Chapter 207 Auspicious Day

The vast night is always busy, and the scattered days are also in a hurry. In the alternation of night and day, the warriors of the Kingdom of Tarasco quietly mobilized, alarming the birds in the mountains and forests, leaving only the faint sound of the wind. The auspicious day of the Sun God is approaching, and the scouts of the Mexican Alliance have significantly shrunk. The legion prepared a grand ceremony, which brought a short period of peace to the front line.

Late at night the next day, the wooden door of the mountain fortress opened silently. Under the protection of the Bronze Ax Guards, the inherited royal flag was at the forefront. The eagle shook its black wings and disappeared into the western forest. Ten thousand elites gradually gathered from several fortresses in the rear, forming a torrent of retreat. The warriors held scattered torches and quietly galloped toward the western capital.

The morning star lights up the eastern sky, heralding the arrival of dawn. In the flowing light, Suangua climbed up the hill beside the stream and looked back at the fortress in the mountains.

The mountain road was winding and long, and the eagle flag on the top of the fortress turned into an insignificant dot, with only the bright gold shining in the morning light. Next to the dot, a figure as thin as a pine needle stood quietly. Across a long distance, the two most noble deities of Tarasco stared at each other. Before the rising sun, they paid their last attention, then said goodbye silently, heading towards an unknown but unchangeable road.

The morning light gradually brightens, and the morning sun rises slowly. In the same mountain range, King Avit is wearing a red royal robe, a slender crown, and an emerald lace, shining like the incarnation of a god. He stood on the heights of the fortress, looking toward the bright east. The clouds spread out to both sides, like waves unfolding in layers, revealing the gate of the Kingdom of God. A big red sun is slowly rising from the sky. He shines on the lush green mountains and forests of Sitacuaro, and also on the thousands of Mexica warriors under the tall fortress.

Avit raised his head, raised the topaz staff, and paid tribute to the rising sun god. Accompanying the king's movements, the war priests sang ancient songs, lit scorching flames, and prayed for the coming of the Lord God.

It was a grand funeral, on the auspicious day of the Sun God. A huge sacred fire burned in the center surrounded by warriors. All the broken cotton armor, worn war clubs, and broken shields were piled into a hierarchical hill, surrounding the fire, entrusting the lost souls of the warriors.

Under the ceremony of the priest, the sun god lowered his brilliant eyes. His gaze is fixed on the earth. The streams at the bottom of the valley are floating like jade ribbons, and the undulating mountains extend into the distance. The evil moon remained in the western sky, expelled by the power of the Lord God, and fled to its lair in the royal city of Tarasco. When the cloud light rises and the rosy sky rises, the dazzling Lord God finally descends into the world and turns into dazzling golden color, spreading all over the world!

".God has arrived! He takes the souls of the dead to the red kingdom! He promises to the world: The warriors who died for God will reopen their eyes. They welcome the red dawn under the red sky!"

King Avit spread his arms and shouted loudly. The loud voice echoed in the fortress, like a promise from the gods. Then, the priests shouted together, praising the supreme god.

"Praise the Lord God Huitzilopochtli! He saves believers who pray devoutly and leads the souls who sacrificed for God!"

Fierce war drums beat and loud flutes are played. As the priests chanted, hundreds of nobles and thousands of warriors simultaneously faced the rising sun in the east and devoutly praised the gods. The rising sun falls into your eyes, and the sunlight is so bright that it makes your mind sway in an instant. The warriors then prostrated themselves on the ground and held the talisman of the Lord God. They followed the priest's guidance, closed their eyes, imagined the glory of God's kingdom, and then shouted in unison, calling God's name three times.

"You must believe in the Lord God Huitzilopochtli! Praise the Sun God Huitzilopochtli! Dedicate yourself to the God of War Huitzilopochtli!"

When everyone opened their eyes again, Chaoyang could no longer look directly at him. The priests once again danced to celebrate the gods and sang songs of praise. The warriors chanted in low voices, made wishes to the Lord God, and sent messages to the deceased. The nobles stepped forward one after another, threw the clothes of the deceased into the fire, and sent them to the red country.

A moment later, King Avit waved his staff again to send the Lord God off. Outside the fortress, the Eagle Warriors also put away their bright red obsidian daggers to clean up the traces of sacrifice. When the grand ceremony ended, Avitt walked down from the highest point of the fortress amid the cheers of thousands of people. His eyes lingered outside the fortress for a moment, and then he left calmly. There is an area of ​​undulating mounds there. All the wounded of Tarasco who could not work were sacrificed and buried here.

The henchmen and guards immediately stepped forward and followed the supreme king back to the main hall of the castle. Avit washed the sweat off his face, took off his heavy royal robes, and put on a light cotton robe. Then, he smiled and asked in a relaxed tone.

