You became an emperor by letting me AFK.

So Song Jingyun had been dealing with the priestesses these past few days. Their approachable and elegant demeanor made the little girl lower her guard and more willing to obey. Her intuition told her that they were trustworthy and reliable people.

After all, he was the military priest appointed by Feng Tianyin.

That person has an outstanding record and is famous throughout the world. With her endorsement, their reliability is definitely trustworthy.

Thinking about it carefully, going to Xiayi isn't bad either.

When they first met at the city lord's mansion, the high priest said, "He's a talented person, so put him in the welfare institution under the inner priest's palace. Take good care of him." Although his words were cold, they showed his genuine concern.

So be it.

Since Song Jingyun had nowhere else to go, he might as well go to Xiayi.

"Why are you looking so worried at such a young age? The checkup is over, here, have some candy."

She ate the tiny piece of maltose candy, about the size of a fingernail, with a mixture of disbelief and delight. The sweet taste filled her mouth, making her taste buds tingle with joy.

"It's delicious, thank you."

As the daughter of a city lord, she must have tasted sugar before, but the Daqian's sugar-making techniques were far superior, and their breeding and cultivation of high-sugar crops were the culmination of their wisdom, far surpassing the sugar products of the city-states.

Unfortunately, production is limited, and it still doesn't reach the level of being a consumer product.

Song Jingyun was unaware that it was currently a welfare salary with only a small quota, and was in short supply. The two female priestesses of the Imperial Guard in front of her were already high-ranking officials that many officials could never achieve in their entire lives.

A look of joy finally appeared on her face.

"My dear, we'll have to guide you along the way and show you the beautiful landscapes of our motherland."

"Young people should read ten thousand books and travel ten thousand miles. I could not have cultivated my skills without traveling all over the world. You will also be busy everywhere in the future."

"I've already been booked to be a priest? Nobody even asked me."

The more Song Jingyun listened, the more uneasy she felt.

How come she's suddenly being treated like one of us? Shouldn't she be an enemy? That Lady Feng Tianyin has an extraordinary demeanor and is very tolerant, but it seems she's already got her figured out.

Having the priests' inner sanctuary's institutions support it can also be considered an investment.

The two priestesses sitting opposite each other smiled at each other, then spoke in unison:

"It's not up to you."

Song Jingyun forced a bitter smile at this declaration that symbolized a new life, her future uncertain.

PS

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Chapter 103 You are all so young and accomplished (4K)

The city-states closest to the Southern Plains received the news of the triumphant return immediately.

too fast.

They originally thought they would spend several months cultivating the land before leaving, but the high priest acted decisively, retreating as soon as he finished fighting, without wasting any more time.

Aren't you worried about having weak control over the newly occupied territories?

On second thought, the golden auspicious cloud that appeared just a few days ago was the best support. There was no need to worry about the rebellious thoughts of villains. With the high priest's keen insight, he could certainly control the situation completely.

Nan Yuan must have been quite frightened.

It wasn't just their city; in fact, all the city-states in the northern part of the blessed plain in the south felt it.

I heard that Feng Tianyin reported the addition of several city-states directly to the Heavenly Dao.

No wonder.

That's why that spiritual energy was so terrifying back then, it practically turned everything upside down. Anyone with even a little spiritual awareness couldn't sleep that day and was trembling all over. It was because the Heavenly Dao had inspected all the city-states and had brought them under its rule.

Given this premise, how could they dare to harbor any disloyal thoughts?

It's not hard to understand the honesty of the city-states in the Southern Plains, and those vassal city-states that voluntarily submitted were even more obedient.

We must not neglect the victorious Imperial Guard.

The cities and states along the way took the initiative to welcome the Daqian army, took care of their logistics and supplies, and treated them well under the pretext of "celebrating their triumphant return," especially insisting on having an audience with Feng Tianyin.

She initially intended to decline, but then she thought that it was money from a vassal state anyway.

Currently, while maintaining the benefits of the feudal system, the finances of both sides are not fully interconnected. The focus is more on political and military control. Since the city lords are willing to entertain, there is no reason to refuse. The only cost is that one spends a little time joining the dinner party.

Win-win.

Thus, Feng Tianyin and the generals' triumphant return turned into a journey of eating and drinking along the northern section of the Great Plains.

Even a child like Song Jingyun received generous hospitality.

The city-state's elites didn't know who she was, but they knew she was working with the priests. What difference would it make if they added another pair of chopsticks?

Priests were of paramount importance in the military system of the Great Qian Dynasty.

They are directly responsible for ideological guidance, coordination, organization, and guarding against subspace contamination, as well as handling psionic affairs. These are essential key positions, and those who can act alongside the Royal Guard are the best among them.

Thanks to this, Song Jingyun got to experience the local customs and culture of various cities and states along the way.

Dazzling.

