Chapter 294 The Latest North-South Intelligence

Green shoots sprouted from the fields, and the gray songbirds finally moved away to the north. The end of June is the continuous wind and rain, the completion of spring plowing in the wind and rain, and the gradual calm of the Northland after the spring plowing.

Shulot climbed to the top of the city again. He looked down at the farmland at the foot of the mountain city. The earth was lush and green, nurturing the budding vitality; he looked at the dark clouds at the end of the sky, with thunder rolling in the sky and precious spring rain falling.

"The rainy season has finally arrived! Spring rain is always more precious than oil. Well, the rainy season in Otopan comes later than in Qin Congcan."

Bertard was wearing bronze armor, looking at the rolling thunder in the horizon, and quietly agreed.

"Yes, Your Highness. After a spring rain, new seedlings will grow taller. The rainy season in the northern plateau always comes later than in the south. The further north you go, the less rainfall there will be. The mountain city of Otopan The precipitation in the Patzcuaro Lake District is only about half that of the Patzcuaro Lake area; and when it reaches the border of Palm State, the precipitation is only half of that of Otopamp State; and when it reaches the wilderness where the dog descendants are pouring out, the precipitation will be half again. "

"Bertard, has the gunpowder been stored? We will send troops in August and it is still in the rainy season. I am a little worried that the rain will affect the use of wooden cannons!"

"Your Highness, according to your instructions, the gunpowder is sealed in wooden barrels and stored in underground stone chambers, which are also covered with water-absorbent and moisture-proof charcoal. The rain in mountain cities is heavy in August, but in Pamsang, the rain will be sparse. A lot of sealed gunpowder is covered with rubber tarps and transported to the north before being opened. It can be used at least once before it gets wet! And with the equipment and organization of the dog descendants, as long as they fight against the coalition forces, we will be safe even without wooden cannons. Steady victory! ”

"Yes. Even if a jaguar captures a local dog, it must use all its strength! Using wooden cannons at critical moments will always reduce many casualties."

Shulot smiled. He looked at the pattering raindrops and the vast world of the plateau and sighed.

"Bertard, you see, water is life, it is the gathering place of the population, and it is also the starting point of civilization! The plateau in the north is endless. As you go north, the population gradually decreases and the tribes become more barbaric. From the river mouth fortress, go north to the mountain city of Otopan , is three hundred miles; from Otopan Mountain City to the north of Palmus City, it is a full four hundred miles. This distance of seven hundred miles is the limit of the kingdom's army and the limit of the alliance's influence! "

"Your Highness, Palms City is located on the upper reaches of a tributary of the Tampen River. It is close to a rare water source on the plateau, and there are large tracts of cultivated land nearby. To its north is a thousand-mile wilderness that lacks precipitation. It is the home of the Guakili people's safari, Coa To the west is the equally desolate northern boundary of Guamare State, where the Otomi tribe and the Guamar Canine people live together without any decent towns. To the east is the towering mountain range along the Tan. The Peng River passes through the mountains and comes to the territory of the Huastec people. To its southeast is the state of Xilotepec where the northern general is located."

Bertard explained in detail that the mountains and landscapes of the North were reflected in his heart.

"That's right. Palms City is surrounded by mountains and rivers. It is located in the upper reaches, with endless wilderness in the north and large river transportation in the east. It is indeed an important place!"

Shulot thought for a moment and nodded heavily. Palms City is adjacent to the Sierra Madre Oriental Mountains, located in the upper reaches of the Tampon River, nearly 700 miles from the outlet of the Gulf of Mexico. Going eastward from here, you can reach Kuxikapan, the capital of the Huastec alliance, in a few days. Therefore, this city-state is not only an important town in the north, but also controls the east.

"Your Highness, by occupying the city of Parmus, we can intimidate the dog descendants, recruit tribes, and garrison troops. And relying on the river, we can also obtain sufficient supplies from the Vastek subjects in the east."

Then, the warrior chief looked solemn and bowed in salute.

"This Northern Expedition, the kingdom must take it and hold it in our hands!"

"Oh, us? Bertard, you mean the kingdom?"

"Exactly the Kingdom."

Shulot pondered for a while and nodded slowly.

"Nice proposal, very good! Do you have a suitable candidate?"

"Your Highness, there is a person who is very familiar with the dog-born and is also good at dealing with tribal leaders."

Bertard smiled. Shulot thought for a while and smiled.

"Indeed, after so many years of hard work, it's time to reuse him. Send an envoy to recall him here. I want to see him first. Well, what is the current situation in Palms City?"

"Your Highness, the city of Parmus, as the core of the State of Parmus, has fallen into the hands of the Guakili people. Now entrenched there, occupying the fertile land by the river, is the leader of the Guakili Tribal Alliance, the leader of the 'Red Dog' tribe. Chichika. Among the many tribes, the "Red Dog" tribe is the strongest, with tens of thousands of tribesmen. They have more than 3,000 warriors. A few days ago, Chichika even sent troops! The messenger has come with a message."

"Oh, that message! 'The great chief of a hundred thousand Guaquili people, the master of the northern wilderness, the sacred dog king Chichica, the great chief of the Aztecs, the master of the southern lake area'. Haha, it turns out to be him !”

