The wind and the moon are just a temporary harbor. The life of a samurai is always one of iron fire and fighting. As a ruler, he also needs to be strategized and reformed.
Shulot stayed with Alyssa quietly for two hours, feeling the inner peace and joy. Then, a messenger hurriedly arrived and invited him to attend an important meeting. He waved goodbye to the princess and went to the solemn hall. This time, his face was solemn and his steps were steady, and he was able to observe the characteristics of Montezuma Palace.
The Montezuma Palace covers a small area and the furnishings are quite simple and elegant. The palaces along the way are decorated with black stripes, red roofs, and heavy stone tools, similar to the style of the Qin and Han Dynasties. From this we can also see the personal characteristics of Montezuma I.
When they arrived at the main hall, all the generals sat in a circle, with a blazing fire pit in the middle and open vents around it. The lack of oil also prevented widespread use of candles. The bonfire outlined a large number of shadows, solidifying the solemn expressions of the warriors.
Seeing Shulot arriving, everyone smiled heartily. Avitt, who was the chairman, waved and asked Shulot to sit under him. He performed a solemn courtesy and formally sat at the second seat. This gathering of boys and girls invisibly clarified Shulot's identity. From then on, he was the official heir of the Avitt military and political group.
Shulot saw Acap again. He set out from Teotihuacan and actually arrived two days early, waiting in the capital in advance. Akap first smiled at Shulot, and then solemnly saluted Avitt in return.
"The high priest has sent an envoy to the elder. Once the situation changes, he himself will come from the capital at any time. The same is true for the legion of Teotihuacan. The high priest judged that nothing will happen in this enthronement ceremony. Big problem. The chief priest will also take the initiative to seek reconciliation with the king."
Avitt nodded, and Kechar's performance today also proved this.
Gillim then saluted and said: "Since the elder has interfered in politics again, it is not suitable to take action against Kechar now. According to the elder's current physical condition, this intervention in politics will not last long, and it will take a long time. The current third The first priority is to send envoys and ask each city-state and power to send representatives to present tributes and participate in the enthronement ceremony."
Next, Gillim discussed with Avitt the specific list of city-states and tributes. Aka pulled Shulot, and he leaned closer to listen to his grandfather's private message.
"Xulot, the high priest is not worried about King Avit, but he is worried about you." Akap's expression was a little solemn.
Shulot listened attentively.
"The following words, the high priest asked me to tell you. He said that the elder's thoughts are always unpredictable, but his will almost never changes, and his emotional indifference is almost non-existent. The only thing that can be guaranteed is that his decision-making is certain He starts from the overall situation of the alliance, and is biased towards Tenochtitlan. The only thing that can impress him is the overall situation of the alliance, and the future of his lifelong career!"
Having said this, Akapu looked around, obviously what he said next made him a little uneasy.
"In the eyes of the elders, gods are the supreme tools!"
After saying these blasphemous words, Akap silently prayed for God's forgiveness. He was surprised to find that Shulot's expression did not change at all.
"The person who needs to be most wary of in the capital is the chief priest Kechar. The high priest knows Kechar very well. He is a master of pharmacy and an outstanding warrior when he was young. He once assassinated people from hostile cities with a dagger tempered with snake venom. Elder. The magic staff he carries with him all year round can actually be disassembled. The outside is inlaid with copper blocks and can be used for hitting. The inside is used by the southern jungle tribes. It is a hollow weapon that can blow out wooden thorns. There are vertical wooden thorns on the wooden thorns. Deadly frog poison. So be sure to wear leather armor when approaching Kechar."
The chief priest's staff is actually a blow dart? Shulot didn't notice it at all.
"But except for once when he was young, the chief priest rarely took action himself. The high priest said that you must not drink cocoa from the capital, let alone eat things that the chief priest has touched. Although he did not know the principle, many The enemies of the Great Temple all died suddenly after drinking cocoa, even if the other people dining with them showed no symptoms of poisoning.”
Shulot was horrified. It seemed that the capital was not as peaceful and beautiful as it appeared.
"Finally, the high priest has sent a messenger to the elder and sent a message. Considering the past relationship, the elder should have a private interview with you."
At this point, Akap had already sat down solemnly, imitating the tone of the high priest.
"Xulot, I know that you have many ideas and insights that are beyond ordinary people. You don't have to worry about speaking out to the elders. Especially your proposal for the alliance. If the elder approves and adopts it, he will immediately make plans. Execute! This is an opportunity!"
Xiuluo nodded, saluted and thanked Akapu, and then fell into thinking.
The next meeting was a bit uneventful. Avitt arranged different tasks for the generals, garrisoned them in different areas, and prepared them to take over the four major armories of the royal capital. Then he met with military representatives from the four regions of the royal capital. He will gradually take over the management authority of each community and control grassroots taxation and military mobilization. As for the fiefdoms and private armies of the great nobles, we can only temporarily win over them and recognize their autonomy.
To use a saying from Japan's Warring States Period, it is "territorial security."
