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A brief silence fell inside the tent.

Yi Huawei's words stirred up ripples in the hearts of Shi Feixuan and Lian Rou.

Shi Feixuan's usually calm and serene mind was now stirred. From a young age, she had been taught by her sect to care for all living beings, but this "all living beings" mostly referred to the Central Plains and, at most, the northern grasslands. How could she have imagined that beyond the Jade Gate Pass, west of the yellow sands, the rise and fall of different civilizations and races could so profoundly influence the fate of the Central Plains?
Yi Huawei's words were like a panoramic view of the world unfolding before her eyes, making her realize that the "Dao of Heaven" and "all living beings" pursued by Cihang Jingzhai were perhaps far broader and more complex than she had imagined.

Lian Rou was deeply moved. The history of her clan, as recounted by Yi Huawei, including the names of dynasties and heroic deeds long lost to time, was largely unknown to her. Hearing it now, she felt both pride as a descendant of Sogdians and a touch of indescribable melancholy. And when she heard that her homeland, the Sassanid Empire, was now beset by internal and external troubles, even facing the threat of a rising power called the "Abbasid Caliphate," her usually lively and spirited heart involuntarily sank.

Lian Rou stole a glance at Yi Huawei, this mysterious and unpredictable master, who seemed to know everything. Behind his calm words, there seemed to be a tremendous power that could move the entire world.

"Owner…,"

Lian Rou couldn't help but speak, her voice trembling slightly: "You mean the Sassanids... my homeland, really...?"

Yi Huawei glanced at her, his gaze devoid of pity, only displaying a calm acceptance of the world's ways.

"Rise and fall are inevitable, this is the way of Heaven. The Sassanid Empire has accumulated deep-seated problems, and the rise of the Abbasid Caliphate is like a wildfire that cannot be easily reversed by human power. However, the exact time of its collapse may be subject to change and cannot be foreseen at a glance. Since you have already left your homeland, it is best to put aside any concerns for now."

Lian Rou lowered her head, pursed her red lips, and a complex and unfathomable light flashed in her brown eyes, showing worry, resentment, and a hint of confusion.

Shi Feixuan exhaled a soft breath, temporarily suppressing the chaotic thoughts in her mind about the great changes in the West, and refocused on the present: "Young Master's foresight is admirable. In that case, our journey with the caravan to Dujin Mountain was precisely to observe the relationship between the Turks and Sogdians more closely, and to understand the true nature of this grassland?"

"good."

Yi Huwei nodded: "What you learn from books is never enough. Only by being there, seeing and hearing with your own eyes, can you grasp the details and sense the undercurrents beneath the surface."

"Sir, your wisdom and foresight are truly admirable; I, Feixuan, am deeply impressed."

Shi Feixuan bowed sincerely, her cold eyes filled with respect: "However... the South has just been pacified and everything is in need of rebuilding. As the leader of the Heavenly Dao Alliance, since you know that the changes in the West may affect the Central Plains, why don't you sit in the central government, accelerate the integration of the Southern forces, and prepare for the challenges of the future?"
Given the current strength of the Heavenly Alliance, if you, sir, were to personally oversee and coordinate the effort to eliminate the separatist forces of Wang Shichong and Li Yuan, and unify the Central Plains, wouldn't you be able to more easily deal with the changes in the northern frontier and the west? The current situation… in Fei Xuan's view, isn't it somewhat… putting the cart before the horse?”

Her unfinished words carried a hint of doubt. After all, although the situation in the south seemed to be largely settled, the task was not yet complete, and with the leader away for a long time, there was no guarantee that things wouldn't change.

Upon hearing this, Yi Huawei smiled gently, his smile calm and composed.

“Those specific and trivial matters will be handled by capable ministers and officials. I have already set the general outline and laid out the track. They only need to follow the steps, and things will naturally fall into place. If I have to do everything myself, what use are they?”

