Aztec Eternals

Green shoots burst from the fields, and gray song sparrows are finally heading north. The end of June is the continuous wind and rain, the spring plowing completed in the wind and rain, and the Northland gradually calmed down after the spring plowing.

Shulot once again boarded the top of the city. He looked down at the farmland at the foot of the mountain city, where the land was lush and full of vitality; he looked at the dark clouds at the end of the sky, where thunder rolled and precious spring rain fell.

"The rainy season is finally here! Spring rain is always more precious than oil. Well, the rainy season in Ottopan comes later than Qin Congcan."

Wearing bronze armor, Berthard looked at the rolling thunder in the sky, and quietly agreed.

"Yes, Your Highness. After a spring rain, the new seedlings will grow taller. The rainy season on the northern plateau always comes later than in the south. The further north you go, the less rain will fall. The mountain city of Ottopan The precipitation is only about half of that in the Patzcuaro Lake area; and when it reaches the border of Palms, it is only half of that in Ottopan; and when it comes to the wilderness where the dogs are gushing out, the precipitation is half again."

"Bothard, have you stored all the gunpowder? The troops will be dispatched in August, and it's still in the rainy season. I'm a little worried that the rain will affect the use of wood cannons!"

"Your Highness, according to your instructions, the gunpowder is sealed in wooden barrels and stored in an underground stone room, with charcoal that absorbs water and prevents moisture. It rains heavily in August in the mountain city, but when it comes to Palms, the rain will be sparse. A lot. The sealed gunpowder is covered with rubber rain cloth, transported to the north and opened again, and it can be used at least once before it gets wet! And with the equipment and organization of the dog descendants, as long as they fight the coalition forces, even without wooden guns, we are safe Hold on to the victory!"

"Hmm. Even if a jaguar captures a dog, it must use all its strength! Using wooden cannons at critical moments will always reduce many casualties."

Shulot smiled. Looking at the pattering raindrops and the vast sky and earth on the plateau, he said with emotion.

"Bothard, look, water is life, it is the gathering place of the population, and it is also the starting point of civilization! The northern plateau is endless, the further north, the population gradually decreases, and the tribe becomes more wild. Go north from the river mouth fortress to the mountain city of Ottopan , is three hundred miles; from Ottopan Mountain City to the north to Palmus City, it is a full four hundred miles. The distance of seven hundred miles is the limit of the Kingdom's army and the limit of the alliance's influence!"

"Your Highness, the city of Palms is located on the upper reaches of a tributary of the Tampen River, close to a rare water source on the plateau, and there is a large area of ​​cultivated land nearby. To the north of it is a thousand-mile wasteland that lacks precipitation. Werabang. To its west is the equally desolate northern border of Guamare State, where the Otomi tribe and the Guamal Dogs live together without any decent towns. To its east are towering mountains along the Tan The Peng River passes through the mountains and comes to the territory of the Huastec people. To the southeast of it is the Hilotpek State where the Northern General is located."

Berthard explained in detail that the mountains, rivers and landforms of the Northland are all reflected in his heart.

"That's right. Palms City is surrounded by mountains and rivers, and is located in the upper reaches. The north controls the endless wasteland, and the east is connected by a big river. It is indeed an important place!"

Shulot thought for a moment, then nodded heavily. The city of Palms is adjacent to the Sierra Madre Oriental, on the upper reaches of the Tampen River, nearly 700 miles from the mouth of the Gulf of Mexico. Going eastward from here, it will take a few days to reach the capital of the Vastec Alliance, Kuxikapan. Therefore, this city-state is not only an important town in the North, but also able to control the East.

"Your Highness, by occupying the city of Palms, you will be able to deter the dog descendants, recruit tribes, and garrison troops. And relying on the river, you can also ask for sufficient supplies from the Vasterk subjects in the east."

Then, the samurai commander bowed with a solemn face and saluted.

"This Northern Expedition, the Kingdom must take it down and hold it in our hands!"

"Oh, us? Berthard, you mean the Kingdom?"

"It's the kingdom."

Shulot pondered for a while, then nodded slowly.

"Good proposal, very good! Do you have a suitable candidate?"

"Your Highness, there is a person who is very familiar with Dogborn and is also good at dealing with tribal leaders."

Bertard smiled. Xiulot thought for a while, then smiled.

"Indeed, after so many years of polishing, it's time to reuse him. Send an envoy to recall him here, and I want to meet him first. Well, what's the situation in Palms City now?"

"Your Highness, Palms City, as the core of Palms State, has fallen into the hands of the Guakili people. Now occupying the fertile land by the river is the leader of the Guakili Tribal Alliance, the leader of the 'Red Dog' tribe. Chichika. Among the many tribes, the 'Red Dog' tribe is the most powerful, with tens of thousands of tribesmen. All of them are soldiers, with more than 3,000 warriors, and they are the most rebellious! A few days ago, Chichika sent Messenger came with a message."

"Oh, that message! 'Great Chief of the Hundred Thousand Guacillians, Master of the Northern Wilderness, Sacred Dog King Chichica, Greetings to Great Chief of the Aztecs, Master of the Southern Lake District'. Haha, it turned out to be him !"

