You became an emperor by letting me AFK.

They completely surrounded the small battlefield.

"Is there no escape?"

Looking around, Xue Yong understood immediately. He had fallen into the trap from the very beginning, but hadn't managed to kill a single person.

Feng Tianyin in front of him was still full of energy, even listlessly withdrawing her stance, seemingly full of openings, but it was pointless, she couldn't hurt him at all. On the contrary, his own physical strength was getting worse and worse, and his movements were not as good as before.

"They've reached the kill threshold. I don't need to lift a finger anymore. Hurry up."

She casually gave the order with a wink.

Upon hearing this, the guards around him immediately thrust out their spears. With a clang, Xue Yong parried several spears, but most of them still pierced his body, causing blood to gush out.

Even though he was furious, he only felt his blood run cold and watched the gray-haired girl stride away.

Pfft!

In the end, he fell, no different from the others who were slaughtered.

Feng Tianyin grabbed the reins and remounted, gaining a much clearer view of the battlefield from a higher vantage point. The barbarian warriors who showed any sign of resistance were killed one by one, leaving behind nothing more than a rabble, who all surrendered.

They were never determined to resist the Great Qian Dynasty to the end, and now that there is no leader, they naturally bow down and submit.

"Spare my life."

"Actually, I've wanted to join Xiayi for a long time."

Her only standard response was: "Put down your weapons and follow orders. Don't worry, we won't kill indiscriminately."

The high priest's credibility was as good as heaven and earth, and the barbarians, reassured, knelt down in unison. They didn't want to continue the pointless war, otherwise nine out of ten houses would be empty and no one would survive.

"With so much construction and fortification in the forest camps, the role of mobilization has been forgotten."

Feng Tianyin came to a conclusion: well, these guys' sociology is too backward.

Click!

When the barbarian flags were cut down and collapsed, it officially marked the end of the war. As for those who fled into the mountains, she did not intend to pursue them.

They even stopped the cavalry that were trying to pursue them.

"It's hard to go from luxury to frugality. They can't adapt to the barren life in the mountains. Once some of them die and experience the danger, they will still come back. At that time, it can be considered as submission. Don't pursue it too much. Show kindness, don't threaten."

"Yes, my lord."

After giving some instructions, Feng Tianyin ordered the prisoners to be gathered and their numbers counted.

Driven by the cavalry, they obediently stood together, the once massive force of ten thousand now crammed into a small group, as roll call was taken outside the camp.

A total of 9200 people, which is far beyond our expectations.

Even including those who died in battle and those who fled, the fact that so many remained meant that the forest camp was definitely not just a size of 10,000 people; in fact, even they themselves hadn't calculated it clearly.

Ultimately, this benefited the Great Qian Dynasty, representing a substantial income, but it also brought about problems:

Assimilation is too slow.

The adjutant whispered, "Sir, such a large scale is difficult to manage."

“I know. If their leader were willing to cooperate, I could grant them citizenship against all odds and speed up assimilation. But that's not possible now. The losers can only be slaves, and liberation must be done gradually, otherwise it wouldn't be fair to the soldiers.”

In short, we'll handle some of it on the spot. We're just waiting for that last sentence.

The Great Qian Expeditionary Force had used violent screening before, but it was rare to see such a large-scale screening all at once, so they couldn't make up their minds.

Since Feng Tianyin had made the decision, the officers naturally had no objections and proceeded according to procedure:

Only select valuable labor, and let the rest fend for themselves. This will certainly cause some resistance, which will conveniently eliminate those who rebel, thus reducing the burden.

The screening process is ongoing.

Feng Tianyin never reacted to the routine massacres.

She glanced at it and was led to the warehouse by her guards. As the largest camp to date, it should have more reserves.

However, once the gate was open, the place was empty, with only scattered haystacks, smoked meat, and textiles...

"When the rats come, they all starve to death."

The high priest's rare witty remark amused everyone, and then she succinctly revealed the truth:

"You should look for the chief's warehouse."

Chapter 28 Heaven has a virtue of cherishing life, but I do not.

After being reminded by Feng Tianyin, the officers immediately went to the camp leader's residence.

The gate is more impressive than the public warehouse.

As the heavy, massive double doors opened, a fragrant aroma of grain wafted out, refreshing and invigorating, as if the scent of summer sunshine had been infused within.

Most of them were recently harvested, including but not limited to grains, textiles, meat products, and dairy products... The total value is considerable, with a wide variety and large quantity, probably not enough to cover the military expenses for this trip.

It's not just the accumulation of three or five years, but the wealth of several generations.

It is well known that the leaders of forest camps are basically hereditary, and with plenty of time to manage them, even 10,000 people can accumulate a considerable fortune.

They're really squeezing every last drop out.

