Chapter 652: Second Kingdom Exploration, New Journey

The bright moon rises in the east and sets in the west, the night is at its deepest, and dawn is about to come. Priest Tomat and Chief Mozzi continued their unfinished conversation, telling the information about the Maya in the northern lowlands in a few words, and it was already dawn before they knew it.

"The Kanur Guardian Clan's territory is in the westernmost part of the peninsula, more than a hundred miles from east to west, and more than two hundred miles from north to south. The north is dry, the south is hilly, and the population is mainly in the middle. From north to south, along a line, a total of There are more than a dozen small Kanur city-states. Each of these city-states is ruled by different chiefs of the clan, and they all belong to the Presbyterian Church in Kapok City. Such a loose political system is destined to make it difficult for them to gather their full strength, and there is no one. The great chief or king who decides everything"

Priest Thomas took out a pen and paper, lowered his head to record and wrote down important evaluations in the bonfire along the coast.

"This clan is not a whole. Perhaps the scattered city-states within them can be treated separately. Moreover, they all originate from the Mexican plateau and have the blood of the Nahua people. They also occupy the coastal area in the western part of the peninsula and have good relations with each other. Necessity and possibility!”

Chief Mozi looked curiously at the words that were either squares or simple characters, as if looking at the mysterious priest symbols, and he felt a little respect in his heart. The divine inheritance among the Puton tribe has disappeared, and the abstract writing is completely unrecognizable. They are the most isolated tribe among the Mayans, the most advocating force and the easiest to assimilate barbarians.

"Together, the Kanur family owns more than a dozen small towns and 10,000 Mayan warriors. According to estimates, there should be a population of 300,000. The specific number is not clear yet, and further information needs to be collected."

Priest Tomat pondered for a while and then wrote down the last paragraph.

"It is also interesting that the Kanur clan also has a code of law, which was established in Kapok City, called the Kalkini Code, or the Kapok Code. In their view, Kapok (yaax che) is the center of the world, the place of fertility, and the source of life. The origin, the unity of the universe and the way of communication between gods and humans. The kapok tree gave the gods the power to rule over people, and the rulers maintained the stability of towns and villages. They established the Council of Elders under the witness of the sacred kapok tree. Clan affairs are decided through consultation, and this loose and peculiar system has been in operation for three to four hundred years, as it was in the Mayapan era."

Priest Thomas scratched his head and wrote another comment.

"The Presbyterian Council, the Kapok Code, and consultation and decision-making. This system seems to have originated from the Presbyterian Council within a city-state, but it has risen to the union of multiple city-states. I think this system is extremely stable, and the key to it is the Code. "

The Mayan businessman Tikalo sat next to him, peeking at the writing of Priest Tomat in the dim light of the bonfire. Seeing the last comment, he smiled secretly.

"What kind of stable system, what kind of key code? It's just that in the Kanur clan, there is no divine leader like the ancestor Kokom who can unify everyone!"

Priest Tomat thought for a while, then looked at Chief Mozi, asked some details about the Xiwu family, and wrote again.

"The Xiu family leads the Tuturxiu tribe and comes from the desolate central Maya. The meaning of their name is 'those people full of virtue'. Therefore, they can be called the Xiu Med clan."

Seeing the last sentence, Ti Carlo had a mocking smile on his face. They rebelled against the king, slaughtered the royal family, sacked the royal capital, and led barbarian tribes to invade. What a 'virtuous' clan!

"Their history can be traced back seven hundred years ago. The first capital they established was Uxmal, the current capital is Mani, and they also occupy the royal capital Mayapan. They have a supreme clan leader (Halach Uinik "

"The Xiumemed family is located inland, two hundred miles from east to west and two hundred miles from north to south. These two hundred miles are the richest place in the lowland Maya. With the wealth of their territory, they established two legions, one in the east and one in the east. Wary the Kapoor clan and suppress the Kanur guardian clan in the west. According to estimates, they should have about 15,000 warriors and directly or indirectly control a population of 400,000 to 500,000."

Ti Carlo looked at it for a while and remained silent. Priest Thomas lowered his head to write, not paying attention to the translation. He thought for a moment and wrote the summary again.

