You became an emperor by letting me AFK.

The hardships of imprisonment made him realize how foolish he had been in his haste to make a deal, and that he should have been smarter.

"Sir, I can't spend any money inside."

To be honest, I had a good week in Sanghe, eating lots of delicious food.

However, it was ultimately a place of utter darkness, making it difficult to distinguish between day and night, disrupting his sleep schedule, and causing frequent insomnia. Freedom was more precious than anything else; all he cared about was whether he could get out safely.

The warden smiled.

“I’m discussing your sentence reduction with Judge Li Zhengxuan, and you’ll be able to leave soon.”

Sang He nodded repeatedly after receiving an affirmative answer, and then Lu Chen turned and left, heading to the visiting room on the ground floor of the prison.

The young man in the blue official robe was holding a teacup, drinking tea while looking at the case files.

"So? Will he cooperate with our pardon?"

“I’ve seen plenty of people who are impatient for freedom, and he’s reliable enough. I’ve given him a good lesson here.” The warden sat down and murmured in confusion, “I don’t understand why the High Priest spared the life of such a useless person?”

"Ah."

"Stop making noises. I don't want to see that annoying person's situation every day. Give me a straight answer."

Lu Chen poured a cup of tea for his colleague while showing his reluctance.

But then Li Zhengxuan suddenly looked up, his sharp gaze fixed on him, deep and profound, just like his voice: "Your understanding is still stuck at the level of likes and dislikes?"

Are you a child?

"You're the third-ranked scholar, you know more than I do, so consider this a little guidance for a colleague."

“First of all, you did nothing out of disgust to take the law into your own hands or make things difficult for Sang. Secondly, you took good care of him. That’s why I’m here to talk to you, otherwise I could just write a release notice. There’s still hope for you, you just haven’t seen it deeply enough.”

Where is the depth?

“The person the High Priest asks you to take care of should be taken care of indefinitely. For someone like her, leaving a connection, doing her a favor, or planting a clue are all bases for future appointments.”

Who cares about a barbarian? At least until he becomes useful, he's a test for you: are you reliable? Upon hearing this, Lu Chen shuddered, still shaken.

He was certain that, given Feng Tianyin's personality, she wouldn't react at all if she ever thought of asking and learned that the kid had died in prison.

Don't expect to see her reaction, look at her actions. You'll definitely be ostracized in the future.

Out.

Why keep unreliable people around? Get rid of them as soon as possible.

Li Zhengxuan continued, "The High Priest is extremely busy yet orderly. He knows every document he handles and reviews by heart. There are countless candidates like Sanghe. It doesn't matter if one dies. What matters is those who haven't been taken care of."

“Our boss used to be lacking in emotional intelligence, but lately she’s become more and more humane. Her actions are predictable. Can’t you see how useful Sang He is?”

Lu Chen only responded with a blank expression.

I thought it was just a reward and a household registration to get rid of them, but how could it actually work?

"Old Lu, you've got it all. Stop expecting to earn political achievements for the High Priest; instead, focus on building relationships with your colleagues."

.........

“Sanghe provided accurate intelligence, which means he hates and understands the people in the camp well enough, and he's quite capable. The prison is a true test of willpower. Consider the current situation: a huge group of barbarian slaves are waiting to be dealt with. Who's suitable to manage them?”

“I see, that makes sense! I remember the high priest once held a meeting for us, where he mentioned something about screening out enemy hate criminals.”

"Yes, hatred can easily turn into fanaticism among converts."

"That's brilliant, I understand."

“I dare say that Yu Xue has a letter of appointment written by the High Priest to Sang He before he set off, which is just waiting for us to discuss the reduction of his sentence and then bring it to him by the slave. Then he will take office in a glorious manner.”

"But why do we have to get involved in such a minor matter as a reduced sentence?"

Li Zhengxuan rolled his eyes and then went on to explain:

"How could he not hate you at all after you tortured him? It's not in the High Priest's interest to create an enmity between a future subordinate who will manage a large number of slaves and another subordinate of the warden. So I've arranged for you to show him kindness, win him over, and smooth over the tense relationship."

"But it's too much to just discuss things with him; it would be too sharp. So I became the mediator."

"Our real task is to work together to welcome Sang and give her a proper welcome."

Holy crap!

With his thought process clear, Lu Chen suddenly realized:

"Furthermore, this triumphant return will leave me with even more slaves to temper their arrogance. If I prove myself unreliable, competitors will rise to replace me. Conversely, if I perform well, my position will be more secure."

"Look, enlightenment can sometimes happen in an instant."

What Li Zhengxuan didn't say was that this matter was also a test for him. If he didn't guide his dull colleague, what would Feng Tianyin think?

Do you think he's selfish?

Anyway, she must have a set of evaluation systems in her mind, and she will assign people to corresponding positions based on their reactions.

