Aztec Eternals

In 1482 AD, in late August, in the Gulf of Guinea in the South Atlantic Ocean.

When Shulot took the boat division and just landed in the south of Hilotpec City. Thousands of miles away in the far east, seven Calavian galleons had just crossed the equator. With the strength of the southeast trade wind, they persistently sailed southward against the weak warm current of the Gulf of Guinea.

These Caravia sailboats are about 20 to 30 meters in length, 6 to 9 meters in width, and the aspect ratio is about 3.5:1, which can only be regarded as a small boat. Under this ratio, the balance force of the ship is extremely high, and the speed and maneuverability are more suitable. The sailboat weighs about fifty tons, has only a single layer, and is equipped with two masts, on which are hang sails that are common in the Mediterranean.

At this moment, under the mild monsoon, the sails of the Caravia sailing boats are slightly opened, driving the small boats to head south at a medium speed of 4 knots, which can run 7.4 kilometers per hour. If the wind is strong enough, the dexterous boat can even run an astonishing 8 to 9 knots.

This type of ship was the powerful weapon of the pioneering kingdom of Portugal, and was widely used for offshore and mid-sea exploration. From the North Atlantic to the South Atlantic, from Santa Cruz Island off the coast of Portugal to San Antonio in the Gulf of Guinea, Caravia sailed all the way to the south, looking for the way to the rich east, and also looking for the kingdom of the legendary King John. .

The same is true for the fleet in front of them. They have just crossed Cape Lopez near the equator, and are continuing to head south at this time, looking for new land and sea. On the top of the masts of the seven sailing ships, the flag of the Portuguese royal family is flying high.

In the center of the flag is a blue cross on a white background. The blue cross is composed of five groups of eleven proportions arranged in the shape of a shield. These proportions, which look like silver coins, symbolize the original independent Kingdom of Portugal, which has the right to issue currency independently.

And the outer circle of the flag is the Avish cross with green pattern, plus twelve yellow castles neatly arranged. The Avish cross symbolizes the founder of the Avish dynasty, João I the Great. He inherited the kingdom as the head of the Knights of Avish. The yellow castle symbolizes the common ancestors of the kingdoms of Portugal and Castile.

The equatorial sun, with its warm trade winds, falls on the largest sailing ships. Although early artillery was widely used on the battlefield to drive out the Moors, this explorer ship was not loaded. Exploration ships are not designed for combat, and the tonnage on them is very limited, and space needs to be left to load more food and water.

In front of the deck of the sailing ship, a middle-aged white man in Chinese clothes with a gloomy complexion was standing on the bow of the ship, silently watching the distant sea and sky. He wears a flat captain's cap, a silver Catholic cross necklace around his neck, a neat red and blue captain's uniform, and a ceremonial sword around his waist. Even in the hot tropics, he still tightly fastened his neckline, cuffs and trouser legs, and the belt around his waist showed his tall and straight figure, looking ahead meticulously.

Behind the captain is the busy crew. Every once in a while, sailors climb up the high mast to observe the distant coastline.

On this two-masted sailing ship, the main mast is at the front and the height is about 18 meters, and the secondary mast is at the rear and the height is about 15 meters. On a deck on a clear day, a good sailor can see more than 30 kilometers, and for every two meters of mast climbed, he can see another kilometer or so. Therefore, without a telescope, the farthest viewing distance of this ship is more than 40 kilometers.

This expedition fleet has always maintained a safe distance within 40 kilometers from the coastline, and continued to explore south along the edge of the wild jungle on the West African continent.

Ten meters behind the captain, under the shadow of the mast, a young man in fine clothes was sweating profusely. He took off his aristocratic hat, unbuttoned his collar, and wiped the sweat from his head. Then he quietly took out a kettle and took a sip of clear water mixed with wine.

"Aha! Veteran sailor Bruno Kang, how dare you steal a drink!" Suddenly, a short-haired sailor appeared behind the young man in Chinese clothes. The sailor was vigorous and his face was tanned. He was only wearing a sailor jacket and a Moorish scimitar pinned to his waist. His eyes were wide open and he shouted in a low voice.

"Hush, keep your voice down. Veteran sailor Paul! Do you want the respected Captain Diogo Kang to find out. This is the damn weather." Startled by Paul, Bruno wiped the sweat off his face again.

