You became an emperor by letting me AFK.

After all, staying in the academy all the time would prevent him from realizing his ambitions.

The so-called "bright future" and actually taking up a post are two different things. Now they finally have the opportunity to make their mark.

---

The Spring Festival in Xia Yi in the 82nd year of the Enlightenment was relatively quiet because the High Priest was absent. The Spring Festival celebrations were a little less grand without her presiding, but the prosperity was no less than before.

Unlike in previous years, a large number of goods from the south flowed into the capital during the holiday.

It was all thanks to the efforts of the businessmen.

They knew that Xiayi had the strongest purchasing power at this time, so they had to catch up with the trend. Therefore, they even transported products such as coral and pearls along the way north.

It took a lot of effort; it would have been impossible without advanced shipping.

Even thousands of miles away from the front lines, we are feeling the benefits.

The most direct impact is the decrease in the price of edible salt, and the quality is even better. After all, Daqian used to rely on salt mines and some salt lakes, which are not as flavorful as sea salt.

This new sea salt quickly appeared on the temple's dining table and on the altar of the gods, becoming an excellent advertisement.

As a result, people from all walks of life followed suit.

In addition, food prices finally fell after the start of the war. The price increases caused by the previously tight supply have fallen back or even fallen lower, which has also made meat products more affordable.

In reality, the rise in food prices during the war was a result of releasing grain from warehouses.

The temple is desperately holding on.

Maintaining stable grain prices was a direct order from Feng Tianyin, so He Wan and the others dared not neglect it. With the north-south grain transport routes reopened, things finally stabilized.

There was even a surplus of grain to supply livestock, which is why people could afford to eat meat.

Year-end.

Gedentana finished writing the last transfer order.

She looked at Bayar, Song Xuyun, and the other students in front of her and asked, "How is it? This spiritual energy ascension should have increased your power, right? You all feel younger, which makes you able to help me with more tasks."

"I just feel that my body has been strengthened a bit, but it's not as good as the teacher's immortality."

"To be precise, I am immortal. Based on my deduction, it is not difficult to extend lifespan using psionic energy at this stage, and the inner palace has been researching it."

"We will pay close attention."

"We should learn from the strengths of others. The research in the South still has some merit. We should pay attention to collecting it when we take office."

The inner sanctuary of priests has always focused on the study of supernatural and mysterious phenomena such as psychic powers.

This area is a function separated from the academy, and it is fully supported and guided by Feng Tianyin. After all, she attaches great importance to it and will only invest more resources with the changes of this era.

Gedentana is hoping for more funding.

"Alright, let's not talk about those work-related troubles anymore. Before the holiday, we'll hold a banquet in the inner palace, and then you can all go home. After that, you don't need to report for duty; just go straight to your posts. You should meet Her Majesty in the south, and we'll discuss things with her in detail then."

Yes, sir.

The entire inner sanctuary of the temple, encompassing half of the temple grounds, was immersed in the lively atmosphere of a festive feast.

Chapter 139 Pressing the Blade of Victory, Minyue is About to Be Conquered (6K)

After the New Year.

The temple fleet departed from Xiayi and sailed downstream.

"Senior sister, look over there!" Song Jingyun excitedly pointed to the hills on both sides of the river. "My family used to pass by it often when we went from Nanqiu to Zhenhai to do business."

"It looks like it has jagged rocks, which is similar to the reports I've heard before."

Bayar marveled.

"I call the hills where the riverbed suddenly narrows at both ends Flying Crane Rock, because a white crane stopped there the first time I passed by. However, so few people have passed by over the years that no one knows the name..."

"Historian, record this: This is a new place name."

Upon hearing the order from the permanent high priest, the historian naturally complied, and from then on, the name that Song Jingyun had chosen on a whim would be recorded on the map.

"This place will become more and more lively in the future, and maybe a new city will emerge here."

"Probably."

Having reached the pinnacle of their social standing, they were destined for historical renown. They had named countless buildings and towns, and were often asked to create calligraphic plaques—a task they handled with practiced ease.

The other priests could only look on with envy.

After all, there is a qualitative difference between being a regional chief priest and a permanent presiding priest in the inner palace, which is equivalent to being a member of the court council within the civil service system.

Both Bayar and Song Jingyun have impressive resumes.

They had experienced war, forging their skills and rising through the ranks amidst the flames of battle, handling countless difficult tasks—a feat unmatched by their ordinary colleagues. This trip to the south was another arduous undertaking, or rather, a mission to pave the way for their subordinates.

Some things are getting busy.

The two people who were theoretically under the most pressure were surprisingly calm and collected, as if they were used to it.

What truly surprised them was that there were no signs of war in the ports along the way, and people were living and working in peace and contentment, laughing and joking as usual. It was hard to believe that just a few months ago, war had raged, and things had settled down so quickly.