The high priest holds absolute decision-making power over personnel appointments and dismissals, ensuring that the capable rise and the mediocre fall, maintaining the same performance level forever.

Working under Feng Tianyin is too stressful.

As for whether frequent job changes might lead to a loss of control? No, it has always been under her control. Besides, the Great Qian machine revolves around her, around an immortal being. On a long timescale, everyone else is just a fleeting passerby, insignificant.

"Report."

Suddenly, a jailer knocked on the door and came in, beaming, saying:

"My lords, a messenger reports that the expeditionary force will be able to enter the city this afternoon, and they are bringing a lot of supplies with them this time."

Li Zhengxuan and Lu Chen, who had been sitting upright, quickly stood up, their expressions solemn.

Although there is no hard and fast rule, it is traditionally customary for them to go and greet the high priest and the warriors who fought to the death. Naturally, they should not be absent except for some key positions.

Moreover, the spoils of war were quite substantial.

Feng Tianyin always says "not enough, still not enough" when it comes to various outputs, but this time she feels that the harvest is quite abundant, so she must have made a profit.

A large harvest signifies a redistribution of wealth.

More importantly, the reporter provided a detailed account of the war, and now that Cuiwei City is vacant, it is in the interest of the clerks, with countless positions beckoning them.

It's all a trap.

PS

If you've read this far, please bookmark this page! I'm begging you!

Chapter 31 Advertising for the Branch City

Afternoon, at the main gate of Xiayi.

Li Zhengxuan and Lu Chen, who rushed over to greet them, were clearly stunned, having never seen such a large and impressive procession before.

One thousand combat troops from the expeditionary force returned, along with five hundred reserve troops who returned as half of them, and five thousand slaves selected from Cuiwei City...

Too much.

This doesn't even include the auxiliary troops and laborers they have to take care of.

It's hard to imagine that the large number of people left behind in Cuiwei City resulted in such a bountiful harvest. From afar, one could see bulging carriages approaching, loaded with a large amount of valuable supplies.

It truly lives up to its reputation as the largest camp ever built.

They, mere barbarians, should be proud, for they have finally become part of the great Qian civilization.

"I'm going to be very busy here." Li Zhengxuan felt a headache coming on just looking at the picture.

The influx of large numbers of barbarian slaves would inevitably bring a series of frictions, and he would have to handle various cases.

"I'm even busier."

Lu Chen, who was in charge of prison operations, had already foreseen the countless prisoners who would be incarcerated. Even if they weren't serious offenders, there would always be some troublemakers who needed to be locked up for a few days to temper their tempers, and they would need to be managed carefully then. Expansion would also have to be put on the agenda.

Now that the high priest has already mentioned the expansion and renovation of the underground prison, all he needs to do is go to Sun Shan, who has extensive engineering experience.

Among the clerks, Feng Tianyin's orders were never taken lightly.

Her instructions regarding the expansion seemed casual, but she remembered them.

Thump, thump!

The sound of drums and the celebratory beat of gongs filled the city, immersing the entire city in the joy of victory.

From afar, it appears as if a vast army is marching through the lush autumn fields, weapons and wheat standing tall and harmonious. The afternoon sun is just right, bright but not scorching; even those wearing armor can feel the crisp autumn air.

Wherever I stepped, fluff, grass, and dust swirled up, as if I were treading on clouds in triumph, stretching from the distant horizon all the way to the main gate.

At the very front of the group was Feng Tianyin, dressed in military uniform, still completely unharmed.

"Greetings, High Priest! Long live victory!"

The gray-haired girl on horseback nodded slightly in response, a hint of liveliness appearing in her eyes, but without a smile, she silently rode her horse through the gate.

Other commanders might have thought he was in a bad mood, but everyone knows that he is usually very sparing with words and has a somewhat expressionless face.

"Celebrate properly."

It was rare for Feng Tianyin to speak up and give instructions: "Today and tomorrow are holidays, so take a break from your work. Managing so many people is already a difficult task, so everyone needs to concentrate."

After speaking, the figure in the dark red battle robe gradually disappeared, and everyone immediately responded, "Yes, sir."

They certainly saw the massive convoy of spoils being transported.

Rather than a holiday, it's more like finding time to accept these people in order to avoid any trouble. We have to be careful.

Moreover, there are rumors:

"Have you heard? These barbarians are plotting to submit first and then rebel."

"That's really despicable. Fortunately, the high priest saw through their conspiracy and killed all the planners. Now they're leaderless."

"It's hard to say, there are always some tough guys out there."

"Have you ever been on an expedition? The truly tough ones were dealt with on the spot, the rest were all cowards."

"That's right, look at how these guys look—"

As the group drew closer, they were finally able to investigate. The people from the former forest camp were dejected, their eyes downcast, their postures awkward, and they didn't even dare to look up, trembling with fear.