The flag was flying, and the elite warriors walked up high in silence, letting the mountain wind blow mightily and watching the sun rise into the sky. It was not until the king waved the flag that the guards stopped and rested on the top of the hill.
Shulot stood on the high point of the hill and looked around. Behind him, the shield guard Ters looked dull and still held the royal flag high.
Climbing high and looking into the distance, the sky and the earth are suddenly wide open, which makes the king's mind broad. In the long wind, the hills rise and fall, like cascading giant waves, constantly rising to the high points of the mountains; under the sun, the earth gradually becomes bare, like
The footsteps of the gods flashed with a faint golden glow from time to time. Only a meandering river flowed, like a long and agile snake, tracing the way everyone came and converging towards the lowest-lying Qilahuon Lake.
"What a mountain! What a river! All these great rivers and mountains are in my hands!"
The king watched for a moment and praised loudly. He inspected the farm all the way, saw the harvest land, and then climbed to the mountains to enjoy the vast mountains and rivers. At this time, he felt extremely happy! Then, the instinct of a military leader came to his mind again and turned into a deep sigh.
Whisper.
"Chingampat, the gentle mountain...the terrain is so steep, easy to defend and difficult to attack, but it is not gentle at all!"
"Your Highness, it's obvious! Qingambat is a steep mountain range."
Ezpin touched the severed finger on his left hand and complimented with clear eyes.
"As for the description of gentleness, there is an ancient legend that corresponds to the ruins on the mountain. Legend has it that in the distant ancient times, this mountain range once roared with shouts and billowed smoke. It was the mouth of the demon that swallowed up mortals, leading to the underground.
The kingdom of the dead.”
"The demons have been raging for thousands of years, and the smoke has been rising for thousands of years. Until a great descendant of the gods witnessed the evil here. He first used human sacrifice to attract the main god, and then resolutely sacrificed himself here. With a sound that shook the world
There was a loud noise, and the god used his divine body to seal the passage to the underground. From then on, the mountains became gentle..."
"Later, the shameless Condor Royal Family learned about this legend, and claimed that the one who sealed this place was the ancient Condor Sage... However, only the power of the Supreme Lord God can do all this! The one who sealed this place should be the Lord God.
Descendants of God!..."
"Well, that's right!...The smoking mouth of the demon? The calming sleeping volcano?"
Hearing this, Shulot was thoughtful and asked with a smile.
"Ezpan, since this is the mouth of the demon, is there the Stone of the Dead?"
"Your Highness is wise! There are not only copper mines here, but also Stones of the Dead. The place of origin is high in the mountains. Most of the Stones of the Dead used for sacrifices in Qincongcan City come from here!"
"very good!"
Shulot nodded with satisfaction. There are nitrate-containing salt pools in the mountains to the east of the lake area, and nearby sulfur production areas in the southwest. Then in the winter of nitrate removal, manpower can be organized again to carry out large-scale gunpowder production. And wait until the copper cannon and
Gunpowder is ready... The king smiled confidently and looked down at the mountains and rivers again.
"Ezpan, this mountain rises in levels, and rivers flow down from the mountains. The terrain is majestic, and it has water sources. If you build a fortress and set up a camp here, it will be extremely difficult to break through!"
"Your Highness is wise! I have stayed in this mine for a long time. There are several abandoned bluestone fortresses near the mountains, which look strong and difficult to attack. Fortunately, Your Highness captured the false king of Tarasco in a battle. Otherwise, he would have escaped.
At this point, as long as we stick to the camp, we can stop the conquering army and calmly integrate the southwest..."
Ezpin smiled and agreed, but also felt a little sad.
"I heard that the first puppet king of Tarasco once set up a camp here to guard against the remnants of Uriciu in the southwest and the Tekos barbarians scattered in the mountains. Later, with the rapid expansion of the kingdom, the remaining barbarians in the mountains were all destroyed.
One by one, the southwestern border was pushed to the edge of the Colima Mountains, five hundred miles away, and the fortresses in the hinterland were completely abandoned."
Hearing this, Shulot's expression changed. He looked at the warrior captain on the other side.
"Bertard, what's the situation with the remnants of Tarasco in the southwest mountains? Have they surrendered?"
