Shulot strode out of the papermaking office, leaving behind a small but majestic figure in the eyes of the craftsmen with fear and admiration. After turning the corner and walking for a while, he stopped, his heart agitated.
After pausing for a moment, the young man calmly raised his head and looked at the sky. The sun was scorching, the sun was bright, and several obvious lines of blue smoke rose under the eastern sky. After the warriors arrived, he headed straight there.
Charcoal and brick burning require a lot of raw materials and occupy a large area, so they are arranged to the east outside the Shenqisu, close to convenient waterways. This area is on the outskirts of the city and has beautiful scenery. There used to be many mansions of Texcoco nobles. There are gardens everywhere, green willows, flowing water and green pines.
However, after the Blood Sacrifice, the big nobles of Texcoco went to the Kingdom of God, the small nobles were imprisoned and trained, and the land of several miles was requisitioned by the gods. Now, part of the noble residence has been converted into a research center, and the rest is used as a samurai residence and craftsman community. As for the thousands of local civilians, only a few could move away. Most of them came under the jurisdiction of Shenqi nearby and were incorporated into military households and used as laborers.
In a classical military society, everything was military first, and administration was often rough, powerful, and direct and effective.
According to Xiulote's plan, all craftsmen involved in important projects will be moved here, forming a new gated community relying on divided waterways. In the community, households were organized, and warriors were stationed to complete the personal control of the craftsmen; at the same time, parishes were set up and priests were dispatched to strengthen the ideological guidance of the craftsmen. Outside the community, sentries are set up and sealed tightly to prevent unauthorized persons from approaching.
His idea comes from the Venetian island of Murano: isolate senior production craftsmen, control the formulas of glass and mirrors, implement research and development incentives, and minimize technology leakage. Of course, it was still twenty-four years before the birth of the first Venetian mirror. And the secret of wealth in the Venetian Mirror will last for one hundred and fifty years.
The group of people walked hurriedly and vigorously, passing through the houses and waterways, and arrived at the lakeside after a while.
Shulot looked up and looked around. Not far away, there were the waves on Lake Texcoco. The continuous fleet moves day and night, the sailors on the oars are sweating like rain, and the warriors accompanying the ship are armed with swords and swords. They transported food supplies to the northern camp, and then returned south to the capital to transport tribute from various states. They went back and forth for a month, alternating and extending the roots of the empire as far as the river could reach.
The young man stopped for a moment, looking north at the vast expanse, his thoughts flying far away.
"The city was besieged in October, and January is over. The elders have repeatedly postponed the New Year sacrifices. Are they waiting for news from the north? Reform ultimately requires the sacrifice of lives, both ours and the enemy's.
And the tribute for the new year has begun. Do the vassals in the north and south dare to refuse the tribute? The Mexican war has never stopped, and the Mexican war is about to begin... What the divine revelation brings will be an unparalleled war to end all wars! ..."
Shulot looked ahead quietly. Not far away, farmers were rowing boats, dragging rafts floating in the water, loaded with fine-textured clay, from the lakeshore into the waterway. Immediately, under the supervision of samurai, they unloaded wood and clay into the newly built military craftsman area.
Next, the wood is dried and split into firewood, which is used as a raw material for making charcoal; the clay is accumulated and then smelted to make bricks. The drying of wood and the accumulation of clay are time-consuming, often taking several months, and the raw materials used at this time are all from stock. However, chopping firewood, making clay, and making bricks are extremely labor-intensive.
As far as the young man could see, hundreds of people were busy with their heads bowed and using simple stone tools beside the empty river bank. The crackling of wood splitting and the scraping of billet making could be heard in the distance.
Dozens of garrisoned warriors were scattered in the center and periphery. They work in groups and fight each other with edgeless sticks for fun. There were scattered belongings on the ground between both sides of the fight, and the surrounding warriors were watching intently, probably gambling to win or lose. A little further away, there are a few middle-aged warriors scattered here and there, half leaning against the shadow of a big tree, resting with squinted eyes.
