You became an emperor by letting me AFK.

Cheng Feng, the newly appointed city lord of Nanyuan, bowed and replied:

"Your Majesty, we are currently expanding the Southern Plains city walls. Thanks to this divine blessing, the construction period should have been significantly shortened. Next, we will fulfill our missionary duties, allowing all the city-states of the Great Plains to bask in the glory of the Heavenly Dao Sect..."

He spoke eloquently, logically, and with a well-thought-out plan.

His colleagues, who were also from the south, nodded in agreement; this representative had a knack for it.

Feng Tianyin would ask questions from time to time, and Cheng Feng answered fluently. After all, he was someone recommended by Li Zhengxuan back then, and he indeed had real talent and ability, and could answer questions to both his superiors and colleagues.

She also inquired about the other feudal lords.

It went fairly smoothly.

Since they are to serve as an outpost in the future, stability is essential, and they have done a good job.

"Your Majesty, is there anything important you wish to do?" the astute Cheng Feng asked.

Feng Tianyin didn't mince words and gave a very straightforward order:

“I need the southern city-states to become the center of religious propagation, or more precisely, to fully penetrate the southern part of the Great Plains.”

penetration?

The high priest didn't even pretend; his blatantly stated plan surprised everyone slightly.

The southern city-states, in particular, know this all too well. When the Great Qian army attacked, there were collaborators everywhere. They moved in as if it were empty, so smoothly, and half the city-states surrendered right at the start.

As it turns out, the Heavenly Dao Sect's control was still too advanced.

Could it be that...?

That was exactly the same tactic used back then, which resulted in Feng Tianyin leading her army deep into enemy territory, and everyone ended up having to surrender under duress.

Cheng Feng asked cautiously, "Your Majesty, may I ask what the procedure is?"

The girl with long, black and white hair didn't answer directly, but instead gave Yu Xue a wink, who immediately handed over a document for review. It contained orders from various merchants, hoping to gain the support of the temple's officials.

They longed to enter Xiayi Market.

After all, things like "stall fees," "taxes," and "product certifications" ultimately require approval and authorization.

The temple holds this power, without exception.

You can set up a stall, but land in the city is extremely valuable and must be reserved for more competitive merchants. So what makes you special that deserves attention? These southern merchants went to great lengths to showcase themselves.

"We can cultivate our informants through these chambers of commerce."

"Although they have official backing, so what? The market in Daqian is more likely to attract investment from the Chamber of Commerce."

Feng Tianyin used this as an example to introduce the plan and ordered them to implement it, which ultimately boiled down to one point:

To cultivate compradors.

There's no need to make it so mysterious; enough conflict of interest will generate loyalty.

What the city-state needs to do is provide support, even if it means giving up some benefits, which is less expensive than bribery or buying off, and will naturally bring everyone to the same camp.

She even provided detailed instructions on how to implement it:

For example, the merchants of the Haiyan Guild were given support in developing more advanced steaming and refining techniques, and tax exemptions were granted on the basis of maintaining secrecy...

"Your Majesty is truly wise."

If they put themselves in the merchant's shoes, they would realize that no businessman could refuse.

To put it bluntly, businessmen are not well-regarded anywhere these days because the primary mode of production is farming.

If you don't farm, you're going against the authorities.

How could they not be drawn to the Great Qian Dynasty, given such courtesy and support? Moreover, they currently lack a strong sense of identity and have not yet formed sufficient cohesion, organization, or shared vision.

Even if you do, you can't compare to the missionaries of the Heavenly Dao Sect; the gap is too great.

Feng Tianyin told them about a combo move that greatly shocked the feudal lords. Recalling past events, they suddenly realized that the Great Qian Dynasty had already tested its strength, and now it would only surpass them.

No wonder.

No wonder the high priest was so confident in granting fiefdoms.

Their control over you goes far beyond what you see on the surface; don't underestimate the Great Qian. Realizing this, they were deeply shocked, yet surprisingly, they felt little fear.

Shouldn't I be afraid?

There's really nothing to be afraid of. We're all in this together; we share the same fate. It's good news that the leader is reliable.

“Gengtana, don’t just stand there counting the offerings, teach them a thing or two.”

Feng Tianyin offered a slightly reproachful reminder, and the Great Prophet then chuckled as he rose from the mountain of tribute lists; the items on the documents all had a common destination:

Inner Temple.

She has been in charge of related work for the past few days, feeling both tired and happy.

Gergentana, a con artist turned missionary, didn't hold back, meticulously instructing each city-state on the specific details of their missionary duties. Everyone listened, stunned; they hadn't expected the first step to be so incredibly simple:

Eggs are given out to those who come to worship.

Unlike conventional missionary work, which requires you to demonstrate piety, solicit donations, and perform prostrations, this is different.

The Heavenly Dao Sect is willing to offer some benefits first.

