The drizzle always falls tirelessly in the rainy season of June.
Raindrops fell on the wide surface of the Leman River, creating ripples. The breeze blew the new buds in the field, and the corn seedlings were growing taller happily. Under the corn, there were beans and pumpkins that had just sprouted.
Hulot stood on the lookout of the cottage, huddled with Avitt, looking at the lake and camp on the other side of the long river. The Tarascan patrol was patrolling in the rain on the river bank, and the Mexica army here
Same thing.
"I finally know the benefits of this flag. At least it can keep out the rain." Xuellot reached out and held the command flag on Avitt's back, letting the umbrella cover on top of the flag protect the two of them. "You just mentioned this camp.
is the most important?"
"Yes." Commander Avitt carefully observed Camp Tarasco in the distance. "Have you seen this lake? This is Lake Quetseo. Its northernmost end is connected to Lake Leman, and then continues to the west.
Extending into the interior of the Tarasco people. From the southwestern end of Lake Quiceo, it only takes a week to reach the core hinterland of Tarasco, Lake Patzcuaro in the Patzcuaro Valley.
district."
"Patzcuaro." Xiulote repeated the word twice and came to his senses. "People from Prepecha?"
"Smart." Avitt smiled slightly, "The Tarascans don't call themselves Tarascans, but Prepechas. They call themselves the most prosperous capital city and the center of the rise of the ethnic group.
, the Patzcuaro Valley named itself. In fact, hundreds of years ago, they were just one of the Chichimec descendants who went south, conquered the prosperous local Bajo and Michoacán tribes, and also inherited the Pre
Petra’s name.”
"That's it! Just as we emerged in the Mexica Valley, we call ourselves Mexica, or Tenochca. And foreigners will say that we are the Aztecs, coming from the distant Aztlan. So
Come on, our ancestors were also a group of Chichimec descendants who went south?" The smart boy drew inferences from one example.
"This is not what a priest should say." Avitt laughed, "When the patron saint promised us, our name would no longer be Aztecs, but Mexica, and we would have the destiny to conquer the world.
."
The world of the Mexicans is the Greater Mexico region of Central America.
Xuelote smiled in agreement and changed the topic to a more important topic: "The Tarascans are our biggest opponents, so how many people do they have? How many troops can they mobilize?"
Avitt pondered, writing and drawing in the air with his fingers, and after a while he answered: "To the north of the Leman River, to the south of both sides of the Balsas River, to the east of the Mexica city-states, and to the west of Lake Chapala.
, is the territory owned by the Tarasco City-State Alliance: the Micancho Region. The Tarasco Alliance controls a population of more than 1.6 million."
"Mickencho? Land of fishermen?"
"Yes. The Tarascos control the territory of eight states. There are about 800,000 people in the three states in the Patzcuaro Lake area. The core is the three cities of Qinconcan, Ivacchio and Patzcuari. Among them, the
Qinchongcan City is the largest, with a population of 50,000.
To the west of the Tarasco people, there are about 600,000 people in the two states in the Chapala Lake area. However, these two states are far away from Qin Congcan, and the King of Tarasco cannot effectively control this area.
The remaining 200,000 people are distributed in the three states between the lakes. Generally speaking, the population is always concentrated near the lakes, because only lakes can build the highly productive Chinampa."
In this era, a state is a vague regional division. It can be a city-state with attached villages, a block where ethnic groups gather, or a small piece of land divided by terrain. Shulot regards it as China
"County" in the concept. The Tarasco Federation controls eight counties, and the county where the capital is located is Qin Cong Canbang.
"The Tarasco League of 1.6 million people is estimated to have a total of 50,000 warriors, 25,000 of whom are from the Patzcuaro Lake area and are directly under the control of the king. The other 20,000 warriors belong to the Chasa, which has a high degree of autonomy.
Pala Lake area. The remaining five thousand belong to the three states between the lakes." Avitt continued to calculate.
"There are 50,000 warriors out of 1.6 million people. That means there is one warrior for every 32 people?" Xiulote thought for a moment. This was really the "Warring States" in which the countries were fighting each other and resorting to militancy. It was not based on high-yielding crops.
