Chapter 158: Northern Expedition

Green smoke rose from the clay pot where saltpeter was boiling, and went straight into the distant sky. When the wind passed, the surface of Lake Texcoco was full of waves, like a changing heart lake. The tide rose in an instant, and fell in a flash, and the only thing that remained unchanged was the treasures at the bottom of the lake.

Xiuluot broke free from Talaya's arms and slowly stood up. A few moments ago, a strong impulse made him stand up and face the stern Avit to save the gunpowder manager. At this time, after the conflict, when he recalled the promise of Xingye and reflected on the interference of desire, he clarified his heart in the baptism of worldly affairs.

He used his hand to block the potter girl who wanted to rely on him and shook his head gently.

"Talaya, you are very talented, do a good job in gunpowder research."

After saying that, Xiuluot took a deep look at Talaya who was standing there, and then turned around and left alone, with a resolute step.

Bertard sighed. The chief warrior knew the boy very well, and knew that he had made a decision, so he had to shake his head and follow closely.

The sun suddenly set, and the lake capital alternated between light and darkness. The bonfire in the high priest's house was burning unchangingly, which was the light that never went out in the boy's eyes.

"Xuluot, my child. She is just an ordinary woman. No matter how beautiful she is, she can be abandoned. Why confront the king?"

The high priest frowned slightly, looking at the grandson who had devoted his heart and soul, with admonition in his words.

Xuluot shook his head calmly.

"She is my most valued subordinate and an important research craftsman. I cannot let her be taken away. I manage the Divine Revelation Institute, Tianhuo Island and the New Army Camp. I have followers, priests, craftsmen and grandfathers of the New Army under my command. I am no longer a child who relies on others."

"Now, I am a leader, the backbone of tens of thousands of people, and thousands of followers are willing to die. These people rely on me, so I must protect them. Even Avit cannot handle my important affairs at will and let the group be alienated. You once told me that the eagle must dominate the sky, the jaguar must dominate the earth, and the king must dominate the people."

Hearing this, the high priest laughed. He patted Xiu Luote's shoulder and stopped touching the boy's head.

"My young eagle has grown up. He should lead the mountains and forests and soar in the world."

Then, the high priest looked at the most outstanding offspring and taught them carefully.

"My child, continue to hone your ambition. In the core of power, the strong always cooperate and confront, confront and compromise. The alliance only recognizes the strong, and the rules are only used to constrain civilians. You must be strong enough to inherit everything I have now and move to a higher peak.

Remember, in the jungle of Mexica, the supreme power will not fall naturally like a fruit, it is always accompanied by fierce competition. As the old proverb says, only what can be taken by force will be handed over peacefully. Of course, you need to pay attention to strategy."

The night is getting deeper and the bonfire is gradually extinguished. Xiu Luote lay on the bed, holding the little green snake in his arms, feeling the softness and coldness, thinking about obedience and wildness, and fell asleep.

The next day, Xiu Luote got up early to train as usual. After breakfast, he carried a wooden box on his back and went to the Montezuma Palace.

The northern advance army is about to set out, and the various troops are beginning to be drawn. Yesterday, my grandfather promised a thousand temple guards, giving priority to familiarizing themselves with bows and crossbows, and sending a group of priests to accompany the army. Now, he would ask the king for a warrior directly under him.

When he saw Avite again, the king's face was calm and majestic, and he had a book of "Noble Law" in his hands.

"Xuluot, go talk to Alyssa first, she has been talking about you for a long time."

Xuluot nodded and went to the garden in the backyard.

Alyssa was still dressed in white. Seeing the boy, she approached with joy and gave him a gentle hug.

Xuluot was silent for a moment and opened the wooden box behind him. He took out the cute eagle who was still sleeping soundly and handed it to Alyssa's arms.

"I will go to war soon. Little Avite can accompany you."

Alyssa held the little golden eagle and gently stroked its soft little head.

The cute eagle opened its eyes, glanced at the girl in white, and asked in confusion, "Chiji?". Then, it recognized the good man and made a short and joyful "Yo Yo! Yo Yo!", shaking its neck and rubbing.

Xuluot sat silently without speaking.

Alyssa blinked her shining eyes and spoke.

"Xuluot, I have made rapid progress in learning herbs. Thank you for the inheritance of the chief priest. Soon, I will be able to mix drinks that will make you happy."

Xuluot nodded and listened quietly.

"You and your father have been a little depressed these two days!"

Xuluot raised his head, looked at the innocent expression of the girl, and lowered his head again without saying a word.

"I can feel your mood. Father is depressed and angry. Yesterday, he punished a trusted guard, and then drove Uncle Gillim out of the palace and forbade him to come for several days."

