Aztec Civilization: Destiny to Conquer America!

The grand tent was in utter silence, even the wind held its breath. Only the king's fury, like a suppressed thundercloud, revealed a deep and terrifying power. This stillness lasted for a while before Guard Commander Ecatl lowered his head and softly advised.

"Family Head, please quell your anger! These two rumors are likely someone... deliberately sowing discord between you and the King..."

"I know."

Xiulote remained expressionless, nodding slowly. The anger on his face somewhat subsided, but the murderous intent in his eyes intensified.

"The first rumor undermines the central royal authority, belittles King Aweit, and covertly sows discord between Aweit and me. The second rumor is even more sinister, aiming to create discord between Aweit and me, exposing the hidden contradictions between the Kingdom of the Lake and the central royal family through prophecy to everyone!..."

At this point, Xiulote gritted his teeth, burning with rage.

If the first rumor was still just catching shadows and creating some hearsay, then the second rumor was blatantly proclaiming that the sky has two suns. Such hidden conflicts should have been limited to the upper echelons of the Alliance and could have been reconciled through political means. But the spreader's aim now is to trigger conflict between him and Aweit, even intending to incite civil war within the Alliance!

"Their hearts deserve punishment! Spreading rumors, sowing discord... these damn great nobles of the Alliance!"

Xiulote restrained his fury, contemplated for a moment, and then traced the origin of the rumors back to the Alliance's great nobles. Guard Commander Ecatl, standing beside him, opened his mouth as if to say something but refrained when he saw His Highness's angry face.

"Witnessed by the Chief Divine! It seems the blood of reform has not flowed enough..."

Xiulote muttered to himself, exuding murderous intent. He clearly understood these rumors were damaging the King's authority and creating a divide between the Dual Kings. Even Chief Intelligence Officer Gillim, wanting to suppress the Kingdom, would never use such a self-harming method! Once these rumors take effect, those who benefit will inevitably be the great nobles of the Alliance!

King Aweit's vigorous centralization, demanding City-State Warriors, collecting fief tributes, and interfering in noble succession, was steadily weakening the military, financial, and judicial powers of the Alliance's great nobles! Simultaneously, the King undermined them further by massively reassigning powers, relocating influential nobles to newly seized fiefs, thus dividing the local City-State nobles and dismantling their resistance!

After this dual strategy, the Alliance's great nobles were left dizzy and spat blood. Their interests were severely weakened, and their power severely damaged during the wars.

In the Mexica Alliance that revered might, the strongest King Aweit had already unified the Texcoco Lake District, commanding fifty thousand loyal Royal Warriors! The second strongest, Prince Xiulote, also had seven legions, wielding the might of fifty thousand Kingdom's Warriors! As long as King Aweit and Prince Xiulote joined forces, their combined strength of a hundred thousand warriors would be enough to suppress any rebellion in the world!

As for the remaining Eleven States' great nobles of Mexica, even if they combined all their efforts, they could only muster fifty thousand City-State Warriors... But these nobles, each with their own agendas and varying loyalties, could never fully unite to fight the royal family to the death. Their only way to resist royal centralization and preserve their own interests was to sabotage the alliance between the King and the Prince, provoking the Dual Kings' opposition!

"Who could be this cunning fellow hiding in the shadows? Or who could these people be?"

Xiulote lowered his eyes and pondered for a long time. He carefully calculated the influential factions within each State of the Alliance in his mind and weighed them one by one.

"The traditional Seven States of Mexica, the Yuyan family of the southwestern Sun City, is a royal branch holding a succession dispute with Montezuma II. Yu Yan Clan Chief Mixcoatl is in the eastern expedition army, likely not causing mischief..."

"The Mountain Family of the western Gold Mountain City has already been interfered with regarding succession rights. The old Clan Leader Tepeiter supposedly died at the hands of the Holy City faction, and the new Clan Leader Izel is quite obedient to the King and me..."

"In the northwest Tzompantli City, the Acid Wood Clan Leader Xochitl died in the eastern expedition; the family split into four. The current Legion Commander is Yunshan Clan Chief Huitzilopochtli, whom I do not know much about. But for Aweit to have elevated him, there naturally is a biased reason..."

