Chapter 170 Reinforcements

August is the peak of the rainy season. The gods opened the passage between the heavenly river and the human world, and heavy rain poured down from the sky.

From the Great Temple in Lake Texcoco to the House of Wind by Lake Patzcuaro, the vast land was full of wind and rain. The soft soil was filled with rainwater, and the bluestone walls were slippery. All battles became difficult, so they slowly stopped.

The wind and rain were all over the sky. Xiuluot, dressed in a plain robe, stood on the watchtower of the wooden fortress, looking east to the Leman River. He was waiting for the returning fleet. Looking around, the rain curtain was connected into one piece, and the river water not far away continued to rise, and the water surface became wider. The river was turbulent and rushed all the way to the west.

The heavy rain limited the vision. The young commander didn't know how long he stood there until the first vague black spot appeared in front of him, followed by the second and third hundreds of boats coming down the river, and the warriors densely covering the bows came in the rain. He finally smiled and hurried down from the watchtower.

Soon, the dock on the river bank was ready, the huge fleet slowly docked, and the warriors went ashore one after another.

Xuluot had already changed into the majestic commander's uniform, and surrounded by the guards, he welcomed the new legion.

Anatri, holding a spear in hand, jumped off the gorgeous boat. She strode to the young commander and bowed her head to salute seriously.

"Your Highness, one thousand temple guards, three thousand royal warriors, four thousand holy city legions, and three months of food for twenty thousand people have all arrived on time!"

Xuluot returned the salute solemnly.

"Anatri, the rain is so heavy, you have worked hard all the way! It is not easy for the warriors to march in the rain for several days. The wooden fort has prepared a banquet, dry clothes and barracks. The reinforcements will go to rest now, and the sailors can also take turns to go ashore!"

Then, Xuluot took two steps forward and walked towards the commanders of the reinforcements. He first saluted with the honorable nobleman Tepopolo. The young commander looked at Tepopolo with some curiosity. Even though the weather was so hot and humid, he still wore a wet fur hat on his head, covering his forehead tightly.

"Your Highness, I have some minor injuries on my forehead. Please forgive me for not being able to take off my hat to salute."

Tepopolo explained awkwardly.

The young commander nodded and did not ask in detail in front of everyone. Tepopolo breathed a sigh of relief.

Then, Xiuluot looked not far away. His father Xiusoke smiled and his eyes were gentle. In his smile was the joy that had not been seen for a long time, and in his eyes was the calm and hidden concern.

The two looked at each other for a moment, suppressed their excitement, and bowed their heads at the same time. Then, Xiuluot also saluted with his teacher Olosh. Looking at the majestic young man, Olosh grinned, his expression full of joy and relief.

The welcome banquet was formal and simple. There was no grand singing and dancing at the banquet, and the generals did not drink wantonly. The camp prepared roasted venison, roasted rabbit, corn tortillas, black bean puree, a few cups of freshly made cocoa drinks, and finally delicious fish soup made from freshly caught fish.

Xiuluot secretly instructed. Fresh fish was boiled in boiling water, and then clean fine salt and Mexican pepper to drive away the cold were added. Then, the fish soup was slowly simmered in a clay pot for a long time until the clear stew was thick and white, the bones and meat were separated, and the aroma was fragrant.

Everyone drank a bowl of fish soup and felt that it was extremely delicious and sweated all over. Everyone praised the chef's skills for a few words and then got down to business. The reinforcements from various units reported the detailed situation of the army. Bertard described the garrison situation of the wooden fort in the north and the approximate strength of the Tarasco people in the south. Finally, Xiuluot made a strategy, and each unit was stationed separately, guarding the camp tightly, and patiently waiting for the arrival of the war opportunity.

When dusk fell, the banquet ended and the generals returned to their camps. As the commander of the navy, Anatri had to return to the big boat to rest. She followed the tradition of her ancestors, rarely left the fleet, and did not contact the nobles of the alliance.

Xiuluot thought for a moment and smiled. He ordered Bertard to send the captain of the navy off. At the banquet just now, he had heard of Anatari's bold words and knew the origin of the scar on Tepopolo's head. At this time, he had a vague idea.

After receiving the commander's military order, the vicissitudes of the warrior chief looked at the young man in silence for a moment, and then bowed his head to accept the order.

When he walked out of the big tent, the wind and rain came. Anatari stood straight, tilted his head slightly, and looked at the warrior chief with interest. After a moment, she simply saluted and asked loudly.

