The bonfire reflected the night sky, and the stars illuminated the earth. The ancient myths are as profound as the night sky, and the new beliefs are spread from one spark to another. That night, Xiulote wrote furiously, tossing and turning. He thought a lot and recalled a long time ago.
He remembered the plot before the decisive battle with Tisok in the legion camp. The stars were shining brightly that night, and he and Avitt laughed loudly and imagined the future of the empire.
He thought of his date with Alyssa on the pyramid of Quetzalcoatl. That night, witnessed by the stars, he showed his heart and told it for the first time, a wandering soul.
He still remembered the night when he first met Na Xiu, discussing with his grandfather in the high priest's house. The stars were dim that night, and my grandfather had entrusted him with a lot, but he watched with his own eyes as the remaining candles were extinguished in the wind.
"Ten years! How much have I changed? How much have they changed? And how much has the world changed?"
Shulot looked at the starry sky in silence, watching the morning star rise and escort the arrival of the sun. And when the morning sun came and the sparks disappeared in the sunlight, he became as calm as a king and made more arrangements.
"Eckart, arrange for reliable personal guards to help me deliver two letters to the capital in the lake."
The morning sun shone on the young king's face like it was shining on a deep sea. His expression is calm, his movements are powerful, and his words are full of confident power.
"The first letter is to my wife Alyssa. Tell her that I will take all the thousand miles of Totonac coast as a gift for my eldest son when he is two years old!"
Upon hearing this, the captain of the guard, Eckart, paused for a moment and made a silent calculation in his mind. Prince Xiuhua was born in July last year. Before his second birthday, he wanted to completely defeat the Totonac people and return to the royal capital in victory before July next year.
"The second letter is to my uncle Kakamazin. Ask him about the rumors about the alliance, and ask him to come forward and participate in Xiuhua's upbringing and education. Well, you must convey my attitude: the new sun will converge its light, Set down first and keep enough distance. Because the immortal sun points out the way forward, and we all walk for the way forward!"
Hearing this, the captain of the guard, Ekart, was startled, with a look of surprise on his face.
"Master, you said 'Leave behind? Avoid?'"
"Um."
Xiulote nodded without explaining much. He just warned again.
"In two months, it will be the tribute for the New Year's Festival! This year's tribute will be doubled in terms of gems, copper materials, bronze armor, and bronze soldiers presented to the king! And the envoys sent out will be sent out in front of the great nobles of each state. Give a great gift of respect to the king! Then, in the name of the vassal king, request the king to send an arbitration priest to handle the noble succession within the kingdom!"
"Huh? The tribute is doubled, Arbitration Priest?"
Hearing this, the captain of the guard, Ekart, was a little in disbelief. The doubling of the tribute was a symbol of the alliance's influence on the kingdom's financial power. The Arbitration Priest is the alliance's judicial power that affects the kingdom. Such a statement is tantamount to opening up the kingdom's power and asking for the alliance's participation.
"Um!"
Shulot nodded slightly. He looked at the shocked captain of the guard, pondered for a moment, and then explained a few words.
"The kingdom's mining technology has made a breakthrough, and the output of copper materials has increased by leaps and bounds. Doubling gems and copper materials will not have a big impact on the kingdom's production capacity! Most of the kingdom's nobles are newly promoted military nobles . Although there are many of them, their titles are not high, and they do not own much land. They are also relatively young, and most of them are still early in the dispute over inheritance rights. When the arbitration priests come to the kingdom, they can decide only small matters that have little impact. .”
"So, these arrangements are more of a political statement: the Kingdom of the Lake is loyal to the alliance, loyal to the king, and loyal to accept the king's centralization reform!"
As for the military power that has not been mentioned, it must be firmly held in hand and cannot be relaxed at all. Shulot knew very well where the power of a political power came from!
After hearing His Highness's explanation, the captain of the guard, Ekart, was thoughtful. He quickly wrote down all the royal orders and asked softly.
"What if the arbitration priest sent by the king conflicts with the nobles of the kingdom?"
"Well, let Chief Priest Ugos and Chief Priest Marvelo mediate between the two sides. Chief Priest Ugos is the son of the current high priest Ugel and is the arbitration priest of the alliance. He must be given a face. And Chief Priest Marvelo manages The kingdom’s academic and military nobles must also respect him.”
"Yes! Master!"
Soon, Shulot had arranged all the responses. His wife Alyssa and his uncle Kakamazin are two strong communication links, easing the conflicts and avoiding misjudgments with King Avite. The New Year Festival's statement was a concession from the Kingdom of the Lake. The kingdom in the lake expressed its surrender to the king to enhance the king's prestige as compensation for the request for a title.