Even though she was a bit young, the precocious girl remembered everything, and understood even more clearly the emphasis Feng Tianyin placed on her upbringing. But there was no need to be presumptuous, because her two older sisters had already given her some pointers:

"Many people have been favored and promoted by His Majesty, but in the end, it depends on their own abilities to climb to that level."

"Only the most capable people are chosen for the inner and outer shrines of the temple."

Song Jingyun had seen more of the temperament of the Daqian high-ranking officials, and there was no suspicion, friction, infighting, or hostility like that of the Nanyuan high-ranking officials.

Single-mindedly focused on fame and fortune, very pure.

Feng Tianyin's ability to lead such a team is itself a testament to her extraordinary talent, transcending her time.

She and the Way of Heaven are mutually entrusted with a choice; the key to promotion lies in one's own abilities.

Thinking about the key points, Song Jingyun felt more at ease and his appetite grew. He was already looking forward to Xiayi. What kind of scene would this metropolis, known as the number one city of the Great Qian Dynasty, or even the number one city in the world, be like?

-----

Upon receiving the military intelligence, everyone in the city lord's mansion by the fishing fire was relieved.

With a thud, He Wan lazily leaned back in the mahogany chair, not caring at all that her official robes were dragging on the ground, completely relaxed.

"It's finally over."

She looked around at the quartermasters, who also seemed relaxed. They had been working too hard lately and needed to take a long leave.

Logistics and supplies are of utmost importance, and everyone has been on high alert.

The transportation of supplies for 5000 Imperial Guards and a large number of auxiliary troops at the front line was fraught with risks. Every shipment involved calculating losses, accessibility, speed, reserves, and many other issues, which was quite a task.

According to the high priest, "a lot of brain cells died," which is why he barely managed to hold on.

Won.

They also deserve credit for the victory.

Feng Tianyin has always been fair in rewarding and punishing, and she is especially serious about military affairs. She is well aware of the contributions of everyone in the Yuhuopan City Lord's Mansion and will definitely reward them. From now on, this will add a brilliant achievement to the resumes of everyone present, and their careers will be smooth sailing.

Despite the exhaustion, the rewards were worth the effort, so the relief felt more like a boost to everyone's spirits.

Sharing both glory and hardship, as the Great Qian Empire expands further and more resources emerge, it will naturally lead to promotions and salary increases for everyone, which is something to look forward to.

"Everyone, go and rest first. I'll check the battle report one last time."

Yes, sir.

The subordinates all took their leave.

Those who had worked with her knew all too well how much effort He Wan had put in; it was only because she was young and physically strong that she was able to keep up, otherwise she would have collapsed from exhaustion long ago. It was fortunate that she was so diligent, otherwise it would have been difficult to supply the army.

After calming down, He Wan reread the good news, and she was happy even if she had to read it again.

In addition, there were some letters from Xiayi.

There are handwritten letters from his family and his mentor, Yu Xue, which express his concern and share news from the mainland:

all the best.

During the expedition, the vassal states and cities had already carried out a tax relocation, and the data was unexpected. Large quantities of grain, spices, silk, and jewelry flowed into the national treasury, resulting in a fiscal increase of as much as 21%.

As it turned out, the high priest's enfeoffment strategy was practical and aroused the enthusiasm of the vassal states.

But this also means that the temple council is basically busy with the transfer of goods.

The actual logistical burden rested on the cities of Cuiwei and Yuhuo.

Even with the addition of the transport capacity from other surrendered city-states, it was barely enough. Knowing her apprentice's difficulties, Yu Xue inquired about her well-being in her letter.

"Reply with a letter."

He Wan picked up her pen to write, but the long-winded thoughts in her mind were reduced to a brief greeting in her hand; she was too tired. However, she was also happy, after all, the Great Qian had proven with its terrifying scale that it could do two major things at the same time, and the expedition to the south was not the limit, but far from it.

Suddenly, the door was pushed open with a bang, and Bayar rushed over laughing.

"How come I only just received the news of our triumphant return?"

She rushed up excitedly and hugged her colleague, but the fragile chair snapped and broke, leaving the two of them sprawled on the floor.

I don't want to move.

Sometimes I really want to crack open your head and figure out where you get all that energy.

Looking at the ceiling, He Wan sighed. A fragrant breeze wafted through the air. She saw Bayar curled up in her arms like a kitten, his hands on her stomach, smiling with a mixture of apology and delight.

The priests are quite far from the military affairs, so they should receive the news a little later and arrive.

"I'm so happy for you! Best wishes for your promotion."

"It won't be that easy. I'll probably still be in charge of Southern affairs for a while, but I'll have plenty of nominations and recommendations."

The expansion of power within the civil service system involved not only upgrades but also elements such as rewards, appointments, dismissals, and merit records.

"That's a high-ranking official in charge of a region; he's just as powerful."

"Alright, get down now, I need to take a nap."