"Bertard, I haven't seen you for a month. I just heard that you killed forty Tarasco warriors in one battle, and were named the chief of the Holy Eagle Warriors by His Highness, and also triggered the divine appearance of the Sun God. Now, the army is rumored to be the best warrior of the Northern Army. I wonder when you are free, can you compete with me?"

The chief warrior looked at Anatari calmly. He didn't say anything, just returned a salute.

Anatari frowned slightly. After thinking for a moment, she strode towards the fleet by the river. The chief warrior lagged behind by a body length, and followed steadily. The female warrior secretly observed the other's footsteps and listened to the rhythm of her breathing. Then, she accelerated her running, running like a cheetah on the soft soil, and quickly left the wooden fort behind.

Bertard still had a steady pace, his breathing was not disordered, and he always kept a distance of one body length.

Anatari observed for a moment, then suddenly stopped and stood still.

"You must compete with me, otherwise I will stand here and not leave!"

In the wind and rain, Bertard stood silently. He waited calmly for a long time, and the heavy rain soaked their clothes. Until the night was dark, the warrior leader looked at the determined expression of the female warrior and finally spoke helplessly.

"Okay!"

Darkness fell, and a bonfire was lit in the commander's cabin. In the flickering firelight, Xiu Luote crossed his legs, sat opposite his father, and talked closely.

"Father, are your injuries healed?"

Xiusuke smiled and nodded, patting his chest.

"It has been healed for a long time. Now I can charge into battle at any time and fight for half a day. In the past six months, I heard that you were in danger several times in the capital, so I often wanted to go to the capital to find you. But your grandfather didn't allow it, and asked me to control the legion and make any preparations."

Xiusuke lightly passed it over without mentioning the details of the preparations. Then, he looked at the handsome and resolute boy, smiled with satisfaction, and patted his son's shoulder.

"I heard that you have done many great things, and I didn't believe it at first. But today, after seeing you and watching your words and deeds, I really believe it. In the past six months, you have indeed grown a lot! You are already able to command the army and face the blood and fire. The responsibility and future of the family are now on your shoulders!"

When he said the last sentence, Xiusuke was inexplicably a little emotional. Seeing his son's rapid growth, he was very pleased, but he couldn't help wondering if he was old.

Xiuluot listened quietly, with a genuine smile on his face. After a while, he spoke softly.

"Father, I have no experience in large-scale command battles. This time on the Western Expedition, I plan to let you serve as the marshal of the Northern Army, to pressure and control the various departments, and to master specific military affairs."

Xiusoke was stunned. He was slightly moved, thought for a while, and shook his head firmly.

"Xiuluot, I will definitely assist you in this Western Expedition. Serving as a marshal will help establish prestige and win over the hearts of the troops of various departments. You should take this position yourself! I can serve as the deputy marshal. If this expedition is successful, the honor will be on you. If it fails, I will take the responsibility. My son, my future is already determined, but your future has unlimited possibilities!"

Hearing his father's sincere words, the young man was silent for a moment and nodded slowly.

After deciding on the primary and secondary divisions, the two discussed the specific military deployment and the arrangements for the camps of various departments.

After the adjustment, the trusted central army was stationed in the main fort in the middle. The central army included 4,000 Holy City warriors, 2,000 Temple Guards, Longbow Guard Battalion and Jaguar Regiment, totaling about 7,000 people. Then, the left and right armies were 3,000 royal warriors, plus 1,000 longbow warriors, led by Barda and Tepopolo, stationed in the left and right forts. The last rear army was 3,000 western city-state warriors, scattered in the outer camps, also responsible for patrolling. As for the logistics food and grass, most of them were concentrated in the main fort for storage, and only one month's food was distributed to each branch fort.

Xiuluot took out the wooden map and mentioned the latest military situation.

"Father, I plan to bypass the fortress defense line on the south bank. I learned from the captives in the last ambush that the fortresses in the south have been in operation for many years, with strong defenses, complex terrain, and mutual response. The stone forts and wooden forts are stationed with local nobles and militia."

"In order to protect their property, they are very determined to fight, and even took the initiative to fight once to drive away the samurai squad that harassed and destroyed. Now, they choose to defend their place and mobilize young men to enter the city. It is not wise to break through so many fortresses one by one, and we don't have enough troops."

Xiusoke looked at the pattern on the map and constructed the situation on the south line in his mind. After a while, he nodded in agreement.

"So, you plan to go south from Quetiao Lake? Then the fortress at the estuary in the south will be the biggest checkpoint for you to go south."

Xuluot smiled confidently.