This place is far away from the strict shrine, and the guards are some worthless wood and soil. The warriors are obviously lax in discipline and relaxed.
Shulot's brows wrinkled slightly, then relaxed.
It's not important here for now. It's not easy to criticize the direct samurai who died loyally. Although the teachings have banned gambling, they have not yet been promoted. Gambling in the military has always been difficult to stop. As long as the scale is not too large and affects the military's combat effectiveness, it is barely acceptable.
This form of martial arts competition can help improve samurai combat effectiveness and consume excess energy, so it is worthy of promotion. As for improving military discipline, we have to wait until before the war.
In an instant, the young man had hundreds of thoughts. Then, he raised his head slightly, stared at the green smoke in front of him, and the mounds of firewood and charcoal under the smoke, and waited calmly.
A slight but sharp eagle cry echoed from under the tree, and the warriors stationed on guard jumped up like frightened cats. They looked around vigilantly and reacted quickly when they saw the elite guard warriors. The game warriors kicked the belongings on the ground into the dirt and grass with a few precise kicks, showing their extraordinary ability in ball games. Then they trotted together and stood upright. The middle-aged warrior under the tree also straightened his back and stood on alert.
Seeing the reactions of the warriors, Shulot nodded slightly. The young man's eyes moved and he saw a middle-aged warrior walking steadily from under the tree. His eyes were like bells, his cheekbones were high, and his body was strong. He looked quite fierce, but his face was full of a familiar smile.
Seeing the old warrior's friendly smile, Shulot also smiled slightly.
This place is quite important in his future plans, so it is natural to leave it to the trustworthy old man of the Holy City, the civilian warrior Etalik. Speaking of which, the old warrior Etalik, the grandfather guard Hervé, and the saltwater steward Esco were from the same clan. They all served as guards of the Butterfly Palace and had followed the royal family of the Holy City for several generations.
As the Holy City line grew, these retainer-like private warriors were promoted one after another. They hold important mid-level positions in various places, expand the influence of the Holy City, and become a natural faction in the alliance's new military and political group. The branch of the royal family where Shulot belonged relied on the power of these loyal direct descendants to be able to grasp the actual central power and establish a solid foothold in the capital.
The reason for the vague opposition between the boy and Avitt lies not only in the supreme power, but also in the two different royal factions. The two royal families have their own foundations and are connected by blood, but there are conflicts in power.
Driven by the power of different factions, it was difficult for them to cooperate internally and externally with full trust like Montezuma I and the elders. In the distant future, only when the two royal families merge into one can they run into each other again and restructure the balance of power!
At present, only by relying on his direct retainers, Shulot can realize his own will instead of executing the king's will. These retainers and warriors come from the inheritance of several generations. They are a solid and united human heart, and they are also the accumulation that rough heroes lack most.
After a while, Etalik walked up to the boy with a smile. He knelt down on one knee to salute and whispered a respectful blessing.
"Your Highness, I pray for you. May the Tengu protect the sun and let it rise into the sky."
Upon hearing this, Bertard's eyes lit up, he looked at the old warrior carefully, smiled kindly at the other person, and the other party responded knowingly.
Shulot thought for a moment and shook his head helplessly. He made two intentional reminders.
"Etalik, when stationed outside, it's better to be cautious."
Etalik smiled knowingly and spoke.
"Don't worry, Your Highness, the warriors may seem relaxed, but they are actually very vigilant. There are people always paying attention to the key positions. There will be no problem with these craftsmen!"
Hearing this, Shulot once again observed the middle-aged warriors under the tree, and saw their open eyes, the spears they carried on their backs, and their position control... The young man nodded slowly.
The two chatted for a few words again, and Etalik respectfully led the way. He pinched his lower lip, and the eagle cried again, and the warriors scattered on alert. The old warrior led His Highness towards the smoke-filled charcoal pile.
