The showers have begun to subside, and the setting sun dyes the clouds red and casts a magnificent silhouette. The light in the stone palace sways over time, from bright golden to deep red. The red clouds are rendered on the last two stone slabs, like a
The end of the kingdom epic.
Shulot raised his head, his eyes reflecting the light of the setting sun. Jatiri looked intently and saw a pair of eyes as bright as morning stars on the face of the handsome and calm young man, like a meditating god in a scroll. A knowledgeable elder
After being lost for a while, he pointed to the sixth stone slab and spoke loudly.
"Your Majesty, this sixth stone tablet contains a total of five paintings. It tells the various policies promulgated by the kings of Tarasco in the past generations in order to establish the authority of the royal family and centralize the power of the kingdom!"
Hearing the word centralized power, the young king raised his eyebrows and looked carefully.
In the center of the first picture is the tall, proudly standing Condor King. In front of him, kneeling is a row of noble men in rich attire. The King shines like the sun, and his expression is as solemn as a god. He
He was giving the wooden atlas in his hand to the powerful nobles in front of him.
"The king's upper body radiates stripes in all directions... Chief, is this the king's enfeoffment ceremony on behalf of the sun god?"
Shulot observed the details of the picture with a serious expression.
"Exactly, Your Majesty. In fact, this should be called the canonization ceremony, which is more appropriate!"
Jatiri smiled meaningfully.
"This was a large-scale canonization ceremony held at the end of the reign of King Condor! As time went by, the original powerful nobles grew old and died. The descendants they left behind were numerous because of the issue of inheritance of titles and land.
, many disputes occurred. Because the Condor Royal Family has the supreme decision-making power, these disputes are left to the king to decide."
"At the suggestion of the second Chief Hummingbird, the Condor King finally made a 'generous' canonization. He counted the number of direct descendants of many nobles, and in the Patzcuaro Lake area, 220 powerful nobles were canonized at one time.
And let these legitimate sons with inheritance rights equally share the land of the powerful nobles."
"The second chief's proposal? Generous canonization of equal land distribution? What a bold and ingenious proposal!"
Hearing this, Shulot suddenly opened his eyes wide. He looked at the knowledgeable elder in surprise. This scene could not be more familiar.
"Exactly! Your Majesty's wisdom is revealed by God. It seems that you must already know the beauty of it."
Jatiri admired softly, and then said seriously.
"Witnessed by the Sun God, this enfeoffment has two steps: First, many descendants of the nobles in the Patzcuaro Lake District, whether they are Nahua nobles or Lake District nobles, must submit wooden atlases and hand over the fiefdoms in their hands.
Nominally returned to the king.
Then, the supreme king is selfless and just. Under the witness of the gods, he will not usurp any noble's fief. He just generously grants titles to everyone, then divides these fiefs into different small pieces and gives them back to the nobles.
Descendants. In this process of handing over and returning, the king's authority was strengthened and he legally had the right to dispose of all the land."
"At that time, some older Lake District nobles clearly opposed large-scale canonization on the grounds of tribal tradition. However, in the end, the canonization was effectively implemented under the authority of the king and the hand of the chief.
Go down. After large-scale canonization, there are hundreds of powerful nobles in the Lake District, but they have completely lost the ability to resist the king. The entire Patzcuaro Lake District has finally been completely included in the direct control of the royal family within a few decades."
The knowledgeable elder smiled faintly, his eyes deep and distant.
"Your Majesty, I need to remind you that although this 'generous' canonization is clever, it hides huge dangers. In the eyes of the older nobles, the malice hidden in large-scale canonization cannot be concealed!
King Condor had this idea a long time ago, but has been waiting patiently for decades. It was not until the first generation of nobles with outstanding reputations were almost dead that he asked Chief Hummingbird to tentatively propose this proposal."
"Even so, in order to reduce the power of opposition, the scope of this canonization was carefully limited. The canonization was only concentrated in the Patzcuaro Lake area in the heart of the kingdom, and did not involve the great military nobles on the frontier. Under the witness of the gods
Next, the Condor King used his prestige to make a promise to ensure the independence of the inheritance rights of the frontier nobles. The frontier nobles also modified the rules of inheritance. Only with the countless secret efforts and compromises of the royal family did the peace of the entire canonization ceremony be guaranteed.
conduct."
