The rapid showers gradually subsided, and the earth became deep and quiet, except for the flowing streams that merged into the large lake. The clouds in the sky slowly dispersed, and the sun shone through the gaps in the clouds, falling into the stone hall through the light-transmitting holes. The clear light shines on the vicissitudes of stone slabs, lighting up the stories of the lost kingdom in the hearts of the kings.
Shulot stared at the dusty stone slab, silent. There is no sound of wind in the ancient stone temple, only the breath of a few people, but it determines the path of dozens or even millions of people.
The knowledgeable elder observed the pensive young king with a glint in his eyes. A few steps later, the warrior commander was observing him silently. After a while, until Shulot made a gesture to continue, Jatiri moved to the back hall.
"Your Highness, this fifth stone tablet is also a set of two paintings. It was personally drawn by the royal sage more than a hundred years ago. It tells the story of the early governance system of the kingdom. To put it simply, it is two-level and three-level. !”
"The so-called duality is the center of the governance of the two royal families. It gradually evolved from the two ancient religious holy places in the Lake District in the early days of the founding of the People's Republic of China. Religion is a tool to control people's hearts and will also give the ruler the cloak of sacred authority. Tower The royal family of Lascaux has done a lot in this regard. If you have the patience, there will be a special tablet to tell it later.”
Shulot nodded affirmatively and saluted respectfully.
"The words of a sage are like rain and dew during a long drought, which are of great benefit to me. I am willing to treat you with the courtesy of a teacher, and please take the trouble to teach me everything you have!"
"It is an honor for me that Your Highness is willing to listen, and it is also a blessing for all people."
Jatiri turned slightly to avoid the king's salute, and returned the courtesy of a courtier.
"Your Highness has divine enlightenment, but I am too old to be my teacher... I am an old turtle in the lake. I only wish to spend the rest of my life repaying the pond that raised me. If I can touch the sacred tree with my own hands, it will be the highest honor!"
After hearing the sage's words, Shulot thought for a moment and understood. The governance of the feudal state was inseparable from the support of Prepecha elites. Compared with generals who command legions, bureaucrats who can manage national affairs are even rarer and more valuable! He solemnly held Jatiri's arm and affirmed clearly.
"The major events of the feudal country involve all the people and tribes, and cannot be separated from the help of the sage. The same will be true for the major events of the world in the future. Sage, I want to establish a central government, establish counties and counties, eliminate the autonomy of the aristocracy, and take charge of the large and small government affairs of the feudal country. You can be the chief political minister, participate in national affairs, be responsible for formulating national laws, compiling epic books, and be in charge of the education of all people!"
Hearing the position of Chief Minister of State Affairs, Jatiri's eyes first flashed with surprise, and then turned into a twinkling smile. He took a step back, bowed respectfully to the ground again, and paid homage.
"Your Highness, the river turtle crawled out of the mud pond to look up at the sun in the sky and illuminate the patterns on the tortoise shell. Your Highness is a born king. I am willing to attach my wings to your Highness and fly high with you!"
His Highness aspires to unite all tribes in the world and unite all the people in the mountains and rivers. What the old minister wants is for you to sort out what you have learned throughout your life, so that a unified doctrine can spread throughout the world! ...I will do my best to live up to your trust! "
"Learn from the royal officials...to depose hundreds of schools...the ambition of the sages is not weaker than mine!"
Shulot's thoughts were spinning, he smiled and said something difficult to understand. At this point, their status as king and minister was officially determined. The knowledgeable elder jumped into the core decision-making circle of the feudal country.
Not far away, the warrior commander's usually calm face showed deep envy for the first time. He did not envy Jatiri the official position he had been awarded, but he envied him for his profound knowledge and wisdom, his ability to truly understand the complex affairs of government, and his ideological resonance with His Majesty the Divine Enlightenment.
The young king accepted Jatiri's bow calmly, and then held up the healthy sage.
"Chief, please continue."
Jatiri nodded and walked back to the fifth stone slab generously.
The first pattern on the stone slab is two rows of Yakata pyramids, surrounded by worshipers. There are five pyramids in the first row, and the height decreases from the center to both sides. They look very familiar. They are the House of Wind in the royal capital. There are three large pyramids in the second row, with a separate smaller tower on each side.
"Your Majesty, the duality of the governance of the Kingdom of Tarasco, the two ancient religious holy places, are the capital of Qin Congcan, which is located slightly north of the lake area, and the city of Ivacchio, which is slightly to the south! The first king's capital was in Qin Congcan was chosen not only because it was located on a high ground and could withstand floods, but also because of its influence in the minds of the people in the lake.
