You became an emperor by letting me AFK.

[Description: The strongest military unit of the current era, with an extremely high armor coverage rate, sharp weapons, and ample logistical support ensuring its combat effectiveness]

Their fighting strength has far surpassed that of the barbarians.

Xia He carefully read the information.

From detailed data on military officers to the execution capabilities of temple officials, everything is readily available and of great use.

In the early stages of a civilization, it is easy to select talented individuals, and there will be no situation like the poverty and weakness of an empire. There is no need for her to specifically check indicators such as loyalty, integrity, and livability. Otherwise, if anyone is unreliable, they can simply be replaced.

If Feng Tianyin were currently commanding an army group, she would check everyone from the generals to the staff officers.

An incompetent general can lead to the downfall of an entire army.

If it's only a group of 500 people, she'll be more than capable of handling it.

After confirming that it was safe, Xia He turned her attention back to the square area, where flags were fluttering!

Once you actually stand in front of cavalry, you'll realize that the idea of ​​"infantry resisting cavalry" is far too idealistic. Their height and mobility advantages mean they are the dominant troop type.

Whoops!

They lined up in a row and stood on both sides, opening up a wide road.

Feng Tianyin rode slowly through, clad in a dark red robe and exquisite light armor, which accentuated her figure and made her appear even more heroic. Her gaze swept over her subordinates, who immediately stood even straighter.

Her protection was even worse than that of some ordinary soldiers; she was probably too lazy to put on armor because of her efficiency-oriented mentality.

However, after being advised by Yu Xue and others, they finally agreed to wear light armor that would not affect their movements, and ultimately compromised on a set of clothing.

The commanders of the Daqian Army cannot be poorly equipped.

Accompanying Feng Tianyin on the inspection were the centurion officers and a group of messengers.

"How about it? "

Turning around, I saw that Xue Yong's face was ashen, clearly very nervous.

"As expected of the elite of the Great Qian Dynasty, they are truly extraordinary. I admire them greatly."

“You’re being insincere; your attitude is written all over your face.” Feng Tianyin rarely observed people’s expressions. “We’re not going there for war. It would be best if we could peacefully absorb new areas.”

Conversely, we are not afraid of war. It all depends on you.

"I hope everything goes well."

There was no need for pleasantries; action would speak louder than words. After all, troops needed to be stationed to ensure control, so she immediately issued the orders:

Departure.

The large crowd gathered in the square into a long line, orderly and in unison, without any chaos or trampling.

They marched at a steady pace toward the forest camp.

The distance between the two sides was not far to begin with, and it wouldn't take too long to walk on foot. It was better to conserve energy and prepare for battle as soon as they arrived if necessary. Therefore, Feng Tianyin was not in a hurry.

To the people of Daqian, it was clearly a display of power and prestige; they even followed for a long distance to admire it.

"I wish I could join too."

"Unfortunately, I didn't meet the selection criteria. Those projects were too difficult, so I can only be a reserve."

"So the High Priest is this majestic!"

"My son just joined the army, is he going to be awarded merits?"

Because Feng Tianyin consistently prioritized selecting the best and controlled resource consumption in her military orders, everyone had experienced military tests to some extent and understood their difficulty. They naturally appreciated the exceptional abilities of the top performers and held them in sincere admiration.

She also aimed to ensure that every battle was fought with elite troops, keeping costs within budget and making each battle as efficient and quick as possible to avoid dragging things out.

Procrastination is what's torturous.

The Xiayi controlled area is too small to withstand attrition, so a quick victory is often necessary at this stage.

Feng Tianyin had something she hadn't told anyone:

The resources prepared for this expedition, which is predicated on war, should ideally be balanced by the profits from annexing forest camps.

The enlightenment given by Heaven is that "Leader Jingcheng is inclined to autonomy," which is not acceptable. If she does not completely occupy, assimilate, and convert the territory into labor, it will be a losing proposition in her calculations.

It's not worth it.

Did you think that the armor coverage rate, warhorse ownership rate, and pre-departure rally would cost nothing?

The cost is ultimately borne by the barbarians; they have to pay for it with their own resources.

As if sensing Feng Tianyin's resolute will, the entire expeditionary force, from top to bottom, was filled with high morale and ready for battle. They stood tall and proud, their ranks perfectly aligned, their long spears forming a forest.

As the warhorses galloped across the field path, the busy farmers on both sides stopped what they were doing and waved their congratulations.

"May the Great Qian Army be victorious!"

May the will of Heaven protect you.

