Shulot stood quietly, his thoughts flowing with the wind to the vast world in the dark night.
Bertard moved forward silently and added some high-quality charcoal to the campfire. This is the finished product recently delivered from the charcoal farm, produced by a new charcoal kiln. Soon, the charcoal burned violently without any obvious smoke or sparks.
The warm hot wind hit Shulot, caressing his strong and growing lines, his delicate and handsome face, and his bright and clear eyes. The young man's eyes flashed as he watched the charcoal ashes falling naturally like the first snow, like the hot burning life, leaving indelible traces in the times.
Shulot smiled happily and spoke slowly.
"Bertard, my father is indeed suitable to be the marshal of the army for this expedition. However, you need to help me command the new army and personal guards. The new army includes the spear corps that is training, and the longbow militia who will accept their allegiance tomorrow. The Longbow Guard also has a thousand people. It can be called the Longbow Battalion, and most of them are followers. This is a force directly under me, coming from civilians and civilian warriors. Your prestige is enough to lead them, and I am only willing to hand it over to you!"
Bertard thought for a moment, then knelt down respectfully and saluted. His Highness's followers have been divided into three groups: one part has joined the new army as the key officers in charge of the army. Some of them serve as personal guards, accompanying His Highness. Most of them practiced longbow and became longbow warriors. The longbow camp is the personal guard camp of His Highness.
"I am willing to die for you! Under the witness of the soul of the ancestor, may the reborn sun rise into the sky and rule the world of the Mexica people!"
Bertard swore in a low voice, his face no longer calm, revealing deep enthusiasm. He has been following Shulot for two years, and His Highness has become the sustenance of his spirit and ideals. Regardless of whether the boy is the reincarnation of Montezuma I, he will continue to protect him and wait for the hopeful tomorrow.
Shulot laughed loudly. He strode forward, grasped Bertard's hair, and then lifted up the loyal warrior captain forcefully. Then, the two sat cross-legged opposite each other and discussed personnel appointments.
"Bertard, you need to temporarily command the army. Who among the Guards is suitable to assist you?"
Thinking of the last expedition, Shulot asked seriously.
The warrior commander's thoughts were spinning, and many faces flashed through his mind, and finally he settled on a simple and simple smiling face.
"Your Highness, Tels has a simple mind and has withstood the test of loyalty. He has known you for a long time and has been trained among the followers for several months. He can serve as the adjutant of the personal guard. When I command the army, he can be in charge. His Highness’s safety.”
Shulot's eyes flashed, and he recalled the simple and joyful face of that simple Holy City warrior when he first captured the prisoners. The profound and unforgettable memories of the past came back again, and with the once pure and kind self, complex and inexplicable emotions surged in my chest.
The young man nodded slowly and hid the past in his heart again.
"Very good! Let Tels meet me in two days to see what changes he has made."
Bertard bowed his head and accepted the order. Then, he thought for a moment and asked aloud.
"Your Highness, the Lance Corps is a complete Hikipili, with eight thousand people. You promised Ezpan the position of deputy commander of the Corps. After all, he is a subordinate general... Who do you prefer as commander of the Corps?"
Hearing this, Shulot thought carefully.
"The Lance Corps is a civilian army, and it has a lot of new tactics. There are only two people who have the experience to command the army, the ability to do well in this position, and the prestige to suppress officers at all levels, the monkey Kuruka or the poet Baramo .”
Bertard nodded gently. He listened to His Highness's words and judged the status of each general in His Highness's heart.
"Both of them are civilians, and both can win the support of warriors and militiamen. As for who to choose..."
Shulot pondered for a moment. He recalled the degree of loyalty between the two. The poet had written poems to praise himself, but he did not reveal his feelings. But the monkey often follows him, taking risks to buy copper mines, and even catches a small golden eagle for him.
Thinking of this, Shulot made a decision.
"Send an envoy to recall Kuruka. He has done a great job in transporting the copper mine back and will officially serve as the commander of the Lance Corps! Let Ezpan cooperate with Monkey to train the Corps until September, and then join the North Road Corps."
Bertard took out a pen and paper and wrote down His Highness's appointment. Then, he quickly drew a letter of appointment with text and pictures and presented it to His Highness. Shulot took out the jade seal with his name engraved on it, stamped it on the appointment letter, and attached the jade talisman representing His Highness. The warrior commander took out the cotton bag, packed the appointment letter and the jade charm, and handed it over to the messenger tomorrow.
In this age of early grammar, all rules were so simple and direct. The army, which represents strength, is more identified with the generals and personal authority than with the appointments and credentials of the central leadership.
