Chapter 664: The Second Kingdom Exploration, the End of Lowland Maya

At the beginning of April, spring is coming. The sea breeze brings warmth, and migratory birds migrate north. The kingdom's expedition fleet departs from Weicun, one hundred and twenty miles east, to the Crocodile Town near the coast, which belongs to the Chel theocratic chiefdom.

"The Chel theocratic chiefdom is a small clan with tens of thousands of people. It is called the theocratic chiefdom because the leader of the Chel clan was originally the sun god priest elder of the Mayapan Kingdom. He was a member of the Xiwu family He fled to the northern jungle during the rebellion and established a clan chiefdom, and every military and political leader of the Chel clan was also the chief priest of the clan."

Ti Carlo was sitting on the bottom floor of the dark cabin, with his hands and feet tied, and a friendly smile on his face. He looked at the priest Tomat and the old militiaman Chihuaco in front of him and preached patiently.

"The Chel clan has a population of nearly 100,000. Although it is smaller than the four major forces, it is still powerful on the loose northern coast. The clan's ruling center is in Tianshui City (Izamal), eighty miles to the south, which is the "God-given city" The place where dew falls from the sky." This is also an ancient religious city inherited from the golden age."

"Since the original leaders of the Chel clan were priests and elders respected by the kingdom, they were naturally hostile to the Xiu family who launched a rebellion, subverted order, and destroyed the power of the priests and elders, and they have always been friendly with the Kapoor family. As for our Cocom royal family, we are with them It’s a close alliance. This time the tribe went north to get supplies through their territory.”

Hearing this, Priest Tomat and Chihuaco looked at each other and nodded slightly. Ti Carlo glanced around and suggested with a smile.

"Dear two leaders, I am familiar with the local divine nobles, why don't you let me come?"

"Dark snake, Didi."

After hearing the detailed information, Chihuaco pointed to the Mayan businessman sitting on the ground without hesitation and gave instructions in a deep voice.

"seal!"

"ah?"

The two teenagers' ears were stuffed with cotton and they couldn't hear clearly. The clever Dark Snake was stunned for a moment, but Didi quickly reacted. He took out a ball of yellowed cotton and stuffed it into the mouth of Ti Carlo, who had a wry smile on his face.

"Watch him!"

"ah?"

Seeing the two confused people, the old militiaman shook his head. He pointed at the Mayan merchant and then at the two teenagers. When the young people suddenly realized their expressions, Priest Tomat smiled and spoke.

"Captain Qi, let's go!"

"Um."

When the two of them boarded the deck, the sea and sky suddenly widened. The fresh sea breeze blows across the floor, making people feel refreshed.

"This time, let Puap stay on the ship and I will disembark with you."

The old militiaman looked at the small town on the coast and said leisurely.

"There is no shortage of fresh water on the ship, we just need to replenish some food. We will leave early and return early, and leave on the same day."

"good!"

Priest Thomas nodded with satisfaction. He thought for a moment and added.

"Then as the translator this time, I will use the captured Toltec survivor, Usto. He should have no problem with daily conversations."

"Okay! That Usto is not very courageous and won't cause any problems."

The old militiaman thought for a moment and agreed. The two leaders bowed their heads at the same time and prayed devoutly.

"God bless you! May the fleet have a smooth journey!"

As the sun rises and sets, everyone is in a hurry. The old militiaman directed the sailors to replenish the supplies on the ship. Priest Thomas met with the god-born nobles in the town, told them about the divine prophecy, left a gift of gems, and left in a hurry.

Then, the expedition fleet set off again. The further east you go, the denser the jungle along the coast becomes, with large swamps scattered among the forests. Without a guide, this kind of terrain can be life-threatening if you go far inland. The fleet traveled eastward for two hundred and fifty miles before arriving at the next large village for supplies, Huoyan Village.

Fire Salt Village is the ruling center of Chikin Chiefdom. Yes, the largest settlement in this chiefdom is a coastal village. As the name suggests, this is the most important salt-producing area on the northern coast. There are many small lagoons along the coast of Huoyan Village. The lake water is connected with the sea water. Over the years, it is evaporated by the sun and accumulates into a salt lake with extremely high concentration. As long as the water inlet of the small salt lake is blocked, there are many natural salt drying fields.

