Inca Elegy (Novel) "The Fall of the Inca Empire" (Volume 2) by Zhang Baotong
Summer in Lima is always peaceful and beautiful at dusk. After dinner, Francisco Pizarro, the Governor of Peru, always liked to stand out of the window of the Lima Municipal Building and look toward the Lima River to the north. The long embankment on the bank of the Rima River is currently bathed in the afterglow of the setting sun. The mountains beside the river are gentle and peaceful. From time to time, flocks of birds are flying and falling in the woods on the embankment. On a gentle and wide river, you can see the setting sun reflecting the river's surface in bright red. In the swaying waves on the river, you can see several large trees moored on the edge of the ferry. He likes to watch this scenery, even a little obsessed with it. Because this kind of scenery not only makes him feel peaceful, but also helps him to meditate.
For nearly half a year, this ferry has been transporting dozens or even hundreds of Spanish immigrants to the north almost every day. They all immigrated from colonies such as Panama or Guatemala, and some came all the way from Spain, eager to realize their golden dreams in this mysterious new continent.
As governor of the New World, he concentrated them in the emerging towns of Guamanga and Bilkas. Because these towns are important towns between Lima and Cusco, if enough Spanish immigrants can be settled in these towns, then the Indians will not dare to attack and invade them again. Because he knew that as long as there were 60 to 100 Spanish armed forces in a town, and more solid residences and barracks were built, they could withstand attacks by thousands or even tens of thousands of Indians. However, so far, there are more than 300 Spanish immigrants in Guamanga and more than 100 Spanish immigrants in Vilkas, but there are more than 60 Spanish mine guards in the mining area. Therefore, he thought that although he had not been able to capture the Inca King Manco alive for many years, he had built many Spanish immigrant settlements, and these settlements were like military strongholds, which made the Inca King Manco trapped in the mountains for a long time. act rashly. Thinking of this, he couldn't help but feel sincerely pleased with his wise decision.
After a while, cousin Martinez Alcantara and his adjutant Francisco Chavez entered Pizarro's large office. Seeing that Pizarro was still immersed in looking at the scenery outside the window, Chavez walked up to him and asked, "Mr. Marquis, what are you thinking about again?" Pizarro turned around and faced Chavez. Ves and Alcantara smiled slightly and said, "Looking at my recent bad luck, are you going to raid me again?" Chavez said, "Mr. Marquis was also very bad last night. He actually lost eight thousand gold pesos to us in one fell swoop. I told the captains of the cavalry squadron, but they still refused to believe it."
Pizarro immediately said to Chavez, "Don't tell them about my losing money in the future. It will make them feel that I have lost repeatedly and my gambling luck is too bad. In fact, when I gamble with you, how many times have I lost?" ?" Listening to this, Alcantara hurriedly said, "That is, everyone has witnessed the Marquis' gambling luck and luck. Otherwise, if the Marquis lost so much at once, no one else would believe it." Pisa Luo said, "That's right, the soldiers all know that I am a gambler, but I am not a blind gambler, but a bold and careful person, with accurate and ruthless attacks. Otherwise, I would have been able to do such an extraordinary thing in this new continent." Achievements?" Chavez said, "Yes, in this regard, let alone the soldiers who worship you, even we also worship you!"
Pizarro listened very pleasantly and said to Chavez, "Okay, don't flatter me with such words anymore. Don't you want to come and rob me? Well, you go to the secretary's office next door and get Picardo Call us, and let the four of us lay out the battlefield properly to see who among us wins and who loses today."
Chavez smiled and said, "Okay." After saying that, he went to call Picardo.
Picardo was also a good gambler. When he heard that the Marquis sent Chavez to call him, he hurriedly came to the Marquis' office with gambling equipment. Everyone didn't need any decorations, so the four of them sat on each side of the desk, ready for war.
Pizarro first declared, "Don't you want to plunder me more? Then I will give you more. I will bet a hundred gold pesos." Listening to Pizarro's report, everyone looked surprised. He looked at Pizarro, because usually everyone only bet ten or twenty gold pesos, and at most no more than fifty gold pesos. So Picardo said, "What happened to the Marquis today? Did he make another fortune?" Pizarro said, "Yes, I'm going to make a fortune from you." But Chavez said , "I'm afraid Mr. Marquis won't lose too badly."
Picardo took two exquisite gold bowls and started rolling dice, winning the first one. However, when it was Pizarro's turn to be the banker, Pizarro took three bankers in a row, and then five bankers in a row. Within half an hour of the battle, Pizarro won nearly 5,000 gold pesos. Originally, everyone was talking and laughing, but now they all had serious faces, showing a very serious expression.
But Pizarro said very proudly, "What's the matter, you are not talking anymore?" Chavez reminded him, "Don't get too proud too early. Win first and then lose. The sooner you win, the worse you will lose." ." But Pizarro said, "I don't believe this evil." As he said that, he began to play the game continuously.
Not long after, several cavalry and infantry lieutenants, as well as some soldiers, came to watch the fun. If they hadn't bet too big, there would have been people vying to get involved.
