The stars are long, and the world is in a hurry. At this time, green plums are with you, and time flies by. In the speechless place, across the distance, you can hear the voice of your heart.
After an unknown amount of time, the king's guards came quietly along the stone steps and under the moonlight. Shulot nodded with a smile, Alyssa looked back reluctantly, and then followed the guards gently away.
The young man sat alone on the pyramid and looked up. The bright moon was high and the stars were still there. His mind gradually calmed down and he murmured to himself.
"The sky is as cold as water at night... If you are alone, this is how you feel."
Afterwards, Shulot stood up calmly. In the middle of the night, he seemed to have matured a lot. In this world, he once again anchored himself and found his spiritual destination.
After a while, the boy looked at the empty Quetzalcoatl Temple. There were still solemn and ancient murals around it, praising the birth of Quetzalcoatl. He dominated the morning star, invented books and calendars, and selflessly brought corn to mankind. In Central America,
In mythology, this is the only god who symbolizes peace and prosperity.
"Will He disappear completely from history?"
Shulot stood silent for a long time, deducing the future in his mind and exploring history with his eyes. He thought of Martin Luther's religious reform and Han Yu's ancient prose movement, and pondered in his heart.
"Let Him be a foreshadowing! After contact with Westerners for a long enough time, and after the priests begin to solidify, let the theologians turn it out again. This will be similar to the introduction of the Renaissance."
Hulot nodded secretly. Then, he turned around and saw Bertard standing quietly not far away, with calm eyes and a weathered face. The young man nodded to the warrior chief, and then went to the high priest's house.
Walking in the temple area after the ceremony, Shulot watched calmly.
Not far away, in the mansions of the nobles, the lights of banquets were flashing, and the songs of celebration were flying. The solemn drums sounded, the nobles danced solemnly, the cheerful ocarinas played, and the girls flew leisurely. In the grand ceremony
In the celebration of the night, Mexicans sang and drank to their heart's content, enjoying the joy of the celebration and seeking solace for their souls.
Amid the celebrations, Hulot's feet occasionally stepped on thick liquid. This was coagulated blood and sacrificial life, waiting to be cleaned tomorrow after the carnival. The sacrifices of the Mexica festival are like
The grand gladiatorial ceremony of ancient Rome was to please the people with blood, promote the martial customs, and maintain the desire for conquest.
At this time, he was walking quickly under the moon, and the young man's expression remained unchanged. After softening in the middle of the night, he was once again forged by time, and his heart was as solid as stone.
Not long after, Shulot strode into the high priest's house and went straight to the main hall. As soon as he entered the palace door, the young man saw his grandfather standing alone in the hall, wearing a loose plain robe, slightly bowed, washing his hands in the pottery basin in the corner.
.
Shulot waved his hand and told the warrior commander to retreat. Then, he waited quietly for a moment, then approached softly and saluted his grandfather respectfully.
Hearing the greeting, the high priest suddenly realized it. He took his hand out of the pottery basin and slowly straightened up. Then, he turned his head and smiled kindly at the young man, his voice slightly hoarse.
"Xulot, my child, you are back? You have been sacrificing all day today, and there is a lot of blood on your hands. I just washed them well... Just in time, I have some important things to discuss with you."
Looking at his grandfather's gray hair and tired face, Shulot walked forward and gently hugged the skinny old man.
"Grandpa, you have worked hard all day. Please sit down and rest for a while. I will come to discuss it with you later."
The high priest nodded, turned around and slowly walked to the center of the hall, sat down, closed his eyes and rested.
Shulot bent down and just picked up the pottery basin, and then his eyes froze. He saw that the pottery pot was full of clear water, and there was no trace of blood. He stood stunned for a few breaths, then went out without changing his expression, and took the pottery basin.
Pour out all the water in it and return calmly.
The young man put down the pottery basin, sat cross-legged opposite his grandfather, and waited silently. The grandfather seemed very tired. He lowered his head and dozed for a moment, then suddenly woke up, raised his head and looked at the young man opposite, and smiled to himself.
"Haha, I'm really old, my eyesight is dim, and my physical strength is not as good as before... When I followed the late emperor, I could charge in armor and fight for two days without retreating... Even a few years ago, I could study all day long.
The feathered serpent murals of our ancestors were translated into poetry overnight..."
Today's grandfather was a bit rambling, and Shulot listened with a smile. Then, he silently reached out and held his grandfather's calloused hand.