In contrast, the people being driven away and gathered outside the warehouse looked pale and thin, which was a pity.

If the leader had been willing to open the granaries and give everyone a good meal, they could have gained a little more muscle and lasted a little longer. Now, he is beheaded, and the entire camp has fallen into the hands of the Great Qian.

Feng Tianyin scanned the area with her gaze and quickly took notes.

"...In terms of valuation, it's equivalent to a quarter of our tax revenue. If we keep it safe and transport it, we can store it all in Xiayi."

After giving the order, she strode away.

No one dared to slack off; they carefully began moving the items, and no one dared to have any thoughts of keeping them all for themselves.

Nowadays, Xia Yi is strictly managed, and the high priest remembers almost everything he sees, so it can't be kept secret.

It's better to strive for a reward than to try to outsmart someone.

After leaving the warehouse, Feng Tianyin didn't forget to direct the barbarians to inspect it. The bloody reality was laid bare before them, letting these guys see the true face of their leader who outwardly seemed to care for everyone:

hypocritical.

"Damn it, we've all been scammed. He's been lining his pockets all along."

"I knew the grain collected didn't match the reserves. Turns out they were up to something. Shameless!"

"He deserves to die a horrible death; his corpse should be fed to the dogs."

The anger of the people was clearly not something that could be ignited by a single revelation. They were all from the same hometown; how could they be completely unaware of the situation? They simply tolerated it and didn't even know the exact amount.

And then you treat everyone like fools?

Over the years, the leader has become increasingly unrestrained, amassing wealth recklessly and without any regard for consequences, ultimately leading to today's disastrous outcome. The army collapsed like a house of cards, and everyone was dragged down with them, reduced to slavery.

It's really unlucky and regrettable that they got stuck with such a person.

Not everyone is as discerning, selfless, and far-sighted as Feng Tianyin; most are greedy.

"quiet."

The adjutant's stern shout silenced the crowd, and they dared not utter another word. Their old master was dead, and the new master was far more terrifying; their act of digging a pit on the spot clearly indicated hostility…

“You bunch of outcasts are no better.”

"Don't play the victim. You were clearly an accomplice, and your original plan was to feign surrender before rebelling, right?"

Upon hearing this, everyone's expression changed drastically, and they immediately realized that someone had leaked the information.

He is a traitor.

Although it was just a concept, it was enough to prompt the Great Qian to launch a heavy attack on them, since this insidious plan was a direct and fundamental solution.

Xia Yi is, and will remain for some time to come, a city-state primarily based on slavery. Therefore, any scheme that touches upon the fundamental interests of the people is extremely sensitive and cannot be allowed to fail. A rebellion would be too dangerous.

Not only Feng Tianyin was criticized for dereliction of duty.

Even the supreme Heaven will not allow a city-state that pays attention to it to make too much of a scene, or it will become angry.

The barbarian schemes of the forest camp were unforgivable in the eyes of the Daqian people.

The adjutant said coldly:

“Many of our comrades have died at your hands. It seems there are quite a few unstable elements with rebellious intentions. Moreover, your ancestral temples are also going to be destroyed.”

Before he could finish speaking, the shaman was dragged out and beheaded with a single, clean, and swift stroke.

The issues of faith and ideology are also serious.

The authority of the High Priest cannot be challenged. How could the Great Qian Dynasty, possessing tangible divine miracles, allow the existence of primitive shamanistic beliefs? Worshiping the ancestors of barbarians is also unacceptable. Clan ties must be severed in order to assimilate and absorb them.

The target we encountered this time is treacherous, powerful, and large-scale; it must be eliminated more thoroughly, otherwise our comrades will have died in vain.

The fierce battle just now resulted in the deaths of 30 cavalrymen.

Not to mention those who are seriously injured and receiving treatment, there will be cases of disability and death among them.

They are martyrs.

They would receive offerings and comfort from the entire Xiayi region, while ancestral temples of foreign tribes were not allowed to be built on the land of Daqian.

Feng Tianyin walked from the direction of the warehouse, and all the soldiers saluted her.

"My lord, all the rebels have been gathered and will be executed according to procedure. We are now considering whether to eliminate the entire family responsible for the rituals within this camp?"

Before anyone could respond, someone slammed onto the tracks and crawled to the gray-haired girl, sobbing uncontrollably.

"Please spare our lives, at least spare our young blood. Otherwise, who will take care of them? We beg the High Priest to show mercy."

"Our victims were also husbands and fathers. What will happen to their children?"

..........

"If you don't cut the weeds at the root, they will grow back in the spring breeze."

"My lord, I have heard a saying circulating in the Great Qian Dynasty: Heaven has the virtue of cherishing life. I beg you to do this for His sake. He must be watching this battlefield."

Correct.