"Gillim, are all the nobles and nobles of the legion here today?"

"Your Majesty, today is the auspicious day of the Sun God. In addition to the chief officers stationed in the forts, all the honorable nobles and hereditary nobles have arrived. The Jaguar and Eagle Chapters have also gathered in this fortress to be responsible for the surrounding vigilance. "

Gillim saluted solemnly and replied with a serious smile.

"Excellent! Let them all stay. Prepare wine and meat, hold a banquet tonight, and have a good drunken time with the generals!"

Avit laughed loudly. After half a year of fighting and being exposed to the wind and sun, his face was slightly red, his outlines were clear and tough, and his expression was more resolute. While chatting and laughing casually, he was more unruly and heroic than before, and also a little more ruthless.

"Your Majesty, do you need to add some medicinal herbs to the wine?"

"Well, according to the custom of the priests, three batches of wine and drinks are prepared with different herbs. The opening is the black feather jade of enlightenment, the middle is the hallucinogenic psilocybin mushroom, and the end is the tranquil sage. Remember, the dosage is one-third of the priest's, don't add more."

Avite thought for a while, then smiled and answered clearly. For his beloved daughter Alyssa, he picked up the herbal medicine he learned when he was young, and his profound attainments surpassed many senior priests.

Gilliam nodded respectfully. Then he asked softly.

"Your Majesty, do you want to prepare women to serve the generals?"

Avite lowered his eyes and shook his head.

"Don't let the warriors' tents be contaminated by the world. At most, some musicians and dancers will come. As for the singing girls, send them directly to the private tents of the nobles."

Gilliam bowed his head and accepted the order. Soon, he raised his head again and asked calmly.

"Your Majesty, a few months ago, the warriors intercepted some of the Tarasco envoys and captured two Tarasco royal princesses. The priestesses accompanying the army have been trained for two months and can guarantee that there is no threat. Should they be allowed to accompany you?"

Hearing this, Avite was stunned. He recalled a little and cast a majestic look.

"Royal princess of Tarasco? Is that the group of envoys going to Tlaxcala?"

"Yes, Your Majesty, the group that the Jaguar War Group raided. After the Western Expedition, marrying a Tarasco royal princess will allow you to better conquer the people of the lake. And if the royal families of the two countries can give birth to the next bloodline, it will be a better candidate for the prince. Your descendants can rule the vast Mikanque region for the great alliance."

Gilliam saluted again. He looked calm, without any personal feelings.

Avite looked serious. He pondered for a long time before saying it with certainty.

"The princess of Tarasco doesn't need to rush. She can wait until she conquers Qin Congcan. As for the Patzcuaro Lake area, the prince appointed is Xu Luote, and this will not change!"

"Your Majesty, His Highness Xu Luote is the heir to the royal family and will eventually return to the capital. The Patzcuaro Lake area ahead is six or seven hundred miles away from the capital, and it takes a month for messengers to travel back and forth. The Chapala Lake area is even farther away, thousands of miles away, and even an eagle needs ten days to fly. These border lands can only be handed over to the princes of the royal family to guard. The future world is unpredictable, and preparing early now is beneficial to both the royal family and the alliance."

Avite smiled and did not comment. He looked at the intelligence officer and asked about the information he was concerned about.

"The barbaric Tlaxcalans have invaded the alliance border. How many troops do they have now and how is the war going?"

"The four states of Tlaxcala have currently mobilized 30,000 warriors and 30,000 militiamen to invade the southeastern state of Huaxtepec. The local city-state nobles have abandoned their fields and villages, defended their fortresses and cities, and requested reinforcements from the capital in the lake!"

The king frowned. The food route of the southern army passes through the southwest state of Lazico, which is only two hundred miles away from Huaxtepec. If the Tlaxcala army breaks through Huaxtepec, the enemy's vanguard can reach the Mexica Valley and even threaten the army's retreat.

"How did the religious elders of the holy city of Cholula react?"

"The religious elders acquiesced to the mobilization of the leaders of the four states. The Tarasco people promised to convert, which was a condition that the elders could not refuse."

"What did the religious leader Petel say? Acap and he get along well, can he be persuaded again?"

"Your Majesty, the cunning old fox cannot be bought by sweet honey. His Highness Shulot conquered Huayamo and marched to the city of Qincongcan, which greatly shocked the religious elders. They were close to the alliance on the surface, but secretly began to be wary. They feared the growth of the alliance!"

"Well, whatever. The people of Trask and us have a blood feud for generations, so we can't avoid a battle. Send more holy water to Acap so that the religious elders can meet the gods more often!"

Gilliam nodded in understanding and smiled slightly. He continued to speak. "The southeastern city-states have been operating defense lines for a long time and can hold out for at least three months. The problem now is that the southeastern city-states have a small population and insufficient warriors. Without enough warriors in the defense line, there is no ability to attack and harass!"

