The golden October has emerged from the wind and rain, and the warm sunshine shines on the tropical plateau. The shores of the lake area are still full of vitality, with grass growing and birds flying.
The autumn harvest season has arrived. Chihuaco stood in the field in front of the farming camp carrying a bamboo basket and farm tools. His old smiling face showed the joy of busy farming, and his deep pupils were filled with golden hope. Hope is nurtured in the dark and long rainy season and turned into fruit within reach.
"What a great harvest!"
The old militiaman murmured. One hundred thousand acres of lush farmland spread out in front of him, like the most moving and graceful long painting, continuing to the end of the sky. Ten thousand soldiers in the field dispersed according to their battalions, carrying bamboo baskets on their backs and holding stone sickles, and they were busy in the harvest fields with their heads down.
"God bless me! I actually lived to see the harvest! It's like a dream."
Chihuaco looked around greedily, his eyes shining, as if he wanted to stay at this moment forever. His eyes were full of busy figures, whispered slogans echoed in his ears, and his nose was filled with the pleasant fragrance of grains.
The huge pumpkins were picked, connected into a large bunch of yellow and green, and dried in front of the thatched hut in the distance. Large groups of field soldiers carried rattan baskets on their backs and stone sickles, and kept going back and forth. They piled the harvested beans into hills in a pergola in the fields and transported them back to the camp in wheelbarrows. As the staple food, corn stretches out into patches of green, the bracts between the leaves are slender and plump, and the leaves surrounding the ears are slightly yellowed. The final harvest is right in front of you!
"Uncle, what are you looking at?"
Weezti, wearing a turban and carrying a sickle, approached the old militiaman. He followed the other person's gaze and saw only ordinary harvest fields and ordinary busy people in this unusual year of war.
"First we harvest pumpkins, then beans, and then we have to harvest corn. One person has to harvest ten acres, and my waist is almost exhausted!"
Weziti wiped the sweat from his face with his hand and complained softly. The intense farming work has lasted for two weeks, and he still has more than three acres of beans to harvest.
"Hey, I didn't feel tired from farm work in the past, but this year I'm a little bit unaccustomed to the crops. I guess it's been too long since I've planted the land, and there's too much land planted this time. Uncle, you are in charge of so many people now. Yeah! Why don't you just find a few people to do all the work for us like Mr. Huitu?... Well, it's good to just share a little bit."
After hearing this, Chihuaco finally turned around, stretched out his hand and patted Weziti hard on the head.
"Wood, after holding a gun to kill people for a year, can't you get used to the work of raising people? Even if you are a piece of grass, you can't forget your roots, otherwise you will become duckweed in the lake, and God knows it will float Where to go? That Mr. Huitu is fundamentally different from us villagers..."
The old militiaman looked leisurely, stretched out his waist and looked at the clear sun, showing a bit of peace and a bit more nagging.
"...Besides, everyone has ten acres of land, food and farming tools are ready-made, all they have to do is put in the effort. What can't be done? I've walked through corpses in the past two years... Now I can stay In the fields, I can plant and harvest crops with peace of mind, sleep peacefully until dawn, and even send some food to Reed when I have free time... I wish that these days can last forever!"
Hearing the old uncle's words, Weziti nodded obediently. The old uncle always made sense anyway. He continued to look around.
"Uncle, with so many people working together, the hares and deer have disappeared! Otherwise, if we hunt one or two, we can eat meat tonight. We eat pumpkins, black beans, and pancakes every day, and even a little bit of oil and water can be seen. No, my mouth is really hungry!... I can also give Luwei something good, she is so cute and eats meat."
Chihuaco glanced at the wood first, and after hearing the second half of the sentence, his expression became much more relaxed.
"Wood, when I was guarding the gate in the capital, although there was wine and meat, those days were empty, but now these days are real. When we were in the village, how could we eat enough grains every day, and not have enough pancakes during festivals? Huh? I can’t even think about it. If we don’t starve to death, it will be a good year... Well, the reeds are still small and they still need to grow. I will go to the priest in the camp to ask for some meat at night. I will finish my work in a few days and be able to When you leave the camp, you go to the family’s village and bring it to her.”
