You became an emperor by letting me AFK.

The entire water attack was quite clean and efficient in Xia He's eyes.

"You're really something."

The offensive not only mobilized the tributaries of the stream and the dense network of waterways in the valley, but also intercepted some tributaries of the glacial flow originating from the glacial plateau, together forming a massive flood that caught everyone off guard.

Given the engineering capabilities of this era, launching an exaggerated natural disaster offensive would require an even more exaggerated level of organization.

Feng Tianyin's interconnected plans ultimately led to this flood-induced outcome.

She must have laid out the multiple-choice question long ago.

If the war goes well, everyone will be happy and they can take over the various city-states. If it goes badly, there's no need to risk using elite troops; they can simply use water attacks, which led to this scene.

Since the current AI logic is "to increase the population at all costs," avoiding losses is equally important.

You calculated it correctly.

Xia He could clearly see from the player's perspective that the floodwaters flowing downstream were likely to have a better effect than Feng Tianyin had predicted, with flash floods breaking out along the way, along with secondary disasters such as landslides and mudslides.

However, in Feng Tianyin's calculations, this was probably a way of "saving you from dire straits, because you would suffer even greater losses if there were a real war."

Because the number of people who died directly was actually not that many.

Apart from the fact that most of the 5000-strong expeditionary force died on the spot, the rest suffered only sporadic deaths.

The focus is on destroying war potential.

In Xia He's games, she often employs the strategy of "sending cavalry deep into enemy territory to plunder," precisely to undermine the war's potential. Winning tactically is merely an indicator; winning strategically is the fundamental solution—a targeted approach that addresses both the symptoms and the root cause.

Looking out over the flooded river, she saw a string of negative conditions:

[Flooded areas: Grain production -15%]

[Natural disaster panic, stability -5%, livability -5%]

War weariness +20%

The most prominent one is war weariness, which even Xia He was slightly taken aback. How did you manage to get it so high?

A closer look revealed that the problem stemmed from forced conscription, sowing the seeds of future trouble. A slight misstep could lead to defection or surrender. The conscripted soldiers lacked morale and discipline; how could they possibly achieve victory?

Before each war, she would take care to control her war-weariness, but these city-states didn't care.

"...Given this situation, Feng Tianyin should take action."

As expected, when Xia He's perspective returned to Green Valley Pass, she was shocked to see 2000 troops setting off in the pouring rain.

Meanwhile, ships arrived in a steady stream, and the extensive supply lines had been completed.

This is to achieve a complete victory in one battle.

Chapter 54 unchanged? Not a single word changed.

Green Valley Entrance.

Dark clouds loomed over the city, threatening to crush it; banners and the long wind pointed westward together.

The army was vast and powerful, their armor gleaming even more against the overcast sky, the 2000-strong force fully prepared and imposing.

They trudged forward through the overflowing mud.

Feng Tianyin, at the head of the group, gripped the reins tightly, her eyes fixed intently on the canyon entrance. As expected, the landslides and overflowing rivers made ambush impossible, allowing the army to pass safely.

Beside her were her two deputies, Deng Kaixuan and Zhang Zhongsi, who were responsible for assisting her.

All the elite troops in the entire Great Qian Dynasty capable of high-speed mobility are here, at a huge cost. If we don't finish this quickly, it will definitely delay agricultural work.

We have to be quick.

The group rode at full speed and soon arrived at a valley plain.

Even after the floodwaters had washed them away, wagons, weapons, and other supplies were still half-submerged in the mud, flags were broken, corpses lay strewn across the fields, and the air was filled with the earthy smell and stench of the flood.

After dismounting, Deng Kai spun around once, and finally, together with his men, picked up several flags before reporting:

"Sir, the allied forces' organization and flags are all here."

"Clearly, they were attacked by the flood after they gathered. May the Great Qian be blessed."

"May the High Priest be victorious."

However, Feng Tianyin shook her head and refused the praise, even though it was common knowledge that she was the one who caused the flood. She did not intend to take the bait, as it was a dirty trick.

They were just unlucky to be hit head-on by the flood.

That being said, this is a highly probable outcome in calculations. The reasoning is simple: city-states with complex and fragmented terrain find it difficult to assemble large armies, and the number of available training grounds is limited, all located within the impact range of rivers, making them completely unprepared.

If there's no time to escape, the entire army will be wiped out.

Even after confirming that the enemy's main force had collapsed, the Daqian army did not let their guard down and continued to search for signs of the enemy along the way.

They encountered nothing but dilapidated villages, and they bowed down in worship. They were powerless to resist, and immediately knelt before the procession, kowtowing repeatedly.

"Spare us."

"That's strange, why are you so afraid? You're not barbarians."

Deng Kaixuan raised a question: although the Daqian army did treat the barbarian camps badly, basically reducing them to slavery, in their eyes, the city-states with similar writing systems, languages, and cultures belonged to civilized people.

