Aztec Civilization: Destiny to Conquer America!
Chapter 829 - 457: Venturing Out into the Wilds

Chapter 829: Chapter 457: Venturing Out into the Wilds

By the end of September, the skies were clear and the sun shone brightly. The moist southeasterly winds gradually ceased, replaced by dry, cold air from the northern highlands. The rainy season has now departed, and the dry season has gracefully arrived. The fields were lush and fragrant, with the villagers tirelessly busy. Pumpkins were drying, beans were being harvested, and the corn was just ripening.

By the shores of Lake Texcoco, a royal procession was winding its way along the abundant fields, heading towards Mount Estrella to the west. The villagers along the way knelt in respect, while the priests and village chiefs greeted them from afar, not daring to approach.

Five hundred Imperial Guard Warriors, wearing copper helmets and leather armor, carrying copper spears and longbows on their backs, marched in unity. They upheld the banner of the Black Wolf, also protecting the banner of the royal family beneath which traveled two noble Divine Descendant couples, Xiulote and Alisa.

The two had been married for a month, spending each day exploring exotic places and each night entwined in passion. Having visited every scenic spot around the Lake Capital City, their current journey aimed to pray at the Temple of the Sun atop the Holy Mountain, a few dozen li west of the capital. They would then vacation in the sacred grounds at the base of the Holy Mountain, enjoying the mountain’s flowers and birdlife, the hot springs, and a restful one or two weeks to conclude their honeymoon.

Xiulote was not wearing armor, only a loose short robe, as he strolled through the early autumn fields. He gazed around at the hustle and happiness just before the harvest. A genuine smile spread across the young man’s face as he recalled a phrase of unknown origin, which he recited softly.

"To wander aimlessly without knowing the hardships of the farmers and the prosperity and toil of the land and its people, is to..."

"Hmm? Xiulote, what are you saying?"

Alisa, dressed in a white robe and delicately crafted cloth shoes, with a silver bracelet securing her hair, looked pure and beautiful like a snow lotus, even without makeup. Hearing her lover’s whisper, she blinked her eyes curiously.

"Hahaha, I mean to govern the Alliance well and manage the people, one must know the details of agricultural work, the poverty of the villages, the yield of the land, and the toil of the people! As the heir to the Alliance, if I don’t know these things, I deserve to be whipped..."

Xiulote replied with a laugh, but his expression was serious. He watched the scene of the harvest in the fields, contemplating the foundation of the kingdom. The basis of all warfare lay in agriculture.

"Hmm... whipped?"

Upon hearing this, Alisa looked at her lover, her face blushing. She licked her lips, like a tempting little fox, and asked softly.

"Xiulote, who will whip you?"

"Of course, I will do it myself! As the High Priest, I need to periodically engage in self-reflection before the symbol of the Chief Divine..."

Xiulote confidently proclaimed, his voice loud and clear. A moment later, he was momentarily stunned, looking towards the shy maiden.

"Alisa?...You..."

"Hmm... According to the mythology, the Monkey God ’Ozomatli’ is the partner of the God of Music and Dance ’Xochipilli’. But, you know, the Monkey God is always amorous and lively, hard to restrain his desires... If he misbehaves, the Goddess Xochipilli would take out a writhing snake whip, and snap..."

Alisa whispered with a red face, her voice becoming increasingly faint.

Xiulote found it hard to believe. He looked at the delicate girl and muttered.

"A punishment for cheating?... Alisa... do you think... well, it’s not that I wouldn’t..."

"Ah, stop it, it’s so embarrassing, let’s not talk about this anymore!"

The girl’s neck turned red with shyness, and she stomped her foot in vexation. Turning her head as if to escape, she looked at the fields on both sides.

"Xiulote, look, the corn in the fields is already ripe. Why are these people sleeping by the fields instead of harvesting the corn?"

