Zhuge Xiu, unbothered by their stares, offered a graceful smile laced with polite humility, inclining her head. "Greetings to you all. My humble name is Zhuge Xiu; you may call me Xiu'er. I understand you are all my husband's brothers and confidantes!"

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!" Just as Xiu'er finished speaking, three figures suddenly shot toward Yang Yi.

"Boss, who is she?"

"Brother Yi, who is this?"

"Boss, don't tell me you've been straying?"

"Damn it, what nonsense are you spouting?" Yang Yi glared at the three, his patience thin. "Didn't you hear her introduction?"

"Uh!" The three stared blankly, glancing at Xiu'er who had turned and was smiling, then quickly looking away. They dared not look for long; prolonged gazing might cause them to lose control and commit some egregious act, which would surely bring down thunderous retribution.

"Alright, everyone sit down. I am genuinely pleased to see you are all getting along today!" Yang Yi smiled faintly, glancing at the women in the room. Noticing their less-than-happy expressions, he felt a familiar sense of helplessness. He walked the shortcut to the sofa and sat down, ignoring their looks, as he had always believed that matters between women were best resolved by the women themselves.

Murong Lianxue released Xiu'er's hand and also hurried to Yang Yi's side. She took the bottle of red wine Yang Yi was reaching for and said, "Brother Yi, let me pour!"

"En," Yang Yi responded.

The three figures standing by the doorway—Fatty Lin and the others—exchanged glances, then burst into hearty laughter. "That’s right, that’s right! It's rare for Brother Yi to treat us after our journey. Come, come, everyone sit down!"

"Yes, please all take a seat!" Xu Ming finished, then went to close the door.

"I think perhaps I should explain things," Xiu'er said with a light smile, her composed demeanor already establishing her advantage.

Undoubtedly, an emperor's Harem required an Empress to manage affairs. Although Yang Yi didn't currently possess the three wives and seven concubines of legend, with Li Qian, Xia Shiyun, Xuanyuan Bing, and Feng Shi already present, the arrival of Zhuge Xiu meant Yang Yi's circle of women was certainly growing large.

According to national regulations, only monogamy was permitted. Since Xiu'er had already completed the rites to become Yang Yi’s wife, this situation could only be described as the smoke of battle rising on the women’s front.

"You brute, I'll settle accounts with you later!" Li Qian, seeing Xiu'er’s serene smile, pulled her aside. "Sister Xiu'er, let's have a good chat!"

"En," Xiu'er replied, still smiling broadly. She had known this day would come ever since she first met Yang Yi.

Meanwhile, Xia Shiyun, after giving the somewhat gloomy Yang Yi a sidelong glance, turned to Feng Shi. "Sister Yanran, come over here too. Let's sisters have a good talk!"

"Uh!" Feng Shi paused, a slight smile touching her lips before she nodded agreeably. "Alright!"

"Brother Yi, you are being envied and despised," Murong Lianxue teased, pointing first at the assembled women, then at Fatty Lin and the other two.

Yang Yi felt a wave of helplessness. He poured himself some wine and took a drink. However, realizing there were many things he needed to ask, he immediately turned to Fatty Lin and the others. "You three? You dare slight your Boss now? Are you truly planning to rebel?"

"Uh, Boss, you can't put it like that. Honestly, just look at you—it’s impossible not to be envious," Ye Xiaohou walked over and took a seat.

Xu Ming and Fatty Lin also came over. Xu Ming added, "Boss, I’m so jealous I could die."

"Damn it, Third Brother, I’ll curse your ancestors! Don’t you have Liu Qingqing? What the heck are you jealous of? Think of Lao Si and me—we’re still single!" Fatty Lin directly snapped at Xu Ming.

"Exactly, Third Brother, that's enough from you!"

"But speaking of which, Third Brother, what is the status between you and Liu Qingqing?" Yang Yi felt he should also concern himself with his brothers' lives. Obsessing only over reaching the pinnacle meant overlooking many things; how could one become a wise ruler without caring for the well-being of the people, as wise rulers throughout history did?

"I already visited her family. I believe things will soon..."

"Ah! Damn!" The other three shouted in unison upon seeing Xu Ming’s shy expression.

Before Xu Ming could finish, the assembled women made a shushing gesture. This made the four men marvel at how the women, once gathered, truly formed a formidable collective.

"Third Brother, congratulations on finally achieving success. We were worried about what might happen between you and Liu Qingqing before!" Yang Yi raised his glass.