Your Majesty, just as the magnificent lake capital of the Mexica Union can be divided into the political center, the main city of Tenochtitlan, and the commercial center, the northern city of Tlatelolco. The political center of the Kingdom of Tarasco is the magnificent city of Qinconcan, and the commercial center is the prosperous city of Ivacchio.
In the past hundred years, with the development of copper mines in the south, the city of Ivacchio, with its open terrain and excellent location, has become the center of the world's copper trade. The royal family has a large number of court nobles stationed there, and they strongly control the trade in and out of Ivacio. The strong control of obsidian, copperware, cotton armor, grain and salt is another effective way to restrict local nobles...
Your Majesty, the city of Ivacchio was severely damaged during the Western Expedition, but it is worthy of rebuilding the kingdom! "
Shulot watched for a moment and nodded slightly. He led his army to capture the walled city of Ivacchio, and was impressed by several pyramids there. However, the war was about to begin and the march was in a hurry. He only tried his best to recruit a group of craftsmen and miners, without in-depth inspection and understanding of the city.
"The Chief said it well. The city of Ivacchio has both religious and economic importance. In this case, I will rebuild Ivacchio, renovate the pyramid to the temple of the main god, expand the commercial square, and then control the trade of the feudal country! "
The knowledgeable elder smiled slightly, moved his finger, and pointed to the second picture.
The second picture is more complex, depicting several adults in exquisite clothes. They are distributed in steps like a pyramid and are divided into three levels. At the top is the king wearing the crown of the condor. He is extremely tall and eye-catching, holding a staff and a spear, occupying one third of the entire painting.
"The so-called third level is the hierarchy of the Kingdom of Tarasco. Similar to the Mexica League, it can be roughly divided into kings, nobles and warriors, excluding ordinary civilians. And the top level at the top is naturally the tower King of Lascaux, ruler of the land of the lakes, head of the royal clan, Cassonchi.”
"In the Prepecha language, King Kasonchi is also called Kamachakupeni, which is a ruler, a person who groups, and a person who manages others. He has the power to manage all the people of the kingdom, regardless of the other party. Whether he is a noble, a warrior or a commoner. He is still qualified to decide on everyone's status!"
Hearing this, Shulot's eyes lit up.
In the semantics of this title, the concept of a dictatorial king has appeared, which is similar to the real "king" in the Chinese concept. In the Mexica language, which belongs to the Nahua language family, the king "Grand Tratoani" only has the concept of a big talker. He has the highest authority to speak, but he does not have absolute power to deal with subordinates. From this point of view, the degree of centralization of the Kingdom of Tarasco is indeed higher than that of the Alliance. The Prepecha people's obedience to centralized authority will also be higher than that of the other ethnic groups in the alliance.
"Chief, I am very interested in these political Prepecha words. Can you tell me a little more about their meaning?"
Jatiri was startled, nodded and smiled.
"The old minister will say a few more words. Your Majesty, the central government you just mentioned is called Camacha Kupecha in the Prepecha language. It means that those powerful people who have power unite Rise up and command ordinary people, then humbly establish friendship with friendly strong men, and severely conquer and deal with hostile strong men.
And the authority of the government was called Cecesiqua. It refers to a fearful feeling that is retained over time, causing repeated fear.
Ordinary nobles are also called Ureguadani, that is, the person who speaks first and has the right to speak. Ordinary civilians are called hapingtata, that is, those who are owned and dominated..."
The young king calmed down and savored the ideas and ethnic character contained in these daily words.
The reason why language and writing are important is that the cognitive concepts contained in them can subtly and subtly affect the user's concepts. Throughout the history of the world, groups with similar languages and scripts will also tend to be consistent in certain characteristics. In modern times, the first step after a nation awakens is often to create or strengthen its own unique writing system.
"The government is the alliance of strong people to dominate the common people, uniting or opposing other strong people...Authority is the fear of violence...The nobles are the talkers, and the common people are the dominated..."
Shulot frowned slightly and whispered to himself.
"These concepts are similar to the Mexica language. In this way, in the traditional understanding of the Nahua language, there are no requirements for benevolence and trust in the rulers. The country's ruling order is maintained by violence, and the civilians have almost no power , the entire society is in a typical slavery period."
"It seems that when I have my free time, I still need to recall the ideas of the pre-Qin philosophers of the Celestial Dynasty during a similar period of productivity, especially the rule of law of Legalism and the benevolence of Confucianism. Then I will summon priests and scholars to make appropriate modifications and treatments, and combine them The actual social situation was introduced into the relatively barbaric culture of the feudal country. The core of the stable rule of the vast celestial dynasty is the rule of Confucianism, the rule of law and the power of kings and tyrants..."
