The morning sun lights up the whole world, and the gentle breeze wakes up sleeping people. It is like Quetzalcoatl giving light and wisdom, promising peace and prosperity to all things.
Xiulote knew that today was an auspicious day. According to the Aztec calendar, today is the twelfth day of the first month of the new year, which represents herbs and salvation. The symbol is the herb in the pelvis, which belongs to Quetzalcoatl.
The scope of the priesthood of Kecharkoatl.
Shulot got up very early. He was wearing formal priestly clothes. The feather crown once again covered his forehead, this time with extra blue, red and green feathers.
Quetzalcoatl is one of the four most important gods. He is the god of wind, peace and prosperity, light and wisdom, and the Lord of the West. On the first god's day of the new year, a sacrifice needs to be held for him. And on
In prosperous city-states, this sacrifice often develops into New Year celebrations.
In accordance with the priest's duties, Shulot built a shrine in the west, and then placed a one-foot-diameter gold disc in the center of the shrine to symbolize light. Around the gold disc, there was a neat circle of turquoise,
Used to symbolize wisdom.
Then, he placed silver bowls at the four corners of the altar, and placed medicinal herbs in the bowls to symbolize healing and salvation. Finally, he inserted blue, red and green feathers under the gold plate to symbolize feathers.
The incarnation of the snake god.
In this way, a simple Quetzalcoatl altar is completed.
When everything is kept simple during the war, the sacrifices in the city-state will be much grander. Shulot once participated in the New Year celebrations in Teotihuacan. On that day, the Plaza de la Luna would be covered with gold, silver, gems and bright feathers, with thousands of them
Thousands of people celebrated and danced together, men, women and children sang songs of blessing. Everything was so beautiful and unforgettable.
Afterwards, the warriors gathered under the stage. They put down their weapons, took off their leather armor, and paid tribute to Quetzalcoatl. They prayed for the recovery of the injured and the salvation of the dying.
Then Shulot came on stage and sang the sacred song of sacrifice. His voice was passionate and clear, flying into the distance, like the waves of the great eastern lake:
"...Finally Quetzalcoatl left the weeping people,
He rides on the green snake's raft,
With pious priests,
Sailing into the endless lake,
Travel to the far east.
He promised everyone with a sad face:
Prosperous flowers will return every spring,
Just like me who bless you.
Farewell is a brief withering,
I will return from the lake in the east,
bring back peace and prosperity,
Bring back light and wisdom,
Save you again!
"
It wasn't until the end that the warriors collectively turned to the east and knelt on the ground. They looked toward the unknown lake, softly calling the name of the god "Kecharkoatl" and praying for the return of Quetzalcoatl. Then the ceremony began.
Ended in silence.
Shulot wiped the slight beads of sweat from his forehead and drank some water. The ceremony was very peaceful as a whole, and it felt a bit like a peace mass.
Quetzalcoatl is one of the rare benevolent gods in Aztec mythology. He doesn't like people to bleed for him and is clearly opposed to human sacrifice. Therefore, the Mexica warriors did not drag away yesterday's Otomi captives.
Come out and offer sacrifices directly to the gods.
But in the eyes of the commander-in-chief Totec, the fate of these prisoners had already been determined. The Mexican warriors only wandered in the peaceful and peaceful spiritual world for one morning, and then immediately returned to the war world of blood and fire.
Totec first summoned the warriors to form a team, ready to fight at any time. Then he asked a thousand warriors to escort more than 500 captured Otomi warriors to a stone's throw outside Guamare City, and captured the prisoners one by one in front of the defenders.
Execution. There was a wailing and screaming in the distance, and soon there was silence again.
Shulot lowered his eyes. His principles had regressed a lot. He could accept the execution of hostile warriors without changing his expression. Just like his father said, since they are on the battlefield, the lives and deaths of warriors are determined by their destiny.
Totec's face was cold and he frowned slightly. Although the city was in panic for a while, no enemy troops left the city. In this case, the plan to lure the enemy was over, and the next step was to destroy all the villages.
Immediately, the commander-in-chief asked one thousand jaguars and two thousand warriors to continue to garrison the camp. These three thousand people would be led by him personally to guard the city of Guamare.
Shulot watched him sit down in the big tent again, and coldly took out the wooden map with red circles on it, and divided the remaining 5,000 warriors and 2,000 militiamen into seven camps. He pointed at seven on the map.
After reaching the position, the warriors nodded and left with cruel expressions.
Time seemed to have passed for a long time, and Shulot saw the thick smoke rising in the distance again. He could not hear any sound in the wind, and the world seemed still peaceful. After a long, long time, the warriors returned one after another according to the camp.
Sweating slightly, as if I had just gone for a run.
Their expressions remained as usual. They replaced the worn obsidian sharp blades on their war sticks, and blood flowed from the gaps in the weapons.