Yi Huawei's tone was calm, yet it exuded an undeniable confidence. This confidence did not stem from power, but from a vision that transcended his time and the wisdom accumulated over a long period. He had served as prime minister in the world of "Myth" for decades and as emperor in the world of "Laughing Proudly" for over a century. His understanding of dynastic operations, checks and balances of power, and the people's livelihood and economy was deeply ingrained. He was adept at building frameworks, selecting talent, and guiding direction. What truly bound him was the daily grind of paperwork and the cutthroat balance of power within the vortex of authority.

As for public sentiment… interests and power are the best adhesives and anchors. The Heavenly Alliance is currently at its zenith, its internal interests deeply intertwined, creating a situation where everyone prospers together. Surrounded by powerful external enemies, unity is even more crucial. As long as we hold the reins, a few demons and monsters cannot stir up any trouble.

Yi Huawei glanced at Shi Feixuan and said calmly, "Does Feixuan think that I am completely ignorant of the affairs of the Central Plains and have lost control after leaving Xiangyang?"

Shi Feixuan remained silent, recalling the all-pervasive intelligence network of the Heavenly Dao Alliance, which included the shadow of the Yin Gui Sect and some mysterious individuals personally trained by Yi Huawei. Even from thousands of miles away, it was unlikely that any information could escape his notice. Moreover, with the Heavenly Dao Alliance boasting a wealth of both civil and military officials, he indeed did not need to handle everything personally.

"The master is a man destined for great things; how can he be confined to his study by trivial matters!"

Lian Rou nodded vigorously, looking at Yi Huawei with admiration, "Just like our Sassanid King of Kings, he wouldn't personally count how many grains of wheat are in the warehouse!"

Yi Huawei chuckled and shook his head, but did not refute Lian Rou's somewhat naive analogy.

Upon hearing this, Shi Feixuan couldn't help but smile, but then realized she had lost her composure and quickly regained her cool and aloof expression.

Yi Huawei looked at the two goddesses and said no more.

The fate of the Central Plains was largely sealed under his arrangement; the Heavenly Alliance was poised for dominance, and the forces of Li Tang, Dou Xia, and Zheng Guo were, in his view, merely a matter of time. The real challenge lay in how to deal with the increasingly complex and vast external landscape that would inevitably follow a unified Central Plains. The threat from the Turks was immediate, but the impending upheaval in the West was the undercurrent that would influence generations to come.

While the promotion of potatoes, corn, sweet potatoes, and other crops in the south has yielded positive results, it will take at least three to five years of stabilization to fully popularize them, change farming habits, and establish a sufficient food base to support a significant population increase.

A woman carries a child for ten months, and it takes another ten years or so for the child to grow up to the point where they can work and give birth. Even without natural disasters or man-made calamities such as war and famine, a natural population growth rate of one or two percent per year under current medical conditions is already considered remarkable. To see a significant population explosion, forming a true human flood, is absolutely impossible without two or three decades of peaceful development.

With population growth comes the need for more land to be cultivated, more houses to live in, more artisans to manufacture tools, more teachers to educate children, and more officials to maintain order… This is an extremely complex systemic project, where a change in one part affects the whole. Without a long-term stable social environment and efficient and orderly organization and management, it is impossible to support rapid population expansion.

In addition, there is another important reason—

Although the Heavenly Alliance controls the area south of the Yangtze River, Lingnan, Sichuan, and the Jianghuai region, seemingly possessing a vast territory and unparalleled power, this enormous territory and population require time to assimilate, institutional reforms, and the genuine unification of various forces into a cohesive unit, rather than simply an accumulation of power.

