You became an emperor by letting me AFK.

miracle!

Feng Tianyin's daily journey through the mortal realm is an undeniable manifestation of the majesty of Heaven.

The group passed through the gate area and entered a market. The air was filled with the sounds of vendors hawking their wares, and the stalls displayed strange and unusual goods... Xue Yong couldn't even understand many of them.

The only thing that's clear is that everyone used copper coins as currency for exchange.

"This outfit doesn't look like something from the Great Qian Dynasty."

"It was Lord Yu who came to greet us. Could it be some distinguished guest? Someone worthy of our courteous treatment?"

“I heard that the people from the forest camp sent a messenger; it must be them.”

"Not playing anymore?"

"It's hard to say; it all depends on the High Priest's decision."

Even though everyone had their doubts, they all agreed that the decision should be left to Feng Tianyin. Hearing everyone's opinions, Xue Yong became even more certain that finding the High Priest was the right choice; the person in charge was absolutely reliable.

Of course, this is on the premise that communication between the two sides goes smoothly, which requires not only the leader's letters but also his persuasion.

"The temple area is just ahead. There was supposed to be a welcoming ceremony, but the high priest thought it should be kept simple and quick, so we'll go straight in."

"I'm so grateful to her."

In reality, there was no set procedure; it was merely a slight suggestion from Yu Xue.

This is the first time that the Great Qian Dynasty has welcomed envoys from foreign lands. There is no precedent for this, so there is nothing to refer to. We can just follow the established procedures.

Feng Tianyin disliked complicated formalities.

Once Xue Yong actually stepped into the temple district, he realized that it was more of a complex of buildings centered around the altar hall than a "district," including towers, libraries, colleges, and squares.

Together, they constitute the absolute core of Xiayi, the central hub of the entire Daqian.

"So high!"

The most eye-catching feature is the towering temple, which is hundreds of meters high. Although it can be seen from afar, it is even more awe-inspiring when you stand at its feet.

As Xue Yong ascended the steps, a sense of awe inexplicably washed over him. The ground beneath his feet was adorned with bas-reliefs depicting mythological scenes, and the pillars and railings on either side were equally ornate, constructed entirely of marble—it was unimaginable how much it had cost; truly a spectacle.

He had to admit he was shocked, especially by the resources behind it.

Yu Xue stepped onto the first floor of the main temple building first, and then extended her hand: "Welcome to the temple hall. The master is ready to receive an audience."

"Don't be nervous, this is where we usually hold meetings, it's just a normal place."

"Thank you, I understand."

After being searched, he stepped across the threshold and was immediately confronted with a domed ceiling.

The lighting was excellent; the morning sun converged and shone brightly on the woman sitting cross-legged in the main seat. She had long black hair with pale highlights on the inside, and her bangs were styled with a gold headband, revealing her eyes.

His eyes were like violets, deep and reserved, calm and still.

Chapter 20: Agreeing and Disagreeing

Inhuman feeling.

Xue Yong knew it was impolite to think this way, but that was indeed his first impression.

Upon closer inspection, it's not just extraordinary; it's like a rigid shell containing an even more unusual essence, though its appearance is undeniably captivating.

She is undoubtedly a great beauty.

Even seated, the jade ruyi belt accentuated her slender waist, highlighting her curves and radiant skin. Flawless, with sculpted features, she resembled an artist's work sculpted on porcelain; even without expression, she possessed an ethereal beauty.

She wore light makeup, vermilion eyeshadow, and long, upturned eyelashes. Her red lips parted slightly as she spoke slowly:

"So you should have brought a personal letter from your leader?"

"Yes, sir."

Just as Xue Yong was about to introduce himself, Feng Tianyin waved her hand to interrupt him, too lazy to bother with roundabout ways; this was no longer the era of tedious diplomatic etiquette.

Yu Xue, who was standing next to her, understood and took the long silk scroll.

Seeing this, he maintained his bowing posture, and the rest of his entourage were also received outside the temple hall. As the host received and unfolded the scroll, silence fell, and everyone held their breath.

Perhaps the content of the text and the high priest's judgment will determine whether someone is friend or foe.

They might even start a war on the spot.

Xue Yong noticed that the eyes of the servants around him were full of vigilance, after all, the forest camp had sent its strongest warriors.

Although they did not bring weapons to the audience, they still took necessary precautions.

Even with Feng Tianyin's divine power protecting her, she should not be offended lightly; to encounter danger would be a grave dereliction of duty...

"The writing is quite good, and there's a lot of it."

Suddenly, the girl in the ceremonial robes spoke calmly. She was known for her rapid reading; a single glance was enough for her to memorize it perfectly, and she even elaborated on an extra paragraph. One could imagine how much the leader had written—almost like a long narrative poem!

However, judging from the tone, at least there was no hostility, which can be considered as a preliminary acceptance of the forest camp.

should?

