You became an emperor by letting me AFK.

"Of course, you're familiar with the South, you grew up there, so it'll be good for you to get some exercise there."

Gedentana immediately appointed him to go. How could a priest not read extensively and travel widely? This was a trial. Only by shouldering the heavy responsibility could he make progress; otherwise, he would have to continue being a mascot.

The competition in the inner sanctum is not as intense as that among the civil officials in the outer sanctum. It tests psionic talent more, but overall ability is also important.

We must develop in all aspects.

Song Jingyun nodded solemnly, though she had some concerns, she was also looking forward to it.

Grentana concluded with her definitive words:

"The strategy of the Great Qian Dynasty will shift to the southern city-states of the Southern Blessed Plain in the next few years. Be prepared."

With the Great Qian Dynasty holding a triumphant celebration and publicizing its victory, it was impossible for those around not to know.

The various vassal states naturally responded positively.

They were already closely tied to the interests of their suzerain state, inseparable, and wholeheartedly devoted to development. Everyone faced some degree of subspace pollution, so they were naturally pleased to learn of the Great Qian's perfect solution.

Stable.

As expected of the Heavenly Dao Sect, they possess genuine talent and are always reliable.

Other minor sects or formerly primitive shamanistic beliefs are completely useless and may even become tentacles of the warp.

The tribes of the northern desert region have a deep understanding of this.

The continuous supply of psionic weapons and purification tokens ensured the efficiency and success of the extermination of the enemy's kin, gradually bringing peace to the surrounding area and giving them time to carefully cultivate and forge their own power.

As a result, the seven major vassal states in the northern desert region developed at a much faster pace, becoming vastly different from what they had been before.

They never imagined they would one day prosper so much.

The benefits brought by the suzerain state of Daqian had already won over a group of people. The lords who were promoted under the new feudal system were even more supportive of Feng Tianyin, since she was the one who conferred the title upon them. Supporting her was supporting their own legitimacy.

There needs to be some expression of gratitude.

Therefore, the seven vassal states also held a sacrificial ceremony together, which was nothing more than emphasizing that "the high priest is blessed with boundless good fortune and is invincible in battle."

As for the commander, Shen Xingyao, he only offered his blessings incidentally.

Your attitude must be expressed clearly.

Feng Tianyin is known to be too lazy to pay attention to such "shows of loyalty," but she can't really not do it.

She won't have any prejudice, but if the temple's high-ranking clerks think you're "not loyal enough," then you're unreliable, and if they target you, you'll definitely be in deep trouble.

The feudal lords also held the members of the temple council in high esteem.

After all, the actual fiscal revenue of the vassal states still depends on their approval, inspection, and allocation. Feng Tianyin doesn't have to do these details herself, so the vassal lords have no choice but to deal with her.

Moreover, they closely monitored any political developments at the temple.

"Have you heard? Lord Yu is retiring."

"After all these years, she still plans to retire. The one who should succeed her is Lord He Wan, who has made great contributions this time."

"What was the background of the second prime minister? Is there more detailed information about his resume?"

"He's a young and promising genius..."

The feudal lords gathered under the pretext of sacrifices, and took the opportunity to discuss the political changes in the suzerain state. They paid attention to everything, big or small, since these important figures could influence the feudal lords.

A higher-ranking official can crush you.

They didn't know what kind of approach He Wan, who was about to take office, would take, so they naturally started discussing gift-giving.

"What a bunch of spineless cowards, all they think about is this kind of thing."

Erbala snorted coldly, making the other khans lose face, and they dared not refute him. This man was deeply trusted, a friend of the Great Prophet, and the only first-generation vassal of the northern desert, making him an elder to everyone.

Senior veteran.

While others of his generation suffered from hidden injuries, died young, or abdicated, this heroic and strong man remained vigorous and full of energy.

This body is so healthy it could probably live to be over a hundred years old.

"It's too annoying to talk about pointless things with you guys here. I'm going to fight in the south."

Back then, Feng Tianyin promised that he could deploy troops as long as Erbala asked. Now he has already thought about leading his army to clear out the surrounding families and camps, which is better than sitting idly in the position of a feudal lord.

"Father, that's too far."

He looked at his son intently and said, "So I'm leaving the household affairs to you. Get used to it beforehand."

------

The southern states remained much calmer, because they had received some good news:

Increase this fiscal year's budget by 45%

With a stroke of her pen, Feng Tianyin returned almost half of the taxes collected from the city-state, demonstrating her strong support. Such good news deserves to be celebrated again.

She demonstrated her strategic focus through her actions.

The dramatic changes in the Southern Blessed Plains are a fact, it was only a matter of time. Therefore, it's better to invest resources sooner rather than later, especially since the theme of this round of Heavenly Ritual is to cultivate new regions.

After conquest comes governance.

The strict management of the city-states was initially intended to ensure their control and the alignment of their administrative systems.

