For two consecutive days, Chen Yuan was occupied with handling affairs in Tangshan Prefecture, issuing one order after another to further expedite the expansion of the army.

Chen Yuan was fully prepared. Once the Liangshan affair concluded, he would accelerate both army expansion and the launch of a full-scale purge in the southern prefectures.

Centuries had fattened them up, and now was the time to feast.

Another order involved contacting Shangguan Yu to begin having the Shangguan clan attract other influential forces. When Chen Yuan stirred up public resentment and was met with united resistance from the Jianghu, the Shangguan clan would be ready to stab him in the back.

Chen Yuan's orders were law here; no one dared to disobey. The intensity of military training within the Tangshan Mountains gradually increased, preparing for the grand undertaking ahead.

In addition, news finally arrived from the Nanzhou region. The Old Ancestor of the Su family contacted Su Ziyue via a transmission talisman, seeking guidance on how to proceed. The crux of the matter was that members of the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox clan wished to meet with him.

Not to visit Qiyue Mountain, but to venture deep into the Southern Borderlands.

Clearly, the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox clan no longer trusted the Su family. They must have discovered that the Su family had not been eradicated and was, in fact, thriving.

Su Ziyue gave the decision to Chen Yuan. After careful consideration, he instructed the Su family's Old Ancestor to ignore the request for now and stall for time.

Simultaneously, he ordered the Su family disciples to accelerate their journey to Tangshan, where he would arrange for personnel in Shuzhou to receive them.

The Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox clan was a demon clan, yes, but not fools. Summoning the Su family's Old Ancestor deep into the Southern Borderlands meant they were planning to use some method against him.

He doubted that they would act as if nothing had happened.

These were official matters. There were also private matters concerning Su Ziyue, Xu Wenxiu, Chen Yanshu, and the other women.

Yu Qingyan was temporarily excluded, as her identity was still undefined. She hadn't officially acknowledged her position and was considered a close "outsider."

However, Madam Xu and Chen Yanshu were different. They were his bedmates, just like Su Ziyue.

Although Chen Yuan had spoken with Madam Xu in the past few days, Su Ziyue's takeover and rise to become the de facto head wife still left her feeling somewhat uneasy.

She dared not and would not cause any trouble, but Chen Yuan could sense her emotions.

Fortunately, Su Ziyue was not an overbearing person. Her methods were decisive, but that was necessary; Chen Yuan's matters were urgent and couldn't be delayed, leaving little room for consideration.

And Su Ziyue, as a head wife, could be gentle and understanding, but expecting her to be submissive was impossible.

To maintain stability within the harem, Chen Yuan decided to take action.

That night, Chen Yuan first sent Chen Yu and the Shangguan sisters back to their rooms. Then, he secretly sent a voice transmission to Su Ziyue and Madam Xu, asking them to come to him one after the other.

Soon after nightfall, Madam Xu was the first to arrive, her face showing a hint of resentment.

"Madam, please sit."

Chen Yuan smiled calmly and pulled Madam Xu down to sit beside him. Compared to before, he was now much more tolerant of Madam Xu. After all, even a hundred days of marriage meant deep affection.

"Why did the Marquis think of me? Shouldn't you be with Sister Su?" Madam Xu's words were laced with vinegar. She understood the bigger picture, but having her authority taken away so abruptly and without any preparation still bothered her.

She naturally wouldn't dare say anything in front of Su Ziyue, so she could only complain to Chen Yuan, hoping he would comfort her... yes... multiple times.

Chen Yuan held her delicate, fair hand and said softly:

"Madam, don't be angry. You know the situation. Ziyue needs to take control of everything as quickly as possible so that she can integrate the Su family's forces into Tangshan.

The Su family has just been subdued and is feeling apprehensive. Knowing that Ziyue is in charge in Tangshan will give them more reassurance."

"I know. Aren't I cooperating?"

Madam Xu pouted.

"These days are for Ziyue to establish her authority. Once she has everything under control, you won't be idle."

"No... I'd rather have it easy. Sister Su is so capable; let her manage everything. It's nice for me to chat with Sister Yanshu and Sister Hong'er."

Madam Xu harrumphed softly.

Chen Yuan reached out and pulled her into his arms, comforting her:

"Ziyue is capable, but does that mean you aren't?"

Madam Xu: "....."

She felt that something wasn't quite right with his words, but she didn't say much. She turned her head away from Chen Yuan, acting a bit petulant.

"If it weren't for you holding down the fort in Tangshan before, these forces wouldn't have developed so smoothly. Hehe... Wenxiu, you are just as capable as Ziyue."

"My strength is weak, and I'm getting old. I'm not as capable as Sister Su."

"Cultivation can always be improved. This is also an opportunity for you to cultivate properly. With so many resources and precious treasures to support your cultivation,

You must break through to the Dan realm within two years."

"Ah???"

Chen Yuan's sudden change of topic surprised Madam Xu.

"You may be eternally youthful now, but what about in a hundred years? Three hundred years? A thousand years?" Chen Yuan's expression became more serious:

"My lifespan may not be a thousand years, but at least four or five hundred years is no problem. If my cultivation gets higher, it could even reach thousands or tens of thousands of years.

You don't want to turn into a pile of dry bones and be buried in the dust before I do, do you?"

"I... I understand."

Madam Xu was silent for a long time and nodded.

"Therefore, I will help you increase your cultivation later."

"What about you?"

