NOVPUBXiulote carefully placed the letter and sachet into his bosom, keeping them close to his body. Inside, there was also the longing he had awaited for so long.
Aweit sighed, looked at the starry skies for a while, and then said with a smile,
"Let’s continue discussing the division of land. After conquering the Tarasco Kingdom, I plan to divide the land in the lake, roughly into three parts."
Xiulote stood up straight, listening intently to Aweit’s arrangements.
"First is your fief. To the north, it goes up to the long Lerma River, to the east to the mountains of the Apachigan State, and to the south to the vast Tarsas River. The flourishing Patzcuaro Lake Region, the important southern copper mines of the Lake Region, the majestic Qinchongcan City, and the rich Ihuatzio City... I entrust all these places to you! As long as you can effectively control the situation, most of the kingdom will be your fief!"
"Xiulote, my student, I should live a long time yet! And it will be a very long time before you return to the capital city. During such a long time, you should be given the opportunity to wage war. Therefore, I will not set the western boundary of your fief. This westward campaign will stop at Qinchongcan City; after that, the focus will be on the Tlaxcala people. The further west Chapala Lake Region, the southwest Colima Mountain Region, the northwest Guamal Canine Descendants, and even the far North Tekos, I leave to you to slowly conquer!"
Hearing such frank words, Xiulote broke into a slight sweat on his forehead, and his heart was full of emotion. He did not know what to say and could only bow deeply in respect.
"Your Majesty... Aweit... I..."
"No rush! As a king, I must make the necessary arrangements, and also to prevent others from inciting you to do foolish things that would put me in a difficult position."
Aweit laughed heartily and patted Xiulote’s shoulder once more.
"Next is the nobleman Tepopolo of honor. He has relinquished the nominal fief of Tlatelolco City and requested to move to a foreign state. His fief will be on both sides of the Lerma River. The ring of wooden forts on the north coast, the state of Akanbaro on the south coast, and the rivermouth fortress to the west are all granted to his family. These areas are densely forested and sparsely populated, full of fortresses and poor land; they are primarily military territories intended for defense. He won’t be a threat to you."
At this point, Xiulote was stunned. He opened his mouth to say something, but he did not know how to start.
"Lastly is Iskali, of the Royal Family. His fief is in the Apachigan State. This fief is even smaller, also primarily for defense, a fully militarized complex of fortresses. Furthermore, he is also responsible for overseeing the new royal direct territory to the south of the Tarsas River, the Weytamo State, which has many copper mines. The copper mines south of Ihuatzio City are given to you, and this region with copper ore will be directly under the Royal Family!"
Xiulote recalled the map of the lake’s central area in his mind, making Aweit’s arrangements even clearer. The northern Akanbaro State had a strong fortress line, and the southern terrain of Apachigan State was even more formidable. This division effectively created separate military territories along the attack routes of the northern and southern armies, carving out the southern and northern barriers of the Tarasco Kingdom, leaving the heartland to himself.
Thus, the core of the alliance, the Texcoco Lake District, would maintain a commanding geographical position. Even if the Patzcuaro Lake Region once again became prosperous and powerful, or even if it sought to become independent and rebel, it would hardly threaten the core of the alliance.
After clarifying these points, Xiulote found it difficult to speak again.
"Aweit, is this... this plan... designed by Gillim?"
"Hmm, it’s the Intelligence Officer’s second proposal. Why, Xiulote, are you not satisfied?"
Aweit’s gentle gaze suddenly sharpened. He looked into Xiulote’s eyes and said with a faint smile,
"Xiulote, my student. I have already done my utmost to give you the most! According to the Intelligence Officer’s first plan, the Tarasco Kingdom was to be divided into dozens of fragmented small cities, with the local nobility checking and balancing each other... My student, what more do you desire?"
Xiulote fell silent for a while, clenched his teeth, but still looked into Aweit’s eyes and spoke honestly.
"Aweit, I want the rivermouth fortress! To subjugate the Chapala Lake Region and Guamal Canine Descendants we need the waterways of the Lerma River. The rivermouth fortress is the best naval base and an excellent center for shipbuilding! Besides, I have a distant idea: to let the naval forces travel along the Lerma River, all the way to the Great Lake, then north, to the many islands on the lake. There are countless natural fertilizers there... I can give up part of the Lake Region fief..." 𝘯𝑜𝑣𝑝𝑢𝘣.𝑐𝑜𝑚
Aweit did not speak. He gazed into Xiulote’s sincere eyes and nodded slowly.
