You became an emperor by letting me AFK.

"Now that you mention it, I'm sleepy too..."

The two simply lay down on the floor and fell fast asleep.

Xiayi.

The top-floor office of the temple.

In just a few months, the place has been renovated, expanded, and furnished with high-end redwood furniture and sandalwood fragrance due to the large amount of accumulated documents.

It is now known as the Imperial Study, the ever-busy central hub of the Great Qian Dynasty.

Normally, Feng Tianyin would sit at the main table to approve documents, but since Yu Xue was acting as her representative, she simply sat down there. The High Priest disdained such formalities as seating arrangements to maintain authority; she didn't care about such things.

Her authority never stemmed from rigid etiquette.

Therefore, the senior clerks of the Imperial Study, who were busy, felt relaxed and were often so tired that they would collapse.

"I've done the math, and Feng Tianyin should arrive this afternoon."

Gedentana asserted.

The Great Prophet's divination skills were always accurate; predicting the exact time was effortless for him. Upon hearing this, everyone immediately stopped writing and began to calculate silently. According to the constantly updated military intelligence, they should arrive within the next two days, now accurate to half a day.

"It's the early hours of the morning, there's still time to prepare a triumphant ceremony. Let's keep it simple and quick, and get ready to receive the spoils of war."

Yu Xue immediately made contingency plans.

The triumphant return of a large army is always accompanied by large gatherings of citizens, so it is essential to maintain order and prevent stampedes. Some important streets must be cleared in advance. Moreover, armories, warehouses, stables, and other facilities must also be kept operational.

Of course, these are all standard procedures, and Daqian, who is frequently engaged in battles, knows them very well.

"The backlog of documents can finally be processed."

She stroked the table and sighed, "It looks like a lot, but His Majesty was able to deal with it in no time. I almost couldn't keep up."

Lack of energy.

Your colleagues smiled and comforted you, saying, "You said you couldn't keep up, so we're practically holding you back. You've done a great job, adults."

They wouldn't allow Yu Xue to be overly modest, otherwise everyone would be even more useless.

Hearing this, she smiled faintly and didn't continue the topic. There was no need to retire now; she could just observe the development of the Great Qian Dynasty from the perspective of the Temple Council. Besides, being a little slower wouldn't displease Feng Tianyin; on the contrary, her superior would be eager to handle more affairs.

I'm sure she'll still be full of energy even after I haven't seen her for a while.

"Let's draft the rewards based on the battle report first, and then we can wait for the High Priest to return and review them."

"I heard that the student you had by the fishing fire is doing very well," Gergentana said enviously. "He's already capable of handling things on his own."

"Priestess Bayar also deserves great credit, thanks to her organization."

"She's always so loud and boisterous, it'll be good for her to toughen up this time," the two exchanged a smile.

They had already reached the pinnacle of their positions, with no further advancement possible, and their names were already etched in history.

Yu Xue coughed seriously and continued:

"However, governing the new southern region will be very troublesome. I will mobilize the church to encourage everyone."

They have indeed grown a lot.

In comparison, the cultivation of younger generations is more interesting, and it is certainly gratifying to see the growth of one's favorite student.

The primary concern is taxation; their transit may not be smooth.

“I’m afraid it won’t be that easy. We need to fill the gap left by the expenses of this expedition. If we break even, then we’ve lost money. We must raise the tax revenue, otherwise it won’t be considered that the Great Qian has effectively controlled the new territory.” Gegentana nodded.

The two officials stationed in Xiayi were well aware that their control over the various new city-states was currently limited to political and military aspects.

Without paying taxes, everything is for naught; we must wait for Feng Tianyin to return and discuss it in detail.

----

Thirty kilometers outside the capital, the Imperial Guards slowed their pace. Compared to the rapid pace they had been on the road, they could finally rest. They had returned to their familiar hometown, and everything was just as it had been before.

They formed long, thin lines between the ridges of the field.

The wind rustled through the wheat fields, and a farmer, bent over, adjusted his straw hat and waved from afar, his face beaming with delight. Judging by his spirits, he had returned victorious, with even the losses kept under control.

It was clearly a great victory, with several wagons laden with spoils and supplies at the rear of the procession, making them very wealthy.

People spontaneously began to gather, celebrate, and cheer.

They're finally back.

A significant portion of the Imperial Guards were elite troops from Xiayi and the surrounding areas. This was also a consideration for facilitating troop deployment and motivating the troops. Therefore, they were all related by blood or marriage. Naturally, they were happy that their families were safe and sound, especially since they had made outstanding military achievements on this mission.

"Our army needs a fresh start too," Deng Kaixuan laughed heartily.

"Are you planning to retire and return to your hometown?"

Old comrade-in-arms Zhang Zhongsi looked surprised, after all, although everyone was not young, they were in good health and showed no signs of fatigue.

They can even stay active for a while longer because of their enhanced psionic abilities.

Given their current physical condition, they will most likely die healthy. This is already a blessing for veteran generals who have fought many battles; as long as they don't suffer on their sickbeds, it will only cause trouble for their descendants.

"I have that intention; taking a break would be good."

"Very well, there are quite a few new people promoted in the army who can take over, and besides, we can keep an eye on things and supervise them."

Shen Xingyao, whose seniority and military achievements are second only to them, is quite good. He even received divine blessing in battle back then, showing unlimited potential. Du Shaoqian, who was the first to scale the walls this time, is also a role model for the younger generation and is capable of shouldering great responsibilities.

