Chapter 253: Inheritance Slate, Centralization of Royal Power

The showers have begun to subside, and the sunset dyes the clouds red and casts a magnificent silhouette. The light in the stone palace swayed over time, from bright golden to deep red. The red clouds are rendered on the last two stone slabs, like the end of the kingdom's epic.

Shulot raised his head, his eyes reflecting the light of the setting sun. Jatiri looked intently and saw a pair of eyes as bright as morning stars on the face of the handsome and calm young man, like a meditating god in the scroll. The knowledgeable elder was lost for a while, then pointed to the sixth stone slab and spoke loudly.

"Your Majesty, this sixth stone tablet contains a total of five paintings. It tells the various policies promulgated by the kings of Tarasco in order to establish the authority of the royal family and centralize the power of the kingdom!"

Hearing the words of concentrated power, the young king raised his eyebrows and looked carefully.

In the center of the first picture is the tall, proudly standing Condor King. In front of him, there was a row of noble people kneeling in fine clothes. The king's radiance is like the sun, and his expression is solemn like a god. He was giving the wooden atlas in his hand to the powerful nobles in front of him.

"The king's upper body radiates stripes all around. Is this the king's enfeoffment ceremony on behalf of the sun god?"

Shulot observed the details of the picture with a serious expression.

"Exactly, Your Majesty. In fact, this should be called the canonization ceremony, which is more appropriate!"

Jatiri smiled meaningfully.

"This was a large-scale canonization ceremony held at the end of the reign of King Condor! As time passed, the original powerful nobles grew old and died. The descendants they left behind were numerous because of the issue of inheritance of title and land. , many disputes occurred, because the Condor Royal Family had the supreme decision-making power, and these disputes were left to the king to decide.”

"At the suggestion of the second Chief Hummingbird, the Condor King finally made a 'generous' canonization. He counted the number of direct descendants of many nobles, and in the Patzcuaro Lake area, 220 powerful nobles were canonized at one time. And let these legitimate sons with inheritance rights share the land of the powerful nobles equally. "

"The second chief's proposal? Generous canonization of equal land distribution? What a bold and ingenious proposal!"

Hearing this, Shulot suddenly opened his eyes. He looked at the knowledgeable elder in surprise. This scene could not be more familiar.

"Exactly! Your Majesty's wisdom is divine. It seems that you already know the beauty of it."

Jatiri admired softly, and then said seriously.

"Witnessed by the Sun God, this enfeoffment has two steps: First, many descendants of the nobles in the Patzcuaro Lake District, whether they are Nahua nobles or Lake District nobles, must submit wooden atlases and hand over their fiefdoms to the Nominally returned to the king.

Then, the High King is selfless and just. Under the witness of the gods, he will not usurp any noble's fiefdom. He just generously gave everyone titles, divided these fiefs into different small pieces, and gave them back to the descendants of the nobles. In this process of handing over and returning, the king's authority was strengthened and he legally had the right to dispose of all land. "

"At that time, some older Lake District nobles clearly opposed large-scale canonization on the grounds of tribal tradition. However, in the end, the canonization was effectively implemented under the authority of the king and the hand of the chief. After the large-scale canonization, there were hundreds of powerful nobles in the Lake District, but they completely lost the ability to resist the king. Within a few decades, the entire Patzcuaro Lake District was completely under the direct control of the royal family.

The knowledgeable elder smiled faintly, his eyes deep and distant.

"Your Majesty, I need to remind you that although this 'generous' canonization is clever, it hides huge dangers. In the eyes of the older nobles, the malice hidden in large-scale canonization cannot be concealed! King Condor had this idea a long time ago, but he waited patiently for decades. It was not until the first generation of nobles with outstanding reputations were almost dead that he asked Chief Hummingbird to tentatively propose this proposal. "

"Even so, in order to reduce the power of opposition, the scope of this canonization was carefully limited. The canonization was only concentrated in the Patzcuaro Lake area in the heart of the kingdom, and did not involve the large military nobles on the frontier. In the witness of the gods Next, the Condor King used his prestige to make a promise to ensure the independence of the inheritance rights of the border nobles. At the same time, the border nobles also modified the rules of inheritance. Only with the countless secret efforts and compromises of the royal family did the peace of the entire canonization ceremony be guaranteed. conduct."

