You became an emperor by letting me AFK.

In contrast:

The soldiers at Green Valley Pass were not on duty; they were caught up in the fervor with the ordinary civilians. Moreover, the Great Qian Army had come prepared, having thoroughly investigated the defense details of the target area over the years, and took over swiftly, just as they had practiced.

The crowds surged and took over the main roads one after another, basically occupying an area with every step they took.

The city lord and a group of officials were prominently displayed at the entrance of the bunker.

Everyone bowed their heads in reverence.

For some reason, as Feng Tianyin stepped into the Green Valley, the lingering majesty from beyond the heavens gradually faded away, and her mind was no longer filled with various babbling and confusion; her senses returned to normal.

It must be a divine revelation from Heaven, a sign that you are to submit.

If they don't join now, they'll be punished by heaven. It's good to know your own limitations. The city lord knows very well that he can't hold the line alone, so he might as well submit.

"Sir, we await your judgment."

"Don't worry, your family members will live out their lives peacefully and prosperously, and a piece of land belonging to your family will be preserved here."

"Thank you so much." The city lord and his entourage bowed in gratitude once more.

Feng Tianyin then stepped forward and helped the person up, thus completing a standard procedure.

I voted.

The high priestess is renowned and keeps her word; surrendering to her guarantees your safety and eliminates any worries.

To be honest, every city-state and even barbarian camp has cases of killing meritorious officials, bringing disaster upon their families, and settling scores after the harvest. Such is human nature. But Feng Tianyin is good because "inhuman" refers only to this aspect.

Many struggles stem from the rulers' sense of crisis.

If I don't kill you, you might rebel against me and kill me, or cause trouble for my succession.

Feng Tianyin was not afraid of being killed, and she had given a proper burial to her relatives and elders who had lived a comfortable life decades ago. She also had no descendants to inherit her legacy.

All alone.

She didn't need to settle scores; setting a good example fostered a positive atmosphere.

Therefore, the political struggles in the entire Great Qian Dynasty were relatively mild. Even the highest-ranking high priest left room for maneuver in his actions. If you defeated your political enemy and kicked him out of the game, that was enough. There was no need to resort to violence.

Of course, all of this is based on the premise that they are one of our own.

If it involves barbarian injustice or betrayal and rebellion by one's own side, the high priest will not tolerate it, for it is intolerable to the will of Heaven.

Therefore, the local gentry, led by the lord of Green Valley Pass, felt at ease surrendering, and everything went very smoothly.

The guarantee of future generations is a promise made by an immortal being.

Reliable.

Suddenly, Deng Kaixuan interjected, "Sir, may I ask a question: Why haven't we seen any tokens representing Green Valley Pass? Where are they?"

Since the takeover is a matter of course and requires a sense of ritual, certain things cannot be taken lightly.

"It was stolen by Ke Rong."

The city lord looked troubled, wiping his eyes with his sleeve, feigning grievance even though there wasn't a single tear. However, he still added, "Those so-called documents of rebellion against the Great Qian are all fake and invalid. I am alive and well. I will draft another announcement."

Feng Tianyin nodded and replied, "It's up to you. Do it as soon as possible."

This move will be his first test, a formal pledge of allegiance, otherwise he will not be able to gain trust.

So the city lord quickly set out, while his other subordinates had other tasks:

Be a traitor.

With the local expert acting as their guide, the arduous Daqian army quickly took control of the various fortresses and strategic points. Moreover, the 1000 troops stationed at Green Valley Pass also cooperated voluntarily.

They knew very well that the focus should be on other city-states.

Since you've chosen to pledge allegiance, you should do so thoroughly, otherwise you'll be stuck in the middle for nothing. Although Feng Tianyin isn't a suspicious person, and even has poor personal safety awareness, other officials of the Great Qian Dynasty will judge her based on her performance.

Therefore, the entire city worked hard to reinforce fortifications, move sandbags, maintain weapons, and care for horses, etc., and preparations were completed.

"High Priest, the city defenses here are difficult to enforce," Deng Kaixuan stated bluntly.

"This thing is mainly for defense on our side; the fortifications in the valley are too crude. What should we do?"

"Prepare for field operations."

Feng Tianyin had anticipated this, and remained calm and composed.

It's about time.

However, the second wave of arrivals was not the infantry from Zhuguan, but the allied forces of the city-states on the other side.

PS

Those familiar with the author know that I like to be punctual. This book is consistently updated around noon, so feel free to follow along.

Chapter 49 Arriving a Step Too Late

Arriving a step too late.

Gemo, at the forefront of the city-state alliance, stopped his horse and saw the banner of the Great Qian Dynasty planted on the city wall ahead.

With its red background, golden dragon, and auspicious clouds, this logo is absolutely stunning and cannot be mistaken. It is obvious that the other party has taken the lead in occupying Green Valley Pass.

"How can you possibly keep up with the speed?"

Ke Rong, who followed closely behind, was shocked and couldn't figure it out no matter how he tried.