The private armies of the Song clan need to be integrated and trained with the cavalry of the Flying Horse Ranch and the infantry of the former Jingling Army. They must become familiar with the new banners and tactics, and establish unified command and tacit understanding—this is not something that can be accomplished overnight. The methods of the Yin Gui faction can be used for intelligence gathering and espionage, but how to integrate them into the formal system and avoid backlash requires careful consideration. Newly annexed cities and counties need to be staffed with reliable officials to implement new policies, survey land, register households, restore production, and stabilize public morale…

Even with favorable weather, it would take at least three years from sowing and harvesting to accumulating enough grain to support a large army's long-term northern expedition and westward campaign.

This is a relatively stable period of accumulation... and that's only the most ideal situation.

If we want those high-yield crops to truly spread throughout the southern fields, so that every household has surplus grain and granaries are full, forming a virtuous cycle, it will be difficult to see fundamental results without five to ten years of painstaking management.

This cannot be accomplished quickly with a single government decree; it concerns the farming season, the people's strength, and the governance capacity at the grassroots level.

In terms of troop strength, the Tiandao Alliance currently has approximately 300,000 combat-ready soldiers. While this sounds large, they are scattered across a vast territory, and the alliance also needs to defend against Dou Jiande and Wang Shichong in the north. The truly mobile elite force numbers only around 100,000. These 100,000 troops are gradually being re-equipped. New armor and powerful crossbows, jointly manufactured by Songjiashan City and Feima Ranch, are being prioritized for distribution to the core troops. However, completing the full re-equipment and establishing a stable logistical supply line will also take time.

The same applies to the training of soldiers. Newly recruited soldiers must undergo drill training and formation practice before they can become qualified combat soldiers. Veteran soldiers and new recruits need to integrate, and generals from different factions need to work together and build trust. A steel-willed army capable of fighting tough battles and major wars is not simply a matter of numbers. Without repeated tempering in blood and fire, without a unified will and belief, no matter how large the numbers, it is nothing more than a rabble.

Li Yuan held sway over Guanzhong and Hedong, relying on his base in Taiyuan, and also had the covert support of Buddhist, Taoist, and Turkic forces, making his power base considerable. Wang Shichong occupied Luoyang, wielding the remaining power of the Sui Dynasty, with its city walls high and its moats deep. Dou Jiande dominated Hebei, enjoying popular support and a powerful military force. If they were to rashly launch a full-scale northern expedition at this time, even if they won, it would be a Pyrrhic victory, severely weakening their forces.

If the Turkic cavalry marches south or there is a change in the west, what will the Heavenly Alliance do to deal with it?

If Yi Huawei were to handle this all by himself, he would be exhausted. Even if he stayed in Xiangyang day and night reviewing memorials, he couldn't speed up the process in the slightest. On the contrary, observing the customs and cultures of different regions, understanding the rise and fall of other civilizations, and contemplating the future trends of the world, in order to open up a broader space for the survival of Chinese civilization and a more distant future, would be of greater significance.

More importantly, compared to having Yi Huawei stationed in Xiangyang, dealing with those incredibly tedious official documents, coordinating various factions, and balancing internal relations, he simply couldn't muster any interest. His more than a century of reigning as emperor had long since made him weary of the daily workings of the power center. He preferred to be like he was now, personally walking along the threads of history, touching and diagnosing the pulse of this era.

"alright,"

With a thought racing through his mind and a glance at the two women, Yi Huawei broke the silence, his tone returning to its previous calm:

"It's late, and we still have a long journey ahead tomorrow. Get some rest."

As soon as he finished speaking, he closed his eyes, sat cross-legged, and instantly entered a state of deep meditation, oblivious to his surroundings. His aura became so faint that it was almost impossible to sense his presence unless one saw it with their own eyes.

Shi Feixuan and Lian Rou exchanged a glance, both seeing the complex emotions in each other's eyes.

Shi Feixuan nodded slightly, and following Yi Huawei's example, sat cross-legged, silently circulating the mental techniques of the "Compassionate Voyage Sword Manual." Her sword mind became clear, and her mind gradually returned to clarity, slowly settling the shock and thoughts from before. However, the terms "Arabian," "Sassanid," and "Sogdiana" still left a deep imprint on her heart.