"Okay! Uncle, please ask for an extra piece of meat. Xiao Yayuli's mother-in-law is pregnant. When I went to the village to look at the reeds, I also gave her a piece of meat on the way!"
Weziti nodded heavily and paid attention to his brother's wife without any distractions.
Ever since the field army selected acres of land and set up camp, they have been practicing military discipline, but the rules have been slightly relaxed. The family members of the army were also gathered together and arranged in several nearby villages, so that the troops stationed in the field could calm down. Every few days, if the fields are not busy, the soldiers can take turns to leave the camp and visit their families in the village. Recently it happened to be Weitz's turn to raise the camp.
After the war, many young men lost their lives, and there were many young and widowed women in the Lake District. Under the arrangement of the priest, single soldiers have been getting married one after another in the past few months, and they are even having children. If there is enough food, there will probably be a baby boom soon. Xiao Ayuri, a bachelor among the seven militiamen, was among the first to get married. The woman was a family member of a samurai who died in the city. This kind of marriage between a village militiaman and a city warrior was unimaginable before, but now it is commonplace.
"Well. Xiao Yayouli is so fast! Mu Mu, remember to talk to him before you go. In the past few months, Lu Wei has been taken care of by his mother-in-law... As long as you and Lu Wei are here, I feel at ease. Already..."
"okay!"
The sun was shining brightly, and the two of them continued to work with their sickles, chatting incessantly.
It wasn't until the sun crossed the sky and the temperature reached its highest point that a loud bone trumpet sound came in the wind, and it was time for lunch. The busy farming season requires the most physical strength and the most urgent time. Under Shulot's personal intervention, the field army set up a special lunch as a favor during busy farming days.
The two of them called it a day and headed toward the center of the camp, carrying baskets filled with beans. The surrounding soldiers gradually gathered, and low whispers sounded on the trampled dirt road.
"The new king is really kind. He can work like a war and have a full meal at noon."
"The king is of the blood of the Condor, so he must be broad-minded and see high things!"
"Nonsense! You haven't fought in the north, have you? The new king is His Highness Mexica. He is the descendant of the Black Wolf God and the messenger of death. He controls the lives of warriors! As long as he uses his divine power, he will explode like thunder. Roar like a roar, and then smash tens of thousands of legions into pieces!"
"Ah? Why did I hear the sages in the capital say that the new king is a descendant of the Sun God, possesses the kingdom's heritage gem, and also inherited the old king's divine power?"
"...None of what you said is right!"
Listening to the chaotic discussions, a militia battalion commander finally couldn't bear it anymore. He shouted at the top of his voice, feverishly.
"I asked the priest accompanying the army, and he said that Your Majesty was born with the blessing of the Lord God. He received divine revelation from a young age and carries the future of the entire world! The Lord God is supreme and omnipotent. Your Majesty is the messenger of the Supreme Lord God, so naturally Possessing different divinities.”
"...He is the sun that creates new life and the black wolf that controls death. He will also bring harvest, prosperity and hope like the flying feathered serpent! He swallowed up the former royal family of condors and expanded his divine power to The land in the lake also regards this as the kingdom where He established himself. He treats us equally, as His Highness of the Mexica people and as the God-King of the Prepecha people!..."
The battalion commander's words gradually turned into chants, and the surrounding militiamen gradually fell silent. Soon, someone also started chanting the same. The soldiers' eyes contained deep awe and new expectations.
Chihuaco stopped amid the chanting. He listened to everyone's words, his eyes became deep.
"Uncle, have you met His Highness from Mexica? What is he like?"
Weziti scratched his head and asked curiously.
"What kind?"
The expression on Chihuaco's face changed in complex ways. He thought for a while and then whispered to himself.
"It's just one nose and two eyes...but now it's a human being, and in the future it's a god."
"What?"
Vezti didn't catch the last part. He was about to ask, but the old uncle was far away, so he had to follow him quickly.
