Chapter 204 The Wind in the Capital Is Raging
The warm spring breeze comes from the ocean, bringing a moist and fresh breath, refreshing people. The sun shines on the calm Lake Patzcuaro, creating bright waves, like the smile of a god. The surface of the lake is like a huge silver mirror, reflecting the clouds in the sky and changing the unknown future.
In the sky, from time to time there are groups of wild geese heading north, singing their flying songs, overlooking the quiet water town. Along the lakeside, the fertile fields are already covered with green weeds and unknown wildflowers. Rabbits scamper among the barren farmland, and birds inhabit lonely villages. The tropical monsoon never stops, and when the crowds disperse, new life quietly arrives. It erases all traces of cruelty and paints a picture of natural lushness. This is the land in the lake in March, the vast fertile land promised by the gods.
Chihuaco, an old militiaman, stood on the tall city wall of Qincongcan, turning a blind eye to the scenery of the water town outside the city. He wore a warrior leather armor with a hummingbird pattern, a ring-shaped bonnet unique to the Talas people, and held a sharp copper spear half as tall as a person, showing some rare might. At this moment, with a ruthless expression on his face, he used his spare left hand to grab the collar of a middle-aged militiaman and asked him sternly repeatedly.
"How many people are there in the Mexica army in the north?"
"A lot, as much as corn in the field." The middle-aged militiaman said in a depressed mood. His face was starved and yellow, and his body was covered in mud, like a prairie dog emerging from a field.
"How many reinforcements do you have from Chapala?"
"Many, many more than there are pumpkin leaves in the field."
"Comparing you with the Mexicans, which one has more?"
This was a difficult question. The middle-aged militiaman stayed where he was, clasping his fingers and thinking for a while before speaking uncertainly.
"It seems that there are more of us? Our people have filled the field, and there is still room among the Mexicans. Yes, there are many of us! When we scattered and fled, the Mexicans couldn't catch up, so they could only grab the samurai. The master’s team won’t let go!”
"Damn it! Then tell me, why did you lose the first battle and scatter like cowardly ducks?! You sent messages here every two days, calling for support, but in the end there was no trace of the capital. Touch it!”
Chihuaco shouted. There was a tremor in his voice, and there was deep fear in the tremor. Fear turned into anger, causing him to ferociously press the middle-aged militiamen against the city wall and stare closely at them.
The middle-aged militiaman struggled like a teal duck and shouted in panic.
"The Chapala people are never afraid of dying in battle! We have walked for a long time and came from our hometown just to rescue you. It's just that the Mexica priests used magic to summon the gods to come and let out thunder! How can mortals resist gods? Even the noble gods can’t resist. I saw Datou running away first, so I followed him!”
After hearing the middle-aged militiaman's words, Chihuaco was startled and relaxed his hands slightly. He recalled the fire on Lake Euriria and the explosion of the river mouth fortress, so he asked solemnly.
"The gods are coming. What does that thunder look like? Is it a smoking ball?"
The middle-aged militiamen gasped for air. He didn't dare to look Chihuaco in the eyes and tilted his head to answer.
"The militiamen of our village were at the outermost edge of the army, and they couldn't see very clearly. They seemed to be two evil beasts shaped like tree trunks. They would roar loudly, and then thunder would fall on the army. Everyone was very scared, and many warrior masters were afraid. He knelt down and then the Mexicans rushed up shouting the name of the god. There was a lot of smoke, a ball? I don’t know what a ball was.”
"A tree trunk-like evil beast. It roars, thunders, and smokes."
Chihuaco murmured in his mouth, trying to recall the scenes he had seen before, those longbow warriors who lit rockets, and the northern barbarians who threw balls. Immediately, his cloudy eyes became brighter and he continued to ask fiercely.
"Does the mythical beast on the tree trunk need someone to command it? Then it will thunder?"
"It seems that there are indeed priests of strange gods, terrifying evil gods holding strange torches!"
The middle-aged militiaman tried hard to recall, and the nightmare scene reappeared, and finally his body trembled violently.
