Aztec Civilization: Destiny to Conquer America!

In the low tent, a bright fire basin was lit. The orange-red firelight warmed a pot of light fruit wine and illuminated a broad wooden map. The simple sketches of jungle and city-state unfurled on the wooden map passed down by the tribes, marked with ancient pictographs and annotated by mythology and legend, revealing the vast seaside lands.

"From the conquered Feathered Serpent Holy City to the unconquered Hidden Serpent Holy City, it is a seaside land of a thousand miles. In hundreds of years, countless powerful tribe chiefs have longed to completely unify the Totonac tribes and establish a formidable alliance never seen before, to resist the threat from the Highland…"

"Yet, in recorded history, no Totonac chief has achieved their ambitions. Regarding the countless tribes scattered throughout the jungle and along the coastal interior, only the priests of the two Holy Lands truly establish widespread influence…"

The Serpent Mother Priest Miyava sat solemnly opposite Xiulote. At this moment, her eyes shone with the light of wisdom, her voice steady and confident, yet concealing a slight, almost imperceptible excitement.

"Among all the tribes, only three groups truly hold power: the most noble Divine Descendants, priests who communicate with the Divine, and warriors who wield force! The first two come from hereditary lineage, born with the power to rule. Only the last, the warriors, would accept brave ordinary tribespeople…"

"Similarly, governing tribes and wielding ruling power requires cultural heritage. The nobility of the Divine Descendants and priests lies not only in bloodline and divinity but also in the knowledge they inherit. Beyond these two, those who also possess heritage are the tribal sages from small tribes or those by the storytelling fires. Their tribes are small, unable to support truly noble Divine Descendants and priests… To these people, governance means farming in the fields. The entire tribe, with thousands upon thousands of tribespeople, is…"

Miyava paused at this point. She smiled, looking at the pondering King opposite.

Xiulote raised an eyebrow, thought for a moment, and asked in a deep voice.

"Do the Totonac priests view the tribes as crops? Are the tribespeople corn?"

"No! Your Highness, you've guessed wrong! Corn is the harvest, a gift from the Sun God and the Feathered Serpent Divine. How could ordinary tribespeople be corn?"

Miyava shook her head with a smile and spoke quietly.

"The tribe is fertile land, while the tribespeople are but endless soil. We plant crops in the soil, and stable governance is allowing the seeds to grow, extending firm roots to grip all the soil within."

"Soil…"

Upon hearing such a metaphor, Xiulote's eyes flickered, and he calmly asked.

"Is this the view of the Totonac priests?"

"Yes, Your Highness."

Miyava nodded affirmatively. Then, as if she thought of something, she added.

"This is not just the view of the Coastal Priest, but also the view of the Divine Descendants and warriors, and even of the soil themselves. Extending from the seaside lands, the more ancient Zapotecs of the South, and the more stubborn Mayans of the East, are all the same, even further… In the two-thousand-year mythology of the Mayans, the world is ruled by the Cotton God Tree. And under its sacred canopy, the nobility is innate, like the rise and fall of the sun and moon, unchangeable by anyone…"

Upon hearing this, Xiulote nodded, his thoughts drifting afar. The political ecology of the lowland tribes indeed differs entirely from those of the Highland.

On the Mexican Plateau, relentless battles persist, constantly impacted by the southward invasion of the Northern Canine Descendants. Mighty dynasties rise one after another, only to crumble within centuries, with tribes continually merging, status constantly overturned. In comparison, from the Totonac to the Maya, isolated and scattered rainforest tribes can pass down traditions for millennia, becoming more class-consolidated and culturally stagnant. These long-term isolated heritages form stubborn traditions and notions of status, becoming the greatest enemy to centralized kingdom governance!

Realistically, the Alliance has never truly ruled these distant and scattered city-states. It requires careful exploration to find ways to establish governance. Once mature experiences are gained, the new governing system can be applied across the entire southern world, and further promoted to the Maya Lands!

"Continue! I want to hear something new."

"Yes, Your Highness... Conquest is the fire of slash-and-burn agriculture, burning the corn that once grew on the land, while governance is farming… The farmers who farm are the priests, Divine Descendants, and sages who wield knowledge, and the farm tools in the farmer's hands are the tribe's warriors…"

"The great fire of Mexica came from the Highland, burning away the crops of the fields, killing most of the Divine Descendant farmers. The remaining junior priests and small tribe sages scattered and fled, hiding in the forest, watching from afar the land consumed in flames. The farm tools in the farmers' hands are scattered all over, held by new masters, yet hardly suitable, some even pricking the hands…"

"Therefore, Your Highness, in managing this land, you must accept part of the past farmers, grasp the old tools, and then plant new seeds… Among them, the hardest part is winning hearts! From the old farmers and tools, select those who are usable and reliable, or turn them into usable and reliable ones, which is not an easy task…"

"Miyava, have you ever thought? Perhaps, the soil can become farmers too, managing themselves…"

"Oh… Your Highness, are you joking? I've never seen it happen… At least, in the seaside lands, in the millennia of heritage tablets, it has never appeared…"

"..."

