Aztec Civilization: Destiny to Conquer America!
Chapter 781 - 424: An Audience in the Capital City

Chapter 781: Chapter 424: An Audience in the Capital City

The moist, long breeze from the mountains in the East swept over everyone on the boat, bringing with it the fresh fragrance of grass and trees, refreshing the spirits of all.

On the galleys, everyone was silent, watching the conversation between an old man and a young one. Xiulote pondered for a moment, lowered his head in sincere earnest, and saluted Cacamatzin once again.

"Chief Divine bless! Uncle Cacamatzin, I will follow your arrangements!"

"Haha, very good! Chief Divine bless!"

Cacamatzin laughed heartily, his laughter filled with appreciation. Then, he took Xiulote’s hand, and started chatting about family matters and occasionally inquired about the kingdom’s situation.

Xiulote answered openly, sharing his experiences in wars in the south and the north and his feelings about governing the kingdom. Both men had their own thoughts, yet they were incredibly sincere, and amidst their hearty laughter, there was great joy.

The two fleets soon merged, majestically heading towards the grand Lake Capital City. From here to the Capital City, there were only a little more than sixty miles of waterway remaining, which could be covered by boat in one or two days.

As July drew to a close, the weather became stormier. Light summer rain fell from the hazy sky, hitting Lake Texcoco and raising a mist as blurred as the sky. The people traveled in their boats wrapped in the misty rain, surrounded by a paradise-like wonderland.

Xiulote stood at the bow, gazing at the heart of the Alliance, the most prosperous place in the world. Villages and towns faintly appeared from both banks, with songs of prayer floating by; merchant travelers made way on the lake, scatterings of exclaimed awe wafting over.

"The Lake Capital City is right before us."

Cacamatzin stood beside, gazing at the smoke-enshrouded Capital City. As the fleet moved forward, huge Chinampas filled the lake, and the white causeways became faintly visible.

"Xiulote, the Lake Capital City, which we Mexica built with our own hands, is a great royal city and the fundamental source of all our divinity!"

Cacamatzin’s face bore a smile, yet his words were deep.

"The Mexica kings, belong to the great Lake Capital City. And the great Lake Capital City belongs to us, the blessed Mexica. In the hearts of all Mexica, Tenochtitlan is not just an impregnable royal city, but also a symbol of the sacred and the blessed... No matter where you are or how tall the Divine Tree you grow, this will always be your roots!"

Upon hearing this, Xiulote pondered for a moment and nodded slightly.

"Uncle Cacamatzin, I understand your meaning. The kingdom is a fief of the Alliance, and I am first a prince of the Mexica before I am the king of the Prepetcha."

"Haha!"

Cacamatzin laughed heartily again. He reached out and patted his grand-nephew’s shoulder.

"Xiulote, you are the prince of the Alliance, and even more, the future king of the Mexica! For us old folks in the Royal Family, the elders are the evening sun, Aweit is the noon sun, and you, my boy, are the morning sun!... Don’t be hasty, don’t be skewed. Under the Chief Divine’s blessing, the Alliance grows ever stronger. The Divine Tree thrives and will surely rule the world. It’s just, everything takes time...Oh, how I wish I could see that day with my own eyes!"

"Uncle!..."

Hearing this, Xiulote lowered his gaze slightly, visibly moved. He didn’t know how to respond, just mulled over Cacamatzin’s words.

"Don’t be hasty, don’t be skewed..."

Cacamatzin smiled and nodded. He stretched his hand out, pointing through the thin smoke. The prosperous Lake Capital City was now close at hand, the towering Great Temple stood tall as if a Divine Mountain descended to earth.

"Look! The lofty Great Temple, right within the mist! Walk slowly, and we’ll soon be there!"

As was customary, the large fleet moored at a village north of the Capital City, where the King’s envoy had long been waiting. It took half a day for the three thousand Imperial Guards to disembark onto the lakeshore. Following were neatly packed dowries and heavy Copper Cannons.

Cacamatzin, full of excitement, looked at these "Strange Bronze Beasts" he had heard about and occasionally asked questions. Then, he commented with a laugh.

"Xiulote, to marry Alisa, you’ve really put your heart into it! So many precious gifts, even an old fellow like me is quite surprised!...Let them sort out the gifts slowly. Now that they’ve been brought here, they won’t be taken back! Haha, let’s head to the Capital City first. You go meet King Aweit, and I, will report back to the elders."

"Alright! Uncle, let’s go!"

Xiulote nodded in agreement. He was inclined to inquire about the elder’s health condition, but after a moment’s thought, he remained silent. Three thousand Imperial Guards were then divided into two groups, with the majority of Samurai staying in the village. Only five hundred trusted aides, escorting Xiulote and carrying the Black Wolf flag, proceeded along the white causeway filled with pine and cypress towards the city.

Since his expedition to the west, Xiulote had been away from the Royal City for four years. He advanced steadily, observing the surrounding scenery.

The Lake Capital City was even more bustling than before. The city’s main roads had been rebuilt to accommodate large groups of Samurai. Along the streets, fully equipped toilets and water channels had been constructed to maintain the cleanliness of the Capital City.

The method of composting manure had been popularized in the Texcoco Lake District; approved by the Priesthood, it efficiently increased the yield of Chinampas. The Lake Capital City, with its 250,000 inhabitants, produced an immense amount of fertilizer daily; toilets throughout the streets were owned by various nobility. The produced fertilizer was transported by small boats to the nobles’ Chinampas on the same day, where it was composted and then applied to the fields.

On both sides of the streets, likewise, pine and cypress were planted everywhere, especially the Ahuehuete trees. King Aweit liked this type of tree’s name as well as its fragrance.