You became an emperor by letting me AFK.

Sure enough.

She was stunningly beautiful, with bright, expressive eyes and exquisitely sculpted features.

With his tall stature and armor, he exudes a heroic and spirited aura, and his gaze is so striking that it makes one want to look down.

"We, the envoys, pay our respects to Your Highness."

Faced with the impatient gazes of the numerous attendants and guards around them, the barbarian hurriedly bowed, his manners impeccable, in accordance with the etiquette of the Great Qian Dynasty, clearly indicating he had come prepared. This eased the expressions of Feng Tianyin's subordinates slightly, and their manners became proper.

Among them were many familiar faces, such as the two generals who struck fear into the hearts of the barbarians, and the more familiar former high shaman.

Also the last one, no one has been able to integrate the faith since Gegentana.

Pity.

This person's absence was one of the reasons for the division among the various factions in the northern deserts. Now, he has found a better position and has been promoted by the Heavenly Dao. As the saying goes, shallow waters cannot support a true dragon; only the stage of the Great Qian Dynasty is suitable.

"I prefer efficient communication that gets straight to the point. So, what's the purpose of your visit?"

Feng Tianyin gestured for everyone to take their seats, and they all took their places.

Although the Daqian leadership had anticipated this, they were still somewhat surprised to hear the barbarian envoy bluntly declare, "I submit on behalf of my Khan."

That's pretty straightforward.

They didn't mention the Great Khan at all, who was the one they actively recommended. Moreover, Erbala was no incompetent ruler; he was a powerful hero who unified the long-standing war-torn northern desert region, yet he was now being sidelined through a secret peace agreement.

It's truly regrettable, but for the Great Qian Dynasty, it's an excellent opportunity.

“…High Priest, you may have concerns about the complex situation on the grasslands, but that’s alright. Our allegiance will set an example, attracting more tribes to join us, and thus forcing the Great Khan to make a decision. If necessary, we can kill him.”

Feng Tianyin shook her head, and the envoy immediately fell silent.

She said coldly, "What the Great Qian needs is a grassland with basic unifying power, not to talk to every tribe. That's why we need a Great Khan."

From a game mechanics perspective, the collective defection of regions that have been initially integrated makes them easier to annex.

Moreover, she plans to establish separate fiefdoms in the future to mitigate the negative effects.

Kill two birds with one stone.

However, upon hearing this, the envoys exchanged bewildered glances, their expressions troubled. Seeing this, Feng Tianyin was somewhat puzzled. Being able to detect the other party's micro-expressions suggested something was amiss, but she couldn't guess the specifics…

"You bunch of idiots!" Gergentana, who had been watching intently, gritted her teeth and asked, "Is this an assassination plot?"

“Great Shaman, no, Great Prophet, we also have our difficulties.”

"Stop talking nonsense, answer yes or no."

Faced with questioning, some envoys nodded, some were bewildered, and some even went so far as to accuse: "Your Khan really dares to do such a thing—"

The chaotic scene caused the top officials of the Daqian government to sigh and rub their foreheads.

I've learned firsthand how difficult it is to get along with people from countries with backward political systems; they really know how to stir things up.

Chapter 82 I Will Be Loyal to You (6K)

Night falls, in early spring.

The former sacred site of the northern barbarians still bears traces of fire, and there is a faint smell of sulfur in the air.

The city at the foot of the volcano is fertile, yet it is in ruins.

The Great Qian Expeditionary Force thought they could recover in three to five years, but that was an overestimation; they were projecting their own assumptions onto others. The reality was that the barbarians were unable to recover for a long time due to numerous difficulties in technology, organization, and funding, leaving them in dire straits.

Unlike the Great Qian Dynasty, which was financially powerful and could launch attacks and build facilities everywhere, operating while fighting, that would be too incredible.

As a result, the restoration work in Linchun progressed slowly.

To date, only the Erbala tribe has remained stationed there to carry out restoration work diligently.

Because only this tribe developed an "agricultural character" while the others were true nomadic tribes, the two sides had different economic structures and ideologies, and once they entered a period of decline, the conflict continued to escalate.

In the center of the city.

The atmosphere inside the brightly lit tent was solemn, with the Khans, led by Erbala, displaying expressions of anger.

They were arguing about "dealing with military pressure from the Great Qian Dynasty".

The situation is chaotic and unresolved, with everyone sticking to their own opinions.

The host, Erbala, spoke the loudest: "Look at these letters I've seized. Don't rush to accuse me of spying on you. Take a good look at them yourselves first. How outrageous are the conditions for surrendering to the Great Qian? Huh? Offering slaves as tribute? Utterly shameless."

"It's not like we're taking away our own slaves; we're helping the Great Qian capture slaves in exchange for trade preferences. Isn't that perfectly normal?"

Some people retorted unwillingly.

"The Daqian people will definitely raise the price of slaves, and then you will become more and more frantic in capturing them, eventually turning against each other. To put it another way, are there any truly free people on the grasslands? Aren't they all under the rule of our tribal alliance? Isn't it just capturing your own people, selling out your tribe for personal gain?"

Erbala immediately corrected himself, leaving the objector speechless.