"However, they also had trouble. During the process of overthrowing Mayapan, many battles broke out around the royal capital, which destroyed the water canals around Mayapan and reduced food production. Then they fought with the Kanur clan in the west and the Kanur clan in the east. The Kapoor clan is hostile and consumes a lot of food. During the raids of the Puton clan, the food obtained in the Xiwu territory is far less than that in the Kanur territory. This is proved by the fact that the generals of the Xiwu clan are more powerful. Because of their cunning, they are far more responsive and flexible than the Kanur Presbyterian Church. Therefore, the Puton tribe prefers to plunder the Kanur clan’s territory.”

"In general, the Xiwu family is located inland and does not control the coastline. It has no direct interest in the kingdom's fleet. They are powerful, but they are attacked on both sides and have food shortages. The situation is not very good. In addition, they With his always flexible behavior, it is unlikely that he will take the initiative to become hostile to the Kingdom’s fleet, and there is no need for the fleet to proactively provoke the powerful Xiwu family.”

Seeing this, Ti Carlo turned his head and gritted his teeth.

Sure enough, as he expected, the Kingdom's fleet was destined to remain neutral towards the Xiwu family. Neither Tomat, the chief priest who is familiar with politics, nor Chihuaco, the cautious captain, will take the initiative to attack the Xiwu family. And the Xiwu family, which is cunning and forbearing, will definitely not be hostile rashly.

"Hahaha! Destiny, after all, it all depends on man!"

The morning sun casts a faint light, and the sky gradually becomes brighter. Priest Thomas closed the book, looked east, and prayed silently.

"Praise the Supreme Lord God! Please protect us! The Kingdom's fleet will go all the way east and will not have too much entanglement with Mayan city-states. We will definitely reach Snake Island in the East China Sea and establish an outpost of the Kingdom!"

When the sun rises, light comes. The golden light shines into the priest's eyes, like the majesty and promise of the Lord God.

After a while, Priest Tomat stood up and formally bid farewell to Chief Mozi. He had not slept all night, but he was still full of energy and his eyes were shining.

"Goodbye, Brother Moqi! The Lord God has witnessed that we will meet again! Please believe that the friendship of the Kingdom will be like the rising sun in the east, flowing continuously and bringing you real light!"

"Okay! Praise the Lord God, praise the ancestors! Brother Tuomat, take a hundred tribal warriors and hit the road early!"

Chief Mozi nodded solemnly. He glanced at the twenty pairs of leather armors, one hundred copper axes, and six hundred copper spears on the coast, and the corners of his mouth turned up with satisfaction. One hundred tribal warriors had already been selected and handed over to the kingdom's fleet. None of them have family burdens, and from now on, they are members of the Tiger Tribe.

"We Puton people have a proverb, which is that if you climb a high hill, you will naturally see the way you are coming!"

Chief Mozi stretched out his fist and once again collided with the palm of Priest Tomat. At this time, there was already a strong fighting spirit in his eyes.

"The Lord God has witnessed that the Short Spear Tribe will go on an expedition soon. Brother Tomat, I wish you a smooth journey to Snake Island! When we meet again, I look forward to more weapons and armor!"

"Okay! The Lord God bless you. With the Lord God's grace, you will be invincible!"

When the red sun rises, its path shines brightly. The farewell in the morning was not at all sad, but full of hope. The kingdom's fleet unloaded a shipload of weapons, loaded another hundred Puton warriors, and replenished enough food and water. Then, the fleet set sail again, heading to Jinshe City, one hundred and sixty miles north.

Sailing north in March, against the wind and with no current to rely on. The fleet maintained their strength and stayed calm. It took more than three days to reach the "place of snakes and ticks", the Kaan Peech area.

The location of this city-state was approximately near the city of Campeche in later Mexico. When the fleet arrived here, the surrounding forests became dense again and turned into hilly rainforest. Close to the coast, there are many small lakes and lagoons.

"Crabs, oysters, turtles, prawns and storks. They can all be stewed or grilled!"

Didi drooled and counted the game near the lagoon. He couldn't quite recognize it, but there was an Osprey, a silver crow warrior who grew up on the seaside, who was also eager to try.

"How can a warrior on the seaside not eat delicious seabass and hunt ferocious small sharks? Although the sea is full of deserts, this area near the sea is really rich!"