"Your Majesty, governance is a compromise of power, a confrontation of forces between different groups and different aspects. Even if you want to use tricks, you must have enough strength as a basis. Because the powerful tightly control power and wealth, and will never Will hand it over easily"

After hearing this, Shulot thought for a moment and nodded seriously.

"Thank you, Chief, for your teaching! The direct central power is the foundation of administration. Governing a large country is like cooking small fish in a lake. After controlling the heat, the next step is to wait slowly. Chief, I still have a question: the powerful aristocrats The division control is limited to the central lake area, so how to deal with the military nobles and the Tarasco royal family who have troops on the border? "

Hearing this, Jatiri's eyes flashed. He looked at the young king carefully and answered with a smile.

"In the heart of the king, there is an immortal sacred tree. For the military nobles on the border, the royal family has summarized a strategy, which is to control the wealth and establish checks and balances. Among these two items, it is to control the kingdom's wealth. The most important thing is to establish checks and balances!”

"Your Majesty, please look at the second, third, and fourth paintings!"

Shulot came closer to take a look. The second group of paintings is quite freehand. At first glance, it looks like a simple landscape painting. There is still a sun at the top of the picture, and in the center of the sun is a condor. At the bottom of the picture, there is a mountain with trees, a lake with fish, and a valley with mines.

The third painting is easier to understand. The majestic pyramid is in the center, surrounded by an open market place, and beyond is the unwalled city. Countless business travelers came from all directions, carrying gold, silver, gems, obsidian, cloth, feathers, clothing, grain, salt, spices, and shiny bronze utensils on their backs. On the roads passed by the business travelers, there were many consultant nobles holding atlases, inspecting and collecting goods. What is worth noting is that the businessman in the middle has the logo of the condor on his body.

The fourth painting is abstract again. A sturdy god radiates rays of light and is entrenched in the center of the pattern. He has huge, round eyes, a long, narrow and flat mouth, and behind him is a rare red seat with a backrest. Around the gods are various busy craftsmen. Some craftsmen hold stone tools, some hold pottery; some make weapons, some sew leather armor; some light flames to create gold and silver ornaments; and some blend two metals to forge precious bronze!

Shulot was stunned and looked at the gods on the fourth painting carefully. The other party always gave him an inexplicable sense of familiarity, with toad-like facial features.

"Hey, I seem to have seen it somewhere. Chief, who is this god?"

"Haha, the king must have seen it! This is the craftsman god of the Toltecs, who masters music, dance and art, loves flowers, plants and beauties, and is good at metallurgy, painting and handicrafts! He is both Pre The craftsman god of the Pecha people has the body of a lake frog, and he is also the craftsman god of the Mexica people, the Prince of Flowers!”

"That's it! The Prince of Flowers, the deity shared by the two races."

Shulot nodded suddenly. He finished watching the picture and waited for Jatiri's explanation.

"Your Majesty, these three paintings are about the collection and control of national wealth in the center of the kingdom. The meaning of the second painting is that the king shines on the earth like the sun and owns everything on the land! Whether it is on the mountain The trees, fish and turtles in the lake, and the minerals in the valley are all owned by the royal family. The Condor Royal Family owns the water sources, forests and minerals of the feudal country, and will use a powerful army to maintain the possession of these properties.

Under the leadership of successive kings, the royal family would select valuable industries and send a large number of manpower to develop them, such as salt springs and salt wells in the east, copper mines, gold and silver in the south, and stones of the dead in the west. As for other properties, the rights to mine and utilize them were granted to nobles and business groups in various places for a fee.

Your Majesty, through the development of these properties, the kingdom can obtain long-term and stable additional tribute in addition to the taxes on the fields to support more loyal royal warriors! "

"Very good! The treasures of mountains and rivers, the industry of mountains and lakes, and the benefits of mountains and rivers will all be owned by the state and turned into a ruling power!"

Shulot smiled, these actions coincided with his plan. Since the Prepecha people have such a tradition, it is easier to implement the "official mountain and sea" feudal policy.

"Chief, please continue!"