"Your Majesty, governance is a compromise of power, a confrontation between different groups and different aspects of power. Even if you want to use tricks, you must have enough strength as a basis. Because the powerful tightly control power and wealth, and will never
Will hand it over easily..."
Hearing this, Shulot thought for a moment and nodded seriously.
"Thank you, Chief, for your teaching! Direct central power is the foundation of administration. Governing a large country is like cooking small fish in a lake. After controlling the heat, the next step is to wait slowly... Chief, I have another question:
The division and control of the powerful nobles is limited to the central lake area, so how do they deal with the military nobles and the Tarasco royal family who support troops on the border?"
Hearing this, Jatiri's eyes flashed. He looked at the young king carefully and answered with a smile.
"The king has an immortal sacred tree in his heart... For the military nobles on the border, the royal family has summarized a strategy, which is to control wealth and establish checks and balances. Among these two, it is to control the kingdom
Wealth is the most important thing and is the basis for establishing checks and balances!"
"Your Majesty, please look at the second, third, and fourth paintings!"
Shulott looked closer. The second group of paintings was quite freehand. At first glance, it looked like a simple landscape painting. There was still a sun at the top of the picture, and in the center of the sun was a condor. And in the picture
Below, there is a high mountain with trees, a lake with fish, and a valley with mines.
The third picture is easier to understand. The majestic pyramid is located in the center, surrounded by an open market, and beyond is the city without walls. Countless business travelers come from all directions, and the civilians carry gold, silver, gems, and obsidian on their backs.
, cloth, feathers, clothing, grain, salt, spices, and shiny copperware. On the road where the business travelers passed, there were many consultant nobles holding atlases, inspecting and collecting the goods. And it is worth noting that,
In the middle, there is a condor logo on the body of the business traveler.
The fourth painting is abstracted again. A strong god with radiating lines is entangled in the center of the pattern. He has huge and round eyes, a narrow and flat mouth, and behind him is a rare figure with a backrest.
A red seat. Around the gods are various busy craftsmen. Some of the craftsmen hold stone tools and some hold pottery; some make weapons and some sew leather armor; some light flames and forge gold.
Silver jewelry; some blend two metals to forge precious bronze!
Shulot was stunned and looked at the god on the fourth painting carefully. The god always gave him an inexplicable sense of familiarity, with toad-like facial features...
"Hey, I seem to have seen it somewhere... Chief, who is this god?"
"Haha, the king must have seen it! This is the craftsman god of the Toltec people, who masters music, dance and art, loves flowers, plants and beauties, and is good at metallurgy, painting and handicrafts! He is both Pre
The craftsman god of the Pecha people has the body of a lake frog, and he is also the craftsman god of the Mexica people, the Prince of Flowers!"
"That's it! The Prince of Flowers, the common deity between the two races..."
Shulot nodded suddenly. He finished reading the picture and waited for Jatiri's explanation.
"Your Majesty, these three paintings are about the collection and control of national wealth in the center of the kingdom. The meaning of the second painting is that the king shines on the earth like the sun and owns everything on the land! Whether it is on the mountain
The trees, fish and turtles in the lake, and the minerals in the valley are all owned by the royal family. The Condor Royal Family owns the water sources, forests and minerals of the feudal country, and will use a powerful army to maintain the possession of these properties.
Under the leadership of successive kings, the royal family would select valuable industries and send a large number of manpower to develop them, such as salt springs and salt wells in the east, copper mines, gold and silver in the south, and stone of the dead in the west. As for other products, mining and
The right to use it was granted to nobles and business groups in various places for a fee.
Your Majesty, through the development of these properties, the kingdom can obtain long-term and stable additional tribute in addition to the taxes on the fields, and support more loyal royal warriors!"
"Very good! The treasures of mountains and rivers, the industry of mountains and lakes, and the benefits of mountains and rivers are all owned by the state and turned into a ruling power!"
Xiulote smiled, and these measures coincided with his plan. Since the Prepecha people have such a tradition, it will be easier to implement the policy of "official mountains and seas" to seal the country.
"Chief please continue!"
