"Come on, come on, Your Highness has spoken, everyone should go back and sit down and continue drinking!"
Izel, the mountain chief of the Glory family, put on a smile and gave instructions loudly.
"Let the Huastec dancer come over and dance something charming. Then play the music, and then dance!"
Soon, the charming Huastec girls came to the middle of the banquet wearing scantily clad shells. They stretched their waists cheerfully, tiptoed lightly, and danced the imaginative cat dance.
The atmosphere in the venue was once again joyful. The western nobles were watching the dance, talking, laughing and drinking, as if nothing had happened. From time to time, someone came forward, toasted the king, congratulated a few words, and then left naturally.
"The Lord God bless the Alliance, and the King shines in all directions! The respected King Avit has sent envoys to all states, summoning nobles to visit the capital and participate in the celebration. Your Highness, your wedding soon will become a grand event for the Glorious Alliance!"
Izel raised his glass, bowed his head in greeting, and drank it all.
"Congratulations to Your Highness!"
Hearing this, Shulot nodded slightly, with a smile on his face, and his heart was full of expectations. He raised his glass and drank the remaining wine in the glass with a smile, but his expression became solemn.
"Izel, congratulations to you too! I said goodbye to you during the Western Expedition. Your bravery made me unforgettable. When I saw you again, your face was clear and your eyes were as sharp as an eagle!"
Hearing these profound words, Izel paused slightly. The meaning of his name is "dark eyes, blurred face". The difficulties of being a bastard in the past emerged in his heart, but he has never regretted the choice he made that night.
.Now, a new choice is before us.
After a long moment of silence, Izel made his choice again. He stepped forward quietly and came within two steps of Shulot. Then, in Bertard's vigilant eyes, the young mountain chief whispered inaudibly.
road.
"Your Highness, Captain Shusok... Tepetel's death... was all planned by the Alliance Intelligence Group... the Chief Intelligence Officer."
Hearing this, Shulot nodded lightly. This answer did not surprise him. Seeing Shulot's calm expression, Izel gritted his teeth and continued to remind him.
"Your Highness, my respect for you has never changed! The Snake Chief Intelligence Officer...is interested in Your Highness...please be careful!"
"Hmm? Are you interested in His Highness?"
Xiulote raised his brows and remained silent. The only ones who can bear the title of "Little Highness" are the thirteen-year-old Montezuma II, the son of the late emperor Asaya Catal, and the son of Avitt.
Chimalpilly II, who is eight years old this year. There is no doubt that Gillim is interested in the latter, Alyssa's biological brother. And the so-called "intentional"...
After thinking for a moment, Shulot nodded calmly. He stretched out his hand and patted Izel on the shoulder.
"Izel, my appreciation for you has never changed! God bless you!"
"God bless you!"
The two toasted and drank together, and their conversation became a little more intimate. Shulot recalled his previous confusion and asked softly.
"The high priest has a merciful temperament and has always been on good terms with the western nobles. Why are everyone so afraid of him?"
"..."
Hearing Kanren's comment, Izel was speechless for a moment. He looked at His Highness' puzzled expression, lowered his head and answered respectfully.
"Your Highness, the high priest is in charge of religious law, has implemented strict reforms, and has taken back the religious power in various parts of the alliance in the capital. Now it is quite effective! In the past three years, no fewer than 100 of the great nobles and priest families in various parts of the alliance have been ordered to be exterminated because they violated the decree.
Twenty or thirty families. In the western city-state, five families were also wiped out... and the title of the high priest in the alliance is 'The Bloody Sun, the Sacrifice of the Gods'..."
"Ah? The bloody setting sun, the sacrificer of God?..."
Shulot's eyes widened, and it was difficult to accept it for a moment. He could not connect the kind and kind grandfather in his memory with the ruthless high priest in Izel's mouth. But he clearly knew that the alliance's teachings and centralization of power
If reforms are to be effective, they must be stained with the blood of the old aristocrats. The reaction of the western aristocrats at the banquet truly proved this...
Hulot returned and sat down, thinking silently and not speaking again. Izel returned to sit down, asked the maid to bring fresh fruit, and chatted and laughed with the nobles around him, maintaining the atmosphere in the venue.
The cheerful bamboo flute was played, and the dance music was all around. Unknowingly, it was already dark. When the maids once again presented the carefully prepared cocoa, the banquet came to an end. Many nobles raised their glasses and drank together.
Let’s pray together to the emblem of the Lord God.
"Praise the Lord God and drink this cup to the full! He protects the alliance and promises us Mexicaans to rule all the ministries in the world!"
