The stone palace where political affairs are discussed is gloomy and solemn, shrouded in layers of shadows. Only a few glimmers of light seeped in from between the thick curtains of the gods, and outlined the shape of the sun in the corners of the cold floor.
The king sat among the shadows, his faint gaze cast from above, like a beast entrenched on the throne. His voice was distant and cold, seeming to freeze the air, making people feel chilled all over.
Shusoke took a deep breath and vaguely smelled the smell of blood. His expression was always determined and steady. As a noble warrior who has survived hundreds of battles, his strong will is never easily feared. He lowered his head and just answered calmly.
"Your Majesty, the Shanluan family has had good relations with the royal family for generations. When I passed through Trocan State, he entertained me so warmly that I couldn't refuse. At the banquet, we just talked about the scenery and common things and drank until we were drunk. Secondly When the weather came up, I left without even seeing him."
"Oh, a personal friend from generation to generation."
Avitt smiled lightly, noncommittally, without any emotion in his voice.
"Xiusoke, I heard that Tepetel is dissatisfied with the new deal and wants to support the royal branch to replace me as the king of the alliance?"
Hearing this, Shusoke looked stern. He quickly raised his head and looked at Avitt sincerely.
"Tepetl is just grumbling for a moment and will never dare to betray the alliance. I have warned him sternly... The black wolf is the precursor of the tiger and the leopard, and the kestrel flies with the eagle. Your Majesty, the royal family is loyal to you. , always regard you as the supreme sun!”
"Oh, so loyal."
Avitt smiled again. Then he suddenly became solemn and asked in a deep voice.
"Xiusoke, Tepetel has the intention to rebel against the royal family. If he contacts you, what should you do?!"
"...Witness the Lord God! Your Majesty, I am loyal to you. If Tepetel really dares to rebel against the alliance, I am willing to lead the royal army to kill his relatives and bring him to justice for Your Majesty!"
There was a slight sweat on Shusoke's forehead. He secretly clenched his fists, his expression still calm and firm.
"Oh, righteousness destroys relatives."
Avitt raised the corners of his mouth and looked at the in-laws in front of him with a half-smile.
"Yes, Shusok, I believe you."
The king's voice finally contained a smile, but his words became more and more chilling.
"Because Tepetel said so himself."
As soon as he finished speaking, Avitt raised his staff and gently tapped the throne with the silver end. The symbols of divine power and royal power erupted into clashes at the same time.
"Gillim."
"Kings."
"Show him."
"As commanded."
Gillim nodded silently and finally stepped out of the shadow of the throne. At some point, there was a one-foot-tall wooden box in his hand. Then, the intelligence officer silently approached, bowed solemnly, and placed the wooden box in front of the kneeling Shusoke.
As the intelligence officer got closer, the smell of blood became stronger. Shusoke stared at the red color at the bottom of the wooden box, a strong premonition welling up in his heart. He took a deep breath, letting the smell of rust pour into his lungs, as if facing a battlefield, and slowly opened the wooden box. Then, after just one glance, his pupils shrank suddenly and his hands trembled violently.
In the wooden box, it was Tepetel’s head that refused to die! His eyes widened, full of resentment before death, and he opened his mouth forcefully, as if he was roaring unwillingly!
"Ah, this...this!"
Looking at the familiar old friend, the calmness that Xiu Suoke had maintained was finally completely broken! Three days ago, the two of them were chatting and drinking until they were drunk. Three days later, Tepetel had already arrived at the king's palace one step ahead of him!
Violent emotions surged in his heart, and after several breaths, Shusoke barely regained his ability to speak. He looked at the king in shock and disbelief.
"Your Majesty, who did this?"
Avitt smiled flatly and said nothing. Gillim bowed his head and replied solemnly.
"Of course it's you, Lord Shusok, the deputy leader of the Eagle Chapter."
"Ah I?!..."
"Yes, it was you. Tepetel alienated the royal family and opposed the king's new policy. You were loyal to the king, so you went with the royal order to kill him, and deliberately made him drunk at the banquet. Then, you left in the evening After the banquet, you sent the jaguar warriors from the Holy City Legion to exterminate relatives in a righteous way. Under the leadership of the Shanlan family insider, Tepetel, who had been a personal friend for generations but intended to rebel, was killed. Finally, under the witness of the priests in the city, you helped Izel, who had made great achievements in the Western Expedition, inherited the position of the head of the Shanluan family, and left calmly with a smile during his farewell!"
