Towards the end of January, a cold wind blew across Lake Texcoco, bringing ice and chill.
In the past few days, in the southeast of Lake Texcoco, the two Skyfire Islands have been closely guarded. Nearly a hundred warriors are stationed on Tianhuo Island, and those who land on the island must have the approval of the king and His Highness. The navy of the Marine Division patrols near the islands, using the idle Tianhuo Second Island as a base to inspect passing merchant ships and crack down on smuggling trade.
As a result, this place became a military inspection station that discouraged civilians. There are also rumors that the priesthood is holding sacrificial rituals in secret to pray for power from evil gods.
On the south shore of Lake Texcoco, hundreds of salt collectors continuously transported saltpeter, which was then transported to Tianhuo Island by navy ships. Moreno, the leader of the salt workers, followed the boat and landed on the island together with Nitu.
The fierce leader of the salt workers stood blankly beside the newly built port. He looked around and saw reed bushes as tall as a person everywhere, as well as scattered wooden houses and thatched huts. The ferocious warriors were equipped with leather armor, war clubs and long bows, and dozens of canoes completely blocked the surrounding area of the island. It was really a natural prison.
On the shore of the lake, a crocodile just dived in. Before it could open its mouth, it was discovered by a sailor to its surprise. The warriors immediately swarmed up and used long sticks to overturn the four-meter-long crocodile, exposing its soft belly. Then, the warriors quickly grabbed the crocodile's mouth, and then hit it with huge stone hammers. Within seconds, the crocodile trembled and vomited blood and died without any resistance.
The warriors cheered. Afterwards, they shouted happily and skinned the crocodiles to get their meat by the lake and set up a barbecue bonfire. After a while, the aroma of barbecue hit my nose.
Seeing this scene and smelling the aroma of barbecue, the fierce Moreno couldn't help but swallow. He carefully restrained the expression on his face, smiled and asked the steward of the island, a middle-aged samurai with a weathered face.
"Dear warrior, how long do we want to stay on this island? It's actually not far from the village on the south coast. We can arrive early every morning and leave after dark..."
Esco took a deep look at Moreno and smiled strangely.
"Are you Moreno? His Highness has specifically ordered that from now on, you and your saltmen must make burning salt all day long, while researching more efficient processes. Every improvement must be recorded, and there will also be financial rewards. . You will be provided with three meals a day according to samurai standards. No one is allowed to leave without His Highness’s personal approval. Otherwise..."
Esco nodded towards the grilled crocodile and smiled strangely again.
Moreno felt cold all over. He and his loyal brothers looked at each other, ready to cry. Staying on a deserted island to burn salt, this kind of life... The magnificent dream burned in the heart of the salt owl leader. The golden river in the south kept calling. Moreno showed a fierce look again, and the salt workers began to gradually become noisy.
"Go to work quickly! Your workload today has not started yet! There will be special personnel to inspect and test it in the evening!"
Esco scolded sternly. He waved his hand gently, and a dozen warriors immediately came up, pointing their war clubs at an angle, and surrounded dozens of salt workers.
"This is a task that His Highness emphasizes. It is the most important mission and a hard-won opportunity!"
Thinking of this, Esco's eyes flashed with a fierce light, sweeping over every noisy salt worker. The warrior's education told him that blood is the best way to scare everyone... He took off the sharp war stick without hesitation and strode forward.
Moreno looked at the warriors with a fierce expression. Then, his eyes met the middle-aged warrior, and the murderous aura that had gone through the battle suddenly made his heart feel cold, and he immediately calmed down from the unwilling anger. The leader of the salt workers decisively slapped the brothers beside him and scolded them loudly.
"Get out of here and do your work! Do you idiots want to die?"
Immediately, Moreno bowed to the approaching middle-aged warrior, then turned around and was the first to go to the hut in the center of the island. The unruly salt workers were just stunned for a moment before the samurai swung down his wooden stick mercilessly and drove the salt workers to the hut. There, mountains of nitrate have accumulated.
Under Esco's management, Tianhuo Island operates with maximum efficiency. Two days later, Esco came in person and respectfully reported the specific production situation to Xiulote.
Shulot nodded in approval with satisfaction, but sighed slightly in his heart.
"Fifty or sixty salt workers work all day, and the daily output of soil saltpeter is only twenty or thirty kilograms, and the brown saltpeter soil consumed is close to a thousand kilograms. The extraction process still needs to be improved..."
Immediately, Shulot looked at Esco with admiration in his eyes and gave a serious order.
"Esco, you did a good job! I will give you another hundred warriors and allow you to recruit villagers from the south bank to expand the collection of saltpeter. The collection of saltpeter is only for these two months, and you must go all out to do it! The big salt mine It's up to you to contact Cavare, the overseer leader. Now, he is your subordinate!
The number of salt workers who can make saltpeter can be doubled or tripled. In one month, I want the daily soil salt production to reach 100 kilograms, no matter the cost! "
After hearing this, Esco knelt down respectfully to accept the order, suppressing the excitement and ecstasy in his heart.
Within a few days of being promoted by His Highness, he already controlled two hundred warriors and managed thousands of civilians and salt workers. After thirty years of ordinary life and fifteen years of following the regiment leader, I finally headed towards a broad and smooth road. He is determined to do whatever it takes for the sake of His Highness's respect and a better future.
Shulot thought for a moment and continued to give instructions.