"Your Majesty, the fourth panel is about the kingdom's control over commerce. The city of Ivacchio in the south is the economic center of the kingdom, and it is also the only place where business travel from all directions must pass. The veteran mentioned before that the kingdom has set up a special Commercial tax officials, on the one hand, take a proportional commission from the goods traded, and on the other hand, they levy taxes on large transactions.

The Kingdom will station troops to patrol important places along the lake area, strictly crack down on private trade, protect tax-paying business travelers, and limit the interference of local nobles in commerce. For the lucrative foreign trade, the royal family actually formed a special caravan. "

The knowledgeable elder paused and put his hand on the businessman with the condor logo.

"Bronze merchants from all over the world basically have the royal background of Tarasco. They also have the function of spying on intelligence. Before the Western Expedition, the merchants of Tarasco in Tenotictlan sent back An alarm was issued to remind King Suangua to be careful about the coronation war of the new king of the Mexica Alliance. But then, they lost contact. It was said that they were accused of violating the rank, wearing jade, and offending the gods. All executed in public!”

Hearing this, Shulot was stunned for a moment, and the past came to mind.

He recalled his meeting with the Mayan merchant Tikalo. At that time, in order to open up a stable copper trade route, control military supplies within the alliance, and at the same time frighten Mayan merchants, he once gave orders to the monkey Kuruca. The young merchant king who dealt with Tarasco just thought calmly for a moment. , and focus on more practical issues.

"After the fall of the Kingdom of Tarasco, where did these big businessmen controlled by the royal family go?"

"Your Majesty, even though the merchants have wealth, they are just beautiful birds raised by the condor. Without the protection of the condor, what will happen to the beautiful birds in front of the birds of prey? If they are wise enough, Give up most of your wealth and perhaps escape the greedy nobles of various countries, if they are not wise enough."

Hearing this, Shulot nodded slowly.

"Beautiful birds will be killed because of their precious feathers. Chief, thank you for your reminder! These big businessmen are familiar with the trade routes of various countries and have the intelligence and sales network in various places. They are a force worth retaining! The new kingdom in the lake also needs to make its voice heard in the world. "

The young king pondered for a moment and looked at the warrior commander behind him.

"Bertard. Write down the decree!"

"As you command, Your Highness."

The warrior commander took out his pen and paper and lowered his head to record.

"Send envoys to inform the surrounding countries: The newly built kingdom in the lake is a joint kingdom between the Mexica people and the Prepecha people. It will protect the Prepecha merchants in various countries and protect their lives and property. From the time the envoys arrive, From now on, any harm to the kingdom’s merchants will be recorded by the kingdom. The Lake Kingdom of the Mexica Alliance will send out envoys, warrior squads, and even legions to pursue those who dare to offend the alliance!”

Bertard's pen moved like a dragon and he finished writing quickly. He handed the paper decree to the king for review. Shulot looked at it twice and nodded. Afterwards, the warrior chief summoned his personal guards, handed over the decree and jade talisman, and left a simple backup. Within a moment, the guards took Wang Ling and left.

Jatiri watched the process of the royal order being promulgated, thoughtfully. His gray eyebrows trembled slightly, thoughts flashed through his mind, but he never spoke. After a while, until the king looked at him again, he smiled and spoke.

"The king has such a will, which is a gift from the gods to the Prepecha people! I will tell your kindness and majesty to the priests and scholars everywhere. Similarly, I will also make a voice from the people to persuade the Prepecha people everywhere. Merchant Pecha, I will serve you as soon as possible.”

"Very good, then I'll help you, chief!"

Shulot smiled with joy in his voice.

For the Young Kings, Jatiri's contribution is of great significance. In all aspects of the governance of the feudal country, knowledgeable elders can fully exert their influence. In fact, behind the knowledgeable elders, there is an elite group of Prepecha who are actively moving closer to the alliance, intending to join the new kingdom and join the ranks of rulers.

In this era, knowledge is concentrated in the hands of a few elites. Ordinary civilians have neither the inheritance of culture nor the right to speak as an ethnic group. They can form an army and perform military functions, but it is difficult for them to participate in running the country. In the governance of the feudal country, since it was decided to suppress the Prepecha nobles who controlled most of the wealth and population, it was necessary to unite the remaining village priests, tribal sages, noble sons, as well as senior craftsmen who mastered technology, and those who knew how to measure. part of the businessmen.