"What's even more admirable is that on the night when you did something big, you stayed with the two women and fell asleep calmly! This kind of loyal warrior creed and heroic heroic actions are the most heart-wrenching. Your deeds will soon be revealed It is sung throughout the alliance and respected by all people!"
Gillim finished speaking with a smile, bowed his head solemnly and saluted again, his eyes full of sincere respect.
"His Majesty!..."
Shusok clenched his fists on his chest and did not look at the saluting intelligence officer. He just felt ups and downs and looked blankly at the king on the throne. Avitt smiled lightly and gave a conclusion slowly but surely.
"Xiusoke, this is the 'fact' known to the world. Remember, you are the father of Shulot, the son of the high priest, and the representative of the royal branch! The two royal families need to be closely integrated, and no trace of them can be left behind. There is a gap for the nobles to take advantage of!... In addition, you are not from a high background, so you still need some credit to be the deputy leader of the Eagle Noble Legion."
Shusok was silent. He stared at the head of his old friend stained red with blood, as if it still had some lifelike vitality. Scenes from a few days ago appeared before his eyes one after another, and finally settled on Izel, who was pouring wine with a low eyebrow and a smile.
"The herbs in the wine...fall red in front of the flowers...that's how it is!"
Shusok murmured. After a while, he lowered his head and paid homage again.
"Your Majesty, I will obey your will."
"Well, very good!"
Avitt smiled, looked at the deputy leader who showed his surrender, and spoke gently for the first time.
"Xiusoke, you once helped me conquer Tisoke and made great contributions. In this western expedition, you also handled the logistics affairs of the Northern Army very well."
"You are the bastard of the royal family, and Xiulote is your son. After all, the relationship between us is very close. When you come to the capital this time, you can ask me for any needs in life. , you can also ask for Gilliam.”
"The Eagle Chapter is the most noble Sun Guard in the alliance, and it is a powerful war group that protects the king. I am very relieved to entrust you with the position of deputy leader! The current leader of the Eagle Chapter is a trusted general of my family, Stanley . You must work together like a loyal pack of wolves. The number of Eagle Warriors will soon expand, and many noble children will join them. If you do a good job, any noble descendants you value can sign up!"
"...Thank you, Your Majesty!"
Shusok clenched his fist and lowered his head, paying tribute again. Then, he loosened and clenched his fist, and after a while, he asked in a low voice.
"Your Majesty, Tepetel's head..."
"Oh, Gilliam, what do you think?"
"Tepetel has evil intentions and intends to rebel. This fate is the punishment of the Lord God! His head will be displayed to the great nobles from all the alliance countries at the victory ceremony three days later. At that time, Lord Shusok As the deputy leader who has made great achievements, he will also stand in the big temple and accept everyone's tribute!"
Gillim bowed solemnly and looked at Shusok with a smile.
"Lord Shusok, please accept this achievement safely! Without you, it would never be so easy to punish the wary Tepetel!"
Hearing this, Shusok glanced at his old friend's head again, then lowered his head in silence and remained silent.
"Very well, let's deal with it like this!"
Avitt tapped the staff again, and a crisp thumping sound fell into his heart.
"Hundreds of warriors from the Holy City Legion have been integrated into the directly affiliated Royal Legion. I already know the names of several Holy City Jaguar warriors who bravely beheaded Tepetel. They were all promoted to the Royal Jaguar Legion and served as centurions. . Well, Shusok, the royal family's Jaguar Chapter is also being expanded. You can also sign up for the outstanding civilian warriors in the Holy City Legion!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
"Well, let's go down! Take a good two days to rest and prepare for the sacrifice ceremony."
"Do your will."
Shusoke's expression has returned to calm. He saluted respectfully, then turned around and strode outside the bright palace. Soon, he walked out of the stone hall, the warm sunshine shone on his face, and the noisy voices could be heard again. The resolute warrior then raised his head, squinted his eyes and looked at the sun, and let out a long sigh.
"It's such a beautiful day to meet old friends again!"
Shusok whispered to himself. Before leaving, he turned his head and took one last deep look at the King's Hall. The heavy stone door has been closed, and the fluttering curtain blocks the sun. And the throne of shadows towers among them, like the most dangerous beast's lair.
There was silence in the stone palace of the lair. Avit looked at the portrait of the Lord God on the curtain, his eyes were like the bottom of a deep lake. After a while, he asked in a deep voice.
"What did the high priest say?"