"Then let me have a drink too. Come on, give me a taste, we've been on the ship for two full weeks! Fodesse! (meaning Fxxk) This sun is almost roasting me, and only you noble children And a little wine."

Paul's eyes were only fixed on the kettle, and he stretched out his hand involuntarily.

"Okay, I'll give you a taste. Damn it, enough, enough, stop drinking! I only have half of this pot."

"Ah, Fodesse! Praise the Holy Mother. I finally tasted the wine again." Paul finally poured the jug vigorously, licked the water drop from the spout, and still couldn't finish the aftertaste.

"Damn it!" Bruno snatched back the empty kettle and shook it, but there was no sound of water. The melancholy unique to the Portuguese hit him in an instant, and his heart haggarded in an instant.

"Tenho saudades! I miss it! Losing you makes me so sad."

Paul grinned beside him, laughing loudly. He hugged Bruno's shoulders and shook the young man's body vigorously.

"I said, Brother Bruno, you should learn from the captain. Take a look at the captain's expression and movements." As he spoke, senior sailor Paul pouted towards the bow of the ship.

"Look at the melancholy eyes, deep face, and slightly sad mood, he is really a perfect Portuguese man. If my sister is not married, I will definitely give my sister to the captain. She will definitely go crazy!"

"You have a good idea! The respected Captain Diogo Kang is the illegitimate son of the royal noble Lord Gonsalves Kang. He is a true descendant of the nobility, how could he marry a commoner girl without a surname!"

Paul curled his lips, and he knew it wasn't realistic. "Aren't you also a nobleman with a surname, why would you mix with a commoner like me?"

"How can we compare?" Bruno Kang smiled helplessly, "Although we are all in the same family, my grandfather died in the war with the Moors long ago, and my father is also an illegitimate child who is poor. .All my property, that is, this set of clothes passed down by my grandfather. By the way, let go! Don't ruin my clothes."

"Well, if my sister is not married, it's not bad for me to marry her to you. You're actually pretty good. By the way, she's very pretty!" Paul looked at Bruno for a while and whispered.

Bruno was slightly taken aback, as if he was tempted for a moment. Immediately, he looked at Paul's thick face suspiciously: "Does your sister look like you?"

"How is it possible! She is the most beautiful girl in the town of Faro on the south coast. Of course, she has a little Moorish blood like me."

Bruno rubbed his bearded chin with his hand. He didn't reject the appearance of the Moors, but felt that they were more delicate than the rough Iberian girls.

"Damn, but you just said she was married!?"

"Yes, she is married, married to a blacksmith in a small town, and has two children. A boy and a girl."

"Then what are you talking about!" Bruno glared.

"Alas, Fodesse! Dead, all dead. There was war for a few years, and then the Black Death spread to the South. My sister's husband died, my nephew died, my niece died, all died. Just me My sister survived alone. Tenho saudades! I miss those two children." Paul sighed, the fierce sailor's expression heavy.

Think of the horrible Black Death, the wave of repeated harvesting of life. The two were silent for a while. They all had familiar relatives who died in it, and all Europeans had familiar relatives who died in it!

They coincidentally immersed in the most common sadness of the Portuguese.

"Holy Mother of Mercy! Tenho saudades!" Bruno crossed himself and asked instead. "Then how is your sister doing now?"

"Fodesse! Now she is wearing a black veil all day long, hiding in her small town home by herself, and never going out to see anyone. I am a little worried, and I think it would be better to marry her off." Paul's thick face was full of sorrow.

"Hiding alone in a small town!? Be careful." Bruno was also worried about Paul's sister.

"The Inquisition is hunting witches everywhere. A single woman like this, her husband and child are dead, but she is still alive, so she can easily be targeted by the Inquisition! If a neighbor reports it and provokes the mad dogs of the Inquisition, it is the Almighty Lord If you can’t save her, you will definitely be sent to the stake.”

Thinking of the cruelty of the Inquisition, both of them shuddered, and fell silent together.

After a while, Bruno suggested.