From the time the thick smoke rose to the return of the warriors, this time, Shulot didn't see a single figure escaping to the city of Guamare. Everything was like a silent mime, and life disappeared behind the fireworks without causing any ripples. In just one day, it was...
Seven large villages were massacred, and more than 10,000 Otomi people were killed.
Totec drew a red cross on the seven red circles, then talked a few words with the warriors, and looked at the noon sun through the gaps in the tent. He divided the seven thousand people into fourteen, five hundred people.
After forming a team, the warriors scattered out of the camp and carried the killing to further places.
Seeing all this, the young priest finally couldn't sit still.
Hulot plucked up the courage to walk into the tent, stood in front of the cold Totec, held the commander's strong arm, and stared at him with a pair of ruthless and cold eyes.
"What's the matter, Shulot?" A smile appeared on Totec's cold face, "Today's sacrificial ceremony was not bad."
"Commander-in-Chief, today is the first divine day of Quetzalcoatl. On this auspicious day to celebrate the New Year, we should not create so much blood."
"Huh?" Totec frowned, "You mean to leave the village until tomorrow before destroying it? But we have already taken action. If we delay it until tomorrow, more people will escape."
This chapter is not over yet, please click the next page to continue reading the exciting content! "I mean, we can be merciful, soldiers and men are potential threats, but we can let women and children go." Shulot said seriously.
road.
"The king's order is to kill all the Otomi people, regardless of gender, age or child, whether it is fifty thousand or one hundred thousand." Totec shook his head and said, "Xulot, don't be so childish, you are the Lord God.
of priests.”
Then, before Xiulote could continue to speak, Totec grabbed Xiulote's arm and pointed at the Pingshan City Road in the distance: "Can your catapult capture Guamare City?"
Shulot looked at the city and shook his head, "The current catapults are not powerful enough. Although they can hit this city, their power is limited."
Totec nodded: "We don't have time to besiege the city. Since we can't capture the city, we can only burn the villages and farmland and kill all the survivors!"
As he spoke, he turned sideways and looked at the young man seriously: "Xulot, the Otomi people do not deserve sympathy! If you have time, hold more sacrificial activities for the soldiers, or study the trebuchet."
Then he waved his hand and asked the guards to take Shulot out of the tent.
Shulot hesitated for a few steps outside the big tent, suddenly thought of someone, and hurried away.
Entering the tent, Shulot saw Avitt sitting cross-legged in front of the earth platform, writing something on a wooden board. Occasionally, messengers and scouts would come and go, reporting military information.
Shulot went up to take a look and was surprised. On the wooden board were traditional Chinese characters: "More than a hundred villages were found along the way. Twenty-one of them are expected to be burned today. In total, at least fifty thousand Otomi people will be killed. Ten of them will be killed."
You can clean it all within a day, complete the task and return..."
Seeing Shulot, Avitt smiled, pointed at the board and said, "How about it? My writing is pretty good, isn't it?"
Xiulote nodded. Within a few months, Avitt could already write Chinese characters accurately, which was really good.
Later, Shulot asked anxiously: "Avit, the commander-in-chief wants to kill all the Otomi people. Can we show mercy?"
Avitt smiled and asked: "Xurot, don't you know that the Otomi people are our enemies? If the Otomi militia is released into the mountains and forests, the warriors of Mexica will suffer heavy losses."
Shulot nodded and replied: "I understand. I'm not talking about the men of Otomi, but the women and children."
"Oh! I understand." Avitt laughed loudly, his eyebrows arched in two flying arcs. "It's the New Year, Shulot, you are already thirteen years old, and you are at the age where you are eager to become an adult."
"How about this? I'll go and tell Totec that the warriors will bring you some Otomi girls to transform you from a boy into a man. Then you won't be so soft-hearted."
Shulot's mouth went dry for a while, and his face turned red at Avitt's teasing. This guy could really do it.
"You see, although priests cannot take wives, as long as you take these Otomi girls as concubines, they will be saved." Avitt continued to be tempting, "The great Montezuma I had hundreds of concubines.
I gave birth to hundreds of divine warriors. You can also take in hundreds of Otomi girls."
Shulot was stunned for a moment, and then stood there blankly calculating. His IQ had turned negative after a day of suffering. At this time, he clasped his fingers and muttered something, thinking about how many girls he should save.
Seeing that Shulot was also thinking seriously, Avitt became worried again.
He stretched out his hand, flicked Xurot's forehead hard, and said seriously: "Xulot, what are you thinking about? We Mexica warriors are different from other weak tribes. The coming of age rituals of the warriors are all
After the age of fifteen, a good warrior will be born even later."
"My students, singing too much too early will seriously damage the body's strength, lose the wisdom of the mind, and lose the vitality given by God. Those famous Jaguar warriors can often temper their bodies and suppress the desire to sing until they are twenty.
