Chapter 246: Four-Party Situation, Intelligence and Diplomacy

The July rain lingers on the boundless fields, and the scorching sun occasionally sprinkles the light of life. The green seedlings are lush, the fruit trees are lush, and the land of the lake area is full of vitality. When the pumpkin seedlings take shape, more rain rushes in, covering the sky. The heavy rain turns into streams and converges into a wider lake, and Lake Patzcuaro becomes more magnificent.

"This is the rainy season in August, dancing in the drumbeats, swallowing the mountains and rivers."

Xuluot stood on the top floor of the Palace of Wind, looking at the lake in the north. At the peak of the rainy season, the water level of the lake rises significantly, submerging the surrounding circle. The bright water light is boundless, and it looks magnificent and heroic from a distance at this time. The young king looked for a moment and suddenly frowned.

"Lake Patzcuaro can expand so much in the rainy season! Although a lot of fertile land along the river has been vacated, it is still flooded to the edge of the farmland. This is just an ordinary year. If there is a flood, the area flooded may be... No wonder the villages by the lake are built on high ground. Then, what needs to be done is to surround the lake and control the water! Lake Patzcuaro needs to be tamed, just like Lake Texcoco, which is divided and surrounded by countless dams. It must be completely managed and tamed!" Xiuluot thought silently, and the fierce passion echoed in his chest. The passion of the king is sometimes similar to that of ordinary people, and sometimes very different. The difference is that there is more confidence and heroism in reshaping the mountains and rivers! The long wind shook the wind chimes, and the crisp bells covered the sound of the rain. It is not suitable to travel in the wind and rain. The young king watched quietly for a moment, remembered the new plan in his mind, and turned to the hall. In the gorgeous hall, the guards had prepared breakfast. A soft toasted corn tortilla, a small bowl of fresh grilled matsutake mushrooms, a grilled fish with chili sauce, two pieces of smoked venison with honey, and a cup of sweet hot cocoa.

Xiuluot sat cross-legged at the table, eating a simple breakfast while reading the latest report.

The intense spring plowing has ended, and the feudal state is peaceful. The garrison troops and the people are enjoying the rare peace in the wind and rain. Under the wind and rain, a large number of scouts have been sent out to collect information from the southern nobles and to inquire about the movements of the surrounding tribes.

"The news of the fall of the Tarasco Kingdom has spread far and wide. All the tribes in all directions are shocked. In the southwest of the feudal state, the noble chiefs of the Tekos have sent envoys to express their willingness to surrender and pay tribute. The latest envoys also hope to redeem the captured nobles and warriors."

Seeing this, Xiuluot hesitated for a moment. Most of the warrior prisoners of the southern Tekos have been sent to the capital in the lake, and he only has some guides and tribal militia incorporated into the garrison troops.

"Since you have been an enemy of the alliance, you must pay the price! Sooner or later, I will personally go west to the Colima Mountains. Well, at most, I will send back a few tribal nobles, and I will never let the warriors and militia with fighting power go back."

Xuluot shook his head, and after a simple instruction, he put the report aside. He continued to read on, understanding the situation of the surrounding states, and also gave the diplomatic policy of the new fiefdom.

"After the spring plowing, the allied Ottopan city-state in the north of the fiefdom immediately sent a congratulatory envoy to congratulate your highness on his victory. At the same time, he sought support for the ownership of the land on the north bank of the Leman River? Tepopolo has sent people to ask for the land of the wooden fort on the north bank, and threatened the alliance's expeditionary army. The Otomi people stationed troops in the wooden fort on the north bank and were unwilling to hand it over."

Seeing this, Xiuluot fell into deep thought.

The Ottopan city-state is the ancestral city of the Otomi people, and it has a special status in the hearts of the Otomi people. Under the influence of the old marmot priest Ort, the commander of the legion of this city-state, Giova, has sworn a blood alliance with him and is willing to be his vassal. The journey to the west was difficult, and the 3,000 Otomi legions fought hard. They first plundered and lured the enemy, and then lost most of them when attacking the solid river mouth fortress. The Otomi city-state is also a solid barrier in the north of the fiefdom to resist the Chichimec dog descendants.

As for the Tepopolo fiefdom in the northeast of the lake fiefdom. Although they are of the same origin and participated in the westward expedition together, they cannot be regarded as the power of their own system. There is no affiliation between the two sides, and there is even competition.

The young king pondered for a moment before looking at the warrior leader standing beside him.

"Bertard, General Giova and I swore a blood alliance, and the honorable noble Tepopolo fought side by side with us. I really don't want the two sides to fight each other for the fiefdom. It's just that His Majesty has demarcated the scope of the fiefdom in the lake area and told me in person, so it's inconvenient for me to express my position directly on this matter."