Lian Rou, however, was not so easily able to calm her mind. She glanced at Yi Huawei, who was already in a meditative state, and then at Shi Feixuan, whose aura had become ethereal and otherworldly. She pursed her lips, but knew that it was not the right time to disturb her.

He rose and stirred the fire in the brazier until it burned brighter. Then, clutching his leather blanket, he curled up in a corner near the tent flap, his amber eyes fixed on the flickering flames. His thoughts, however, had already flown back to distant Samarkand, to the legendary Ctesiphon, a land flowing with honey and wine, and to the figures of the Persian warriors fighting a bloody battle against an unknown enemy on the western border…

…………

Nothing happened all night.

As a pale, fish-belly-like light appeared on the horizon, dispelling the inky blue of night, the outline of the wasteland gradually became clear in the dawn. The temperature seemed even lower than the previous night; the breath exhaled instantly condensed into frost on eyebrows and beards.

The caravan began to awaken.

The cooks were the first to get to work. Yawning and rubbing their red, frozen noses, they rekindled the campfire, reheated the leftover porridge from the previous day, and broke up more naan bread to put into the pot, beginning to prepare the most important meal of the day.

Then, the camel drivers and horsemen also got up and busied themselves tending to the livestock, feeding and watering them, and checking that the saddles and cargo were securely tied. The camels grunted softly, reluctantly being driven to their feet, shaking off the frost.

An Lushan stepped out of the tent, his black fox fur cloak covered in frost. He first cautiously checked the sky, then carefully counted the goods and livestock, only feeling slightly relieved after confirming there were no losses. A subordinate handed him a bowl of piping hot meat porridge, which he took, sipping it slowly while his gaze involuntarily drifted towards the quiet tent. The sapphire hidden in his bosom seemed to still feel slightly cool to the touch even through his clothing.

As the sun laboriously climbed above the eastern earthen cliff, casting its pale light upon the desolate plain, the curtain of the felt tent where Yi Huawei and his two companions were staying was lifted.

First to emerge was Lian Rou, still wearing her pure white fur coat, the chestnut strands of hair peeking out from the brim of the hood gleaming healthily in the morning light. After a night's rest, she looked radiant, her bright brown eyes scanning the bustling camp with a lively curiosity. Taking a deep breath of the cold air and stretching her body, her wild and energetic curves drew furtive glances from several young men working nearby.

Next was Shi Feixuan, still dressed in a simple blue cotton dress with a worn cloak over it. Her face was simply disguised, making her appear unremarkable. But her clear, star-like eyes shone even brighter in the morning light. She stood quietly beside Lian Rou, calmly observing the caravan's operations and the vast, desolate landscape in the distance.

Finally, Yi Huawei emerged, still dressed in that thin blue cloth robe, looking out of place in the biting morning wind. His face remained expressionless and indifferent. He glanced at the sky, then at the caravan that was already fully prepared to depart, and nodded slightly to An Lushan as he approached.

"Did the three guests rest well?"

An Lushan put on a warm, merchant's smile, but his gaze lingered for a moment on Yi Huwei's thin clothes, and his astonishment grew stronger.

"It's alright, thank you for your care, Chief."

Lianrou stepped forward and answered on his behalf; her fluent Sogdian made An Lushan feel very welcome.

"That's good, that's good!"

An Lushan nodded repeatedly:
"We must set off immediately and try to reach 'Wild Horse Spring,' which is seventy miles away, before sunset. There is a water source there, although it may be frozen, but we can still get water by digging through the ice. The journey is arduous, so please stay close to the group."

After having breakfast, the caravan set off again.

At An Lushan's command, the heavy goods were loaded back onto the camels, and the white breaths of the men and horses blended together, making the procession resemble a long gray snake winding its way across the vast snowfield.

