Aztec Civilization: Destiny to Conquer America!

The clear breeze and bright moon, the fierce morning sun. With the alternation of day and night, messengers come and go. For several days in a row, Xiulote stayed in the large camp outside the city, handling the reports returned from all sides.

Only when dusk fell did he have time to go into the city to see the weakly recuperating Nashu and his newly born yet strong son. Then, when the morning sun rose, he returned to the camp to continue handling military and political affairs with the assistance of Guard Commander Ecatl.

"Family Head, here is the report from the Divine Revelation Place at Black Rock Mountain on the southern coastal kingdom. The iron ore production at Black Rock Mountain is steadily increasing. The relatively cheap iron farm tools saved a lot of manpower during the autumn harvest in the two counties in the south this year. Both county magistrates in the south sent over a thousand laborers to the mining area for lumbering, charcoal burning, and ore excavation. Meanwhile, the production of iron farm tools has nearly doubled!"

"Hmm. Iron plows for farming, iron hoes for weeding, iron sickles for harvesting... and iron axes for logging, iron blades for chopping wood. The promotion of ironware can enhance the most fundamental production capacity of the kingdom! The importance of populating ironware should be prioritized along with agriculture!..."

Xiulote nodded, giving clear instructions. However, the kingdom's iron reserves are still too small compared to copper mines and gold and silver mines. He couldn't help but think of the enormous iron ore belt in Cuba and the deep iron ore belt in Colima, and he asked in a deep voice.

"It's been almost a year, and there's still no news from the kingdom's exploration fleet?"

"Reporting to the Family Head, there has been no latest news. The last intelligence General Black Wolf obtained from the Totonac captives was that half a year ago, the exploration fleet left Hidden Serpent City and headed east to Maya. Due to coastal warfare, the Maya trade route is temporarily interrupted, with no further Maya intelligence."

"I see! The exploration of Cuba... may the Chief Divine bless!"

Hearing this, Xiulote lowered his gaze and sincerely prayed. Then, he stroked his chin and asked in a deep voice.

"What about the Colima Mountain Region? How did the Chief of Colima respond to the kingdom's various requests?"

"The Chief of Colima agreed to allocate a thousand able-bodied men from the tribe to nearby excavate volcanic ash near the Colima Volcano for the kingdom's construction projects. As compensation, the kingdom needs to provide him with a thousand-man camp of copper spears and axes!..."

"As for seeking iron ore, the scouting teams on the tribal territory, the hinterland of the Colima Mountain Region, will have further access. As long as the scouting teams do not enter the most important Divine Mountain and the hot springs of the tribe, other areas will be open to passage! Lastly, he has a sincere request!"

"Hmm? What request?"

"He requests that if the Alliance truly finds the hard 'Ironstone Mine' that the ancestors once forged into Divine Weapons... then he does not want wealth, nor gemstones, only that the kingdom set up a smelting and forging place in the Colima Mountain Region nearby! He can provide able-bodied men, labor, and samurai as a guard, and the produced ironware should be divided between the Kingdom of the Lake and the great Colima tribe!"

"Dividing ironware? In what ratio?"

"He said it's fifty-fifty... but from the messenger's tone, specifics are still negotiable!"

"Ha! Developing together for a win-win cooperation... Chief of Colima is indeed quite a character! This request to borrow a chicken to lay an egg, proposed at this time... the kingdom indeed cannot refuse!..."

Xiulote was somewhat surprised to hear such a request, expressing his thoughts aloud. He shook his head, truly not expecting that the Chief of Colima, who lived in the mountains, would have such vision!

If the kingdom were to find iron ore, the best approach would be to mine and smelt locally. The development of iron mines requires a large number of miners, blacksmiths, and fuel. Given the relatively isolated terrain of the Colima Mountain Region, it certainly cannot proceed without the support of local tribes.

The implication of this request is that the kingdom provides technology and craftsmen, and the great Colima tribe provides labor and resources to gain the fastest development speed!

Through this method, the great Colima tribe and the Kingdom of the Lake are also more deeply bound together. The closer the relationship, the greater the shared interests, and the less likely war will break out.

As for completely subduing the Colima Mountain Region, conquering the Tecos Tribes, reestablishing stable order, and then mining iron ore... the kingdom's spread is currently too vast to focus forces quickly. This series of steps would take at least several years. At this moment, what Xiulote lacked most was time.

"Ecatl, the Chief of Colima, Iymar, is already over fifty, isn't he?"