Matching players of similar skill levels deserves respect; one should always have principles when doing things.

Moreover, when facing barbarians, they dared to say with their hands on their chests that they had never indiscriminately killed innocent people; they had only punished some stubborn ones who resisted.

"My lord, you may not know this, but the city-state's army often plunders on the spot to replenish its supplies."

"So I thought you..."

“We have long since abandoned this bad habit. Even if we need supplies, we will trade with you and will never take your things for free.”

Deng Kaixuan's solemn statement moved everyone to tears.

Even if they knew the flood was related to these soldiers, so what? They could only play dumb in the face of overwhelming power. They were already lucky to have escaped looting and slaughter; they dared not ask for more.

"High Priest, I didn't expect the allied forces to still maintain this kind of habit. How can they compare to us?"

Zhang Zhongsi dismissed it with disdain.

"Yes, indulgence will lead to frivolity. Once a few instances of looting and embezzlement of spoils are allowed, no discipline will work. It's digging up the foundation of the army."

The officers nodded in agreement. They had only realized this after the high priest established the training regulations. Feng Tianyin didn't expect their moral standards to catch up with those of later generations; it was unrealistic to demand the impossible, but there had to be a bottom line regarding their character.

The advanced combat capabilities of the Daqian Army are built up from every single detail.

"I've inquired. The main force of the allied forces has been wiped out, and the survivors have scattered and fled. High Priest, what do we do about this?"

"Historian."

"exist."

Feng Tianyin said loudly, "Remember, in the spring of the 39th year of the Enlightenment, in April, the Allied Forces died in a flash flood."

"Not a single word changed?"

"Record the facts as they are, without altering a single word."

Upon hearing this, the historian raised an eyebrow, but still faithfully recorded it as such. As for the factors that guided the flood, that was due to insufficient engineering design; it was mainly a natural disaster, not a man-made one, and must have been divine retribution.

He knows perfectly well how he got to his current position; some records have to give way to politics, and whitewashing is indispensable.

After a brief inspection, the Daqian army set off again.

These people were dealt with by the temporary conscripts who followed up. In fact, their task was only to maintain stability and carefully take over the population. The main offensive force still had to be the main force.

Two days later.

Feng Tianyin successfully arrived at the city-state of Kang, which she had only seen on the scouts' maps before.

The intelligence report stated that the inhabitants were mainly Sogdians who traded with various regions and possessed a large land caravan, making it the second largest population settlement after Green Valley Pass.

However, all that could be seen was the collapsed city wall.

"Sir, we surrender."

Those they encountered showed no sign of resistance, surrendering completely and utterly convinced of their superiority.

It was obvious to anyone with eyes that the city walls they relied on were about to collapse, and they were not known for their military prowess, so how could they possibly resist? They did try to resist, by sending a large number of troops to prepare for an expedition, but they were all wiped out.

Moreover, as a city-state with developed trade, it frequently interacted with the Great Qian Dynasty and had some understanding of the situation, so it had no psychological burden.

The city lord and his entourage followed Midoriya's example and presented a token.

They just need to continue doing business, and they also have a good impression of Daqian. It's not impossible for everyone to cooperate and become a family. So there's only one option left:

join in.

"High Priest, the other city-states are blind to your faults. We will continue doing business."

"From now on, you should change your names to Kang Guo."

Feng Tianyin was clearly displeased with the fact that a mere small city-state could refer to itself in such a way. Moreover, they had surrendered after resisting, and she wanted to distinguish them from Green Valley, who had surrendered voluntarily, so as not to discourage people.

A reprimand was inevitable, a fact that the city lord and others understood.

Of course, they understood the High Priest's style better. As long as they united and obeyed Xia Yi, they wouldn't delve too deeply into the retribution. To put it bluntly, with the ultimate sense of security provided by her immortality and divine protection, there were plenty of things to discuss, and there was no rush.

A leader who inspires a sense of security will make those who want to rely on him feel secure; conversely, a leader who is suspicious will make people live in constant fear.

I voted.

Hesitating any further would be a betrayal of a businessman's typically flexible stance.

This opportunity won't come again, and ultimately, it's Feng Tianyin's prestige and reputation that make her so convincing.

"I am going to preside over a prayer service."

Although taking over the various city-states was an urgent matter, she knew that ensuring a city's religious transformation and connection with the Way of Heaven was even more urgent. Once that was achieved, it would be taken over by that will and would be difficult to separate from.

Don't worry about the loyalty issue in the controlled area; He will handle it.

Therefore, Feng Tianyin resorted to her old tricks, acting as the high priest and cooperating with the city lord to conduct a prayer ceremony and announce that she would take over the defense.

Everyone felt an immense, interconnected will, accompanied by a thunderous echo:

“Well done, Feng Tianyin. Kang Guo is the beginning of a complete conquest.”

"We will strictly follow the will of Heaven."