"In the northern Strait Gold City, the Strait Gold Clan Leader Carlo is brave and skilled in battle. But such cunning stratagems, with his temperament... at most, he could be a participant..."

"In the northeastern Reed Marsh City, the Reed Clan Chief Xintle has always been on friendly terms with the royal family. He has waged war with the Telascallan for many years and exhibits great courage and shrewdness..."

"The southeastern High Mountain City's Coiled Python Clan Leader Moyahualo, stationed in Water Valley City, is impatient and somewhat greedy, but should have no such grand ambition..."

"The southern Salt Lake City's Flower Tree Clan Leader Huochiku'a is also in the eastern expedition army. He is skilled in calculations, with significant insights into finance, unlike traditional Mexica nobles..."

Xiulote's thoughts wandered around the traditional Seven States' great nobles. He harbored some vague suspicions but could not confirm them.

After all, these great nobles of the Alliance had once shed blood in the West and East campaigns for the Divine and fought for the Alliance. Were it not for the King's push for centralization reform, they could all be praised as 'pious Divine Descendants of the Chief Divine, loyal Lords of the Alliance!'

"Besides the traditional Seven States, there are the Four States recently conquered. Over twenty years ago, the earliest to be conquered was the Metztitlan State, controlled by Prickly Pear City, led by Prickly Pear Clan Leader Metztitl. At over fifty, he has been stationed in the North, guarding against the Canine Descendants, and remains quite low-key. Prickly Pear City is over four hundred miles from the Capital City, not significantly affected by centralization reform..."

"Nine years ago, the Alliance captured the northern Xilotepec City, also known as Suiqiu City, guarded by the royal branch Jaguar Osellor. As a noble of royal descent, he has always been careful, staying in the North and not participating in kingdom affairs..."

"Six years ago, the western campaign conquered the Tlaxcalan region, where Akanbaro State granted Tepopolo a fief, with its administrative center at Longran Fortress. Although ambitious, Tepopolo lacks the means to exercise it. He aligns with the King, and his fief is also far, with little impact from reform..."

"Likewise, after the western campaign, Xitaqualo State granted Isshiki at Qixixai. Izel is a royal family member known for his loyalty to the King... In this eastern campaign, he exerted a tremendous effort, personally attacking Oak Tree City..."

Silence reigned in the tent, as daylight gradually dimmed. Guard Commander Ecatl lit a campfire and unfurled an Alliance map, laying it before His Highness.

Xiulote gazed at the map dotted with names of Alliance City-States and family names, his expression cold yet focused. Each of these independent local States was a target of Aweit's centralization, an objective for the King to eliminate. And this, too, was his target!

"Unify the world, annihilate each tribe. Abolish enfeoffment, establish counties. Achieve uniformity in vehicles, script, travel.. this is truly the legacy of the First Emperor's endeavors!..."

Xiulote murmured softly, his eyes filled with unwavering determination. Observing the rapidly evolving Mexica Alliance under centralization reform, transitioning from a loosely autonomous City-State alliance to a centralizing Kingdom of the royal family!

In this process, from the immortal and ruthless elders to the resolute High Priest, and then to the ambitious King, countless Divine Descendants and nobles had been killed, and much noble blood had been shed! And the entire world of Central America, after enduring nearly two thousand years of the City-State era, was finally inching forward, towards the path of a Theocratic Kingdom, or even a Theocracy Empire!

"Religious reform, external Divine War! Centralization reform, internal reduction of vassals!..."

The campfire flickered, shadows dancing in the changing light. Starlight descended, hinting at destinies. Xiulote gazed at the vast and twinkling sky, hoping to discern answers from Divine Revelation but found nothing. But a king's heart, at this moment, was utterly clear. He already had answers to all the issues.

"Witnessed by the Chief Divine and Ancestors! An upheaval unseen in two thousand years is unfolding within a few years. The unification of the world and great enterprise shall be established; no one can obstruct it!"

"As long as Aweit lives a day, I shall yield a step, following the vows I made! But should he unexpectedly perish, I shall step forward, inheriting the legacy!"