"Your Highness, what should we do about General Barda?"
Bertard asked again.
Shulot had already made a decision. He smiled.
"I will take Barda away. For this expedition, Avit promised to give me thousands of warriors directly under the royal family. These troops come from the capital. After the expedition is over, they will be handed over to the alliance and disbanded. Just like last time, the warriors from the capital will be handed over to Commander Barda, he also has enough ability and prestige to suppress the military nobles.
In fact, I once asked him about it, and he looked down upon the combat effectiveness of civilian legions and was more willing to command thousands of warriors. With such a mentality, it will be difficult to lead the Lance Corps well... So, let's just do it! "
Hearing His Highness's comments, Bertard shook his head secretly. General Barda presided over the training and actually gained the upper hand. This time, I missed the position of legion commander, and I'm afraid the future will be much more bumpy.
"Your Highness, how many troops will the Northern Route Army have this time? Where will the logistics start?"
Bertard looked at the boy, March was approaching, and in a blink of an eye it was April. Spring plowing is not far away, and it's almost time for the advance army to go on an expedition.
Shulot thought for a moment. He discussed with his grandfather several times and made arrangements for the follow-up plan.
"This time the strength of the Northern Route Army is divided into four parts. The first is the new army and the personal guards, about ten thousand people. I will leave it to you and the monkey commander. The second is the support of the family, at least four thousand Teotihuacan warriors , the commander should be Teacher Orosh. There are also more than two thousand temple guards, which are expected to be handed over to the experienced old warrior Etalik, and his current position will be taken over by Elvi. At the same time, there will also be a group of priests accompanying the army. group.
Next are the warriors from the capital. Avit will give me a legion, estimated to be around 8,000 people. Last time, the great nobles were imprisoned and could not participate in the military discussions. This time there will definitely be big nobles from the capital going to war, and they will command one branch with Barda respectively to restrict the military power.
Finally, there are the northern city-states. According to the latest reply, General Ocelor is willing to lend the Otomi Legion while deliberately keeping his distance from the family. This time, leading the advance force to set off, the first task was to meet with the northern general and recruit a group of Chichimec descendants. The remaining northern city-states can also produce thousands of warriors and militiamen, but the specific number is undetermined. "
Bertard silently calculated that the total number of warriors and regular regiments was more than 30,000, and the auxiliary militia and navy would also be in this number. Even if it is a partial division on the northern route, there will be at least 60,000 troops. Thinking of this, the vicissitudes of the warrior commander smiled with emotion, what an extremely powerful alliance!
Shulot also calculated the approximate military strength. His face was calm, and his eyes were burning with desire. He hopes to have more troops in his hands and occupy more terrain and military strength. Fighting on the battlefield means defeating the small with the more, and the strong with the weak. Those who are good at fighting have no great achievements. Avitt also taught him that those who truly know how to fight use a pack of wolves to tear down a lone deer, and achieve a well-deserved victory when the enemy can be defeated.
"I need more warriors. This depends on the support of city-states everywhere, as well as commitments and prices."
Shulot thought secretly. He looked at the charcoal gradually burning out in the campfire and shook his head slightly. There are still many charcoal heads left in the brazier, just like the remaining city-states in the alliance.
The night was dark, the moonlight was falling from the sky, and the two of them stopped talking. The young man was a little tired. He gave a slight signal to the warrior commander and fell asleep under the moonlight.
The loyal warrior captain walked out of the tent, gave a few instructions to the surrounding guards, and then returned to His Highness again. The vicissitudes of life warrior stared at the boy for a moment, then sat back by the bonfire, slightly closing his eyes, waiting for the dawn in the darkness of the night.
A night of silence. The next morning, Shulot woke up in the morning sun. Bertard had already prepared cold water, and the young man continued the training of his will, and then completed the training of martial arts as usual. He has been in the military camp for a full month, and his daily schedule is extremely regular. Except for the occasional return to the capital, the rest of the time was spent training others and training herself. Even Alyssa didn't have time to visit.
After breakfast, Shlott summoned Barda and Ezpin. Barda entered the account first, and after a brief exchange between the two, the fierce Eagle Warrior smiled, nodded in agreement, bowed respectfully, and left. Ezpin looked at the training officer with a happy face with some curiosity, wondering what new position he had. Later, Ezpin was also called in.
For the surrendered general who had high hopes, Shulot first comforted him with kind words and informed him that the subsequent commander of the army would be Kuruca. Then, His Highness solemnly issued an order and set forth strict assessment standards for the Lance Corps. After a lot of carrots and sticks, Ezpin finally left with trembling fear and sweat on his forehead.