"Yes, Family Head! Chief Iymar of Colima was a contemporary of your grandfather. Although he is relatively younger, he is certainly over fifty! He is still robust, with dozens of wives and concubines, sixteen or seventeen sons, and about as many daughters, forming marriages with various tribes in the mountains... In the Colima Mountain Region, the Chief of Colima is truly authoritative and deeply influential!"

"Tsk tsk! In his fifties, with over thirty children!..."

Upon hearing this, Xiulote had a pensive expression, even feeling a hint of envy. Such a vast number of offspring implies that the large family can expand and allocate to more extensive lands! Of course, many offspring also imply unavoidable contradictions over inheritance rights.

"If the Chief of Colima were to die early, tribal unrest is inevitable. At that time, the kingdom could take advantage of the situation to move south and completely conquer the Tecos Tribes, incorporating them directly into the kingdom! But the current situation shows he is healthy and well-established, making it difficult to act hastily. If new iron ore were to be discovered, and the Colima tribe jointly developed it with the Kingdom of the Lake, then I would have to hope the mountainous tribes remain stable and hope he lives longer!"

No one was around except Guard Commander Ecatl. Xiulote smiled and spoke openly, not hiding his intentions. If possible, he indeed hoped to quickly incorporate the resource-rich Colima Mountain Region directly into the kingdom.

Guard Commander Ecatl's expression shifted slightly, clearly sensing the lord's ambition. He pondered briefly and softly reminded.

"Family Head, the daughter of the Chief of Colima, Yilian, has been at Divine Power University for three or four years. Her courses are nearly completed, and at her age of twenty, she is considered an old maiden now..."

"Family Head, the position of scribe in the camp is still understaffed. Why not transfer her to your side... Additionally, the Chief of Colima had privately suggested to the kingdom's envoy that he wished to pass the tribal chieftain position to his grandchildren's generation..."

"Hmm? The Chief of Colima's hint... his daughter, the maiden Yilian?..."

Hearing this, Xiulote raised his eyebrows, pondering silently. He recalled the youthful girl with lively eyes, pouting lips, bare feet, full of wildness and youthful vigor, feeling a slight stir in his heart. In the over three years that flowed like water through his mind, he had experienced and changed too much. The price of being a king...

"Hmm, then... then transfer her over!"

"Yes, Family Head!"

Guard Commander Ecatl bowed his head in salute, his expression unchanged. He noticed the lord's hesitation but, as a warrior of the Holy City lineage, in his eyes there was never a King, only the Holy City lineage! And to strengthen the lineage's royal family, who else but the lord?

"With the Chief Divine as the witness! Since the Chief of Colima has such foresight, agree to his request! As long as he provides sufficient labor, I agree to the fifty-fifty ironware condition too!"

Xiulote, after a brief thought, granted his promise boldly.

"Of course, such conditions are limited to the iron mines developed jointly with the kingdom. As for the undeveloped ones, that can be discussed later..."

Hearing this, Guard Commander Ecatl's eyes shifted slightly, signifying his understanding. However, he still held a bit of concern, softly inquiring.

"Family Head, the scouting teams have searched for several months without any discoveries... Is it certain there is iron ore in the Colima Mountain Region?"

"Witnessed by the Chief Divine, I once received a Divine Revelation! Deep beneath the Colima Mountain Region, there is definitely an unimaginably vast iron ore belt!"

When mentioning the Divine Revelation, Xiulote's expression was solemn, earnest, and dignified. Guard Commander Ecatl respectfully lowered his head, his eyes filled with heartfelt reverence. He had witnessed the lord's many Divine Revelations and was already convinced beyond doubt.

"Yet this Colima great iron ore belt lies too deep! With the kingdom's present technology, large-scale extraction is not yet possible. However, the ore belt beneath the earth will always vary in depth and extend. By carefully searching the surface of the Colima Mountain Region, open-pit or shallow small mines can surely be found!"

Having said that, Xiulote gave a confident smile, fully assured.

"These small-scale iron mines are sufficient for now... be patient! Since the Colima tribes have further opened up their hinterland forests to the kingdom, it won't be long before the exploratory teams make new discoveries!"

"Yes, Family Head!"

Guard Commander Ecatl nodded confidently, with no doubts whatsoever. He flipped through documents, reading out another vital issue.

"Additionally, the Divine Revelation Place at Black Rock Mountain requests a batch of new granular gunpowder to assist with mountain mining... and the Divine Revelation Director, Gunpowder Bureau Director Talaya, has personally led a team to try 'explosive mining' at the open-pit copper mine area in the southern Zicao County!"