"The terrible evil god!! The big boss escaped, the leader of the village died, the villagers dispersed, and my son disappeared. I lost my way and escaped here. I want to go back, I want to go home, my son!"
Hearing this, Chihuaco's eyes darkened. He completely let go of his hand and sighed involuntarily. The old militiaman looked towards his hometown outside the city. Birds were rising and falling in the village, but the smoke was no longer visible.
Not far behind, the new nobleman Puap frowned and strode forward. He grabbed the mentally disturbed middle-aged militiaman and hit him in the back of the head with a semi-slant hand. The militiaman's eyes suddenly turned white, and he fell limply to the ground. The noisy voice finally disappeared.
"Old man Qi, why are you asking for so much detail? It's just annoying! The incompetent Chapala people are defeated. Look at the solid wall under your feet. As long as we hold on here, can the Mexicans still fly in? ?”
Facing the samurai captain, Chihuaco immediately bowed his waist so that his pointed hat was lowered than the forked feathers on the opponent's head, which was the symbol of Tarasco's nobility.
"My dear noble man, you are right! It's just that this matter is of great importance. The Mexicans always have new weapons that can change the outcome of the war."
"What's the use of caring about so much? Of course, the supreme chief has to worry about military and state affairs! As warriors, we only need to obey orders and take care of the things at hand!"
"Yes, you are a noble sir. We all obey your orders!" The old militiaman smiled with wrinkles and replied respectfully.
Looking at the old militiaman who bowed his head and obeyed, "Gray Earth" Puap carelessly patted the other man on the head. Then, wearing the bright clothes of the hummingbird nobles, he glanced around the city, until all the hundred warriors in the warrior team bowed their heads in salute, then he nodded with satisfaction. Then, he summoned the warrior confidants behind him and asked loudly.
"What have the Turks barbarians done recently?"
The samurai confidant bowed his head and replied.
"Master, the barbarians are quite honest. However, it is not a big deal to kidnap a few ordinary businessmen, kidnap the women of more than a dozen civilian families, and then kill several people in tribal battles."
Puap nodded and replied casually.
"As long as no nobles are involved and some civilians die, it's not a big deal. Anyway, the food in the city is not going to be distributed to them. These messy tribes have hatred for each other, so it doesn't matter if they fight, but they don't want to kill anyone. They still have to suppress it. Otherwise I won’t be able to explain it to the chief!”
Hearing this, the confidant understood and complimented with a smile.
"That's right, I am a big shot who can speak in front of the chief!"
Puap laughed and continued to speak proudly.
"Our Huitu family has been serving the Supreme Chief for generations, and we have been serving it for five generations now!"
At this moment, another trusted warrior came in a hurry and spoke anxiously.
"Sir, when the Tekos tribe militia heard about the defeat in the north, they started making noise again! They put out a few representatives and demanded that they return to the west and return home!"
His enthusiasm was dampened, Puap's face darkened, and he let out a sneer.
"Stupid barbarian! After entering the city, you still want to escape. How can such a good thing happen?! At this time of year, even the nobles can't leave!"
Then, the newly promoted noble shook the bronze spear in his hand, with a fierce light in his eyes.
"These barbarians still need to be dealt with. Come with me, pick two people who have no foundation and make a lot of noise, and kill the flag directly! Well, the chief has ordered us to get some wine, cakes, cotton women, and go to the leaders Good comfort."
At this point, Puap, the "grey soil", made a loud "poof" sound and shouted in a low voice.
"Damn it, the nobles are being honest, but the barbarians are making trouble in the capital. The world has really changed!"
The new nobles kept talking, and the expressions on their faces changed. After these few months of seeing and hearing, he finally understood. An unprecedented war has disrupted the world. Only the sharp weapons in our hands and the warriors following behind us are the foundation of our lives! As for the divine nobles and centuries-old bloodline, they are all mortal in the war and cannot escape the blow.
After thinking about this, Puap put on a smile and looked at the warriors behind him.
