Chapter 247 The Knowledgeable Elder
"Oh! The knowledgeable elder Jatiri has arrived? Why don't you summon him quickly! No, I will go to the door myself!"
Shulot suddenly woke up and turned around. There was a hint of joy on his face, and he walked quickly to the entrance of the hall. Then, the young king suddenly remembered something. He looked at the plain robe on his body, paused for a moment, and waved to the warrior chief to put on a solemn sacrificial robe for him. Then he strode to the entrance of the hall and couldn't wait to take a closer look.
The mighty long wind blows along the corridor and into the door of the Palace of Winds; a curtain with paintings of the main gods stands in the corridor, and the emblem of the hummingbird sun flutters in the wind. The two rows of guarding Mexica warriors remained silent, with only the wind chimes ringing softly in the palace.
Among the samurai's low-hanging war sticks, a gray-haired old man was leaning on a simple wooden staff, quietly staring at the ancient murals in the corridor, and also at the fresh paint marks on the murals that were still wet. He is thin and has a ruddy complexion. He wears a flat dark round hat and a traditional Prepecha blue robe. Several black and white ribbons hung from the back of the blue robe, and there were various mysterious and unknown symbols on the ribbons.
Although this sage's attire is simple, it is definitely not something ordinary people can wear. It symbolizes a rare and noble identity and a knowledgeable elder in the ethnic group who masters knowledge and inheritance. Wearing this costume while walking on the road will naturally attract the awe of the Prepecha tribes.
Hearing the sound, Sage Jatiri finally moved his eyes away from the ancient and brand-new murals. He turned his head, revealing a pair of eyes as deep as lake water, and an old and slender face. He looked at Shulot, at the young king's delicate and resolute face, at the gentle jade-like eyes, and then at the king's solemn and solemn posture, a trace of surprise finally appeared on his face.
"The rotten wood of Prepecha, the remnants of the Kingdom of Tarasco, Jatiri, greet His Highness Mexica, the conqueror of the kingdom, the great new king!"
Jatiri took a rare breath of silence before lowering the wooden stick in his hand, lowering his head and bowing in salute.
The king in front of him was actually so young, just a boy of fifteen or sixteen years old! The young king's handsome appearance, calm demeanor, and wise and firm eyes were completely different from the image of the cruel and tyrannical conqueror of Mexica in his impression. Thinking of this, the sage's heart moved slightly, and a divine light flashed in his eyes.
"Dear knowledgeable elder, in the name of elder, you are highly respected among the people of the kingdom. I respect you, so please don't be too polite!"
Shulot quickly took two steps forward and lifted the old man up with both hands. In the Prepecha language, the name "Jatiri" itself means an old sage.
The old man stood up naturally without much fuss, with a calm smile on his face. But soon, the smile was replaced by surprise again.
The young king released his hands, took a step back, put his right fist on his chest, bowed at the waist, and performed a solemn courtesy.
"Sage Jatiri, you are the historian of the Kingdom of Tarasco and the inheritor of the kingdom's epic. Today, there are only teachers and students, no matter the king or ministers. This gift is for your wisdom! As the leader of this land Newcomer, I sincerely ask you for the epic of Tarasco, and for the guidance of the sages!”
Jatiri turned his skinny body to avoid the king's etiquette, and then returned the same solemn greeting.
"The people who have subjugated their country, and the old turtle who does not dare to accept His Majesty's courtesy and curls up in the mud, what ability can he have to be the teacher of the eagle in the sky?"
Having said this, Jatiri paused. He observed the young king's sincere expression before continuing.
"The turtle has lived in the mud for a long time, and may have seen some forgotten skies. If the eagle is not bored, he can talk to you slowly."
Hearing this, Shulot showed a sincere smile on his face.
Tarasco's cultural heritage is concentrated in roughly two places. One is the priest temple of the House of Wind, which is kept and passed down from generation to generation by the priests of the three gods. But this inheritance, and the high-level priests who had mastered the knowledge, turned into blue flames on the night when Qin Congcan fell.
