Aztec Civilization: Destiny to Conquer America!
Chapter 778 - 422 Banquet and Prayers, Lakeside Village_2

Chapter 778: Chapter 422 Banquet and Prayers, Lakeside Village_2

Xiulote nodded. Upon hearing the elder’s prayer, the faces of the nobles showed seven parts reverence, three parts fear.

"Praise the King, let’s drain this cup! He is the supreme King who will lead the entire Alliance into a powerful future, unifying all the lands under heaven!"

Izel became solemn, turning to face the East.

"To the King’s health! May he rule over all the world!"

The nobles from the West did not respond immediately. They glanced at each other until a few elder nobles took the lead, and then, one by one, turned to face the East.

"To the King’s health! May he rule over all the world!"

Xiulote observed it all. To the celebration of King Aweit, the nobles showed five parts awe, three parts compliance, and two parts concealed dissatisfaction. This dissatisfaction stemmed from the King’s centralization reforms. Whether it was the priests sent to the villages, the gradual retrieval of commercial taxes, or interference with noble inheritance, all these signified damage to the interests of the Great Nobility.

These conflicts were for the time being suppressed by the strong central authority and were continuously mitigated by war and land redistribution, maintaining a superficial calm.

"If the elder were to travel to the Divine Kingdom, would the powerful local nobles still be this obedient?"

Xiulote lowered his gaze, pondering in silence, until Izel approached him once more.

Izel raised a cup, offering a respectful bow to his Highness, making Xiulote the center of the banquet.

"Praise your Highness, let’s drain this cup! He is the invincible Commander-in-Chief, and also the future sun of the Alliance. With the grand ceremony approaching, let us celebrate your Highness’s wedding!"

The crowd gathered around, with beaming smiles on their faces. With his Highness close at hand, the nobles’ expressions were naturally filled with immense joy and sincerity!

"To your Highness’s health! May you and the princess shoulder the future of the Alliance together and step into an even more glorious future!..."

The next day at noon, Xiulote awoke from a deep sleep. He suddenly opened his eyes and, seeing the Head Warrior standing at the doorway, he breathed a sigh of relief. He had drunk far too much the night before, and although the strength of the tequila wasn’t high, continuous drinking was enough to knock someone out.

Xiulote gave a wry smile and shook his head, rubbing his brow, and looked towards the Head Warrior.

"Last night, did I say anything I shouldn’t have?"

Bertade smiled faintly, shaking his head.

"Your Highness, no. You didn’t say anything while you were drunk. You just seemed to be mumbling, reciting some kind of intoned, indecipherable... Scripture?"

"Hmm? Intoned, indecipherable Scripture?"

Xiulote paused, a guess forming faintly in his mind.

"Yes. There was a phrase you kept repeating, over and over. You must have said it dozens of times; I could have memorized it."

Bertade began to speak with a smile, recounting the "Scripture" he didn’t understand but could remember.

"...The so-called beloved, across the water~ The so-called beloved, across the water!~~"

"Uh..."

"Oh right, there’s another line afterwards that I could understand."

Bertade curved his lips, repeating softly.

"The so-called beloved, across the water. Alisa, I’m coming!~"

"Ah?..."

"Your Highness, what does this Scripture mean?"

Hearing this, Xiulote felt somewhat embarrassed and replied with forced composure.

"That phrase means to pray to the Chief Divine for the wedding to proceed smoothly!..."

"Good. Your Highness, I will remember it."

"..."

Relaxed moments are always fleeting. Xiulote did not stay long in the western City-State. On the afternoon of the third day, he boarded the galleys once again, leading three thousand Imperial Guards toward Lake Texcoco, which was a hundred or so miles away.

Several days later, the shimmering waters of Lake Texcoco once again danced before the King’s eyes. The Texcoco Lake District was the heart of the Alliance and the most prosperous place in the Mexican Valley.

All along the way, the surrounding villages were bustling with people, and the lake bustled with merchant travelers. Bright flowers blossomed on the islands of the lake, which were the gardens of the nobility. Large expanses of green Milpa fields lined the lake’s shore, with farmers busily at work in the fields. The rich Chinampas floated on the lake, growing expensive herbs, cacao, and spices. Everything before everyone’s eyes was filled with the prosperity of early summer.

