moment and agreed.

During the conversation, Madam Xu brought her son, Ouyang Zhi, to the hall. As soon as he entered the hall, Ouyang Zhi knelt on one knee and said in a deep voice:

"After several months, Father's demeanor is even more outstanding than before. This child admires you!"

Chen Yuan looked at him, speechless.

He really didn't want to be Ouyang Zhi's father, but he couldn't resist his persistence, so Chen Yuan gradually let him have his way.

After bringing Ouyang Zhi over, Madam Xu stepped down with good sense.

Ouyang Zhi also quickly reported the situation of the Hidden Soldiers Valley during this period, not daring to hide anything, as if he had really taken on the role of 'son'.

"Not bad."

Chen Yuan encouraged him.

"To receive Father's praise, this child's efforts are worth it, no matter how hard and tiring it may be." Ouyang Zhi smiled on his face.

After everyone had arrived, Chen Yuan had people bring up wine and dishes, and had a drink with the four of them, which made them quite excited. They kept toasting at the banquet.

After three rounds of wine and five courses of dishes,

Chen Yuan changed the subject and began to plan what they would do next. In fact, it was a rehash of old things. One was to treat the people kindly. He had tasted the sweetness of the power of sentient beings, and treating the people well was a way to repay them.

They didn't have much wealth, so it would be better to gain a reputation for benevolence. As their reputation grew, it would spread throughout the martial world. In this way, they could gain support when they rose up in the future.

His idea was to shape himself into a well-known loyal minister, so that everyone in the world would advise him to rebel before he did!

The second was to accumulate food and train soldiers diligently to make the battle formation stronger.

He had heard that the elite border troops of the imperial court could fight True Monarchs if they formed a battle formation!

Moreover, there were many other wonderful uses.

The third was to create standard weapons and expand the military.

The fourth was to continue to establish themselves in various prefectures of Qingzhou and recruit rogue experts, giving them power and Yuan Crystals to make them willing to work for him.

Listening to the increasingly clear plan, everyone understood what Chen Yuan wanted to do. Beneath their fear was even more excitement!

After talking for a full half a day, it ended when the sky gradually darkened. After sending everyone away, Chen Yuan let out a sigh and slowly walked towards the backyard.

Outside the room where Madam Xu lived, Chen Yuan waved away a few maids, then knocked on the door and said lightly:

"Madam, may I come in?"

"Yes..."

......

......