"The prepared saltpeter should be sealed in clay pots and stored separately underground. Do not touch the flame! Stay away from the saltpeter, just in case.
I will send two assistants to you to record the specific production steps and also participate in the improvement process of making saltpetre. Soon, specialized craftsmen will go there to make fire potions, and you have to prepare an empty working spot for them alone. "
Although he seemed to understand His Highness's words, Esco still nodded respectfully and tried to remember every word in his heart.
Shulot patted the middle-aged warrior's shoulder encouragingly, and then waved the excited man down. He sighed softly. Saltpeter and gunpowder are chemicals that are easily flammable and explosive. If you are not careful, a major accident may occur, resulting in death or injury. The young man put the newly promoted Esco in charge of this matter, but he actually had selfish motives in his heart. Otherwise, given the importance of this work, it should be handled by Bertard, Bergire or "Monkey".
Speaking of "monkeys", Kuruca has already gone to the southern mountain city-state of Tarasco with the Mayan merchant Tikalo to smuggle copper ore to the local tribal leader. If all goes well, the first batch of copper should be brought back by the fleet in two weeks. They also have a dangerous mission, to find out the topography and troop distribution of the southern city-states, and to collect intelligence for the conquest after the autumn harvest.
Shulot stood up and paced slightly thinking.
The copper ore on hand was turned into bronze tools and given to the old carpenter to make long bows. The gathering of miners and the recruitment of tribesmen should wait until after the New Year sacrifice. The bronze three-meter spear was not in a hurry. You can first take out the two-meter copper spears captured from the Tarascans and use them for the training of the elite militia. The shields can also be used as shields from the warriors in the armory.
"With the support of the entire alliance, it becomes much easier to do things. I can finally settle down and do scientific research."
Shulot raised his head with emotion in his heart. The midday sun shines on the main hall, illuminating the wooden plaque on the top of the hall, and three neat Chinese characters gilded in gold come into view, "Shenqi Palace".
This was originally the residence of the Prince of Texcoco, but now it has been renamed the "House of Divine Enlightenment". Shulot's original name was "Oracle" to commemorate some long-standing memories.
However, my grandfather pondered for a long time and seriously rejected the proposal. The word "oracle" is too sensitive and carries a strong connotation of power, which is not suitable for today's teenagers. On the contrary, his reputation as "the inspired one" has been spread by the priests and elders, and it is easier to help him establish his authority by forming a new craftsman center in the name of divine inspiration.
Now, the main hall where Shulot is located is the center of Prince Texcoco's palace. The main hall is richly decorated and spacious and light-filled. There are traces of repairs in many places, vaguely recording the bloody battles not long ago. The Texcoco royal murals on the four walls have been bulldozed, and the sacrificial altar is empty.
The young man didn't know that Troel's head had been worshiped here, nor did he know about the conversations and plans of the chief priest and the prince. Ambition fades, the dead never return, and the past has gone with the wind. And a new chapter is opening with the acceleration of heroes!
In Shulot's plan, the "Divine Inspiration Institute" is the alliance's technology research and development center. Under his direct leadership, the most professional craftsmen and talents were gathered to carry out epoch-making scientific and technological progress. For this reason, he specifically asked his grandfather for instructions and mobilized a group of priests who knew how to count to join the "God's Apocalypse" with unlimited future.
The high priest first shook his head and chuckled, then nodded in approval. It would be a low-key way to leave the sensitive military, political and religious fields and temporarily study some gadgets.
Therefore, the high priest majestically assigned quota quotas that must be fulfilled to various temples in the meeting of priests and elders. Afterwards, after a heated discussion, the elders threw out the lowest-level civilian aides and asked them to work with the lowly craftsmen to accompany His Highness the "God-Enlightened One" in making "toys" made of wood and clay.
Soon after, Shulot received forty or fifty young civilian priests with low morale, and there were also a few noble priests who surrendered among them. He was stunned for a moment and sighed slightly. This is good, as these young low-level priests are easier to accept command and have higher plasticity.
The "Divine Apocalypse" is currently carrying out several research projects at the same time, and Quartermaster Bergere was appointed as the specific manager. Hundreds of senior craftsmen were summoned and divided into different research groups with the priests to work on military and civilian projects designated by His Highness. They worked hard to deduce and complete the production of the actual object from His Highness's prophetic description, and then recorded the materials and steps.
In order to stimulate the research enthusiasm of craftsmen, Shulot specially set high rewards. For every research breakthrough that craftsmen make, they will receive gold, silver, gems, cotton cloth, and even land, and their job titles and benefits will also increase.
The young man reorganized the levels of craftsmen. The craftsmen of "Shenqi Institute" are now divided into four levels: apprentice, ordinary, senior, and master. Each level is divided into upper and lower levels and enjoys different treatment. Senior craftsmen were given the status of ordinary warriors, while rare master craftsmen were canonized as military nobles.
These places were specially requested by the young man from Avitt. The great nobles were vaguely dissatisfied, but the number of master craftsmen was few and they could not be passed down, so they reluctantly accepted the matter. They now have a more important focus, the upcoming Nobility Law.
Low-level priests will accumulate meritorious deeds to improve the priesthood. In the future, the boy plans to separate the promotion system of "Artisan Priest" and create an independent research department.
Under high rewards and strict supervision, all research is carried out in an orderly and efficient manner. Thinking of this, Shulot strode out of the main hall. Under the personal protection of the warrior commander, he inspected the research progress of each craftsman group.