Starting from Lake Texcoco, the Kingdom’s fleet turned south. As the sun dipped westward, the Holy City of Teotihuacan appeared on the eastern shore of the lake, still dozens of miles away.

Xiulote ordered to stop the ship. He landed on the soil of the East shore of the Lake Region, gazing at the homeland of this life. Memories of his youth came flooding back, filling him with an inexplicable sense of emotion. Soon, dusk was approaching, with the golden red afterglow spreading across the surface of the lake. Taking three hundred Imperial Guards, Xiulote found a village by the lake, and there, near his ancestral land, he rested for the night.

Compared to the villages in the Patzcuaro Lake region, those by Lake Texcoco were clearly more prosperous. Apart from granaries, the village had quite a few stone houses and numerous smaller wooden huts.

With the arrival of the noble prince, several "elders" who managed the village came to respectfully welcome him, prostrating themselves in salute. According to the traditions of the Alliance, one of them was the village Priest, another was the village leader, and the other two were distinguished Samurai or Militia leaders.

Xiulote, with a gentle expression, consoled the "elders" with a few words. Then, he called over Yueluoji, the young village Priest, to accompany him for a look around the village.

The statue of the Chief Divine stood at the center of the village. Beneath the statue lay a stone altar, upon which were placed natural pine resin, fragrant herbs, dried smoked meats, and some scattered gold grains. Indeed, the villages in the Mexican Valley were so wealthy that they adorned the altars of the deities with precious metals.

It was time for the evening prayers, and many villagers were kneeling in front of the altar, praying devoutly to the Chief Divine. Xiulote observed from a distance for a moment, careful not to disturb. Satisfied, he nodded and smilingly said to the young Priest,

"Not bad, the believers are very devout. Yueloij, next, take me to the village granary!"

Upon hearing this, the young Priest Yueloij pursed his lips, bowed his head and obeyed.

The group headed towards the granary constructed of green bricks. The rainy season in the Valley was very hot, and the rainfall was abundant. The granary had to be built strictly of stone, and covered with thatch and leaves to keep the food dry and prevent mold for a long time.

Xiulote inspected the exterior of the granary, touched the thick walls, and once again nodded in satisfaction.

"Yueloij, take me inside to have a look!"

"Supreme High Priest... "

Yueloij clenched his teeth, seemed about to say something, but remained silent. He silently pushed open the granary door and entered first.

"Hmm?!"

As Xiulote entered the granary, his face instantly darkened. The granary walls were empty, and there were only a few bags of dried beans, baskets of dried pumpkins, and some dried insects. There was not even a single bag of corn! It was important to note that it was only mid to late July. There were still more than two months to the corn harvest and over a month for pumpkins.

"Damn it!"

Hearing the Supreme High Priest’s angry shout, the young Priest Yueloij "thump" dropped to his knees.

"Supreme High Priest... "

"Yueloij, according to the religious law, the granary should always have a year’s worth of grain stored in case of famine the following year!"

Xiulote’s face turned ashen as he let out a "clang" while drawing his Bronze Sword, his voice filled with murderous intent.

"Tell me, where has the food in the granary gone?... Did you divert it?"

"Ah! Respected Supreme High Priest, I didn’t, I didn’t... "

Yueloij’s face turned pale. He kept knocking his head on the ground, frantically explaining.

"The Chief Divine bears witness! I have diverted none of the food!... Supreme High Priest, the grain in the village was all taken away by the hereditary Nobility who were originally in charge here!"

"Hmm?"

Upon hearing this, Xiulote’s expression shifted slightly.

"All of it taken away?"

"Just so, just so!"

Yueloij bobbed his head, swearing with a clenched fist.

"Supreme High Priest, four months ago, this place had just become directly subordinate to the Alliance! The hereditary Nobility here seized one last Tribute, taking away the grain and valuables. Even the Tribute Gold offered to the Chief Divine was sifted from the rivers near the gold mines over the past two months..."

"... Damn! Which Nobility dared to be so bold?"

Upon hearing the news, Xiulote’s face flushed with anger.

"Tell me the name of the hereditary Nobility here! I want to report to the Alliance for severe punishment!"

"Ah? Supreme High Priest... "

"What, you dare not say?"

"... No, it’s not that."

Yueloij licked his lips and cautiously answered.

"That hereditary Nobility has already been decreed by the High Priest to be wiped out!"