Upon hearing this, Xiulote smiled and gazed at the vast farmland. The expansive milpa was filled with ripe corn. Throughout the fields, thousands of Mexica villagers had brought the entire village to sleep in the fields. Occasionally, villagers in the distance waved sticks, and militia even launched stones to drive away birds and beasts eyeing the corn.

"Ah, Alisa, it’s like this. Although the corn in the fields is ripe, it’s not fully ripened. The birds and beasts are attracted by the fragrance of the ripening corn. The villagers have to drive them away while waiting for the corn to further ripen."

Xiulote pondered briefly and then explained in detail. Unlike other crops, corn doesn’t easily fall off when mature. It completes its post-ripening on the plant, absorbing the last nutrients from the plant, thereby increasing the yield. Delaying the harvest by one or two weeks can increase the yield by nearly ten percent!

In these times of low yields, every bit of increase in food production is invaluable. Therefore, this was the most labor-intensive period just before the autumn harvest. The villagers had to sleep by the fields for one or two weeks, tending to the mature crops, allowing the fresh corn to fully ripen into shriveled old corn.

Hearing this knowledge about agriculture, Nashu’s eyes sparkled, and she remained silent. She quietly studied the prince, seemingly understanding her master from a new perspective.

Bertade, standing a few steps away, guarding the periphery, smiled and commended Xiulote’s explanation.

"His Highness is right! The corn needs to wait a bit longer to harvest more. About waiting until the milk line in the corn kernels completely disappears, the seeds become very hard, and the husks dry out, turn white, and loosen. At that time, the village priests and elders will urge the villagers to harvest day and night."

Alisa blinked and nodded. She was adept at growing flowers and herbs, and quickly grasped agricultural matters.

"Xiulote, I understand! You’ve told me that the vitality of crops comes from the sunlight bestowed by the Sun Supreme God, the rain from the God of Wind and Rain, and the nutrients from the Earth Mother Goddess. The longer the corn takes to mature, the more it yields. And now, with ample sunlight and no rain, there’s no worry of it molding!"

"Exactly!"

Xiulote nodded in satisfaction, reaching out to gently pinch his lover’s cheek. The group continued their journey, passing through the extended cornfields, and arriving at vast cotton fields. The scenery changed from endless yellow and green to a blend of gray and bright green.

"Your Highness, these are the Alliance’s cotton fields. Not far to the west stands the towering Holy Mountain, surrounded by steam-emitting hot springs and fertile land, mostly controlled by the nobility and warriors of the capital, taking advantage of the best irrigation canals to plant valuable cotton."

Listening to the Head Warrior’s explanation, Xiulote nodded slightly. He stopped, casting his gaze over the low cotton bushes, deep in thought.

Cotton is a highly water-consuming and soil-depleting crop. In the Mexica Alliance, naturally, they cultivate the higher-yielding Mexican short-staple cotton.

Compared to the coarse-staple cotton from India on the Old Continent, Mexican short-staple cotton has a shorter growth period by about ten days, a much higher yield, and significantly better quality cotton fibers, making it easier to weave into cloth. This was a coveted economic crop for the Old Continent and key to the mid to late Ming Dynasty’s cotton production boom.

Cotton-weaving fabrics were globally traded commodities. In the realm of Central America, cotton cloth was used similarly to cacao as a currency, accepted as direct trade currency in rural areas and towns.

The Black Wolf banner fluttered as the warriors solemnly surrounded the field. Xiulote paused momentarily, and the busy workers in the cotton fields halted, bowing in homage to the royal procession. Most villagers knelt fully to the ground in a commoner’s salute, while a few knelt on one knee, offering the warrior’s salute.

After watching for a while, Xiulote asked in a deep voice.

"Bertade, have you ever picked cotton?"

"I have, Your Highness,"

The Head Warrior answered calmly, a look of reminiscence on his face.