Can't sustain it.
Avitt thought for a moment and nodded: "In general, it is almost the same ratio. In the core of each tribe's capital, the ratio of supporting warriors is higher, while in other areas, the ratio of warriors is slightly lower."
Shulot made it clear. The capitals of each tribe always have more materials, wealth and population to support stronger force and maintain suppression of other alliance city-states.
Simply put, the strong is the king, and the king is the strongest.
"How many militiamen are there in Tarasco?" the boy asked again.
"It's hard to say how many militiamen there are. It depends on whether the farming is busy or slack, and the strength of the tribe's rule. It is even more extreme during emergency mobilization." Avitt thought for a while, "Generally speaking, the food of each tribe can support it as much as possible.
There are twice as many militias as there are warriors. More than twice that will seriously affect the food storage and production of each state, and famine will inevitably follow."
As he spoke, Avi looked pointedly at the city of Otopan in the north.
Shulot nodded knowingly and sighed slightly.
At this time, the various tribes in Central America were somewhat similar to the daimyo of Japan during the Warring States Period. There were only relatively wealthy city-state samurai and very poor village militias, who jointly formed a two-level military system of samurai and peasant soldiers.
Unlike the Celestial Empire, there is no developed small peasant class here. The peasants have just sprouted economically and politically, and the number of "good family sons" or "government soldiers" they can provide is very small.
"Tarasco Alliance, eight kingdoms, 1.6 million people, 50,000 warriors/25,000 direct subordinates, 100,000 militiamen." This is the first time that Shulot has a specific military strength of a tribe.
A clear understanding.
Naturally, he had a more concerned question: "How many people are there in our Mexican Alliance? How many warriors?"
Avitt smiled confidently: "Not counting those vassals, the great Mexican Union actually controls eleven states. The core is the Texcoco Lake area in the Valley of Mexico. There are four prosperous large states in the entire lake area, about
There are 1.5 million people."
"The state of Mexico where the capital is located has more than half a million people. And the capital of Mexico, the city in the lake Tenochtitlan, has an unparalleled 250,000 people! It is the ancestral land of the Mexica people
, the sanctuary in the lake, the giant city of white stone, is also the center of the world! No other city can compare with it." Unknowingly, Avitt's voice contained sacred chanting.
Xuelote also nodded longingly. At this time, Tenochtitlan was the miracle city of Central America and the most magnificent city in the entire Americas. It was not the broken wall hidden underground that he saw in later generations.
Ruins.
The young man woke up from his memories with some curiosity in his heart: "Avit, how do you know so many numbers?"
Avitt smiled slightly, and his confidence made the commander's smile full of charm: "In the entire Mexican Alliance, you can only know these specific numbers by asking me. I am the chief intelligence officer of the alliance. And he can surpass me in mathematics.
Yes, you are the only one here."
"Great! Please continue." Shulot stood on tiptoes, patted his friend's head, and received a blank stare.
"There are 1.5 million people in the Texcoco Lake District. This is an area directly under the royal family. It can mobilize an overwhelming 50,000 direct warriors. For this expedition, the king brought a total of 40,000 direct warriors to control various areas.
City-state. Of course, after several divisions and casualties along the way, he now only has 10,000 direct warriors at his disposal."
Avitt winked at the boy, and the boy nodded to acknowledge receipt.
“With the lake area as the core, there are 500,000 people in the two western states, 700,000 people in the three southern states, 300,000 people in the two northern states, and more than 3 million people in the entire Mexica Union, firmly occupying the rich and prosperous
The plateau valley!”
"What about the eastern city-states?"
"To the east of the Texcoco Lake area are towering mountains, and in the mountains there are demonic mouths that spit out smoke and fire. Where are the eastern city-states? Further east, there is the territory of the Tlaxcala people."
Xiulote was stunned for a moment, then realized that to the east of the capital was the towering Popocatepetl volcano. It was also one of the few places on the entire Mexica Plateau where ice and snow could be seen.
"The seven states in the west, south, and north add up to fifty thousand warriors, which is similar to the four states directly under the royal family. The city of Teotihuacan is also one of the origins of the royal family." Avitt looked at the young man with a smile.
