Chapter 414 Here I Come!

In mid-March, the gentle spring breeze went south, traveled hundreds of miles of river, and came to the edge of the endless lake. The blue Pacific Ocean stretches as far as the eye can see, the waves sparkle, and the tide rises and falls day and night, making it breathtaking.

"What a vast sea! What a man's romance!"

Shulot rode a canoe and stopped at the edge of the sea, looking at the ocean and sighing. Regarding the blue sea, he also has an ideal of exploration in his heart, but he is destined to be hopeless in this life.

Hundreds of canoes docked at the mouth of the Tulsas River. Two thousand elite guardsmen immediately landed and launched a garrison of more than ten miles. The king stepped onto the west bank of the Ta River and saw at a glance the gray earth Puap who was wearing leather armor and had a fat face.

The scouts arrived at Tongzhuan first. Huitu Puap was stationed at the mouth of the river and had been waiting for a long time. As soon as they met, he fell to the ground with excitement and saluted the king.

"God bless you! Your Majesty, your loyal general, Huitu Puap greets you! Even on the edge of the endless lake, I am always ready to dedicate my life to the kingdom!"

Shulot smiled faintly and stared at the dust nobles who were exiled and guarding the border, without saying a word.

"Your Highness, General Huitu has made great contributions to the discovery of the sacred stone this time. He is devout in faith and has no fear of evil gods. Although his martial arts and fighting abilities are average, he has a rare ruthlessness and courage!"

The black wolf Toltec took a step forward and said a few good words for Huitu.

Shulot then nodded slightly and waved his hand.

"Puap, get up! You have only been guarding the kingdom's borders for a few months, and you have already made great achievements. You are indeed worthy of use!"

Hearing the comment of "very useful", Huitu Puupun burst into tears with excitement. He had been on this seaside for four months, surrounded by sand and trees all day long, surrounded by the sea breeze and never seeing any bustling scenes. In addition to eating seafood in different ways every day, he also directed the villagers to work, and he gained weight without hope. He saluted again respectfully.

"Your Majesty, the Lord God witnesses that I am willing to live for your will and die for your will!"

Then, the king took a look at the kingdom camp by the sea. The camp has begun to take shape and some wood has been accumulated. Under the supervision of Prepecha warriors, hundreds of Tecos villagers were cutting down nearby woods using distributed bronze axes.

Shulot nodded with satisfaction. Afterwards, he had a delicious seafood meal in Trout Village, and he couldn't wait to lead the imperial guards to the west. Stepping on the spring grass and smelling the fragrance of wild flowers, everyone arrived at Tekos Sacred Mountain, ten miles west of Trout Village.

To the north of Mount Sacred Mountain is the remnant of the Sierra Madre del Sur. Compared with other mountain peaks, the Holy Mountain is not towering, but the trees are sparse and the birds and animals are rare.

Shulot carefully patrolled the sacred mountain. He looked happy when he saw a lot of black spots left by lightning strikes. He walked around the entire mountain, looking up from the bottom. Whenever he saw exposed reddish-brown rocks or large expanses of dark blue rock, he would take out the magnet and feel the corresponding magnetic force on the rock.

"Leave five people, bring the prepared bronze pickaxes, and dig into the mountain here! Dig out the soil and stop when you encounter hard rocks. Pick a rock, record the distance, and report to me!"

"As you command, Your Majesty!"

Every time he climbed ten meters high, Shulot left five guards behind to dig out the soil on the surface of the mountain and extract rock samples. The more he patrolled, the more joyful his face became. Until he reached the top of the sacred mountain, he could be sure that there was a small magnetite hidden under this low sacred mountain! An iron mine that he had been searching for for a long time that could change the times!

"The Lord God bless! God bless the kingdom!"

Shulot stood high on the mountain, with a solemn expression, praying to the sun in the middle of the sky.

Although he didn't know the quality of the iron mine or the specific reserves, iron ore was iron ore. No matter how small the iron ore is, there are still millions of tons of iron ore, which is enough for mining and use in the early days of the kingdom. The exploration of iron smelting technology can finally be on the right track!

At this moment, the call of the Iron Age, like the sound of the Pacific Ocean tide, had truly appeared in his ears.