"In the Alliance, cotton is generally planted in April. If the land isn’t fertile enough, it’s sown sparsely. By the end of August, the first batch of cotton can be picked. Then, every five to seven days, more cotton will ripen and can be harvested. Usually, picking lasts until the end of October, sometimes continuing into December. However, the further into the season, the poorer the cotton quality..."

"...Picking cotton is truly laborious, much more so than farming. Of course, the profit from the cotton is also incomparable to farming. The Great Nobility of the Alliance would employ hordes of agricultural slaves to plant, pick, and weave cotton, yielding direct trade currency. If the families of common warriors were populous and had fertile chinampas, they would also plant some cotton... After all, corn is just food, but cotton is money."

Xiulote nodded slowly. Picking cotton was incredibly tedious, spanning a long period and draining manpower. The transatlantic triangular trade of later centuries thrived largely due to the endless labor demands of the tropical American cotton, sugarcane, and tobacco fields.

"Bertade, how much cotton can one mu of the Alliance’s cotton field produce in one season?"

Upon hearing this, Bertade thought for a long time before giving a hesitant reply.

"Not considering the high-yielding chinampas, one mu of cotton fields by the lake can produce about 20 jin of cotton per season. That could make one or two sets of sturdy cotton armor for the family’s warriors."

"20 jin per mu?"

Xiulote raised his voice, somewhat surprised. Looking at the Alliance’s cotton fields again, he smiled slightly.

"The Alliance’s heartland is truly fertile, for cotton to have such a high yield!"

Indeed, in those times, a yield of 20 jin per mu was an exceptionally high figure, surpassing that of the Old Continent’s India, and contemporary Ming Dynasty. This ought to be credited to the excellent variety of Mexican short-staple cotton and the tropical climate with synchronized rain and heat. The domestication of various crops by the Central American ancestors truly benefited human civilization as a whole.

Bertade smiled serenely. After thinking for a while, he reminded Xiulote once more.

"Your Highness, the Alliance is situated in highlands, prioritizing food production, so it does not produce much cotton. The greatest cotton producers among all the regions are Mistla and the Zapotecs in the southern rainforest, and the Maya in the eastern rainforest."

"Yes. The Mayan merchant Tikalo also told me that the city-state of Tutulxiu in the north of the Yucatan Peninsula is a wealthy state known for producing cotton."

Xiulote turned, looking towards the distant east, lost in thought.

With the current navigation technology, the most reliable sea route to the Cuban archipelago still follows the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, heading northeast along the Yucatan Peninsula. After reaching the northern Yucatan Peninsula, one turns eastward and, after sailing three to four hundred li, can arrive safely. This coastal route had long been mastered by the Mayans, minimizing the risk of getting lost. However, to take this route, one must first secure a temporary foothold on the Yucatan Peninsula.

"River Otter city, Tutulxiu city... eastern route..."

Alisa tilted her head, her bright eyes sparkling. She watched her thoughtful lover as if reading a mysterious and captivating book.

"Xiulote, what are you thinking about? Hmm, I can think along with you..."

"Haha! I’m thinking..."

Xiulote snapped out of his thoughts and smiled slightly. He reached out, drawing the girl into his arms and giving her a deep kiss.

"I’m thinking, by this time tomorrow, we can soak in the hot springs and watch the sun set together!"

"Ah! So many people..."

Alisa exclaimed, her face once again blushing. She pursed her lips and snuggled into her lover’s embrace. Then, she spoke softly, her voice as faint as a mosquito’s buzz.

"Then, what about after the sun sets?..."

"After the sun sets... naturally, we watch the fish swim in the water!"

"Huh? There are no fish in the hot springs."

"There are. If you don’t believe me, I’ll show you then..."

"Hmm... You naughty monkey!..."

"Hahaha!"

The young man’s laughter echoed far and wide, and the Black Wolf banner moved again. The loyal guards surrounded the king and queen as they continued towards the sacred western mountains, where the ancient Temple of the Sun and its ever-burning Sacred Fire have blazed since times immemorial, continuing to burn into the present and the future!