Others advised, "There's nothing we can do. The power of the Great Qian is obvious to all. They're back again. We have to bring this matter to a close. Peace is the best policy."

"Of course it would be good, but we can't sacrifice too much of our interests, otherwise it would be a one-sided peace."

"Actually, the conditions they promised can be discussed further."

"We can only secure our interests by uniting and negotiating with the Great Qian. Or are you going to make a secret peace for your own personal gain, at the expense of our tribal alliance as a whole?"

In the phrase.

The reason for today's meeting is that many Khans are secretly bargaining with the Great Qian Dynasty.

This is a very serious matter.

This signifies both the extent of infiltration and the difficulty of organizing people again, causing the Great Khan great distress.

He also saw the dangerous glint in the eyes of some people, harboring ulterior motives. Furthermore, some Khans did not come at all, refusing to accept the call to the meeting was tantamount to open rebellion, and they did not even bother to send a letter explaining their reasons, showing no respect whatsoever.

"Please think it over carefully, everyone. Excuse me for a moment."

After saying this, Erbala got up and went behind the curtain of the conference tent, where the Daqian delegation, led by Ke Rong, was sitting and drinking tea.

They were nominally detained, but in reality they were treated well and were not threatened.

They even showed great courtesy.

It's the same attitude: focus on the issue, not the person. That's the price to pay.

Ke Rong, judging from the Great Khan's expression as he entered, guessed most of the situation and put down his teacup, offering advice:

"To be honest, you are in great danger right now. When I was lobbying the various tribes, some khans subtly expressed their intention to assassinate you, but I did not accept it. Let me give you a heads-up: although the Great Qian Dynasty hopes to divide the tribes in the northern desert, it also hopes that someone can take charge of the overall situation."

"Perhaps I didn't handle things well, and that was my mistake at work."

He wanted to create a situation where each Khan forced the leader to abdicate, but not to render the leader powerless; rather, he wanted them to act as representatives and submit.

It's hard.

As expected, something went wrong. After hearing Ke Rong's words, Erbala nodded and replied, "You heard what they were saying outside. They're a bunch of wolves with ulterior motives, and they've already shown their fangs."

"...Indeed, it seems they are not smart enough and always want to solve things with force."

"So I'm here to see you out."

The host gave a wink, and his trusted subordinates were already prepared to escort him. Ke Rong immediately held a meeting, straightened his clothes, and bowed to say goodbye.

The two had come to understand each other's bottom lines in negotiations during their time together, and all they needed to do was convey them to Feng Tianyin.

Of course, there is one more prerequisite:

Alive.

A battle is about to break out at the Linchun camp; it's best to stay away.

The delegation wasn't there to fight, so they quickly left under cover of darkness. Watching the horses disappear into the night, Erbala took a deep breath and returned to the conference tent, where the lights seemed even dimmer.

Looking around, he saw that the khans had different expressions and their eyes were flashing, but without exception, they were all staring intently at him.

“There is a traitor among you.”

Before he could finish speaking, someone slammed their hand on the table, and immediately the guards rushed in, fully armed and exuding a murderous aura.

I'm not pretending anymore.

One of the bewildered Khans exclaimed, "I came here for a meeting, what are you all doing?"

In an instant, Erbala's personal guards drew their swords, and the two sides began a standoff, with the battle imminent. Most of the khans present immediately defected, and the remainder had no choice but to side with the Great Khan, effectively dividing the country into factions.

As their eyes met, both sides shouted and strode forward.

Everyone present was a seasoned veteran, seasoned on the battlefield, their morale soaring. In close-quarters combat, formations were practically irrelevant; it was pure slaughter. Swords flashed, blood and flesh flew everywhere.

The candlestick was overturned, and the flickering light reflected torn shadows.

The people inside were fighting with great passion.

Erbala, the first hero of the grasslands, dominated the battlefield and, with his unparalleled bravery and domineering nature, killed a traitorous Khan with a mere flick of his wrist.

They originally intended to poison him, but their plan was discovered, leaving them with no choice but to proceed despite their fears. In the end, they remembered his power.

His skills are still sharp.

He's still the same young man who dominated the battlefield back then.

But Erbala noticed a great commotion outside the tent, filled with the sounds of shattered utensils, startled warhorses, and soldiers' cries of pain, howls, and curses. Clearly, a fierce battle had broken out outside as well. This was a premeditated siege, a coordinated attack from multiple directions.

"I've brought my elite troops. You're all dead, all of you are going to die!"

"Very well." Erbala, who was in danger, laughed loudly instead: "Eliminating you is the way to quell the rebellion, and then I will renegotiate with the Great Qian."

As soon as he finished speaking, he brandished his long sword, which flashed with blood and carried a chilling glint of killing intent.

Click!

The Khan before them was instantly beheaded, utterly defeated. At the same time, Erbala led his personal guards and the Khan's supporters out of the tent, their blood-soaked bodies silencing the entire battlefield.

"Tonight, the rebellion will be quelled—"

The loud shouts echoed throughout the Linchun camp, ensuring a sleepless night.

early morning.

The delegation from the Great Qian Dynasty rode swiftly south, only to find billowing dust under the rising sun, accompanied by a rumbling sound from the ground.

The other party was also traveling day and night.