You became an emperor by letting me AFK.

"If you ask me, Daqian is much better than Nanyuan; at least it won't be in such a mess."

"Destroy it, hurry up, I can't take it anymore."

Before anyone could even complain, the soldiers heard them and began whipping them, the sound of the whips cutting through the air was ear-piercing, accompanied by screams of pain and pleas for mercy... This was just the tip of the iceberg at the repair site; in reality, it was all under violent management.

If we don't take strong measures to deter them, there is a high chance of resistance, and the consequences of internal strife would be unpredictable.

Xia He switched between several believers' perspectives and discovered that it was mainly the upper class of the city-states who had the opportunity to come into contact with the Heavenly Dao Sect and have business dealings with them.

Yeah.

Only the influence of this group can ensure the penetration of Daqian.

In fact, from her changed perspective, quite a few people were already responding in secret:

Inside the mansion in the market area where merchants gathered, a group of wealthy merchants secretly assembled. All of them were believers in the Heavenly Dao Sect, so Xia He could easily see what was happening.

It makes me look like the mastermind behind everything...

"You should all have received the news. The Great Qian Imperial Guards are not far away. It is clear that Song Yan intends to confront them head-on."

"Has he gone mad? What is he planning?"

"Could it be that they want to demonstrate their value in order to gain support from the major southern countries? But they are too far away, and their support is too late to reach them."

"That's too simplistic. He probably thinks that the psionic energy generated by war will help him."

Silence reigned.

Even Xia He had to admit that her guess was reasonable and hit the nail on the head, and was extremely persuasive. Sure enough, those present immediately frowned, inevitably revealing fear and apprehension.

The teachings of the Heavenly Dao Sect include the dissemination of some basic knowledge of spiritual energy.

Therefore, they understand some of the principles involved.

Based on the conclusion that Song Yan received contamination, these inferences and speculations are more credible.

So everyone immediately began to discuss accumulating private troops for defense, so that if necessary they could support the Great Qian's attack, launching a coordinated attack from within and without, and catching the enemy off guard.

"Um? "

Xia He vaguely saw a wisp of spiritual energy seep into the mansion.

Upon closer inspection, it appeared to have spread from the subspace, while on the other side it was in the city lord's mansion, which was perceived through psionic energy.

Feng Tianyin had used similar moves before, only they were much larger and more magnificent, like a long wind blowing by. How could it be a spiritual energy tentacle like this?

"Um? "

As Xia He's gaze locked onto that wisp of pollution, it vanished without a trace.

The underlying consciousness and cognition were also briefly blank.

Song Yan, who had been looking wary in the city lord's mansion, paused for a moment, then scratched his head and muttered to himself, "Why am I suddenly spacing out? There shouldn't be anything to worry about. It's just that my concentration has been really low lately..."

He continued to examine the city-state's defense plans.

As long as we can cause as much damage as possible here, whether it's a city-state or the Great Qian Dynasty, killing is spiritual energy—simple and brutal.

After absorbing those powers, one's troubles will naturally be resolved.

the other side.

After confirming that there was no serious pollution, Xia He decided to leave. Although the city lord's mansion contained dangerous spiritual energy, there was no need to do everything for her; Feng Tianyin should figure out how to deal with it.

Moreover, there was no rush to violently convert the beliefs of the southern city-states.

She also couldn't guarantee that a cultural bombshell to cleanse religion wouldn't trigger riots.

"It's going to be lively for a while now."

I see now. As expected of the premier city-state in the northern part of the Great Plains, it's a place teeming with hidden talents, all contributing to this grand undertaking. Being noticed by both myself and the subspace is indeed a significant achievement. After that, the Great Qian army will have to rely on its own abilities to take it down, inevitably leading to a fierce battle.

Xia He looked forward to the performance of the dummy robot, since siege warfare especially tests command ability.

This is a trial.

--------

On a vast, boundless plain.

The massive cavalry legion paused briefly to drink from the stream below, where the wind blew through the grass, a refreshing sight.

The verdant green stretched towards the horizon, encompassing the azure sky. With such a vast expanse, their spirits soared, allowing the soldiers of the Great Qian Imperial Guard to momentarily forget the urgency of war, leaving only one impression of the great plains:

Magnificent.

The drifting catkins rise straight into the sky from time to time, like a yearning heart.

They couldn't help but feel grateful for their busy military careers, otherwise they wouldn't have been able to witness the vast world before other people of Daqian.

"Boundless greenery allows sheep to graze, while a lone horse gallops through the azure sky in a drunken song."

Feng Tianyin put her hands behind her back and sighed, then stroked the warhorse's mane, which snorted.

"The high priest is a man of great literary talent."

The generals laughed, after all, few of them were formally trained in military academies; most had risen through the ranks, unlike the clerks who were indeed trained in academies.

However, having been somewhat influenced by the culture, I at least understood the meaning.

