You became an emperor by letting me AFK.

For some reason, the priestesses looked at her with a mysterious and sympathetic gaze. Just as they were wondering, the two sat down. Feng Tianyin stood with her legs together and her hands on her knees. Her posture was so dignified and beautiful that even Gegentana felt somewhat inferior and unconsciously adjusted her posture.

Then the girl with long black and white hair began to recite without emotion:

"Daqian, also known as Qianxia. Its capital, Xiayi, is located in the center of the Cifu Basin. It has a temperate monsoon climate, with three harvests every two years. As of the 40th year of the Enlightenment, its registered population was approximately 90, and its effective controlled area was 21 square kilometers..."

What is this guy saying?

Upon hearing this, Gergentana immediately understood why everyone sympathized with them, because they could not expect to hear any strange tales from the high priest.

It reads like a reportage with every word carefully chosen, making you think you're reading an encyclopedia.

, ...........

Southern foot of Mount Kurong.

Deng Kaixuan, who gazes at the other side of the checkpoint every day, wears a worried expression.

He rested his hands on the battlements, his brow furrowed, his gaze fixed on the snow-covered mountain path, while below, soldiers were expanding the city walls and fortifications.

Construction in the dead of winter is obviously impractical.

It's just part of the training, so we won't be idle and can strengthen the border.

Although he had already received the urgent military intelligence report by carrier pigeon and learned of the great victory, he was still worried because he couldn't see anyone. This was winter on the grasslands, full of deadly threats, and one wrong move could result in heavy losses.

"Fortunately, the heavens have been on our side, and there hasn't been a heavy snowfall this year."

"The general is right. Although the snow came early on the grassland this year, it was not intense. According to our observation, it was mild."

"Heaven cherishes life, and even after punishing the barbarians, it left them a glimmer of hope."

"Yes."

As expected of a great general, he has a great understanding of interpretation.

Soon everyone's worries were over, because a fast horse arrived at the city gate with a message from a scout: "The expeditionary force has returned in triumph."

The entire border region breathed a sigh of relief, feeling a great weight lifted from their shoulders.

One of the reasons they had been stationed there was to guard against enemy pursuers. It seems they had won a great victory, defeating the barbarians so badly that they were unable to send anyone to pursue them. This battle laid the foundation for several years of peace in the north.

"Prepare to treat them."

Deng Kaixuan gave the order, and the kitchen staff acted swiftly and efficiently.

Despite their role as a logistical supply hub continuously delivering food, they actually have considerable reserves of their own.

In reality, all the supplies transported from the mainland are stockpiled here.

It's not that they're skimping on supplies—they wouldn't dare do that even if they were incredibly audacious. Rather, transport costs would skyrocket further north, becoming uncontrollable, and logistical supplies might even get lost. The risks are too numerous; the practical consideration is to stop here.

"in addition."

"Immediately send a message to Xia Yi, saying that we have met up with the expeditionary force and that we can postpone the supply and wait for the victory ceremony."

As he spoke, Deng Kaixuan burst into laughter, already able to imagine the joyful expressions on his colleagues' faces.

His laughter drew nods from the other officers.

Although he didn't directly participate in the large-scale operation deep into the grasslands, he did manage to defend the border and win a battle, thus earning military merit.

This operation will not only lead to the promotion of a large number of military personnel, but also bring a huge amount of slaves and resources that have been missing for a long time, enough for the Great Qian to digest for a while. The benefits will be distributed to everyone.

moment.

The earth rumbled, banners fluttered, and the vanguard escorted a carriage to the city gate.

It was Feng Tianyin leading a black-haired, black-eyed girl down the stairs.

"That should be the great prophet mentioned in the report. I never expected that the Heavenly Way would elevate him again after 40 years."

Deng Kaixuan and others looked solemn.

Even a great general cannot ignore the power shifts within the temple. It is likely that religious affairs will gradually become more standardized, formalized, and further permeate daily life, affecting all aspects of life...

But only immortal beings like them can witness it in the long run.

"It's good for the High Priest to have a reliable colleague."

.............

Xiayi, far inland, received urgent battle reports from the front lines one after another, which corroborated each other, becoming concise and increasingly detailed. All of this information was gathered by the temple's supply department.

Then, all decision-making information is transmitted to the High Priest's office, which is "the head of a department despite not having the name of one."

When the person is not present, Yu Xue and other permanent senior clerks will act on their behalf.

She was sitting in the main seat, reviewing files. All the files she was handling were about military supplies, with complicated categories, various timelines, and personnel appointments. Just looking at them gave her a headache.

But Yu Xue's replies were clean and efficient.

With this information readily available, processing it becomes easy and effortless.

There's no other reason than practice makes perfect.

Having followed Feng Tianyin for many years, one cannot handle the situation without extraordinary intelligence and quick wit.

"Sir, won't you take a break?" someone suggested. "With such a great victory at the front, shouldn't we stop supplying you with supplies?"