Avit thought for a moment and asked.

"Are there any enemies attacking the northeastern city-states?"

"The Huastecs in the northeast have secretly met with the envoys of Tarasco, and it seems that they are also unstable. The nobles of the two northeastern states need to guard against the Tlaxcala people, and are actually unwilling to go south to support the nobles of the southeastern states."

"These city-state nobles. Shulot is right. Only strengthening centralization is the future of the alliance! Then draw 5,000 royal warriors from the south to form a supporting legion. Order them to advance eastward along the Talzas River to deter the Mixtecs on the south bank. These wandering "people in the clouds" interrupted the New Year's tribute, so it's just right to send envoys to reprimand them! In addition, let the northern general Ocelor be careful and attack first when necessary to suppress the Huastec tribes!"

Gilliam took out a charcoal pencil and wrote it down on rough paper one by one. He is extremely self-disciplined and intelligent. After studying for a year, he can now write fluently. Then, the intelligence officer raised his head, revealing deep eyes.

"Your Majesty, in the past nine months, the royal warriors have suffered 9,000 casualties, and the southern city-states have also lost 4,000 warriors. Even with the addition of 2,000 noble warbands, the army has only 32,000 warriors. More than a month ago, Marshal Iskari led 5,000 troops to the west, and now another 5,000 warriors have been transferred to the east for assistance, so the southern route is slightly insufficient. The Texcoco Lake area is in the off-season, should we continue to mobilize the militia?"

Hearing this, Avite turned around and walked to the window of the hall. He raised his head slightly and looked at the mountains and forests in the northwest, as well as the steep fortress on the high mountain. The bottom of the fortress was stained dark red by blood, and the bluestone walls were full of traces of smoke and fire. At the top of the fortress, the royal flag of Tarasco stood at the highest point of Zitacuaro, and the eagle flag fluttered.

The king watched for a while and sighed helplessly.

"The mountain is steep, and the catapult is useless. The Tarasco people have imitated a large number of longbows. This kind of high mountain fortress is no longer something that can be conquered by manpower. The Tarasco people are unable to counterattack, and we cannot break through. In this case, gathering more troops on the southern front will only waste food and grass! Mobilize 10,000 lake militias and be on standby at any time to support the southeastern city-states. As for Zitacuaro, we only need to maintain the pressure on the front line, and no more reinforcements are needed."

Gilliam nodded and continued to write furiously. Avite looked away. He was in high spirits and looked at the western sky.

"Fortunately, Shulot has captured the Huayamo Fortress and opened up the situation in the north! Tepopolo's detachment also went deep into the lower reaches of the Tarsus River and landed in the southern hinterland of Tarasco and headed north! As long as one of these two legions can continue to advance and cut off the enemy's food supply, the victory of this Western Expedition will come!"

Soon, Guillem finished recording. He bowed and saluted the king solemnly.

"Your Majesty, from the intelligence collected from various places, Tarasco's national strength has been exhausted. They can't hold on. The alliance will win, and you will become the greatest leader in the epic, and forge an immortal reputation in jade and stone!"

Avit laughed. He patted Guillem on the shoulder.

"Although this Western Expedition is difficult, it is only the beginning of a long journey! As the leader of the Mexica, you must follow the example of the great Montezuma I and spend your life in the conquering army. Guillem, you go down first. Convey the military order and prepare for the banquet!"

Guillem bowed his head and saluted, and walked backwards out of the hall. He walked in the shadow of the building without making any sound. When he walked out of the main castle, he called the attendants and carefully conveyed the military orders. The orders were fluent and clear, without any omissions. Until the end of the words, the intelligence officer suddenly paused. He thought for a moment before speaking solemnly.

"Please invite the priestess who accompanied the army. Ask her to prepare and bring the princesses of Tarasco tonight."

The attendants took the order and left. Gilliam stood silently in the shadow of the house, staring at the bluestone wall. The wall was carved with the quaint patterns of Tarasco, recording hundreds of years of vicissitudes, but it made people think of the not-too-distant future. After a long time, he suddenly looked back, revealing a pair of bright and attractive eyes, deep and emotionless.

In the hall, Avite was still standing in front of the window, admiring the undulating mountains and observing the fortress on the mountain. Then, his eyes narrowed and stared closely. There was a faint dot-like figure next to the distant eagle flag. The figure's clothes were shining, but his face was not clear.

Avite closed his eyes, and scenes of the past appeared before his eyes, and deep memories came to his mind. He held the staff tightly in his hand and spoke to himself in a low voice.

"Xuluot, my student, you will not let me down. Suanggua, my old friend, I look forward to the day when I meet you again!"