It's afternoon outside the window. The slanting sunlight poured in from the window, illuminating the dignitaries in the room. Faced with things beyond cognition, the deep faces finally revealed their true emotions: some were surprised, some were thoughtful, some were puzzled, some were worried, and some were afraid. Shulot looked at everyone's expressions, with his back to the light of the sun, like an apostle stepping out of a myth.
Looking at the mysterious smoke and the young man in the sun, everyone was shocked and lost their minds for a moment.
After a while, Avitt spoke first, full of interest.
"Xulot, this burning salt, the... nitrate from the earth, is very similar to the Talascan stone of the dead. How to use it?"
The young man smiled confidently.
"Burning salt, earth, saltpeter, stone of the dead, sulfur, and charcoal powder can be used to make an epoch-making!... Well... fire potion, which can easily ignite ships on the water. Tarasco guide is coming soon , it can help us gain an advantage on the water!”
Halfway through his words, Shulot changed his words. He was not yet sure of the explosive power of the original gunpowder and needed time to figure out a suitable gunpowder formula, so he only briefly described the effect of gunpowder in supporting combustion.
"The potion in the fire can burn on water? Shulot, is this really true?!"
Hearing this, Avitt looked serious and looked at the young man with bright eyes.
At the beginning of the new year, the political group is already discussing the offensive route after the autumn harvest. The Alliance is about to mobilize tens of thousands of warriors and militiamen to march westward to Tarasco and start a true divine war.
The failure of last year's Otomi War is still fresh in our minds. The huge army requires an astonishing amount of food and grass supplies, and a stable and efficient logistics transportation line must be established. In this era, convenient water transportation was the only option.
But unlike the Otomi, the Tarascos occupied Micancho's fishermen's land. They have an equally large fleet, which has always been deeply feared by the Mexican Alliance. If sufficient water warfare advantages cannot be obtained to suppress the enemy's raiding fleet, water supply lines will be out of the question.
Avitt's eyes became dark. He recalled the topography of the land of Mikancho. There were two rivers in the north and south, with a large lake in the middle. The fertile core was the flat lakeside valley, and the solid periphery was the rolling mountains and hills.
A few years ago, he led his army to the west for the first time. Not long after traveling along the Balsas River, he encountered the fleet of the Tarascans. The Mexican navy and the opponent fought repeatedly, and the warriors and militia fell like rain, but no one could gain a real advantage.
The army was forced to abandon the waterway and go ashore, and could only attack the Tarascans' eastern fortress group in the complex and narrow mountains. It was a long and bloody battle with difficult logistics and dangerous terrain. Thinking about it again is like a nightmare.
Feeling the pressure in Avitt's eyes, Shulot nodded cautiously and explained seriously.
"Gunpowder can burn in water. The combustion of gunpowder does not require air. It produces a large amount of gas and high temperature when burning. The high-temperature expansion of air can push away the water, providing space for continued combustion..."
Avitt's eyes were confused for a moment. Fortunately, he is very smart and often chats with young people, so he can vaguely understand him now.
On the other side, the three warrior ministers looked at each other in confusion as if they were listening to a book from heaven. They were doubtful and could only attribute it to the magic of the priests.
The intelligence officer didn't know when he came back to the corner. His perspective is different from ordinary people's, and his gaze stays on everyone's face. With just a little observation, he was sure that Shulot was confident and not lying. Then, he quietly observed everyone's expressions, guessed their psychology, and then kept their personalities in mind.
After a while, Avitt was slightly happy and ordered in a deep voice.
"Xulot, my student, the gunpowder you mentioned was crucial in the war at Tarasco. If you can really develop a flame that burns in water, it will be the first achievement of this western expedition! What do you need? ?The alliance will do its best to support you!"
After finally hearing this promise, Shulot smiled slightly and saluted seriously.
"King, I need the large salt mine in the south of the capital until March to collect raw materials for making saltpeter. In addition, I need a wide research and development center, because it involves burning, it is best to be far away from the city. I have many other ideas. To try it, we need to set up a new craftsmanship center to specialize in the research of useful new technologies."
"What! A big salt mine? That's..."
After hearing the key words, the royal nobleman Iskali finally reacted from his daze. He spoke hurriedly and glared at Shulot.
King Avit glanced over with an indifferent gaze, carrying a solemn pressure and a majesty that could not be offended. Iskali shut up instantly. He lowered his head, feeling angry.
Shulot didn't pay attention. The young man was calculating in his mind. He had gained a lot of inspiration in the craftsman area recently, and there were quite a lot of planned scientific research projects.
The jade carving and printing, the mason's glass firing, must be experimented as soon as possible; the goldsmith's clay mold casting and the pottery's porcelain are temporarily put on hold; we must collect saltpeter from the saline-alkali land, improve the craftsmanship of soil saltpeter, and try to extract urine saltpeter. ; Use charcoal, sulfur, and earth salt to develop primitive gunpowder and explore more powerful formulas.