Shulot laughed out loud. Then, his face turned cold, and he made a firm decision.

"The dog descendants are fearful of power but not virtuous, sitting in a well and looking at the sky, blindly arrogant. This time the coalition forces will fight until the fall of the city of Palms and sacrifice Chichika!"

"Follow your will!"

Bertard bowed his head. In the wind and rain, the two continued to discuss the situation in the Northland. Following the battle with the Guakili, the coalition forces captured many dog-born fighters, and they also clearly learned the details of each tribe.

There are eight large tribes of Guajili dog descendants who invaded south, each with thousands of troops. Large tribes are the leaders of the dogborn's actions, often surrounded by several ordinary tribes who obey orders. The eight tribes are "Red Dogs", "Red Foxes", "Flaming Storks", "Red Deer", "Red Monkeys", "Red Newts", "Red Frogs" and "Red Cats".

In the Guakili culture, red represents holiness, and the tribe's name is the animal totem worshiped. The dog descendants on the plateau only have ancestor worship and totem belief, and there is no unified deity to worship. Their spiritual world is still in ignorance, and it is a blank fertile ground for the spread of religion.

After the Otomi are fully contracted, the marauding dog-born tribes can no longer take advantage of it. The mountain people gather in large villages, garrisoned by hundreds of warriors. Two or three ordinary tribes could not capture the village where the soldiers were stationed. And once a large number of dog descendants stay for too long, they will be targeted by the patrolling coalition forces.

Shulot's imperial guards had attacked several times, chasing them all the way, killing more than a hundred red-haired soldiers. Seeing that looting was unprofitable, the northern frontiers were completely ground to a halt.

"Your Highness, the eight large tribes settled down and farmed, and at the same time sent envoys to the coalition. Their alliance is not stable, and their respective interests are not the same. There are many places where they can operate."

Hearing this, Shulot shook his head lightly and said with a smile.

"Bothard, the kingdom will absorb the dog-born, but don't be in a hurry. Look at the clouds in the sky, first the thunder rolls, and then the rain and dew. In the face of the rebellious dog-born, there will always be two battles to force them Only when you reach a dead end can you communicate and surrender! If you don’t shed enough blood, how can you have deep-seated fear and loyalty? In addition, this time the dog descendants went south, and the slaughter along the way was heavy. We always have to explain to the Otomi allies .”

In an understatement, the king decided the fate of tens of thousands of dog descendants. His smile was light and calm, but it seemed that there was boundless blood flowing.

Bertard was taken aback. He looked at the mature young king, recalled the youthful past, and slowly smiled. After a while, the warrior chief took out a scroll and continued to report.

"Your Highness, I have had many banquets with the leaders of Ottomi, combined with the scouts' investigation, I have roughly figured out the situation of the three states of Ottomi. After the war, Ottopanbang has a population of about 200,000 people. The population is about 30,000. Guamare State has a large area, but only has a population of more than 100,000, or about 20,000. They lost at least 10,000 people in the looting of the dog descendants. The population of Pamus State was originally It is comparable to Guamare, and it is estimated that it will lose half of it if it falls into the hands of the dog descendants at this time."

"Ah? So, in just five years, only a little over 400,000 of the former million Otomi people remain?"

Shulot silently calculated for a moment, with a surprised expression on his face. He thought of the desolation that often appeared on the face of the old priest Oort, and he had some vague empathy.

"Your Highness, plus the more than 100,000 Otomi people in Hirotepec, it should be more than 500,000."

"Oh, more than half a million."

The king shook his head and whispered to himself.

"Fighting for land and fighting, killing people everywhere; chaotic times are ups and downs, but struggling to survive."

"Your Highness, the situation in the north is like this. This month, many messengers from Hekou Fortress came to report the details of the kingdom's spring plowing."

"Well, let's talk about it in detail."

"The spring plowing in Gyeonggi and Hekou counties has been completed on time. In various military and civilian settlements, new-style plows have been put into use, and accumulated manure has also been filled into the fields. The villagers in various places are still concerned about these new farming improvements. I had doubts, but was appeased by the priests with the will of the gods."

"Bothard, don't worry. When the autumn harvest this year sees the grain that has actually increased, the villagers will fully accept the new farming method and be grateful to the priests. The autumn harvest is a good opportunity to preach!"

Xiulot was full of confidence. Manure and plows have been used in China for thousands of years, and he has also practiced it in the alliance. It's just that it is difficult for him to explain the principle to the priests, and it needs to be implemented with the will of the gods.

"In another two years, when the people's power recovers, we can consider building dams to completely control Lake Patzcuaro. Only when the dams are completed and the floods in the rainy season and the salt water in the mountains are fully controlled can we invest a lot of manpower to build a truly high-yielding Chinan Pa!"

Hearing the floating field Chinampa in the water, Bertard's eyes flickered. Chinanampa, this is a name that all Mexica people yearn for, representing harvest, wealth and prosperity. He thought for a moment, then took out another scroll and unfolded it, but it was full of delicate handwriting.