Thousands of thoughts flashed through the young king's mind. For him now, governance is still a constant exploration and practice. All he can rely on are the stories that have appeared in history and the trajectory of future development. He will refer to it while groping until he finds the unique path of the American Celestial Empire!
The knowledgeable elder observed Shulot's expression and paused for a moment. It wasn't until the king signaled again that he smiled and spoke.
"The second level of the kingdom consists of various nobles and high-ranking priests. Your Majesty, please look at these characters with different costumes. Their order symbolizes different statuses, and the items in their hands represent different powers.
At the front is Ivac, a royal nobleman, holding a scepter in his hand. It usually represents the lords with the highest status and closest blood relationship to the king. Yes, the city of Ivacio got its name from the fact that it was originally entrusted to the closest branch of the royal family. When King Avit left, he took almost all the royal nobles with him.
Next, Karachapakacha, the powerful nobleman, holds a weapon in his hand. It is similar to the vocabulary of the central government, meaning local law enforcers. They controlled the samurai and militia of local communities and managed order in the region. Although their titles were hereditary, they were subject to interference and influence from the royal family. If the direct sons cannot distinguish themselves independently, they must be handed over to the authoritative royal family for judgment.
During this Western Expedition, only ten of the powerful aristocrats in the north and the Lake District remained, while the powerful aristocrats in the south were still largely intact. For them, it is up to the king to decide whether the Kingdom Center will absorb them, dispose of them, or deal with them on a case-by-case basis. But preferably after the autumn harvest. "
The knowledgeable elder did not speak for the old nobles, but only made suggestions calmly. Xiuluo nodded. He had a plan in mind for the arrangement in the south.
"Further back, Kuangarecha, a frontier military noble, holds weapons and shields, and wears an animal helmet. It originally referred to the military chief during wartime, and later evolved into a military nobleman who often fights in border areas. They are hereditary and not replaced. , the fiefdoms are far away, the status is more independent, and the inheritance rights are rarely interfered by the central government.
Of course, like Crocodile and Feather, the great Nahua nobles who are divorced from the kingdom, their political status is almost the same as that of Ivac, and their independent power far exceeds.
During the Western Expedition, military nobles were recruited by the kingdom on the spot to resist the front lines of the two armies of the alliance. They suffered the heaviest losses in the war, either dying on the battlefield or becoming prisoners. "
A series of tragic war scenes appeared in Xuelote's mind. He nodded slowly and calmly, expressing his understanding. Jatiri continued his story. He moved his finger and pointed at an adult in priestly attire, who held a gemstone scepter in his hand.
"Petamuti, high priest. In the early days of the kingdom, divine power still had considerable influence. The high priests in each region also controlled tribes and warriors. They had their own inheritance system and even their own temple schools.
It's just that the Condor Royal Family learned from the experience of previous kingdoms and deliberately suppressed the influence of the priests. The royal family conquered the world by force, directly occupied two religious holy places, and intervened in the selection of priests. Over more than a hundred years, the originally independent priestly power gradually became a vassal of the royal family. After the Western Expedition, there were almost very few high-ranking priests left in the kingdom. "
Shulot's eyes flashed. The blue fire in the House of Wind Temple is truly unforgettable. Deep down in his heart, he actually prefers the secularization of religion. However, he entered the upper echelon of the alliance as a black wolf priest, and his grandfather was the highest priest leader. His own origin limited his choices, and coupled with the will of the elders, he finally led the alliance's reform to the path of theocracy.
"In addition to these three, a new type of nobles has been born in the kingdom since the middle period."
The knowledgeable elder looked at the Priest King of the Lake Kingdom, considered for a moment, and decided not to comment further on the topic of priests. He removed his finger from the high priest and came to the last lord. There is a painting of a nobleman in fine clothes with slightly newer marks, holding a drawing board in his hand.
"Achacha, the advisory nobles of the palace. Most of them are the descendants of the powerful nobles. They have the inheritance of knowledge, but cannot obtain fiefs. The royal family absorbs them as political bureaucrats, managing the towns and villages directly under the jurisdiction, and calculating the city's trade taxes. They have no fiefdoms, and their income comes from the support of the royal family. These people are the pillars of the royal family's centralized power and the real administrators of the kingdom. During the alliance's Western Expedition, these people survived more, but only lost their original positions."
Shulot was silent in thought and did not answer. Different from the civil service system of the Celestial Dynasty at this time, this was the prototype of the traditional aristocratic system.