The high priest was stunned for a moment, shook his head with a smile, and withdrew his hand. Then he straightened his back, showing a bit of strength, and when he spoke again, there was a slight emotion in his tone.
"According to the last wish of the late king, I have studied Quetzalcoatl all my life and wanted to use it to unite all the tribes in the world...but I never thought that when I grow old, I will completely give up on him, obey the will of my elders, and become the high priest of the main god.
..I never expected that I would personally announce His death today and give all glory to the Lord God!...
My child, things are impermanent. The original sun, Tezcatlipoca, controls destiny and is as omnipresent and unpredictable as the night wind. Who can understand him? And now, even he will abdicate as a sub-god.
Destiny is returned to the Lord God... From now on, the Lord God is supreme and great..."
The high priest's voice gradually became lower and turned into a chant-like murmur, and he closed his eyes and prayed.
Hulot looked at his grandfather with concern and worry. The ancestor his grandfather recalled was naturally not the short-lived Tisoc, but Moctezuma I who ruled the empire for thirty years. His grandfather had never been so sentimental in the past.
After a while, the high priest opened his eyes again and regained his usual shrewdness and determination. Then, his face became solemn and he said seriously.
"How about meeting the princess today?"
Shulot smiled from the bottom of his heart.
"Very good. I am devoted to her, and she is also devoted to me. The hummingbird and the first lotus are in harmony, just waiting for the day to bloom."
Feeling the boy's true joy, the high priest smiled with satisfaction.
"Okay! My child, you have to go deeper into the heart of the princess, so as to leave a foreshadowing beside the king!"
Hearing this, Shulot's face froze. He savored his grandfather's words and had uneasy guesses in his heart.
"Leave... foreshadowing...?"
The high priest nodded solemnly. He did not hesitate and spoke directly in a deep voice.
"Although it has not been fully agreed upon, the plan has been decided today... You are my hope, and I will naturally not hide important matters from you... My son, I intend to push you to entrust foreign vassals, within the next two years.
.You need to prepare in advance and leave some foreshadowing in the capital!"
Shulot was shocked. He opened his eyes wide and looked at his grandfather in confusion.
"Self-confessional vassals within one or two years? Shenqisuo has only been in operation for two months. The gunpowder on Tianhuo Island has just been successfully developed. Alyssa and I just expressed our feelings to each other tonight... Why is this?!"
The high priest shook his head solemnly, with a look of affirmation on his face.
"This matter must be done. Although I have this intention, it was Gillim who came to me first. The 'King's Eyes' cannot act behind the king's back. Avit must have promised... Since the estrangement has arisen, the power of
Suspicions will persist and grow stronger over time...
Smart people always predict the arrival of the rainy season from the moist wind and sow the seeds of the future in advance. My child, you have always been smart and you should know that there can only be one king in the capital city of the lake. I am in the same position as you.
Plus, it's enough to threaten the king's power. And the better you perform in all aspects, the more inevitable the outcome will be...
Strong jaguars can only be safe if they are separated in different mountains and forests. Do you want us to take a final risk and climb to the highest heights by stepping on the blood of the king?"
After listening to his grandfather's words, Shulot's expression changed drastically, and countless images flashed through his mind.
He thought of Avitt's smile, imagined him falling in a pool of blood, and shuddered in his heart. Then, he thought of the dream he had had a long time ago, where he was sitting on the throne, his face cold and indifferent. Finally, the picture was frozen.
The girl in white hugging each other tightly, with her pure eyes and innocent smile, suddenly cried and moved away.
"Why is this so..."
Hulot was dazed and whispered to himself. He wanted to get up immediately, go to Montezuma Palace to find his teacher and friend, and explain his sincere feelings. But his body seemed to be controlled by a spirit in the earth. He sat down and took root.
Unable to stand up.
Looking at Shulot, who couldn't accept it for a moment, the high priest stretched out one hand and gently stroked his hair, while the other hand held the young man's palm.
After a long time, Shulot let out a long sigh and showed determination again.
"Grandfather, Avit...how did Gillim negotiate with you?"
The high priest looked at the young man calmly, with deep reluctance in his eyes.
"After today's sacrifice, we discussed it again. Although the specific details have not yet been determined, the approximate time and location have been set...
