Green shoots sprouted from the fields, and the gray songbirds finally moved away to the north. The end of June is the continuous wind and rain. It is the completion of spring plowing in the wind and rain, and it is also the gradual calm of the Northland after the spring plowing.
Shulot climbed to the top of the city again. He looked down at the farmland at the foot of the mountain city. The earth was lush and green, nurturing the budding vitality; he looked at the dark clouds at the end of the sky, with thunder rolling in the sky and precious spring rain falling.
"The rainy season is finally here! Spring rain is always more precious than oil. Well, the rainy season in Otopan comes later than in Qin Congcan."
Wearing bronze armor, Bertard looked at the rolling thunder in the distance and agreed quietly.
"Yes, Your Highness. After a spring rain, the new seedlings will grow taller. The rainy season in the northern plateau always comes later than in the south. The further north you go, the less rainfall there will be. The mountain city of Otopan The precipitation in the Patzcuaro lake area is only about half of that in the Patzcuaro lake area; and when it reaches the border of Palm State, the precipitation is only half of that in Otopamp State; and when it reaches the wilderness where the dog descendants are pouring out, the precipitation is half again."
"Bertard, has the gunpowder been stored? We will send troops in August and it is still in the rainy season. I am a little worried that the rain will affect the use of wooden cannons!"
"Your Highness, according to your instructions, the gunpowder is sealed in wooden barrels and stored in underground stone chambers, which are also covered with water-absorbent and moisture-proof charcoal. The rain in mountain cities is heavy in August, but in Pamsang, the rain will be sparse. A lot of sealed gunpowder is covered with rubber tarps, transported to the north and then opened. It can be used at least once before getting wet! And with the equipment and organization of the Canine descendants, as long as they fight against the coalition forces, even without wooden cannons, we will be safe Steady victory!"
"Yes. Even if a jaguar captures a native dog, it must use all its strength! Using wooden cannons at critical moments will always reduce many casualties."
Shulot smiled. He looked at the pattering raindrops and the vast world of the plateau and sighed.
"Bertard, you see, water is life, it is the gathering place of the population, and it is also the starting point of civilization! The plateau in the north is endless. As you go north, the population gradually decreases and the tribes become more barbaric. From the river mouth fortress, go north to the mountain city of Otopan , is three hundred miles; from Otopan Mountain City to the north to Palmus City, it is a full four hundred miles. This distance of seven hundred miles is the limit of the kingdom's army, and it is also the limit of the alliance's influence!"
"Your Highness, Palms City is located on the upper reaches of a tributary of the Tampen River. It is close to a rare water source on the plateau, and there are large tracts of cultivated land nearby. To its north is a thousand-mile wilderness that lacks precipitation. It is the home of the Guakili people's safari, Coa Huairang. To the west is the equally desolate northern boundary of Guamare State, where the Otomi tribe and Guamar canine people live together without any decent towns. To the east is the towering continuous mountains, along the Tantan The Peng River passes through the mountains and comes to the territory of the Huastec people. To the southeast of it is the state of Xilotepec where the northern general is..."
Bertard explained in detail that the mountains and landscapes of the North were reflected in his heart.
"That's right. Palms City is surrounded by mountains and rivers. It is located in the upper reaches, with endless wilderness in the north and large river transportation in the east. It is indeed an important place!"
Shulot thought for a moment and nodded heavily. Palms City is adjacent to the Sierra Madre Oriental Mountains, located in the upper reaches of the Tampon River, nearly 700 miles away from the outlet of the Gulf of Mexico. Going eastward from here, you can reach Kuxikapan, the capital of the Huastec alliance, in a few days. Therefore, this city-state is not only an important town in the north, but also controls the east.
"Your Highness, by occupying the city of Parmus, we can intimidate the dog descendants, recruit tribes, and garrison troops. And relying on the river, we can also obtain sufficient supplies from the Vastek subjects in the east."
Then, the warrior chief looked solemn and bowed in salute.
"This Northern Expedition, the Kingdom must take it and hold it in our hands!"
"Oh, us? Bertard, you mean the kingdom?..."
"Exactly the Kingdom."
Shulot pondered for a while and nodded slowly.
"Nice proposal, very good! Do you have a suitable candidate?"
"Your Highness, there is a person who is very familiar with the dog-born and is also good at dealing with tribal leaders."
Bertard smiled. Shulot thought for a while and smiled.
"Indeed, after so many years of hard work, it's time to reuse him. Send an envoy to recall him here. I want to see him first. Well, what is the current situation in Palms City?"
"Your Highness, the city of Parmus, as the core of the State of Parmus, has fallen into the hands of the Guakili people. Now entrenched there, occupying the fertile land by the river, is the leader of the Guakili Tribal Alliance, the leader of the 'Red Dog' tribe. Chichika. Among the many tribes, the 'Red Dog' tribe is the strongest, with ten thousand tribesmen. They are all soldiers, with more than three thousand warriors, and they are the most unruly! A few days ago, Chichika also sent The messenger came with a message..."