As the host, Izel smiled and raised his glass and shouted.
"Pray to the Lord God! May He bless us!"
"Pray to the Lord God! May He bless us!"
Many nobles shouted together. Shulot smiled and raised his glass, his eyes sweeping across the field. Everyone prayed to the Lord God sincerely and with great respect and seriousness.
"Praise the elders and drink this cup! He is the immortal sun, which will always shine on the Mexica Union, go through the next reincarnation, and light the sacred fire of the sacred mountain!"
Ezelle paused and praised sincerely.
"Pray for the elderly! May he always be healthy!"
"Pray for the elderly! May he always be healthy!"
According to the alliance calendar, one reincarnation lasts 52 years. The last reincarnation began in 1454, and the next reincarnation was in 1506. Although news of the elder's serious illness vaguely spread among the nobles, most nobles still stubbornly believed that
, the elder will regain health again as he has done many times before.
Xiuluo nodded. In response to the elder's prayer, the nobles' faces showed a mixture of respect and fear.
"Praise the king, drink this cup! He is the supreme king, and will lead the entire alliance on the road to strength and unify all parts of the world!"
Izel looked solemn and turned towards the east.
"Congratulations to the king! May he rule the world!"
The western nobles present did not respond immediately. Everyone looked at each other until a few noble elders took the lead and then faced the east one after another.
"Congratulations to the king! May he rule the world!"
Shulot saw everything in his eyes. Regarding the celebration of King Avit, the nobles were half in awe, half in obedience, and half in secret dissatisfaction. The source of this dissatisfaction was precisely the king's centralization reform. Regardless of
Whether it is the priests who go to villages in various places, the business taxes that are gradually recovered, or the interference in the inheritance of the nobility, it all means damage to the interests of the great nobility.
These accumulated contradictions were temporarily suppressed by the powerful central government, and were continuously alleviated through wars and transfers of seals, maintaining the surface calm.
"If the elder goes to the Kingdom of God, will the powerful nobles everywhere still be so obedient?"
Shulot lowered his eyes and thought silently until Izel came over again.
Izel raised his wine glass and bowed respectfully to His Highness, making Shulot the center of the banquet.
"Praise His Highness, drink this cup! He is an invincible commander and the future sun of the alliance. The grand ceremony is coming soon, let us celebrate His Highness's wedding!"
Everyone gathered around, with smiles on their faces. Now that His Highness was so close, the faces of the nobles were naturally full of joy and sincerity!
"Congratulations to Your Highness! I wish you and the princess will lead the alliance side by side to a more glorious future!..."
At noon on the second day, Hulot woke up from a deep sleep. He suddenly opened his eyes and saw the warrior captain standing at the door, and he breathed a sigh of relief. He drank too much yesterday, although the tequila at this time
The strength is not high, and if you drink it repeatedly, you can still knock someone down.
Shulot smiled bitterly and shook his head, rubbed his brows, and looked at the warrior commander.
"Did I say anything I shouldn't have said last night?"
Bertard smiled slightly and shook his head.
"Your Highness, no. When you were drunk, you didn't say anything. You just seemed to be mumbling something, reciting some incomprehensible... scriptures?"
"Huh? A verse that is difficult to discern in a cadence?"
Shulot was stunned and had some vague guesses.
"Yes! There is a sentence that is repeated over and over again. I have remembered the big concept dozens of times."
Bertard opened his mouth with a smile and repeated the "verse" that he didn't understand but could remember.
"...The so-called beauty is on the side of the water~The so-called beauty is on the side of the water!~~"
"Well..."
"By the way, there is another sentence at the end that you can understand."
Bertard raised the corners of his lips and repeated in a low voice.
"The so-called beauty is on the water side. Alyssa, here I come!~"
"ah?..."
"Your Highness, what is the meaning of this verse?"
Hearing this, Shulot felt a little embarrassed and managed to answer calmly.
"The meaning of that sentence is to pray to the Lord God that the wedding will go well!..."
"Okay. Your Highness, I remember."
"..."
Relaxing time is always short-lived. Shulot did not stay in the western city-state for too long. At noon on the third day, under the courtesy of Izel, he boarded the galley warship and once again led three thousand guards to a group of soldiers.
Go to Lake Texcoco, two hundred miles away.
A few days later, the waves of Lake Texcoco flashed before the king's eyes again. The Lake Texcoco area is the heart of the alliance and the most prosperous place in the Mexica Valley.
Along the way, the surrounding villages are bustling with people, and business travelers on the lake are intertwined. Gorgeous flowers bloom on the islands in the lake, which are the gardens of the nobles. Large tracts of Milpa farmland are green and lush on the shore of the lake, and there are flowers from time to time.