In fact, in later Mexico, this iron mine was the Mina las Truchas Iron Mine. There are only a few exposed mineral veins in the sacred mountain on the ground, and its real mineral vein layer is distributed twenty to one hundred meters below the surface. Its surface reserves are approximately 11 million tons, with an average quality of 37%, making it a small iron-poor mine that can barely be mined.

This vein is a hydrothermal vein, formed by the mutual extrusion of the Pacific and American plates, and contains a large amount of irregularly shaped magnetite. The underground main vein is about seven kilometers long and two kilometers wide. There are other vein layers deeper, but the cost of mining is too high and is obviously beyond the mining capacity of the times.

"God bless you! God bless your majesty!"

When Huitu Puap saw the king praying, he quickly approached carefully and praised loudly. Hearing his cry, the janitors also prayed loudly to bless the king.

After a while, Shulot finished praying. He glanced at Puap with a smile, his serious eyes softening.

"Huitu, you have indeed made a great contribution!"

The king said with a smile.

"What reward do you want?"

"Ah?! Your Majesty, I would like to return to the Gyeonggi Army, lead your warriors again, and go into battle to kill the enemy!"

"oh?"

Hearing this, Shulot smiled and shook his head.

"No! You have just been dismissed and cannot lead the army again."

"Well, I am willing to obey your Majesty's arrangements!"

Huitu's eyes flashed, thinking of the old militiaman's words, he fell to the ground and expressed his submission to the king.

"Um."

Shulot pondered for a while before speaking.

"This sacred mountain is a mine, similar to the mine in Qinganbat. I intend to set up a mining area supervisor here, under the Department of Industry and Mines, to be responsible for mining."

"Is the Holy Mountain a mine? Mining in the Holy Mountain?"

Hearing this, Hei Lang opened his eyes wide in surprise. Until now, he was still a little in awe of the mountain god in the sacred mountain, and worried that the awakened mountain god would rain down thunder.

"Exactly. The name of this mineral is iron. Iron is a gift from the Mother Goddess of the Earth, which attracts the thunder and lightning of the main god. The so-called Tekos Mountain God does not exist, but the Tekos people do not know the power of the main god, and attach themselves to it. "Above false gods"

Shulot looked solemn and explained the "theological" principles in a serious manner. Most of the manpower for mining iron ore is recruited from the nearby Tekos village. Everyone's fear must be dispelled before the myth's resistance can be eliminated and the iron ore can be developed as soon as possible. With this thought in mind, he continued to speak in a deep voice.

"Everything in the world is stipulated by the Lord God and follows certain natural laws. You cannot do what you want. A large amount of iron ore will attract each other with thunder and lightning. This is because there is the essence of the earth in the iron, and the essence of the sky is in the thunder. The earth It is a natural law to be in harmony with the sky. Therefore, when mining iron ore here, you need to avoid thunderstorms, but there is no problem in the dry season! Of course, everyone must pray to the Lord God regularly! This is to communicate with the Lord God.”

Bertard took out a pen and paper and quickly wrote down His Highness's story. His Highness often talks about some laws of nature, which in his opinion are as wise as the holy precepts. These wise words will be compiled into a book and placed in Shenwei University for future generations to learn from.

"Praise to Your Highness! Your Highness is wise and enlightened!"

After listening for a moment, Hei Lang suddenly realized. He had no doubt about His Highness's words, and he spoke bitterly at this moment.

"Damn Priests of Tekos, how dare you threaten me with lies! Next time I meet the priests of the evil god, I will kill them!"

"Haha! From today on, this mountain will not be called Sacred Mountain, but Black Rock Mountain! Black Rock Mountain Iron Mine!"

Shulot smiled and returned to the topic.

"Puapu, you have two places to go now."

"Ah? Your Majesty?"

Huitu raised his head in surprise and uneasiness.

The king paused and looked into Huitu's eyes.

"One is to stay at the mouth of the river and manage the Black Rock Mountain Iron Mine for me. The scale of mining here will gradually increase, and the number of warriors stationed here will also increase. In a few years, there will be another mining area, Black Rock City."

".Uh, to be a miner leader?"

Hearing this, Huitu Puap was disappointed.

The world has been at war for thousands of years, and both the Mexica Alliance and the Kingdom of the Lake are respected by force. In the traditional concept of the kingdom's warriors, no matter how many miners they manage, no warrior battalion commander has the status. The former is just an ordinary civilian manager, while the latter is a noble warrior leader.

