The sun was scorching hot. Wearing a light robe, Shulot walked through the walkway where clothes were dried and headed for the north gate of the wooden castle. Bertard put on his leather armor again, called Coles and other guards, and followed His Highness closely. Along the way, the warriors saluted one after another and whispered "Your Highness" and "Holy Eagle Warrior Chief".
The area of the wooden fort was limited, so the young commander set up a new camp outside the north gate for the research and development of siege equipment and for defense support. When he entered the camp, the busy craftsmen saluted together and then showed off the latest progress.
The height of the light trebuchet is about two and a half meters, and the rotating gun tip is correspondingly shorter. Its bottom is a triangular stable bracket with a base width of less than two meters and a base length of just over two meters. It is roughly a scaled-down version of the human-powered trebuchet, and its overall weight is only one-fourth or one-fifth of the original. Therefore, it could be carried by several civilians, and could easily be loaded onto a large boat and transported to the other side of the Leman River.
Shulot stood and watched quietly. The craftsmen quickly fixed the light trebuchet to the ground, which took less than a quarter of an hour. Then, they installed a paper ball the size of a pumpkin on the magazine pouch on the long shaft of the gun tip, and filled it with ten pounds of sand. Then, six or seven gunners took their positions, holding the rope connecting the short shaft with both hands, and looked at His Highness not far away.
His Highness waved his hand and gave an order. The gunners shouted in unison and pulled hard. The top of the gun tip rose, and the paper ball reached a height of four meters in an instant, and then was thrown out at a slight angle, crossing an elongated parabola, and landed outside the one hundred and fifty meter mark.
Shulot went over to check it personally, remembered the landing point of the paper ball, and then ordered everyone to continue. The paper ball weighing more than ten kilograms drew changing arcs, with a stable range between 150 meters and 180 meters. The young commander thought for a while, then used a wooden stick to draw a parabola on the ground to calculate the flying height of the paper ball.
After a moment, Shulot wiped away the drawing on the soil with his foot and nodded with slight satisfaction. As long as the light trebuchet is approached within 120 meters of the city wall, the paper fireball can be thrown onto the six-meter city wall. Within this distance, as long as the operator wears tight leather armor and a helmet, the enemy's arrows and stones cannot cause serious damage. The only problem is that the accuracy cannot be grasped, and the landing point depends entirely on God's blessing.
The young commander praised a few words and ordered the craftsmen to step up production. He then looked at the light shield vehicle.
The front end of the light shield cart is a thick wooden board used as a shield, the middle is a small wooden platform for archers to stand and shoot, the rear end is a long wooden handle for people to push, and the bottom is two simple wooden wheels. The large wooden shield at the front is as thick as a finger, about two meters wide, and about one person high. There are three shooting holes on the upper part of the wooden shield, which can protect three longbow warriors from shooting at the same time. There are four long wooden handles, and two people can push the manned shield car forward by bending their bodies.
Overall, this light shield cart is just a two-wheeled cart for loading shields.
The shield chariot is a long-standing siege weapon. Even a hundred years later, heavy shield vehicles can still perform well when faced with light artillery fire. The Tarascans had no heavy crossbows or firearms, so the front end of the light shield vehicle did not need to be reinforced with leather or metal or filled with earth.
Shulot took out his longbow and shot several times from 60 meters away. Then, he carefully checked the depth of the war arrow's penetration into the wood and nodded.
"Make shield vehicles in large quantities. The shields do not need to be so thick and can be simplified a little. I will send a group of captured civilians over and build at least two hundred vehicles within a month!"
Hearing this, the leader of the craftsmen knelt down and nodded in agreement.
Shurott took one last look at the replica Minato. The wooden water gate is only half completed, and the thickness is increased according to the universal shape. He first asked the warriors to chop him head-on with copper axes, and a dull "duh" sound sounded. After a while, the young man shook his head slightly. Then, he asked the warriors to take out stone chisels and stone hammers to destroy key nodes. He counted the time in his mind and kept shaking his head.