The addition of numerous backbone members such as centurions and chiliarchs is also quite good.

The more mature a military system is, the less it relies on famous generals; in other words, the achievements of famous generals are achieved by relying on the excellent qualities of rank-and-file soldiers and officers.

The military system of the Great Qian Dynasty had matured.

However, everything depends on the Commander-in-Chief's opinion.

At this moment, Feng Tianyin was inside the carriage, opposite Song Qingyun, who had gained a bit of weight along the way.

"Still a chubby baby?"

Upon hearing her assessment, the girl blushed instantly, biting her lip but daring not to refute. The other party was a dignified high priest, and most likely there to test her; it was best not to talk back easily.

The priest next to her was immediately amused and replied, "Your Majesty, it's normal for a child to be a little chubby; she was just too thin before."

"Don't feed her so much sugar, it can easily lead to diabetes. A long-term high-sugar diet will continuously increase the burden on the pancreas, leading to insulin resistance. Excess fructose will be directly converted into fat in the liver, accumulating in liver cells and forming fatty liver."

These factors collectively exacerbate atherosclerosis, significantly increasing the risk of heart disease and stroke…

“My lord, as long as my spiritual energy cultivation goes smoothly, these are not problems.”

"Cultivating just to eat good food? That's quite pragmatic." Feng Tianyin said with an air of seriousness, "Since you're so confident, you should train them early to join the priest preparation."

"ah? "

"My child, you are a promising young man."

The priests clapped and cheered, while Song Jingyun felt her future was about to be overwhelmed by all the classes.

Feng Tianyin nodded in satisfaction; there was no such thing as child labor these days.

It's common for six-year-olds to help with farm work; few are as pampered as the city lord's daughter. Besides, she has no school to attend, and playing around instead of working in the fields would be boring.

She casually arranged for a child with exceptional psychic talent to be chosen, and the latter, after a brief moment of surprise, rallied.

In fact, Song Jingyun was very happy.

It's clear that these people are good to me and are adults I can trust.

Unexpectedly, the top leadership of Daqian possesses both virtue and talent. (Afternoon)

The triumphant Imperial Guards of the Great Qian Dynasty finally arrived at the main city gate.

At this moment, Feng Tianyin was riding her horse at the very front of the group, and looking at the familiar gate, she felt a little more relaxed.

It wasn't because she wasn't busy with military affairs anymore; on the contrary, she felt that commanding battles was a bit monotonous. She could maximize her abilities by being stationed in Xiayi to coordinate operations. The two expeditions, one to the north and one to the south, were purely out of necessity because they were too important.

Finally, we can get back to normal life.

She had seen too many grand occasions, so she remained calm and composed, skillfully waving in response to the praise.

In contrast, the younger soldiers were filled with excitement and anticipation.

After all, most of them joined the army after the two expeditions to the north and did not experience the triumph of that year. This historical moment belongs to them alone and is their honor.

Ahead lay a grand triumphant ceremony, which the temple scribes had prepared in advance.

The north wind was like a knife.

Lead-gray clouds hung low over the city gate towers and eaves, the air thick with the chill of late autumn and a sense of almost frozen anticipation. On the city gate tower, the large black banner with gold trim reading "Qianxia" fluttered heavily in the wind, making a muffled thunderous sound.

The soldiers guarding the city walls slammed their spears and halberds into the ground, and the clanging of metal suddenly rose up, piercing the sky.

They were genuinely happy for their ally.

The heavy city gates slowly opened with the friction of the chains, and civil and military officials in long robes and tall hats filed out, welcoming them with beaming smiles.

In the eyes of Yu Xue and others, the Imperial Guards had undergone a baptism of fire:

The cavalrymen stretched out like wings of dark clouds. Their horses snorted thick white breaths, their iron hooves pounding the ground. The riders on horseback were agile, carrying crossbows on their backs and ring-pommel swords at their waists. Although both men and horses were covered in dust from the journey, their straight backs and vigilant, sweeping gazes still carried the lingering killing intent of past campaigns on the grasslands.

Their merits benefited the nation, their soldiers fought bravely, and they returned home in triumph.

"Welcome, High Priest."

They bowed deeply to Feng Tianyin, whom they hadn't seen in a long time, and cheers erupted incessantly.

"This honor will not be enjoyed by me alone, but also belongs to the soldiers who fought bravely. Their names will be forever engraved on the pillar of merit."

Upon hearing this, the Imperial Guards felt a surge of pride. Indeed, this battle would be recorded in history.

I'm so lucky to have witnessed such a victory.

The surrounding people were overjoyed. "Our good boy is back!" "Heaven has blessed us!" "Those southern city-states have learned how powerful we are!" The words of encouragement were endless, and it was truly exhilarating.

It's outrageous that they would instigate barbarians to attack Yuhuopan.

Now that the barbarian camps have been wiped out, slaves are constantly being brought in from the rear while the front lines are fighting. The city-states that were the culprits have also been subdued and obediently joined the Great Qian territory.

"Long live!"

The entire town of Xia was immersed in a festive atmosphere, just like a holiday.

Feng Tianyin immediately ordered the troops to disperse after reporting to the camp. The soldiers, feeling as if they had been granted a pardon, were naturally overjoyed.