In the south of the kingdom, in the north of Lithospermum County, there is the small town of Alto (now el puente alto). A simple circle of low stone walls less than two meters formed this small city of one mile square with a population of only one or two thousand people. Although it is said to be a small town, it has almost no military functions. Perhaps it is more appropriately described as a township. There are no large buildings in the city, only a newly built temple of the main god, a small trading market, and some ordinary houses for traders to rest.
During the Western Expedition, the five thousand southern reinforcements of Marshal Iskali of the "End Moon" passed through Alto City and headed for the battlefield of the Royal Capital in the Lake District. Here they commandeered grain and grass and executed the local lords. After the Western Expedition, Alto City became the direct territory of the kingdom and the dividing line between central and local control of the royal family. From here to the north, farmers have been organized into households and incorporated into civilian and military villages; and from here to the south, there are large areas of aristocratic territory and autonomous tribal villages. Of course, this default dividing line will soon disappear.
On Otto City, the Black Wolf's flag was flying high, and outside the city were continuous military camps and patrolling warriors. King Shulot is leading 7,000 guardsmen to be stationed here, waiting for the arrival of the southern nobles. He did not stay in the small city, but rested in a large camp outside the city.
In fact, as long as he left the royal capital, Shulot habitually lived in a difficult military camp, accompanied by simple warriors, just like the Eastern Roman Emperor Basil II did. Because, in the loyal legion and protected by tens of thousands of warriors, he can always feel a strong sense of security and the power to change the world!
At this moment, the king was sitting cross-legged in the big tent, checking the reports from various legions and looking at the southern terrain map on the table.
From the kingdom's capital to the south, the mountainous terrain gradually increases, and the north-south mountains begin to block the east and west. There are roughly three main passages from southern Gyeonggi to Shicho County and the southwestern mountainous area. A small town of the size of Otto is distributed along three passages and relies on caravans traveling from north to south to survive.
The first westernmost passage was to march 250 miles southwest from the southwest Qingambat mining area (today's Tingambato) to the city of Apatzingan (today's apatzingán). There is the fiefdom of the Palm family, on the edge of the southwest mountains, and further west is the Tekos tribe in the mountains. Continuing four hundred miles west from Apacingan City, through the twists and turns of the mountain aperture, you can reach the center of the Colima Mountains, the center of the Colima Mountains, where iron ore is found, the City of Colima (today's Colima).
Shulot stretched out his pen and drew a red circle in the middle of the passage. Although he was waiting for a response from the southern nobles, the tens of thousands of troops would not sit still. The three legions have split up and headed south, leaving no time for the southern nobles to mobilize for resistance.
Now, Toltec's eight thousand Guakili legion is located in the red circle. They had just captured a manor owned by a hereditary noble. The hereditary nobles of the area occupied the mountain passes, formed strongholds to protect themselves, and did not allow the kingdom's legions to pass. Within two days, the nobleman who issued the order became a prisoner of the royal army and was sent to Alto City to serve as a "turkey" to scare the monkeys.
The second westward passage goes straight south from the Qinganbat mining area, passes through two intertwined mountain roads, and reaches the westernmost side of Atoyak Lake. The total length of this road is 200 miles, and it is quite flat along the way, with wide mountainous plains and valleys.
Ezpin's eight thousand Second Lancers were heading south along this road. The Second Lance Corps are all Prepecha warriors and are much more powerful in terms of local coordination. The lords along the way obediently provided food and grass and moved out of the way, without daring to raise troops to resist.
The third intermediate passage is more than 300 miles south from the important storage town of Patzcuaro, passing through the small town of Alto, and arriving at the city of Curamo in the middle of Lake Atoyak.
Shulot is just down the road. Orosh's Gyeonggi Army has already moved south along this road, and is now less than 100 miles away from Kuramo City. In front of them was another powerful and glorious noble, the Sitley family, which controlled a population of more than 10,000 people.