By the way, when the first batch of copper mines from Mayan merchants arrives from southern Tarasco, they will make copper spears and train spearmen. You can also use bronze armor pieces to make simple and effective cloth armor. The supply of high-quality spear soldiers has not yet been obtained, and the thousands of miners who are interested...
Thinking of this, Shulot opened his mouth and wanted to ask Avitt for gold and stone miners.
The king just turned his head, his eyes filled with awe had not yet gone away. The young man felt a chill in his heart, and his intuition told him that now was not the time to speak. He waited calmly.
Avitt pondered for a moment and his expression calmed down. Then, he smiled slightly and promised the young man.
"Xulot, the big salt mine is left to you. If you lack property and manpower, come to me directly to apply. If you have any new creations or inventions, please come to me and report at any time. Prince Texcoco's Palace in the East After being confiscated by the royal family, it has been idle to this day. The space there is wide and there are many houses, and it will be given to you as a new craftsmanship center. You can also use the old craftsmanship center site, anyway, you often go to Kuaud... "
Xiulote nodded in agreement, then was slightly startled. Avitt seemed to know his whereabouts.
"There is a small island in the salt water area outside the southeastern embankment. Chinampa cannot be planted. It can be used as a site for your burning test. I will ask the Marine Corps to cooperate with you. Remember, the flame burning in the water is the focus of your research. It must be Make usable weapons!"
Having said this, Avitt took two steps closer, covering Shulot's figure and blocking the sight of the ministers. He gently touched the boy's head and whispered.
"The Western Expedition after the Autumn Harvest is my coronation war. You stand with me and don't let me make the same mistake as Tisok!"
Shulot raised his head in surprise and looked into Avitt's eyes, savoring the true emotion of this moment.
The two people's eyes met, and memories of the past came to mind. Avitt thought of the boy's rescue during the decisive battle, and Shulot thought of the hearty banquet after the victory... The two were silent for a moment, looked at each other and smiled in understanding, It's like going back to the past again.
"Avit, I will always stand with you." The young man promised, in the name of his ancestors.
Avitt smiled gently. When he turned around and faced everyone, he was already a majestic king.
The following meetings were somewhat uneventful, mostly dealing with government affairs in the capital, negotiations between tribes and city-states, and the collection of New Year's tributes.
The ministers took turns reporting on military and political matters, and nobles from outside were called in from time to time. The king made a decision quickly and decisively. Avit is already familiar with the king's work, and the complicated government affairs are handled smoothly in his hands. Occasionally, Gilliam would suggest and add details.
The elders had let go of the affairs of the alliance, and now it was the king's responsibility.
After the New Year sacrifices, the elders will live in seclusion again and no longer interfere with the operation of the capital, but will only implement religious reforms behind the scenes. His body can no longer support the high-intensity work, and now he is just trying to survive for a few more years to suppress the entire alliance before the king establishes enough authority.
This year's New Year's ceremony was held much later than in previous years. The priests discussed new regulations and prepared many changes.
Shulot was sitting next to Avitt, quietly watching the busyness of the power center. He is constantly learning, thinking about the principles and perspectives of how everyone handles problems, keeping in mind the values of the tribal era, and analyzing decisive cases that convince everyone.
This is completely new territory. One day, young people will have to face the same difficulties and challenges. No one can be born a king. A king needs to go through a long road of growth. Fortunately, under the guidance of his elders, the door to the king has been opened to him.
When the sun sets in the west, the king's palace is filled with sunset glow. The nobles in the outer hall dispersed one after another and joined each other in groups to participate in the banquet. Iskali and Tepopolo also bowed to the king and said goodbye, and walked out of the government hall side by side.
Avitt continued to work, thinking about priorities. The king's power does not come from the sky, but comes from the decision-making in every government affairs.
Shulot watched the backs of Iskali and Tepopolo leaving hand in hand. He felt a little uneasy. The young man pondered for a long time and finally discovered the source of his uneasiness. Immediately, he suddenly realized.
"The royal family and the nobles are the power of the royal family, but they are not separated from the great nobles, but are closely connected! Different classes are never distinct, but are dynamically intertwined with each other. The great nobles are not monolithic, but divided into different categories. Overall. Therefore, reforms aimed at the great nobility must not be too radical, but must attack a group of noble enemies, win over a group of partners, and neutralize a group of bystanders."
After thinking about this, Shulot smiled, and the words of ancient and modern philosophers came to mind.
"The so-called governance lies in how to make our enemies fewer and fewer and make our friends more and more...Governing a big country is like cooking small dishes, not in a hurry, not in a hurry, and with the right benefits."
Not far away, Gillim watched silently, analyzing the changes in the boy's expression. This time, he frowned slightly, secretly confused.