"Brothers, after you finish cleaning up the barbarians, come with me to the logistics camp to get your things! Until then, let's all have fun and enjoy ourselves!"
The warriors who followed laughed loudly and promised loudly. They clenched the weapons in their hands as if they were holding everything they desired.
"Old man Qi, are you going?"
Puap turned to ask Chihuaco.
"Noble sir, I will stay and guard the city wall. I will take care of my daughter when I return."
The old militiaman laughed along with him, and the wrinkles on his face turned into a flower.
"Then you just guard the wall and watch what's going on outside the city. You old idiot, last time we went to Lehe together, everyone else got a good-looking girl, but you got a little girl!"
Puap smiled and patted Chihuaco on the shoulder, rudely but with a touch of kindness. Then, he smiled and asked the other six people he had collected. The turbaned Vesti shook his head, and the bachelor Yayuli readily agreed. Half of the others stayed at the city gate, and the other half followed quickly.
Puap did have some intentions of wooing these seven-man militiamen.
These people have all seen blood and experienced wars, and are obviously different from the strong men brought from the city. They stick together very much, and for some reason, the majority of them are old men with unspectacular looks. In fact, he personally weighed it and found that these militiamen were scattered and their individual martial arts were only average. But once they form a spear formation, they are quite powerful and can fight with real samurai. Among the hundred warriors under his command, there are only about thirty that can fight. There was a lack of samurai in the capital at this time, as were most of the new squads.
As the sun set in the west, Puap held his head high and led the crowd away. The laughter of the warriors spread far away, and the common people along the way retreated, and even the noble houses became silent. The old militiaman stood silently at the top of the city until dusk fell and the replacement militiaman arrived. Then he took the remaining three militiamen back to his residence in the city.
Along the way, the prosperous capital city showed a bit of sadness. The market is deserted and sparsely populated. Only the craftsmen who make weapons work day and night, and the sound of "ding-dong-dang-dang" is carried far away by the wind. Under the setting sun, the sacred "House of Wind" pyramid casts a long black shadow, and the magnificent "Palace of Wind" glowed with blood-colored light.
Chihuaco looked for a moment, then lowered his head and walked straight to the civilian area in the south of the city. Except for the priest's temple, the king's palace, and the nobles' mansions, most civilians only lived in simple huts, even ordinary warriors.
When passing a large house, the old militiaman took a few more glances, and there were vague figures of several women inside. This is the stone house that Captain Puap recently bought. It is a large courtyard with enough space for people to go in and out. It often invites everyone to party and drink. The original owner seemed to be a large spice merchant. Now he has been executed for collaborating with the enemy, and all his property has been confiscated to replenish military supplies.
Chihuaco felt a little envious. It doesn't matter if the house looks good, the key is that it is sturdy and spacious. If there is such a big house, everyone can live together and take care of each other, which will make them feel more at ease. He continued walking in a hurry, and finally came to a large hut, where he smiled and said goodbye to the two militiamen. Only Weziti followed him with a dull look.
This is the new house in the capital, which the captain helped to get, and it is also the home that Chihuaco carefully cares for. It was dark in the hut, and the old militiaman called out twice before hearing movement in the corner. Then, he stepped forward and held up a torch to take a look at his daughter, who was huddled in the corner.
"Luwei, daddy calls you, why don't you respond?"
Little Reed lowered his head, hugged his legs, and huddled in the hay in the corner of the room. She is only thirteen years old, oh, she is already fourteen after the Chinese New Year, but she is still a little bit small. At this moment, the girl was mostly covered by the grass, and only her small head was exposed, like a thin reed. In fact, the old militiamen are said to be old, but they are only in their early forties. It's just that country people are exposed to wind and sun and work hard all year round, which makes them look extra old.
Seeing that Reed remained silent, Chihuaco sighed. He stepped forward and touched his daughter's head affectionately. The girl trembled all over, shrank down in fear, raised her eyes to see her father's face clearly, and then relaxed slightly. then. She lowered her head again and buried it in her lap, still not speaking.
