Chapter 377 Topographic Map of the South, Three Routes Heading South!

In the south of the kingdom, in the north of Zicao County, there is the small town of Alto (now El Puente Alto). The low stone wall less than two meters high is simply surrounded by a circle, forming this small town with a population of only one or two thousand people. Although it is called a small town, it has almost no military functions. Perhaps it is more appropriate to describe it as a town. There are no large buildings in the city, only a newly built temple of the main god, a small commercial market, and some ordinary houses for merchants to rest.

In the Western Expedition, the 5,000 southern reinforcements of Marshal Iskali of the "End of the Moon" passed through Alto City and headed towards the battlefield of the capital in the lake area. They forcibly requisitioned food and grass here and executed the local lords. After the Western Expedition, Alto City became the direct territory of the kingdom and the dividing line between the central and local control of the royal family. From here to the north, the farmers have been registered as citizens and included in the civilian and military settlements; and from here to the south, there are large tracts of noble territory and autonomous tribal villages. Of course, this default dividing line will soon disappear.

On the city of Otto, the flag of the Black Wolf flew high, and outside the city were continuous military camps and patrolling warriors. King Xuluot was stationed here with 7,000 guards, waiting for the arrival of the southern nobles. He did not stay in the small city, but rested in the camp outside the city.

In fact, as long as he left the capital, Xuluot habitually lived in the hard military camp, accompanied by simple warriors, just like the Eastern Roman Emperor Basil II did. Because, in the loyal legion, under the protection of tens of thousands of warriors, he can always feel a strong sense of security and the power to change the world!

At this moment, the king sat cross-legged in the big tent, checking the reports from various legions while looking at the southern topographic map on the table.

From the capital of the kingdom to the south, the mountainous terrain gradually increased, and the mountains running from north to south began to block the east and west. There are roughly three main passages from the southern part of the capital to Zicao County and the southwestern mountains. And small towns like Otto are distributed on three passages and survive on caravans traveling from south to north.

The first westernmost passage is to march 250 miles southwest from the southwest Tingambato mining area (now Tingambato) to the city of Apatzingan (now Apatzingán). It is the fiefdom of the Palm Family, the edge of the southwest mountainous area, and further west is the Tekos tribe in the mountains. And from Apatzingan City, 400 miles further west, through the tortuous mountain apertures, you can reach the iron ore deposits, the center of the Colima Mountains, the city of Colima (now Colima).

Xiu Luote stretched out his pen and drew a red circle in the middle of this passage. Although he was waiting for the response of the southern nobles, tens of thousands of troops would not sit still. The three legions have gone south separately, not giving the southern nobles time to mobilize resistance.

Now, Toltec's 8,000 Guakili Legion is in the red circle. They have just broken through the manor of a hereditary noble. The hereditary nobles of the area occupied the mountain passage, built a stronghold to protect themselves, and did not allow the kingdom's legion to pass. Within two days, the noble who issued the order became a prisoner of the royal army and was sent to Alto City to serve as a "turkey" to scare the monkeys.

The second westward passage is from the Chingambat mining area straight south, through two intersecting mountain roads, to the westernmost side of Lake Atoyak. This road is 200 miles long and is quite flat along the way, with wide mountain plains and valleys.

Ezpan's 8,000 Second Pike Corps is heading south along this road. The Second Pike Corps are all Purépecha warriors, and they are much more powerful in local coordination. The lords along the way all obediently provided food and fodder, opened the passage, and did not dare to raise troops to resist.

The third middle passage is more than 300 miles south from the storage town of Patzcuaro City, through the small town of Alto, to the city of Kuramo in the middle of Lake Atoyak.

Shulot is on this road. Olosh's Jingji Corps has already gone south along this road, and is now less than 100 miles away from Kuramo City. In front of them was another powerful noble, the Crow Clan of Sitley, which controlled more than 10,000 people.

