Inca Elegy (Novel) "The Fall of the Inca Empire" (Volume 2) by Zhang Baotong
September 8th is another memorable day for the Spanish Expeditionary Force. Nearly five hundred soldiers, led by their commander, began to march along the Royal Avenue in the direction of Cusco in high spirits and high spirits since noon. If the adventurous spirit of these impoverished young people at the bottom was inspired by legends and dreams of Pizarro and Almagro, now some of them have experienced such dreams and legends. , and there are some people who have not experienced it, but have at least witnessed other people's legends and dreams.
But now, a greater legend and dream is unfolding before their eyes, waiting for them to realize and experience it. Just now, their commander, Marquis Pizarro, once again promised in his speech before departure that there would be more gold in the palaces and temples of Cusco, and that he would allocate two gold coins to each Spanish soldier who marched into Cusco. Double the amount obtained in Cajamarca, which means that each soldier can get at least 90 pounds of gold. How could this not make the soldiers feel excited and full of pride?
At the forefront were more than sixty cavalrymen from Captain Soto's team. They marched neatly, starting from the Plaza de Armas, walking out of the barracks, and then sang the song "In a Dream" that they wrote and sung. Cusco” and enter the spacious Royal Avenue. Then General Almagro led more than 50 cavalry and more than 100 infantry, following behind at a distance of about several hundred meters. Then came more than a hundred infantrymen led by Commander Pizarro, protecting the Inca King Huaypalcon, Chalkuchma and their royal officials as they moved forward slowly.
Pizarro was riding a tall horse, and Antonio, Martin, and three royal officials were also riding beside him, walking in front of the infantry with the commander. Behind him, sitting in a sedan chair carried by eight Indians, was the Inca King Huaypalcon. Chalkuchma, the commander of the Quito army, rode in a sedan chair carried by four people. They were followed by a large group of princes, ministers and attendants. The grand momentum and pomp when these royal dignitaries marched were as if they had real royal power. Behind them were hundreds of Indian soldiers.
The last to leave the square were more than a hundred infantrymen led by Captain Juan. They took their time and followed the entire team to the rear. The dream of gold inspired the Spaniards to fight, so they sang that song very loudly and passionately, and almost everyone in the town of Cajamarca could hear their singing.
"Dream of Cusco,
The golden paradise on earth,
Whether in temples or palaces,
There are warehouses full of gold and silver everywhere.
Cusco in dreams,
It's the place I yearn for,
No matter what hardships and dangers we go through,
I will also fill it with gold. "
The entire Plaza de Armas was surrounded by watching Indians. They showed neither excitement nor surprise. They just regarded them as a strange team passing by their village. They watched from a distance until they reached the end of the road.
It’s late autumn in Cajamarca in early September, so it’s not far from the equator and temperatures are still mild in the lower valleys and flatter areas of the Cordillera. The sunshine at noon was very bright and soft, but not very hot, which made the marching soldiers feel very refreshed. However, they have stopped singing because it consumes too much of their energy. When the road enters the valley, the scenery in front of you becomes very magnificent and beautiful.
The Cordillera Mountains in early September are very quiet and beautiful, the sky is so blue and the clouds are so white. The bright golden light shines tenderly on the ancient peaks and mountains, and the white clouds and mist sometimes drift away in a soothing and forgetful way, and sometimes surround the mountains affectionately. At the foot of the gentle and low mountain, patches of red, purple and yellow flowers swayed in the brisk and cool mountain breeze. The forests along the way were dyed golden yellow, deep purple and dark red by the autumn frost, and made a rustling sound in the cool autumn wind.
Streams and springs gathered and flowed along the gullies and ridges in the green mountains. The cool breeze blew slowly from the grasslands and streams with the fragrance of flowers and greenery, making the soldiers intoxicated and excited. They completely forgot that this was a arduous march, and felt that this was more like a collective outdoor trip.
But soon, they discovered many sights that surprised and surprised them. At noon the next day, when they entered Bambamaka, Captain Soto wanted to take the team to a larger village to rest so that the soldiers could have a good meal. Because he had stopped here with his team a few days ago, the villagers not only boiled water for them to cook, but also gave them houses for them to spend the night. However, only a few days later, the village has disappeared. All that can be seen is a burned-out wall and collapsed walls, but not a single surviving house or house can be seen. A villager.
Soto walked around the burned village. There were stone walls that were blackened by the fire and broken trees that were not burned. There were also some other items that were destroyed by the fire and things that were not taken away by the people. The debris was mixed together, and what you saw was a miserable mess. This made Soto feel very sad and puzzled, wondering if this could be done by the Inca soldiers stationed in Bambamarca. However, he didn't think it was like it, because the Inca garrison was still very far away from here, and it was impossible to come that far and burn down the houses here.