From Xia He's perspective, the war's support was rising steadily, bringing more benefits to the expeditionary force. And yes, she was indeed blessing them.

It is estimated that Feng Tianyin's high-profile departure and the previous public opinion were intended to motivate people.

She never refuses a useful mechanism.

As expected, the status bar kept updating information:

Morale +2

[Cohesion +5]

[Martial Spirit +5...]

If the entire Xia Yi city-state doesn't feel the atmosphere of war, it's impossible to mobilize so many resources and concentrate them, making it difficult to realize the idea of ​​subduing the forest camp in one fell swoop.

Stacking power added a bunch of buffs.

Xia He felt that Feng Tianyin's memory ability should be reassessed, as the consistency of her series of decisions was surprisingly high.

Although the High Priest is free from constraints, his consistency already surpasses that of many human politicians.

I never expected her first project as a backend engineer to be so amazing.

Chapter 23 A Person's Name and the Shadow of a Tree (Please continue reading)

Forest camp.

At the gate, protected by layers of moats and walls, the leader and his entourage were seen gazing into the distance.

They've been on edge ever since the messenger squad set off.

The journey is neither too far nor too near, and we might encounter trouble. What if we are made things difficult for them? Although we trust the intelligence of the envoys, who knows what the situation is like on the other side of the Great Qian?

Although the people of Xiayi share a similar culture and language with little difference, they are noticeably more arrogant.

Living in the city and being called a "national" signifies respectability and status, while living in the suburbs and being called a "wild man" basically describes self-cultivating farmers or even slaves.

Barbarians?

Nobody cares, and they can't even be included in the hierarchy of discrimination.

In the eyes of most people in the Great Qian Dynasty, they were nothing more than a group of slave candidates and walking medals of honor.

Who allowed the high priest to lead his army to conquer and amass a huge number of slaves? Now, half of the population under Xia Yi's rule are slaves, so it's no wonder they treat the people in the forest camps and villages the same way.

Therefore, the messengers were in a precarious situation.

"Chief, do you think they might run into the slave-catching team and a fight might break out?"

"I believe in Xue Yong's abilities, but if someone dies, it will look bad on both sides, and the negotiations will fall through."

Jing Cheng sighed and replied, "Let's wait."

The crowd's concerns were not unfounded, especially since the camp's top warrior could be quite reckless at times. Of course, he might not be so reckless against someone of Feng Tianyin's caliber, given the countless infamous barbarians who had died at her hands.

A person's name is like the shadow of a tree.

The invincible high priest is undoubtedly the strongest person on this great plain, surpassing everyone else in both power and authority.

If they meet, I wonder if Xue Yong will behave inappropriately?

"...Sigh, the more we think about it, the more we worry. Let's stop thinking about it and focus on defense."

The subordinates looked at each other and nodded in agreement.

The forest camp wasn't stupid enough to just wait for a reply without taking any other action.

The leader continued to implement the order to "deploy defenses with war as the premise," building the outer perimeter of the camp into an impenetrable wall, resembling a low rammed earth city wall, systematically enclosing the area.

We're not to be trifled with.

Sending this signal to make Daqian think carefully is also a way to gain leverage; otherwise, wouldn't we be at the mercy of the enemy?

Suddenly, a scout arrived on horseback with a report: "New information from Xiayi..."

He anxiously reported a series of events:

This included Feng Tianyin publicly announcing her agreement to the merger plan, making it widely known. This was good news; at least it set the general direction, and it wouldn't be good to go to war directly, would it?

But it's not that easy.

The high priest, who was skilled in strategizing, was not the type to easily trust others, and still led his army on the march.

Anyone with eyes can see that the standards of war are still being applied.

However, Jing Cheng thought a little deeper and murmured, "She means she doesn't like my proposed autonomy plan, is unwilling to give us autonomy, and wants to completely become a separate city-state, becoming part of the controlled area."

"Then we'll all become slaves."

"It shouldn't be that serious. Don't overreact. Always communicate first, but be prepared for things to fall apart."

Feng Tianyin's actions essentially set a bottom line: complete integration into the Great Qian Dynasty is imperative. As for the rest…

We can talk.

Perhaps, anyway, it's better than a big fight that results in bloodshed.

"One more thing, Chief, this time the Great Qian Expeditionary Force has brought catapults. They were built and assembled right on the border, and will directly join their main force before heading to our side."

This further confirms Feng Tianyin's intention to start a war; they all knew about this weapon.

Xia Yi had already tested it in the suburbs.