"Weren't you affected here?"

"My lord, actually we just change our flags whenever we encounter the Great Qian army, there's no difference. The biggest difference is that we received the High Priest's favor."

It's irrelevant to ordinary villages or even small towns.

almost.

The Great Qian Dynasty is even better, so everyone welcomes it wholeheartedly, and even the ship bearing the temple flag gets a discount when it goes to make purchases.

They knew that a big shot from Xiayi was visiting.

"...I've heard that the capital is the first land to receive blessings from Heaven, and it's also the venue for every festival. How extravagant must the scene be? You are all subjects of the High Priest, so wouldn't you also receive blessings?"

The priests loved to hear this, so they were naturally pleased, and in a sense, they were right.

In the eyes of ordinary people in the south who had just converted to Christianity, the capital city under the emperor's nose was full of sacredness and had unique advantages. The belief in the Way of Heaven subtly increased the authority of the priests.

It's quite convenient.

They looked at each other with delight, all thanks to the high priest who had toured the south and performed blessing ceremonies for every city.

Anyone who saw that scene would feel awe.

Feng Tianyin's actions also paved the way for the Xia Yi forces to enter the region. Thus, the entire fleet continued sailing towards Zhenhai, the former capital of Qingzhou, amidst cheers.

The high priest should have finished his inspection and returned by now.

three days later.

The speed of going downstream is fast. The ship slowly entered a wide port area, next to several huge docks.

Bayar felt swaying as soon as he stepped off the ship.

She rubbed her forehead. "I finally got used to the bumpy ride and stopped getting seasick, but now I'm seasick on land."

Song Qingyun, who was standing nearby, helped the senior up and looked around as she asked:

Where is His Majesty?

"What a coincidence, His Majesty is supervising shipbuilding right here. You can see it as soon as you walk over to that shipyard; it's very conspicuous."

When they arrived, they realized just how conspicuous it was:

Feng Tianyin was standing on the lookout tower of a giant three-masted sailing ship unlike any she had ever seen before, and was picking up a telescope and even using a sextant to take pictures, looking quite professional.

"Long time no see, Bayar and Song Qingyun, you've come at just the right time."

Upon hearing this, everyone quickly made way for them. The person even the High Priest remembered was no ordinary person; he must be the Inner Temple Priest mentioned earlier who was coming to take up his post.

He was indeed very friendly with His Majesty.

She gracefully leaped from the lookout tower, glided down the canvas onto the deck, and landed steadily, displaying remarkable poise.

"Greetings to His Majesty." The two immediately bowed.

"The weather is nice today, so let's talk about the key points for Zhenhai next."

Those around wisely left, after all, this was a conversation between the high priest and two pillars of the state, and most people didn't even have the right to listen in, so they shouldn't stay there and get in the way.

The sea tide is surging.

Waves crash against the rocks, creating white spray, and the moisture carried by the wind refreshes the face.

Although the New Year had just passed, the climate along the coast of the intercontinental sea was pleasant and still warm. The journey from north to south made the two feel much hotter; the Great Qian Dynasty was now vast, spanning more than one climate zone.

They listened with utmost respect:

"Heaven has given me a revelation: one of the key points before the next festival is navigation. We will use Qingzhou as our base to explore this ocean."

"It is both to spread the beliefs of the Heavenly Dao Sect and to develop technology."

Feng Tianyin's opening remarks were astonishing.

"Yes, sir. We will keep in mind the teachings of Heaven and oversee the shipbuilding technology in Qingzhou."

"This isn't about having you stationed here to finalize personnel arrangements and then go back. Xiayi needs you more. The key is to shift our focus, based on current timber production..."

As always, she presented a detailed set of data.

Most people wouldn't be able to follow the train of thought, but Bayar and Song Jingyun knew it all too well and readily agreed.

"understood."

The Daqian government will encourage the fishing industry and start by accumulating sailors from civilian fishing teams.

Relying solely on temple rewards to motivate employees is insufficient; a mature supporting industry is essential to continuously supply highly skilled personnel. This is what Feng Tianyin wants them to do: leverage Qingzhou's inherent advantages.

"In addition, the war against Fujian and Yue is about to begin."

The second instruction was even more explosive. Sure enough, His Majesty is essentially a war fanatic. He's only been resting for two months.

However, given the size of the Great Qian Dynasty, it is entirely possible to handle several things in parallel.

"I will return to Xiayi, but don't worry, the main force of the expeditionary force will continue to fight here. We'll proceed step by step, and while we're at it, we'll train our navy—no, our navy. The Great Qian must go to the sea. The so-called century-old navy, let's start accumulating it now."

Feng Tianyin gazed at the azure sky and said meaningfully.

The two nodded as if they understood, not knowing what was on the other side, but as long as their superior made the decision, that was fine.