Yi Huawei and his two companions were positioned in the middle of the group, near some camels loaded with silk and porcelain. An Lushan specifically instructed an experienced companion familiar with the route to look after them.

Shi Tuole rode his horse, accompanied by several elite guards, patrolling the front and back of the group. His gaze swept across the horizon like that of a hawk. As he passed by Yi Huwei and his companions, he gave them a few extra glances, especially at the silent man in the blue robe. He felt a deep unease about this man, not a murderous aura, but rather a kind of... indifference that seemed to transcend the world.

Shi Feixuan silently followed beside Yi Huawei. Her "Bird Crossing Technique" had reached perfection; her steps were light and seemingly slow, yet she always kept up with the group's pace effortlessly. As she walked, she secretly observed the unique desolation and grandeur of this northern wilderness. The spiritual energy of heaven and earth here seemed to possess a characteristic that combined harshness and purity.

Lianrou, on the other hand, was much more lively. Sometimes she would run to the side of the group and curiously look at the strange wilderness plants—those thorny grasses and red willows that were shivering in the cold wind but still tenaciously surviving; other times she would chat with the Sogdian companions riding camels next to her. She had a bright appearance, a sweet smile, and her Sogdian language had the accent of a Samarkand nobleman, which easily won the favor of some of her fellow tribesmen.

From them, Lianrou learned a lot of scattered information about the recent situation on the grasslands, such as the increasing friction between DTZ Jieli Khan and Western Turk Tong Yabghu Khan, the wavering of some small tribes, and the recent appearance of restless bandits along the trade routes.

Shi Feixuan silently observed the interactions between the Sogdians and Turks in the caravan (the caravan had hired some Turkic guides and guards). She discovered that while the Sogdians appeared respectful towards the Turks, they harbored an unspoken sense of superiority—a sense of civilization looking down upon "barbarism." The Turks, on the other hand, had a complex attitude towards these "cunning merchants," relying on them for the valuable goods and wealth they brought, yet often displaying disdain and wariness.

Yi Huawei walked in the procession, his gaze calmly sweeping over the winding procession ahead, over the camels carrying heavy loads, over the guards' vigilant faces, and over An Lushan's eyes that kept glancing back. His divine sense, however, spread slowly outwards like invisible mercury.

He "saw" the insects hibernating beneath the permafrost, "heard" the rustling of gerbils in their burrows in the distance, and "sense" the air currents stirred by the wings of a circling eagle. Further away, several presences, some strong and some weak, were hidden behind the hills—a pack of wolves. They were observing, assessing the size and defensive strength of the group, and had no intention of approaching for the time being.

He also "saw" the "spirit" inherent in the caravan itself. An Lushan exuded a gray aura of shrewdness, greed, and caution; Shi Tuole possessed a crimson aura of bloodshed and ferocity; the ordinary workers and camel drivers had an earthy yellow aura of weariness and hope, as they toiled for a living; and the goods—the smooth and flowing silk, the warm and understated porcelain, the mellow and rich tea, the luxurious and sharp gold and silver wares… all these different "qualities" and "meanings" converged into a vast and complex "flow," slowly moving across the wasteland.

His understanding of "birth and death arising from the mind" gave him an extraordinary sensitivity to the "vitality" and "desolation" of all things around him. This land, seemingly desolate and lifeless, actually harbored hidden vitality, following the most primal and cruel laws. And this caravan was a group of ants struggling for survival and desire under these laws, while also serving as a special vehicle for communication between East and West and the transmission of civilization.

His trip could indeed be described as "sightseeing." But these "mountains and rivers" were not ordinary landscapes; rather, they were vibrant chapters unfolding within the long scroll of history, the undercurrents on the eve of a clash of civilizations, and the struggles and choices of countless individuals and groups in the torrent of fate. Walking among them, experiencing and understanding them firsthand, allowed him to grasp that unseen "momentum" far more effectively than sitting in his study in Xiangyang reading dry intelligence documents. (End of Chapter)