You became an emperor by letting me AFK.

Originally, I didn't plan to pay much attention to the northern desert, but now it seems that it's not feasible to not seek control.

Feng Tianyin knew a mechanism that "barbarian tribes will still spawn in areas where influence is not maintained." What if there is a continuous war afterward? Wouldn't that be a waste of national strength?

We cannot ignore resources now just because they were useful in the industrial era.

We need to change our plans.

"...You mentioned in your previous report that the barbarian livestock suffered a plague outbreak this year, resulting in heavy losses. Are there any related infection samples? Hides, meat, or anything like that? Were they carefully preserved?"

The reconnaissance captain pointed to a sealed jar.

They are a team with a scientific spirit, so naturally they wouldn't miss out, and Feng Tianyin nodded in satisfaction upon seeing this.

"Everyone, remember to disinfect. I'll leave the samples for you to study carefully."

It's worth noting that the High Priest was originally a shaman, so he should have been very interested. In fact, Daqian's various anatomical and lesion studies have never stopped over the years, but it has been a hardship for death row inmates in prisons.

"By the way, did you confirm that the northern barbarians were gathering in large numbers before you left?"

“That’s right, it took us about ten days to get back, and now it’s December, so I guess they’ll take some action…”

Suddenly, Feng Tianyin looked out the window at the sky.

Snow?

Suddenly, a white, misty cloud of fluff drifted down from the sky, clinging to the window and accompanied by the cold wind. The draft blowing into the room felt like a knife cutting through the air, accompanied by howling sounds, like a weeping echoing between the pillars of the corridor.

The first snow of winter in the 41st year of enlightenment came earlier than usual.

A sense of foreboding rose in everyone's hearts, and they subconsciously looked at their leader. Sure enough, no matter what, Feng Tianyin's pretty face remained expressionless; she always had a plan.

"Prepare to send troops to support the Ku Rong Pass and the Ku Pass."

Even if no urgent battle reports come back, it doesn't hinder her judgment; now it's time to race against time.

Can you make it?

No one knows the exact time difference between the two sides. In an era with limited information, expecting to receive intelligence in real time was wishful thinking; sometimes, reasoning was more important.

Feng Tianyin always believed that waiting for information would only cause problems.

She immediately issued the order, and even in the cold winter weather of December with light snow, the entire Imperial Guard of Xia County was mobilized. Warhorses neighed, the armory opened wide, countless suits of armor and long weapons were distributed, and a large number of elite troops assembled at the training ground.

This was an emergency transfer order.

The scribes in the temple district were completely bewildered, not understanding why the high priest would send troops just because he went to the academy.

However, they knew better than anyone that Feng Tianyin was the most rational.

That person is not one to act rashly; he must have reliable intelligence.

Just then, the gray-haired girl strode back, and her first words were, "Prepare the horse and armor, I'm going to the northern border." Upon hearing this, everyone's heart tightened and their eyes flickered.

"Barbarians?"

"You guessed right, the enemy will take action in winter. The scale is unknown, but it's likely a probe..."

Suddenly, Feng Tianyin's expression darkened.

Even those who were usually indifferent showed a hint of reverence, and a vast will swept through their hearts; this was the brief attention of the Heavenly Dao.

But only the high priest could hear the revelation: "The northern barbarians are launching a massive invasion."

PS

Book Recommendation Time

Chapter 67 Winning Either Way (5K)

So fast!

As Xia He sat at her desk at work, she glanced at the border of the Great Qian Dynasty and discovered a massive gathering of northern barbarians.

It's only been a year since the last Heavenly Ritual, and the new rounds are already too restless.

She quickly adjusted the zoom level, revealing that the barbarian army was rapidly consolidating its military strength across the vast northern desert. While they appeared aggressive, a hint of helplessness lingered, as a closer look revealed that the controlled areas managed by the revelation were not without negative consequences:

[Livestock Plague - 15% Livestock Efficiency]

[Natural Disaster: Blizzard - 20% Habitability]

River freezing - 10% decrease in fishery efficiency

No wonder.

Their own productivity is no longer enough to support themselves through the winter; a number of people will surely freeze or starve to death, and the turmoil during this period will be even more terrifying.

Xia He is a modern person who has not experienced such a great disaster, but still understands history and knows about horror.

For example, given her slender frame and heavy fertility, she would likely not survive. In that case, the barbarians' choice would be easy to understand: either cling to their small territory and self-destruct, or fight their way out.

Nobody wants to experience the chaos of a collapsing order.

Rather than letting famine spread, causing internal pressure to explode and even leading to infighting, it's better to release the pressure, preferring to die in battle rather than starve, and simply choose to wage war against the Great Qian.

Winning would be ideal, as the looted resources could help them survive the winter.

Even if we lose, it's not a complete loss, because we've depleted a portion of the population, and the remaining survivors can get through the winter.