"Your Majesty, the fourth panel is about the kingdom's control over trade. The city of Ivacchio in the south is the economic center of the kingdom and a must-have for business travelers from all directions. The veteran mentioned before that the kingdom has established a special
Commercial tax officials, on the one hand, take a proportional commission from the goods traded, and on the other hand, they levy taxes on large transactions.
The Kingdom will station troops and patrol in important places along the lake area to strictly crack down on private trade, protect tax-paying business travelers, and limit the interference of local nobles in commerce. For the lucrative foreign trade, the royal family actually established a special
caravan."
The knowledgeable elder paused and put his hand on the businessman with the condor logo.
"Bronze merchants from all over the world basically have the royal background of Tarasco. They also have the function of spying on intelligence. Before the Western Expedition, the merchants of Tarasco in Tenotictlan sent back
The alarm reminded King Suangua to be careful about the coronation war of the new king of the Mexica Alliance. But then, they lost contact. It is said that they were accused of violating the rank, wearing jade, and offending the gods by the Mexica people.
All executed in public!"
Hearing this, Shulot was startled for a moment, and the past came to mind.
He recalled his meeting with the Mayan merchant Tikalo. At that time, in order to open up a stable copper trade route, control military supplies within the alliance, and at the same time frighten the Mayan merchants, he had given an order to the monkey Kuruca to deal with Tara.
The businessman from Sco... The young king just thought about it calmly for a moment and then focused on more practical issues.
"After the fall of the Kingdom of Tarasco, where did these big businessmen controlled by the royal family go?"
"Your Majesty, even though the merchants have wealth, they are just beautiful birds raised by the condor. Without the protection of the condor, what will happen to the beautiful birds in front of the birds of prey? If they are wise enough,
If you give up most of your wealth, you may be able to escape from the greedy nobles of various countries. If they are not wise enough..."
Hearing this, Shulot nodded slowly.
"Beautiful birds will be killed because of their precious feathers. Chief, thank you for your reminder! These big businessmen are familiar with the trade routes of various countries, and have the intelligence and sales network in various places. They are a force worth retaining!
...The new kingdom in the lake also needs to make its voice heard in the world."
The young king pondered for a moment and looked at the warrior commander behind him.
"Bertard. Write down the will!"
"As you command, Your Highness."
The samurai commander took out his pen and paper and lowered his head to record.
"Send envoys to inform the surrounding countries that the newly built kingdom in the lake is a common kingdom for the Mexica people and the Prepecha people. It will protect the Prepecha merchants in various countries and protect their lives and property. From the time the envoys arrive,
From now on, any matter that harms the kingdom’s merchants will be recorded by the kingdom. The Lake Kingdom of the Mexica Alliance will send out envoys, warrior squads, and even legions to pursue those who dare to offend the alliance!”
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! Bertard's pen moved like a dragon, and he finished writing it quickly. He handed the paper decree to the king for review. Shulot looked at it twice and nodded.
Afterwards, the warrior chief summoned his personal guards, handed over the decree and jade talisman, and left a simple backup. Within a moment, the personal guards took Wang Ling and left.
Jatiri watched the process of the king's order being promulgated, thoughtfully. His gray eyebrows trembled slightly, and thoughts flashed through his mind, but he never spoke. After a while, he did not speak with a smile until the king looked at him again.
"The king has such a will, which is a gift from the gods to the Prepecha people! I will tell your kindness and majesty to the priests and scholars everywhere. Similarly, I will also make a voice from the people to persuade the Prepecha people everywhere.
Merchant Pecha, I will serve you as soon as possible."
"Very good, then I'll help you, chief!"
Shulot smiled with joy in his voice.
For the young king, Jatiri's surrender is of great significance. In all aspects of the governance of the feudal country, the knowledgeable elders can fully exert their influence. In fact, behind the knowledgeable elders, there is a group that is actively moving closer to the alliance.
, the Prepecha elite group who intends to join the new kingdom and join the ranks of its rulers.
In this era, knowledge is concentrated in the hands of a small number of elites. Ordinary civilians have neither cultural inheritance nor the right to speak of the ethnic group. They can form an army and perform military functions, but it is difficult for them to participate in the governance of the country. In the governance of feudal countries
, since we have decided to suppress the Prepecha nobles who control most of the wealth and population, we must unite the remaining village priests, tribal sages, noble sons, senior craftsmen who have mastered technology, and some businessmen who know how to measure.
