Aztec Eternals

The summer in the Mexican plateau is warm, even though it is rainy, there is no trace of cold.

The rainwater has become a thread on the body. Xiulot just wore a cape and shorts. Standing by the river, he watched thousands of small boats, like migrating birds, rowing in from the heavy rain.

The boatmen, shirtless to the waist, unloaded grain in unison. Then the fleet first transported away the king's most important city-state sacrificial plate, followed by various luxury tributes. Then came the manpower trebuchet that was disassembled into various wooden parts, and Shulot checked the details of the waterproof treatment by the river, and finally the three thousand Otomi people who were escorted by the warriors.

Whether it is a sacred stone, a tribute, a weapon, or a captive. They would all be transported up the Tampon to the great lake capital.

The Tampen River is the lifeline of the army. With a distance of two to three hundred kilometers, relying on convenient rivers, only 20,000 to 30,000 militiamen and boatmen are enough to maintain the supplies of twenty legions. The ratio of corps to logistics is eight to one.

For the same distance, if you rely on the dirt roads on the plateau, there are no horse-drawn carts or ox carts, and you can only carry them on your shoulders and hands, you will need four times the number of civilians, and the ratio of legions to logistics is two to one.

And if the dirt roads are replaced with mountain forests, the number of civilians who maintain the logistics will be doubled, and the legion and logistics will be a terrible one-to-one ratio.

As for the 200-300-kilometer tropical rainforest land route, with the technological level of any country in the world at this time, no matter how many civilians there are, the logistics line of the army cannot be maintained. Because the peasants are on the road, they will consume all the food they transport.

"River and sea transportation were the lifelines of ancient empires." Schlott thought, "It's a pity that the army will soon leave this lifeline."

The city-state of Xilotepec expressed its submission to the greatest extent. The nobles of the city-state tried their best to search the city and transport supplies out of the city to meet all the requirements of the Mexica army.

However, the stubborn nobles and priests did not sacrifice the city, and the warriors and militiamen still garrisoned the city walls. Because they have everything in the city, and they are never willing to give up easily until the end of the mountain.

Satisfied with Xilotepec's surrender, King Tisok had no interest in spending another ten months laying siege to the depleted city.

The next target of the army is the core of the loose alliance of the Otomi people in the west, the mountain city of Ottopan, the legendary northern ancestral land of the Otomi people. As long as the city of Ottopan is captured, the Otomi will lose their political, cultural, and military centers, and they can only surrender to the empire.

The strength of six legions was left in camp on the west bank of the Tampen. Two direct legions were responsible for maintaining the large camp by the river. The grain road will turn into a land road here, winding westward along the mountains and forests.

The remaining four city-state legions monitored the Xilotepec city-state while maintaining the grain roads on land.

Then, on the first day of September, the king led more than 20,000 directly subordinate warriors, 25,000 directly subordinate village warriors, 25,000 city-state warriors, and nearly 40,000 city-state militiamen, 14 legions, a total of 11 Wan Dajun, like a vast colony of ants, marched towards Ottopan, more than 200 kilometers away.

Rolling mountains, dark forests, continuous wind and rain, deer and wolves scared away by the army, and the deserted Otomi village are the scenery along the way.

Shulot passed by the battlefield in the first battle again, and Bertard was guarding him. The two stood on the commander's hill, looking at the vast forest under the drizzle. On the blood-soaked land, the grass is already lush enough to cover all the traces of the past, except for the memories in people's hearts.

The army is just passing by.

Along the march, Commander-in-Chief Totek set up four camps occupying high ground, and transferred 40,000 city-state militiamen to logistics, responsible for transporting and guarding food roads, and also saving food consumption by the way.

In the end, after more than half a month of arduous trek, nearly 50,000 Mexica warriors, plus 25,000 soldiers directly under the village, a total of nine legions, finally came to the city of Ottopan.

Although the number of people has been greatly reduced, the core combat effectiveness of the Mexica army is still there. Among the 50,000 Mexica warriors, there are nearly 3,000 Jaguars and Eagles, and more than 10,000 fourth-level senior warriors.

King Tisok has the confidence to win.

Even if all the Ottomi city-states unite, mobilize thoroughly, and recruit more than 100,000 to 200,000 militiamen, he can still win in one battle.

The king longed for a hearty decisive battle, a glorious battle that could be engraved on the sacrificial plate. He was ready to carve a sacrificial plate as great as the Aztec sunstone for his accession. It will be engraved with the great achievements of fifteen ancestors, and I am the sixteenth.