This coastal area is the largest salt producer on the entire peninsula. The emergence of the Chikin Chiefdom was because the coastal tribes formed alliances with each other to defend the huge profits from the Salt Lake to resist the clans in the south. After all, the land along the coast is barren, and the Chikin Chiefdom needs to supplement its food supply through the salt trade. Similarly, the tribes here do not need to spend a lot of time farming, and they are constantly fighting with tribes who covet the salt production areas. The folk customs are both united and fierce.

"Chikin Chiefdom is a tribal alliance along the coast, with a population of tens of thousands. There is no leader in charge of each tribe, and more of the tribes help each other. They also believe in the god of war and the patron saint of merchants, Eke Quwa. For those who come to trade, The caravans, the Chikin Chiefdom are also the most friendly. As for the ‘fire’ in fire salt, it refers to the hundreds of red flamingos on the shore!”

Having not seen the sun for many days, Tikalo looked a little pale. He kept a calm expression and still explained the various forces gently.

"The Kapoor clan in the interior of the south has long coveted the salt-producing Chikin Chiefdom on the coast. However, the Chikin Chiefdom is quite united and has strong folk customs. They get rich through trade and do not need to put a lot of land into farmland. They just With 60,000 to 70,000 people, tens of thousands of tribal warriors can be mobilized to guard the salt pond. They also control the salt supply of each state, and their weapons and equipment are not weak."

"The Kapur clan is hostile to the Xiu family and cannot move all the way north. Without complete assurance, they have been maintaining peace with the Chikin Chiefdom. On the one hand, they have won over the border tribes in the central and western part of the Chikin Chiefdom, and have continued to marry and accept them. "

Speaking of this, Tikalo looked solemn, his eyes flashed with wisdom, and his face showed vigilance towards the Kapoor clan.

"Today, rifts have appeared between the eastern and western tribes of the Chikin Chiefdom. The Kapoor family is very patient, like a water snake that eats a beaver, slowly invading the Chikin Chiefdom. If they are given decades In time, they have a good chance of annexing the coastal Qijin chiefdom and the vassal Theis clan at the same time. By that time, with the income from the salt pond, the Kapoor family will leap forward, surpassing the Xiu family and becoming the leader of the peninsula. The most powerful force!"

"So this is the situation!"

Priest Thomas listened patiently and thoughtfully. It sounds like the Chikin Chiefdom is a wealthier, smaller Pton tribe. I wonder if there is any chance to spread the Lord God’s fire here.

"Tikalo, the tribal leaders of Fire Salt Village worship Ek, the patron saint of merchants. Are their beliefs pious?"

After hearing this, Ticaro thought for a moment and understood. He pondered for a moment and explained.

"Dear Priest Tuomat, the Chikin Chiefdom believes in many gods, and they don't mind worshiping one more god. But the main god of each tribe must be one of the sun gods and the patron saint of merchants."

"Sun God? The Sun God believed in by the Chel Theocratic Chiefdom?"

Hearing this, Priest Tomat raised his eyebrows. He keenly noticed something, so he asked carefully.

"There are also missionary priests from other tribes here?"

"Exactly!"

Tikalo nodded heavily.

"The main sun god worshiped by the Chel theocratic chiefdom was originally another face of the sky snake god Itsumna. But after the Mayapan Kingdom split, in order to distinguish with the sky snake god worshiped by the Xiwu family, Kapoor Both the clan and the Chel chiefdom worship the sun god. The hostility between the two sides extends from territory and politics to the gods of faith. "

"The Chel Theocratic Chiefdom and the Kapoor clan are working together to spread the belief in the sun god among the western tribes of the Chikin Chiefdom. As a result, the rift between the eastern and western tribes of the Chikin Chiefdom is gradually widening. And the Kingdom of the Lake If you want to spread the glory of the Lord God here, you may need an opportunity to fight against Kapoor, Chel and Chikin at the same time!”

After hearing the hidden secrets of some ministries, Priest Thomas rubbed his brows, feeling a little troubled. The kingdom of Mayapan was shattered into pieces, and intrigues between various tribes emerged one after another. And these descendants of the Mayan gods who have been inherited for thousands of years, possess writing and advanced mathematics, are obviously more complicated than the other tribes on the plateau, and they are playing tricks in all aspects.

"This lowland Maya with a radius of eight hundred miles is really like an ant nest of melee! To completely clean it up, only tens of thousands of alliance troops will come from the sea to launch a divine battle that will kill thousands of descendants of the gods!"

