It rains heavily in August. Dark clouds are covering the surrounding areas, and the world is in turmoil. This is not the time for war. The fighting has stopped for a while, and both the Mexican Alliance and the Kingdom of Tarasco are mobilizing their troops to prepare for a more brutal war.
The rainy season is still here, and the new batch of gunpowder weapons can still only be placed in the innermost layer of the warehouse and cannot be used. They are wrapped in layers, put into sealed clay pots, and stored carefully. The soil salt in gunpowder has water-absorbing properties and will absorb water when the air is humid, reducing the performance of the gunpowder. It is necessary to dry the gunpowder frequently. These soil saltpetres are easily soluble in water. Once washed away by heavy rains, gunpowder will lose its power.
Shulot stood on the watchtower of the wooden castle and once again bid farewell to the main force of the navy returning eastward. In this rainy season, gunpowder weapons were difficult to use, and the Union navy had no obvious advantage in a decisive battle with the Tarasco navy. The young commander asked Annatri to return east again and bring more reinforcements to the capital.
On the gorgeous boat, Annatri still stood tall and tall in the rain. She was in high spirits and saluted the flag of the commander-in-chief in farewell. Then, her eyes moved and fell on Bertard, who was behind the young commander. There was a fierce burning fighting spirit in her eyes, and her expression was undisguised admiration.
It was windy and rainy, and the navy's fleet only rested for a few days before setting sail eastward again. Shulot looked at the huge countercurrent heading eastward, and the female warriors on the big boat gradually moved away. He then turned his head and looked at the warrior commander with a smile.
"Bertard, I heard that last time we saw you off, you and Annatri had a competition. Who won in the end? You seemed to have come back very late that day."
The silent warrior captain raised his head and stared at His Highness silently for a moment before answering in a low voice.
"We have competed twice, but there is no winner... Your Highness, it's time for us to head north to negotiate with the Otomi people."
Shulot smiled lightly and nodded.
"Let the new reinforcements garrison the fortress. Bring the rested 10,000 advance troops, and we will set off to march north tomorrow!"
Early the next morning, the rain stopped for a while. Ten thousand Mexica warriors gathered in the main castle, armed with a forest of war clubs and longbows. They are fully equipped and ready for battle at any time. The long garrison made the warriors eager to fight.
Shulot left the defense of the main castle to his father. Immediately, he carried the battle flag on his back, waved his hand, the marching bamboo flute sounded, and the army slowly set off.
The Mexica army surged forward, the scouts were sent out ten miles away, and the soldiers pointed all the way north. Ten thousand warriors marched through rolling dense mountain forests, through sparsely populated mountain villages, to the vast fields dozens of miles south of Otopan. Milpa farmland begins to intensify here, and the fields are full of vibrant new seedlings, which is the hope of the Otomi people in the new year.
The farmers in the fields were frightened by the army and fled north in fear, leaving behind the fields they had worked hard for for months. A year ago, the Mexican invasion was still fresh in our minds and unforgettable. Otomi's scouts watched from afar, delivering disturbing news one after another.
Shulot ordered the warriors to avoid farmland, choose suitable terrain to camp, and prepare for war. The heavy rain fell again, and the young commander waited calmly in the newly built camp.
It took another two days for Otomi's negotiation team to arrive in a hurry, accompanied by only a few hundred warriors.
Shulot did not come out of the camp to greet him. He was dressed in solemn commander-in-chief attire, with a bright feather crown held high on his head, and a golden sun amulet around his neck. He sat high in the tent of the camp. In the land of the Otomi people, he welcomes the guests who live here as a host.
On the stone seat, Shulot looked at the envoys who entered the tent with an expressionless face.
The Otomi messenger was still an old acquaintance. After nearly a year, the young commander met the old priest Alter again. The other party was already pale and haggard, without the power of the groundhog's roar. Next to the old priest was General Otopan Giowa, who was also the commander of the warriors in the city.
The old priest raised his white head and carefully looked at Shulot above him, his pupils contracting slightly. Shulot watched him calmly, looking at his unusually old face and still clear eyes.
Giowa's majestic body stood erect. He stared at the young commander in the middle with his narrow and sharp eyes, like a glaring coyote. His hands were free, and his thick knuckles were clenched tightly, still giving people strong pressure. Bertard frowned, feeling strong hostility, and then clenched the war stick in his hand.
The two sides looked at each other silently for a moment. Shulot spoke first.
"In the name of the supreme god Zilopochtli! I come with the warrior's war club and the feather of peace. Otomi, my patience is limited and I cannot wait too long. Don't let the feather fall from my hands!"
Hearing the obvious threat, anger rose in Giowa's eyes, he clenched his hands and made a sound, but remained silent.
