The long wind in December comes from the north, bringing with it a distant chill on the plateau. The harvest of the farmland in the four fields has long been completed, leaving only large areas of half-cropped corn stalks and weeds that have finally appeared in the fields. The majestic Qincongcan City also emerged from the chilly desolation and began to become lively and noisy.
As the New Year approaches, prayer ceremonies continue throughout the city, and lit rosin scents float among communities. Merchants brought festive goods from all over: spices from the forest, agricultural products from the fields, wild products from the mountains, fish and shellfish from the lake, and various practical handicrafts.
The most popular among them are the curtains painted with the myths of the main gods. According to tradition, Mexica nobles hung the gods' curtains on the roofs of their houses. Then hang two bouquets of flowers to worship the gods under the curtain, and burn incense and pray regularly every day. The nobles of Prepecha followed suit, showing their reverence for the supreme god and their obedience to the theocratic king.
With the alliance's priest group coming from the west, Shulot suddenly had a lot of literate talents in his hands. He urgently needed to arrange these priests who controlled the culture. The king then convened a group of priests in the Palace of Winds, inspected the hundreds of priests who had come from the west, and then discussed carefully with the leader, Marvelo. Ugoth has taken up residence in the temporary temple on the House of Winds. As promised, he did not interfere in the distribution and management of the priests.
Shulot held the divine staff and sat on the high throne. He looked at the crowd of young people in feather-crested sacrificial attire for a moment, and saw another familiar figure with a weathered face. The king smiled and nodded, and the other party bowed his head respectfully and carefully. Then, the king looked at Marvelo in front of him.
"Chief Priest Marvelo, the priest group supported by the alliance is much younger than I expected..."
"Yes, Your Highness. Among the priests sent to Huzhong Diocese, at least 60% are low-level priests who have only been out of the priest school for two years and are only in their early twenties. More than 90% are from civilians. ..All the young civilian priests in the capital are here.”
Marvelo greeted solemnly, then smiled softly.
"Your Highness, in the past two years of the religious reform, many civilian children have been admitted to priest schools, and many civilian priests have shown their prominence. Vaguely, there have been more disputes and dissatisfaction... The establishment of a new diocese is a major event , the priests and elders discussed for a long time about the manpower to be transferred. Traveling thousands of miles to the lake land of the Prepecha people, and presiding over the teaching affairs of a new district in unfamiliar towns and villages, is neither stable nor easy. ..”
"So the final result of the discussion was to give priority to sending young, low-level, and civilian priests?"
Shulot pondered for a moment, but he wasn't dissatisfied at all. Young civilian priests are more motivated and easier to control, making them suitable grassroots managers. They are very malleable, they just need time to grow. This choice is actually a good thing that benefits both sides. The king thought for a moment and asked in a low voice.
"The religious reform has begun. What is the current situation within the priesthood, between civilians and noble priests, between priests in the holy city and the capital?"
Marvelo looked solemn. He said everything he knew and answered in the same low voice.
"With the further advancement of the religious reform, the power of priests at all levels is expanding. In order to compete for important positions, dissatisfaction among various factions has accumulated... But as long as the elders live for one day, as long as the high priest can still govern, as long as the external affairs The expansion continues...the priesthood of the divine religion is still a united and powerful whole, like the Snake Mountain where the main god stands!"
Shulot nodded. He thought for a moment and then ordered to Marvelo.
"Chief Priest Marvelo, you are a loyal elder that I trust. Only you can assume the most critical position in the priesthood! I plan to divide the priestly affairs of the feudal country into different departments...
The chief priest of scriptures is responsible for astronomy, teachings and rituals. He has the highest status. I am going to hand it over to the chief priest of Ugos... The chief priest of scriptures tells the history and integrates the ministries. He needs the influence among the Prepecha people. I It has been handed over to Chief Priest Jatiri... The chief missionary priest participates in central administration and presides over the spread of national beliefs and local community management. This position is the most important and carries the heaviest burden...I am ready to hand it over to you! "
Hearing this, Marvelo perked up. Over the past few days, he has gained a preliminary understanding of the ecclesiastical power of the feudal country. The preaching priest has the most important administrative power, and the chief preaching priest is the actual head of each ministry! Without hesitation, he knelt on one knee and chanted devoutly.
"The light of the Lord God covers the earth, and there are eagles flying in the bloody sky!... Your Highness, you inherit the divinity left by the Sun God in the world, and I am willing to die for you!"
"Very good! I will hand over the bottom floor of the Wind Palace to you as the administrative center for the preaching priests!"
Shulot nodded solemnly, stretched out his hand to hold Marvelo's hair, and then lifted him up with both hands. As for the remaining war priests and divine priests, he will temporarily take command personally and select deputies to assist in management. The conversation between the two became more cordial, and the king continued to ask.
"Marvelo, have all the new priests completed their study of the writing and teachings?"