The high priest was an expert at keeping his emotions completely hidden; no one could read any micro-expressions from his face, and the standards for ordinary people did not apply.

After a few breaths, she rolled up the silk again, and just as she was about to speak, she raised an eyebrow.

A vast and magnificent will descended.

The familiar aura immediately made Feng Tianyin realize that it was the Heavenly Dao's perception, a faint glimpse different from a formal descent to the mortal realm.

------

Xia He never imagined that a diplomatic incident had occurred in ancient times.

She originally envisioned everyone fighting together until the rudiments of sociology gradually emerged in the classical era, laying some foundations for the world to come. However, the progress of each faction was quite rapid.

[Note: Log update: "Daqian Civilization triggered a diplomatic event and received envoys from city-states"]

City-state?

The inspection revealed that the conversion rate of the forest camp city-state was relatively high, which makes sense, since the simulation training version of "Civilization Evolution" has a relatively flexible mechanism.

Xia He glanced at the immature little city-state.

[City Lord: Jing Cheng. He was elected leader in the 26th year of the Enlightenment, succeeding his father. He is inclined to learn from Xia Yi.]

This city-state is located within a cultural transformation zone, and its attractiveness is increased by +18%.

That's not surprising.

It was deeply influenced by the Great Qian civilization during its development into a city-state, coinciding with an era of greatly increased attractiveness. Not only forest camps and settlements, but the entire plains were within its sphere of influence.

With Xia He's management and Feng Tianyin's execution, it's no exaggeration to say that they reached the pinnacle of ancient times.

It's normal for barbarians to feel admiration and then be assimilated.

Suan Jingcheng was perceptive enough to send Xue Yong's messenger team to establish good relations, both to probe the waters and to avoid war; he was quite thoughtful.

She can also see the letters:

The language used strictly followed the culture of the Great Qian Dynasty, basically focusing on explaining the advantages and disadvantages, building relationships, and talking about feelings. The key point was "I am willing to join the Great Qian Dynasty and become a subordinate branch city," which was a very humble attitude.

Even the lowest-ranking leader is still a boss, and most people don't want to have another superior.

Xia He was determined to win because the forest camp was located at the mountain pass.

When she is a player, she must destroy any city-states she encounters because their strategic locations are crucial and cannot be ceded. Otherwise, she will be blocking her own development space, which is related to her future farming.

Do you agree?

The options are generated by Feng Tianyin.

The intelligent super AI sensed the creator's observation and simply asked Xia He for his opinion.

Inside the temple hall, the high priest, seated in the main seat, pondered for a moment.

Her purple eyes seemed to flash with some kind of light, but quickly returned to calm, and then she sat up straight and announced in a loud voice:

"The forest farm camp wants to join the Great Qian Dynasty."

"I agree."

However, I don't completely agree, and those thoughts are not something I can share with outsiders.

The sudden news shocked everyone, even the locals of Xiayi were stunned; there was no precedent for this. They were the ones who fought and annexed, never those who voluntarily submitted. Was this even possible?

So what? This raises a series of questions: Will there be war? Will troops be deployed?

And can it really be settled just by the two leaders agreeing on it? There needs to be a sign, a symbol, for joining. How can we confirm their sincerity?

"It's that simple?"

"Could this be a barbarian conspiracy? We must be careful and must station troops here properly."

Feng Tianyin raised her index finger to her lips, and the entire room fell silent.

She looked at the messenger group, and the most shocked was Xue Yong. It wasn't that he hadn't considered this possibility, but he hadn't expected the leader to be so decisive. Well, with a formidable enemy at hand, there was no time to hesitate.

He was filled with doubts and very uneasy about the new situation that was about to unfold.

But they still believed in the deal.

In fact, the forest camp had no choice at all. All the Daqian army troops they encountered along the way were fully prepared and ready for battle, with war just around the corner.

Xia He immediately gave instructions that only Feng Tianyin could hear:

"Take over the city-states as soon as possible. Once we have them, we can see more detailed data. At least from what I see now, the leader is favorable to the Great Qian but advocates for independence and autonomy, which cannot be allowed. In any case, be prepared to take over by force."

"This is probably the first time you've encountered something like this. Handle it well, get it done properly, and completely take over the new territory."

Upon hearing this, the girl solemnly replied, "I am willing to practice the grace of Heaven."

Xia He then withdrew the contact.

Of course, we maintained a God-like perspective, looking ahead to how the camp would accept our surrender, since expanding our forces was never an easy task.

"I agree to your request to join the Great Qian Dynasty, and then I will set off."

Upon hearing this, Li Zhengxuan and Yu Xue, both high-ranking officials, immediately frowned and glared at the messenger. They had been hoping the new branch city would bring them new positions.

Even if they don't seek political capital for themselves, they may have promised to promote their descendants so that their lineage can flourish.