The old priest Alt nodded, took a deep breath, and replied loudly.
"In the name of Ometeotel, the original god! I come with greetings from my friends. Mexica, the two sides have already ceased war and entered into a contract witnessed by the gods. Now, in this busy and beautiful season, you Coming with an army, do you want to violate the sacred contract?!"
Shulot replied without changing his expression.
"Otomi, the sacred contract is always valid, and you are the one who violated the contract! You accepted the alliance's conditions, obtained the last batch of food, and promised to send troops to harass the Tarascans in the south. However, you did not keep your promise. You are just showing off! When the army came west, I saw with my own eyes that the spring plowing of the Tarasco people was normal without any interference. Now, I need an explanation and compensation!"
Alter lowered his head slightly, suppressing his powerless anger. He closed his eyes and opened them again, speaking in a calm voice.
"Mexicans, we have raided the southern coast, and the warriors have shed blood. But as you can see, the southern coast is heavily guarded and densely covered with stone forts and wooden fortresses. The blood of the warriors cannot be shed in vain there... We are willing to deliver a large A pen of gold, silver and precious stones as a sincerity for peace between both parties!”
Xilot looked at it for a moment. The old priest looked calm and Giowa looked angry. Then, he shook his head calmly and got to the point.
"The eyes of the Lord God are watching everything, and nothing can be hidden. Wise Ort priest, you should understand all this. As the commander-in-chief of the Northern Route Army, I cannot tolerate this potential tacit understanding between you and the Tarascans!"
Hearing this, the old priest looked solemn, looked at the majestic young commander, and sighed secretly.
"The wishes of the Otomi people have never been concealed. They are only for peace and cultivation. Merciful Your Highness Xiulote, we do not want to participate in the struggle between the Mexica Alliance and the Kingdom of Tarasco. Witness the original god, and we will not Go either way!"
Shulot looked into Alter's eyes, smiled slightly, and continued to shake his head ruthlessly.
"Alt, I can believe in your sincerity, but I cannot believe in the Otomi people. It is impossible for the Northern Route Army to go south in large numbers and leave you behind, taking undetermined huge risks. You must show your attitude in the war that determines the world. Are you going to be an ally of the Mexica people? Or be an enemy of the Mexica people? Choose, Otomi people, survival or destruction!"
Hearing the undisguised threat, Giowa couldn't bear it anymore, and he roared angrily.
"The war-like Mexica people and the Otomi people are never afraid of war! The mountain city of Otopan is as strong as a meteorite falling from the sky. Even if you give it an era, you will not be able to break it! If you insist on war, you will be destroyed. Own!"
The old priest did not stop him. He allowed General Giowa to speak, but stared at Xuelote's expression.
Shulot's eyes lowered slightly. He was silent for a moment and announced calmly.
"If you are unwilling to join the alliance to fight, the Northern Route Army will stop moving south and move north. Starting from the end of the month, we will destroy your autumn harvest! Within a month, all farming will be reduced to ashes. The hard work of the first season will be in vain. , you can’t even get back the seeds. Another year without a harvest, and by this time next year, you will endure a famine that will destroy your homeland!”
Hearing such a cruel announcement, Giowa screamed like an erupting volcano.
"First we want to destroy the spring plowing, and now we want to destroy the autumn harvest. Destroy the autumn harvest, evil Mexica! There are only more than ten thousand of you here. As long as we agree to the Tarascan envoy, we can work together to drive you away and drive you away. Into the roaring Leman River!”
Hearing Tarasco's messenger, Shulot's eyes narrowed. Immediately, he responded with a serious look and indifference.
"Face the reality, Otomi people! Two Mexica armies are pressing down on the border, and the southern front is the main force of the attack. One hundred thousand Mexica troops are attacking day and night, Sitacuaro State is crumbling, and the Tarasco people cannot protect themselves. ! They will not risk going north to besiege the strong wooden fort. The main force of their navy is not here, and they cannot cross the river!"
Then, Shulot smiled confidently.
"A new batch of reinforcements has arrived. The Northern Route Army now has 20,000 warriors, and the following armies are also coming in a steady stream. This is a force you cannot resist! What's more, the times are changing, new weapons have appeared, and Otopan Mountain City will I can no longer protect you!"
Hearing the words of new weapons, the old priest Alter's expression changed. He thought for a moment, then raised his hand to stop Giowa's roar.
"Dear Your Highness Hulot, I heard from the scouts that when you attacked the wooden castle on the north bank of the Leman River, you used a powerful longbow. I wonder if you can show me something?"
Hearing the old priest's sudden request, Shulot was slightly startled. He thought for a moment, thinking about the capture of the Tarascans, and finally nodded.
