The setting sun immerses the vast world, and also immerses the tequila in the ceramic cup, leaving the last brilliant color, just like the lost civilization.
Shulot took a sip of salt and drank a glass of silver-white pure fermented wine. The slight bitterness made the tip of his tongue numb, and a warm current rose from his stomach. The young man smiled, savored it silently, and recalled it for a long time.
Tikalo added some tomatoes to the wine and the red datura he brought with him, then took a bite of the chili pepper and drank it in a big gulp. The Mayan nobles were users of hallucinogenic plants with a much longer tradition. Soon, he rotated his slender head, his eyes were slightly distracted, and he couldn't help but chant in a low voice.
"The life of a descendant of God is like a base wine. He has withstood the test of many gods. He has tasted the bitterness, sweetness, saltiness, and spicyness before he can get the taste... So he drank all the wine, and finally went to the Kingdom of God like a dream."
Hearing this, Shulot laughed. Only when he was drunk and emboldened did he ask the question he had been hiding for a long time.
"Tikallo, you Mayan nobles claim to be descendants of the gods. Have you really inherited the knowledge of the gods?"
Tikallo looked proud. He opened his mouth without hesitation.
"Of course! We, the Corn God Clan, are the wisest in the world..."
Speaking of this, the Mayan merchant suddenly felt shocked. Only then did he remember that the person drinking in front of him was not the Mayan compatriots from the business group, but the Mexica ruler who claimed to be a descendant of the gods. He drank quickly to shut up, and then changed his words calmly.
"We corn people are the friendliest people in the world and are the eternal friends of the Mexica people. We are good at mathematics and astronomy. We can revise the calendars of the moon, sun and Venus, and we can also help the Mexica people build magnificent wonders."
Xiuluo nodded in approval, his thoughts flowing. The Mayan nobles were proud of the glory of their great ancestors and seemed extremely difficult to assimilate. He looked at Ti Carlo with a different expression and patted his shoulder kindly.
"Tell me more about it! I have heard about Mayan mathematics and calendar for a long time."
Tikalo thought for a moment, then went straight to the treasure chest he brought today and took out a shell, a handful of rubies, and three gold bars.
"Your Highness, please take a look." He first put the shell on the table and pointed with his hand, "This is 0, which means it does not exist, and it is also before the beginning of the era."
Shulot was slightly surprised. It seems that the Mayans understood "0" much earlier than the Europeans.
"In our Mayan mathematics, every 20 numbers are one digit. The minimum digit is 0 and the maximum is 19."
As he spoke, Tikalo took out three gold bars and placed them vertically in front of him. Then he took out four rubies and lined them up neatly at the back. Put up a "|||..."
"This is 19. In each digit, a '|' represents five, and a '.' represents one. Every five'.' base is a '|'. Adding 1 to 19 gives the next Add a '.' to the bit, which is a carry of 1."
Shulot thought for a moment and realized that this was the 20-digit number from 0 to 19. And 0-20 follows the carrying method of the Chinese abacus, and there must be addition, subtraction, multiplication and division similar to the abacus.
He thought for a moment and asked.
"So the addition and subtraction of each digit is to process the '|' and '.' of each digit separately. The former accumulates 4 and advances to one, while the latter accumulates 5 and advances to one. Then you have a method for multiplication and division of each digit. Or a formula?"
Ti Carlo was a little surprised. He looked at Hulot with wide eyes. Are Mexicans so good at mathematics? Then, he nodded proudly.
"Within 20, we have 190 formulas for 19*19, and there are hundreds of formulas for 1-19. Divine nobles need to learn to memorize it from an early age, and then directly recite calculations within 800. Back then, in order to learn mathematics , I’ve been counting all day long since I was six years old!”
Hearing this, Shulot was sweating in his heart, and silently sympathized with the Maya schoolchildren for a few seconds.
There are only 45 multiplication formulas for decimal 9*9, and only 61 abacus division formulas for 1-9. With the difficulty of starting to learn Mayan mathematics, it is no wonder that the inheritance is extremely difficult. In the long Mayan civil war, it is unknown how much knowledge has been eradicated.
Next, Tikallo took out a ruby and a shell. Place it into a ".,0".
"This is 20. It has two digits, the first digit is 1 and the second digit is 0. This is the number of days in the month."
Immediately, he took out two gold bars and two gems, opened the shells, and arranged them into "..., ||...".
"This is 52. The same two numbers, 40 in the front and 12 in the back. '|' will be the beginning of each digit. This is a small reincarnation of 52 years."
Then, the Mayan merchant took out four gems and placed them directly in the shape of "...,...,...,..."
He looked at the young man slightly proudly.
"Your Highness, what do you think this number is?"
"8421."
Shulot counted several seconds orally and came up with the result quickly.
Tikalo spared his head. He was surprised for a moment and decided to increase the difficulty. Mayans never give in on math! He took out six more gems and divided them into two groups. Each group is ".,.,."
"Your Highness, what do you think the multiplication of these two groups is?"
Xiulote was slightly startled, 421*421? He took out the obsidian knife and carved on the ground for a while before giving the answer.
"177241."