Xuluot raised his head again, a little surprised. Why did Avit punish Gillim?

"Gilliam? Why?"

"Well, Uncle Gillim seems to have made a serious mistake, and my father felt offended, so he was very angry."

"Is that so? Then, what kind of person is Gillim in Alyssa's eyes?"

"Uncle Gillim always has a serious face. He never cares about himself, but cares about everyone, no matter how big or small. He especially cares about his younger brother. Last month, his younger brother fell ill, and he went to the southern city-state and brought back several famous witch doctors. He lost a lot of weight. Fortunately, his younger brother recovered quickly."

Xuluot thought for a moment, and his face became solemn. Alyssa suddenly held the boy's hand.

"Xulot, well, I want to tell you that my uncle is nice to everyone here, but he is only hostile to you. You need to be careful."

Shulot looked at the girl's concerned eyes and was moved in his heart, silently lowering his head.

"I can feel your mood. Shulot, you are depressed and a little guilty, and you have been unwilling to look into my eyes. Why?"

Shulot was speechless. He sat next to Alyssa, watching the little golden eagle flutter and take off slightly, smelling the fragrance of flowers on the girl's body, making his heart pure. After a while, he said softly.

"Alyssa, I'm fine. I'm leaving."

Alyssa tilted her head and looked at Xilot for a while, then took out an awkward-looking cotton sachet and placed it in the boy's hand.

"Xulot, this is the sachet I sewed. It contains delicious vanilla pods and refreshing horsemint. Well, you can use it when you go on an expedition."

Shulot took the sachet, looked at the crooked stitching on it, then held the girl's hand and looked at the fingers. He stood silent for a moment, gave Alyssa a hug, then turned around and left quickly.

Seeing this, Avitt walked down from the second floor window. He sat cross-legged in the main hall, picked up the newly printed paper book again, and looked calm.

When Shulot walked into the hall, he did not see the intelligence officer. At the king's signal, he sat cross-legged opposite.

"Dear King, the advance army is about to set off. I need more longbow warriors for the naval expedition."

Avitt nodded slightly.

"Xulot, longbow warriors need the foundation of bows and arrows. The warriors in the entire lake area have been selected, and only more than 5,000 are qualified, and they have all been recruited. I will give you 2,000 longbow warriors, each equipped with two bows. These elites, You need to take care of it when you use it!”

Shulot bowed to the ground.

"Do your will."

Avitt thought for a moment and gave the order slowly again.

"I will give the Northern Route Army a regiment of 8,000 people. In addition to the 2,000 longbows, according to your proposal, 3,000 royal warriors will be handed over to Barda and will immediately join the advance army. The remaining 3,000 warriors will be completed in October at the latest Mobilize, commanded by the glorious nobleman Tepopolo, to join the main force of the Northern Route Army. You will control the Northern Route Army, and you will need to negotiate and mobilize the remaining troops with the city-states in the North. "

Shulot nodded respectfully, as it should be. When the alliance center issues a call for war, each city-state decides the scale of its response and cannot directly recruit.

Then, the boy recalled the terrain on both sides of the Leman River and made a request.

"Dear King, I need a group of elite noble warriors. The Jaguar Warriors can serve as elite sentinels of the army and assist in liaison with various ministries. The Eagle Warriors will serve as the solid backbone of the battle formation and unify the warriors of various ministries."

Avitt thought about it for a long time before speaking.

"I will give you another five hundred Jaguar Chapter. When the army is dispatched, you cannot lack eyes and ears. But the backbone Eagle Chapter cannot be given to you. They must serve as the core of the legion and unite the 100,000 troops on the southern route. For these alliances Military noble, you must be very careful and avoid excessive casualties!"

Shulot understands the influence of these warrior nobles and believes in the combat effectiveness of these elite battle groups. He nodded respectfully and obeyed.

In Aztec culture, the eagle is a symbol of the sun, and the eagle warriors are the guards of the sun god, selected from the real aristocracy. They will only be used at the most critical time. Their status is equivalent to the Yulin Army of the Celestial Dynasty. Their formation is strict and defensive, and they must not be easily compromised. Jaguar warriors are the guardians of the rain god. The battle group is open to the lower-level warriors, who can use them more.

Avitt stared at the young man in front of him and ordered in a dignified voice.

"Xulot, my student, the army directly under the royal family is about to be dispatched. The alliance is advancing in two directions, and the north and south are threatening and pressuring the Tarascans at the same time, forcing them to mobilize during spring plowing. I will hand over the northern route army to you. You have high expectations, don’t let me down!”