"Your Highness, most of the remnants in the southwest have submitted submissions. Lords from various places have also sent envoys to pay tribute, nominally submitting to the new Lake Kingdom. But in fact, they still maintain the tradition of autonomy in the region and firmly
The land controls everything on the fiefdom."
Bertard thought for a while, then nodded slightly, then shook his head slowly. He calmly pointed to the southwest.
"Your Highness, please see that the terrain in the southwest is very fragmented and complex. The intertwined mountains converge to form lower basins in the middle, where scattered towns and villages are located. There are a series of narrow passes between the mountains, and only a few troops can
If you defend it, it will take a lot of effort to break it."
"The mountain people here are closed and clinging together, unruly and difficult to collect taxes. The local nobles are also stubborn and arrogant, and value the land more than anything else. Once the central government forcibly sends people to manage it, it will easily cause a joint riot between the mountain people and the nobles.
In the southwest mountainous area hundreds of miles away, there are no more than 100,000 residents, scattered like hedgehogs. The people here are fierce and brave, the terrain is steep and difficult to navigate, and the land output is very poor. It is very difficult to conquer, and nothing can be plundered.
property..."
"In general, the cost of direct administration of the southwest far exceeds the benefits of direct administration! The central government of the kingdom has no will, and it is difficult to establish direct rule. During the Tarakos period, the way to govern here was to enfeoff military nobles and confer docile titles.
The native chiefs, on the one hand, deterred them with military power, and on the other hand, they attracted them through trade."
Hearing this, Shulot frowned. He looked towards the undulating south, his thoughts drifting away.
The Pacific Rim Plate and the American Plate collided with each other, forming a series of volcanic mountains on the western edge of the Americas. With the long-term volcanic movement, rich mineral deposits from the underground were also brought to the surface mountains. In Central America, plate collisions formed
The towering Sierra Madre del Sur stretches all the way, dividing the southwest of the world into two halves that are difficult to communicate with. The southwestern mountainous area of the country is an extended branch of the Sierra Madre del Sur.
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! If you want to conquer the remote Colima Mountains from the Patzcuaro Lake area, there are only two routes to the north and south across the mountains. The northern route requires a fleet to be formed along the Leman
Go west of the river for 500 miles, and after conquering the Chapala Lake area, follow the tributaries and turn to the southwest for 400 miles. The southern route will follow the aperture in the mountains, go to the southwest for 400 miles, and then turn to the northwest for 200 miles.
In general, although the northern route is long, it can carry tens of thousands of troops through waterways. The southern route saves one-third of the distance, but can only carry a small number of elite troops through the mountains.
"This situation is really similar to the southwest of China!"
Shulot looked calm and laughed at himself.
"The iron ore in the Colima Mountains is like the carrot in front of the donkey. You can always see it but cannot eat it! Even in Colima, it is very difficult to dig deep iron ore... Maybe I should go there
North America should think of some ways. The U.S.-Mexico border will be an extremely wealthy mineral belt in future generations..."
The king thought for a while and asked again.
"Bertard, where is the southwest border that the feudal country can really send officials to effectively control?"
The warrior commander stood on tiptoe, looked at the nearest basin to the southwest, and then flexed his fingers to calculate for a while before replying cautiously.
"Your Highness, the farthest controlled area in the southwest of the feudal kingdom is Ulapani City, one hundred and fifty miles southwest of the capital. This is an important town in the west of Lithospermum County. The meaning of Ulapani is that flowering and fruiting occur at the same time.
It is also known as the 'Flower and Fruit City' in the mountains!"
"Flower and Fruit City in the Mountains?!"
Shulot was stunned for a moment, with some strange twitching on his face. He asked subconsciously.
“Are monkeys abundant there?”
"Your Highness is knowledgeable! The mountainous areas in the southwest are indeed rich in long-haired howler monkeys, which are ferocious and like to roar... Oh, and there are also pineapples that howler monkeys love to eat."
Ezpin took a step forward and continued to praise with a smile.
"Um."
The king nodded stiffly. He controlled his expression for a moment before asking seriously.