The name of the sacrificial plate is "Tisok's Stone", which is used to establish the king's undisputed theocracy and throne.

The king's self-confidence lasted until the moment he saw Ottopan. At that moment, his smile froze.

"God is above!" Shulot walked out of the forest with difficulty, and the first thing he saw when he looked up was the mountain city in the distance. "This is Ottopan City?!"

Shulot turned his head, looked at Avette beside him, and smiled wryly at the same time. I have long heard that Ottopan is easy to defend and difficult to attack, but I didn't expect it to be such a terrain. No wonder that even a hundred years later, the Spaniards can only maintain a semi-autonomous form of rule here.

The bodies of the two were covered with fallen leaves and dust from their trek in the forest, and the guards beside them were helping them pack their luggage. Behind them is an army that also trekked hard.

The height of Ottopan City should be between the Japanese mountain castles and Pingshan castles. Looking up, it is located on a platform in the mountains, and the relative height of the platform is about 40 to 50 meters.

The north side is the steepest, vaguely connected to the nearby mountains, and a small stream flows faintly. The slopes on the other three sides are slightly gentle, and there are simple roads left by people walking.

The area of ​​the city-state is estimated to be more than five square kilometers. The city wall was built on the mountain, about four or five meters high, and included the entire platform. Shulot vaguely saw figures swaying on the city wall at the top of the mountain and flags fluttering. He should have found traces of the army.

"This city is not easy to fight. The terrain is dangerous and there is no shortage of water. It is still the rainy season."

"It's very difficult to fight. No wonder the Otomi people, although weak, have been able to take root in the chaotic wars in the north for more than two hundred years."

In the familiar dialogue, the two looked at each other speechlessly.

After a while, the commander-in-chief Totek came in a hurry, his face was serious. As soon as they met, they grabbed Shulot and said, "Sholot, can your catapult bombard the city on the mountain?"

Shulot shook his head: "The entire platform, from the edge to the bottom of the slope, is within the limit range of the opponent's wall, and the catapult rolling down from the top of the mountain can completely destroy the catapult. Even if long-range attacks are not considered, such a sloping hillside It is difficult to erect a trebuchet to such an extent. In the end, even if you succeed in erecting it by luck, shooting up the city wall at a height of 20 to 30 meters will not have any power at all.”

Totek frowned: "Is there no other way? Like using a wooden ladder, or the sharp metal headed car with wheels you mentioned last time?"

Shulot and Avit shook their heads at the same time.

"The elite warriors climbed forty to fifty meters up the mountain with wooden ladders. They had to be shot one-sidedly by stones, wooden blocks, javelins, bows and arrows, and stone bullets on the city wall for nearly 30 minutes, which consumed a lot of energy, and then they had to forcibly ascend the city. Combat. Not to mention the rainy season. The casualties of the samurai would be too heavy, which is impossible." Avet said, losing his smile on his face.

"Let's not talk about the difficulty of building the ram. With this kind of terrain alone, it is difficult to push the ram onto the platform, and the opponent's rolling stone can completely destroy the ram." Xiulot said helplessly.

"Is there really no way?" Totek finally asked unwillingly.

The two shook their heads again.

"Let's besiege the city," Avit said.

Ottopan City is a castle built in the mountains. In fact, in this era, if you really want to fight, there is a way. Xiulot thought, first use a large number of cannon fodder troops to consume the rolling stones and logs in the city.

Next, use the large-caliber short-barreled guns of the Spaniards to bombard the city wall until it collapses, or use the superior longbowman to suppress the long-range attack of the defenders at the top of the city, and then push the car to break through the city gate. Finally, rely on elite assault troops to rush in from gaps or gates for close combat.

No matter which one is used, long-range suppression of the superiority is required, and a large number of elite casualties are inevitable.

And now. "Let's besiege the city." Xiulot also said.

Soon, more than 70,000 Mexica troops camped on three sides of Ottopan, blocked the easy roads, built simple fortresses, and then dispatched elite teams to patrol the steep north.

Totek tried various methods to provoke the defenders in the city. According to the final information, after gathering some reinforcements from Guamare and Palms, there are now more than 10,000 warriors, 30,000 militiamen, and 30,000 to 40,000 civilians in the city, and the food can last up to a year.

Maybe it was scared out of courage by the last battle, or maybe it was determined to be a turtle that shrank into its shell. No matter how the Mexica warriors tempted and provoked, the Otomi just stood still and defended Ottopan.

The long siege began.