Shulot laughed loudly. Then, his expression turned cold and he made a solemn decision.

"The dog-born is afraid of power but not moral. He sits in a well and looks at the sky, and is blindly arrogant. This time the coalition forces march north, they will fight until the city of Palms falls and Chichika is sacrificed!"

"Do your will!"

Bertard bowed his head and saluted. In the clear wind and rain, the two continued to discuss the situation in the Northland. Following the battle with the Guakili people, the coalition forces captured many canine warriors and clearly learned the details of each tribe.

The Guakili Dog Clan that invaded the south had eight large tribes, each with thousands of soldiers. The large tribes were the leaders of the Dog Clan's actions, and were often surrounded by several ordinary tribes that obeyed their orders. The eight tribes were "Red Dog", "Red Fox", "Red Flamingo", "Red Deer", "Red Monkey", "Red Newt", "Red Frog" and "Red Cat".

In the culture of the Guakili people, red represents holiness, and the names of the tribes are the animal totems they worship. The Dog Clan on the plateau only have ancestor worship and totem beliefs, and there is no unified deity to worship. Their spiritual world is still in ignorance, and it is a blank fertile ground for the spread of religion.

After the Otomi people retreated comprehensively, the looting Dog Clan tribes could no longer take advantage. The mountain people gathered in large villages with hundreds of garrisoned warriors. Two or three ordinary tribes could not capture the villages with garrisons at all. Once a large number of Dog Clan stayed for too long, they would be targeted by the patrolling coalition forces.

The guards of Shulot attacked several times, chasing all the way, and killed more than a hundred red-haired warriors. Seeing that looting was unprofitable, the northern border was completely quieted down.

"Your Highness, the eight large tribes settled down and cultivated while sending envoys to the coalition. Their alliance is not stable, and their respective interests are different. There are many places to operate."

Hearing this, Xiu Luote shook his head gently and said with a smile.

"Bertard, the kingdom will absorb the dog race, but don't be in a hurry. Look at the clouds in the sky. First there is thunder and then there is rain. Facing the unruly dog ​​race, we must fight two battles and force them to the brink before we can negotiate and surrender! Without enough blood, how can there be deep fear and loyalty? In addition, this time the dog race went south, and there were heavy slaughters along the way. We must always give an explanation to the Otomi allies."

The king decided the fate of tens of thousands of dog races in a casual manner. His smile was indifferent and calm, but it seemed as if there was endless blood flowing.

Bertard was stunned. He looked at the mature young king, recalled his youthful past, and slowly smiled. After a moment, the warrior leader took out a paper roll and continued to report.

"Your Highness, I have had many banquets with the leaders of Otomi. Combined with the investigation of scouts, I have roughly figured out the situation of the three Otomi states. After the war, Otopia has a population of about 200,000, and about 30,000 men can be mobilized. Although Guamare State is large in area, it has a population of more than 100,000 and about 20,000 men. In the looting of the dog race, they lost at least 10,000 people. The population of Pams State was originally comparable to Guamare. Now that it has fallen into the hands of the dog race, it is estimated that half of it will be lost."

"Ah? In this way, in just five years, the once one million Otomi people have only left a little over 400,000?"

Xuluot calculated silently for a moment, with a look of surprise on his face. He remembered the desolation that often appeared on the face of the old priest Ort, and vaguely felt some empathy.

"Your Highness, if we add the more than 100,000 Otomi people in Xilotepec, there should be more than 500,000."

"Oh, more than 500,000."

The king shook his head and whispered to himself.

"Fighting for land, killing people everywhere; ups and downs in troubled times, just struggling to survive."

"Your Highness, this is the situation in the north. This month, many messengers came to the Hekou Fortress to report the details of the kingdom's spring plowing."

"Well, tell me in detail."

"The spring plowing in the capital and Hekou County has been completed on time. In various military and civilian settlements, new tread plows have been put into use, and accumulated manure has been filled into the fields. Villagers in various places still have doubts about these new farming improvements, but they are appeased by the priests with the will of the gods."

"Bertard, don't worry. When the autumn harvest this year, seeing the actual increase in grain production, the villagers will fully accept the new farming methods and be grateful to the priests. The autumn harvest season is a good time to preach!"

Xuluot is full of confidence. Manure and treadle plows have been used in the Celestial Empire for thousands of years, and he has also practiced them in the alliance. However, it is difficult for him to explain the principles to the priests, and he needs to use the will of the gods to promote them.

"In another two years, when the people's strength is restored, we can consider building dams and completely control Lake Patzcuaro. Only when the dams are completed and the rainy season floods and mountain salt water are fully controlled, can we invest a lot of manpower to build a truly high-yield Chinampa!"

Hearing the floating fields of Chinampa in the water, Bertard's eyes flashed. Chinampa, this is a name that all Mexica people yearn for, representing harvest, wealth and prosperity. He thought for a moment, took out another scroll and unfolded it, which was full of beautiful handwriting.