"Your Highness, do you mean that there is a difference between relatives and strangers?"

Bertard's face was calm, but his eyes flickered slightly.

"Well, Bertard, the alliance has its own laws, it just depends on the specific implementation. The city of Otopan has made great contributions in the Western Expedition and has always been close to me. I will remain fair. Tepopolo has just been conferred and his foundation is unstable. He has few reliable forces and has not established his prestige. It is impossible for him to send troops to the north this year. The main force of the Southern Army has returned to the east and is now fighting with the Tlaxcalan army at the southeastern border. Your Majesty will not take this small piece of wasteland on the north bank to heart if he looks at the world. Chief Warrior, send an envoy in a low-key manner to inform the old priest Ort of these facts one by one. He will know what to do." The chief warrior nodded, took out a pen and paper, and wrote down the words of His Highness.

Since Tepopolo arrived in the fiefdom, he has relocated his old tribe, gathered nobles, attracted warriors, and stepped up spring plowing. This series of actions showed that the transferred Glory Nobles really wanted to make a difference. Akambalo State has gone through wars and has a sparse population. Even including the Honorable Family that transferred its title and moved there, the number is less than 100,000, so there is no shortage of land for cultivation. This time, he made false threats and demanded the northern fiefdom, probably more because he wanted to establish the prestige of the new prince in the hearts of the local nobles.

"The young jaguar rules the surrounding mountains and forests. The Land of the Lake does not need another strong and ravenous wolf."

Bertard's eyes turned dark. Shulot didn't pay attention and just continued to read the report.

"In the northwest of the country, the Feather Prince of the Chapala Lake District led the warrior army and defeated several powerful Guamar dog tribes in succession. Other tribes that were raging in the Lake District received the news, and most of them brought plundered property, food and food with them. , began to retreat to the Tecaikos State on the northern plateau. This time the large-scale invasion of the canines should end here. "

"Congratulations to Your Highness on your glorious victory. You are like an eagle soaring in the sky. The chiefs of the Guamar tribes who rule the vast and magnificent mountains and rivers sent people to ask the caravan if they are willing to purchase the plundered Prepecha slaves? Canine descendants He is not interested in gold and silver, and only asks for food, wine, salt or weapons in exchange. An adult Dingkou can exchange for about 300 kilograms of grain, or a hundred kilograms of water and wine, or more than ten kilograms of salt, or two sets of weapons and cotton armor. You can substitute cocoa beans of equal value for half price for young women, and children can be given as a supplement.”

"The caravan estimates that the number of captives from each tribe ranges from 10,000 to 20,000 to 20,000 to 30,000, mostly young men and women. Buying in large quantities can lower the price a lot. Please kindly His Highness restore those innocent lives as soon as possible, just as Like flowers in the summer rain, they rustle and tremble, falling at any time and buried in the soil of the rainy season. Because except for the precious craftsmen and doctors, the canine descendants have limited food and will not keep too many captives who consume food. The caravan has already used the food in their hands. We have purchased a batch of slaves in advance and can transport them back to the feudal country in less than a week along the Leman River.”

Shulot's brows furrowed again. He looked at the letter in his hand. Among the common graphic texts, there were also neat Chinese characters and even rhyming verses. The young king asked doubtfully.

"Who wrote this letter? It doesn't look like the style of the samurai."

Hearing this, Bertard smiled lightly, with a bit of fun in his expression.

"Your Highness, you forgot. The director of the northern caravan is Páramo. He has been blowing sand on the northern plateau for a year, and it is said that he also saw white snow. In the letters and newspapers sent back every month, there are always There will be some poetry mixed in.”

"Ah ha ha."

Shulot couldn't help but laugh after thinking about it for a moment. Shortly after the Western Expedition began, the Divine Blessing Legion arrived. He sent Paramo, the poet commander of the legion, to the north to take full charge of the caravans and scouts.

There are many considerations. To do business among the barbarians, you must first have excellent martial arts and extraordinary courage. Secondly, you must be flexible, articulate, and good at communicating with others. Some culture is better. Finally, we need to take advantage of the wind, sand and cold wave in the north to temper the temperament of the poet commander.

"How is Paramo doing in the north? Judging from this letter, it seems that he is quite free-spirited."

Shulot asked with a smile.

"Paramo is a very good caravan manager. He is eloquent, has good martial arts skills, and has learned some new songs and dances. He is very popular on the northern plateau. Well, he also maintains an excellent relationship with many noble chiefs' wives. The customs on the plateau are different from those in the Alliance. Dog-born tribesmen often don’t know who their father is. In many cases, it is the noble woman who has the final say. Although it is a bit harder, it is also a joy in the process. "

When Bertard said this, the two laughed together. After a while, the young king stopped smiling and said seriously.