She never responded to the compliments, and continued:

"I've looked at the map. This is the last place we'll rest. After that, we'll reach the Southern Plains City-State. Our goal is to take it down. Be prepared for a fierce battle."

Upon hearing this, the Imperial Guards became even more serious.

It's very serious.

Having traveled a long distance, covering over a thousand kilometers in one go, our logistical burden was immense.

The supplies directly dispatched from Xiayi are no longer up to par. Currently, the grain and fodder are being transported from conquered and surrendered city-states along the way, which is really hard to trust. It's not as reliable as having our own people.

To put it bluntly, if the war goes badly, they might be cut off from their supply lines.

They're just a bunch of fence-sitters.

The Great Qian Dynasty is confident that it can secure complete control over the subjugated city-states in the future, but not now, as things are prone to change now.

"Don't worry, we will win under the watchful eye of Heaven."

Feng Tianyin's declaration instilled a sense of resolve in everyone. Whether it was just empty rhetoric or not, they believed it first. Morale is built on conviction; they couldn't afford to be cowardly before the battle even began—otherwise, how could they be the Imperial Guard?

Only she knew that this statement was true.

A vast trace of psionic energy remained in the direction of the distant Southern Plains city-state; it was someone who had been there.

dangerous.

However, it must have been suppressed, so we must take over the Southern Plains city-state as soon as possible. Delay will only lead to unforeseen changes, and ensuring control over the northern part of this great plain is of utmost importance.

Moments later, the army set off again, marching in a mighty procession toward its target.

As the warhorses sped along, the surrounding scenery quickly receded, revealing a sudden, towering plateau. Vertical and steep as if cut by a knife, with waterfalls cascading down its slopes, it appeared extremely precipitous and difficult to climb.

What's even more terrifying is that there's a whole city in the picture!

The South Plain truly lives up to its name. Its strategic location guards the river and is easy to defend but difficult to attack. It is like a huge flat-topped mountain with a considerable area, which can store a large amount of supplies.

The signs of looting around it indicate that it has already completed the preliminary work:

Strong walls and clear fields.

They were determined to clash with the strongest elite forces of the Great Qian Dynasty.

Commander Deng Kaixuan immediately spread out a map and muttered to himself, "The drinking water supply to the Southern Plains has always been in place, and our food reserves should last for a year or two. Moreover, they have expanded the city walls, so we don't have many footholds on the plains..."

"But it's not nonexistent; there's a gentle slope on the west side that leads down to the city wall."

He pointed to the target in the distance.

“It won’t work. We’ll be directly exposed to the long-range firepower from the Southern Plains, and we won’t be able to deploy our troops in formation. It’s very dangerous,” Feng Tianyin objected.

"Your Majesty, then our only option is to besiege the city."

Faced with a city that looks formidable at first glance, the simplest and most understandable approach is indeed siege, forcibly competing in a series of factors such as logistics, morale, and organization, without launching a direct attack.

The war dragged into a brutal stalemate, ultimately resulting in both sides competing on only one factor:

boil.

Because logistics would quickly deteriorate and even be completely depleted, and there were also precautions against night attacks, trenches, and tunnels, everything depended on willpower and a high degree of concentration...

It's a headache just thinking about it, but we have no choice but to do it.

"Let's proceed step by step, avoid direct confrontation, and wait for a turning point."

Since the commander-in-chief had given the order, Deng Kaixuan naturally complied. This superior wouldn't force them into battle; he was the type who could maintain order. The key was whether the soldiers could withstand the pressure, which remained an unknown.

The Great Qian Dynasty began setting up camp openly and legitimately.

They had no intention of launching a direct attack on the city; instead, they rested, washed, and maintained their weapons at the foot of the city walls.

They didn't seem to be there to fight; they looked more like they were on a picnic. There wasn't even any sense of impending doom. All of this puzzled the defenders of Chengtoushan, who couldn't understand what their true intentions were.

what's going on?

They expected a huge swarm to surround them so they could slaughter them, but instead they remained calm and composed.

Doesn't the Great Qian Dynasty have any concerns about logistics?

Seeing this, the garrison relaxed, their tension eased, and some even yawned. Some even lay down to sunbathe, not forgetting to taunt:

"Those who boast about the power of the Great Qian Imperial Guards are just scared out of their wits and then try to scare us."

"Exactly, it's all just bragging."

"They're just a bunch of lazy bums; they won't last more than a few days before they're out of here."

"That's all it is, a complete waste of time and effort."

The once anxious defenders relaxed and continued to watch from their high vantage point.

Two days passed in the blink of an eye.

No fighting occurred throughout the entire process; the only sounds were the shouts of the Imperial Guards during their daily morning exercises. They would also let their horses graze, and this expense was actually saved thanks to the abundant water and grass in the south.

Could it be that the Great Qian Dynasty has no intention of starting a war at all?