Precipitation in the rainforest creates raging rivers and brings nutrients to the soil. There is a lot of seaweed along this area, which naturally attracts a large number of fish and shrimps. Although the mountain bird of the Yorem tribe didn't know the reason, he could clearly see that the seaside here was richer than the coast of the northern tribes.

"A city! A small city!"

Shanniao squinted his eyes and was the first to spot traces of Golden Snake City. He waved the flag and shouted, and everyone heard and went away.

"Huh? This city is bigger than Prairie City and uses a lot of stones."

Chihuaco, the old militiaman, looked at it for a while and pondered in his heart. The Golden Snake City here is controlled by the Golden Snake clan and is familiar with Tikalo's business group.

"Old Man Qi? Do we need to stop for supplies?"

Puap put on his bronze armor, held his bronze spear, and looked warily at the city-states by the sea. There are two small rivers around the city-state, and there are also canoes for trade. But in general, compared with the trade node Honghu Town, it is far behind.

"Well, let me think about it."

The old militiaman touched his chin and looked at the Mayan businessman Tikalo. Ti Carlo had a smile on his face, vaguely expecting it. Seeing this, the old militiaman made a decision.

"There is enough food and water on the ship, so we won't get off the ship to resupply! Well, let Priest Thomas row the boat, meet with the local god-born nobles, give two bags of gems, and tell you about the prophecy. Tonight, or at most tomorrow Let’s go in the morning!”

Then, the old militiaman patted Ti Carlo on the shoulder and expressed cordial concern.

"Ti Carlo, you were a little frightened in the Short Spear Tribe and a little tired. Take a good rest these days and let your translator go with Priest Tomat!"

".At your command, Captain Chihuaco."

Ti Carlo pursed his lips, remained silent for a few breaths, and responded with a smile. All the way north, he was getting closer and closer to his hometown, and the old militiaman Chihuaco became more and more vigilant. No matter where he goes, there will be two Prepecha warriors by his side to "protect" him.

"What a vigilant old turtle! What should we do next?"

The Mayan merchant looked at the city-state by the sea, his face showing no emotion or anxiety. He watched as Priest Thomas held a stack of scriptures, put on several sun amulets, and boarded the boat with a few escorting warriors.

The boat rowed to the shore, and the group went ashore and entered the city. Then, Priest Tomat said something to the Mayan warriors guarding the city, and some people left in a hurry. After another two quarters of an hour, several divine nobles with divine faces rushed over, led Priest Tomat into the palace, and completely disappeared from everyone's sight.

Seven long ships docked at the seaside, attracting the attention of many people outside this remote town. Soon, there were more than a dozen canoes, guarded by the kingdom's warriors, tentatively approaching. When he got close, Tikalo had a smile on his face as he listened to the shouts of the Mayans on the boat.

"Dear Captain Chihuaco, the boaters are Mayan villagers along the coast. They want to sell some local products on the boat."

"What, local product?"

"Yes! Most of them are fruits, dried fruits, vegetables, fish and shrimps. Sometimes there are also shells, dried fish, cinnabar, and unknown beautiful stones."

Chihuaco frowned slightly, looked at the simple and expectant villagers on the boat, and then looked at the Mayan businessman Tikalo with a gentle smile next to him, and asked suspiciously.

"Why would they approach us and sell to us?"

"Because, our fleet is very wealthy at first glance. And they are forced by the annual tribute and must work hard to earn some wealth."

Tikalo touched the divine bald head and spoke with emotion.

"Captain Qi, the population of the Mayan tribes in the north is extremely saturated. The land belongs to the descendants, nobles and priests blessed by the gods, and every village must pay extremely high tributes. The villagers have limited land and have always had a mercantile tradition. . For these coastal villagers, many of them do not have land and just farm for the nobles in exchange for some subsistence food. Therefore, it may be that they sell some local products that cannot be sold at high prices to foreign fleets. The only way to make ends meet.”

Seeing that Chihuaco's eyes were still suspicious, Ticaro smiled and pointed at the necks of the villagers.

"Look, what's engraved on the amulets they wear around their necks?"

"Um?"