The young commander thought for a moment, then called the gunpowder manager and fetched dozens of kilograms of well-preserved gunpowder.
After a while, raging flames rose from the water gate, accompanied by a slight explosion, and black smoke spread into the sky. A heat wave swept over, carrying a pungent smell, and everyone had to step back and stay away. The explosive burning lasted for a full quarter of an hour before the fire gradually became smaller.
After another two quarters of an hour, Shulot called five warriors and asked them to come forward wearing water-soaked cotton armor and holding huge stone hammers. There was a loud "bang" sound followed by a "crackling" sound, and the burning wooden door suddenly broke and then shattered.
Seeing this, Shulot laughed loudly. He watched the charred wood pieces flying and the sparks scattering, and finally felt a little sure in his heart! Behind him, Bertard also smiled happily.
The five warriors immediately reported back. Their faces were blackened by the smoke, and even their hair was burned off by the flames. The young commander loudly praised a few words and asked the warriors to rest in the wooden castle in the south. Then, he turned around and looked towards the south bank of the river mouth fortress, his thoughts drifting into the distance.
"There are still two weeks left for the naval division to return, bringing reinforcements and food, as well as the latest information about the capital. The South Route Army must have been dispatched. I don't know what the situation is now..."
Shulot's gaze went south, across the mighty Leman River, across the unknown lake area, until the south where the fighting was still going on.
The golden sun shines from the sky, and Lake Patzcuaro is filled with brilliant waves. On the beautiful big lake, hundreds of canoes came from villages all over the lake area, continuously transporting collected food and militia. Then, the huge group of boats divided into two teams, one heading north and one heading south.
The sun falls on people's faces, giving off different looks. The Tarasco warrior in charge shouted loudly and urged the sailors and militiamen to move faster, with a serious and indifferent expression. Upon hearing the order, the sailors rowed the oars vigorously, their faces full of unconcealable exhaustion. They were recruited by the kingdom and had been busy for a whole month, carrying tens of thousands of troops and accompanying food supplies.
The militiamen on the ship held the newly issued bronze spears, their faces full of uneasiness about the unknown war and worries about the future of the village. The kingdom issued strict conscription orders, and the lake areas near the capital were urgently mobilized. They had to abandon the fields that had just been sown, follow the fierce warriors, and board a boat heading to an unknown destination.
"Tell me, where are we going to fight? When can we go home?" Weziti, wearing a turban, asked in a low voice while the supervising warriors were not paying attention.
On the rocking boat, the young militiamen all looked confused. Chihuaco, an old militiaman in his forties, took out the yellowed cloth bag and inhaled the aroma of the herbs deeply with his nose, with a satisfied smile on his face. Immediately, his expression became calm and he answered in the same low voice.
"We go to the north and fight against the Mexica division. There are not many enemies there, and the stone fortresses are solid, which is stronger than going to the south. As for coming back, it will take a year at the earliest!"
"One year?!" The turbaned Weziti screamed, attracting the fierce gaze of the supervisory warrior. All the militiamen bowed their heads and shut up at the same time, like obedient turkeys. After a while, the warrior's gaze shifted, and Vezti spoke in a low voice again.
"In more than a month, the pumpkins will be harvested, and there will be corn and beans later. The women and children at home alone can't do it. Do we really have to go out for a year this time?"
Chihuaco, the old militiaman, sneered and took another breath of the herb before speaking slowly.
"Are you still thinking about the fields and harvests at home? Survive first! Militiamen like us are just firewood on the battlefield. The warriors don't care about the life and death of the militiamen. They will only treat those who are most vulnerable to death. Place. If you are captured by the cruel Mexica jaguar, you will have your chest cut open and sacrificed to the gods!"
The young militiamen shuddered when they heard the name Mexica Jaguar. Those terrifying figures wearing animal helmets and yellow leather armor have been circulated in the kingdom for a long time. Their image is equivalent to the evil spirits emerging from the volcanoes in the west.
After a while, Weziti asked in a trembling voice.
"We are protected by the Sun God, the Earth Mother Goddess and the Moon Goddess! We should be able to win this battle, right?"