"Phew! There must be no open quarrel between Avitt and me. If there is a gap in the bird's egg, flies will be attracted. And interested people in the alliance will also take advantage of it, just like this rumor! "
Shuluo took a long breath and finally concluded with a smile.
"Don't be anxious! Time is on our side, so be patient!"
Hearing this, the captain of the guard, Eckart, nodded solemnly, respectfully and obediently. He felt that His Highness had made a lot of concessions for the sake of the overall interests of the kingdom, but such a choice prevented the real conflict from breaking out. And at the rate the Kingdom is growing, time is indeed on “our side.” He thought for a while, remembered what he had never said before, and reminded him softly.
"Head of the family! In fact, the origin of the rumor and the interested people of the alliance may not necessarily be the great nobles of the alliance!"
"oh?"
Hearing this, Shulot raised his brows and asked in a deep voice.
"Eckart, who else do you think it might be?"
"The head of the family, I think, might be the priests of the alliance."
Hearing the answer from the captain of the guard, Shulot looked surprised. He looked at Eckart with interest.
"Huh? Are you saying that because the rumor is a priest's song?"
"No, it's not."
Eckart, the captain of the guard, thought for a while, tried to organize his words, and came up with a metaphor.
"Two ferocious jaguars were drinking water by the water, and there was also a vigilant crocodile in the water. A man on the far shore saw this scene. He wanted to hunt something, what should he do?"
"How to do it?"
"He threw a stone into the water, stirring up all three parties. Then, he didn't have to come forward, he just had to watch the three parties fight, and the flesh and blood left behind would be his."
After hearing this metaphor, Shulot thought about it and asked with a smile.
"Haha! Ekart, according to you, do the priests of the alliance want to hunt the king, me and the nobles? Do they have such ambitions and abilities?"
"No, that's not what I meant."
The captain of the guard, Eckart, raised his head, looked into His Highness's eyes, and reminded him seriously.
"Master, I mean, they are standing on the shore! In this muddy water, we all went into the water, but the high priests of the alliance are standing on the shore!"
After hearing these words, the smile on Shulot's face gradually disappeared, and his expression became serious.
"The priests are on shore?"
"Master, after all this dispute, didn't you open your mouth and allow the alliance's arbitration priests to interfere in the kingdom?"
"Huh? I just came up with this. Could it be that they can still plan my response?"
"No, they don't need to plan. They are standing on the shore! They are always indispensable for the flesh and blood of power that falls out of the struggle."
When the captain of the guard, Ekart, said this, his voice became deeper. He has served the high priest for so many years, and he also has a keen sense of the intrigues and power struggles in the high priest group.
"Head of the family! The priests and elders of the high priest group, after all, have experienced the era of theocracy of the elders and high priests. Maybe some of them are not willing to always submit to the king. But the methods of the high priests are like those in the dark night. The dagger strikes silently, which is completely different from that of the great nobles."
With that said, the captain of the guard, Eckart, fell on the ground, bowed deeply, and made a sincere request.
"Master! You must be on guard! After all, the high priest has given you the right to interpret the meaning of the scriptures, and you have been inspired by the gods to tell many new scriptures. The priesthood of the Kingdom of the Lake is actually independent and is no longer here. It is under the control of the Alliance's High Priests. And the contradiction between the supreme divine authority is hidden between you and the High Priests. Please be careful!"
The light is bright and the silence is silent. Shulot lowered his eyes, holding the sun amulet around his neck, and remained silent. Whether it is royal power or divine power, the road to supreme power is always filled with swords, shadows, and hidden murderous intentions. Because, how can those who already have power be willing to give it up? They just want more!
"Be careful of the risks of the High Priests, I know!"
After a long time, Shulote sighed quietly and buried everything in his heart. Then, he looked at the loyal Ekart and declared in a deep voice.
"Things must be prioritized. The most important thing right now is to send troops as soon as possible to defeat the Totonak rebels!"
"Arrange everything properly! In five days, I will lead an army of 12,000 and ten siege mortars, and set off for the Eastern Seaboard!"
"The Lord God bless us! This time, I want to take the entire eastern coast!"
Hearing this, the captain of the guard, Eckart, bowed deeply and responded excitedly.
"Follow your will, head of the family! May you rise like the sun in the East China Sea! The Lord God bless the kingdom!"
Five days later, a grand ceremony was held at the camp outside Shushe City. Subsequently, more than 10,000 elite legions began to move out one after another, and the king's flag of the Black Wolf, the God of Death, also moved again after staying stationary for a year and a half.
The flags were fluttering and meandering away. New conquests are in the east!
(End of chapter)