Further east from this road, there are rolling mountains and forests, facing Weitamo State in the south across the Tulsas River. There are only a few tribal villages and scattered Tekos barbarians in the mountains and forests. The cost of direct rule there is relatively high, and the status quo of supervision and autonomy will continue to be retained, and is not within the scope of this southward expedition. However, if there are big nobles from the south scurrying among them, the king's army will definitely not show mercy.
Generally speaking, the fiefdom of the Lithospermum family is around Curamo City (today's Los Cimientos), and the fiefdom of the Palm family is around Apatchingan City. The two hundred miles between the two cities, with more than 100,000 people living together, is the essence of Zicao County, and it is also the place where the great nobles of the south are concentrated.
Judging from the performance of the southern nobles, the farther west and closer to the Colima Mountains, the stronger the southern nobles' will to resist. The further east you go, the closer you get to Lake Atoyak, the weaker the nobles' will to resist... at least, that's how it seems to the king at this moment.
After some inspection, Shulot nodded with satisfaction. Tens of thousands of warriors moved south with overwhelming force, and the southern nobles had no ability to resist. In this case, there is no need to be merciful, the seals are reduced and changed, and the 200,000 Dingkou in the south are directly under the control!
Thinking of this, Shulot smiled confidently. His eyes followed the lake, and more plans emerged one by one. After the transfer of the southern nobles, a shipyard was set up on the shores of Lake Atoyak. Then, the army continued southward along the river, conquering the Tekos tribe on both sides of the river, until it reached the mouth of the Talsas River. After that, we will go north along the coastal waterway controlled by the merchant Trali to attack the tribes of Colima...
At this time, a messenger came in a hurry and had a few words with Bertard. Afterwards, the samurai commander responded respectfully.
"Your Highness, the leader of the Zicao family, Gulamo, requests to meet with you alone."
"The leader of the Purple Grass Clan, Gulamo? Meeting alone?"
Shulot frowned. Gulamo didn't know what he wanted to ask for. But he was already ready to swallow up all the territory around Kuramo City. There are convenient waterways, fertile riverside farmland, and hugely profitable foreign trade routes. It is the center of the kingdom's future southern development. The kingdom's southern shipbuilding department will also be established there.
As for the fate destined for Gulamo, it was to be transferred to the north bank of the Leman River and entrusted to the barren Guamare State, where he would accompany the tribesmen in the wilderness and check and balance the local Otomi nobles.
The heart of a king cannot be penetrated. Shulot refused calmly.
"No! I will summon all the southern nobles collectively! Is Zotol of the Palm family here?"
"Zotol didn't come, and I'm afraid he won't come. The scouts reported that the Palm family gathered four or five southwest nobles and moved their women and children into the southwest mountains. Their warriors and militiamen were mobilized and gathered in Apatchingan City . It seems that they are prepared to resist to the end."
Hearing this, Shulot raised his brows. The Palm family is a mountain aristocrat. The original arrangement was to move to the Palms State to farm in the wilderness and add them to Paramo's command... After a few breaths, he smiled softly and stretched out his pen to draw on the city of Appachingan. A red circle.
"In this case, there is no need to hold back against the rebellious southern nobles! Order Black Wolf's Guakili Corps to speed up and attack Apatchingan City directly! Let him restrain the Guakili tribe and prevent the nobles from fleeing into the southwest Don’t kill civilians in mountainous areas!”
"Do your will."
Bertard accepted the order respectfully. Then, he said in a deep voice.
"Except for a few in the southwest mountainous area, most of the great nobles in the south have arrived. When are you going to summon them?"
Shulot looked at the sky outside the tent. The sun was setting and dusk was coming. He threw away the pen in his hand and stood up to ask.
"Are all the noble prisoners sent by the Guakili Corps ready?"
"Your Highness, get ready. The artillery battalion is also ready."
"Okay! Then let them go to the campus outside the camp, welcome the wheel of history, and listen to the voice of truth!"
"...I obey you, my king."
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