"Oh, that message! 'The great chief of a hundred thousand Guaquili people, the master of the northern wilderness, the sacred dog king Chichica, greets the great chief of the Aztecs, the master of the southern lakes'... Haha, it turns out It's him!"
Shulot laughed loudly. Then, his face turned cold and he made a solemn decision.
"The dog-born are afraid of power but not moral. They sit in a well and look at the sky, and are blindly arrogant. This time the coalition forces march north, they will fight until the city of Palms falls and Chichika is sacrificed!"
"Do your will!"
Bertard bowed his head and saluted. In the clear wind and rain, the two continued to discuss the situation in the North. Following the battle with the Guakili people, the coalition forces captured many canine warriors and clearly learned the details of each tribe.
There were eight large tribes of Guakili descendants who invaded the south, each with thousands of troops. Large tribes are the leaders of the actions of the dog-born, and are often surrounded by several ordinary tribes that obey their orders. The eight major tribes are "Red Dog", "Red Fox", "Red Stork", "Red Deer", "Red Monkey", "Red Salamander", "Red Frog" and "Red Cat".
In the culture of the Guakili people, red represents sacredness, and the name of the tribe is the animal totem they worship. The canine descendants on the plateau only have ancestor worship and totem belief, and there is no unified deity they worship. Their spiritual world is still in ignorance and is a fertile ground for the spread of religion.
After the Otomi people completely shrunk, the marauding canine tribe could no longer take advantage. The mountain folk gathered in large villages, guarded by hundreds of warriors. Two or three ordinary tribes could not capture the villages where troops were stationed. Once a large number of canine descendants stay for too long, they will be targeted by patrolling coalition forces.
Shulot's imperial guards attacked several times, pursuing them all the way and killing more than a hundred red-haired warriors. Seeing that plundering was unprofitable, the northern frontier came to a complete halt.
"Your Highness, while the eight large tribes are settling down and cultivating, they are also sending envoys to the coalition. Their alliance is not stable, and their respective interests are also different. There are many places where they can operate..."
Hearing this, Shulot shook his head slightly and said with a smile.
"Bertard, the kingdom will absorb the canine people, but don't rush it. Look at the clouds in the sky, first the thunder is rolling, and then the rain and dew fall. Facing the unruly canine people, it will take two battles to force them Only when we reach a desperate situation can we communicate and surrender! Without enough blood shed, how can there be deep-rooted fear and loyalty? In addition, this time the Canine descended south, there was heavy slaughter along the way. We always have to give an explanation to the Otomi allies. .”
The king decided the fate of tens of thousands of dog descendants in a matter of seconds. His smile was light and calm, but it seemed like there was boundless blood flowing.
Bertard was startled. He looked at the mature young king, remembering his youthful past, and slowly smiled. After a while, the warrior commander took out a scroll and continued to report.
"Your Highness, I had many banquets with the leaders of Otomi. Combined with the scouts' investigation, I roughly figured out the situation of the three Otomi states. After the war, the Otomi state has a population of about 200,000, which can be mobilized. The number of adults is about 30,000. Although Guamare State is large, it has only a population of more than 100,000, or about 20,000 adults. During the canine raids, they lost at least more than 10,000 people. The population of Parmus State was originally It is comparable to Guamare, and if it falls into the hands of the canine at this time, it is estimated that half of it will be lost."
"Huh? According to this calculation, in just five years, there will only be a little over 400,000 of the one million Otomi people left?"
Shulot calculated silently for a moment, looking surprised. He thought of the desolation that often appeared on the face of the old priest Alter, and felt some vague empathy.
"Your Highness, plus the more than 100,000 Otomi people in Herotepec, there should be more than 500,000."
"Oh, more than half a million..."
The king shook his head and whispered to himself.
"Fighting for land, killing people everywhere; in troubled times, but struggling to survive..."
"Your Highness, the situation in the north is like this. This month, many messengers have come to the river mouth fortress to report the details of the kingdom's spring plowing."
"Well, tell me in detail."
"Spring plowing in Gyeonggi and Hekou counties has been completed on time. In various military and civilian villages, new tread plows have been put into use, and accumulated manure has also been filled into the fields. Villagers everywhere are still concerned about these new farming improvements. He had doubts, but was calmed down by the priests with the will of the gods.”
"Bertard, don't worry. When we wait for this autumn harvest and see the increased food production, the villagers will fully accept the new farming methods and be grateful to the priests. The autumn harvest is a good opportunity to preach!"
Shulot was full of confidence. Manure and tread plows have been used in the Celestial Empire for thousands of years, and he also practiced them in the Alliance. But it was difficult for him to explain the principle to the priests, and he needed to use the will of the gods to implement it.
"In another two years, after the people's power has been restored, we can consider building levees and thoroughly regulating Lake Patzcuaro. Only when the levees are completed and the rainy season floods and salty water in the mountains are fully controlled can a large amount of manpower be invested to build a truly productive Qinan Pa!"
Bertard's eyes sparkled when he heard the floating chinampa in the water. Chinampa, this is a name that all Mexicans yearn for, representing harvest, wealth and prosperity. He thought for a moment, then took out another roll of paper and unfolded it, but it was full of delicate handwriting.