"After two years of study, all the priests can master the basic scripture Ali Sutra, recite important chapters, write simplified kana, and master eight hundred square characters. They are all qualified village priests. About 30% can use it proficiently. They can write in both orthographic and pseudonymous form, and are proficient in simple numerical calculations. These priests can engage in more important town management, responsible for taxation and business records..."
"Very good! Then send them to the military and civilian villages in various places to fill the gaps in the governance of the kingdom's root system. The kingdom center also needs to add a group of middle- and low-level scribes...their learning of Prepecha language is good. how?"
Shulot nodded with satisfaction. These alliance priests can fill the gaps of low-level officials and strengthen the spread of faith among the Prepecha people.
"After training, they can speak some simple Prepecha and carry out daily communication. When they stay in the land of the lake for a long time, their language level will naturally improve."
"Well, I will arrange manpower and train them during the monthly rest days...Look, who is more suitable to be sent to the northern plateau to spread the faith among the canine people?"
"The plateau is tough, so you have to choose the one with the best health..."
The two discussed missionary matters in Hui Fengguo and the surrounding areas, and decided on the missionary leader to be sent to the northern Dogs. They gradually stopped talking.
The king shifted his gaze and waved to the priests who were standing quietly not far away. The old friend stepped forward carefully, knelt down and saluted.
"Dear Patriarch, Supreme Priest King, Bravo of Tlacopan salutes you! Your light is like the sunshine after the rain, leaving vitality to the earth and bringing warmth to all people!"
"Very good, Bravo. I haven't seen you for a long time. You have done well in the past two years and you have improved quickly."
Shulot looked at the other party's brand-new third-level priest clothing and smiled with some emotion. When they first met each other, Bravo was just an ordinary village priest. In just two years, he has surpassed the ceiling of civilian priests and been promoted to the most important third-level chief priest.
"Your Highness, I am just a humble corn. I always remember that it is the high priest who gives me rain and dew, but you give me sunshine!"
Bravo bowed his head in praise. Before coming to the land in the lake, he had just been promoted to the third level of chief priest by the high priest. The wasted first half of his life and the two years of rapid prosperity made him understand where this encounter came from.
Shulot shook the opponent's hair. He had a good impression of this middle-aged priest. Bravo is down-to-earth, good at learning, and good at communication. The king thought for a while and made a decision.
"Bravo, I heard Captain Natalie of the God's Blessing Legion mention that you did a great job in Xilotepec City, and the Ottomi warriors are very close to you... I plan to go to the royal capital to A higher priestly school, Kalmycak, was established in a former manor of Prince Tarasco. The school is responsible for teaching priests common sense, battle formations and tactics, poetry, herbs, mineral smelting, mathematical calculations... Well, there are also some myths and natural laws that I wrote and summarized myself.”
"The president of this institution of higher learning will be personally appointed by me, giving programmatic instructions. But specific teaching matters require a pragmatic vice-president... Bravo, are you willing to serve as the vice-president of Kalmecak?" "
"Ah! Your Highness, I am willing to do my best for you, to spread the glory of the Lord God, to the last drop of my heart!"
Bravo was overjoyed. He immediately fell to the ground again, paid homage and accepted the order. This kind of management position in a higher education institution represents a growing influence and a bright future.
"very good!"
Shulot smiled. There were many comprehensive considerations when he chose such a flexible civilian priest as the administrator of the school.
Different from Kalmykak in the capital city of the lake, this brilliant priest school will follow the will of the king, teach a lot of new knowledge, and breed some scientific seeds. Some knowledge and ideas are bound to conflict with traditional concepts, so there is no need for a traditional priest with inheritance as a manager.
Similarly, kings value talents and promote only those who are worthy. As the kingdom expands, the talents trained in schools acquire more cultural and professional skills, which will gradually be enriched into the bureaucracy. School administrators will gradually accumulate prestige and have greater influence. In order to check and balance power, there is no need for a highly respected high priest here.
But in an instant, numerous thoughts flashed through one by one. The king smiled gently and warned carefully.
"Bravo, the school will be open to most of the subjects of the feudal country, and outstanding students will be selected from among the young people of the right age. You must pay attention to the ideological guidance of Prepecha students... There must be a relationship between civilians and noble children. Balance... No matter where the students come from, they must be treated equally and maintain their unity... And you yourself must also learn new knowledge and make continuous progress!..."
Bravo nodded repeatedly, remembering all the king's words in his heart. It wasn't until the king finished speaking that he carefully raised his head and asked.
"Your Highness, how should we name the newly built Kalmykak in the royal capital?"
Shulot was silent. Countless memories of the past flashed through his mind, and after a while, he smiled meaningfully.
"On the shores of the Great Lake, spread the faith of the Lord God, pursue the truth of the world, and explore the broader East-West Great Lakes... Call it Divinity University, the Light of the Great Lakes of Divinity!"