Although Pizarro is usually serious with officers and soldiers, he is approachable in the casino. Even if he suffers a loss, he always gives in to everyone. Therefore, officers and soldiers liked to gamble with him. His office also always liked to be open to gambling officers and soldiers. As long as everyone came over to gamble at night, he would always greet them with a smile.
However, their bet was too big, so the people around them had no choice but to watch and did not dare to participate. Some people didn't want to participate or watch, so they found a place next to them to start the fight. For a time, the office of the chief administrator of Lima City Hall simply became a casino for soldiers.
After a fierce battle all night, Pizarro won a great victory. Not only did he win all the money of the other three people, but he also borrowed a large sum of money from Pizarro. Staying up all night is really a test for an old man who is now sixty-five years old. Therefore, at this time, Pizarro was already a little dizzy and his eyes were sleepy. However, it is difficult for him to ask for a truce, because he is the winner. According to the rules of the casino, it is usually the loser who proposes a truce. If the winner proposes a truce or ceasefire, it will be considered an uninteresting performance by everyone. Originally, he had already won everyone's money. If he didn't want everyone to be in debt, he could confidently propose a truce. However, he looked at everyone's desperate look at the defeat and wished he could get back the money he lost. Therefore, it was difficult to propose a truce.
Until dawn, a soldier opened the door and reported, "Report to the Governor, a large ship carrying Spanish immigrants from Panama has docked and is being unloaded." Pizarro put down the dice in his hand and asked "Approximately how many people are there?" the soldier said, "There are more than a hundred people, many of them young couples." Pizarro nodded and said, "Very good, you immediately notify the cavalry team to greet them. "
After the soldiers left, Pizarro said to Picardo, "Go to the barracks right away and make arrangements for the food and accommodation of these immigrants." Picardo lost almost all night, and his luck had just improved a little, but Pizarro wanted to Of course he was very unhappy when he was asked to go to the barracks to accommodate the newly arrived immigrants. But he couldn't help but listen to the commander's words, so he grabbed the dice in his hand and didn't want to let go for a long time.
Pizarro saw his thoughts and said, "I think you have all lost everything. If you keep playing, I'm afraid you will lose so much that you will even take off your pants. Forget it, let's stop playing here." Then he pushed the pile of money in front of him with his hand and said, "What, now you should be convinced, right?"
Although everyone didn't want to admit it, they all nodded reluctantly. Chavez said, "The Marquis took sex pills tonight and was so crazy that he couldn't contain himself." Picardo said, "The Marquis himself has a strong kung fu, there is nothing we can do." Pizarro smiled, "As long as you obey us. "As he said that, he pushed the gold pesos piled on the table toward everyone and said, "Okay, I don't want the money anymore. Let it all go back to its original owner."
Chavez seemed a little hesitant and said, "I'm so sorry. The Marquis has been losing these days. How can we divide him up again after finally winning once?" However, Picardo said, "You are so polite. The Marquis has always been nice to us." So generous." Alcantara also said, "The Marquis plays with us for fun and happiness, and he has never cared about money." Chavez said, "Then I'm not welcome. I I lost the most today.”
In situations like this, the person who loses the most usually makes the first move. So, Chavez first counted the four thousand gold pesos, put them in his wallet, and said, "I really want to thank Mr. Marquis. If this money had been in the country, I don't know how many houses I could buy." Then Picardo began to pour money into himself. money in wallet. Originally, he only lost three thousand gold pesos, but he put two to three hundred more gold pesos in his wallet.
Chavez didn't like Picardo's style, so he said, "Just take what you lose and don't put it in your bag so much." Alcantara was also dissatisfied with Picardo's behavior. Very displeased, he said, "That's right, you've lost the least today, so you have the nerve to keep putting money into your pocket?"
If this was said by others, he would not even like to hear it. Instead, he would turn around and scold them shamelessly, but one of the two people who said him was Pizarro's cousin. , one is Pizarro's adjutant, and they are both older and more senior than him. Although he felt very unhappy, he did not dare to vent it out.
After Chavez and Alcantara said this, Picardo was embarrassed to put money in his wallet. After all, these two people have higher positions and senior qualifications than him. And he only became Pizarro's secretary after Antonio left the army and returned to China to get married. Although his educational level is higher than Antonio, he has more scheming and ideas than Antonio, and he is highly appreciated by Pizarro. However, after all, he has not been working as a secretary for a long time and his qualifications are not deep, so he can only work in other places. He showed off his power in front of the officers and soldiers, but he didn't dare to show off in front of these two people.
I expected Alcantara to take the bottom and not know how to count the money, but I didn't expect that Alcantara turned his face very long and asked Picardo in a questioning tone, "How much did you lose?" This question , asked Picardo, but he replied without blushing and heartbeat, "I lost 3400 to 500 gold pesos." Chavez on the side said to Picardo, "You just didn't You said you only lost three thousand and seventy gold pesos, but why did you take away two thousand three hundred gold pesos in one go?" Alcantara said, "That is, if you lost more than three thousand three hundred gold pesos , then I should have lost more than 2,800, but I actually lost more than 3,100, and I also borrowed more than 500 from the Marquis."
Pizarro said to Picardo, "It was you who debited it. Please pay me back the money." Picardo had no choice but to take out more than three hundred dollars from his wallet and put it on the table. superior.