Soto wanted to find a local to find out the situation. However, there was a valley area near the village, and there were some cornfields on the slopes and gentle areas. However, when he looked up, he saw not a single person in the wilderness. So Soto had no choice but to urge the troops to continue marching so that they could rest in the village ahead.
They walked more than ten miles and came to another larger village along the way. However, this village was burned even more miserably than the one just now. It was almost a piece of scorched earth, with not even an inch left. Soto asked the team to stop on a flat threshing floor at the edge of the village to rest and eat. The soldiers got off their horses, tied them together, and put them on the grass beside the threshing floor to graze. Then they sat in groups of three and five on the stones beside the field, eating the food they brought from Cajamarca. tortillas and venison jerky.
Soto looked around while eating. After a while, he sent a few cavalrymen along a path to the mountains to find a villager to find out who burned down these villages.
About twenty minutes later, several cavalrymen who went out on a mission came back and brought a middle-aged man with them. Soto asked him in native language, and the man understood Soto's words and said that these villages were not burned by the Inca army, but by some gangs of villagers from other villages for the purpose of robbing gold, raping women, and then The village was burned down.
It stands to reason that Indians are very abiding by their duties and laws. It is almost rare to hear of people who violate laws and regulations and do not abide by the rules in the society, because the laws of the Inca Empire are very strict, and even a small violation can lead to serious consequences. Sentenced to death by hanging. Therefore, the Indians are very obedient, and no one will break the law intentionally or unintentionally. But why do these Indians, who are law-abiding and simple and well-behaved, engage in such extreme and illegal behavior? This is not only incomprehensible to Soto, but also incomprehensible to all Spaniards.
The Indian told Soto that this was because after the Inca King was executed, some people felt that no one would control them anymore. Therefore, their barbaric nature was revealed, and they gathered a group of people to beat, smash, loot and burn everywhere. Rape women. When they learned that the Spaniards regarded gold as treasure, they began to rob temples and palaces, collect the stolen gold and silver, and hide them in the mountains and forests.
When Soto heard this, he was extremely angry and asked the robbers where they were now. He wanted to send people to catch them all and hang them. However, the villager just shook his head and said that they had already hid deep in the mountains when they heard that the Spanish army was coming. Soto had no choice but to look at the mountains and sigh, because he had more important tasks to perform.
Two or three kilometers away from the Inca garrison of Bambamaka, the garrison's castle was clearly visible, and the surroundings of the castle were quiet and silent. This made Soto feel a little strange, so he asked the troops to stop and wait in place. Then, he sent two soldiers to dress up as local farmers and walk to the castle to scout the enemy's situation.
About half an hour later, the two soldiers came back and reported that the entire castle was empty. The locals said that all the soldiers had withdrawn two days ago and seemed to be heading towards Haoha. Because Haoha is the base camp of Chalkuchma troops. Soto and his soldiers easily captured the castle, and then notified the troops behind to come and camp.
Early the next morning, the troops began to move south along the Royal Road again. The Royal Avenue is a very wide road. On the gentle road, the cavalry marched very smoothly, and there was no harassment or attack by the Inca soldiers along the way. However, when the troops entered the high mountain areas, they encountered many troubles. These troubles were almost identical to those encountered by Hernando and his soldiers on their way to Hoha.
Although the width of the entire Royal Road is the same, the road is still difficult to walk when encountering steep mountain slopes and river valley rapids. On this day, the soldiers had been marching along the royal road next to a stream. The stream kept cutting off the road, and sometimes even broke the road into pieces, leaving no place for people to stay, and even less for the war horses. So the soldiers had to dismount, wade through the water, and pull the horses across the river.
It was already mid-September. Although it was not too cold in some flat areas during late autumn and early winter, the temperature in the high-altitude mountains was already quite low, often only a few degrees to more than ten degrees in the morning and evening. Therefore, entering the cold water with bare feet will still make people feel bitingly cold. However, not long after walking, the stream turned to the bottom of a protruding cliff. The cliff above the head was very low, so people could only bend their bodies and slowly move forward like drilling into a cave, while the war horses could only stand in the cold. swimming in the stream. However, the real test for soldiers and horses is to climb a mountain called Hawapaka, which is about 5,000 meters above sea level.
Hawapaka Peak is not only steep and steep, but also towering into the clouds. It is a very tall peak in the Cordillera Mountains. The road up the mountain is all made of stone steps, which are rough and hard and go all the way up. Not only is it very difficult for people to walk, but it is also very worn on the horses' hooves. Therefore, the cavalrymen led their horses until they reached the top of the mountain. The summit is even more dangerous and difficult. There is a section of the road that is almost vertically upward with stone steps. Although there are guardrails on both sides, people still dare not look down because there is an abyss and a vast sea of fog under the mountain. A sense of fear and dizziness from falling. Therefore, when climbing over a mountain, people must crawl forward, while horses must be pushed and pulled by several people to move forward step by step.