Xiulote didn't speak, raised his eyebrow, and lowered his gaze. Miyava blinked her eyes and spoke softly. Her voice was slightly hoarse yet had a mature allure.

"Your Highness, you should acknowledge that in the ancient seaside lands, the kingdom's rule is like seeds sown a few days ago, just starting to sprout... It's far from establishing roots and growing tall branches... let alone growing into the divine tree that you hope for, one that reaches through the heaven and earth!"

Upon hearing this, Xiulote was silent for a moment and nodded.

"Miyava, you see clearly... The kingdom's rule here relies entirely on force. And now, more than five hundred thousand Totonac tribes have surrendered, and there are fifty thousand defectors from tribes that have experienced war... the kingdom's twenty thousand legion is gradually becoming insufficient..."

For the Kingdom of the Lake, the larger the area conquered, and the more tribes subdued, the fewer troops are available for expeditions. In actuality, Black Wolf Torc brought only ten thousand legion east across the Adobe River due to lack not only of food but also of mobile forces. Xiulote leads four thousand Imperial Guard Legion garrisoned in Golden Bay City, firmly bound by ten thousand newly surrendered Totonac tribes, unable to leave. To put it plainly, the hearts of all tribes, including the lowest tribespeople, do not rest within the Alliance. A single spark not extinguished in time could ignite a blaze!

"Your Highness, establishing rule is like farming; it needs field management and time to nurture. You've already planted the seeds, as long as your Royal Banner remains here, or the powerful Mexica legion stays here, the seeds have the most reliable protection!... as long as you give it enough time, it can grow tall and become a divine tree reaching the clouds!"

"Miyava, you know well... I am the heir to the Alliance, and the king of the Kingdom of the Lake. I don't have time to stay here as the king of seaside lands for long. My Imperial Guard Legion cannot remain here for too long either!"

Xiulote shook his head, gazing at the smart woman before him. The woman blinked and softly asked.

"Your Highness, how long can you stay here? And your legion?"

"This is the kingdom's most secret military information. Do you really wish to know?"

Xiulote squinted as a jaguar before hunting. Miyava raised her chest, her gaze resolute, as if she were the deer ready for sacrifice.

"Absolutely! Only when you tell me all the plans can I strategize for you... giving everything..."

"...Very good!"

Xiulote gave her a deep gaze and spoke seriously.

"I will stay here... at most one year, or a year and a half... and if the king summons me to join a new Southern Expedition Divine War, I must return at any moment..."

"Ah! A year and a half... that's enough!"

Upon hearing this, Miyava's eyes twinkled with a charming smile. She reached out her arms, embracing the strong ruler, moaning softly.

"Your Highness... to grow a great divine tree in the seaside lands, you need a divine Totonac seed... a golden cotton seed carrying divinity from all tribes, embodying the greatness in the myth..."

"And only such a golden seed will make the entire seaside lands rejoice, make the discontented farmers bow, make the surrendered Totonac Warriors return to heart... and make tens of thousands of humble tribespeople follow the inertia of hundreds or thousands of years, follow the prophecy in the legend, prostrate at your feet!..."

"Mighty Your Highness! I am willing to serve you loyally, nurturing such a sacred seed for you... I will also carefully be your most loyal Farmer Chief, helping your sacred seed grow strong! Please trust me! The feathered serpent line's priests, the tribal sages, those ordinary divine servants mastering knowledge and the hearts of people, will all, for the prophesied 'Him', for the hope of Totonac unification, for the chance to be accepted by the new king... loyally submit to you, converting to the Supreme Main God! And 'Him' is the sway of people's hearts!"

"Hm? Sacred seed? 'Him'?"

Xiulote furrowed his brow, pondered for a moment, and suddenly opened his eyes wide.

"Miyava! You mean... you want... hm?!"

"Indeed! Wise Your Highness... Only the revered bloodline of the sun and the giant serpent has the innate qualification to rule the seaside lands!... In all seaside tribes' common hope and lore, the true king of the Totonac will be born at the seaside through the union of the sun and serpent, merging all Totonac tribes!"

Speaking here, Miyava chanted loudly, even becoming euphoric. Her body trembled, excitement surged uncontrollably. Her face was flushed as she leaned towards Xiulote's ear, almost urgently, softly calling.

"Your Highness! Let me bear a sacred child for you! A child born with the divine bloodline of both highland and lowland, an unprecedented sacred son... a king in the prophecy and legend of Totonac!"