Farmers were busy in the fields. Rich Chinampa floating fields appeared alternately on the lake, growing expensive herbs, cocoa and spices. Everything in front of everyone was full of the prosperity of early summer.
Starting from Lake Texcoco, the kingdom's fleet turned south. When the sun set in the west, the holy city of Teotihuacan appeared in the east of the lake shore, only a few dozen miles away.
Shulot ordered the boat to stop. He boarded the land on the east bank of the lake area and looked at his hometown in this life. The memories of his childhood came to mind, which made people feel a little emotional for no reason. Soon, dusk was approaching, and the golden-red glow covered the lake.
Shulot then took three hundred guards and found a village by the lake to rest for a night on land close to his hometown.
Compared with the villages in the Patzcuaro Lake area, the villages by Lake Texcoco are obviously much more prosperous. In addition to barns, you can see many stone houses and many small wooden houses in the villages.
When His Royal Highness arrived, several "three elders" who managed the village greeted him respectfully and bowed to the ground. According to the tradition of the alliance, one person is the village priest, one is the village leader, and the other two are qualified warriors or militia leaders.
Shulot looked gentle and comforted the "three elders" with a few words. Then, he invited the young village priest Yoloki to inspect the village together.
The statue of the main god is erected in the center of the village. Under the statue is a stone altar. On the altar are placed some natural rosin, fragrant herbs, dried bacon, and some scattered gold particles. Yes, a village in the Valley of Mexico
It is so rich that precious metals decorate the altars of gods.
It was the time for evening prayers, and many villagers were kneeling in front of the altar, praying devoutly to the Lord God. Shulot watched from a distance for a moment and did not come forward to disturb him. He nodded with satisfaction and smiled at the young man.
said the priest.
"Yes, the believers are very devout. Rocky, next, take me to the barn in the village!"
Hearing this, the young priest Yoroki pursed his lips, lowered his head and saluted and obeyed.
The group of people headed towards the barn built with green bricks. The rainy season in the valley is very hot and the rainfall is very abundant. The barn must be strictly built with bricks and stones and covered with thatch leaves to preserve the food for a long time and prevent it from getting moldy.
Shulot checked the perimeter of the barn, stretched out his hand to touch the thick wall, and nodded with satisfaction again.
"Ask Loki to take me to the warehouse and take a look!"
"Sect Chief Priest..."
Yoroki gritted his teeth and wanted to say something, but didn't say anything. He opened the barn door silently and walked in first.
"Um?!"
When Shulot entered the barn, his face suddenly darkened. The walls of the barn were empty, with only a dozen bags of dried beans, a dozen baskets of dried pumpkins, and some dried insects, but not even a bag of corn!
You know, it's only mid-to-late July now. There are still more than two months until the corn harvest, and more than a month before the pumpkin harvest.
This chapter is not over, please click on the next page to continue reading! "Damn it!"
Hearing the angry shouts of the sect chief priest, the young priest Yoloki fell to his knees with a "pop".
"Sect Chief Priest..."
"Joloki, according to the teachings, there must be at least one year's worth of grain stored in the barn to prepare for the famine in the coming year!"
Shulot's face turned livid, he pulled out the bronze sword from his waist with a "dang" sound, and asked with murderous intent.
"Tell me, where did the food in the barn go?...Did you embezzle it?"
"Ah! Dear sect leader, I don't have it, I don't have it..."
Yoroki's face turned pale. He kowtowed to the ground and hurriedly defended himself.
"Witness the Lord God! I have not misappropriated any food!... Sir, the chief priest of the clan, all the food in the village has been confiscated by the nobles who originally enfeoffed it!"
"Um?"
Hearing this, Shulot's expression moved slightly.
"All were taken away?"
"Exactly, exactly!"
Yoroki nodded repeatedly, clenched his fists and swore.
"Master Priest of the Sect, four months ago, this place was just under the direct control of the alliance! The hereditary nobles who were originally enfeoffed here finally collected a wave of tributes and took away all the food and valuable property. Even the tributes dedicated to the Lord God
, are all sifted out by believers who have gone to the river near the gold mine in the past few months..."
"... Damn it! Which noble family dares to be so bold!"
Hearing this, Shulot's face turned angry.
"Tell me the names of the hereditary nobles here! I will report to the alliance and severely punish them!"
"Ah? Lord Priest of the Sect..."
"Why, you don't dare to say it?"
"...No, it's not."
Yoroki licked his lips and answered carefully.
"Two months ago, that hereditary noble family was annihilated by the high priest's decree!"