"Your Highness, this is Talaya's report. According to your instructions, all departments of the Divine Revelation Institute are expanding. Among them, the Mining Department and the Gunpowder Department have once again increased their production. The Military Industry Department has accumulated thousands of bronze armors, and the first qualified Sun God Eagle Cannon has been successfully trial-produced."

"Ah, the bronze eagle cannon has finally been successfully trial-produced!"

Hearing this, Xiu Luote's heart surged and his face showed joy. He turned around and looked at the sky in the south, wishing he could fly back immediately to see the test firing of the eagle cannon. After a while, the king suppressed his fluctuating emotions and said with a smile.

"Tiripi has lived up to my expectations and should be rewarded! After I check the performance of the eagle cannon and knock him out, I will promote him to a hereditary noble."

"Your Highness, in addition to Tilipi, you should also reward someone. He alone contributed at least one-tenth of the kingdom's tax revenue!"

"Oh, who is it? How can he have such financial resources?"

The king looked at the warrior leader curiously.

"Director Lozano of the Special Trade Bureau. In half a year, he produced thousands of kilograms of 'gems' of various colors. In order to control the price, the kingdom has only sold a small part. Even so, jade merchants all over the world have gone crazy. Before The spies who come to spy are hard to catch."

"Thousands of pounds of 'gems'."

The corners of Shulot's mouth twitched. He wanted to say something, but in the face of the huge profits from the glass trade, what he said turned out to be something else.

"Lozano cannot be promoted for the time being, and his safety must be strictly protected. As for the requirements for life and enjoyment, he must try his best to meet them! In addition, he is told to develop colorless gems as soon as possible. The original firing process must continue Improve and make it more similar to natural gems, the better!”

Bertard smiled and took out a pen and paper to write down. Then he added again.

"Your Highness, the first catamaran canoe trial-produced by the shipbuilding company has just been launched in Lake Quiceo. The master craftsmen are adjusting the details of the hull and sails. When the Northern Expedition is over and we return, we should have the results. "

Hearing the good news, Shulot felt happy. Every scientific and technological research and development can always bring people the pleasure of civilization development. Bertard waited for the king to digest for a moment, and then asked solemnly.

"The Guamar dog descendants in the northwest sent envoys. When the cold wave hit, tribes from all over the country were migrating south. They were also affected. They grabbed more than 10,000 dog descendants and wanted to sell them to us."

"oh?"

Hearing about the human trade, Shulot perked up.

"Which one did they capture? What's the proportion of adults?"

"Mainly the Zacatecas people in the far northwest, and some Guakili people. There are no old or weak people among the dog descendants who went south, and half are men and half women."

"Tell them that we want all the kingdom. Take as many young men and women of working age as you can, and place them all in Hekou County."

The king did not hesitate and made an immediate decision. Population is the cornerstone of civilization, and the new kingdom also has sufficient assimilation capabilities. He thought for a moment and added.

"By the way, bring samples and ask the Guamar people. In addition to food, salt, cotton cloth, weapons and cotton armor, do they want gems? They are available in all colors."

Bertard laughed dumbly, and then wrote down the king's instructions.

Shulot looked at the distant sky, thought for a while, and then asked again.

"The Canine people invaded the south in a large scale, and the Otomi people elected new leaders. I sent envoys to report these changes in the north to King Avit and asked for the support of the alliance. Counting the days, there should be a reply. Has the king received any reply? ?”

"Your Highness, the kingdom has not yet received a reply from the alliance, and it may take some time. However, there seem to be some unfavorable rumors in the lake capital regarding your Highness's support of Prince Giowa to become the leader of the Otomi people."

"It's really easy for rumors to spread about this matter."

Shulot thought for a moment and sighed. He took out a letter he had just written from his arms and handed it to the warrior commander.

"Bertard, this is the letter I wrote to Alyssa. It contains some personal words, some insights from the north, and greetings relayed to Avit. I also asked for some northern land from the priest of Alter. Unique strange plants, and some secret recipes of medicines from the Otomi people as gifts. You will send an envoy tonight and rush day and night to deliver the letters and gifts to the capital in the lake and deliver them to Alyssa in person!"

Bertard nodded, carefully collected the letter, and set off to deal with it immediately. Before leaving, he paused and saluted the king.

"Your Highness, Princess Alyssa looks innocent on the outside, but in fact her heart is like a mirror. She is your best helper! As long as you communicate with the princess from time to time and inform the details of important events, there will be no discord between you and the king."

Hearing this, Shulot lowered his eyes slightly and remained silent. When he opened his eyes again, the warrior commander was already far away. The king raised his head, looked at the dark clouds on the horizon, and smiled helplessly.

"The white clouds are pure and innocent. I don't want them to be contaminated by the secular world. But the rainy season comes with the wind, and in the blink of an eye, dark clouds, rolling thunder, and thunder may fall from the sky. How can the clouds stay away?"

The king stood alone at the top of the city, his voice gradually becoming lower and lower. A thunder sounded from the sky, and heavy rain fell again. The raindrops fall on the face and into the mouth, and when you taste them gently, they carry the fragrance of clouds~

Note: There is a new 1486 map in the Easter egg chapter.

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