You became an emperor by letting me AFK.

Originally, Feng Tianyin intended this as a backup plan, and tried to deploy it with a balanced approach.

Even without intentional flood discharge, irrigation can be carried out on-site.

But it's not necessary now.

With the fall of Green Valley Pass, the entire grain trade in the Western Regions valleys was in her hands, and reserves were about to be depleted. They couldn't be allowed to harvest in the fall. A decisive victory was crucial, and timing was critical.

For the high-ranking officials of the Great Qian Dynasty, their own farming seasons were in sync, and the soldiers were eager for military merit, which they could not afford to miss.

Not to mention the political considerations behind the Heavenly Ritual.

Due to a combination of factors, they no longer had time to adopt a gradual approach.

Fortunately, we were prepared in advance; otherwise, acting hastily now would have made things worse.

No wonder.

Once Xia He understood the thinking of the Daqian leadership, she should have realized that a swift and decisive victory was indeed necessary.

If we don't seize this victory to defeat the enemy and instead allow them a year to recuperate, they will only become more difficult to deal with. Admittedly, maintaining strategic suppression and letting them go hungry for a year due to food shortages, then launching an attack in the famine of the following spring, is also a good option.

Unfortunately, the number of people conquered will be smaller.

In other words, large-scale war and floods can both cause death, so why choose the one that takes longer?

Feng Tianyin's cold mathematical calculations in her logic favored starting the fight sooner.

She is right.

Xia He focused her attention on the six city-states, which were rapidly uniting. Under the guidance of the envoy Ke Rong, they had once again organized an army of 5000 men, sparing no expense.

Keep in mind that they had just lost a thousand elite cavalrymen, and only one in ten returned, suffering heavy losses.

The background of defeat could not help but affect them. The complex structure meant that the transmission of instructions was delayed, coordination became more difficult, and there was a lack of unified command. More was not necessarily a good thing.

Even if you can't explore from a first-person perspective like you would in your own controlled area, you can zoom in for a bird's-eye view.

The chaos at the allied forces' assembly point was laid bare:

On the wide valley floor, a dark, loosely packed formation, complete with shouts and curses, barely managed to take shape after pushing and shoving each other.

"What a piece of trash."

Korong looked at the armies brought by the various city-states with regret.

He always values ​​his words, so you can imagine how serious the situation was when he spoke like that in anger.

The commander explained regretfully, "That's the situation. As you know, it was just a makeshift group. After the defeat, no one was willing to participate in the conscription, so we had to resort to forced recruitment. As you can see, that's who we have."

"Forced conscription will leave behind problems, seeds of hatred."

"What's the problem?"

"All I saw along the way was people being arrested. Every family was crying as they sent their sons away, not wanting them to die in vain..."

"Stop talking nonsense. How could the people of Daqian be willing? These guys are too cowardly."

At this point, Coron decided not to argue further.

The enemy army is strong because it has always maintained a systematic military structure with a long history. Moreover, it pays its soldiers on time, has transparent promotion based on merit, offers generous benefits, and is well-equipped, so everyone is eager to join it.

Moreover, Feng Tianyin directly commands them... Never mind, let's not mention that monster.

He was still shaken.

"So, you mean we should attack Green Valley Pass again?"

“That’s right. If we don’t capture that city, we’ll have trouble getting enough food for the winter. We either open the granaries and distribute the grain, or we repel the Great Qian. Which do you think is easier?”

"Don't make me laugh. At least Daqian is in the city, but the grain isn't in our granaries."

.......

If the city lord and nobles were to voluntarily release their reserves, they could simply lock up the valley and endure a year's worth of hardship, even becoming self-sufficient and waging a war of attrition. Unfortunately, that's not possible, so the only option left is to attack.

To put it bluntly, as long as more people die, there will still be enough food to eat.

Capturing Green Valley Pass would be a huge win, a win-win situation, so why not? That's why it was so easy for him to persuade the allied forces.

Of course.

Korong had told the city lords the same thing. He believed that without presenting them with cold, calculating tactics, a coalition could not be formed. However, after actually witnessing the free-spirited nature of these men, even he couldn't help but sigh.

"Let's take it one step at a time, General. You should reorganize as soon as possible, and then I'll lead the way."

"Okay, the sooner we set off, the better—"

The two had just nodded when they heard a rumbling sound from the ground, the rocks shook, and the booming sound traveled from their feet. Water droplets suddenly splashed up from the surrounding waterside and streams.

They, along with the entire army at the assembly point, looked puzzled, and the ranks grew increasingly agitated, even resulting in a stampede.

The water level has risen!