The old militiaman looked at his daughter with a rare tenderness on his face. This was his biological daughter. He found her from the logistics camp with great difficulty, but was almost given to the brutal Tekos barbarian. The old militiaman was full of fear. He knew the fate of those women.
"Luwei, Luwei, I only have you now, and you only have me. Your brother is the second batch of militiamen recruited and has already gone to the southeast front. The village chief who harmed you is the third batch of militiamen and has also gone to the battlefield. I think it’s already cool. There was a fourth batch a few months ago and you were my last hope.”
Chihuaco muttered softly, feeling sad in his heart. I heard from the samurai in the capital that the southeastern front line was extremely cruel. Even the nobles died like weeds, and the consumed militiamen could not be replenished at all. It was out of reach, and my son had never experienced a battle, so there was probably no hope. It's just that he didn't see the body, but he still had a thought. And the daughter he finally found in front of him is his only sustenance.
The old militiaman touched his daughter's thin face again, feeling extremely distressed. He took out the tortillas given out in the morning from his arms and handed them to Luwei. A corner of the pancake was missing and there were a few tooth marks on it. He only took two bites in the morning and saved most of it for his daughter. Following the samurai captain, there is still a stable source of food, unlike the civilians in the city who now have difficulty buying even a piece of food.
Reed took the cake and her eyes shone. The girl took a few big bites and then let out an anxious whine. The cold biscuits were too hard and she was too weak to chew them.
Chihuaco sighed again. He took the pancakes back, lit a bonfire, and boiled a pot of hot water. Then, he carefully soaked the pancake until it was soft, tasted it and it was not hot, and then handed it to his daughter along with the pottery bowl.
Lu Wei watched his father busy in a daze. Then, her eyes shone again, and she lowered her head to nibble the cake carefully, like a little hamster. The old militiaman looked at his daughter with a smile on his face. Wezti, who was wearing a turban, took two steps away and watched the old militiaman looking at his daughter. He remained silent, except for the corners of his mouth slightly raised.
After a long time, until the reeds had finished eating and shrank back into the haystack again, the old militiaman poured a bowl of hot water and drank up the remaining residue. Then, he turned around and asked seriously.
"Silly wood, your mother-in-law and child are still not found?"
Wezti shook his head sadly.
"Uncle, I can't find it."
Chihuaco looked at Weezti for a while and asked softly.
"The noble master asked you to get a girl, why don't you want to?"
Vezti stood quietly for a moment before shaking his head again.
"Uncle, I don't want to. I, I'm afraid of losing it again."
The old militiaman lowered his eyes and sighed deeply again. He looked at his daughter in the haystack, then at Weziti who was standing blankly, and said after a long time.
"Silly wood, you have lost your mother-in-law, and I have lost my son, so let's just live together! You can also help me take care of Luwei."
Weziti was silent for a while, without saying anything, and just nodded vigorously. After a while, he asked.
"Uncle, we have been defeated and the Mexicans are coming. What will we do in the future?"
The old militiaman turned around, took off his leather armor, and hung up his pointed hat. Then, he held the spear that never left his body at an angle and spoke slowly.
"Take one step and look at it. Uncle, I will eventually find a way to survive for you and Lu Wei!"
As he spoke, he looked at the towering Wind Palace through the holes in the hut, with a strange look in his eyes.
In the center of the royal capital, the majestic Palace of Winds still towers as tall as in the sky, overlooking everything on the earth below. The wind is blowing violently in the capital, and the war situation is dangerous. The civilians were shaken by the storm, the tribal militias were noisy and restless, the warriors held their own with their own troops, and the nobles stopped singing and dancing. Only the priests continued to sing all night long and pray more and more deeply.
Chief Minister Zinzini stood on the top of the palace with his hands behind his back, staring at the swaying capital city, like a divine envoy oppressing the world. The long wind picked up, blowing the old man's white hair and brushing his old face. The chief minister felt the coldness of the night wind and remained silent for a long time, like a frozen sculpture.
