The night was dark outside the hall, and the candlelight in the hall was shining brightly. The pale yellow candle burned slowly, emitting warm yellow light. Yellow light fell softly, projecting two figures on the bluestone ground. The figures sat opposite each other, and it was silence at this time.
High Priest Shuter slowly stood up. He walked to the corner of the side hall, and by the bright candlelight, he calmly searched among the piles of drawing boards and books. Shulot wanted to help, but his grandfather waved his hand.
"My child, if you think about it carefully, what else do you need?"
Hearing this, Shulot stood on the spot and tilted his head slightly. He looked at the candles flickering on the wall, and his thoughts fluctuated like candlelight.
This is a palm candle unique to tropical America. It is carefully crafted by craftsmen after collecting palm wax from the leaves of certain palm trees. It is very expensive and rare. Palm candles burn brightly, without thick smoke, and have a smoke-like aroma, much like the spermaceti used in the everlasting lamps of the Celestial Dynasty.
Shulot was silent, looking at the flames of candles on the wall, and then at his grandfather's completely white hair. Sadness gradually appeared in his eyes.
Although the candle in front of me is bright, it has burned to the end, and only the last flame is left, swaying gently in the evening breeze. I don’t know when the candle will go out and turn into a wisp of smoke, scattered into the vast night sky, never to be seen again...
"Well, the candle is almost out."
High Priest Shuter slowly walked back from the corner holding several volumes of atlases. He calmly took out a new candle, lit it with his own hands, and placed it on the candlestick on the wall. Then, he took a gentle breath and prepared to blow out the remaining candle in his hand.
"Grandpa!...Don't...blow it out..."
Shulot spoke in a low voice, but looked at his grandfather.
"oh?"
The high priest was slightly startled. He looked at the hidden sadness in Xiulote's eyes, then looked at the broken candle in front of him, and suddenly understood his grandson's thoughts. A smile slowly appeared on his wrinkled face, like an old and withered plum blossom.
"Okay, then keep it!"
The high priest nodded and placed the remaining candle next to the new one. Two candles, one tall and one short, stand side by side, both shining brightly and exuding a sacred fragrance. They burn quietly, with echoes that cannot be separated from the blood. Even though one is about to burn out, the other has just begun...
"Shullot, my child."
The high priest had tenderness in his eyes. He calmly unfolded a map of the world, and the powerful Mexican Alliance came into view.
"My child, last year I migrated ten thousand people to the Kingdom of the Lake. This year, I will give you..."
Having said this, the high priest paused for a few breaths, his eyes showing determination.
"At least 70,000 Mexican youths!"
"Ah?! At least 70,000 young men and women?"
Shulot was very surprised. This number is almost the result of a southern or northern expedition! What's even more rare is that these people are the main ethnic groups that rule the basic market!
"Well, at least 70,000 people! I will go and meet the elder in person to get his support."
The high priest looked calm.
"My child, under your leadership, the Kingdom in the Lake is developing every day, and new changes are constantly being born... All of this is seen by the high priests and the elders. In the current Lake Kingdom, the influence of the Prepecha ethnic group is a bit too great..."
"Among the 800,000 people in the kingdom, less than 80,000 Mexicans are from the alliance, accounting for only one-tenth. And more than 70% of the remaining people are of the Prepecha ethnic group... Prepecha The elites of Cha are scattered throughout the kingdom. They serve as advisors at all levels of the kingdom, leading the changes in the kingdom; they serve as low-level priests in villages and towns, believing in one god; they serve as senior craftsmen of the Divine Enlightenment Institute, Mastering the most powerful new weapons; they also serve as warriors and officers, and even lead the kingdom's legions..."
Hearing this, Shulot raised his eyebrows slightly and said affirmatively.
"Grandfather, I can confirm that the Prepecha people are no less loyal to me than the Mexica people, or even more..."
"Haha, my child, this is exactly what the Alliance is worried about! Sometimes, obedience and integration can also be a way of conquest."
The high priest smiled lightly and shook his head. His expression turned serious.
"Xulot, I know that many Prepecha people call you their majesty and regard you as the only sun. And the Mexica warriors call you their highness, after King Avit... But you need to always remember, You are the most noble Highness of the Mexica people and the future king of the Mexica Alliance! And your sacred throne is in the magnificent capital city in the lake, on the supreme temple, but never in the western city of Qincongcan , not on the Akar Tower in the House of Wind!”
Shulot was stunned. He remembered what Uncle Kakamazin said, was silent for a while, and nodded.
