August is the peak time of the rainy season. The gods open the channel between the Milky Way and the human world, and heavy rain pours down from the sky.
From the Great Temple in Lake Texcoco to the House of Winds by Lake Patzcuaro, the vast land is filled with continuous wind and rain. The soft soil is full of rainwater, and the bluestone walls are slippery.
The fighting became difficult and gradually stopped.
The sky was full of wind and rain. Hulot was dressed in a plain robe, standing on the watchtower of the wooden castle camp, looking to the east of the Leman River. He was waiting for the returning fleet. Looking around, he saw a continuous rain curtain, and the river water not far away continued to rise.
, the water surface became wider. The river became turbulent and ran all the way to the west.
The heavy rain limited the field of vision. The young commander stood there for an unknown amount of time until the first faint black spot appeared in front of his eyes, then the second, then the third... Hundreds of boats came down the river, densely packed with boats.
The top warrior came in the rain. He finally showed a smile and hurriedly walked down from the watchtower.
Soon, preparations were made at the dock on the river bank. The huge fleet of boats slowly docked, and the warriors came ashore one after another.
Shulot has put on the majestic commander's uniform and, surrounded by his guards, welcomes the new legion.
Annatri jumped from the gorgeous boat with a spear in hand. She strode up to the young commander, bowed her head and saluted seriously.
"Your Highness, one thousand temple guards, three thousand royal warriors, four thousand holy city legions, and twenty thousand people's food for three months have all arrived on time!"
Shulot returned the gift solemnly.
"Anatri, the rain is so heavy, you have worked hard all the way! It is not easy for the warriors to march in the rain for several days. A banquet, dry clothes and barracks have been prepared in the wooden fort. The reinforcements will go now
To rest, the sailors can also take turns to go ashore!"
Then, Shulot took two steps forward and walked towards the commanders of the reinforcements. He first saluted each other with the honorable noble Tepopolo. The young commander glanced at Tepopolo curiously. Even though the weather was so hot and humid,
The other party still wore a wet leather hat on his head, covering his forehead tightly.
"Your Highness, I have some minor injuries on my forehead. Please forgive me for not taking off my hat to salute."
Tepopolo explained with some embarrassment.
The young commander nodded and did not ask in detail in front of everyone. Tepopolo breathed a sigh of relief.
Then, Shulot looked not far away. His father, Shusoke, was smiling and his eyes were gentle. There was joy that he had not seen for a long time in his smile, and there was calm and deep concern in his eyes.
The two looked at each other for a moment, suppressing their excitement, and bowed their heads at the same time. Then, Shulot also bowed to his teacher Orosh. Looking at the majestic young man, Orosh grinned, with a look full of joy.
and gratified.
The welcome banquet was formal and simple. There was no grand singing and dancing at the banquet, and the generals did not drink wantonly. The camp prepared roast venison, roast rabbit, corn cakes, black bean puree, several cups of freshly made cocoa drinks, and finally
Delicious fish soup made from fresh catch.
Xiulote secretly instructed. The fresh fish was boiled into a soup, and then added with clean fine salt and Mexican leaf pepper to repel cold. Then, the fish soup was simmered in a clay pot for a long time until the stewed soup was thick and white, and the bones and flesh were separated.
The aroma is tangy.
After everyone finished a bowl of fish soup, they felt it was extremely delicious and sweated all over. Everyone praised the chef's skills for a few words, and then got down to business. The reinforcements from each department reported the detailed status of the army, and Bertard told about the garrison of the wooden castle in the north.
situation, as well as the approximate strength of the Tarascans in the south. Finally, Xiulote made a strategy, and each department was stationed dispersedly, holding on to the camp, patiently waiting for the arrival of the fighter plane.
When dusk falls, the banquet ends, and the generals return to camp. As the captain of the navy, Annatri will return to the ship to rest. She follows the tradition of her ancestors, rarely leaves the fleet, and does not come into contact with the alliance.
All the great nobles.
Shulot thought for a moment, and a smile appeared on his face. He ordered Bertard to send off the captain of the navy. During the banquet just now, he had heard about Annatri's bold words, and also knew about it.
At this moment, he had a vague idea about the origin of the scar on Tepopolo's head.
After receiving the military order from the commander-in-chief, the vicissitudes of the warrior commander looked at the young man speechlessly for a moment before bowing his head and accepting the order.
After walking out of the big tent, the sky was full of wind and rain. Annatri stood upright, tilted her head slightly, and looked at the warrior commander with interest. After a moment, she briefly saluted, and then asked loudly.