The young man was calculating seriously: "The Mexican Alliance, eleven states, three million people, one hundred thousand warriors/50,000 direct subordinates, two hundred thousand militiamen." Sure enough, it is the absolute hegemon of Central America.
"What about the situation of the Tlaxcalans, our enemies for generations?" Shulot couldn't wait to learn more about this world.
"The people of Tlaxcala have four large states. The status of the four states is actually not very different. They support each other and there is no concept of direct jurisdiction of the capital. The state of Tlaxcala in the north and the state of Tepeyacac in the south are stronger.
Some, each with 400,000 people. The middle states of Wesochinko and Cholula have 200,000 people each.”
"The center of Cholula State is Cholula City, the holy city of Nahuat religion. Its status is much more transcendent." Avitt told the information about his old enemy seriously.
"Like us Mexicans, Tlaxcala has an efficient military mobilization system, and the ratio of warriors is about one to thirty."
Xiulote nodded to show that he understood that the two races had similar cultural and blood ties, but in fact they were relatives who killed each other but did not love each other.
"The Tlaxcala Alliance, four states, 1.2 million people, 40,000 warriors, 80,000 militiamen."
"What about the Otomi people we are conquering?" The young man looked to the north.
"Otomi people, they are a very loose alliance. They just use the city of Otopan as the core of their ancestral homeland and defense. There are four main states, Hilotepec State has 300,000 people, and Otopan has more than 200,000 people.
, two hundred thousand for Parmes and three hundred thousand for Guamare.
Among them, there are many Chichimec canine people in Pamus and Guamare. They do not obey the Otomi Alliance, but just mix with each other. Sometimes they communicate and merge, and sometimes they fight each other. In fact, the Otomi people
There has been a large number of intermarriages with various tribes of canines for a long time, and the name of Guamarebang comes from the canine tribes of Guamar.”
Shulot was a little surprised. There were nearly a million Otomi people? So now... He thought of the red-circled plank in Totec's hand and the brutal sweep of the army along the way, and could only shake his head.
"Otomi Alliance, four states, about 600,000 people, more than 20,000 warriors, unknown militia."
Standing on a high watchtower, the young man and his friends selflessly discussed the world, as if the world was in their minds. In front of them was a complicated and vast world. The desire for the world was burning passionately!
"Chichimec descendants are everywhere in the northwest plateau and desert. They are constantly migrating and are roughly divided into eight tribes. They have no formal warriors, but all the people are soldiers. There are at least seventy people in the four states close to the Otomi people.
The descendant of ten thousand dogs.”
"Chichimec dog descendants are known to four states, at least eight tribes, about 700,000 people, nomadic herdsmen without horses, and all the people are soldiers."
"The Huastecs are relatively loyal vassals of the alliance. They are close to the lake at the eastern end of the world and live scattered in the northeastern plains. There once was an alliance, but it has been dissolved by our conquest long ago.
They are born musicians and have a tradition of naked worship and rarely wear clothes. Well, their girls are slender and good at rhythmic dancing." Avitt looked at the boy and smiled meaningfully.
"The Huastec people are spread across six states, with about 600,000 people, 15,000 warriors, and 30,000 militiamen."
"The Tesques live to the west and north of the Tarascans, near the lake at the western end of the world. They have a loose alliance and have been constantly conquered by the Tarascan Alliance. Colima is their ancestral land
, there are nearly 200,000 people, and there is a crack in the world that is smoking and spitting fire."
"Tesk Alliance, four states, 700,000 people, 20,000 warriors, 50,000 militiamen."
Colima? This name sounds familiar. Shulot recalled it hard and searched through his past memories.
Colima, Colima Volcano? The famous "Fire Volcano" is very active. When he was traveling in Mexico, he saw the eruption of this volcano. The thick smoke billowed, covering the sky and covering the surrounding areas. It was extremely spectacular. Even
It led to the closure of nearby airports, ports and iron ore mines.
Iron ore? Iron ore! A flash of light flashed through Shulot's mind, and he suddenly remembered a piece of information that he didn't care about at the time, but was now crucial.