"No, this is precisely the time to be careful. The program that has been running for so long and has been successfully established cannot be interrupted directly, otherwise it will cause chaos. We must gradually restore normal order..."

Yu Xue kept making annotations while giving instructions to several subordinates in turn.

No clerk dared to be negligent in receiving the order.

Originally, this group of female scribes was almost merged into the inner priesthood, an institution lacking stable power and with few benefits, and therefore unpopular. It was her outstanding abilities that allowed everyone to gain a foothold and secured promotions for a group of people, naturally earning her high prestige.

The scribes of the Great Qian Dynasty disliked the inner sanctum of the priesthood, and their workload depended entirely on holidays, resulting in low income.

Moreover, she was highly tied to Feng Tianyin's activities. For example, during this period, she was in charge of military affairs and had no use for the inner palace, leaving everyone with nothing to do.

If there's nothing to do, there's no performance bonus.

In her eyes, the pay would be significantly reduced; the less she did, the less she would be paid.

Since they had embarked on an official career, these clerks all had their own ambitions and were eager to be busy, hoping to gain both fame and fortune.

"...That's pretty much how it'll be arranged."

After a while, Yu Xue stopped writing and wiped the sweat from her forehead. Someone immediately handed her a handkerchief. Everyone looked at each other and showed relaxed expressions; the tense logistical work had come to an end.

"You guys have some free time now, but I guess I'll be busy with slave matters from now on."

Li Zhengxuan took a sip of tea, his face showing bitterness, under immense pressure.

Because there weren't many high-level judicial cases on a regular basis, many matters concerning the management, rewards, and punishments of slaves fell to his department, and there was a large group of barbarians waiting to be dealt with.

3 million.

The number was quite large, making it the largest harvest in the many years of raiding the barbarian population in the Great Qian Dynasty.

Yu Xue replied, "It's not an easy task to feed this group of people through the winter."

"Should we give all the construction work to Sunshan District?"

This method is undeniably efficient. As everyone knows, the Great Qian Dynasty has used this method to tame slaves over the years. Anyone who has been subjected to this will become obedient. Moreover, it can divide and weaken them, making them easier to manage. More importantly, it will cause many deaths, reducing pressure.

"Don't forget to prepare the Great Prophet. After all, she's from the same hometown. We can't let those slaves die a horrible death."

"That's true."

“I will suggest to the High Priest that slaves be sent to the south to develop new cities.”

Li Zhengxuan looked envious upon hearing this, knowing that Yu Xue's office was responsible for connecting various regions and cultivating many talents.

After all, she had to work with Feng Tianyin, which led to many opportunities for cross-regional cooperation. If the first batch of managers for the branch city were to be appointed, they would definitely be recommended from her subordinates, which would increase her influence.

However, he was not jealous, because everyone would benefit from the expansion.

This battle greatly benefited the Great Qian Dynasty.

Eliminating the threat from the north meant that they could cultivate the interior more deeply while continuing to explore the prosperous south.

The high priest was always generous, so the temple's higher-ups would receive even more rewards.

PS

The bug in the cat website's code meant that yesterday's book recommendations didn't have links; I'm adding them today.

The Succubus Girl Must Want to Be My Little Dog

Chapter 78: Good Performance Receives a Reward (6K)

The bright sunlight shone into the carriage, bringing a touch of warmth to the winter day.

After rubbing her hands together by the stove, Gegentana breathed a sigh of relief. The chill had lessened considerably, making it much better than on the grassland.

She peeked out the window at a corner.

There, evergreen coniferous forests were revealed, finally adding a touch of verdant green, unlike the withered yellow grass everywhere in the northern desert, which made it seem like a desolate place on the edge of the world, and impossible to appreciate.

Of course, there are also people who don't appreciate it. Sitting opposite, Feng Tianyin is reviewing documents.

The rumors of working non-stop are true.

Ever since they started sharing the same carriage, the other person has been working tirelessly, day and night, always full of energy.

得嘞

Another place to distinguish between orthodox and heterodox promotions.

Gengtana suspected that the heavens had specially blessed a person with perpetually high energy, and that every day when she woke up, she would see that person busy, reading by candlelight late into the night, with the lights always on.

She stretched and, facing the morning light, drew back the curtains, revealing a hint of spring in the sunlight streaming in.

Finally, the purple-eyed girl, who had been diligently writing, was alerted.

Feng Tianyin looked up at the other person with a slightly puzzled expression, while the latter smiled sweetly:

"I remember you told me that once we cross the Dragon Vein Mountain, we'll reach the actual control area of ​​the Great Qian Dynasty, a warm and blessed basin. We should be almost there, right? Don't you want to see our long-lost hometown?"

Looking through the corner where the curtains were parted, it felt like stepping into a new world.

The ice and snow are melting.

The stream, originating from the high-altitude mountains, flows swiftly, nurturing lush greenery wherever it passes. The surrounding area has warmed up considerably, with only the snow-capped Cangshan Mountains serving as a reminder of the season.