Hearing this, Shulot paid homage and promised loudly. He took the cold cocoa from the maid and drank it all in one gulp, letting the bitterness, sweetness and spiciness reverberate in his mouth, and letting the bright red cocoa drip from the corner of his mouth. Then, he bowed deeply, said goodbye and left.

The remaining days of April were spent preparing the army for war and gathering food and supplies. Thulot set up a camp on the west side of the capital at the source of the Leman River. A thousand guardsmen battalions, carrying longbows on their backs, were the first to move in. Then came a thousand temple guards and a group of hundreds of priests. Finally, there are two thousand longbow warriors, three thousand stick and shield warriors, and five hundred jaguar noble battle groups directly under the royal family.

In the middle of reorganizing the army, Shulot went to the Divine Enlightenment Station again, took out two hundred crossbows, and delivered them to his trusted temple guards. The crossbow requires less archery skills, but it also requires a certain foundation. Then, he did not leave in person, but sent people to Tianhuo Island to fetch tens of thousands of rockets and hundreds of caltrops that were rushed to be made, which were enough for a big battle.

With the arrival of a new batch of craftsmen and warriors, Tianhuo Island has turned into a large arsenal, and the craftsmen are busy day and night. Of course, the production of gunpowder weapons takes time, and the raw materials for gunpowder also need to be accumulated. This batch of weapons is already the entire inventory.

April is coming to an end and the air is getting moister. When the first clouds from the east come from the sky, bringing water vapor from the vast sea, the rainy season is just around the corner.

Shulot came out of the camp with his guards, and finally inspected the nearby villages, looking at the vitality and new changes.

The arrival of the rainy season is always accompanied by busy spring plowing. In the land of the alliance, tens of thousands of farmers began to work hard. They burned the dense forests and weeds in the fields, dug in the soil with stone tools, sowed corn seeds, and cherished the hope of a year's harvest.

The village priests of the alliance built a shrine. They no longer used the emblem and rituals of the God of Corn, and uniformly replaced them with hummingbirds and suns that symbolized the main god.

"The main god controls the sun and illuminates the earth. He ate the God of Corn, Quetzalcoatl, and from then on he took charge of the harvest of the world!"

Facing the panicked village farmers, the priests of the capital explained so. They raised the holy fire, sacrificed several kinds of grains, and prayed for the arrival and blessing of the main god. Everything was the same as in previous years, except that the gods were changed to create the almighty Supreme.

The farmers were still in a panic. They would whisper to the priests, privately sacrifice to the God of Corn, and even make requests to Shulot in priest clothes. The young priest shook his head and refused, looking calmly at the worried farmers.

"This is an era of myths. Only when the harvest of the new year is carried out normally, will the stubborn farmers begin to accept the Lord God. Only after several years of continuous good harvests can the farmers be completely convinced. And once the most traditional farmers accept the Lord God, the new monotheism will be truly rooted in this fertile land."

Facing the vast fields, Xiu Luote thought so. Then, he looked at the eastern sky, and the dark clouds with wind, thunder and rain gradually pressed to the west. The young man felt the moist east wind and nodded slowly.

Two days later, a continuous fleet came in a mighty manner. Three hundred large boats and thousands of small boats, fully loaded with food for the northern army, docked at the riverside camp. Xiu Luote took 7,000 elite warriors, boarded the mighty fleet, and officially announced the westward expedition!

The Leman River for thousands of miles goes all the way west, and the turbulent river carries a powerful fleet. The Mexica army marched westward, carrying the warriors' determination to conquer, the glory of the priests' gods, and the desire for the king's independence, to the land of the Tarasco people.

A few days later, Xuluot met with the local noble representatives in the western city-state. Everyone feasted and got drunk together at the banquet. Afterwards, he met privately with the nobles who had already agreed to talk about the friendship of his grandfather and the promise of the future in exchange for the support of the city-states. Three thousand city-state warriors once again joined the advance army of the westward expedition.

The army set out again, and the fleet of the westward expedition crossed the border of the western city-state. On the most gorgeous boat, Xuluot looked at both sides of the river, the river was surging away, and the scenery was slowly coming. He saw the mountains and wilderness along the river of the Otomi people on the north bank, and the vague hills and villages of the Tarasco people on the south bank. Finally, two weeks later, he saw the starting point again.

On the banks of the Leman River, the sturdy wooden fort still stands, and the old battlefield is covered with green grass.

I was not in a good mood yesterday. I really appreciate the comments and suggestions from readers. I read for a long time, sorting out my thoughts, and was moved. I feel much better today. Thank you for your support. I wish you all a happy holiday. _/＼○_ bows to thank you!