In heaven and on earth, the night of the capital was full of silence, with only the singing of sacrifices. After a while, there was suddenly some noise in a corner of the capital. A faint voice came with the night wind, and the cold chief spoke majestically.
"Is that the base of the Tekos tribe?"
"Yes, chief." The guards behind him bowed and answered.
"What happened?"
"Pu'apu of the Gray Earth Family dealt with the noisy Tekos militia not long ago. Now, he has led the wine women and is appeasing the tribal leaders."
"Yeah." The chief nodded calmly. Then, he changed the subject.
"After hearing the news of the defeat in the north, how are the priests and nobles in the city?"
"The low-level priests hold ceremonies day and night. The high-level priests have held secret meetings several times and have no inappropriate thoughts. The elders summoned the temple guards to firmly protect the priest temple next to the pyramid. The nobles are all quiet and there has been no movement recently."
"The Mexica launched a war of gods, and the priests and elders have no way out. Although they are short-sighted, there is no need to worry at this time. Let the monitoring personnel focus on the nobles, especially the nobles with many private soldiers! These cunning wolves cannot be tamed. As long as the Mexica promises fiefs and titles, their loyalty will drift like fallen leaves. If necessary, they can be dealt with decisively!"
"Yes, Chief!" The guards bowed their heads and obeyed without hesitation.
Zinjinni looked to the north. Under the light of the bright moon, the flat fields extended to the north, which was an unknown danger.
"How many remnants of Chapala have been gathered?" The chief's voice was a little hoarse.
"Less than a thousand militiamen. The Mexica sent out jaguar warriors to drive them away, and most of the scattered legions fled to the west."
Zinjinni clenched the staff in his hand and gritted his teeth.
"Damn it! The crocodile is brave but not wise, and the feathers are flashy and useless. They should all be sacrificed to the gods! One of them was impulsive and the other fled cowardly, and together they ruined the north of the kingdom!"
Hearing the chief's anger, the guards behind him lowered their heads and dared not make a sound.
"Did the remnants explain clearly what the divine weapons used by the Mexica were? I know the combat power of the Chapala Legion. An army of 30,000 should not be so vulnerable."
The chief minister looked solemn and asked seriously.
"It seems to be a wooden beast several meters long, which can roar and emit smoke and thunder. The Chapala Legion suddenly encountered this weapon, and its morale was greatly hit. The warriors were shaken, and the Mexica took the opportunity to charge and break into the central army. Then, the feather marshal of the central army fled first, and the legion then completely collapsed."
The guards explained in a low voice, not daring to add any personal opinions.
Zinjini frowned and pondered for a long time. The new weapons of the Mexica people emerged one after another, changing the situation of the war again and again. He had no clue and could only sigh softly.
"His Highness the Mexica in the north is young, but he is a formidable opponent! Have you sent the king's envoy?"
"Yes, Chief."
"Send another envoy, asking the king to be careful of the new weapons of the Mexica people. Once the royal army returns, it must travel light and fast, and do not stay on the way!"
"Yes, Chief!"
The Chief Minister turned around and looked far to the southeast. Under the stars at night, the undulating mountains loomed, like a crawling giant beast, silent in the wind.
"Has the situation around Patzcuaro changed?"
After a while, Zinjini asked again, his voice low and hoarse.
"Chief, there are not enough patrol warriors, and the grain transport team is the same as before."
The Chief Minister closed his eyes and said nothing. After a moment, he sighed deeply.
"Take one step at a time and see what happens. As long as the king retreats in time, we still have hope. The night is long, and we will wait for the dawn to come!"
Then, there was no more talk, only the deep darkness. The night wind was mighty, passing through the top floor of the Wind Palace, ringing the rapid wind chimes. The sound of the copper bells was sad and distant, drifting in the vast night. The night song was sad, drifting in the garden pavilion, swaying the sacrificial bonfire, and then sinking into the military camp hut. The clouds in the night sky dispersed, and where the stars fell, it was the strong wind in the capital.