"I live in the civilian area of ​​the capital, Lisbon. The capital is a big city of 70,000 people! People come and go every day, and there are businessmen from various kingdoms everywhere. People don't know each other, and they don't care about each other. How much do you save for this expedition? A little money, buy a house near my house, and then move your sister over to live with me. I can take care of you too."

"Haha, Brother Bruno, I'm just waiting for your words! Don't worry, I've already been saving money."

The capable sailor Paul opened his mouth wide and showed a bright smile. He patted the scimitar on his waist, and took out two bloody gold bracelets from his arms.

"When I first arrived on the Gold Coast, I saw that the local aborigines had a lot of gold. At that time, the fleet's schedule was tight and I didn't find time. When we stopped in Ghana to build the Elmina Castle, I I went out with the sailors and slaughtered the villages of two natives, who are much weaker than the Moors!"

"Look at these two big gold bracelets, they belonged to the old woman with the highest status in the aboriginal village. As soon as everyone passed by, I saw them at a glance. I charged up with two sharp knives and chopped off everything that was in the way. None of the other sailors could catch me!" Paul continued to grin.

Hearing this sentence, Bruno was a little shocked. He asked eagerly: "Is there anyone who escaped alive? We haven't established a firm foothold on the Gold Coast yet, so don't attract powerful tribes."

"Fodesse! How is that possible. It's not the first time for a novice to work, the guys are already very skilled. The old and the young are dead, and even a chicken can't escape, and they all piled up together and burned. Already!" Paul's face was still bright.

Bruno breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good. Anyway, the Pope also said that dead heretics are good heretics, and killing them is also a contribution to God."

Then Bruno looked at the gold bracelet in Paul's hand, and the greedy light of gold was reflected in his pupils.

"Is this real gold? So big?"

"Really, I have tried it a long time ago. When I go back, I will take my sister to Lisbon to find you and buy a new big house." Paul smiled purely, looking forward to a better life in the future.

"Tenho saudades! I miss you! I missed the opportunity to get rich!" Bruno fell into sincere sadness again. Immediately, he thought of something and looked at Paul eagerly.

"When you go back, if you go out again, you must call me with you!"

"Okay, Brother Bruno, as long as you marry my sister, we will be a family. Let's find black natives to make a fortune together!" Paul gave Bruno a brotherly hug.

"To serve God together. Our Lady of Mercy bless us!" Bruno crossed himself again.

After chatting about the plan to make a fortune together, the atmosphere between the two of them obviously warmed up a lot.

Bruno remembered what he had seen and heard in the capital, and decided to share it with his future wife and brother.

"Some time ago, many foreigners gathered near the King's Sintra Palace."

"Some time ago? The old king died, and the new king is on the throne!" Paul thought for a while, and he had heard it from other sailors.

"Yes. The noble King Alfonso V has returned to the kingdom of the Lord, and the merciful Joao II has just ascended the throne. Joao II is really a great man like Prince Enrique, and this voyage is his patronage. Under the will of the pope and the king, the honorable head Diogo Kang searched for the way to the east, found the kingdom of the mighty King John, and attacked the evil Ottomans."

Bruno's face was full of yearning for heroes and kings.

"Bah. Fodesse! It's no problem to go to King John. I heard from the pastor that there is a land flowing with milk and honey. But the fool just went back and fought the fierce Ottomans. Ever since I met the Ottomans once during the plunder in North Africa, this I don't want to see them again in my life." Paul's fierce face was full of unbearable fear.

"The Ottomans are so powerful? We Portuguese are never afraid of the enemy. The independence of the kingdom comes from fearless fighting!" Bruno was obviously not convinced.

"Let's put it this way, killing us with the Ottoman army is no more difficult than killing these black natives. Boundless cavalry, continuous infantry, thousands of artillery, and new-style arquebus guns. If our ships run fast, Everyone has to stay on the coast of North Africa." Paul sighed, feeling sincerely about the strength of the Ottomans.

"Oh, but to be honest, these black natives are not easy to deal with. Iron weapons, war elephants and cavalry, as well as horrible jungles and diseases, somehow got caught, and people disappeared. When, If only I could meet a tribe that is richer and weaker than the black natives!"

"Fodesse! So we can send them all to hell, burn them all, and grab them!"

Paul's eyes were full of desire for wealth. As for the lives of pagans, the pious believers only look at their pain and laugh!