After a while, the two of them arrived at the camp. The aroma of food wafted far away in the wind, making people drool. The two unloaded the beans from the wooden basket and said hello to the Mexican warriors who were guarding the food and farm tools. We have been working in the field for a season, and the two sides have long been familiar with each other.
"God bless you! Hogia warriors. The sun is nice today, and the harvest fields are so beautiful!"
"God bless you! Captain Chihuaco. Yes, today is the sixth day, the auspicious day of the sun god. It is suitable for fighting, fighting and death."
Hogia smiled and nodded in return, it was the old samurai from last time. He took out a shiny scythe from the wooden box on the ground and continued to smile.
"A new batch of bronze scythes has arrived. The quantity is not large. You have made great contributions to the alliance, so you can take two for use first. These are much sharper and more durable than stone scythes!"
"Bronze sickle?"
Chihuaco was a little surprised. He took the sickle handed by the samurai and scratched the beans on the ground, and the beans were broken into two neatly cut sections.
"It's so useful! Using such expensive things to make farm tools really makes a difference!"
The old militiaman sighed in admiration.
"It's okay to harvest beans. When harvesting corn later, with this convenient farm tool, it will be much faster and more labor-saving! ...Warrior Hokia, can you give me a few more in the team?"
"Oh, if someone else asks, then there is no such thing. But Captain Chihuaco, you are different. I will give you half more! You are a figure that His Highness has personally praised, and you are a 'soldier favored by fate'. It must be reused in the future..."
"Ah...thank you."
Hearing the word "reuse", Chihuaco's heart skipped a beat. He forced a smile and nodded, then took the wood to his camp and arranged for someone to pick up today's lunch.
Everyone sat on the ground and waited according to the camp. Along with lunch came the priests who accompanied the army. Initially, most of the priests were Mexicans from the Alliance, but now there are also many low-level priests from Prepecha. The priest prayed aloud in a brilliant tongue, and everyone repeated the same prayer.
"Praise the Lord God Huitzilopochtli! He gives us sunshine, rain and dew, and a good harvest..."
“Praise the Lord God!”
"Praise to Your Majesty Shulot! He has given us food, stability and home..."
"Praise Your Majesty!"
In the harvest fields and in the stable camps, everyone followed the priest's prayers and recited the words they had long memorized. In their hearts, some piety was born unconsciously.
The overthrow of the kingdom, the reversal of noble status, the transformation of gods... In the past two years, there have been so many shocking things that have made the hearts of Prepecha people numb. In this era of rapid change, not only has the resistance to reform been minimized, but there has also been a gap in people's beliefs that can be filled. This is a piece of hard-won white paper, which is being painted by the king. A new picture scroll is rendered on the land of the feudal country and engraved in the hearts of all people!
Soon, after praying and eating, everyone returned to the field according to the camp. They will be busy until the sun goes down.
Busy days, enough supplies, relatives who set up camp; legions to suppress, priests to guide, and team officers close to the alliance. All of these combined together maintained the stability of the garrison and gradually won the hearts of the surrendering troops.
The same scene plays out in dozens of villages in the Lake District. Tens of thousands of villagers were busy in the fields and praying in front of the altar. With the harvest of the farmland, their wandering hearts finally settled down, and the three gods during prayer quietly turned into the common sun god, and then slowly became the only main god.
Forty miles southwest of Ivacio City, at the foot of Chinganbat Mountain, there is the most remote village in the Lake District. The villagers stopped in the fields, looking at the rising sun and the golden fields, their faces full of simple joy.
"Blessed by the three gods! In a year like this, we can still have a good harvest!"
"Hey, the sun god bless us! This year has been really difficult! First there were several conscriptions to collect food. The warriors in the capital were as fierce as tigers and leopards, and they didn't even leave a ration of food. Then there were soldiers crossing the border, killing people everywhere, and there were murders everywhere along the Great Lakes Even the water of the lake was dyed red by the warriors. After two trips, half of the villagers died..."