Many young militiamen looked at Chihuaco. He was the only old militiaman in the village who survived the previous war.
Chihuaco sighed and carefully put away the herbal bag in his hand. This is his treasure, it allows him to stay calm in the battlefield and find the most suitable escape route. The old militiaman stood up, looked at the vast fleets in the north and south, looked at the clear sky, and sighed deeply.
"Alas! Not long after the pumpkins were planted, the gentlemen mobilized so many militiamen that they couldn't even take care of this year's harvest. If you look at the expressions of these warriors, they look as if they are about to die. This battle, I think Hang!"
The sighs of the militiamen dispersed into the wind, and their voices gradually became inaudible. The breeze never stops, it drifts across the busy Patzcuaro Lake and enters the rich and sturdy copper city of Qin Congcan. It blew past thousands of craftsmen making weapons, passed thousands of warriors holding copper axes, passed through hundreds of nobles talking in low voices, and finally came to the religious center of the city, the magnificent round pyramid, "The Wind of the Wind". House” Yakata.
Each of the five round Yakata pyramids is tens of meters high. They are made of granite of different sizes and bonded with corn mortar, just like a sacred mountain standing in the human world. The five pyramids are arranged in a roughly keyhole shape, with a stepped pyramid platform at the back end, connected by stone steps to facilitate the priests to move back and forth.
These platforms extend and converge to form a simple and solemn large platform. Composite stone houses are built above and below the large platform. This is the sacred residence of the kingdom's priests.
There is a core stone pile in the center of each pyramid, and then the outer layers are thickened. The outermost layer is decorated with different spiral, circular, square and other stone slabs, and the stone slabs are carved with exquisite murals of gods. The upper end of the pyramid is painted with the symbols of different gods, surrounded by bright patterns, paying tribute to the five main gods who rule the world.
The three yaka towers in the center are the tallest and most gorgeous. Together with the base of the mound, they are forty to fifty meters high, symbolizing the throne of the gods in the world. They respectively represent the supreme and bright sun god Kulikaveri, the benevolent and protective earth goddess Kweravaperi, and the moon goddess Haratana in charge of life and death.
Above the Yakata, there is a temple dedicated to the gods, as well as statues made of pure gold, similar to the large temple in the capital city of the lake. But unlike large temples, these temples contain many relics of former kings and nobles, and even partially dried remains, like tombs on the ground, praying for eternal life after death. This is somewhat similar to ancient Egypt.
At this moment, huge bonfires were lit in front of the five temples on Yakata. The blazing flames burn day and night, and these flames can be seen in ninety-one towns and villages in the Patzcuaro Lake District. This represents the highest mobilization for war!
Under the magnificent temple, hundreds of priests of all levels are busy in front of the circular pyramid, building a solemn altar. They will hold large-scale prayer ceremonies, use captured Mexica sacrifices, seek divine prophecies from the gods, and pray for victory in the war.
Near the sacred "House of the Winds" Arcata is the lofty royal palace, the royal palace "Acartas" built on the hills. Akatas is several stories high and is surrounded by a dozen connected stone buildings. Loyal royal warriors were stationed in these stone buildings, and tributes from various city-states were also stored. There is also a trophy cabin on the outermost side, which stores the heads of enemies killed in the battle and the side weapons of these brave opponents. In the corner of the hut, several black daggers shone coldly.
From a distance, Akatas, which symbolizes royal power, has been expanded many times and is now the same height as the House of Wind, which symbolizes divine power. On the viewing platform in front of the palace, King Suangua of Tarasco is dressed in yellow clothes, wearing a thick feather crown, surrounded by gold and bronze ornaments, like a messenger of the gods in the world.
The supreme king lowered his head slightly, his eyes shining with thought. He did not pay attention to the priests' soothing prayers, but looked solemnly at the several Mexica longbows in front of him and the scattered matching copper arrows.
These astonishingly powerful weapons were captured from the battlefields of the north and south at the same time. They are like messengers of the Moon Goddess, allowing the heroic kingdom warriors to die easily!