Bruno pouted, he thought Paul lacked heroism. Then he changed the subject immediately: "This time, the benevolent King Joao II ascended the throne, and the Spaniards also sent envoys to congratulate him."

"Hey, the Castilians are bulls that are in heat at any time. The Moors can't last long. The court in Madrid has already been prepared. This bull can't find other targets, and now it has been watching the kingdom to drool. Fodesse! They are our greatest threat!"

"Hey, the kingdoms of Castile and Aragon were merged a long time ago, and now they have created a new name, Spain, Espaa, which is a country with wealth and minerals." Bruno's noble surname gave him the opportunity to come into contact with more knowledge.

"Bah, Foda-se a ovelha, Espanhol! The Spaniard of the X sheep!"

"God, nobles and commoners are always two completely different races, they are destined to be born by blood!" Bruno thought faintly.

Due to the legacy of Prince Enrique, there have always been a large number of children of minor nobles in the Portuguese expedition team. In fact, among the navies of various countries, the Portuguese fleet was the most reserved and civilized at this time. It will be difficult for future generations to imagine what kind of hellish demons danced in those Spanish expeditions that were purely made up of social dregs.

No Portuguese can ignore the threat of Spain, and cursing Spain is also a common pleasure for everyone. The two scolded for a while before Bruno continued to tell some novel knowledge.

"After the benevolent John II came to the throne, a rogue sailor named Columbus came from the commercial city-state. This guy heard that the king supports sailing, and repeatedly wanted to ask to see the king, saying that he wanted to sail westward and reach India!"

"Ha, he must have drunk too much, full of devil's lies. Columbus? No surname, Fodesse! Still a commoner?!" Although he has never met Columbus, this does not prevent Paul from hating the city-state people.

"Yes. It is said that he is the son of a wool spinner in a commercial city-state, a rogue who has been on the ship for many years, a captain without a ship, and a smuggler without goods. He does not know where he heard that the world is round, and he wants the king to support him. Sailing west into the depths of the Atlantic Ocean, looking for a way to India and China."

Bruno joked that this city-state hooligan was one of the sources of joy in everyone's life.

"Ha, Fodesse! The merchant city-states are Satanists who sold their souls to the devil. They hoard food, drive down prices, and lend usury everywhere! They deserve to be sent to the stake of the Inquisition!"

Bruno agreed. "This man is just a braggart. We Portuguese are all silent and practical, and we don't like this kind of chatter all day long. The nobles of the Sintra Palace ignored him at all and let him go!"

Paul also laughed. He assumed the posture of the captain staring at the sea and sky, and shouted softly.

"Fodesse! Tenho saudades! I miss you! Where are you, King John?"

At this moment, the sailor on the mast suddenly shouted loudly: "The sea ahead has changed color, and there is a freshwater estuary!"

Diogo Kang, who was as gloomy as a sculpture, suddenly came to life: "The fleet turned left and approached the coast! Boatswain, distribute weapons! Sailors at all levels are ready to fight!"

Bruno and Paul stopped talking immediately, and the noble sailors and civilian sailors showed the dexterity of old sea dogs at the same time.

They took the scimitars, steel crossbows and matchlock guns, grabbed the ropes between the boats, and were ready for everything with murderous intent on their faces.

In less than two hours, a mighty long river appeared in front of everyone. The width of the long river is ten kilometers wide, and the edge cannot be seen at a glance. It came mightily from the depths of the jungle, turbulently merged into the sea. At the end of the river is an open floodplain, and a little smoke is rising from a distant village.

"God! Such a big river! Where is this big river? Have you heard the relevant rumors?" Captain Diogo Kang strode forward and grabbed the Fon family who had naturalized on the Gold Coast a few years ago. Interpreter, serious and urgent inquiry.

The dark-skinned native translator thought hard for a long time before stammering and answering in his newly learned Portuguese.

"A very large and long river, only the Zaire River in the distant legend! Nzadi Kongo!

I tried my best to condense the social life and state relations at that time into short dialogues. Well, saudades is difficult to translate. It expresses nostalgia, optimism amidst suffering, probably happiness amidst sadness. Now try to add some distant plots related to Mexica, mainly based on important historical nodes. Finally, please recommend!