"Good! The Rivermouth fortress was conquered by you, so I am giving it to you! Since you want to build ships, I will also provide you with a group of shipwrights!"
Xiulote’s face revealed genuine joy. He pondered for a moment, then promised earnestly.
"The bronze technology of the Prepetcha people is unparalleled. They possess not only the simple skills for red copper but also the sophisticated technology for bronze! The spearheads of the king’s army spears are all made of sturdy bronze, the battle axes of the Copper-axe Guards are also bronze weapons, and even Su’angua has a cumbersome suit of bronze armor!"
These bronze weapons hold a tremendous advantage. The reason why the Tarasco Kingdom was able to centralize power and become the sole kingdom is by relying on the central bronze technology. Qinchongcan City has always strictly managed the bronze technology as a top secret, and only the softer red copper is exported...
I have captured a batch of coppersmiths in Ihuatzio City and roughly understand the manufacturing of bronze. Just give me some time to experiment, and I’ll be able to figure out how to build large-scale copper smelting furnaces. Once we conquer Qinchongcan City, I will quickly organize these technologies and hand them over to you. With the ability to mass-produce bronze, the Alliance can effectively reform the mining industry, mass-produce bronze agricultural tools and implements, and then construct roads in the wilderness to connect the Alliance into a kingdom!"
Aweit listened quietly to Xiulote’s narration. Although he did not understand the craft of these metals, he could discern the excitement in the young man’s words and envision a brand new future. After a while, Aweit responded with a smile.
"Haha, Xiulote, you are the prince of Divine Revelation. I will leave all these technological inventions to you!"
Then, Aweit’s expression grew slightly solemn.
"The people of Tlaxcala from the East have mobilized thirty thousand Samurai, thirty thousand Militia, and have already invaded the southeast of the Alliance, capturing half of the Xochipeople State. And the people of Vastec to the northeast are also showing signs of instability. Along this path, the enemies of the Apachigan State have already surrendered due to lack of provisions, and Commander-in-Chief Quiyus is nowhere to be found. The total of the Southern Army now has just over thirty thousand Samurai and twenty thousand Militia, with most having returned to support. The rest have followed me here. I also will not stay too long in Qinchongcan City."
"Thirty thousand Samurai, thirty thousand Militia? The Tlaxcala really launched a major invasion?! Is Acap alright in the Holy City Cholula?"
Xiulote showed surprise. He had been moving through the hinterlands of Tarasco and was not well-informed about distant news.
"Ha, Acap is very welcomed by the elders in the religious City-States, with sacred smoke, Holy Water, songs and dances, beautiful women—his days are much more comfortable than ours. As for our old enemy Tlaxcala, I will personally lead the troops into battle! Xiulote, do you have any plans for attacking the formidable Qinchongcan City?"
"Hmm, regarding the siege, I indeed have some plans. These days, some Nobility from within the city have secretly sent Envoys to contact me. They are willing to collectively surrender on the condition that the Alliance guarantees their fiefs."
As he said this, Xiulote’s face showed a faint smile.
"Guaranteeing their fiefs... Well, although a Monarch is a proud eagle, sometimes it can also be like a clever fox, flexibly dealing with the foolish turkeys."
Aweit chuckled.
Xiulote too, laughed. He squinted his eyes, smiling like a little fox.
"That won’t be necessary. I actually have another approach. These days, the legions appeared to be slowly building siege mounds and equipment, lulling the defending army within the city into complacency, while I’ve also been making secret contacts. I’ve been waiting for your reinforcements to arrive so that we can overwhelm Qinchongcan City in one fell swoop!... Yes, that’s the way... Just like that."
"Oh? That’s great! Since you’ve already been planning ahead, then the eight thousand Samurai at my command will also be temporarily placed under your orders!"
"Ah, thank you your majesty!... Thank you, my mentor!"
Xiulote bowed deeply on the ground, and Aweit accepted it calmly. The night was deep, and stars scattered across the land, the two kings sat opposite each other. In a few brief exchanges, they decided on matters of national importance; with relaxed and cheerful banter, they set the rise and fall of the world. The long night conversation continued under the gleaming starlight, until dawn approached. The Ziwei Star disappeared to the north, the Baixing star rose from the east to the west, and a new day was about to begin!
