The Fall of the Golden Empire (Novel) (Volume 1) "Bloody Sunset" by Zhang Baotong
Beskara said, "Some people say that you have hidden all the gold. For example, the gold chain is as thick as an arm and cannot be lifted by more than two hundred princes. The king sent people to look for it for a long time, but they could not find it. . However, that golden chain was a birthday gift made by Emperor Huayna Capac when you were born. This matter can be said to be a household name throughout the Inca Empire."
Huascar said, "I have heard this story many times, but I have never seen these things. I heard that they are all kept by the Inca Governor of Cusco, Prince Cucabala. You can ask him." He knew that Prince Cucabala had led people to transport the treasures of Cusco to a mountain castle not far from Cusco and hid them before the city fell. And the Incas who transported the treasures all took an oath of allegiance after transporting the treasures, and then jumped under the cliff next to the castle. And Prince Kukkabala is hiding in that castle. It is impossible for anyone to know about this matter except him and Prince Kukabala.
Bescarra said, "I heard that Prince Cucabala left Cusco before Quito's army entered Cusco. We thought maybe you knew where he was. The king said, as long as you tell him his whereabouts and Wherever the gold is hidden, he will absolve you of your sins, restore your freedom, build you a palace, and let you live a life like the Inca king again."
Huascar didn't believe this nonsense at all, but he said, "I really want to do this, but I really don't know the whereabouts of Prince Cucabala, nor where the gold is hidden. Because I fell in Cusco I was caught by you before."
Bescarra said, "This is an opportunity given to you by King Atahualpa. Don't miss it. As long as you tell us about hiding the gold, King Atahualpa will let you go free."
But Huascar still shook his head and said, "I long for freedom, but I really don't know what you are talking about." As he said that, he coughed loudly and violently, and then began to vomit blood.
When Prince Bescara saw Huascar vomiting blood, he asked Usaka, "Did he have the plague?" The plague was smallpox, which was highly contagious, because the Inca people had no immunity to smallpox, and as long as they got the disease It will kill you.
Usaka didn't want Beskara to know too much, because he didn't know where he was dissatisfied. If he went back and reported it to King Atahualpa, it would be very detrimental to him, so he quickly replied, "It seems to be of."
So, Beskara said to Huascar, "You have to think carefully about what the king has said, and tell us when you have thought about it. The king will let you out soon." After saying that, he waved his hand and asked the soldiers to hurry up. Take Huascar away.
Huascar returned to the round stone house on top of the castle. However, he was still puzzled as to why Atahualpa needed gold. Did he want to rebuild the palace? In fact, the lack of gold did not prevent him from building the palace. If he needs gold, there are many palaces and temples throughout the country, and there is a lot of gold in the Palace of the Sun God in Cusco alone. Even though he thought about it over and over again, he couldn't figure out why Atahualpa needed gold.
One morning a few days later, there was a knock on the door outside. He knew that food was being delivered from outside. So, he walked to the heavy and thick door with several large locks and took a silver jar through the hole. At the same time, he handed another silver jar containing urine and urine through the hole.
The silver can that he received contained some semi-thick and semi-thin corn paste. The paste had a musty smell and was unpleasant to drink. However, he closed his eyes, turned to his mouth, drank most of it, and then, Use your hands to dig out the dry and thick paste inside and stuff it into your mouth. After a while, the meal was finished. At this time, he heard another knock on the door, so he handed the silver can with which he had eaten through the hole in the iron door and took the toilet can. In this way, for a long time, no one inside or outside the door said a word.
However, that day, someone suddenly called him outside the door, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty." He did not respond, thinking that he had heard the wrong voice. Because no one has spoken to him since he came here.
When he heard the knock on the door again, he realized that someone was actually calling him outside the door. He felt that he was dreaming, because no one had called him king since he was imprisoned here, and he was now a prisoner waiting to die, not an Inca king.
He asked, "Who are you?" The man said to him through the hole, "I am Usaka, the guard of the Palace of Quito." Of course he knew this man, he was the four sent by Atahualpa to guard him. One of the closest confidants.
When he heard that he was the loyal lackey of the King of Quito, Huascar was particularly hateful and wary, and he immediately felt an extreme fear in his heart, because he wondered if Atahualpa was going to take action against him. But the strange thing is why he doesn't open the door, but talks to him through the hole?
He looked out at the hole in the iron door with suspicion, and saw Usaka looking at him with his eyes. So, he asked, "Did you call me?"
Uthaka said, "Yes, my lord."
Huascar said, "I am not a king, I am a prisoner."
Usaka said, "But you are the real king in my heart."
Huascar was stunned and said, "No, your king should be Atahualpa."
But Usaka continued, "Honorable King Inca, I have committed many sins against you, but you should know that they were all ordered by Atahualpa."
"I know that," Huascar said, "What do you want from me?"
Usaka said, "I want to tell the king some good news."
Huascar hesitated and said, "What good news can I have?"
Usaka said, "You didn't know? Atahualpa was captured alive by the Spaniards and imprisoned in the Temple of the Sun God in Cajamarca."
Huascar was a little surprised and said, "No way, how could he let the Spaniards capture him alive?" Because when the northern and southern armies were fighting a life-and-death battle outside Cusco, he had been hiding in Ca, nearly a thousand kilometers away. In the city of Hamaka.
Usaka said, "You are already dying, why should I lie to you?"
"Really?" Huascar immediately felt that there was hope for life again, and he asked excitedly, "What are the Spaniards going to do with him?"
Usaka said, "I heard that he signed an agreement with the Spaniards. He had to give the Spaniards a house of gold, and then the Spaniards would let him go."
When Huascar heard this, he understood why Atahualpa needed gold so much. He immediately said to Usaka, "I have something to ask you to do. After the task is completed, I will make you the auxiliary minister of the Inca Kingdom." This is the most powerful weapon he can use to bribe a person. Moreover, almost no one would refuse this temptation.
When Usaka heard this, how could he not be moved? The auxiliary minister of the Inca Kingdom had a position below one person and above ten thousand people. Of course, he was much higher than the palace guard like him. Moreover, the reason why he risked beheading today to reveal this matter to Huascar was because he felt that Atahualpa was being held captive by the Spaniards and might never come out again. If the Spaniards would not let him go, Atahualpa, it is possible that Huascar would come out to serve as the king of the Inca Kingdom. Otherwise, the Spanish would not be able to control this large country. Based on this consideration, he decided to take a desperate risk and gamble with his fate to leave a way out for himself. Therefore, when Huascar said this to him, he immediately replied with great respect, "I am willing to serve the king."
Huascar said, "Can you tell the Spaniards for me that if they give me freedom, I can give him much more gold than Atahualpa?" Then he said in an explaining tone, "I He has been in Cusco and knows where the gold is hidden, but Atahualpa has never been to Cusco and has no idea how much gold there is in Cusco, let alone where the gold is hidden.”
Usaka said, "That's great, my noble king, don't worry, I will definitely convey your words to the Spaniards."
At this point, Usaka said in a serious tone, "But, Your Majesty, I am risking my head by doing this. This matter can only be known to you and me, and no one else can know it."
Huascar said, "Of course, Atahualpa must not know about this, otherwise, he will definitely send someone to kill me."
Usaka finally said, "Well, my king, I will go to Cajamarca to meet the Spaniards. Take care, my noble king."
Seeing Usaka leave the tower and get off the platform, Huascar felt the urge and excitement to gain a new life. He left the door, returned to his bed, and lay quietly, thinking that he was about to ascend the throne of king again, and how he would carry out a great reckoning with the vicious and abominable Atahualpa. As he thought about it, tears welled up in his eyes.