"Your Highness, this is Talea's report. According to your instructions, the various departments of the Institute of God are expanding. Among them, the Industry and Mining Department and the Gunpowder Department have once again increased their production. The Military Industry Department has accumulated thousands of bronze armors. , the first qualified Sun Condor cannon has been successfully trial-produced..."
"Ah, the bronze eagle cannon was finally successfully trial-produced!"
Hearing this, Shulot's heart surged and his face showed joy. He turned around and looked at the southern sky, wishing he could fly back immediately to watch the test firing of the Eagle Cannon. After a while, the king suppressed his ups and downs of emotions and said with a smile.
"Tiripi has lived up to my expectations and should be rewarded generously! After I check the performance of the eagle cannon and give him a beating, I will promote him to a hereditary noble."
"Your Highness, in addition to Tiripi, you should also reward one person generously. He alone has contributed at least one-tenth of the kingdom's tax revenue!"
"Oh, who is it? He has such financial resources?"
The king looked at the warrior commander curiously.
"Director Lozano of the Special Trade Bureau. In half a year, he produced thousands of kilograms of 'gems' of various colors. In order to control the price, the kingdom has only sold a small part. Even so, jade merchants all over the world have gone crazy. Before The spies who come here to spy are hard to catch."
"Thousands of catties of... 'jewels'..."
The corners of Shulot's mouth twitched. He wanted to say something, but faced with the huge profits from the glass trade, what he said turned out to be something else.
"Lozano cannot be promoted for the time being, and his safety must be strictly protected. As for the requirements for life and enjoyment, try to meet them as much as possible! In addition, he is told to develop colorless gems as soon as possible. The original firing process must continue Improve and make it more similar to natural gems, the better!”
Bertard smiled and took out a pen and paper to write down. Then he added again.
"Your Highness, the first catamaran canoe trial-produced by the shipbuilding company has just been launched in Lake Quiceo. The master craftsmen are adjusting the details of the hull and sails. When the Northern Expedition is over and we return, we should have the results. Got it!"
Hearing the good news, Shulot felt happy. Every scientific and technological research and development can always bring people the pleasure of civilization development. Bertard waited for the king to digest for a moment, and then asked solemnly.
"The Guamar dog descendants in the northwest sent envoys. When the cold wave hit, tribes from all over the country were migrating south. They were also affected. They grabbed more than 10,000 dog descendants and wanted to sell them to us."
"oh?"
Hearing about the human trade, Shulot perked up.
"Which one did they capture? What's the proportion of adults?"
"Mainly the Zacatecas people in the far northwest, and some Guakili people. There are no old or weak people among the canine descendants who went south. They are half men and half women."
"Tell them that we want all the kingdom. Take as many young men and women of working age as you can, and place them all in Hekou County."
The king did not hesitate and made an immediate decision. Population is the cornerstone of civilization, and the new kingdom also has sufficient assimilation capabilities. He thought for a moment and added.
"By the way, bring samples and ask the Guamar people. In addition to food, salt, cotton cloth, weapons and cotton armor, do they want gems? There are all kinds of colors..."
Bertard laughed dumbly, and then wrote down the king's instructions.
Shulot looked at the distant sky, thought for a while, and then asked again.
"The Canine people invaded the south in a large scale, and the Otomi people elected new leaders... I sent envoys to report these changes in the north to King Avit, and asked for the support of the alliance. Counting the days, there should be a reply. Is the king there? Is the reply coming?"
"Your Highness, the kingdom has not yet received a reply from the alliance, and it may take some time. However, there seem to be some unfavorable rumors in the lake capital regarding your Highness's support of Prince Giowa to become the leader of the Otomi people."
"It's really easy for rumors to spread about this matter..."
Shulot thought for a moment and sighed. He took out a letter he had just written from his arms and handed it to the warrior commander.
"Bertard, this is the letter I wrote to Alyssa. It contains some personal words, some insights from the north, and greetings relayed to Avit. I also asked for some northern land from the priest of Alter. Unique and strange plants, and some secret recipes of medicines from the Otomi people as gifts. You will send an envoy tonight and rush day and night to deliver the letters and gifts to the capital city in the lake and hand them over to Alyssa in person!"
Bertard nodded, carefully collected the letter, and set off to deal with it immediately. Before leaving, he paused and saluted the king.
"Your Highness, Princess Alyssa looks innocent on the outside, but her heart is like a mirror. She is your best helper! As long as you communicate with the princess from time to time and inform the details of important events... there will be no bad blood between you and the king."
Hearing this, Shulot lowered his eyes slightly and remained silent. When he opened his eyes again, the warrior commander was already far away. The king raised his head, looked at the dark clouds on the horizon, and smiled helplessly.
"The white clouds are pure and innocent. I don't want them to be contaminated by the secular world. But the rainy season comes with the wind, and dark clouds may be dense in the blink of an eye... How can the clouds stay away when thunder falls from the sky?"
The king stood alone at the top of the city, his voice gradually becoming lower and lower. A thunder sounded from the sky, and heavy rain fell again. The raindrops fall on the face and into the mouth, and when you taste them gently, they carry the fragrance of clouds~