First, we can rule out the forces at Zhuguan Pass, as their numbers are insufficient and their equipment is not top-notch. Judging from the armament of the soldiers on the city walls, they are mostly products of the Great Qian Armory. But the problem is, it's almost 400 kilometers away—how could that be?

He had never been to the heart of Daqian or witnessed its advanced inland waterway transportation system, so he naturally misjudged the time.

I'm late.

This is one of the bad scenarios the coalition had anticipated.

Ge Mo said loudly, "Everyone, don't be afraid. From beginning to end, the walls at Green Valley Pass have never been aimed at the territories. The terrain on this side is not suitable for defense either. We can definitely attack it. Get ready—"

"No need, Your Excellency," Deng Kaixuan said from the city wall. "If you're late and haven't had a hot meal yet, you should leave now."

"Now that you've pulled back from the brink, I can still think of you as someone who's on a spring outing."

At the same time, the city gates were opened wide.

With a whooshing sound, the elite cavalry of the Daqian Army swarmed in and formed ranks with their backs against the city wall.

Everyone was fully armed and protected, even their horses were shielded. Long spears stood like a forest, gleaming coldly. Each soldier was burly and strong, with sharp eyes, ready to join the battle at any moment. Although their numbers numbered only a few hundred, their morale was far superior.

How could a small town in a remote place understand the power of Xiayi?

withdraw?

While presenting the options, the other side also displayed military intimidation. The choice was now in the hands of the commander, Ge Mo, who gripped the reins tightly and frowned.

"Form ranks and don't give the enemy a chance."

At his command, the entire allied forces immediately took up their fighting positions, forming a stable formation.

Those selected to go to the Green Valley battlefield were certainly not ordinary people, as they would likely be fighting against the Great Qian army. In any case, they were well-prepared and could not afford to return empty-handed.

Ke Rong, standing beside him, nodded in agreement; at this point, they had to take action.

Turning back would be troublesome.

Don't forget that this group is composed of diverse individuals from different city-states, some even speaking different dialects, making their organization questionable. Retreat often tests discipline, and those who are persuaded to retreat by the enemy are likely to fall apart on the way, leaving them vulnerable to being caught and severely damaged by the enemy.

Seeing this, the Daqian army, outnumbered and outgunned, did not retreat. Instead, they raised their long spears and aimed them at the enemy, ready to set off at any moment.

Both sides stared intently at each other, poised to strike.

Tap, tap!

Amidst the calm yet powerful clatter of hooves, Feng Tianyin appeared, clad in armor, as she charged into battle. Her armor, constructed of sturdy lamellar plates, consisted of overlapping rectangular iron plates connected side to side and pierced by sinew. Her cinnabar-dyed battle robe fluttered in the wind, yearning for the crimson hue of blood.

The intricate textures made it seem as if the mythical bird had come to life, and the beast-faced heart-protecting mirror seemed to be roaring.

In stark contrast to the murderous aura of her soldiers, she remained calm.

An inorganic calmness, a cold aura.

Watching the gray-haired girl's retreating figure, Deng Kaixuan sighed and rubbed his forehead: "Really, it's the High Priest who's leading the vanguard, and I'm the one left to defend the city."

Military orders are hard to disobey.

If his boss is determined to fight, then he has no choice but to cooperate.

In fact, those who passed the first assessment can be considered Feng Tianyin's students. She trained them before they took over their respective positions, and they are even better than her in military theory and martial arts. They are no problem to hand them over to the High Priest.

"I've admired my name for a long time."

Ge Mo cupped his hands in greeting, his brows furrowed, sensing that the other person's aloof and detached demeanor was unusual.

"I heard that the High Priest has reigned over the Great Qian for 39 years, yet he is still so young."

Ke Rong's lips twitched. It wasn't a compliment; it was more of a fear. His eternally youthful appearance was a miracle, not to mention the strange occurrences at the entrance to the Green Valley behind him.

They must be under the watchful eyes of the gods.

As luck would have it, at that moment Feng Tianyin looked up at the distant clouds and then said coldly:

“You are the highly mobile elite of the city-state alliance. For the sake of the conquest to come, you shall remain here forever.”

Her gaze passed over the commander and the messenger, and landed on the soldiers.

"kill! "

Despite being outnumbered, the Daqian army was the first to roar and prepare to attack. Their fierce roars startled the allied warhorses, and some even fell off their horses.

But an even faster attack came from the city walls.

Arrows rained down with a whooshing sound, reaping the enemy's lives almost one by one along the front ranks of the allied forces, killing them instantly.

It turns out that from the very beginning, a large number of longbowmen were lying in ambush on the battlements, on the hills, and in the surrounding bushes, not to kill, but to harass, especially the front line.

It's loose!

The Allied forces suffered losses among their veterans in the front ranks, which led to instability in their formation.

Seizing the opportunity, Feng Tianyin charged ahead without warning, as always. Her personal guards followed closely behind, forming a sharp cone that then swept the entire army in like a long sword piercing through.

In the blink of an eye, the Allied forces had their front ranks breached, and those who fell were trampled into mincemeat by the iron hooves of warhorses before they could even get up.