"My one day of cultivation is stronger than half a year of yours, so don't worry. Besides... Ziyue will be there later too."

Madam Xu's expression froze:

"This... this won't do, it won't do. I'm leaving."

As she spoke, Madam Xu was about to break free from Chen Yuan's embrace and leave the room, but Chen Yuan whispered in her ear:

"Madam, you don't want to see me unhappy, do you?"

"Huh?"

"There's no barrier between you and Ziyue. All that's missing is a little communication. You think she's overbearing; wouldn't you like to see another side of her?"

"But... but my cultivation..." Madam Xu was clearly tempted by his words.

"I'm here too. She's no match for me, so don't worry."

"Won't Sister Su be angry if we do this?"

"Of course not..." Chen Yuan's lips curled into a smile. He knew Su Ziyue's true nature from their time in seclusion on Qiyue Mountain.

"Then... I'll listen to you..."

Chen Yuan and Madam Xu quietly discussed the upcoming events. In the blink of an eye, an hour had passed. Suddenly, Chen Yuan's expression changed. His divine sense, which he had released in advance, sensed Su Ziyue approaching.

He patted the slightly dazed Madam Xu and whispered:

"Hide under the covers first. I'll conceal your aura..."

"Mm..."

Madam Xu shook her head slightly and nodded. She quickly stood up from Chen Yuan's arms, pulled the curtain closed, and hid under the covers, holding her breath.

Chen Yuan quickly concealed her aura. Although there was a chance she might be detected, as long as he disturbed her mind, she shouldn't use her divine sense to scan the room randomly.

Soon, the door opened, and Su Ziyue, wearing a long purple dress, a phoenix hairpin, and radiating a noble aura, walked in. Her temperament was truly versatile.

Sometimes she was incomparably charming, causing one's blood to surge, sometimes she possessed the poise of a noble consort, and sometimes she was cold and aloof, keeping people at arm's length.

Multiple experiences.....

Walking gracefully to Chen Yuan's side, Su Ziyue asked without suspicion:

"What do you need me for?"

"It's about Wenxiu."

"What, are you feeling sorry for her?"

Su Ziyue raised an eyebrow and looked at Chen Yuan askance.

She couldn't beat Chen Yuan now, but she wasn't at all subservient to him. Whether it was before when she was strong or now when Chen Yuan had surpassed her, they interacted as equals.

"What are you thinking? You really won't let them get involved?" Chen Yuan asked instead.

"Of your women, Xu Wenxiu has some experience, but lacks authority. Chen Yanshu and Shangguan Hong are quite heroic, but too naive and impulsive in some matters. Yu Qingyan is even more detached from the world. They can help you now, but as your power grows, their abilities will be insufficient.

This time, I'm taking full control of Tangshan's affairs as an example for them, to show them how to stand alone. I'll gradually hand things back to them. If you weren't at a critical moment right now, I wouldn't bother managing these small matters. I'd rather cultivate."

Su Ziyue huffed softly but still explained a few things.

In her opinion, Madam Xu's performance wasn't bad, but it certainly wasn't good. Her prestige relied entirely on Chen Yuan; few people truly respected her.

Perhaps it was because her cultivation was low, but the reasons couldn't be entirely attributed to that.

The key was to find better methods, not to wallow in self-pity.

To put it bluntly, if something happened to Chen Yuan or he was trapped somewhere, there needed to be someone in charge of Tangshan's foundation.

Even now, Chen Yuan wasn't in Tangshan most of the time. He couldn't be relied upon to make every decision; they had to grow.

The foundation laid in Tangshan wasn't large yet, but what about in the future?

If Chen Yuan rebelled, he would inevitably begin a true army expansion, confronting various powers and the imperial court. He would be fighting in the front lines, and the logistics in the rear had to be guaranteed.

Madam Xu's abilities alone were far from enough.

Chen Yuan naturally understood the implications, which was why he had only comforted Madam Xu and had no intention of seizing power. Frankly, he didn't care much about the power he currently possessed.

"Thank you, madam."

Chen Yuan coughed lightly and stepped forward to support Su Ziyue's shoulders.

"What do you want to do?"

Su Ziyue stiffened and asked in a low voice.

Apart from those few days on Qiyue Mountain, they hadn't had any other intimate encounters. Su Ziyue liked him, but she wouldn't take the initiative.

"Madam has worked hard. Chen Yuan wants to reward madam."

Chen Yuan smiled calmly, his eyes falling on Su Ziyue's body. The "Stock God" title was definitely not just for show; it was absolutely the most impressive he had ever seen.

"How will you reward me?"

"Come with me..."

Chen Yuan pulled Su Ziyue toward the inner room.

"You... you..."

A hint of joy flashed in Su Ziyue's eyes, but she remained firm.

"Madam, can you bring out your fox tail?" Chen Yuan asked with a smile.

"Don't even think about it..." Su Ziyue glared at Chen Yuan, feeling that this guy's preferences were a bit unusual. That transformation only happened because she couldn't suppress the bloodline backlash. How... did he develop a liking for it?

Su Ziyue refused, but in the end, she couldn't resist Chen Yuan's sweet words, and half-heartedly, a long, white fox tail grew out of her body.

"Ah, there's someone else!"

Su Ziyue was instantly shocked, but then, a powerful pressure descended upon her. It was Chen Yuan suppressing her primordial spirit, and she was immediately alarmed.

"Chen Yuan, you..."

"Wenxiu, hold her down."

"Okay."

"Xu Wenxiu, you... you dare!"