For some unknown reason, the stream suddenly surged with waves, crashing against both sides of the riverbank.

The roar continued, and in the blink of an eye, the torrent of water turned a bend and rushed down from the canyon with a roaring sound.

Chapter 53 Phoenix Heavenly Melody Floods the Seven Armies

"It's a flash flood!"

Everyone was horrified. The place where the allied forces were standing would be submerged in a matter of minutes, and they were doomed.

They ran at top speed toward the steep slopes on both sides of the canyon. In war, one doesn't work hard, but in exile, it's a matter of minutes. Their rich experience allowed them to quickly find leverage points.

People are forced to learn; everyone has learned rock climbing.

The accompanying warhorses and other livestock were not so lucky.

"Whoa!"

The warhorses stumbled and fled, only to be swept away and submerged by the flood. The cattle, sheep, and pigs that should have been a reward for the soldiers around the farmhouses also drowned, becoming casualties.

But the flood showed no signs of stopping, and the only thing that could be avoided from beginning to end was style.

A force of 5000 could not possibly react in time.

The unfortunate soldiers behind were instantly swallowed up. They cried out, pleaded for help, and struggled, powerless against the natural disaster.

This is not something you can survive just by knowing how to swim. The force of a flash flood is not to be underestimated. It beats your internal organs and makes you feel terrible all over. You don't even have time to swim before you are knocked out by the force of the flood from all directions.

"Help!"

The person who fell into the water only felt sand and mud being poured into their mouth and nose, their vision blurred, and their body felt the water pressure crushing their chest.

Most people were wearing armor, which was already heavy, and it became even more difficult to move when soaked in water.

So, unsurprisingly, they drowned.

The few survivors who had escaped the calamity were heartbroken, watching helplessly as the raging torrent swallowed their comrades. Water and fire are merciless, annihilating thousands in one fell swoop.

That's not all.

Villages along the way were also washed away, but fortunately they had more time to escape the riverbed area.

It is easy to imagine that all the houses, granaries, mills, and artisan shops were destroyed, as were the supplies and weapons that were supposed to be on the journey... The losses are incalculable.

Unfortunately, river valleys are ideal for storing flash floods.

The riverbed, replenished by a large influx of water, rose rapidly.

The person who was safely on the rocky cliff just a moment ago is now touching the water with their feet, and the surface is still turbulent.

"Hurry up and climb up."

"Hehe, I must survive!"

"It's all over. This must be Heaven's punishment. We can't defeat the Great Qian."

"Take care of yourself first."

Driven by their will to survive, the remaining survivors reached higher ground and climbed with all their might, fearing they might fall and not survive even if they had several lives. The current was strong enough to swallow any living creature; it was a matter of life and death.

Ke Rong, who had barely escaped death, looked ashen-faced and stared at the direction of the raging flood with a furrowed brow.

The flooding is inevitable and will certainly continue to wreak havoc.

As the distance increases, the power of the flash flood will be greatly reduced, but it will still inevitably cause widespread flooding. All six major city-states on the west side were built beside the river, making them vulnerable to flooding that could damage the walls and the foundations.

He looked up blankly at the sky; dark clouds gathered, threatening a sudden downpour. He had chosen a good moment, waiting for the weather to cooperate.

Water attack!

What a well-planned and powerful offensive!

Ke Rong now fully understands why Da Qian helped build the water conservancy project back then.

This allowed them to thoroughly examine the hydrological intelligence of the hypothetical enemy, while openly preparing with systems such as reservoirs and irrigation to pave the way for future major floods, ultimately resulting in such a powerful blow.

Their intelligence about assembling their forces must have already been exposed.

He couldn't help but recall Feng Tianyin's pretty face, beautiful yet deadly, concealing unfathomable wisdom.

That's terrifying.

Now that things have come to this, Ke Rong has lost all will to resist and is left only with deep worry about how to end this situation.

Like him, there were also surviving soldiers, most of whom were forcibly conscripted and had no intention of holding out. Now, they were in complete chaos and had lost all order.

"I barely survived, I have to go home."

"The Great Qian Dynasty is about to attack."

"Screw it, whatever, I'm leaving. Anyone want to come with me?"

"Hehe, count me in."

The hastily assembled expeditionary force, eager to return home, collapsed on the spot. When everyone was about to evacuate, even the officers and supervisors dared not utter a word. After all, they were just as anxious, and who cared about orders?

What if my home gets flooded?

Once the floodwaters receded slightly, everyone was eager to head home.

Ke Rong also sighed deeply. Logically speaking, his hometown Loulan was in a relatively far place, so it was difficult for it to spread. But did this place need him?

..........