"Grandpa, I remember. I will leave, and I will return eventually!"
"Very good! My child, you are the hope of the Holy City and the whole family! You are destined to become the lord of the world in all directions, not the lord of the west..."
The high priest nodded solemnly and whispered in a deep voice. Then he reached out and touched the map with his finger, focusing on the west side of Lake Texcoco.
"The rebellion in Tracopan will be severely suppressed, and more than a dozen nobles will be executed or exiled. The slaves, family members, and feudal people in the noble fiefdoms will all be dealt with by the high priests... I will In the name of exile, 20,000 people were moved from it to the hinterland of the kingdom in the lake!"
"Relocating so many feudal people, the royal family and the high priests..."
"It doesn't matter. These lands and feudal people will be redistributed and jointly managed by the royal family and the high priests. In the name of exile, there will be no big trouble if 20,000 people are relocated."
The high priest's expression did not change. He holds the supreme divine power and is able to deal with everything. Then, he moved his finger and pressed on the location of the Northeastern Holy City.
"Teotihuacan in the northeast of Lake Texcoco is the residence of the gods and has the royal branch of the Holy City. The foundation of our family is here. And in the surrounding city-states, there are also many affiliated tribes, and We have a close relationship...My child, now that you are firmly established in the Kingdom of the Lake, the main branches of each family can migrate to the Kingdom as your most loyal supporters!...From the northeast of the Lake District, will migrate out Twenty thousand people, go to Lake Patzcuaro!”
"Migrating family roots to the kingdom..."
Hearing this, Shulot looked solemn. The political structure of the alliance is transforming from a loose tribal alliance to a centralized feudal kingdom. The royal family itself is the most powerful Mexica tribe.
Before King Avit came to the throne, there were 20,000 to 30,000 direct tribes and more than 2,000 family warriors. After he became king, he inherited all the affiliated tribes of Montezuma. Similarly, the Holy City series naturally has many Dingkou, which are firmly under control.
"Grandpa, are the various affiliated tribes willing to go west?"
"The era of kings is coming..."
The high priest smiled and said in a low voice with deep meaning.
"As affiliates of the Holy City, they will be willing to go west."
Hearing this, Shulot was a little suspicious. He looked at his grandfather's calm expression and nodded.
"That's good. In the Patzcuaro Lake area, there are still many old abandoned fields and new fields that can be cultivated, which can be allocated to the migrating tribes."
"Um."
The high priest moved his fingers, gradually from the northeast of the lake area to the west, to the Trocan State where the Leman River flows.
"The Trocan state in the west has a prosperous household. The Spring Rain priest family has been inherited for hundreds of years and controls three to four thousand feudal people. After killing them and purging two old nobles, they can gather a population of ten thousand people and exile them to the kingdom nearby. Hekou County.”
Then, the old finger moved again and landed mercilessly on the southwest.
"Lachiko State in the southwest also has a sufficient population. Facing the centralization of the system, several big nobles have objections. The high priests and the royal family are interested in cleaning up... There will also be 10,000 people here, and they will be moved nearby. Go to Zicao County in the south of the kingdom."
"Purge the old nobles and migrate the population..."
Shulot lowered his eyes slightly. Although such a cruel method is powerful and effective, it also has serious side effects.
"Grandpa, if this happens, your reputation and your safety will be in danger..."
"Ha! From the moment I took over the religious power and implemented the religious reform, I was destined to have a bad reputation."
The high priest didn't care and smiled lightly. He pinched his fingers and calculated.
"Well, in this way, there will be a population of 60,000. Another 10,000 people will be recruited from various villages in the Alliance Gyeonggi Province as the standard for the promotion of priests!...My child, these 70,000 Mexicans Jiaren, you must make a good placement as the foundation for your stable kingdom."
"Grandpa, I can!"
Shulot looked excited. Of these 70,000 Mexican immigrants, 50,000 will be resettled in the Kingdom of Gyeonggi, 10,000 will move to Hekou County in the north, and 10,000 will move to Zicao County in the south. They will engage in large-scale intermarriage with the Prepecha people to eliminate hidden dangers in the kingdom. only...
"For rulers, population is the most precious wealth..."
Shulot thought silently, looking at his grandfather's gentle smile with a bit of uneasy worry.
"Grandpa, for these promises, you have to pay more. What price will it cost?"
On the wall, candles flickered calmly, exuding a distant fragrance and bringing the warmth of proximity. In the warm night, the old candlelight gradually became fainter, like a distant star in the sky. And the new candlelight shines brighter and brighter, like the light of the sun!
