The ruthless rain of arrows whistled up and down the city, just like the sharp autumn wind blowing across the fighting battlefield. The warriors and militiamen on both sides were like fallen leaves in the autumn wind, withering beside the tall city wall. The withered leaves fell into the dust and mud, flowing out of the nutrients in the body, dyeing the bluestone and loess a deep red. So, the city wall turned into a maple tree, and the fallen leaves became maple leaves.
The poignant battlefield reflected in the young commander's eyes, as well as his face as calm as lake water. On the wall on the left, Otopan warriors kept climbing up, and then they were driven down by Tarasco's defenders. It was always difficult to stabilize the gap. The surrounding militiamen also gradually gathered, rolling logs and rocks, throwing spears, bows and arrows, all without money or life.
Soon, with a shrill conch horn, hundreds of Tarasco's warrior reinforcements rushed to the top of the city. They formed a dense and powerful spear formation, stabbing alternately, and the Otopan warriors could no longer gain a foothold. The lean warriors desperately held on to their shields and retreated down the city in embarrassment, showing vague signs of collapse.
Shulot's eyes narrowed and he looked carefully at the supporting Tarasco warriors. They have firm expressions, hold on to wooden shields and bronze spears, and have crocodile or turkey family patterns on their leather armor. They are highly skilled in combat and are extremely wary of longbows.
"This should be the most elite reserve force of the enemy! After days of exhaustion, the remaining fortress defenders are no more than 10,000 people. If the entire army rushes forward at this time, and we fight for the casualties of 3,000 more warriors, we should be able to capture the fortress in one fell swoop!"
Shulot hesitated. He looked around and saw that the loyal Holy City warriors, the fanatical Temple Guards, and the strict spear corps were all the pillars of his direct lineage and the core strength of the Holy City series. The young commander then made up his mind and waved the flag.
"Blow the trumpet and retreat!"
The fierce war drums suddenly stopped, the sharp conch sound finally sounded, and the fighting for several moments felt like a long century. Hearing the sound of the trumpet, the Ottopan warriors who were struggling to maintain their strength retreated quickly as if they had been granted amnesty. They jumped off the city, raised their shields for cover, and ran to the rear without hesitation. The seriously injured who could not move were ruthlessly abandoned, along with the wooden ladders erected at the top of the city.
The Tarascans at the top of the city burst into cheers. Then another hail of arrows struck, nailing the enemy defenders to death, and the city quickly became silent again.
It was only then that Giowa emerged from the corner below the city and retreated with his siege guards. As the commander-in-chief of the legion, he led the charge, but did not personally enter the city. He just found an angle that was difficult to shoot from, and under the cover of his shield, he directed the nearby battle situation.
Shulot waved the flag again. Dozens of small trebuchets were transported to the front line, projecting a round of burning paper fireballs from a safe distance of ninety steps. The paper fireball traced an imprecise trajectory, and most of it landed inside and outside the city wall, burning the buildings in the city. A few landed on the top of the city, bursting out large balls of flames, igniting more than a dozen large shields, and turning dozens of defenders into screaming torches. The billowing smoke immediately rose, and the sulfur burning gas continued to spread, covering the top and bottom of the city in toxic smoke.
Seeing the launch of paper fireballs, the defenders of the fortress breathed a sigh of relief. In this choking smoke, it is difficult for everyone to fight. Today's siege is over. The supporting Tarasco warriors fell back again and entered the building behind the wall where they could not be shot at. The warrior supervising the battle lowered his body and covered his face with several layers of cotton. Under their stern orders, the militiamen coughed and cut off the wooden ladders, and then used the sand prepared at the top of the city to extinguish the fire and smoke.
The retreating conch sounded again. Under the cover of thick smoke, the Ottopan warriors at the rear took away the wounded who were not seriously injured. The longbow warriors fired the last wave of arrows, and hundreds of shield chariots fifty steps away from the city began to slowly retreat, followed by a dozen slow-moving nest chariots, and finally the crossbows that climbed down from the high platform. hand.
After the siege legions were evacuated one after another, Shulot looked at the city head again. Many small fire groups were extinguished by the sand. The Tarasco militiamen were exhausted and slumped behind the wooden shields and earthen platforms on the city head.
The Tarascans were as good at building pyramids as they were at building fortifications. There were originally simple parapets on the city wall to resist the weak traditional wooden bows. For several months, under the threat of Mexica crossbows, large wooden shields nearly two meters each were erected on the top of the city. Many of them can still see the shape of doors and windows.
Where the wooden shields were insufficient, earth piers more than one meter high were piled up. On the one hand, these earth platforms can protect against bows and arrows, and on the other hand, they can be used to extinguish fires. When Mexica's paper fireballs ignited the wooden shield one after another, the earth platform merged with the wooden shield and was raised further. In fact, these simple but practical defense facilities can also protect against matchlocks and small-caliber artillery.
