Aztec Eternals

Chapter 264: Talking about the Southwest Mountains

The flag fluttered, and the elite warriors climbed high and walked in silence, letting the mountain wind blow, watching the sun rise into the sky. It was not until the king waved the flag that the guards stopped and took a break at the top of the hill.

Shilot stood on the high point of the hill and looked around. Behind him, Shield Wetters looked dull, still holding the king's flag high.

Climbing high and looking far into the distance, the heaven and earth are opened up for a while, and the heart of the king is also magnanimous. In the long wind, the hills rise and fall, like cascading waves, constantly pulling up to the high points of the mountains; under the sun, the earth is gradually bare, like the footprints of the gods, with a faint golden glow from time to time. There is only a meandering river ding dong flowing, like a long snake, tracing back the way everyone came, converging to the lowest lake of Qilahun.

"What a mountain! What a river! All these great rivers and mountains are in my hands!"

The king watched for a moment and exclaimed in admiration. He patrolled the farm all the way, saw the harvested land, and then climbed to the high mountains to enjoy the mighty mountains and rivers. At this time, he only felt very happy! Then, the instinct of the military leader came to his mind and turned into a brooding whisper.

"Chingambat, a gentle mountain... This terrain is so steep, easy to defend and difficult to attack, but not gentle at all!"

"Your Highness sees clearly! Chingambat is a steep mountain."

Ezpan touched the severed finger of his left hand and complimented with clear eyes.

"As for the description of gentleness, there is also an ancient legend, which corresponds to the ruins on the mountain. It is said that in the remote ancient times, this mountain was once loud and smoked. It was the mouth of the demon that engulfed mortals and led to the ground. The kingdom of the dead."

"The demons have raged for thousands of years, and the smoke has risen for thousands of years. Until a great goddess witnessed the evil here. He first used human sacrifice to attract the main god, and then resolutely sacrificed himself here. With a loud noise, the gods used their divine bodies to seal the passage to the underground, and since then this mountain has become gentle..."

"Later, the shameless condor royal family learned about this legend, and they claimed that the seal here was the ancient condor sage... However, only the mighty power of the Supreme Lord God can do all this! The one who sealed this place should be the Lord God. The gods!..."

"Well, that's right! ... The mouth of a smoking demon? A subdued sleeping volcano?"

Hearing this, Shulot thoughtful and asked with a smile.

"Ezpan, since this is the mouth of the demon, is there a stone of the dead?"

"Your Highness is wise! There are not only copper mines here, but also the Stones of the Dead. The origin is high in the mountains. Most of the Stones of the Dead used for sacrifices in Qincong Candu City come from here!"

"very good!"

Shulot nodded in satisfaction. In the east of the lake area, there are nitrite-containing ponds in the mountains, and in the southwest there are nearby sulphur producing areas. Then in the winter of sweeping nitrite, we can organize manpower again to carry out large-scale gunpowder production. And when the bronze cannons and gunpowder are ready...the king smiled confidently and looked down at the mountains and rivers again.

"Ezpan, the level of this mountain is rising, and the river flows down from the mountains. The terrain is magnificent and it has water sources. If you build a fort and set up a camp here, I am afraid it will be extremely difficult to break through!"

"His Royal Highness is wise! I have been in this mine for a long time. There are several abandoned bluestone fortresses near the mountains. Here, as long as you stick to the camp, you can stop the conquest army and calmly integrate the southwest..."

Ezpan agreed with a smile, but he was also a little embarrassed.

"I heard that the first-generation Tarasco pseudo-king once set up a camp here to guard against the remnants of Urixiu in the southwest and the barbarians scattered in the mountains. Later, with the rapid expansion of the kingdom, the remnants of the barbarians in the mountains were all captured. One by one. The southwest frontier has been pushed to the edge of the Colima Mountains, five hundred miles away, and these fortresses in the hinterland have been completely abandoned."

Hearing this, Shiroute's expression moved. He looked at the samurai chief on the other side.

"Bottard, how is the remnant of Tarrasco in the southwestern mountains, has it surrendered?"