In one or two years, as the heir to the royal family, you will entrust a foreign vassal to rule a place. You will marry the princess when you are twenty years old at the latest. Without a military call, you will not be able to return privately when you entrust a foreign vassal. A few years later, as long as I go to the Kingdom of God,
You can return to the capital in the lake."
Hearing this, Shulot looked shocked again. He looked at his grandfather and squeezed his hand tightly, showing a rare hint of fear.
"Grandpa, your body..."
The high priest smiled gently and ruffled the boy's hair again.
"My child, don't worry. Although this old body is not very sharp, it should still be able to survive until you and the princess get married. At that time, I can also safely go to see the Lord God and reunite with the late king..."
Then, the high priest continued to speak seriously without pausing.
"I have carefully considered the location of the enfeoffment...Two weeks ago, Gillim asked me about the city of Herotepec in the north, but I refused directly.
The state of Herotepec is only four to five hundred miles away from the capital city in the lake. It only takes a few days for messengers to travel by water, and the surrounding area is tightly controlled by the capital city. It has been war-torn for a long time, has long been sparsely populated, and the fields are barren. Its east is loyal
There are Huastek vassals, the west is dominated by the stubborn Otomi mountain people, and the north is full of unruly dog descendants, with little room for development.
As for the east, I will naturally not let you go deep into the Tlaxcala people and establish a foothold in the coastal city-state of the Totonac people. It is too dangerous there... The only two options are the south and the west.
Although the land of the Mixtecs in the south is rich, it is only a peaceful land. The situation there is complicated, and the local tribes are colluding with each other. Although they have experienced several expeditions by the alliance, they are always unstable. The Zapotecs further south are even more
Unstable.
Only the land of Mickencho in the west, the territory of the Tarascans, is the place where great achievements can be made! Qincongcan, the capital of the Tarascans, is six to seven hundred miles away from the Alliance. There is no direct waterway connection, and it is beyond the reach of the Alliance.
.
There is the rich Patzcuaro Lake area, which can imitate the alliance to build a large-scale and highly productive Chinampa; there are a large number of open-pit copper mines, where bronze equipment can be forged, powerful legions can be trained, and bronze wares can be made to develop trade;
There is territory suitable for expansion everywhere. The alliance between the Tesk people in the west and north is loose and weak, and the Trapanic people slightly east of the south are also weak and weak...
Haven't you always been obsessed with Colima State? Starting from Qincongcan and heading west for seven hundred miles, you will reach Colima State. If you conquer the Chapala Lake area in the southwest of the Leman River, it will only take two miles to go south from there.
More than a hundred miles away, you can reach the hinterland of Colima State. If there really is a 'big iron mine that changes the world' there, this is the only way to conquer it!"
Having said this, the high priest touched Shulot's head again, his tone was heavy and meaningful.
"My child, distance means autonomy, the lake area represents population, copper mines can be turned into force, and expansion has a future! Seal the land of Mikancho, and you will have a foundation for business. If the king is still there in a few decades
, you can’t go further and command the alliance... Then, you can control this place and sit back, so that if you take a step back, you can still rule the world and wait for the opportunity!"
Hearing about Colima and thinking about the Colima Iron Mine, Hulot's spirit perked up. He suppressed all the ups and downs of his emotions and concentrated on contemplation. After a while, the young man asked in a deep voice.
"The enfeoffment is here... Isn't Gillim worried that our family will become stronger in the West in the future and break away from the alliance?"
The high priest laughed lightly and shook his head with a complicated expression.
"We are a branch of the royal family, so how can we separate from the alliance? The most we can do is to separate from the main branch of the royal family. Once Tarasco is conquered, the Patzcuaro Lake area is 700 miles away from the capital, and messengers will rush back and forth, the fastest
Communication also takes 20 to 30 days. The alliance must divide the vassal kings in order to stabilize the region.
And enfeoffing you in this remote place avoids the power struggle in the capital and leaves the succession issue to the future. For the main branch of the royal family, this is killing two hares with one stick, so naturally they are willing to do so.
What's more, the current Tarasco Alliance is extremely prosperous, with a total of 50,000 warriors, the ability to mobilize 100,000 militiamen, and the vassal Tesk tribe. If you want to completely conquer this place, you need to mobilize the entire alliance and the whole country.
All the forces of the two royal families, large and small nobles, internal and external priests, warriors from direct subordinates and city-states must be mobilized.