"Calculating this, across the hundred-mile plain south of the lake area, the feudal state only controls more than fifty miles of mountainous areas. Bertard, the southwest mountainous area is a full four to five hundred miles! Even if the mountain road is difficult to travel, the feudal state should not
How can the nobles who only control such a small area and are scattered in the southwest mountainous area resist the tens of thousands of kingdom legions?"
"Your Highness, if you are willing to pay thousands of casualties, the old nobles in the southwest mountainous area will indeed be unable to resist the legion, and the kingdom's ruling area can be extended another two hundred miles to the southwest. However, the crusade against the mountainous area will not bring any benefits, and it will not be possible in a short time.
Establish effective rule. Once the army withdraws, the mountain people will inevitably launch another rebellion with the support of caring people. If the army is stationed in the mountainous area, the food consumed will double as the mountain road is extended, and the mountain people will also encounter
of repeated guerrilla attacks.”
Hearing this, Xiulote was silent. Ezpin's spirit perked up. He volunteered and stepped forward to ask for help.
"Your Highness is kind! I don't want the warriors to suffer too many casualties. I am familiar with the terrain here and can lead Prepecha's new army of spears to pacify this place for Your Highness! In a frontal battle, the mountain people are actually vulnerable. As long as we send troops before the autumn harvest
Expeditions, garrisoning troops for one year, and then destroying the mountain people's spring plowing in the second year, their food will be exhausted. And without food, the mountain people can only surrender to the real sun!"
"Destroying the autumn harvest and spring plowing... Well, Ezpan, I see your loyalty, and I will give you more important tasks!"
Shulot looked at Ezpin calmly, patted the other person's shoulder intimately, and praised him softly. The other person immediately looked excited and bowed to salute. Then, the king frowned and looked at the warrior commander.
"Bertard, you just said, support from 'people who care'? Could it be that it's from the south..."
"Exactly, Your Highness."
The warrior commander nodded affirmatively.
"The scouts have been reporting back one after another. In the past few months, there have been some changes in Zicao County in the south. The old nobles who returned have continued to meet and seem to have formed a loose alliance of mutual assistance. They also frequently send envoys to communicate with the nobles in the southwest mountainous area.
They exchanged secrets."
"These nobles who have argued with each other and have been in conflict for generations can put down their conflicts only to resist the pressure from the central government. Once the kingdom's army falls into the quagmire of the mountainous area, the southern nobles will definitely support the mountain people secretly to divert His Highness's attention and try their best to
Consume the strength of the central government..."
"Well, if you want to conquer the southwest, you must first conquer the south. The old nobles in the south..."
Shulot asked calmly with no expression on his face.
"Are they ready to rebel?"
"The Western Expedition has just ended, and the alliance's military prowess is still impressive. If they are not driven to a dead end, I am afraid they will not have the courage to rebel."
"Where is their bottom line?"
"land."
The samurai commander answered briefly.
"Land... land... I will give them another chance to choose. Although the Lord God is the God of War, he also has mercy."
The king's expression was calm, and he had already made a decision in his heart. Even if the setting sun is like blood, filling the dusk sky, the sun will always bring light!
"I'm fine with it, let's keep going!"
The marching horn sounded loudly, echoing across the vast heaven and earth. The elite warriors once again spread out into a marching column.
When the sun set slightly to the west, the huge mountain mine finally appeared in front of everyone. A circle of wooden fences surrounded it hastily, dividing the copper veins and the mine. The gilded copper mine painted patterns on the ground, soil and rocks.
The piles of blocks piled up into hills, and black smoke was rising from the crude furnaces.
Groups of miners are in simple clothes, stooped and lean. With their heads lowered and carrying baskets on their backs, they are busy inside and outside the mine. There are more than a thousand in number. And in the key points of the mine's traffic and on the high ground, there are scattered
A group of Mexica warriors. The warriors were wearing armor and holding shields, and some were holding long bows. They were closely monitoring the operation of the mine. As the most important copper mine in the feudal country, a whole brigade of two hundred people was stationed here.
Elite warrior.
Seeing Wang Qi approaching from a distance, a fully equipped warrior captain strode out of the mine. He walked up to the king, revealed a tough and familiar face, and knelt down like a mountain.
"Your Highness, I greet you! I am the feather of the condor, following you to the end of heaven and earth!"