Either way, you win.

The northern barbarians were determined to fight; without fighting, they could not survive.

Xia He understood perfectly, so she immediately sent a message to Feng Tianyin to remind her, and the latter was already preparing for battle. She must have received intelligence from the scouts and perceived it as a prelude, thus making a swift decision.

However, the priestess paused for a moment after hearing the voice, then dismissed everyone around her to speak privately:

"I contact you because of our daily business."

The hint of joy that had been on her brow had vanished completely, and Xia He, who was looking at the chat box, naturally didn't notice.

"Our communications are always about serious matters, work."

"That's true."

"You can also tell me if you have any special feelings, this is the most important part of the job."

"It's alright, I'm quite satisfied with this kind of communication." Feng Tianyin bowed and said, "I'll get on it right away. In fact, I'm already planning it. Since you've given me the insight that it's war, let's prepare more thoroughly."

"It's up to you now. If there are any problems, you can contact me through some ritual or something. I'll put a patch that will provide notifications for certain behaviors, but I can't guarantee it will work."

"Yes, sir. I will follow your instructions."

Xia He lost contact.

Unexpectedly, Feng Tianyin was quite clever and guessed the situation correctly. Even if I hadn't reminded her, she would still have moved her troops north.

But now more troops will be deployed.

Furthermore, Xia He relayed some map visibility information that was only available to players:

【hint】

[Military Emergency: Under Invasion. The Northern Barbarian Alliance has dispatched advance cavalry to harass the area.]

Any threatening military situation will be directly notified to the player, so a sudden attack is pointless for Xia He. However, the barbarian momentum is indeed not simple; they seem to be planning to wipe out the entire beacon tower area in one fell swoop, and they are doing so under the cover of night.

You're here to launch a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor?

It must be admitted that this approach was effective; the Daqian scouts suffered considerable losses in a single encounter, being killed almost without any warning.

Amidst the clash of swords and the flying of blood and flesh, one beacon tower after another went out.

As the lights along the ridgeline disappeared one by one in the darkness, Xia He's player-view map view shrank continuously, weakening her dynamic perception of the battlefield and resulting in the deaths of many scouts.

She kept dragging her view, but all she could see was a bloody battlefield.

The two sides fought repeatedly around the ridgeline under the cover of night.

The elite forces of the Great Qian Dynasty are among them.

They were all high-level units of the same type with some experience, so their field of vision was wider and the map shrank more after they were killed.

The barbarians continued their invasion, besieging the beacon towers and attacking reinforcements, stirring up a bloody storm in the darkness.

"They're moving too fast, we can't get out of there."

Xia He, chin in hand, made her judgment. Clearly, the enemy's goal was to disrupt intelligence transmission as much as possible to buy time. Therefore, they were using lightly armed cavalry. Braving the night was dangerous, but worth a try. It was a gamble, to see if they could gain the upper hand.

The bet won

It is sufficient to deal with the scattered troops in the beacon towers, and its mobility is enough to cut off the intelligence of the Daqian army.

Even the carrier pigeons were caught and torn apart by the golden eagle, unable to send out messages.

Now that things had come to this, Xia He raised an eyebrow. Since the northern barbarians had launched a surprise attack without warning, disregarding martial ethics, it was time to employ the player's micro-management skills. Against an unorganized scout line, even more precise micro-management was needed…

.........

Mount Kurong.

The entire beacon tower surveillance system is engaged in fierce combat.

Xia He continuously shifts to a first-person perspective, where the Daqian army and the invading barbarians engage in close combat, fighting and retreating as they move towards the two border passes.

She wanted to calm down and see the situation clearly, but all she saw was blood, shouts of killing, and flashing blades.

"The entire Northwest is in complete chaos."

Usually, she wouldn't have long been in the first-person perspective of a Daqian soldier before being hacked to death by the barbarian in front of her. The opponent roared with bared teeth, his fur coat billowing, exuding a wild and oppressive aura.

This part alone is enough to be considered a horror game; it's extremely gory.

Left with no other option, Xia He could only keep switching perspectives, while also taking in the overall view of the battlefield, in preparation for intervening in the situation.

We must stop them.

At this point, she basically guessed the enemy's plan: to rush past the beacon towers at top speed and then head straight for one of the passes on Kurong Mountain. Taking it would stabilize the front line and thus threaten the safety of Xiayi, which was a logical next step.

In the Daqian military system, the elite troops were all placed in the field mobile forces, and the soldiers defending the city were of average quality. If they were allowed to launch a night attack, the city might really fall.

Therefore, she wanted to thwart this operation plan, even resorting to additional modules.

As Xia He looked for an opportunity, the troops gathered at the largest fortress in the beacon tower defense line in the center of the battlefield.

Here, swords flash and shadows rage.