"Indeed, I have a rough siege plan. According to the latest intelligence, the main force of the Tarasco Navy in the south has set out to the west downstream to meet the reinforcements from the Chapala Lake area. The round trip of hundreds of miles, plus the gathering of troops, will take nearly a month, and the estuary fortress will be in a relatively weak state."

Speaking of this, Xiu Luote hesitated.

"Father, our reinforcements have arrived, and the troops are temporarily superior. What I am hesitating about now is whether to take this opportunity to send troops south and quickly attack the estuary fortress. If the estuary fortress can be captured before the autumn harvest mobilization, the situation will suddenly change and the future will suddenly open up!"

Xiusoke was a little surprised and looked at the boy in disbelief.

"How can such a strong fortress be broken within a month? How sure are you?"

Xiusoke smiled and answered cautiously.

"I have invented a new weapon, which is very powerful and about 50% sure. If the enemy is not prepared, it can blow open the wooden door and let the warriors rush in!"

Xiusoke thought for a while. He carefully checked the map and the distribution of troops again and asked.

"Xuluot, have you actually used this weapon in the previous war?"

Xuluot was silent for a moment and shook his head.

Xusok then understood. He patted his son's shoulder again and advised.

"My son, in actual wars, commanders always have to consider the worst case scenario and leave room for everything. Various unexpected accidents always happen, and often bring the worst results. When you have an advantage, you should further expand your advantage and suppress the enemy from the front. And taking a risk is often just the last resort when you are at a disadvantage."

"Before solving the Tarasco fleet, the main force ventured south and fell into an uncertain siege. This is a risky choice. Once the enemy forces gather, reinforcements arrive, and the navy threatens the retreat, the army may be destroyed."

Hearing his father's teachings, Xiu Luote thought for a moment and nodded.

"Generals who are really good at fighting always make plans before the war, and there will be no epic victory of risking their lives. They always manage the situation and defeat the defeated enemy with a winning momentum."

Hearing this, Xiusoke savored it for a while and laughed in agreement.

"Where did my son hear the method of using troops? It is indeed a brilliant and good advice."

Then, Xiusoke continued to point his finger at the map and pointed to the north.

"Xiuluot, the first priority of the army is to manage the situation and take the initiative. Your original plan is actually very good. Taking advantage of the opportunity of the Tarasco Navy leaving, we must first eliminate the unstable factors in the rear and drag the Otomies into the water! Once the army goes south, we cannot leave the weak rear road to the untrustworthy Otomies."

Xiuluot nodded in agreement and smiled slightly.

"Father, heroes think alike! Now we finally have the upper hand. When the rain stops, I will lead my troops north and force the Otomians to make a choice to fight with us against the Tarasco!"

Xiusok smiled and nodded. Then, he thought of his own experience, the crucial blow in the Battle of the Two Kings, and reminded him seriously.

"Xuluot, if the Otomians agree to send troops, just in case, don't mix their army with the Northern Army!"

Xuluot was slightly startled and asked.

"Father, what do you think we should do?"

Xiusok moved his finger forward and pointed to Sakapbang in Tarasco, further west of the Leman River.

"It's here. If the Otomis really want to cooperate with the alliance, they will not take the initiative to go to the southern defense line to hit the hard stone and lose precious warriors. Sakapu State and Otomigoumare State are across the river, between the Chapala Lake area and the southern defense line. There should not be many Tarasco defenders here, and the town is quite prosperous. Putting a troop here can mobilize the troops on the southern line on the one hand, and attract the attention of the Chapala reinforcements on the other hand."

Xuluot looked at the map and his eyes lit up.

"Yes! The Otomis mercenaries in Tarasco come from here. There are also small tribes of Otomis in the mountains and forests on the south bank, and they are involved with the Otomis in the north. Attacking here as a negotiation requirement is easier for the Otomis to accept!"

At this point, the two looked at each other and laughed, reaching a complete consensus.

The swaying bonfire and the warm breeze brought relaxation to the body and mind. The father and son talked for a long time at night, and many old things came to mind. Unknowingly, the morning light outside the house was dim.

Early the next morning, a team of envoys left the main fort in a hurry, carrying the commander's latest request and heading to the northern city of Otopen.

The heavy rain continued, and another week passed in the blink of an eye. The Otomi people finally sent an envoy to reply. The two sides agreed that their leaders would come in person to negotiate formally in the forest between Otopen and the wooden fort on the north bank.

Note: After publishing yesterday, I wrote another hour and added 800 to 900 words. Friends who read before 1 a.m. can refresh the previous chapter. Thank you, please support!