"Your Majesty, river turtles, lake fish, and water birds are all willing to serve the true eagle!"

Jatiri greeted with a smile and continued his previous story.

"As seen by the king. This fourth painting tells the story of craftsmen from various kingdoms gathering together to work for the royal family under the blessing of the God of Craftsmen. The kingdom values ​​craftsmen and also uses the production of craftsmen to obtain a large amount of tribute. Endowed with weapons and equipment, they provided a huge royal army.

In Qinchongcan City, there was a large-scale craftsman camp with thousands of craftsmen specializing in the production of royal supplies and military supplies. In the city of Ivacchio, there are specially organized official craftsmen who manufacture exquisite clothing, bronzes, and handicrafts for profit from trade.

During the Western Expedition, the royal regiment's rapid imitation of the longbow was the contribution of the Qin Congcan craftsman camp. The sturdy bronze weapons of the Royal Legion also come from the craftsman camp.

It is precisely with the supply of official craftsmen that the Condor Royal Family can establish a powerful Bronze Ax Guard Corps, forming an overwhelming military advantage over the military nobles on the frontier. The centralized control of craftsmen and the strong control of military supplies are also important ways to control the border military aristocracy.

Your Majesty, I have observed your administration and know that you have always valued craftsmen, and you have also established a divine institute in the alliance to research new weapons. Of course, I don’t need to say anything more on this point. "

Shulot nodded slightly. He has arranged for the warrior chief to resume production in the craftsman camp and build a new shrine around the palace area. The new gunpowder production center, like the Alliance, will be built on a small island in Lake Patzcuaro.

Then, the knowledgeable elder moved his finger and pointed at the last group of paintings on the stone slab. The tall condor king appeared on the screen again. The king waved his scepter and pointed at the mountains and forests ahead. Countless stick figures were densely packed with different weapons, and they were all prostrate and kneeling in front of the king.

"This fifth painting is the royal family's check and balance on the frontier nobles."

Jatiri used the edge of his finger to trace the different tattoos, clothes and weapons of the little people.

"The feathered serpent on the body is from the Tepanek people; the wind scars on the face are from the Guamar dog descendants; the black and white battle clothes are from the Otomi people; the wide hat and narrow skirt are from the Tecos Kingdom, which sent out legions to conquer the barbarian tribes on the border. On the one hand, they canonized the chiefs, recruited the border tribes who were willing to surrender, and even accommodated the descendants of the Guamar dogs who moved south, and resettled the remnants of the Tepanek people who fled west. These surrendered barbarian tribes were enfeoffed in the border lands. They are dispatched, perform military service for the kingdom, and even accept royal support, obey the royal orders, and do things that are inconvenient for the kingdom’s legions.”

The knowledgeable elder paused and smiled meaningfully.

"The Remnants of Tepanek."

Hearing this, Shulot's expression changed and his eyes became serious. He suddenly remembered a sudden ambush he encountered outside the Otomi village a few years ago. That was the first time in his life that he was so close to death.

Jatiri observed the king's expression and waited carefully for a moment before continuing to speak cautiously.

"These surrendered tribes stationed in the border areas effectively checked and balanced the military nobles on the border, and also provided the royal family with a considerable number of foreign mercenaries. The reason why the royal family can smoothly command the foreign border people relies on the strong deterrence of the royal army. It is even more inseparable from the purchase and supply of the feudal country’s wealth.”

"The strength of the center lies in its financial advantage; the stability of the border lies in the balance of military power!"

The knowledgeable elder stood tall, with a serious expression, and saluted the king solemnly.

"Your Majesty, the centralized central government is like a towering tree! The powerful direct army is the main support, and the most important root is the financial resources of the feudal state! The labor of the villagers, the labor of the craftsmen, the excavation of the miners, the transportation of the caravans. Fields, workshops, mines, merchants, all these, the feudal government can only intervene in all of them and absorb nutrients steadily, so that a strong and stable central sacred tree can be truly grown!"