I'm not afraid of you taking it for free, I'm afraid you won't come. Anyway, any shallow believer with a little bit of faith counts, and they can draw on more subspace energy to produce a treasure: the Purification Token.

"The Great Plains are actually sparsely populated and have a lot of undeveloped areas, which can easily attract polluting families."

"Furthermore, the inner sanctuary of the priests will house some of the experiments there in the future."

Gedentana's opening remarks were bombshells.

After all, the space in Xiayi, the capital city, is too stable and indestructible. Most evil spirits dare not come here, or if they do, they are immediately eliminated by the residual power of the Heavenly Dao.

The entire capital's architecture was permeated by the continuous descent of divine power.

It's marinated well.

They dare not come, so many experimental data are inaccurate.

The inner sanctuary of the priests will eventually have to conduct experiments outside, because researching psychic energy is a steadfast strategic national policy, related to Feng Tianyin's pursuit of the creator Xia He, so how can it be neglected? Conducting experiments in the south can also be considered as sharing the risks, and may even guide the pollution.

If there are no business opportunities, create them.

Terra has never been peaceful. Although there is a brief period of safety before and after the arrival of the Celestials, the Warp has never stopped coveting it and will sooner or later cause turmoil in the vast and sparsely populated Southern Blessed Plains.

"...We understand. Please rest assured, Your Majesty and Your Majesty, we will do our utmost."

The feudal lords bowed respectfully, eager for a task, as it represented the temple's higher-ups' evaluation of them.

reliable.

Since he's reliable, he should stay in his position and continue working.

The Great Qian Dynasty has always valued meritocracy, with the capable rising and the incompetent falling. This signal that "we can use you" made the feudal lords feel incredibly comfortable and reassured. Some even went so far as to actively volunteer for battle.

"Your Majesty, should we move some of the experiments to the north?"

Erbala's suggestion was interrupted by Gegentana: "There is often pollution there, and it is a weakly controlled area. We can't let anything go wrong there."

"OK then."

"Since you have so much energy, why don't you just provide a contingent of troops from various vassal states to guard the southern border together?"

Knowing her old friend's character, she made a suggestion, and the two looked at Feng Tianyin together, who nodded in agreement.

The major decisions have now been discussed and agreed upon.

Feng Tianyin, the boss, was never the type to engage in empty pleasantries. She simply waved her hand to signal the end of the conversation and then continued to review documents, too lazy to bother with formalities.

Working at the temple, you won't experience the human side of this leader.

Conversely, it also gives people a sense of security.

As the saying goes, "Serving a ruler is like serving a tiger." If the one in power is capricious and unpredictable, then all is lost. Under normal circumstances, the high priest is focused on his work, and there is no room for suspicion, factionalism, or attacks and slander. Everyone is happy to reduce internal friction.

They were all reassured and naturally in high spirits, laughing heartily as they went out.

Today is the happiest day of my life.

Feng Tianyin, sitting at the table, unfolded a map, glanced at it, and circled several new cities, which would be the key areas for the future.

She then ended her work for that period.

He then took out a large piece of top-quality glass-type jadeite and began to carve the image of the Heavenly Dao incarnation... His previous perception of the creator's appearance became clearer, and he should be able to reproduce one ten-thousandth of that divine charm.

You have to keep improving your skills; it's a kind of belief, and also a form of entertainment.

The members of the Haiyan Guild embarked on their return journey with satisfaction.

They set off from the south fully loaded with all sorts of goods, but dared not take too much, for fear that they would not be able to sell them and they would rot in their hands.

The results of it?

All the goods were sold within a week of the Heavenly Dao Festival, and at a fair price, so everyone made a good profit. If that were all, they would at most be happy, not bursting into laughter on horseback like this.

I simply can't control my cheekbones.

One of the businessmen asked curiously, "Lord Jiang Jing, how exactly did you persuade those officials?"

"That's right, I've been asking around for ages and I still can't get in to visit."

Why were they willing to place orders with us, and even pre-order the next time?

Everyone was puzzled, and of course, they asked in a friendly manner without any pressure; perhaps it was a trade secret. We should respect our colleagues; we need to get along well within the same industry.

"I do not know."

"Probably because I'm the guild leader."

Jiang Jing also looked confused, unsure of the reasons behind it, but her colleagues were very convinced.

This chairman has always been lucky. He was the one who led a caravan to discover high-quality corals on the coast, and then, with his audacity, made his first fortune by smuggling them. Boldness, meticulousness, and good luck are crucial in this industry.

After all, it's high-risk.

Let's not even talk about how everyone often walks on the edge of regulation, having to cultivate relationships, smooth things over, and send out informants... and how unsafe it is on the road.

Aside from the territory ruled by the Great Qian Dynasty, which region wasn't rife with bandits and tyranny?

Losing goods is a minor issue; the real concern is losing lives.