Priest Tomat was secretly furious, but remained calm on the face. Unfortunately, the location here is too far away from the alliance, and the jungle environment is very difficult, so the logistics of the army cannot be maintained at all. For a long period of time, the alliance must maintain compromise and cooperate with the various Mayan ministries.

"Unless there is some irresistible force that can completely break the supreme rule of the Mayan descendants, and wipe out these nobles and priests who have been intertwined for thousands of years and have passed down family beliefs."

Two steps away, the old militiaman was also lost in thought. Ti Carlo glanced at him quietly, his face turned pale, his expression changed to weak, and he begged in a low voice.

"Dear Captain Chihuaco, please let me go out for some air! In Fire Salt Village, the Kapoor clan has a caravan leader who specializes in buying salt, usually an important member of the clan. The Kapoor clan is hostile to the Xiu family. I am a natural ally of the kingdom. If you want to communicate with the Kapoor clan, I can be a translator and link."

Hearing this, the old militiaman raised his eyebrows. He looked at Priest Thomas and asked in a low voice.

"Is the fleet going to make contact with the Kapoor clan?"

"Um"

Priest Thomas touched his chin and pondered silently. After a moment, he thought about his encounter with the Kanur guardian clan, made up his mind, and looked at the old militiamen again.

"Captain Qi, what do you think?"

"Well, two mountain leopards were confronting each other in the jungle, and there were a group of local dogs beside them. We killed one mountain leopard's cub, and what will the other mountain leopard do to us?"

The old militiaman thought for a while and asked with a smile.

"Will they take the initiative to come forward and form an alliance with us because of this?"

"Haha! It depends on what we are."

Upon hearing the old militiaman's question, Priest Thomas smiled knowingly.

"If there are eight thousand warriors in the fleet, we will be an unbeatable black bear, and the Kapoor clan will come forward and form an alliance to show their goodwill. And if there are two thousand warriors in the fleet, we will be the most powerful one in the jungle. Jaguar can also intimidate various ministries and gain the upper hand in communication.”

"But now, we only have more than 200 sailors and 200 soldiers, including dozens of wounded. Even if the kingdom's equipment has an advantage, it cannot offset the several times difference in strength."

Thinking of the wounded on the ship, the old militiaman gave Ti Carlo another hard look. The Mayan businessman shrank his neck, and just as he was about to speak, he saw the old militiaman pointing his finger, and the figures on both sides moved. Then, a ball of yellow cotton cloth full of saliva and extremely sour was stuffed into his mouth again.

"Uh-huh. Uh-huh!"

The old militiaman looked away from the struggling old fox. He thought for a while and came to a definite conclusion.

"The only ones who truly know the strength of the alliance are Ti Carlo and the remnants of Mayapan behind him. Therefore, in the eyes of the lowland Mayan tribes, we are just kestrels flying from the west. Although we fly fast, we may not be able to defeat them. An ordinary native dog, let alone a jungle leopard!”

"That's right! Without strength, there is no basis for alliance. Even if we form an alliance, we will still be bullied by the other party, ask for benefits, and even act as cannon fodder!"

Priest Tomat raised the corners of his mouth, feeling like a confidant. Fortunately, there was an old militiaman in the fleet. If there were two Puap, Priest Tuomat secretly shook his head during this exploration and made a decision with a smile.

"In this case, we won't stay here any longer! After a little supply, we will go to Shahu Town, two hundred miles to the east! After Shahu Town, there is the last anchorage of the lowland Maya, Port Ekab! And further back , is the Cuban Snake Island in the East China Sea! God bless you!”

"Okay! God bless you!"

The two leaders of the fleet bowed their heads again and prayed sincerely. Seeing the two men bowing their heads in prayer, Tikalo lowered his eyes and became quiet. He sighed quietly, feeling both helpless and relieved.

"Hey! If we use the fleet's gems as profit, the kingdom's force as a guarantee, and the Cocom family as a communication link, we can ally with the Kanur Guardian Clan, the Kapoor Clan, and the Chel Theocratic Chiefdom, and jointly send troops to the Xiu Family like this If it works, under the control of all parties, the Cocom family will not become the puppets of the kingdom or any party!"