We need to be in charge of the Northern Route Army. This time we also need to summon all the branch nobles, use all the accumulation of the Holy City, mobilize the temple warriors of the priest group, and go to war with all their strength. This promised fiefdom requires warriors
In exchange for blood!"
At the end, the high priest's words were full of generosity and heroism. There was a look of confidence in his eyes, as if he had returned to his high-spirited youth. However, this old body could no longer support the ambition in his chest. After a moment, he
He bent down and coughed hard.
Shulot quickly stood up and helped the high priest rub his chest and back to smoothen his breath. Then the young man brought a glass of water and asked his grandfather to moisten his throat.
It took a while before the high priest spoke in a hoarse voice.
"Today's New Year's sacrifice went smoothly, on a large scale, and shocked all the states. It seems that there will be no problems with the tributes from each state this year. After the two sacrifices, the morale of the tens of thousands of legions in the alliance is high. They will continue to wait for two months. Wait until
After the tributes from all states are completed, the target of the campaign will be decided.
This time, as long as there is no major trouble in the southern states, the alliance will temporarily let it go. The real western expedition will begin after the autumn harvest. But in April, the direct warriors will gather on a large scale to suppress the Tarascans.
border, forcing them to mobilize and alert. This consumes their food and destroys their spring plowing!
We have tens of thousands of hectares of Chinampa, and we can mobilize part of our army during farming to destroy the agricultural production of various countries. This is why the countries are afraid of us.
My son, when the time comes, you need to lead thousands of elites and most of the navy to find a stronghold on the Leman River in the north and repeatedly harass the north of the Tarascans. If the navy can penetrate deep into Lake Quiceo
, you can completely destroy the farming of several northern states of the Tarascan people, create hundreds of thousands of refugees, consume a lot of their food and population, and reduce their war potential!
This will make the Northern Route Army's post-Autumn conquest easier, but you have to act within your capabilities, especially relying on the navy."
After hearing about the plan to destroy the spring plowing, Shulot nodded silently. The tragedy of the Otomi people came to his mind again. The young man closed his eyes slightly, and when he opened them again, his heart was as solid as iron.
The high priest continued to drink some water, rested for a while, and then gave another important order.
"This time Ugor came back from Herotepec and talked about the situation in the important towns in the north. If what he said is true, the separation of the various classes you suggested should be very effective and can be promoted in the conquered areas. Spiritual disintegration
The later Otomi warriors became quite pious once converted, and were a force that the priesthood could effectively control.
Two days later, the elders will transfer the two thousand minor nobles and warriors from Texcoco to the important towns in the north. I will ask Ugel to lead the team north again, and bring generous gifts to the royal noble Osei.
Lor Ocelor is about to become the new city lord of Herotepec, and Ugel has always had a good relationship with him.
When you lead your troops north in April, first go meet Ocelor and try to establish contact with him, or let others think that you have established contact. At the same time, you go to see the situation of the four thousand Otomi warriors. If this only
If the legion can be used once, it will be trained once or twice and will be included in the Northern Route Army after the autumn harvest.
The important town in the north has a special location, this will be another foreshadowing! Although, the chance of it being used is slim..."
Hearing this, Shulot bowed to the ground and bowed to accept the promise. He thought about the plan for the Western Expedition, and his fighting spirit slowly ignited in his heart.
It was not until late at night that the high priest finally finished giving all the important instructions. His face was already full of fatigue. The young man took two steps forward and helped his grandfather to go to the bedroom to rest. Not long after, his grandfather fell into a deep sleep.
.In his sleep, he still frowned from time to time.
Shulot looked at his grandfather who was sleeping restlessly and sighed softly. The always strong high priest was now just an old and skinny mortal, with the burden of the alliance and family on his shoulders, and his life was like a candle in the wind.
After a moment of silence, the young man left silently. He walked to the courtyard, stood under the cold moonlight, and looked at the distant stars. This night, he had a lot of emotions. First he was as tender as water, then as protective as a mountain, sometimes as worried as the wind, and sometimes as worried as the wind.
It was as hot as fire. A hundred kinds of feelings came to my heart, but it was difficult to speak. Many expressions changed on my face, and finally it became calm.
After a long time, the night wind blew, and Shulot's body felt slightly chilly. He tightened his black robe and smiled lightly.
"It's getting cold, but it's autumn. When the wind blows, it's time for the clouds to fly~"
The young man nodded to the stars, turned around and went to rest. He slept without any dreams that night.