"Your Majesty, what is the other place to go?"

"Another place to go."

Seeing Huitu's expression, Shulot understood. He didn't force himself, he just smiled meaningfully. Previously, Huitu was exiled to the mouth of the sea, and a place had been prepared for him.

"You will lead the navy for me, starting from the seaport and exploring along the boundless lake. You will continue to search for new and fertile lands for the kingdom in the lake and conquer them!"

"Ah! Commander of the Southern Navy, conquer the land along the coast!"

Hearing this, Huitu Puap's heart skipped a beat. This touching choice sounds much better than the miner leader. Without hesitation, he gave another salute.

"Praise Your Majesty! I am willing to lead the navy and die fighting for the kingdom!"

"Ha ha!"

Shulot laughed. he said with a smile.

"Puap, this is a choice that requires courage. Don't regret it!"

“The Lord God testifies, I will never regret it!”

"Okay! The Lord God is witness!"

Xiuluo nodded and said no more. He looked to the side at the warrior commander who was smiling calmly.

"Bertard, we need a loyal mining supervisor here. It is best to be devout and familiar with the customs and language of the Tekos people. Do you have any recommendations for someone?"

The samurai commander was silent, recalling the relevant personnel. The black wolf next to him suddenly said something.

"Your Highness, I have a suitable candidate!"

After a while, the personal guard Mavik felt uneasy and was summoned by the king. Black Wolf smiled and patted Mavic on the shoulder and introduced him to the king.

"Your Highness, he is my personal guard Mavic. He is from Tekos and was born in the village of Trout not far away. He is a devout believer in the Lord God and has joined the royal army for many years. He also served in the Royal Guards as a vanguard. Throwing, he participated in the battle of the Northern Expedition. Later, he came with me to the southwest sweep of the Guakili Army, and he was an important guide."

"Oh? Tekos Guards"

Shulot looked carefully at Black Wolf's personal guards. Mavik is in his early thirties, with a strong body, a calm expression, and a typical appearance of the Tekos people. He seemed a little nervous, but still somewhat capable.

"Mavik, how many years have you been a member of the Royal Army?"

"God bless you!"

Mavik subconsciously held the sun hummingbird talisman around his neck and managed to calm down.

"Your Majesty, I am a surrendered soldier who was captured when the North Army Corps captured Huayamo Fortress. I have joined the royal army for four years!"

"Four years!"

Xuluot was slightly surprised. This qualification has surpassed many Prepecha warriors. Then, he asked Mavic for a while, examined a few Ali scriptures, and finally nodded with satisfaction.

"Very good! Mavic, are you willing to stay here, manage the mine for me, and mine the ore in the mountains?"

"Ah? Stay here and manage the mine?"

Mavic was stunned and asked subconsciously.

"Your Majesty, is the Trout Village under my control?"

"Of course! The villages around the mine are all under your jurisdiction. You have to recruit at least a thousand Tekos miners to mine the iron ore in the mountains during the dry season when farming is slack! I will recruit experienced miners from the Chingambat mine to assist you. The scale of subsequent mining will be expanded, and a furnace for smelting ore will be built nearby, and coke will be transported here. Your work will be very heavy!"

"Ah, Your Majesty! I am willing to do my best for you to manage the entire mine area at your will!"

When he heard about managing the Trout Village, Mavic knelt down without hesitation. Being able to become an official in his hometown, returning home in glory, and stepping on those who had once opposed him, it was simply too cool. What's more, the trout and silverfish soup in his hometown are really nourishing!

"Very good! The Lord God bears witness that from today, you are my warrior, the general manager of the Black Rock Mountain Iron Mine District!"

Xuluot smiled and nodded. He solemnly stretched out his hand, shook Mavik's hair, and accepted Mavik's loyalty.

After a simple loyalty ceremony, the king instructed Mavik for a long time. He had many plans for the mining and smelting of iron ore, but he had to realize them slowly.

Huitu looked at Mavik who was being taught by the king, and suddenly some envy surged in his heart. Then, he shook his head vigorously and told himself firmly.

"No, the head of the miners is definitely not as good as the captain of the navy!"

The sunset gradually fell, and Xiuluot stood on the top of the mountain, looking at the sunset in the western sea. The sunset scene was so magnificent, just like the sky and the sea, all dyed with rosy clouds. The king stared at it for a long time, then lowered his eyes and saw the stone tablet on which Black Wolf was recorded for his merit.