When the night fell, the important dignitaries of the royal capital dispersed, and the generals also left one after another. Only Avit, Shulot, Gillim and Acap were left in the hall. Everyone was chatting while waiting for the arrival of the chief priest.
After another two quarters of an hour, the chief priest Kechar came slowly.
Kechar was wearing a simple ascetic priest's robe tonight, and still had the slender staff in his hand. Of course, Shulot now knew that this was a weapon suitable for both near and far. Behind him was a woman in black with her head lowered. She seemed to be quite young. There was a small clay pot in the woman's arms. Behind him is also an ascetic priest, half-hunched over, carrying a rather large wooden basket, which looks quite heavy.
The ascetic priest is a special profession. They would cut their skin and cheeks, offer their own blood to the gods, and even engage in some degree of self-mutilation. These priests have a high tolerance for pain, live a simple life, and are often proficient in martial arts. They would regularly travel to various villages and even cities to hold sacrificial ceremonies, and were highly respected by villagers and city-state citizens everywhere. They were an important force for the Great Temple to influence non-direct territories.
With a gentle smile on his face, Kechar paid homage as soon as he entered the door, asking the king to forgive him for being late. This time there were no capital warriors watching, so he performed the highest etiquette of lying on the ground. The woman and the priest behind him also fell to the ground.
Avitt gave a slight gesture, and Gillim immediately stepped forward, returned the gesture, and then lifted Kechar up. One of them was smiling all the time, the other was serious the whole time, but in Shulot's eyes, they were extremely harmonious.
Kechar looked around everyone with a smile, nodding and saluting one by one. He didn't have the posture of a high priest, which made people feel very friendly. Then he gave instructions to the woman next to him and took the clay pot in her arms. The woman raised her head, revealing a charming and pitiful face.
Kechar was always paying attention to Avitt's expression, and when he saw the sudden change in his eyes, he smiled slightly in his heart. Then he stepped forward, took out an exquisite stone bottle from the clay pot, and presented it to Avitt.
"Your Highness, this is the holy water prepared for you by Elder Wugel and I. It is a medium for communication between gods and humans, and it is the joy given by gods. Just a small cup will make people feel comfortable and worry will be swept away. The sky is like flying in the clouds! Please accept this feeling. Please also taste it!"
Kechar had a sincere smile on his face. He took out a small earthenware cup, poured a cup first, and drank it himself. In just a few seconds, his eyes were bright and his face was filled with smiles. Then he took out four more small cups and poured them out to the others sitting there.
Avitt glanced at Gilliam. Gillim understood immediately. He respectfully took the holy water from Kechar's hand and thanked him repeatedly. Then he took Kechar's arm and asked him to sit down near Avitt, and the two accompanying people followed behind. Then he naturally ordered the guards to bring wine, food and new ceramic cups. The scene was quite lively for a while.
Shulot thought for a moment, Kechar mentioned Ugel? He and Acap looked at each other, and the other nodded in confirmation. The two of them thought: It seems that the plan to replace the chief priest with Ugel has been seen clearly for a long time, and it is difficult to continue to implement it. Maybe even Ugel himself has been subdued by the chief priest. The two of them sighed secretly.
A new pottery cup filled with holy water was quickly delivered, and Gillim saluted first, and then drank it on Avit's behalf. But for a moment, this always meticulous intelligence officer was in high spirits and beaming with smiles. He then stood still for a few seconds before using his strong self-control to suppress the smile on his face. Then he looked at the pottery cup in his hand, fearful as a tiger.
Of course, Avitt did not drink the holy water. He just smiled and greeted the chief priest. After hearing his grandfather's warning, Shulot didn't dare to drink even though he was curious, so he used his age and body as an excuse, "Don't be greedy for the short-term joy of the gods."
Kechar sighed slightly in his heart. He was preparing to test Shulot's resistance to holy water, so as to determine how much poison should be administered to ensure that he would not be dead in the future.
Next is Akap. He drank it in one gulp, and within two or three breaths, he couldn't help but smile. His face was rosy, almost floating. He unexpectedly changed from a jade-like gentleman to a free and easy maniac, even slightly singing a prayer song.
Shulot was wary and put the holy water on the forbidden list. In addition to the low resistance of Acap's first attempt, the holy water must contain unknown central nervous system stimulants. And along with high excitement, there must be strong or weak addiction.
The woman in black behind Kechar secretly looked at Akapu, her eyes lingering on Akapu's gentle appearance. Listening to the beautiful man's beautiful singing voice, she suddenly forgot about the party in the hall, until a word she had prepared long ago fell into her heart like a thunderbolt.
"...This is my granddaughter Kepana. She is eighteen years old this year. She has not yet been married, and she is still studying in Kalmykak. She has always admired His Highness's majesty, demeanor, and broad knowledge... The old man is so shameless here. Please, I hope His Highness will take her in and keep her with you to teach her all the time."
Kechar looked at Avitt politely. When these words came out of his mouth, they were not abrupt or presumptuous, but made people feel that they were natural and in line with etiquette.