After dealing with the follow-up in the camp, Shulot looked up again and saw that the sun was almost noon. He had a brief lunch and then waved vigorously.
"Go to Longbow Camp and meet hunters from all over."
Under the protection of two hundred guards, Shulot left the camp of the Lance Corps and went straight to the west.
The Longbow Camp was set up in the western mountains away from the crowds, not far from the Holy Mountain of Estela, which is close to the capital city in the lake. The Holy Mountain of Estela is one of the holiest places in mythology and religion. It is located dozens of miles west of the capital and has been set as a forbidden area for the alliance along with the underground holy lake.
The Holy Mountain of Estela also symbolizes the snake mountain of the main god. There is a sun temple on its top, lit with a blazing sacred fire. At the end of every 52 years of reincarnation, the most noble priest leaders will hold a fire-lighting ceremony here to re-drive the world to the next reincarnation. After the religious reform, it was also set up as the original temple of the main god. It was an important religious sanctuary and regularly received worship from priests and believers.
For the royal family and nobles of the alliance, the Holy Mountain is a resort and leisure center with a pleasant environment, and it is also a blessed place full of divine aura. It is located in volcanic mountains with abundant geothermal heat, and the climate is warm all year round. On the fertile volcanic ash near the Holy Mountain, various beautiful tropical flowers are planted, and cocoa trees can be seen everywhere. At the foot of the sacred mountain, there are several warm and comfortable geothermal hot springs.
It's a slightly cold winter day, and you can often see large groups of gorgeously dressed pedestrians on the road. The nobles, carrying their families and servants, and escorted by private soldiers, went to pray around the Holy Mountain one after another. They seek spiritual solace there and enjoy the beautiful spring-like mountains and forests.
Shulot stood in the forest and looked in the direction of the Holy Mountain. After months of busy work, he has never been to the Holy Mountain for vacation, and he doesn't know when he will next have leisure time. Maybe you can take the lovely Alyssa and enjoy the natural hot springs together.
Shulot looked forward to it for a moment, then put on the cloak again. He led the guards in a low-key manner, left the main road with more traffic, turned southwest, and headed towards the Longbow Camp deep in the mountain forest.
When the sun set slightly in the west, Shulot finally entered the Longbow Camp. This is a large wooden village with a long history. It was built in the early days of the rise of the Mexica people and once stationed heavy troops. When the Tepanek people in the west were finally completely conquered, the area gradually became deserted.
At this time, with the arrival of warriors and militiamen, the village became noisy again. Hundreds of longbow warriors were stationed on the wall, heavily guarded and vigilant. The guards carefully checked Xiulote's identity jade talisman, and then saw His Highness's familiar and friendly face, and shouted with joy.
After a while, hundreds of warriors came out of the camp one after another. Most of these warriors who were followers prostrated themselves on the ground and paid homage to His Highness, offering their most complete loyalty.
Shulot smiled from the bottom of his heart. He took off his marching cloak and handed it to the warrior captain, then strode forward and picked up these loyal followers one by one. From time to time, the young man called out the names of familiar people, and sometimes smiled and asked about the progress of their writing homework. The warriors suddenly looked sad and speechless.
Seeing this, Shulot laughed loudly, patted the shoulders of the warriors in the front row, and told them to study hard. Then, he strode into the wooden village. In the wooden village is a compact camp and a spacious school field. Most of the school grounds have been converted into shooting ranges, with wooden targets set at various distances, and many of the wooden targets are newly set with wooden arrows that have just been shot.
The young man observed the distribution of arrows on the wooden target, smiled and nodded slightly. Then, he looked towards the center of the school field, where thousands of hunters were already densely packed on their knees. These hunters are simply dressed, many wearing only a robe. And at the edge, there are many upper-breasted tribesmen, just wearing a long cloth around their waists.
As His Highness arrived, the longbow warriors shouted loudly at the command, and the originally noisy camp quickly became quiet. At this moment, thousands of people knelt down and bowed their heads, and the solemn sound of a needle dropping could be heard. Shulot looked at the flagpole on the top of the village wall, where more than a dozen heads were hanging, and he understood clearly.
Xurot looked at Bertard with a smile.
"Who is in charge of the camp here?"
Bertard thought for a moment and answered with a smile.
"Not long after we settled here, Toltec temporarily served as the camp manager. He was a warrior from a commoner background and one of the earliest followers. He later joined the Longbow Guard and had excellent archery skills."
Hulot laughed again as he recalled a young man studying writing with a frown on his face.
"Call him forward!"