"Bertard, I haven't seen you for a month. I just heard that you killed forty Tarasco warriors in one battle, and was named the Captain of the Holy Eagle Warrior by His Highness. You also triggered the manifestation of the Sun God in the sky. Now,
There are rumors in the army that you are the best warrior in the Northern Route Army. I wonder when you are free, can you compete with me?"
The warrior commander looked at Annatri quietly. He didn't speak, but just returned the salute.
Annatri frowned slightly. After thinking for a moment, she strode towards the fleet on the river. The warrior captain was one step behind and followed steadily. The female warrior secretly observed the other party's footsteps and listened to his breathing.
The rhythm. Then, she sped up and ran like a cheetah on the soft soil, quickly leaving the wooden castle behind.
Bertard still walked steadily, his breathing was unruffled, and he always maintained a body distance.
Anatli observed for a moment, then suddenly stopped and stood still.
"You must compete with me, otherwise I will stand here and never leave!"
In the wind and rain, Bertard stood silently. He waited calmly for a long time, and the heavy rain wet all their clothes. Until the night became dark, the warrior captain looked at the female warrior's firm look, and finally spoke helplessly.
"good!"
Darkness fell, and a bonfire was lit in the commander's wooden house. In the flickering light of the fire, Shulot crossed his legs, sat opposite his father, and talked closely.
"Father, are your injuries healed?"
Shusoke nodded with a smile and patted his chest.
"It's been better a long time ago. Now I can charge into battle at any time and fight for half a day. In the past six months, I heard that you were in danger several times in the capital, so I often wanted to go to the capital to find you. But your grandfather didn't allow it. He asked me to control the legion and do it.
Be prepared for anything..."
Shusoke brushed it off lightly without mentioning the details of the preparations. Then, he looked at the handsome and resolute young man, smiled with satisfaction, and patted his son on the shoulder.
"I heard that you have done many great things, and I didn't believe it at first. But after seeing you today and watching your words and deeds, I really believe it. In the past six months, you have indeed grown a lot! You have been able to command an army and face bloody battles.
Fighting with fire...the family's responsibility and future now rest on your shoulders!"
Speaking of the last sentence, Shusoke felt inexplicably emotional. While he was very pleased to see his son's rapid growth, he couldn't help but wonder if he was getting old.
Shulot listened quietly, with a real smile on his face. After a while, he spoke softly.
"Father, I have no experience in commanding large-scale battles. In this Western Expedition, I am going to let you serve as the marshal of the Northern Route Army, to control various ministries and control specific military affairs."
Shusoke was stunned for a moment. He was a little tempted, thought for a while, and shook his head firmly.
"Xulot, I will definitely assist you in this western expedition. Being a marshal helps to establish prestige and win over the military morale of various ministries. This position should be held by you personally! I can serve as the deputy marshal. If this expedition
If you succeed, the honor will be on you. If you fail, the responsibility will be on me... My son, my future has been determined, but your future has unlimited possibilities!"
After hearing his father's sincere words, the young man was silent for a moment and nodded slowly.
After deciding on the primary and secondary division of labor, the two discussed the specific military deployment and the arrangements for each ministry's camps.
After the adjustment, the trusted central army was located in the main castle in the center. The central army included four thousand Holy City warriors, two thousand temple guards, as well as the Longbow Guards Battalion and the Jaguar Chapter, totaling about seven thousand people. Then, left and right
Each of the two armies consists of three thousand direct warriors from the royal family, plus one thousand longbow warriors, led by Barda and Tepopolo respectively, stationed in the left and right castles. The final rear army consists of three thousand warriors from the western city-states, scattered further out.
In the camp, they are also responsible for security patrols. As for the logistics of food and grass, most of them are concentrated in the main fort, and only one month's worth of food is distributed to each branch.
Hulot took out the wooden map and mentioned the latest military situation.
"Father, I am going to bypass the fortress defense line on the south bank. I learned from the prisoners during the last ambush that the fortresses in the south have been in operation for many years.
Nobles and militia, big and small.”
"In order to defend their property, they are very determined to fight. They even took the initiative to fight once to drive away the samurai squad that was harassing and destroying. Now, they choose to defend the stronghold and mobilize the strong men into the city. With so many fortresses, it is not wise to break through one by one.
, we don’t have enough troops either.”
Shusok looked at the patterns on the map and constructed the situation on the southern front in his mind. After a while, he nodded in agreement.
"So, you are planning to go south from Quiceo Lake? Then the Southern River Mouth Fortress will be your biggest checkpoint on your way south."
Shulot smiled confidently.