Chihuaco narrowed his eyes and looked away for a while, surprise appearing on his face. He stretched out his hand to catch the mountain bird and let the other person look at it carefully for a while.

"Captain, there is a strange woman drawn on the amulet around their necks! That woman has a long rope loop around her neck, her eyes are closed tightly, and her exposed upper body is dark."

Shan Niao scratched his head, his eyelids twitching, feeling very unlucky.

"It's really weird! It looks like a hanging woman!"

"Yes! This is the hanged goddess, Ixtab, the goddess of suicide! She has a rope around her neck, and she was hanged by herself. The black color on her body symbolizes the rotting corpse. This This goddess is one of the few gods who belong to the common people, and she also gives the villagers a smooth way to enter the divine world. "

The Mayan businessman Tikalo spoke quietly, describing the cruelty of reality.

"In the Mayan tribes, there are only a few ways to go to the beautiful world of gods after death. Among them, the same as the Mexica tribes, warriors who died in battle, women who died in childbirth, and sacrifices can all go directly to the gods. But in addition, there is a simpler method that is ranked first and is encouraged by the gods. This method is often used by ordinary people who are struggling to make a living and are old and poor! "

"What? You, you mean?"

"Yes, it's suicide!"

Tikalo smiled faintly and nodded affirmatively.

"These common people believe in the suicide goddess Isitabu and also wear the goddess's amulets. When they are over thirty, gradually unable to work, and their livelihood becomes more difficult, they will choose a sacred kapok tree on an auspicious day. . Then, they will go to the priest of the Suicide Goddess, borrow the divine rope, tie it on the tree, and then kill themselves and go to the kingdom of God!"

"But sometimes, there are too many old people going to the Kingdom of God on auspicious days, and they have to share a rope. The person in front has just hanged, and the people behind can't wait to take him down and go up themselves. If you are lucky, No, you are not completely dead, you have to ask someone to help you and hang yourself again."

"hiss!"

Hearing this, the old militiaman Chihuaco took a few breaths of air. He turned his head again and looked at the Suicide Goddess amulets on the necks of those civilians, his eyes gradually showing intolerance.

"This! Have these civilians never thought about resisting the tribute imposed on them?"

"Haha! The revered descendants of gods rule all lands. They have the blood of gods and have the faces of gods! These obedient civilians abide by the traditional order and have been at the lower level for generations. It has been like this for thousands of years! They have long been accustomed to think of themselves as butterflies that live in spring and die in autumn, while the gods and nobles are the kapok that lasts forever. Butterflies will only surround the kapok and will die on the tree, so how can they resist? "

Tikalo smiled and shook his head. In fact, before leaving the Mayan tribes and going to the Mexican plateau, he once believed that this kind of rule in which gods are respected, ordinary people are humbled, and top and bottom are stable is the will of the gods, and it is the law of the world.

"What's more, facing the direct management of various nobles and the powerful family warriors, these civilians have no ability to resist!"

".Why!"

Chihuaco, the old militiaman, was silent for a long time before letting out a long sigh. He lowered his eyes, turned around, waved his hand gently, and left a message to Ti Carlo.

"Ti Carlo, let's exchange for some! The local products of these villagers and the fleet are also in need, so we can give them more goods."

"At your command, Captain!"

Tikalo bowed his head respectfully, and the corners of his mouth curled up again. Then, he traded with the villagers in an orderly manner, using the local Mayan language.

The sun gradually set, the sky and the earth were dim, and then gradually the night deepened. The priest Tomat sent back an envoy, saying that he was warmly received by the other god's descendants and would stay overnight in the palace to tell the teachings of the main god.

Seven longboats were anchored at the seaside, and the villagers came and left, left and returned, and even brought back more small boats. Chihuaco looked out, his mood was complicated and difficult to describe. In the city in the distance, there were nobles of the descendants of the gods who were feasting and singing and dancing, and by the nearby boats, there were poor villagers who were struggling to survive and yearning for suicide. And this is the society of the lowland Maya, which has continued for thousands of years without change.

It was not until the morning of the second day that the priest Tomat returned with satisfaction during the farewell of the descendants of the elaphrodite gods, and the kingdom fleet set sail again. A new journey begins again. The next destination is Yan Village, nearly three hundred miles away, which belongs to the Kanul guardian clan.