Years old! Shulot, I hope you will not be attracted by the joyful songs of the opposite sex before you turn eighteen." Avitt put away his smile and said seriously.
"Avit, I understand what you are thinking. But I really want to save women and children. They did not fight with us and are innocent. Human heads are not leeks. If they are cut off, they will not grow back. Tens of thousands of lives,
You shouldn’t die meaninglessly like a weed.”
Shulot looked at each other stubbornly. Although the three views from later generations were shaky, they still exerted influence.
"Hey, what are leeks? Are they weeds that grow quickly?...Haha, ordinary civilians are just weeds, let alone these foreign savages!"
Avitt laughed and didn't take it seriously at all.
"There are no innocent people in this world. Everyone dies for a reason. Women will weave and farm and raise children. Children will grow up and take up arms to kill."
Hearing the same point of view as his grandfather, Shulot remained silent. He just opened his eyes and stared at each other stubbornly.
"Okay, okay! Give me a reason not to use the life or tolerance you mentioned before."
Avitt said seriously.
"As long as you can convince me, I will convince Totec."
Shulot began to think calmly. After a while, he opened his mouth to answer.
"We can capture them and bring them back to the alliance to add more victims to the alliance."
"We don't have enough food, and we don't have the manpower to spend on taking care of them. The Alliance's land is also limited."
"It will take more than ten years for these women and children to pose a threat to us."
Shulot thought for a moment and then said.
"Indeed, what about ten years from now?"
"According to the speed of development of the alliance, in more than ten years, we will be strong enough to completely conquer the Otomi people and turn these civilians into subjects of the alliance!"
Shulot was somewhat confident and had a look in his eyes.
Avitt looked at the confident Shlott for a while, nodded slightly, and said with a smile.
"Maybe, this is the first reason. But now, I don't see the benefit of letting these people go. Are there other reasons?"
"We can capture these people and bring them to Guamare City to exchange food with them. The army is short of food now."
Shulot said.
"What if the city-state doesn't exchange grain for it?"
"Then if we let them go, the city will lose its people's hearts."
"Oh, what do the hearts of the common people matter?"
Avitt chuckled.
"But it's good to be able to exchange for some food. This is the second reason. But why should I help these civilians? Give me another reason, a reason about you!"
Avitt looked into Shulot's eyes with a smile in his eyes, as if waiting for something.
Shulot thought about it again and again, and after a long time, he sighed quietly.
"Avit, this is what I think in my heart. Cherishing life is not a natural principle in this world, but it is my preference, which makes me satisfied... Please help me!"
"Oh? Satisfy your inner pursuit? But we executed the husbands and fathers of these people, and they will not be grateful to you."
"...I don't need the gratitude of these people, I just need to let my heart be peaceful and satisfied. The sacred tree protects the weeds and never cares about the gratitude of the weeds. It's just that he is there and wants to do this, so he
Did it.”
Shulot answered quietly, but seemed to have exhausted all his strength.
"Haha, okay, okay! My student, my little sacred tree, so this is just your hobby, right? It is not a natural law that you should abide by. Hobby is subordinate to the great cause, and you can compromise when necessary.
"
Avitt asked gently, as if with a hypnotic charm.
"Yes, this is just my hobby and has nothing to do with the laws of the world. It is subordinate to the great cause."
Shulot repeated with difficulty.
"Okay, very good! Cherishing life is Shulot's hobby! The lives of tens of thousands of civilians are just ants. Even if they cause obstacles, they are insignificant. How can they compare with the growth of my students! This third reason is the real
Reasons that impress me!”
Avitt finally clapped his hands and laughed.
"Xulot, remember what you said today. No matter what the past memories are. Life and tolerance are just your hobbies, just like some people are lustful, some are warlike, and some are fond of wine. This is just a more
Kind hobbies.”
"When conditions permit, you can act according to your hobbies. But your hobbies must be subordinate to the great cause. It is not the bottom line!"
"The bottom line cannot be violated, and it becomes a weakness, and weakness brings death. Unlike mortals, a great ruler must not have weaknesses. So, Shulot, no matter what is in your memory, forget the weak part!
You can act according to your hobbies, but you must never be bound by your hobbies. You are destined to be as tall as a sacred tree, overlooking the weed-like people! This is the most important lesson I teach you!"
Avitt pressed Shulot's shoulders firmly and stared at him firmly, his eyes full of expectation.
"As rulers, our only cause is this country, the future of the Mexica people, and the supreme power in the world!" After leaving the last words in a low voice, Avitt finally burst out laughing, in laughter.
Full of deep ambition and desire.
Laughter echoed in the camp, and it took a long time to stop. Then, Avitt gave the student a strong hug, turned around and strode away, heading towards Totec's camp.
Shulot is still standing where he is. He has to take the first step towards becoming a great ruler, which is also the most difficult step. The road to the king is full of bones. From now on, he will step on blood, dye his feet red, and put his life to death.