"In war, people will give full play to their subjective initiative to build fortifications, transform equipment, and adapt to war situations. Especially in this era of great wars that last for hundreds of years."
The young commander stared at everything at the top of the city, thoughtfully. He never underestimated the wisdom of his ancestors. People of that era just couldn't see the future direction clearly, but it was not because they had no experience in production and war.
In the confrontation between various forces, the advantages brought by advanced weapons can only last for a short period of time. Warriors will always find a way to gradually adapt to the new weapons from the mythical soul and practical equipment. The real national advantage must be based on the innovation of the system and productivity, and on the basis of strong national strength. This is also where the confrontation with the Europeans lies.
Shulot's thoughts drifted into the diffuse smoke. His gaze was as unpredictable as that of a god. When he came back to his senses, Giowa was already covered in blood and was kneeling respectfully in front of His Highness.
"Giowa, the Ottopan Legion fought well! You showed your devotion to the Lord God and proved your loyalty to the Alliance!"
The young commander showed a friendly smile, stepped forward, and lifted up the "Coyote" commander. He was very satisfied with the performance of the Ottopan Legion, and the "Coyote" had been completely tamed.
"I am willing to die for His Highness!" Giowa clenched his fists on his chest and bowed his head in greeting.
Xiulote nodded and asked.
"What are the casualties of Otopan's army?"
Giowa's eyes turned red, and his voice was hoarse and trembling.
"There were a thousand casualties, six hundred of them killed."
Shulot was silent for a moment and patted Coyote hard on the shoulder.
There were only three thousand warriors in Otopan's legion, and four to five hundred had been killed in battle before. Today, we attacked the city first. Under the supervision and pressure of the army, another 600 people were killed, and less than 2,000 were left. Faced with this kind of crippling injury, the Ottopan Legion could only turn to self-cultivation and would no longer be able to be used in the short term.
"Giowa, Otopan's army has a hard time attacking the city, so let's go down and recuperate first. I will let the priest of the main god hold a grand funeral for the army!... In today's battle, under the suppression of bows and crossbows, the enemy's casualties It should be twice as many as ours. The day when the city is broken is not far away, and the Alliance will not forget your contribution!"
Then, the young commander lowered his voice and spoke in Giowa's ear.
"I will never forget your loyalty either!"
Hearing His Highness's approval, Giowa sighed in his heart, the Ottopan Army finally proved itself with its sacrifice. He suddenly fell to his knees and saluted solemnly again.
This time, Shulot nodded slightly but did not take any action. He just stood solemnly and accepted the worship of the commander of the "Coyote" regiment.
The autumn wind in November blew wildly, and fresh maple leaves were constantly picked from the top of the fortress. The brutal siege station came to an end, but the exhausting feints continued every day. The warriors of the western city-states became a new batch of feint attack troops.
Mexica's crossbowmen used arrows more sparingly. They moved closer to the city, firing accurately and taking away dozens of defenders every day. With the gradual and continuous blood loss, the defenders of the Hekou Fortress became increasingly exhausted, and their morale fell to the lowest ebb. Perseverance turns into suffering, and there is no hope. Marshal "Crocodile"'s flag was still flying at the top of the city, just like a different kind of mood gradually rising in the hearts of the defenders at the top of the city.
Another two weeks have passed in the blink of an eye, November is already halfway through, and the sunny dry season has arrived. On the Leman River, the Mexica fleet finally appeared again, bringing the last batch of alliance support.
Shulot returned to the port on the north coast and launched a majestic guard of honor to welcome the new reinforcements.
This time the navy's journey was quite long, taking more than a month. Annatri first went to the capital in the lake, carrying a large amount of food and grass to announce the news of the great victory. Then, she went north along the Tempon River to the city of Xilotepec, where she dropped off some food and picked up the promised reinforcements. Finally, she led the reinforcements southward, turned from the western city-state to the Leman River, and traveled westward here.
Anatri held a spear in hand and jumped out of the gorgeous boat again. Her face was much thinner, but her eyes were full of energy.
"Your Highness, two thousand western city-state warriors, three thousand Herotepec warriors, four thousand Chichimec descendants, and two months' worth of food for 20,000 people, all arrived on time!"
Shulot was slightly startled, and his face lit up with joy. After waiting for more than half a year, reinforcements from the city of Xilotepec finally arrived! Contrary to his expectation, there were two thousand warriors from the western city-states. The young commander thought in his mind and then understood.
"After the news of the great victory in the Water War came out, the Northern Route Army was in great shape, and the city-states in various places finally began to add icing on the cake and increase investment!"