The higher degree of centralization in the Kingdom of Tarasco naturally required more administrative bureaucracy. Unlike the Alliance, the Kingdom did not have large-scale community schools, and the priesthood was suppressed, so knowledge was more concentrated among the upper-class nobles who held power. At the same time, the nobles of the kingdom have reproduced for several generations and have many heirs, making it easy to select administrative talents from them.
"The future administrative bureaucrats of the feudal country can absorb some noble children. But the main administrators should come from the current civilian priests, civilian officers, and future civilian civil servants. The road up and down needs to be opened up!"
The young king stretched out his hand and pointed directly at the bottom of the three-level structure.
"Chief, the first person of the third level, holding a war stick, shield, and wearing a forked feather helmet, I have met many on the battlefield. Needless to say, this must be a high-ranking warrior in the Lake District. As for the following few Man, please tell me in detail."
The knowledgeable elder nodded. He already knew the contents of these boards and was preaching in detail at this moment.
"The second one is Angamecha, the village leader and the manager of the village. There are three types of villages in the kingdom. Most of the villages near the border are owned by the lords, and most of the villages in the Patzcuaro Lake District are directly owned by them. And in the mountains and forests There are many surrendered tribes among them. The land there is barren and the terrain is steep. Many tribes are half-cultivating and half-hunting. They are unruly and the cost of tax collection is high. Their village communities retain relatively high autonomy, and the village heads People can almost be regarded as low-level noble lords. In the remote southeastern mountainous Wetamo State, the village communities there are even completely autonomous.
The kingdom threatened them with force, but only required them to pay tribute once a year, to donate grain, wood, feathers and leather, and to serve in times of war. At the same time, the royal family controlled the import and price of salt and cotton cloth, and collected taxes from them in a more gentle way. "
Shulot's eyes moved slightly, understanding in his heart.
This is also how the Mexica Confederation dealt with the mountain tribes. It's just that the alliance is martial, and its methods are often more severe. This is how the Toltec longbow hunters were recruited from the mountains. These hunters have now been promoted to first-level warriors and are still serving in the legion. Their tribes, which total about 20,000 mountain tribesmen, will gradually migrate from the holy city of Teotihuacan to the north of the broken feudal state, filling the population of Hekou County.
"The third one, Kasicuare, is a low-level priest. In villages, priests often come from families with a large local population and high influence. They have the power to hold festivals and sacrifices and arrange marriages and funerals in the village community, and are subject to The awe and respect of the civilians. Their status is second only to the tribal leaders. In the Alliance's Western Expedition, the grassroots priests had little influence. In fact, many low-level priests are more flexible when it comes to faith. As long as they have faith in the Sun God With a little bit of identity processing, we can effectively absorb many priests at the grassroots level..."
"Chief, low-level Priests of Prepecha can be absorbed. But they have to go to the capital city in the lake to worship the main god's great temple, and then receive complete priest training!"
After hearing the implication of Jatiri's words, Shulot replied solemnly.
"In the tribal communities of Prepecha, priests and village elders are often one and the same. I know that the chief, as a sage of the ethnic group, is famous and must have a great influence on the lower-level priests. The matter of naturalized priests , Chief, please help me!
The Alliance is willing to accommodate these low-level priests, and it can also temporarily use Curricaveri, the sun god of Prepecha, as an incarnation of the main god Huitzilopochtli. However, the alliance is based on religion, and the will of the main god cannot be reversed! For the vast majority of civilians, the Alliance requires devout faith. "
The young king showed a majestic look. He stared at the knowledgeable elder until the other person avoided his gaze and bowed his head respectfully.
"Your Majesty, I already know your will and will do my best to help you."
"good!"
Facing Jatiri's submission, Shulot nodded slightly, and then smiled gently.
"The future path of the alliance is to integrate theocracy and political power, and the king governs the world with patriarchal laws. As the highest fifth-level patriarch of the Tarasco Archdiocese, I can grant the elder the status of fourth-level chief priest to facilitate the elders' actions. "
"...Thank you, Your Majesty!"
Upon hearing the priestly award, the knowledgeable elder looked calm and saluted. Then, he touched the last empty space on the third level and added leisurely.
"Your Majesty, in fact, this third level should also include the newly emerged aristocratic business tax officials and senior craftsmen with status. They are new groups that gradually emerged with the development of the kingdom's trade. Since the King has strictly controlled Control trade and incorporate many materials into the official camp; and as soon as we enter the capital, we dispatch legions to control the craftsman camp... You must have a complete sacred tree in your heart, and there is no need for me to say anything."
"At this point, the two-level and three-level kingdom system has been roughly explained. I hope it will be helpful to the king's administration in the feudal country. Next, please take two steps forward and look at these last two steps. An important slate!"