Going east from this road, there were rolling mountains and forests, facing the southern Wetamo State across the Talzas River. There were only a few tribal villages and scattered Tekos barbarians in the mountains and forests. The cost of direct rule there was relatively high, and the status quo of tributary and autonomy would continue to be retained, which was not within the scope of this expedition to the south. However, if there were great nobles from the south wandering there, the royal army would definitely not show mercy.

In general, the fiefdom of the Purple Grass Family was around the city of Curamo (now Los Cimientos), and the fiefdom of the Palm Family was around the city of Apatchinggan. The 200-li area between the two cities, with a population of more than 100,000 people, was the essence of Purple Grass County and the most concentrated place for the great nobles from the south.

Judging from the performance of the southern nobles, the further west they went and the closer they were to the Colima Mountains, the stronger their will to resist was. The further east they went, the closer they were to Lake Atoyak, the weaker the nobles' will to resist. At least, that was the view of the king at the moment.

After a review, Shulot nodded with satisfaction. Tens of thousands of warriors were heading south with overwhelming force, and the southern nobles had no ability to resist at all. In this case, there was no need to show mercy, reduce the fiefdom and make changes, and directly control the 200,000 people in the south!

Thinking of this, Xiu Luote smiled confidently. His sight followed the lake down, and more plans emerged one by one. After changing the southern nobles, a shipyard was set up by Lake Atoyak. Then, the army continued to move south along the river, conquering the Tekos tribes on both sides until the mouth of the Talzas River. Later, it went north along the coastal waterway controlled by the merchant Trali to conquer the tribes of Kolyma.

At this time, an envoy hurried over and talked to Bertard for a few words. Then, the warrior leader respectfully reported.

"Your Highness, Gulamo, the patriarch of the Purple Grass family, requests to meet with you alone."

"Gulamo, the patriarch of the Purple Grass family? A private meeting?"

Xiuluo frowned. Gulamo wanted to ask for something, and he knew it without asking. But he had already prepared to swallow up all the territories around the city of Kulamo. There are convenient thoroughfares, fertile riverside farmland, and lucrative foreign trade routes. It is the center of the kingdom's future development in the south. And the kingdom's southern shipbuilding department will also be established there.

As for the fate destined for Guaramo, it was to be relocated to the north bank of the Leman River, enfeoffed in the barren Guamare State, to accompany the tribesmen in the wilderness and check and balance the local Otomi nobles.

The heart of the king is incorruptible. Xiuluote refused calmly.

"No! I will summon all the southern nobles collectively! Has Zotor of the Palm Family arrived?"

"Zotor has not come, and I'm afraid he won't come. The scouts reported that the Palm Family has gathered four or five southwestern nobles and moved women and children to the southwestern mountains. Their warriors and militia have been mobilized and gathered in the city of Apatchingan. It seems that they are ready to resist to the end."

Hearing this, Xiuluote raised his eyebrows. The Palm Family is a mountain noble. The original arrangement was to relocate to the Palm State in the wilderness to cultivate land. After being added to the command of Balamo for a few breaths, he smiled lightly and drew a red circle on the city of Apatchingan.

"In this case, there is no need to hold back against the rebellious southern nobles! Order the Black Wolf's Guakili Corps to speed up and attack the city of Apatchingan! Let him restrain the Guakili tribe, don't let the nobles escape into the southwestern mountains, and don't kill civilians!"

"I obey your will."

Bertard accepted the order respectfully. Then, he said in a deep voice.

"Except for a few families in the southwestern mountains, the great nobles in the south have basically arrived. When are you going to summon them?"

Xuluot looked at the sky outside the tent. The sun was setting and dusk was coming. He threw away the pen in his hand, stood up and asked.

"Are the noble captives sent by the Guakili Corps ready?"

"Your Highness, they are ready. The artillery battalion is also ready."

"Okay! Then let them go to the parade ground outside the camp to welcome the wheel of history and listen to the voice of truth!"

".I obey you, my king."

The easter egg chapter draws a map of the southern part of the kingdom, which can be used for reference.