"Your Majesty, river turtles, lake fish and water birds are all willing to serve the true eagle!"
Jatiri greeted with a smile and continued his previous story.
"As the king has seen, this fourth painting tells the story of craftsmen from various kingdoms gathering together to work for the royal family under the blessing of the God of Craftsmen. The kingdom values craftsmen and also uses the production of craftsmen to obtain a large amount of tribute.
Endowed with weapons and supplies, they provided a huge royal army.
In Qinchongcan City, there is a large-scale craftsman camp with thousands of craftsmen, specializing in the production of royal supplies and military supplies. In Ivacchio City, there are specially organized government craftsmen to make exquisite
Clothing, bronzes, and handicrafts are used for trade profit.
During the Western Expedition, the Royal Legion's rapid imitation of the longbow was the contribution of the Qincongcan Craftsman Camp. The Royal Legion's sturdy bronze weapons also came from the Craftsman Camp.
It is precisely with the supply of official craftsmen that the Condor Royal Family can establish a powerful Bronze Ax Guard Corps, forming an overwhelming military advantage over the military nobles on the frontier. And the centralized control of craftsmen has a strong control over military supplies.
Control is also an important way to control the border military aristocracy...
Your Majesty, I have observed your administration and know that you have always valued craftsmen, and you have also established a divine institute in the alliance to research new weapons. Of course, I don’t need to say more on this point."
Shulot nodded slightly. He has arranged for the warrior chief to resume the production of the craftsman camp and build a new shrine around the palace area. The new gunpowder production center will also be built in Pagoda like the alliance.
An island in Lake Tscuaro.
Then, the knowledgeable elder moved his finger and pointed at the last group of paintings on the stone slab. The tall condor king appeared again on the screen. The king waved his scepter and pointed to the mountain forest ahead. Numerous densely packed stick figures were holding different sticks.
Weapons, five bodies prostrate and kneel in front of the king.
"This fifth painting is the royal family's check and balance on the frontier nobles."
Jatiri used the edge of his finger to trace the different tattoos, clothes and weapons of the little people.
"The body is tattooed with feathered serpents, Tepanek people; the face is tattooed with wind scars, descendants of Guamar dogs; the black and white battle clothes are from Otomi people; the wide hats and narrow skirts are from Tekos people... The kingdom sent out legions on one side to conquer the border areas.
The barbarian tribes enshrined their leaders, recruited border tribes who were willing to surrender, and even accommodated the descendants of the Guamar dogs who moved south, and resettled the remnants of Tepanek who fled west. These surrendered barbarian tribes were all enfeoffed on the border lands.
They accept the dispatch of the kingdom, perform military service for the kingdom, and even accept support from the royal family, obey the royal family's orders, and do things that are inconvenient for the kingdom's army."
The knowledgeable elder paused and smiled meaningfully.
"The remnants of Tepanek..."
Hearing this, Shulot's expression changed and his eyes became serious. He suddenly remembered a sudden ambush he encountered outside the Otomi village a few years ago. It was the first time in his life that he had been so close.
die.
Jatiri observed the king's expression and waited carefully for a moment before continuing to speak cautiously.
"These surrendered tribes stationed in the border areas effectively checked and balanced the military nobles on the border, and also provided the royal family with a considerable number of foreign mercenaries. The reason why the royal family can smoothly command the foreign border people relies on the strong deterrence of the royal army.
It is even more inseparable from the purchase and supply of the feudal country’s wealth.”
"The strength of the center lies in its financial advantage; the stability of the border lies in the balance of military power!"
The knowledgeable elder stood tall, with a serious expression, and bowed solemnly to the king.
"Your Majesty, the centralized government is like a towering tree! The powerful direct army is the backbone of support, and the most important root system is the wealth of the feudal country! The work of the villagers, the labor of the craftsmen, and the excavation of the miners,
The transportation of caravans...fields, workshops, mines, business trips, all these, only when the feudal officials are involved in them, and absorb nutrients from the ground, can a powerful and stable central sacred tree truly grow!"
This chapter has been completed!