Tikalo was shocked when he heard the correct answer. If you prepared it originally, you won’t be able to use it anymore! After a while, he answered.
"Okay, your highness calculated correctly. But the speed is too slow."
As he spoke, he multiplied the gems "1, 1, 1" on each one, from the end to the beginning. The last digit accumulates once and is "1", the next digit accumulates twice and is "2", and the next three digits are "3, 2, 1". In just a few seconds, you get "12321" in decimal notation, which is also "177241" in decimal notation.
Seeing the Mayan merchant's quick calculations, Shulot sighed inwardly, such a simple and efficient number system!
Maya's base-20 mathematics, the more it goes into the fields of big numbers and astronomy, the more superior it is in recording and calculation. This kind of mathematical system should not appear in the ancient civilizations of the Stone Age, but is more suitable for the cosmic civilization that travels through the stars.
"The Great Decline took away too many mysteries of the gods! I also had no chance to accept the complete secrets of the gods. It is said that in the golden age when the gods came and went, that was the peak of the corn people's glory!
The three thousand pyramids in the royal capital of Tikal observe every star in the sky. Thousands of priests calculated the trajectory of each star and mapped the stars for thousands of years. They judge the footsteps of the gods and wait for the return of the gods! "
Tikalo recited the poems of his ancestors sentimentally, describing the magnificent royal capital in his imagination, and then decisively changed the subject.
"Your Highness, the Mexica calendar actually comes from our Mayan heritage."
The Mayan merchant's round face smiled with pride from the bottom of his heart. Shulot listened quietly.
At this time, a guard came and reported back. The young man nodded and the guard left. After a while, "Monkey" Kuruka had a respectful smile on his face. He came quickly and knelt down to salute from a distance.
"Dear Lord, I have fulfilled all your orders!"
Shulot nodded majestically and pointed to the seat next to him.
Kuruca was flattered and received another big gift, and then he carefully sat down next to the king, staggering half his body.
"Monkey, there has been no war recently. I originally planned to summon you after the New Year."
Shulot smiled slightly.
"But you are proficient in calculations, from a commoner, and understand practical matters. Now there is an important task for you. In the next few months, you will accompany the Mayan merchant Tikalo to handle the affairs of the caravan. I need to do my best. Possibly more Tarasco copper!”
Kuruka nodded seriously. He looked at the long-headed Maya opposite, and Maya looked at him with a sharp mouth and monkey cheeks. The two looked at each other and smiled politely.
Then, Shulot signaled the Mayan merchant to continue.
The aristocratic businessman Tikalo glanced at Kuruca lightly. The other party neither conforms to the Mayan aesthetics, but is also just an uneducated commoner. He spoke proudly.
"There are two Mayan calendars, the divine calendar and the solar calendar. Plus the long-term calendar that symbolizes the era."
"The Tzolkin calendar has 260 days, which conform to the cycle of Venus and the rainy season, and is used to guide the planting of corn. The calendar has 13 months, with 20 days in each month, symbolizing different gods.
They are: 1 Crocodile Sun, 2 Wind Sun, 3 Dark Sun, Land of Death, 4 Corn Sun, Corn God, 5 Snake Sun, 6 Death Sun, 7 Deer Sun, God of Hunting, 8 Rabbit Sun, Venus, and 9 Water Sun. , emerald, 10 dog days, the god of death, guarding the sun. "
Having said this, Ti Carlo glanced at the boy quietly, and then chanted loudly.
"11 Day of the Monkey, God of Art and Knowledge, 12 Day of Herbs, Precipitation and Salvation, 13 Day of Reeds, Growing of Corn, 14 Day of Jaguar, Night Sun, 15 Day of Eagle, Sage, 16 Day of Owl, Bird of Death, 17 Earthquake day, 18th knife day, sacrificial blade, 19th storm day, rain, 20th sun day, sun god.”
Shulot nodded in understanding. The Aztec calendar is derived from the Mayan calendar, but it only changes the symbols, such as replacing the owl with the vulture that is more common on the plateau, and adding more war significance to the 20th.
"The first day of the divine calendar is the Crocodile Day in January, and the last day is the Sun Day in the 13th month. Different gods govern each month. Being born on the 'July Rainy Day' is an auspicious day and is the most loved by the gods. Sacrifice, and being born on the 'February Rabbit Day' is an unlucky day and should not be left in the world."
Hearing this, Shulot shook his head slightly. The consequences of being born on a lucky day are the same as those of being born on an unlucky day: death. Fortunately, I am neither lucky nor unlucky.
"The Habu solar calendar has 365 days, 18 months, and each month has the same 20 days. There are also five bad days at the end of the year. But there are differences between the solar calendar and the steps of the sun god. The seasons overlap every 1,101,600 days. Therefore, the true meaning of each year is The number of days is slightly more than 365, so it should be...um...that..."
"365.242 days." Shulot added with a smile.
"Yes, Your Highness is wise!" Tikalo finally showed his admiration. He is really a great "divine enlightener" who can compare with the Corn Man in mathematics!