"The feudal country lacks young people. The proposal to purchase prisoners is feasible. All young men, women, and children are required! Among the various supplies purchased, salt is used first, then wine, then coarse grains, and finally the weapons that were damaged during the Western Expedition. Equipment. Let Paramo lower the price, and try to rely on the Leman River to trade. In addition, I will add a group of priests to the northern caravan and bring the glory of the Lord God as soon as possible. Spread it!"

The warrior commander quickly recorded it, and then saluted Shulot.

"Your Highness, be merciful!"

Shulot nodded. After the war was first established, the population of the feudal country was more scarce than materials, and all methods needed to be used to fill it. As for the future arrangements of the poet commander, some new thoughts emerged in his mind, and they were quickly suppressed in his heart. The young king continued to look at the trends in all directions.

"In the south of the country, the Trapanic Tribal Alliance sent envoys. They expressed their surrender to the alliance and were willing to pay tribute to the southern rainforest specialties and trade feathers, spices, gems and salt. They requested the great His Highness to continue their previous peace with the tower. The copper trade of the Kingdom of Lascaux, and the same desire for obsidian, which is roughly monopolized by the Alliance.”

After reading this, Shulot shook his head.

The Trapanic tribes formed a loose alliance south of the Huetamo Mountains. They are scattered between the east-west mountains and the sea in the west, and live in the rainforests and coastal plains of the lowlands. The Trapanic tribe has a small population and not much arable land, but they are good at commerce and mostly engaged in resale trade. To their east was the Mixtec and Zapotec alliance.

"No! The Alliance prohibits luxury. Bronze and obsidian are strategic materials and are centrally controlled by the kingdom. Lords or merchants are not allowed to sell them outside."

Shulot ordered without mercy. The formal vassalage of the Trapanic people would not be beneficial to the alliance. They are located far away and live in lowland rainforests with complex terrain. Their land is of little value and they are difficult to be threatened by the alliance's military.

".Send a squad of warriors to ban the Trapanic merchants and monitor the private trade of the southern nobles. If found, we only need to collect incriminating evidence and wait for a while."

The young king thought for a while and then wrote down the specific handling method.

He used a jade seal to stamp a red seal on the document, then handed the document and the talisman to the warrior commander, leaving a concise record for himself. The warrior commander immediately summoned several personal guards, selected the person in charge, and then delivered the documents and letters. Then, the responsible bodyguard collected the documents and immediately took the letter and talisman to mobilize troops in the camp to directly implement His Highness's will.

Although the implementation process of this series of policies is somewhat rough, it is simple and efficient, and only the orders of the authority are followed.

As Shulot's authority increased, a lot of information and power at home and abroad were completely gathered to him. Generally speaking, he is the reviewer of information and the highest decision-maker; the generals and cronies around him are the decision-making circle that participates in political affairs; the personal guards, heads of departments, and officers at all levels of the corps who are trained are the specific Executor. Attached to the execution circle are thousands of servant craftsmen, tens of thousands of Mexican legions, and hundreds of thousands of community civilians who have been effectively integrated.

This kind of governance system does not rely on a mature and systematic grammatical system, but on the authoritative control of the king himself. Compared with the mature civil service system of the Celestial Empire, the alliance's political form is more similar to the nomadic tribes on the northern grasslands, with powerful "Khans" or "Great Chiefs" deciding major events.

"In the southeast of the feudal kingdom, the Mixtecs sent envoys to congratulate the pilgrims, presenting dyes, gold, silver, gems, pearls and maidens. Your Highness, they are seeking trade with the newborn kingdom, and they also hope to form an alliance with you. A closer cooperative relationship. At the same time, the supervisory scouts discovered that they were also constantly inquiring about the details of the Western Expedition and were very interested in the newly emerged weapons of the gods. In addition, according to uncertain news from distant merchants, Tarasco Prince Cuius, the southern commander of the kingdom, may have fled along the Tarsus River to Mixtec."

"Exquisite craftsman of precious metals, Man of the Clouds, Quius the secret of Mixtec gunpowder."

Shulot fell into thinking. The vassal state already had nominal control over the Apatchingam State and was able to move up the Tarsus River, through the surrendered Chontar tribe, and engage in large-scale exchanges with the Mixtecs to the southeast.

Unlike the Trapanic tribes, which were sparsely populated and politically loose, the Mixtec alliance had a rudimentary state with a population of about eight to nine million people. Under the pressure of the alliance, it advanced and retreated together with the Zapotecs. They have a prosperous population, have at least 20,000 warriors, occupy the rich southern land, produce many luxury goods, and have a large number of skilled craftsmen. Thinking of this, the young king picked up his pen again.