Thinking of this, Shulotran laughed out loud. He glanced at the newly made flag on the big boat and laughed loudly.
"Very well, the Lord God bless you, 'the source of the Leman River', my navy general! Anatri, you have worked hard all the way, go and rest!"
The female warrior saluted respectfully, then walked away without any hesitation, her head held high. She was going to the wooden castle in the north to check the warrior commander's injuries and martial arts skills.
Reinforcements landed one after another. Led by the great nobles, two thousand warriors from the western city states made a loud noise and disembarked first. These city-state warriors are the private armies of the great nobles, and their equipment and morale are maintained at a good level, but their command is not satisfactory, and they cannot be used in battlefields with huge casualties.
Shulot has already positioned himself for these city-state legions. At this time, with a sincere etiquette smile on his face, he chatted with the leading nobles for a moment, greeting each other's glorious ancestors and mentioning the friendship between their ancestors that had been good for generations. Then, the nobles went north to the wooden castle to attend the welcome dinner hosted by the deputy marshal.
Then, the three thousand Herotepec warriors were silent and walked off the boat in strict formation. Seeing this legion, Shulot was startled. He observed carefully that these once-familiar Otomi warriors had concise and orderly actions, solemn and calm faces, and awe-inspiring murderous intent. They actually had the appearance of a strong army.
Soon, on the beach of the river bank, the legion's squad leader and the accompanying priest began to form a team. The chief and deputy commander of the regiment came together to pay homage to His Highness.
"Poet" Commander Parramo looked at His Highness, whom he had not seen for a long time, with a melancholy smile. He bowed and expressed sincere admiration.
"Your radiant Highness, you are like the sunshine at noon, bringing you scorching warmth. Your increasingly majestic demeanor is like a proudly raised condor, immersing my soul with your dark eyes. I will crawl under you. Under my wings, I praise you for your victory in soaring high!"
Shulot thought for a while and confirmed that the "poet" was sincerely praising himself. He then took a step forward and patted Parramo on the shoulder affectionately.
"The new nobleman Paramo, long time no see! You are like the sacred cocoa, spreading your graceful branches and becoming wider and wider, making people happy."
The "poet"'s slightly fat face froze. He spent several months idle in a major northern town, drinking wine and beauties every day, interacting with local nobles, and accepting the service of Otomi's servants. Unconsciously, his once handsome and sharp lines became more rounded and his figure became much wider.
Balamo looked at His Highness' half-smiling expression, thought for a moment, and suddenly realized something. He immediately knelt down respectfully and saluted His Highness.
"Your Highness, your loyal commander Paramo has returned to his command and is willing to die for you!"
Shulot looked at it calmly for a while. Páramo looked solemn and knelt on the ground motionless. After a while, the young commander laughed, shook the "poet's" hair, and then lifted his hands up.
"Very well, Páramo, my 'Desolate Plateau', welcome back! Who is the commander of the Otomi Army of Xilotepec?"
Paramo took a careful look at His Highness's expression and said with a smile.
"The Divine Blessing Legion has Natalie as its commander and I as its deputy commander! Natali is the first Otomi warrior to surrender, and he is also the Xilotepec prisoner you exchanged during your first negotiation. He is the first A warrior who surrenders to the Lord God and is also the most devout warrior leader, he made great achievements in the northern expedition to the Chichimec Dogs!"
Hearing this, Xiuluo nodded. He looked at the young legion commander Natalie with a smile.
"The Lord God is supreme and omnipotent! He protects us and pays attention to the sacred Western Expedition. Captain Natalie, with the blessing of the Lord God, the Western Expedition will be victorious! As long as you fight for God, you will gain new achievements. Honor will also build a glorious family!"
Natalie looked solemn, like a hard sculpture. Hearing His Highness's words, a sincere smile appeared on his face. Then, he held the sun amulet in front of his neck with his hand and replied piously.
"Praise the Lord God Huitzilopochtli! He has saved us, we will fight for Him and spread His glory! The Divine Blessing Legion will devote itself to the battle with the great God, dedicating His life to the Lord God until death. Hugh. His faith will surely spread throughout the world!"
After almost chanting, Natalie knelt down on one knee and solemnly saluted His Highness.
"Holy 'Divine Enlightenment', Chief Priest of Teotihuacan, His Highness Priest Shulot, Natalie, on behalf of the Divine Blessing Legion, respectfully greets you! We enjoy the light of Divine Blessing, and we will also serve you war!"
Seeing Natalie's pious and non-hypocritical expression, and listening to the other party's heartfelt praise, the young priest was stunned for a moment, with thousands of horses racing in his heart, and then he immediately reacted.
"Praise be to the Lord Huitzilopochtli! I pray to Him, the Most High, and praise the souls of the converts for their loyalty under the gaze of the Lord God!"