The other inheritance is kept in the Palace of Winds and is managed by tribal sages who have passed it down from generation to generation. This was also thanks to the sudden attack of the old militiamen. Chief Tarasco died too suddenly and did not have time to light the prepared fire. The inherited drawing boards, books and murals in the Palace of Winds have been completely preserved.
During these days, Shulot was formulating the laws of the feudal state while reading ancient drawing boards.
While reading, Shulot discovered that although the Kingdom of Tarasco only lasted for two hundred years, the Prepecha civilization in the land of the lake lasted for nearly two thousand years! The upper class of the Kingdom of Tarasco was originally just a tribe of Chichimec descendants from the northwest plateau. They went south more than two hundred years ago, conquered the land in the lake, and then integrated into the ancient civilization of the lake area and became members of the Prepecha people. In the land of the lake, the Prepecha people, who account for an overwhelming proportion, are the most important ethnic group and have a mature and unique cultural system.
Shulot wanted to understand the spiritual world of the Prepecha people and explore the cultural origins of civilization, so as to better formulate an assimilation strategy for the ethnic group. However, these ancient records are abstract, mysterious, difficult to understand, and unwritten. They must be explained by oral inheritors in order to understand their profound meaning.
The Young King sent people to search for a long time, only to find that the epic leader of the Palace of Winds had survived the war and was hiding in a civilian community, being well taken care of by the residents of the capital. He then dispatched a large group of close warriors and solemnly invited the other party to come and explain the epic of the Prepecha people.
Numerous thoughts flashed through Shulot's mind, and then quickly sank into his heart. With a gentle smile on his face, he personally supported Jatiri's left arm with his right arm and guided him towards the center of the hall. Jatiri tried to twitch his arm, but he couldn't break free from the young king's strong arms. The old man could only smile helplessly and let the other party support him while walking vigorously.
"Guard, bring two cups of fresh hot cocoa! Just follow my daily drinking habit, add honey and vanilla."
The two came to the wooden table in the hall. Xuellot helped the old man sit on the ground, then let go of his arms and sat cross-legged opposite him. Then, he gave instructions to the guards loudly. The guard brought the hot drink that had been prepared. The young king held up the pottery cup with both hands and handed it to Jatiri cordially and without question.
"Dear Sage Teacher, please try this cup of hot cocoa! It is refreshing and refreshing, and it is the sacred drink of the Mexican Union!"
Jatiri took the hot cocoa, took a sip, savored the taste, and praised it.
"Not bad! It tastes different from the cold cocoa of the Mexican Union. It should be the first fermented cocoa beans created by His Highness. After fine grinding, the light brown cocoa pulp is separated. Wild honey in the southern rainforest is produced from the bright flowers. In spring, it still has an elegant floral fragrance. The vanilla in the Texcoco Lake area comes from Chinampa in the lake in late autumn. It takes eight months for the flowers to bloom by professional farmers. Ripe vanilla pods are produced. Only the Mexican Alliance can produce these fine raw materials in large quantities. Then they are boiled and brewed with the slightly sweet well water in the palace to create this unique aroma!"
Having said this, Jatiri paused, and once again used his deep eyes to observe every expression of Shulot.
"Your Highness, the effort required for these two cups of hot cocoa would require a strong farmer to work in the fields for a whole year!"
Listening to the sage's praise, Shulot's face began to show a proud smile.
In this day and age, there weren't many drinks that could satisfy him. The honey vanilla hot cocoa is the most perfect drink he concocted based on the impressions of his previous life, which is like a connection to the memories of the past. Together, these top-quality natural ingredients taste far better than the cheap products of the industrial era.
However, with Jatiri's powerful last words, the young king's smile instantly solidified on his face. He smiled reluctantly, a trace of shame flashing across his face.
"Dear learned elder, I don't like luxury, I just like some exquisite food and drinks. People's power is precious and cannot be abused. People are like water, and the boat they carry will also capsize. A king must remember. Well, Sage Jatiri, what did you just say? When I was at the door, I kept looking at the new mural in the corridor. Do you have any insights? "
“The people are like water, and even the boats they carry are capsized.”
Jatiri chewed on these words, with an inexplicable look flashing in his eyes. He took a deep look at Shulot and then said with a smile.