"Accept the Mixtecs' request for trade, but restrict the transaction of strategic materials. Do not accept the Mixtecs' request for intermarriage, and betroth the tribute girls to the soldiers of the Mexica Legion. Control the gunpowder craftsmen, and the gunpowder formula must be Keep it strictly confidential. Clean up the battlefield again and strictly prohibit the leakage of new weapons! In addition, test the Mixtec envoys to see if they are willing to exchange the nobles of Tarasco for a batch of weapons and leather armor."

After a pause, Shulot wrote again.

"If the Mixtecs are willing to sell slaves on a large scale, the Alliance is willing to sell sufficient amounts of copper, grain, salt and armaments."

The young king handed the document to the warrior captain and then picked up the last letter on the table. He read the words on the letter carefully and finally smiled on his face.

"The Supreme King Avite led the Southern Legion and fought several battles with the Tlaxcalans in the state of Huactepec in the southeast of the alliance. The Mexican Legion relied on the range advantage of the longbows and crossbows to suppress the Tlaxcalans. With the help of human bows and arrows, they won two field battles! Including the militia, the Tlaxcala Legion lost nearly ten thousand people and retreated to the east of Vactepec State. It is now occupying several border forts. During the height of the rainy season, the fighting between the two sides has temporarily stopped, and they are facing each other across half the country."

"Except for the two states that were invaded by the Tlaxcalans, the Union's spring plowing this year went well. After applying mature fertilizers, the crops in the Texcoco Lake area are growing well, and this year's grain output should increase a lot. "

"The news of the victory of the Western Expedition reached the capital. The high priest personally led a group of twelve priests and held a grand sacrificial ceremony in front of the great temple to celebrate the victory of the Western Expedition! The elder personally came forward to sacrifice the supreme god and the The ancestors of the past generations. The sound of celebration in the capital is like the thunder in the rainy season, and the shouts are boiling all night long!

The names of the King and His Highness, like the great ancestor Montezuma, were prayed in unison by the warriors of the alliance during the sacrifice! Now, the people of the capital city in the lake are just waiting for the king to return victoriously and hold a grand victory sacrifice! The victory sacrifice after the war is likely to be arranged on the New Year's celebration day. It will be an unparalleled sacrifice, with the largest and most sacred divine sacrifices! "

Xiulote was slightly absent-minded, and the sleeping face of King Suangua appeared in his mind.

In the past three months, the alliance's search team has captured several escaped Tarasco princes. The king, royal family and many great nobles of Tarasco have been handed over to Avit's army returning to the east. Their fate is like a high pile of firewood, which has long been chosen by the flames of the Lord God and is destined to turn into smoke drifting in the wind amid the excited cheers of hundreds of thousands of people.

The young king has long been as hard as stone. He just stared for a moment and then looked at the last text.

"The high priest and the elders of the priests have decided to establish the Archdiocese of Tarasco. Promote His Highness the Archbishop to the youngest fifth-level Patriarch, who will be fully responsible for all affairs of the Archdiocese of Tarasco! At the same time, the capital's priest group will select a large number of priest teams, led by the newly promoted fourth-level Patriarch Ugos, to arrive at the Mikencho Lake before the autumn harvest to assist in the affairs of the new diocese.

At the request of His Highness, the capital's Divine Revelation Institute will also select a large number of senior craftsmen to rush to Qincongcan City together to form the second The Divine Revelation House. Your Highness was granted the land in the lake. After the elders discussed with the high priest, the Divine Revelation House in the capital is now taken over by the priest elders. And the newly built second Divine Revelation House is under the full responsibility of Your Highness."

"Well, the newly promoted fourth-level patriarch, Elder Uger's son, Ugos. Archbishop Tarasco. The youngest fifth-level patriarch, a large group of priests supported by the group. The new Divine Revelation House is exchanged for the old Divine Revelation House. Well, it's reasonable. I'm just short of capable people, and it's worthwhile."

Xuluot stood up and paced in contemplation. After a few simple lines of text, there is a series of political transactions and power games. Fortunately, as the high priest, my grandfather is at the top of the central power, and the result of the transaction will be satisfactory.

Time passed gently in the king's thinking with the sound of dripping rain. I don't know how long it took before a guard walked into the hall. He knelt respectfully on the ground and reported loudly, startling the king in contemplation.

"Your Highness! At your invitation, the original epic master of the Wind Palace, the knowledgeable elder of the Prepecha people, the wise Jatiri has arrived. He is outside the palace, requesting an audience with the respected king!"

Hmm, I am addicted to sleep. I felt a little uncomfortable at the weekend, and I have been lying at home for two days. Today I am refreshed! (_)Hmm, remembering the great man who passed away, destined to be recorded in the history of civilization.