"Yes, the village priest said that this year is a year of disaster. The sun falls from the sky and the moon rules the world. The moon goddess wants you to die, it is destined. You can escape during the day, but you cannot escape at night. No one can escape. No..."
"No, the village priest recently changed his story! He said that this year is the year when the old sun sets and the new sun rises. The Mexica people changed the sky, and the new kings are the sun, the black wolf, the feathered serpent and the condor. ..."
"Mexicans! The Mexicans destroyed the kingdom, and the Mexicans killed the nobles. Unexpectedly, it was the Mexicans who distributed grain again and strictly ordered us to farm; they also distributed rations , help us survive the famine..."
"The priest said that the new king is also the king of our Prepecha people..."
The villagers' discussions were full of imagination. They were filled with awe of the myth, and their hostility towards the Alliance subsided. Suddenly, a villager exclaimed in low voice.
"Mexica Legion! Black Wolf King!"
Everyone became quiet in an instant. A large group of Mexican warriors appeared at the end of the field, followed by a tall black wolf king's flag. Soon, the villagers were in awe and fear, kneeling on the ground and saluting the flag from a distance.
Under the flag, Shulot, dressed in rich clothes, observed the fields along the way. With a satisfied smile, he glanced at the villagers not far away who were giving spontaneous gifts, feeling emotional in his heart.
"From the looks of it, this year's harvest is good! The sunshine and moisture are suitable, and the cultivation is efficient. This season's corn planting is late, with two weeks left, and it will not be harvested until mid-October. When the autumn harvest is completed, the country will be closed. Food will no longer be in short supply, and people's hearts will truly be at peace. The rule of the kingdom will no longer be like eggs accumulated on a stone."
"Your Highness, how come turkey eggs are accumulated on the stone? Are they going to be roasted and eaten?"
The warrior commander was startled when he heard this. Then, he smiled and joked,
"The legion piles stones with force, and the king ignites the flame with wisdom. After roasting carefully for a year, the people's hearts will be ripe... Of course, this is also inseparable from the influence of the knowledgeable elders. Your Highness, in the past few months , Chief Jatiri has gathered a group of elites from Prepecha. They praise your prestige everywhere and have a great influence on the people."
"Well, Chief Jatiri has done a good job! Bertard, you don't have to worry. They are the most aware of current affairs. They have no force in their hands and will always stand by the side of the strongest. We must selectively accept them , giving the elites of Prepecha a way to rise.”
Shulot smiled and his words were full of confidence.
"Soon, I will imitate the old system of the alliance, establish community military schools in various places, and build a new priest school in the capital. I will give the Prepecha people two more paths for advancement. Only by cultivating a firm and reliable core can we unite more and wave the flag. Only when we are on the periphery can our strength burn like the flames in the pine forest!"
Hearing this, Bertard nodded respectfully, with deep respect in his eyes. Around him, a thousand pro-soldiers lined up in a tight line with long bows on their backs. They protected the king's safety and left traces of murder on the field ridges.
"Ezpin, the copper mine is just ahead, right?"
Shulot smiled and turned his head to look at the general who was born as a miner.
"Yes, Your Highness!"
Ezpin bowed his head and saluted. He looked at the familiar scenery around him and was filled with emotion.
"Your Highness, this lake is Qilahun Lake. From this lake, follow the river westward and climb over these hills to reach Qinganbat Mountain. The largest copper mine in the kingdom is located at the foot of the mountain!"
"In the local dialect, Chinganbat means a mountain with a mild climate. There are also two ruins on the mountain, one is a Teotihuacan-style tomb, and the other is an ancient abandoned human sacrifice ball court. It is said that there are ancient The descendant of the god died as a sacrifice and was buried here. His divine power soaked the earth, and the dappled gilded copper mine was formed!"
Hearing this, Shulot stood on tiptoes and looked at the mountains in the distance. A few flashes of light flashed past, and there were faint patterns of gold! The king looked at it for a moment and then laughed heartily.
"Okay, order the whole army to speed up the pace quickly! I can't wait!"