"It is said that His Highness is wise, accepting of others, generous and kind, brave and good at fighting. He is a born king. When I saw him today, I knew that the reason why the wind and light can penetrate into the tent is because of the holes in the ceiling. ! As for the opinion of the mural.”
Jatiri turned his head and looked at the murals in the hall. The condor and hummingbird have disappeared. And under the light of the majesty of the Lord God, Lake Patzcuaro sparkled with waves. The Prepecha people in the west are working with the Mexica people in the east to build the magnificent and beautiful city of Qincongcan, building towering pyramids that seem to connect the kingdom of God with the human world. Next to the built city, there are flowers surrounding it, butterflies flying among the flowers and grass, and civilians carrying exquisite gold, silver, and bronze utensils. Everywhere you look is rich and beautiful.
Seeing this, Jatiri smiled lightly again. He praised first.
"His Highness has only been in charge of the Wind Palace for a few months. Not only has he devoted himself to spring plowing, directly organized the people, and removed the obstructive nobles, he has also innovated murals, spread the faith of the Lord God, and has people singing poems in the countryside. It can be seen that His Highness's gaze is indeed like that of a condor. Look high and look at the world and the future!”
Listening to the old man's praise, Shulot's pupils shrank slightly. He pondered for a moment, then took out a wooden spoon and stirred the cocoa in the earthenware cup. Then he handed the same wooden spoon to Jatiri. The other party took the spoon, stirred the layered cocoa evenly, stared at the mixed cocoa for a moment, and then took a shallow sip.
Jatiri's eyes were deep and he continued to preach to the young king in deep thought.
"Your Highness, I don't know much, and I have no intention of commenting on His Highness's new policy in front of others. Judging from this mural, Lake Patzcuaro and the Prepecha people are integrated with each other. The brushwork is ancient, the environment is harmonious and natural, and it contains It is the old paintings of the royal palace that represent the vitality of the kingdom when it first emerged.
The image of the Mexicans is simple and strong, with a square and clumsy face shape, and simple and expressive movements. This painting method is equally ancient, full of simplicity and heroism from ancient times. The painter should be from the holy city of Teotihuacan, imitating the murals of the Teotihuacan civilization.
The image of Huitzilopochtli, the chief god of the Mexica, is vague and magnificent, descending on the pyramid and radiating thousands of feet of light. The feathers behind the chief god are smart and elegant, and the pyramid under the chief god's feet is magnificent and heavy. This strong contrast technique comes from the craftsmanship of the Tula civilization and also contains the enterprising and tolerant spirit of the Toltec people. The heritage of the Tula civilization was inherited by the Tepanec people, and then fell into the hands of the alliance. The painter should be from Azcapotzalco on the west bank of Lake Texcoco.
As for the flowers and butterflies beside the city, and the gold, silver and bronze utensils on the backs of the people, the brushwork is complex and gorgeous, with extreme details and colors. This gorgeous painting method, which looks like a tangled flower and a heart-beating feeling, is a characteristic of the paintings of the southern city-states. The painter should be from Mixtec, or Zapotec further south"
Jatiri commented one by one with a smile, and then concluded with a smile.
"In my opinion, the three painting methods have their own characteristics and strengths. It's just that the painting pays attention to unity. Compared with the original murals, the ancient painting method of Teotihuacan is the most natural and close. The two are of the same origin and blend together, like ink in water, without any gap. The painting method of the main god of Tula is the most inclusive and broad. God blesses the world, and all people crawl, like a queen bee commanding a bee colony. Even if ordinary bees have their own characteristics, they are just following. The painting method of the southern city-states seems gorgeous and rich, but it is clearly layered and very different from the original painting. Even if it is a painting for a while, if you look at it for a long time, you will feel out of balance, and I am afraid it will not last long. "
Speaking of this, Jatiri looked at the young king and asked meaningfully.
"Your Highness, I was invited by your warriors, and I just wanted to be a tortoise with my eyes closed. It was only when I saw Your Highness that I suddenly became confused, opened my blind eyes, and said so many nonsense. I wonder if Your Highness is satisfied with my comments? I also don’t know which painting method you prefer in the governance of the feudal state? "