Ti Carlo shook his head and thought no more. He knew that the kingdom's fleet would be withdrawn from the whirlpool of the Mayan tribes and continue to complete the route of exploration. And this, for the remnants of Mayapan, is a long wait and patience.

The spring breeze blows warmly, and the greenery is lush. The kingdom's fleet sailed on for two hundred miles, stopping at the town of Shahu to trade gems and preach divine prophecies.

This is already the territory of the Ekabu Chiefdom Alliance. More than a dozen scattered city-states, large and small, have formed a loose defense alliance under the leadership of Yandao Holy Land. They have no ambitions for expansion. Their power is distributed in the easternmost part of the peninsula, and the important city-states are all along the coast. The territory in the interior of the chiefdom is mostly sparsely populated and lush jungle.

The Ekabu chiefdom is geographically isolated and aloof from other tribes, and has few conflicts with other tribes. When the fleet was in Red Lake Town, they saw caravans coming and going, constant trade, and a peaceful scene. Here, the fleet also discovered a local Mayan galley fleet, which obviously carried sacred smoke from Cuba in the East, and even had Taíno-looking sailors.

However, this Mayan merchant fleet was a little wary when they saw the kingdom's longship coming from the east. They inquired about the origin and whereabouts of the kingdom's fleet, and traded tobacco for gems, but they never mentioned the Snake Island in Cuba where the tobacco came from.

After discussing with the Tomat priests, the old militiamen also reached an agreement not to disclose the fleet's sailing goal, only that it was to trade tobacco. The two parties completed the transaction amid suspicion. Then, the fleet set sail again, under the suspicious eyes of local Mayan traders, to the peninsula's northeasternmost port, Port Ekab.

Two days later, the Kingdom fleet maintained its strength and traveled more than a hundred miles to reach the final supply point, Port Ekab. This is a small seaside port, and various supplies are relatively expensive, but they are still sufficient. The sailors and warriors of the fleet finally got the opportunity to go ashore to repair themselves.

Chihuaco, an old militiaman, also found a nearby Mayan village and placed thirty or forty wounded soldiers from the kingdom's fleet in the village to recuperate and learn the Mayan language. Then, everyone held a dinner at Port Ekab and bought several large beasts hunted by locals, Sino-American tapirs.

"Huh? What kind of beast is this? It's bigger than a deer, has a lot of meat, and it's not too unpalatable. It's much better than a smelly pig, and probably about the same as a crocodile. I wonder, can I take it back and raise it?"

Huitu Puap ate large chunks of meat and sipped fruit wine. He thought about bringing back one of these beasts. His Majesty might like it.

"I heard from the locals that tapirs are similar to deer. They are both vegetarian. They are very clever and wild-tempered. They have some strength to resist but cannot be raised."

Chihuaco, the old militiaman, smiled, drank a glass of turbid fruit wine, and said leisurely.

"Don't think so much! The fleet will have a good rest here for a few days before heading east across the sea. The sea is vast, there is no coast reference, and there will be unpredictable storms on the sea. In the last few days, give me good food and sleep. , the rest of the voyage will be at risk!"

Hearing this, everyone was a little silent. Priest Thomas looked serious and raised a glass of fruit wine in front of the bonfire at night. He stood up solemnly, led everyone to face the west, and praised loudly.

"Praise the Lord God! Praise His Majesty the Divine Enlightenment for guiding us to get here!"

"Praise the Lord God! Praise His Majesty the Divine Enlightenment for guiding us to this place!"

Then, he turned to the east, looked at the boundless coast, imagined the Cuban Snake Island deep in the East Sea, and prayed loudly.

"The Lord God bless you! He uses his boundless power to protect the devout believers and arrive at Snake Island in Cuba!"

"The Lord God bless you! He uses his boundless power to protect the devout believers and arrive at Snake Island in Cuba!"

Everyone prayed solemnly, with determination on their faces, and shouted the most determinedly. At this point, there is no room for turning back, and we can only keep moving forward!

"Ten days of rest, sailing east! We will never turn back until we reach the Snake Island in Cuba!"

The loud shouts echoed in front of the bonfire on the beach. The bright moon rose in the east, leading the fearless shouts to fall into the depths of the waves. This is the end of the old days, and it will soon be a new beginning, infinitely broad~

Maya's exploration has come to an end. Next, I will return to the alliance, sort out the situation of all parties, and then turn to Cuba. (_)