"Tels, shoot an arrow outside the big tent, and then go and show them the real thing."
After hearing the order, the guards opened the tent door, and the fresh wind blew in their faces, bringing moist vapor, which cheered everyone up.
Afterwards, Tels, the personal guard responsible for guarding, smiled simply. He turned around on the spot, holding a long bow in his hand, took out a copper arrow, and prepared it. The simple warrior's eyes moved slightly and stopped fifty meters away, where was the wooden box used by the Otomi people to deliver gifts. He aimed slightly, then the longbow buzzed, and he let go of the arrow. The copper arrow was like lightning, passing through the open tent door, and was nailed to the wooden box with a "bang", and the tail of the arrow trembled continuously.
Giowa looked solemn. He strode forward, pulled out the bronze arrow from the wooden box, and stood there for a moment. Then, he silently came to the old priest and whispered a few words, and the old priest looked solemn.
Tels, holding a big bow, also walked to the old priest.
The old priest Alter took a step closer and bowed. He opened his old eyes and looked at every detail carefully.
He looked at the sturdy long bow, gestured with the length of the bow, then pinched the hardness of the wood with his nails, and frowned. This strong wood is extremely difficult to work with. Then, he stroked the wrapped silk bow string, observed the connection between the bow body and the bow string, and analyzed the specific technical details.
Then, he took the copper fletched arrow handed over by Giowa and took a closer look at the approximately cylindrical wooden arrow shaft. He used his nails to test the hardness of the arrow shaft again, frowning. Copper arrowheads, strong arrow shafts, and expensive feathers are all costs that the Otomi people cannot afford.
Finally, he looked at the slope-shaped bone wrench on Teres' hand and let out a sigh.
"Mexicans, you are indeed extremely powerful and wealthy. You can equip a large number of such hard long bows and consume a large number of such expensive arrows. You must have thousands of craftsmen!"
After a moment of emotion, Alter changed his tone and looked closely at Shulot's face.
"However, Your Highness Hulot, using this kind of weapon to threaten Otopan Mountain City is still just a delusion! You cannot bear the loss of the warriors who attack the city. Unless, what other preparations do you have?..."
Shulot smiled confidently. He looked calm and didn't answer, he just spoke.
"Priest Ort, the Alliance only needs you to send troops south to plunder the land of the Tarascans! We will help you cross the river and help you leave. We don't need the harvest of the plunder, all the property belongs to you. Likewise. , this time, you don’t need to attack the fortress-filled Akambaro state. The Otomi warriors can freely choose to go west and plunder the Sacap state opposite Guamare, or even plunder the wealthy Lake Chapala area! "
Having said this, Shulot paused for a moment and looked at the old priest solemnly.
"Priest Ort, you were born in Guamare State, and you know the surrounding situation better than I do. There is an Otomi tribe you are familiar with there, and I believe you can find a suitable target!"
Alter thought for a moment and asked about the most important key.
"Your Highness Hulot, you ask us to join the war against Tarasco, but allow us to form an independent army and choose our own targets?"
Xiuluo nodded and answered calmly.
"Exactly. Priest Alter, we need more actions to build mutual trust, and it is not suitable to directly form a coalition. However, I will send a small team of warriors to follow your army and report regularly. You must truly communicate with Tara The Sko people fight, otherwise...the Alliance will never tolerate another breach of contract!"
After hearing these words, the old priest Alter fell into a long silence. Giowa looked around at the Mexicans fiercely. Immediately, he touched his hair restlessly, waiting for the old priest's wise final decision.
The bonfire crackled in the big tent, and the wind whistled and whimpered outside the big tent. After a long while, Alter looked hard at the commander of the Mexica people, the familiar young His Highness.
"Your Highness Hulot, we signed the last covenant. As agreed, you provided food to the city of Otopan for five months, helping us through the most difficult moment. I don't believe in the Mexica Alliance, but I I believe in you, and I am only willing to swear an oath with you!"
The old priest stared at His Highness on the stone throne with a strange look in his eyes, and finally roared loudly.
"The contract with the gods has ended! If you want us to join the war in Tarasco, you must do it in the name of your noble ancestors! Cut off your hair, cut your palms, and sign a life-long blood contract with the Otomi people in the witness of all the generals. Make an oath and engrave all your promises on the immortal stone!"
Shulot was silent for a moment and nodded slowly.
"Priest Ort, thank you for your trust. Who will swear an oath with me, is it you?"
The old priest Alter shook his head firmly. He turned around and pointed his finger at Giowa, who was stunned.
"No! My life is about to come to an end. He will be the one who signs a lifelong blood oath with you!"