"The high priest just found out this morning. Facing the king's envoy, in front of many priests and elders, he said loudly, 'Well done! This is what the Eagle Warrior should do.'"
"Ha, this old fox."
Avitt smiled softly, feeling a little emotional.
"The high priest is profound in his planning, and Shulot is wise and divine. Even Shusoke can be said to be sincere, perseverant and brave. I am really envious of a three-generation hero from his sect!"
"Your Majesty, after the New Year, His Highness Chimalpili will be five years old. He has been smart since he was a child, and now he can skillfully recite the poems of the late king and can also make two gestures with a small war stick. The future His Highness must be a wise and brave man. The hero of both worlds!"
The intelligence officer's words came from the shadow of the throne, with a rare smile.
"Well, little Chimalpilly, this little tiger cub, haha!"
Avitt smiled and shook his head, returning to the topic.
"The new policy has been promulgated, but there are no changes in various city-states?"
"Your Majesty, the alliance is tying the Kingdom of Tarasco and defeating the Tlaxcalans. Your prestige is at its peak! Regarding the reform of centralization, the northeastern city-states do not have much objection, and the northern commander Ocelot expresses compliance. The southwest city-states participate The southern legion of the Western Expedition. In the fierce battle between the two armies, the most unruly nobles were arranged to die in battle. The southeastern city-state suffered an invasion by the Tlaxcalans, and many nobles died unfortunately. Now, the leader of the northwest city-state, Tepetl of the Mountain Family was also sentenced to death. Coupled with the great nobles from the central part of the Lake District, there will no longer be too much resistance from the royal center to the centralized reform of the Texcoco Lake District!"
"very good!"
Avitt nodded with satisfaction. Then, he asked thoughtfully.
"The new head of the Shanluan Family is Izel? He is still young, can he win over the hearts of the city-state?"
"Your Majesty, as long as Izel relies closely on the royal center, he can control the situation in the city-state. The new chief priest of Trocan State will also help him. In addition, although he is not old, he is already a qualified adult. Wolf. On the night of the attack three days ago, he personally led the Jaguar Warrior into his father's house..."
"Oh? He is indeed a qualified adult wolf! If he can be brave again, he will be of great use."
Avitt praised him appreciatively. The Mexican inheritance law is like a jungle, always cruel and bloody, and only the victors are appreciated.
"Gillim, the sacrificial ceremony is about to begin, and the sacrificial part must be grand and solemn! Have all the important divine sacrifices been processed?"
"Your Majesty, everything has been taken care of. Starting tonight, the royal family members of Tarasco will reduce the amount of anesthetics used. On the day of the sacrifice, an appropriate amount of psychedelic drugs will be added to keep them calm and die calmly."
When talking about the sacrifices of the gods, the intelligence officer looked calm without any disturbance. In his eyes, there was no aristocratic blood.
"Very good. According to tradition, Suangua is the most precious sacrifice and a gift to the Lord God. Let him live as comfortably as possible in the past few days and arrange a few beautiful girl priests!"
Having said this, Avitt's eyes showed the pride of a winner, and then his pride turned into pity, and he gave alms to the prisoners who were also kings.
"Do your will."
The intelligence officer smiled and saluted. After a moment, he asked softly.
"Your Majesty, Suangua is willing to kneel down and worship you at the ceremony, in front of the envoys from all the states and tribes in the world. First, he will bow humbly to express his surrender, and then he will lead his neck to be killed!"
"Oh, that's so! What conditions does he have?"
Hearing this, Avitt was quite moved. The old rival willingly knelt down and surrendered before death, but it was more satisfying than fine wine.
"He asked you to leave the condor blood."
Gilliam bowed his head solemnly. He knows the king's preferences.
"Your Majesty, there is also a young prince in the Tarasco royal family, named Sartini. He has the blood of a noble chief and is not an orthodox heir. As the cub of the Condor, it is okay to borrow the alliance's excellent medicine. Tame one or two.”
"Well...over there, the elder..."
"The elder is getting older. He has been recuperating in seclusion recently to save energy for the New Year Festival. The immortal sun is high in the sky and will not shine on such a hidden corner... Moreover, many bloodlines of the Tarasco royal family have fled."
"Um..."
Avitt pondered for a long time, then nodded slightly and showed a cold smile.
"Let's do it. The big festival is about to begin, it's really exciting!"
The king's words echoed in the hall, lingering around the majestic throne in the shadows. Then, there was another crisp ding-dong, praising the supreme power and the cold heart of the king.
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