"Pea Colorado Iron Mine!" Shulot was so excited that he almost jumped off the watchtower. Fortunately, Avitt caught him.
Because it is located in a volcanically active geological zone, Colima State is rich in minerals. There is the largest iron ore in Mexico and even Central America, Peia Colorado (magmatic hydrothermal apatite) magnetite. The mineral reserves are extremely amazing.
The surface mineral layer is fifty to three hundred meters thick and extends for more than ten kilometers.
"Colima, the Iron Age, hope!" Shulot couldn't help but whisper, and gave Avitt another hug. His friend was already used to the teenager's nonsense and occasional excitement.
After calming down for a while, Hulot realized that things were not that simple. Historically, the Colima Iron Mine had to wait until modern times to be discovered and mined because of three unfavorable factors.
First, its main ore layer is more than 100 meters underground. There are only scattered iron ores on the surface. Of course, 100 meters underground is nothing to future generations, but it is indeed a big problem now. There must be enough manpower, material resources and
A copper pickaxe can only be obtained after several years of mining.
Second, this large iron mine is located in the mountains, and transportation is very inconvenient. To transport the iron ore, roads in the mountains must be built.
Third, the large iron ore was formed under the influence of magma, and is nearby the active Colima volcano. The mining process has potential risks.
However, no matter what, Shulot will not let go of this large iron mine. This is the dawn and hope of a new era!
The young man became a little absent-minded in the conversation that followed. He only roughly recorded Avitt's introduction to each tribe.
"The Nahua-Totonac people, seven states, 700,000 people, 20,000 warriors, 40,000 militiamen. On the eastern coast, there is a loose alliance of city-states, integrating some Toltec people.
There are four states, 200,000 people, 5,000 warriors, and 10,000 militiamen. There are no urban settlements in the southern part of the Mexica Union, on both sides of the East Balsas River. Mexica people continue to move in.
Mixtecs, five kingdoms, 800,000 people, 20,000 warriors, 40,000 militiamen. South of the Tlaxcala Union, a loose alliance of city-states. They are the "people of the clouds" in the mountains and "the best."
Goldsmith", with Tototepec State as its core ancestral homeland. One of the disloyal vassals of the empire.
Zapotecs, three states, 500,000 people, 15,000 warriors, 30,000 militiamen. To the east of the Mixtec Union, a loose alliance of city-states, rich in rouge. The second disloyal vassal of the empire. Zapotec
Further east from Turk, there is the terrifying vast rainforest, which leads to the unknown Mayan hinterland.
Trapanics, four states, 200,000 people, 5,000 warriors, 10,000 militiamen. The southwest of the Mixtec alliance, the Pacific coast, the weak ones are ignored.
There are also savage tribes in the mountains and forests, large and small, it is impossible to count clearly. As long as the sweet potatoes can survive, there are people."
"There are eighty nations in the world, divided into five regions, far and near. Fifty years in the human world, a hundred battles will unite nine tribes!" The young man's heart surged for a moment, and he couldn't help but recite a crooked poem. Then he thought about it, fifty years in the human world? Bah, bah,
This is a bad sign. It was a slip of the tongue.
"What about the more distant Maya?" After a moment, Shulot asked Avitt curiously.
Avitt racked his brains and thought for a long time. He just answered: "That's the end of the world, the boundless southeastern rainforest. The Mayans are roughly divided into three types, the Yucatan people in the north, the Itza people in the middle, and the
The southernmost Quiche Corn People. Well, the Corn People are what the Mayans call themselves.”
"As for the more specific number of people?" The commander finally shrugged, never saying that he didn't know. "Let's wait until we conquer the known world and then go see the end of the world!"
Shulot then laughed, and the two of them looked south again. Tarasco's scouts were running towards the southern camp. After a long time, a large group of elite warriors wearing armor and helmets filed out. They were holding weapons that shone with cold light.
The huge copper ax, filled with awe-inspiring killing intent, surrounded by another tall back flag, went straight to the Leman River.
The drizzle finally stopped. Across a river hundreds of meters away, the top commanders of the two armies looked at each other across the river. Their huge back flags swayed in the wind, paying tribute to each other for the start of the battle.
