You became an emperor by letting me AFK.

The Khan had already taken the initiative to smooth things over without the Great Qian envoy needing to speak:

"Please calm down."

"My lord, those guys have been flirting with Daqian for a long time. They're probably just here to stir up trouble. Why don't we discuss this carefully together?"

Korong echoed, "I am under orders to discuss with your side the matter of jointly convening the next Heavenly Ritual."

He remained humble yet confident throughout.

Because many tribes had already submitted to the Great Qian, holding grand ceremonies and establishing sacrifices, behaving much like those in the interior, they naturally acknowledged the high priest's status as emperor. Their diplomatic confidence stemmed from power, and they were not intimidated by the Great Khan's bluster or threats.

However, the other party was determined to use this tactic, and persisted in saying:

"It's a divisive tactic."

"Don't think I'm easy to fool because I'm not well-educated. In fact, you've long harbored the desire to annex this place and turn everyone here into slaves."

Erbala said fiercely, but in reality he was carefully observing the messenger.

The power of the forces is stronger than that of individuals; the Great Qian Dynasty is already upon us.

Pointing out the worst-case scenario in advance is a bottom-line mentality, preventing the Great Qian from going so far as to turn all its compatriots into slaves—that would be the worst possible outcome. Therefore, he needs to make a strong statement first to raise the price.

To be honest, the tribes in the northern deserts have no other choice but to sell themselves, but they cannot sell themselves cheaply.

“Your Majesty the Great Khan, this is merely a discussion of cooperation, yet we have been met with your malicious treatment. This is truly outrageous,” Ke Rong immediately retorted.

Snapped!

Erbala slammed his hand on the table, and the soldiers surrounded and immediately detained the delegation.

"I'm not going to waste my breath on you. Let Feng Tianyin give an explanation."

Chapter 81 The Beginning of the Iron Age (6K)

What a show!

Xia He, who witnessed the tense scene inside the tent, smiled.

If the Great Khan truly intends to wage a full-scale war against the Great Qian, then he should kill the envoy. Doing so would be foolish, but it would also boost morale and force the various tribes to fight.

Not killing anyone means leaving yourself an out.

It wasn't easy for him to come up with this idea; although the method was a bit crude, the signal was successfully conveyed.

Even fearing that the Great Qian might not understand, he proactively declared that "the tribes of the northern deserts will not easily submit, and the envoy was detained because they were actually conducting espionage activities. We hope the Great Qian will reconsider." This seemingly contradictory statement was actually a way of first expressing a tough stance.

We cannot ignore the divisive tactics, but we must also avoid going to war directly.

Erbala was also doing this as a warning to the other Khans' allies:

"Don't make secret agreements; let's join forces to avoid being picked off one by one."

As an outsider, Xia He could see clearly that if she continued to be infiltrated and divided, then a prisoner's dilemma would be reached.

Worst solution.

The tribes of the northern deserts, suspicious of each other, tested each other, and raised prices, wondering if their allies would further lower the price, forcing them to sell at an even lower price, thus creating a situation where everyone lost money. A win-win situation, allowing the Great Qian to win twice.

He was convinced that Feng Tianyin was behind this plan.

However, Xia He understood that her cyber-daughter, whose mind was full of mathematics, was not so calculating about human nature; at least she hadn't grown to that level yet and would instead rely more on her power to intimidate others.

The real mastermind behind it all is someone else, someone who specializes in manipulating people's hearts...

Xiayi.

Upon receiving the urgent letter, the temple immediately convened a meeting, with all those involved in the "rapid response force" present.

Including Generals Zhang Zhongsi and Deng Kaixuan, as well as Yu Xue and Gegentana who were involved in logistics and this planning, the final decision-maker was naturally Feng Tianyin, the commander-in-chief of the entire army.

The group sat around a table in the center, which was piled high with letters like snowflakes.

"Your Excellency, the Great Prophet, your divisive tactics haven't been very successful; you've even dragged our delegation into it," Deng Kaixuan said sneer.

"That's not right. Erbala has already accepted it, but he's just raising the price now."

"oh? "

"These letters can prove how successful our infiltration was."

They casually opened a few letters, which turned out to be handwritten by the various Khans of the northern tribes, detailing how the Great Khan had detained the envoy of the Great Qian Dynasty. The crowd was filled with righteous indignation and righteous anger, determined to stand up for Ke Rong.

Regardless of the level of performance involved, it's still definitely a case of "secret collusion."

It was obvious that the Great Khan's control over the grasslands was rapidly declining, and these northern barbarians began to seek their own way out.

Obey orders, not pronouncements.

They all seemed to be going their own way and didn't take the elected leader seriously.

Only when the army is strong and well-equipped can it have the weight of its words.

Linchun is not what it used to be. This base has recovered somewhat, but it is not enough to support a dominant tribe again. The grassland, which is in a power vacuum, faces pressure from the Great Qian Dynasty outside the region. The choice is predictable.

Deng Kaixuan nodded: "It seems that the Great Prophet's strategy of sowing discord has succeeded."

“Considering the worst-case scenario where war is necessary, we will face less pressure.” Zhang Zhongsi agreed: “We have inside help.”