"The divine calendar and the solar calendar coincide every 52 years. The first circle of records is 1-13, and the second circle is rabbits, reeds, flints and houses. This year is the Year of the Rabbit 3. No, the bad days have passed. It should be It’s the 4th year of the reed.”
Xiulote nodded. The 52-year reincarnation chronology is similar to the Chinese stem and branch chronology. The first circle 1-13 are the heavenly stems, and the second circle 4 symbols are the earthly branches. 1483 was the Year of the Four Reeds. When the 13th house year in 1505, the 52-year cycle came to an end, it was the era of holding large-scale sacrifices, which also meant the beginning of a mighty war dedicated to the gods.
The last 52 years ended in 1453. 1454 was the beginning of a new cycle, and the great Montezuma I officially ended the 13-year peace and farming of the alliance. Under the call of the calendar and the gods, Mexica's warriors mobilized feverishly, treating war and death as daily life. A whole generation passed in the battle.
The long war of conquest lasted from 1454 to 1469. It wasn't until the Huastecs, Mixtecs, and Zapotecs surrendered one after another, and the conqueror Montezuma I died during the southern expedition, that the Mexica warriors put away their weapons and looked toward Tarasco in the west. .
Shulot's eyes were deep. The calendar has such a profound impact on the beliefs, lives and wars of Mesoamerican civilizations. An important part of the Reformation was the redefinition of the symbolic meaning of the calendar.
"In addition to the divine calendar and the solar calendar, the sacred corn people also used the long-term almanac given by the gods!"
Tikal's face showed deep nostalgia and distant longing.
"The world was created in the origin year of '0, 0, 0, 0, 0'. The last digit is the day in decimal, the second to last digit is the month in decimal, and the others are all years in decimal. One The Long Era calendar has 144,000 days. When the world completes 13 Long Era calendars, it will usher in the end of the entire era. Death will bring about the rebirth of the next era, and everything will change! Maybe the gods will return and rebuild the gods. Dutikal!”
Hearing this, Shulot shook his head slightly. We can’t wait until 2012. With the introduction of European diseases, the end of America will soon come. All mortals will die, but rebirth is unknown.
He calculated secretly and carved complicated formulas on the ground. Thirteen 144,000 days equal 5,126 solar years. The Mayan Doomsday is December 23, 2012. So, the Mayan world originated on August 11, 3114 BC?
"What day was that? The first blaze of civilization? Or the first arrival of an alien spacecraft?"
With hundreds of years of curiosity, the young man sighed and imagined the truth buried in history.
The three continued to drink. Shulot remained restrained, smiling and thoughtful.
Kuruca laughed and chatted with the Mayan merchants, frequently urging them to drink. The two soon became like brothers.
Tikallo was immersed in the ancient glory of the Maya. He refused to come and soon his face was red. Then, he loudly recited the inherited sacrificial poems, praising the golden age of the Maya and praising the city of the gods where millions of people gathered. Then, he prostrated on the ground again, weeping and sighing at the passing glory, grieving the tragic fate of the Holy Family, vowing to be loyal to His Majesty, and to regain the glory of his ancestors!
Time passed quietly like this, and before we knew it, it was late at night.
Shulot nodded with satisfaction. He talked a lot after drinking, and it seems that the Mayan businessman has already explained almost everything. Maya's world also took shape in his mind.
So, the boy looked at Kuruka with a smile. He has other important arrangements tomorrow.
Kuruka lowered his head. He bowed deeply to Shulot, then supported the drunken Ti Carlo and staggered away.
"Brother Kuruca! From now on, we will be friends of life and death!"
The Mayan businessman didn't know whether he was really drunk or pretending to be drunk. Not long after he walked out of the mansion, he took Kuruka's arm and whispered with a smile.
"Gold and silver, spices and gems, gorgeous clothes and crowns, wine and beauties! Whatever you want, brother, I can give it to you. As long as you and I stand together and help each other. From now on, we brothers will work together to share blessings and hardships. Let’s serve His Highness together!”
Kuruca didn't answer. He let go of his hand and looked at Ti Carlo with a half-smile. The businessman also stood firm and looked at him with a sincere smile.
After a moment, Kuruca grinned like a happy ape.
"You are right. Let us cooperate and serve His Highness together!"
Then, he waved to the guard and asked for a tightly tied black cloth bag. Then he stuffed the bag into Tikalo's hands.
"This is my meeting gift to you. I hope you will be sincere and complete every task of His Highness!"
After saying that, Kuruca nodded to the businessman, turned around and left.
Ti Carlo stood there, his smile slowly fading away. He lowered his slender head and thought for a moment. Then he cut the tie with a bronze dagger, and a fresh bloody smell gushes out from the opening of the bag.
In the bright moonlight, the Mayan merchant looked at the clay pots in the bag and the vague shapes in the pots. After identifying it for a while, he tied the bag up again and continued to raise his head to look at the deep moonlight.
"The free turtles will eventually have to deal with the ferocious crocodiles."
Tikalo sighed quietly.
"I hope that the soaring eagle can dominate the sky of Yucatan and let the sea turtles return to their homeland!"
After that, he shook his wise head and walked towards Beicheng Market with steady steps. Under his feet was the unpredictable starlight.