"Your Highness, this is Talea's report. According to your instructions, the various departments of the Divine Inspiration Institute are expanding. Among them, the Industrial and Mining Department and the Gunpowder Department have increased production again. The Military Industry Department has accumulated thousands of bronze armors , the first qualified Sun Condor cannon has been successfully trial-produced."

"Ah, the bronze eagle cannon has finally been successfully trial-produced!"

Hearing this, Xiu Luote was overwhelmed with emotion and beamed with joy. He turned around and looked at the southern sky, wishing he could fly back immediately and watch the test firing of the Eagle Cannon. After a while, the king suppressed his ups and downs and said with a smile.

"Tilipi did not live up to my expectations, and he should be rewarded generously! After I check the performance of the Eagle Cannon and beat him, I will promote him to a hereditary nobleman."

"Your Highness, in addition to Tilippi, you should also reward someone generously. He alone contributed at least one-tenth of the kingdom's tax revenue!"

"Oh, who is it? Have such financial resources?"

The king looked at the warrior commander curiously.

"Director Lozano of the Special Trade Bureau. In half a year, he produced thousands of catties of 'gems' of various colors. In order to control the price, the Kingdom only sells a small part. Even so, the jade merchants in the world have gone crazy. The spies who come to spy are hard to catch."

"Thousands of catties of 'gems'."

Shulot's mouth twitched. He wanted to say something, but in the face of the huge profits of the glass trade, the words that came to his mouth turned into another sentence.

"Lozano can't be promoted for the time being, and his safety must be strictly protected. As for the requirements for life and enjoyment, we should try our best to meet them! In addition, I told him to develop colorless gemstones as soon as possible. The original firing process will continue. Improve, the more similar it is to natural gemstones, the better!"

Bertard smiled, took out a paper and took notes. Then, he added again.

"Your Highness, the first catamaran canoe trial-manufactured by the Shipbuilding Department has just been launched in Lake Queteo. The master craftsmen are adjusting the details of the hull and sails. When the Northern Expedition is over and we return, we should have results. Already!"

Hearing the good news, Xiulot was in a happy mood. Every scientific and technological research and development can always bring people the pleasure of civilization development. Berthard waited for the king to digest for a moment, then asked solemnly.

"The Guamal dog descendants in the northwest sent envoys. This cold wave hit, and tribes from all over the country were moving south. They were also affected. They captured more than 10,000 dog descendants and wanted to sell them to us."

"oh?"

Hearing about the human trade, Xiulot was refreshed.

"Which one did they capture? What is the proportion of young adults?"

"Mainly Zacatecas people in the far northwest, and some Guajili people. The dog descendants going south are not old or weak, half of them are middle-aged and half of them are women."

"Tell them, the kingdom is all over. Young and strong women like this, as much as they are charged, will be placed in Hekou County."

The king made a decision immediately without hesitation. Population is the cornerstone of civilization, and the new kingdom also has enough assimilation ability. He thought for a while and added.

"By the way, bring samples and ask the people of Guamal. Besides food, salt, cotton cloth, weapons and cotton armor, do they want gemstones? There are any colors."

Berthard laughed dumbfounded, and then wrote down the king's instructions.

Shulot looked at Yuan Kong, thought for a while, and asked again.

"The dog-born invaded the south on a large scale, and the Otomi people elected a new leader. I sent envoys to report all these changes in the north to King Avit and asked for the support of the alliance. Count the days, and there should be a reply. Has the king received any reply? ?”

"Your Highness, the kingdom has not received a reply from the alliance, and it may take a few days. However, there seem to be some unfavorable rumors in the capital of the lake about His Highness helping Prince Giova become the leader of the Otomi people."

"This matter is indeed easy to spread rumors."

Shulot thought for a moment, then sighed. He took out a letter he had just written from his pocket and handed it to the warrior commander.

"Bothard, this is a letter I wrote to Alyssa. It contains some personal words, some news from the north, and greetings relayed to Avit. I asked for some more northern land from Priest Ort Unique exotic plants, and some Otomi people’s secret medicine recipes as gifts. You will send an envoy tonight, rush day and night, send letters and gifts to the capital in the lake, and hand them over to Alyssa in person!”

Bertard nodded, carefully put away the letter, and set off to deal with it immediately. Before leaving, he paused and saluted the king.

"Your Highness, Princess Alyssa looks innocent and innocent, but her heart is like a mirror. She is your best help! You only need to communicate with the princess frequently and inform the details of major events. There will be no quarrel between you and the king."

Hearing this, Shulot lowered his eyes slightly and remained silent. When he opened his eyes again, the warrior commander was already far away. The king raised his head, looked at the dark clouds in the sky, and smiled helplessly.

"The white cloud is pure and flawless. I didn't want her to be polluted by the world. But the rainy season comes with the wind, and in a blink of an eye there may be dark clouds and thunderstorms falling from the sky. How can the clouds stay away?"

The king stood alone at the head of the city, his voice gradually getting lower and lower. A thunderous thunder sounded from the sky, and the heavy rain fell again. The raindrops fell on the face and fell into the mouth. When you tasted it lightly, it carried the fragrance of clouds~

Note: There is a new 1486 map in the easter egg chapter.

Ask for tickets at the end of the month.