Now that these guys are more reliable and won't waste funds easily, at least they can ensure the effectiveness of the implementation, Feng Tianyin dared to increase the budget. Otherwise, facing a bunch of insects, no amount of money would make a fuss.

She generously provided large sums of money to several city-states.

The most are in the southern plateau.

City Lord Cheng Feng was overjoyed upon receiving the news. He hadn't expected the budget to increase by 60%. Had he struck it rich?

It's rare for the high priest to be so trusting.

He was extremely honored, and his subordinates in the city lord's mansion were also very happy.

They were finally financially secure, and many believed it was a result of the city lord's efforts to secure the position from higher-ups—a reward for their hard work. Everyone was naturally happy to receive promotions, raises, and better benefits.

"Thanks to everyone's concerted efforts, otherwise the High Priest would not have noticed the potential of the Southern Plains."

"Praise the High Priest."

You still have to say the polite words; it's a matter of social etiquette.

While Cheng Feng was pleased, he also sensed the attention the Great Qian Dynasty was paying, clearly intending to thoroughly digest the southern territories rather than simply focusing on control as before. At the time, many officials were so miserable that they simply resigned, feeling that the Temple was too controlling.

Little did they know that each historical stage has its own set of events, and their vision was insufficient.

He was just an ordinary clerk at the time, but he volunteered when no one else wanted to take on the hot potato. Now he has secured the position of city lord. This shows that choice is more important than effort.

It's all about timing and fate.

People who lack long-term vision won't understand what you're saying.

Now, a brand new mission and a new historical stage have fallen on Nanyuan's shoulders, and everyone will benefit even more.

"By the way, I heard someone from the Priest's Inner Temple is being transferred here?"

He cautiously inquired with the messenger and learned that Bayar and Song Jingyun were about to take up their posts. The former was there to lay the foundation, while the latter would likely be in charge for a long time, a standard setup of experienced mentors guiding newcomers.

Another important person has arrived!

The renowned high priest Cheng Feng was certainly aware of this.

That person who rose to fame by the fishing lights, and who was a contemporary of He Huangsuan, has now grown into a backbone force of the Great Qian Dynasty.

A new generation replaces the old; times have indeed changed. But then again:

It's an opportunity!

Feng Tianyin's deployment in the south will lead to a shift in power.

The Nanyuan city-state is the focus of this strategy, so it will naturally bear more responsibility. Conversely, it will also reap more benefits, and I can get promoted. That would be perfect.

"Please rest assured, High Priest, I will definitely cooperate fully with these plans."

"I will pass on the message. Your main task right now is to build a good relationship with the Chamber of Commerce led by Nanqiu. Leave the rest of the religious matters to the higher-ups."

"Yes, ma'am, I will place the order..."

"That's not all. It's about aligning interests and being more flexible in your actions—that's what His Majesty told me to tell you."

The crisis in Nanqiu has been resolved.

Jiang Jing, who had already made most of his preparations for fleeing, was completely bewildered.

Upon receiving the news, he returned to the mansion immediately, only to find his wife and children all ready. His youngest daughter, Jiang Bai, was already sitting on her packed luggage, looking around with anticipation for her long journey.

The servants and maids were busy packing up their belongings, especially taking stock of all the valuables, and dared not be negligent in the slightest.

As a merchant, he naturally traveled all over the country, and for a considerable period of time he settled in Qingzhou Kingdom, which is even further south, so he was quite skilled.

"stop! "

Jiang Jing's order surprised everyone.

"There's no need to flee anymore. I've heard the news: the Daqian army has wiped out the families of the deceased."

Initially, after successfully withstanding the first wave of attacks, the city-state of Nanqiu hesitated about whether to flee, but eventually made up their minds. After all, the monsters had not yet been eliminated, and there was still a risk; it was best to escape as soon as possible and avoid further delays.

The whole family was busy tidying up.

Therefore, information was not readily available, which was also related to the poor communication during the war in Nanqiu.

Only after inquiring did I learn:

General Shen Xingyao of the Great Qian Dynasty quelled the war, and the enemy commander's head was sent to the capital of Xia Yi. The dust had settled. How long has it been? It's already been resolved peacefully?

Jiang Jing recounted the intelligence from beginning to end, and everyone felt as if they had never been in another world.

Everyone looked at each other in surprise, not expecting it to be over. They couldn't help but hug and celebrate.

Just to be on the safe side, he asked his youngest daughter, "Jiang Bai, have you noticed any danger? Or do you feel like something's wrong?"

"all is well!"

The girl stretched out her arms and shouted with a smile.

Even though he was the youngest, everyone believed him.

Jiang Bai was precocious from a young age, with excellent health and a superb memory. He often claimed to be able to see things that others couldn't, which terrified his family at first. Later, they consulted a priest from the Great Qian Dynasty and learned that it was psychic energy, indicating a remarkable talent.