"Huh? This is..."

Xuluot strode over and read the crooked words carefully.

"Black Wolf Toltec, Fire Stove Hand Snake City, defeated the Tekos people, and was recorded for his merit on the sacred mountain! Hmm? There is a corresponding picture below."

Xuluot smiled and looked at it for a while, shook his head first, and then nodded.

"Black Wolf, not bad! The picture is good!"

"Haha! Thank you for your compliment, Your Highness!"

Black Wolf raised his head and was very proud.

"But the words are not written correctly."

Xuluot smiled and criticized seriously.

"Look at these two words! It's 火火, not 火狐 Stove. It's break, not Man break. When we return to Trout Village, let the warrior leader give you paper and pen, and copy each of the two words hundreds of times!"

"Ah! Your Highness!"

Black Wolf's eyes widened, and his proud smile collapsed immediately.

"One hundred times"

"Yes. Give me a bronze carving knife!"

The king nodded and said meaningfully.

"I will fill in the missing words of Black Wolf with my own hands!"

The sunset faded, and the last remaining light fell on the hard stone tablet, illuminating the new carvings. The king and the generals had left, carrying new hopes and pursuing the glimmer of the new era.

In the next few days, Xiu Luote stayed in Trout Village. Unexpectedly, the personal guard Ma Weike's craftsmanship was very good, and the village chief Ma Huo's fire-making skills were also good. The king said that the delicious fish soup was very suitable for his taste.

The guards who dug in Black Rock Mountain reported back with samples one after another. The iron ore began to be scattered from the halfway point of Black Rock Mountain, gradually extending to the bottom of the mountain, forming an increasingly obvious vein. According to this trend, the real vein should be under Black Rock Mountain.

Hearing this, Xiu Luote frowned slightly. The vein of the Black Rock Mountain iron ore is still a bit deep, and it is difficult to mine. If it were in the future, nitrate explosives could be used to flatten the hill directly. In this era, we can only use a large number of manpower to slowly dig. As for the use of black gunpowder with limited power and insufficient output for mining, the cost is too high for the Mexica Alliance, and it is necessary to wait for the increase of gunpowder production.

In late March, sporadic iron ore was mined and piled up at the foot of Black Rock Mountain. The villagers of Tekos were also mobilized to start building a simple small furnace. If time permits, the king even wants to stay here for a few more months, watching the furnace built with his own eyes, and the first batch of scattered iron ore began to be smelted.

However, at the end of March, the envoy of the alliance finally arrived at the mouth of the Talsa River. He first came from the capital of the lake, along the Leman River to the west, then landed in the river mouth county, and went south to the capital of Qincongcan. Then, he followed the king's trail, went south to Zicao City, went west to Apa City, and finally took a small boat and went south for hundreds of miles to the mouth of the Talsa River.

"Your Highness, I have traveled 1,500 miles and finally caught up with you here!"

The messenger was thin and almost exhausted. He took out three edicts from his arms and read them out one by one.

The first one was the elder's edict.

". Summon His Highness Shulot to the lake capital to officially marry Princess Alyssa and prepare for the eastward expedition after the wedding ceremony."

The second one was the edict of King Avit, which simply repeated the elder's words and added a sentence.

". Come quickly and prepare for the ceremony. Alyssa's wedding must glorify all nations!"

The third one was the edict of High Priest Shuter, who added another sentence.

". Bring the most precious gifts and marry the princess!"

Then, the messenger took out two private letters and handed them to Shulot.

The first letter was from his father Xiusoke, which was about some wedding arrangements and mentioned the plan of the alliance army to march east to Tlaxcala after the autumn harvest.

The second letter was written in beautiful handwriting with a faint fragrance. On the front of the letter was a painting of a boy holding a girl's hand, sitting side by side on a pyramid, looking at the stars in the sky. Below the painting were a few lines of words of longing.

After reading the words, Xiuluot's heart surged, a smile bloomed on his face, and his eyes showed desire. Then, he turned over the back of the letter, but there was no word, only a light kiss mark of rouge red.

Seeing this, Xiuluot's longing could no longer be suppressed, and it drowned him like the sea. He stood on the edge of the Pacific Ocean, looking at the mountains in the northeast, and shouted in his heart.

"Alyssa, my love! I'm coming!!"