"His Royal Highness, most of the remnants in the southwest have submitted their resignation forms. The lords from all over the country also sent messengers to send tribute, and nominally surrendered to the newly-born Kingdom of the Lake. But in fact, they still maintained the tradition of self-government in the region and firmly The land controls everything on the fief."

Bertard thought for a while, then nodded lightly, then shook his head slowly. He silently stretched out his finger to the southwest.

"His Royal Highness, please see that the terrain in the southwest is very divided and complex. The crisscrossed mountains are combined to form lower basins in the middle, and scattered towns and villages are located in them. Between the mountains are a series of narrow passes. It takes a lot of effort to break through.”

"The mountain people here are closed and grouped, rebellious and unruly, and it is difficult to collect taxes. The local nobles are also stubborn and arrogant, and they value the land above everything else. Once the central government forces people to manage it, it is easy to cause a joint riot between the mountain people and the nobles. However, there are less than 100,000 inhabitants in the southwestern mountainous area, and the folk customs are fierce and daring to fight, the terrain is difficult to navigate, and the land output is very poor.

"In general, the cost of direct jurisdiction over the southwest far exceeds the benefits of direct jurisdiction! The center of the kingdom has no will, and it is difficult to establish direct rule. In the Tarrakos period, the way to govern here is to divide the military nobles and confer respect. The local chiefs, while deterring their military power, are trying to win over business and trade."

Hearing this, Shilot frowned. He looked out to the rolling south, his thoughts drifting away.

The Pacific Rim plate and the American plate collided, forming a continuous volcanic mountain range on the western edge of the Americas. With the long-term volcanic movement, the rich minerals in the ground have also been brought to the surface mountains. In the Mesoamerican region, plates collided to form the towering Sierra Madre del Sur. The Southern Madre Mountains extend all the way, dividing the southwest of the world into two halves that are difficult to communicate.

If you want to conquer the distant Colima Mountains from the Patzcuaro Lake District, there are only two routes, north and south, across the mountains. On the northern route, a fleet must be formed, and it will go 500 miles west of the Leman River. After conquering the Chapala Lake District, it will turn to the southwest for 400 miles along the tributaries. The southern route should follow the aperture between the mountains, travel 400 miles to the southwest, and then turn to the northwest for 200 miles.

In general, although the northern route is long, it can carry tens of thousands of troops through waterways. The southern route saves a third of the journey, but only a small amount of elite troops can pass through the mountains.

"This situation is really similar to the southwest of the Celestial Dynasty!"

Shiloh looked calm and laughed at himself.

"The iron ore in the Colima Mountains is like a carrot in front of a donkey. You can always see it, but you can't eat it! Even in Colima, it is very difficult to dig deep iron ore... Maybe I should go to North America thinks about some ways, the future U.S.-Mexico border is a very rich mining belt..."

The king pondered for a while and asked again.

"Bottard, where is the southwestern border that Fengguo can really send officials to effectively control?"

The samurai chief stood on tiptoe, looked at the nearest basin in the southwest, and then bent his fingers for a while before he answered cautiously.

"His Royal Highness, the farthest control area in the southwest of the feudal country is Ulapani City, one hundred and fifty miles southwest of the capital. This is the important town in the western part of Zicao County. The meaning of Ulapani is that flowering and fruiting are in the same season. It is also called the 'Flower and Fruit City' in the mountains!"

"The city of flowers and fruits in the mountains?!"

Shilot was stunned, his face twitching strangely. He asked subconsciously.

"Is there a lot of monkeys there?"

"His Royal Highness is very knowledgeable! The mountains in the southwest are indeed rich in howler monkeys with long hair... and pineapples, which howler monkeys love to eat."

Ezpan took a step forward and continued to smile in admiration.

"Ok."

The king nodded stiffly. He controlled his expression before asking seriously.