They were already eager to try; how could soldiers not yearn for war? The vast grasslands were hardly a desolate wasteland. Such shallow understanding revealed abundant resources everywhere. To be honest, they were simply a group of wandering warriors...

Military achievements.

The last great expedition propelled many brave soldiers to higher ranks, and they are now gradually moving into the middle and upper echelons.

Those who benefit will naturally maintain and promote the channels that elevate them.

Because this can also be considered a source of legitimacy.

Therefore, after a period of rest and recuperation, the entire Daqian Dynasty reignited its wartime enthusiasm, but only if the Commander-in-Chief made the final decision.

All eyes were on Feng Tianyin, who quickly opened each letter, scanned its contents one by one, compared them with the intelligence she had obtained in the past, and then made inferences... to the point that her head was steaming.

"can."

"We need to use force, but not necessarily war, but rather an attitude."

Her conclusion was met with approval from her subordinates.

The best strategy is to subdue the enemy without fighting; the next best is to disrupt their alliances; and the worst is to attack their cities. Currently, maintaining pressure to induce internal strife among the tribes of the northern deserts is the lowest-cost approach. Of course, we must still be prepared for the worst-case scenario of launching a direct expedition.

The Great Qian Dynasty is not so optimistic as to believe that wherever the imperial army passes, there will be food and drink; it must maintain military deterrence.

"I want to lead the army myself."

Feng Tianyin's judgment was not surprising; it was quite normal.

The northern barbarians respected and feared her, not anyone else, so the high priest had to make the trip; that was the safest course of action.

Moreover, the current size of the Great Qian Dynasty is indeed suitable for the emperor to personally lead the expedition. In the future, when the territory is larger and troops are frequently mobilized from all over the country, it will be more difficult for Feng Tianyin to conquer everywhere. She will have to stay in the capital.

"I'll go with you."

Gedentana's suggestion was accepted by her; the two exchanged a glance and understood immediately.

The former high shaman was the best guide and persuader.

Since that's the case, the two generals had nothing to object to. Under normal circumstances, a great prophet and a high priest of that rank would have to be stopped from traveling together, but they were blessed by Heaven.

These are merely the tribes of the northern deserts; they pose no threat to those who will be promoted.

Set off.

With a single order from Feng Tianyin, the entire Great Qian Dynasty began operating at high speed to supply the army. It was springtime, with lush grass and blooming birds, and abundant resources—everything was in perfect order. Moreover, the Great Qian Dynasty was stronger than during the Great Expedition of yesteryear, with its military strength only increasing.

However, she is always the type to calculate carefully, so she first sends out 3000 fast mobile forwards, and then follows up with the rest depending on the situation.

The military has always been a luxury; even a short trip outside the military is extremely costly.

Therefore, quality is more important than quantity.

As per usual practice, Feng Tianyin selected elite troops and headed north, their path shrouded in dust as they passed through the Kurong Mountains.

She wanted to respond to the will of Heaven with the fruits of conquering the grasslands.

From Xia He's perspective, this army, heavily buffed and brimming with overwhelming power, surged towards the grasslands with stats far exceeding those of its time. Furthermore, it was receiving a steady stream of supplies from the rear, allowing it to focus on maximizing its buffs first.

[Abundant Logistics +3 Morale] [Vanguard Leading the Way +5 Mobility] [Battle of Faith +3 Combat Strength]

...So many.

Another key factor was that she saw high support for the Great Qian War.

Therefore, a large amount of supplies were transported. Obviously, the people knew the benefits. After all, the army had always been well-paid and stable, and it was an honor to defend the country. Of course, they would strongly support external expansion.

Over the years, Feng Tianyin has been deeply involved in the military, improving training standards and optimizing equipment.

More importantly, it is about maintaining a leading edge.

Xia He knew better than anyone that this person was building up military strength ahead of time using the thinking of later generations. Although limited by objective productivity and not professional enough, it was still incomparable to the troops that barbarians often conscripted or forcibly recruited.

They learned their lesson last time, but what about this time? Will they forget the lesson, or will they be more pragmatic?

Feng Tianyin was determined to force the tribes of the northern desert to provide an answer.

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

Xiayi is busy again.

The blacksmith shops, carpentry shops, and other handicraft workshops in the suburbs were busy with military affairs.

These productions involved weapons, armor, horse mirrors, and saddles, and the supply could not be stopped even though the vanguard was far from the capital.

After carefully observing the area, Xia He discovered that the productivity was quite high.

strangeness.

Logically, such drastic changes shouldn't be happening, after all, it's still in ancient times... No, when she looked down more closely, she discovered: large quantities of iron ore had been transported from the distant suburbs. Countless blast furnaces were erected, billowing thick smoke and raging flames.

"So they're preparing to usher in the Iron Age."

The key to Feng Tianyin's ability to elevate iron casting technology to its pre-Industrial Revolution peak in one fell swoop lies in whether the conditions are ripe.

A population of one million, a high-quality open-pit iron mine, and an abundance of technical personnel—these three points are sufficient.

Start iterating.