"Thanks, Boss!" Xu Ming grinned mischievously. "But, Boss, about that Zhuge Xiu—tell us, she called you 'husband' just now, didn't she?"

"Yeah, Brother Yi, spit it out!" Fatty Lin sat next to Yang Yi, his expression deeply mischievous as he scrutinized him.

"Uh! It is what it is. What else could it be?"

"Sister Xiu'er is Brother Yi's wife," Murong Lianxue interjected sweetly.

"Wife?" The three were stunned, asking in unison, "Boss, you got married?"

"Damn it!" Yang Yi shot them a look, exasperated. "I suppose you could say that!"

"This... what is going on?" Ye Xiaohou inquired.

"Actually, the story goes like this...!" Yang Yi recounted everything that had happened after he had taken them away.

Ye Xiaohou and the others froze, their faces still, as if Yang Yi was narrating something utterly unbelievable. After a long moment, they finally processed it. They now understood why Yang Rong had insisted they keep the matter of the Tianlong lineage an absolute secret, even actively discouraging Yang Yi from getting involved.

If Yang Yi intervened, it could spell disaster for the ancient lineages of Huaxia. At best, the Tian Gui and Tianlong factions might vanish, effectively ending the history and ancient heritage of Huaxia. At worst, the world could descend into chaos—a scenario easily facilitated by the current influence of the Black God Gang.

"I only hope the Boss doesn't disappoint Sister Rong's good intentions!" Ye Xiaohou mused internally. The three exchanged glances and nodded solemnly.

Yang Yi noticed the strange reaction and asked, "What's wrong with all of you?"

"Uh. N-nothing!" the three responded cryptically.

"Spit it out. What exactly have you been through? Not only has your strength suddenly increased so much, but even your demeanor suggests you've been hiding many things from me," Yang Yi said, sipping his red wine.

"We... we really haven't..."

"Third Brother, you tell him," Fatty Lin stopped Xu Ming mid-sentence, urging him on.

"Should I tell him?" Xu Ming looked at Fatty Lin, then at Ye Xiaohou. Seeing their nods, he said, "Fine! I'll tell you then!"

Xu Ming gave a general account of what happened after they were taken, deliberately omitting the details of Yang Yi's true parentage. He explained the sudden, rapid increase in their cultivation in a very roundabout manner.

It turned out Yang Rong had placed them all in a specific location (within the Tianlong lineage clan), where they underwent extremely harsh training, spending a month enduring sweat in the sweltering heat. During that time, their cultivation levels had significantly improved. Moreover, Yang Rong's unique training methods had benefited them immensely.

"According to what you've told me, this Yang Rong is the one who abducted you? Yet, instead of harming you, she personally trained you. Furthermore, she even assigned me two tasks. Based on all this, she shouldn't be my enemy, so why is she threatening me?" Yang Yi frowned after hearing Xu Ming's explanation, feeling that too many questions remained unresolved.

First, the name Yang Rong sounded familiar, though he couldn't place it. Second, Xu Ming had conspicuously omitted any mention of Yang Rong’s background during his telling—a fact that was highly suspicious. Third, Xu Ming seemed to gloss over certain parts of the explanation, as if intentionally leading Yang Yi in circles. For what purpose?

Hearing these questions, the three trembled slightly. They knew it would be difficult to explain to Yang Yi without betraying Yang Rong. But if they refused to explain, Yang Yi would certainly not let the matter rest.

"Boss, we’ve told you everything we know. As for that Yang Rong, I can absolutely guarantee you that she is not your enemy!"

Xu Ming clapped a hand over his mouth just as the words left his lips, internally cursing his indiscretion. Fatty Lin and Ye Xiaohou both glared at him.

"You let something slip! Tell me, on what grounds can you guarantee she is absolutely not my enemy?"

"Husband, Xiu'er will answer that question for you," Xiu'er stood up. She knew that if she didn't intervene now, Yang Yi was about to erupt, and his anger would lead to far more severe consequences.

The moment Xiu'er stood, every eye fixed on her, and their expressions shifted dramatically, as if they found her sudden involvement astonishing.

"Don't worry. Xiu'er knows exactly what my husband needs to know tonight," Xiu'er smiled faintly, then addressed Yang Yi. "Husband, tonight I can reveal the truth of your origins. However, you must promise Xiu'er one thing!"

Yang Yi pondered for a moment, then took a sip of wine. "Go on."