"In this way, across the Baili Plain in the south of the Lake District, the feudal country only controls the mountainous area of ​​more than 50 miles. Bertard, the southwestern mountainous area can be four or five hundred miles! Even if the mountain road is difficult, the feudal country should not be Only control such a small area. How can the big nobles scattered in the southwestern mountains resist the tens of thousands of kingdom legions?"

"His Royal Highness, if you are willing to pay thousands of casualties, the old nobles in the southwestern mountainous area are indeed unable to resist the legion, and the kingdom's ruling area can be extended to the southwest for another two hundred kilometers. However, the crusade against the mountainous area will not bring much profit, and it will not be possible in a short time. Establish an effective rule. Once the army is withdrawn, the mountain people will inevitably launch a rebellion again with the support of the people who care repeated guerrilla attacks.”

Hearing the words, Shulot was silent. Ezpan refreshed. He volunteered and stepped forward to ask for orders.

"Your Highness is merciful! I don't want the warriors to suffer too many casualties. I am familiar with the terrain here, and I can lead Prepecha's new spear army to pacify this place for His Highness! In frontal combat, the mountain people are actually vulnerable. As long as we send troops before the autumn harvest Crusade, garrison troops for one year, and then destroy the mountain people's spring ploughing for the second year, and their food will be exhausted. Without food, the mountain people can only surrender to the real sun!"

"Destructing the autumn harvest and spring ploughing... Well, Ezpan, I see your loyalty in my eyes, and there will be more important tasks for you to do!"

Seirot glanced at Ezpan calmly, patted the other's shoulder closely, and praised softly. The other party immediately looked excited and bowed in salute. Then, the king frowned and looked at the samurai chief.

"Bottard, you said just now, the support of 'people with a heart'? Could it be the south side..."

"Exactly, Your Highness."

The samurai chief nodded affirmatively.

"The scouts have returned their reports one after another. In the past few months, there have been some changes in Zicao County in the south. The old nobles who have surrendered continue to meet, and it seems that they have formed a loose alliance of mutual assistance. They also frequently send envoys to the nobles in the southwest mountainous area. We exchange conspiracies."

"These nobles who have quarreled with each other and have been in conflict with each other for generations can put aside their conflicts, but it is only to fight against the pressure from the central government. Once the Kingdom Legion is caught in the quagmire of the mountains, the nobles in the south will definitely support the mountain people secretly to divert the attention of His Highness, and try their best to do so. Consume the strength of the center..."

"Well, the old nobles in the south..."

Shulot asked indifferently, with no expression on his face.

"Are they going to rebel?"

"The Western Expedition has just ended, and the alliance's martial arts are still in sight. If they don't drive them to a dead end, I'm afraid they won't have the courage to rebel."

"Where is their bottom line?"

"Land."

The samurai chief replied briefly ~www.readwn.com~land...land...I will give them another chance to choose. Although the main **** is the **** of war, he is also merciful. "

The king's expression was calm, and he had already made a decision in his heart. Even if the setting sun is like blood and fills the evening sky, the sun will always bring light!

"I'm done resting, let's go!"

The marching trumpet sounded loudly, echoing in the vast sky and earth. The elite samurai once again formed an army.

When the sun slanted slightly to the west, the huge mountain mine finally appeared in front of everyone. A circle of wooden fences is hastily surrounded, dividing copper veins and mines. The gilded copper mines are marking the ground, the mounds of earth and stone are accumulating into hills, and black smoke is rising from the humble furnace.

The hordes of miners were shabby and slender. With their heads bowed and baskets on their backs, they were busy in and out of the mines, numbering more than a thousand. At the points of traffic and on the high ground in the mine, there are groups of Mexica warriors scattered around. The warriors, wearing armor and shields, and some holding longbows, are closely monitoring the operation of the mine. As the most important copper mine in Fengguo, there is a whole brigade of two hundred elite warriors stationed here.

Seeing Wang Qi approaching from a distance, a fully equipped samurai captain strode out of the mine. He walked in front of the king, showing a sturdy and familiar face, kneeling on the ground like a mountain.

"His Royal Highness, I greet you! I am the feather of a condor, following you to the end of heaven and earth!"

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