"Indeed, I have a rough siege plan. According to the latest intelligence, the main force of the Tarasco Navy in the south has set off to the lower reaches of the west to receive reinforcements from the Chapala Lake area. This trip has been back and forth several times.
Hundreds of thousands of miles away, plus the gathering of troops, there will be nearly a month in between, and the river mouth fortress will be in a relatively weak state."
Having said this, Shulot hesitated a little.
"Father, our reinforcements have arrived and we have a temporary advantage in strength. What I am hesitating about now is whether to take advantage of this opportunity to send troops south and quickly attack the Hekou Fortress. If we can capture the Hekou Fortress before the Autumn Harvest mobilization, the situation will suddenly change.
With a sudden change, the future suddenly opens up!"
Shusoke was a little surprised and looked at the young man in disbelief.
"How can a large army break through such a strong fortress within a month? How sure are you?"
Shulot smiled and answered cautiously.
"I invented a new type of weapon, which is very powerful... I am about half sure that if the enemy is not prepared, it will be able to blow open the wooden door, allowing the samurai to rush in!"
Shusok thought for a while. He carefully checked the map and troop distribution, and then asked.
"Xulot, have you actually used this kind of weapon in previous wars?"
Shulot was silent for a moment and shook his head.
Shusoke then understood. He patted his son on the shoulder again and warned.
"My son, in actual war, commanders always have to consider the worst case scenario and leave room for everything. All kinds of unexpected accidents will always happen, and they often bring the worst results. When you
When you have an advantage, you should further expand your advantage and suppress the enemy from the front. Taking risks is often just the last resort when you are at a disadvantage."
"Before Tarasco's fleet was eliminated, the main force ventured south and fell into an uncertain siege. This was a risky choice. Once the enemy forces gathered, reinforcements arrived, and the navy threatened the retreat, the army would have
Possibility of destruction.”
After hearing his father's teachings, Shulot thought for a moment and nodded.
"Generals who are truly good at fighting always plan before the war, and will not risk their lives to achieve an epic victory. They always manage the situation and defeat the defeated enemy with a sure victory."
Hearing this, Shusok tasted it for a while and laughed in agreement.
"Where did my son hear the art of war? It is indeed a wise and insightful advice."
Then, Shusok continued to point to the map with his finger, pointing towards the north.
"Xulot, the first priority of the army is to manage the situation and take the initiative. Your original plan is actually very good. Taking advantage of the opportunity of the Tarasco Navy to leave, we must first eliminate the unstable factors in the rear and eliminate Austrian forces.
The Tomi people are dragging them into the water! Once the army moves south, we cannot leave the weak back road to the untrustworthy Otomi people."
Shulot nodded in agreement and smiled slightly.
"Father, heroes see the same thing! Now our troops finally have the upper hand. When the heavy rain stops, I will lead my troops north and force the Otomi to make a choice and fight with us against the Tarascans!"
Shusok smiled and nodded. Then, he thought of his own experience, the crucial blow in the battle between the two kings, and reminded him seriously.
"Xulot, if the Otomi people agree to send troops, just in case, don't mix their troops with the Northern Route Army!"
Shulot was startled for a moment and then asked.
"How does Father think he should act?"
Shosok moved his finger forward, further west of the Leman River, to the Zacap State of Tarasco.
"This is it. If the Otomi people sincerely cooperate with the alliance, they will definitely not take the initiative to go against the hard rocks on the southern defense line and lose their precious warriors. Sakapu State and Otomi Guamare State are opposite each other across the river.
Between the Chapala Lake area and the south coast defense line. There should not be many Tarasco defenders here, and the towns are quite prosperous. Investing an army here can mobilize the troops on the southern front, and on the other hand, it can
Attract the attention of Chapala's reinforcements."
Shulot looked at the map and his eyes lit up.
"Yes! The Otomi mercenaries of Tarasco come from here. In the mountains and forests on the south coast, there are also small tribes of Otomi people, and they are involved with the Otomi people in the north. Attacking here is a requirement for negotiation.
Easier for the Otomi to accept!”
At this point, the two looked at each other and laughed, completely reaching a consensus.
The bonfire swayed and the warm breeze blew, bringing relaxation to the body and mind. The father and son talked for a long time at night, and many old things came to mind. Before they knew it, the morning light was already dimming outside the house.
Early on the next morning, a group of envoys hurriedly left the main castle and headed for the northern city of Otopan with the commander's latest request.
The heavy rain continued, and another week passed in the blink of an eye. The Otomi people finally sent an envoy to reply. The two sides agreed that their respective leaders would come in person and formally negotiate in the forest between Otopan City and the wooden castle on the north coast.
