Aztec Civilization: Destiny to Conquer America!
Chapter 931 - 541: The King’s Scheme, The Victory Announced in Advance

Chapter 931: Chapter 541: The King’s Scheme, The Victory Announced in Advance

"Ah! Within twenty days, capture Tree Snake City?!"

"Exactly! No matter the cost, I must capture Tree Snake City before the peak of the rainy season!"

Inside the grand tent, only the two remained. Aweit, without any concealment, coldly declared. Gillim’s face changed dramatically, expressing concern and exclamation.

To capture such a fortified Tree Snake City in such a short time would inevitably require a disregard for life, sacrificing thousands of alliance warriors!

It’s worth considering that merely assaulting Feathered Serpent City took a full month, with the loss of four hundred royal warriors, over three thousand city-state warriors, and eight thousand militia. Tree Snake City is even more crucial, with higher walls and more defenders. The Tlaxcala warriors in the city outnumber those in Feathered Serpent City by two to three thousand, estimated at around six thousand.

Unlike the emerging Mexica Alliance, the Tlaxcala people’s hierarchy is more rigid. These stubborn Serpent Descendant warriors have more or less noble bloodlines and are unlikely to surrender to the alliance. They will surely drive the city’s militia to resist to the end.

Thinking of this, Gillim solemnly saluted and sincerely advised.

"Your Majesty, ordering the conquest of the city in twenty days, isn’t it too hasty?... If the legion suffers too many casualties, they might become discontent or even resentful..."

"Gillim, this is my decision!"

Aweit shook his head, his expression stern, making decisions with the authority of heaven and earth.

"The current situation differs from before! Elders and the High Priest have gone to the Divine Kingdom... Without the oppression from the Sun and Morning Star, instability and even rebellious thoughts will arise among the alliance states. The tribes across the realm will also react, especially the Totonac not far from the East, the southern Mistec and Vastec tribes, and even the Vastec people who just paid tribute and had their leaders detained..."

"All military forces have been mobilized to participate in the eastern expedition, leaving the alliance heartland extremely empty. Even the Lake Capital City has only four thousand royal warriors, two thousand temple guards who won’t easily be deployed, and one thousand elder guards. The nobility harbors hidden discontent, and foreign vassals show hints of rebellion. Should any change occur inside and out, the Lake Capital City would be powerless to suppress it!... Therefore, I cannot besiege the strong city for months, waiting for the rainy season to end, to reliably capture it."

Upon hearing this, Gillim pressed his lips tightly, his expression serious. He bowed deeply, solemnly and softly saying.

"Your Majesty, the Texcoco Lake District has been largely cleared and should not rebel. Texcoco and Tlacopan have both been severely dealt with by the Elders and the High Priest. Either the great nobility died or were reassigned, while the survivors have just been exiled..."

"What of the other Seven States in the south and north? And the newly conquered Otomi and Prepetcha people?"

Hearing this, Gillim bowed his head silently, unable to speak.

As Chief Intelligence Officer, he knew clearly how much power of the great nobility the alliance’s centralization reform had stripped away in recent years, and how many seeds of discontent it had planted. Simply engaging in the alliance’s interference with noble succession and sending priests to tax nobility fiefs had sparked over a dozen noble rebellions and assassination attempts.

In the seven years since the king’s accession, more alliance nobles had died at the hands of the elders, the High Priest, and himself than the total casualties of the alliance wars in the previous fifty-two years!

The royal family has been pushing centralization so insistently, enforcing martial prowess, yet the whole alliance hasn’t experienced large-scale rebellion, relying on the long-term suppression from the elders’ divine-like prestige, the High Priest’s ruthless and decisive cleaning, and the military victories from the alliance’s foreign expeditions. The cooperation between royal authority and divine authority has been extremely tacit, jointly suppressing the local nobility.

Now, with the elders and the High Priest departed, changes are highly likely among the various royal factions within the alliance, and the High Priesthood would also likely undergo internal splits, mutually hindering the centralization reform, presenting notably different circumstances.

After a while, Gillim sighed lightly and asked in a deep voice.

"Your Majesty, what is your plan?"

"At any cost, capture Tree Snake City and capture the Divine Descendants within the city! Then, I will declare victory in the Eastern expedition, lead three royal legions back to the Lake Capital City, and hold an unprecedented grand festival to quell the alliance states and tribes across the world! As for the remaining Cloud Snake and White Snake cities..."

Saying this, Aweit pondered for a long time. He weighed the situation of each contingent in the eastern expedition before finally making a decision.

"For now, Casal will lead four city-state armies to conduct the initial siege. During the peak of the rainy season, when an assault is impossible, neither the Mexica legion nor the Tlaxcala defending army can do much, the scale of combat will be small..."

"As for the siege after the rainy season, Eagle Commander Stanley has two legions under his command, and there are thousands of Iskali and Tepopolo forces. Once they capture the Oak Tree City of the western Weisoqinke state, they can spare ten thousand men to besiege. And Xiulote’s Southern Army must draw twenty thousand northwards to continue the siege of the two snake cities!"

"Royal main force returns, vassals surround the city..."

Hearing the words, Gillim’s emotions flickered, pondering thoughtfully. He respectfully saluted and nodded in agreement.

"Your Majesty is quite right! The royal main force returning to the Capital City can stabilize the alliance situation, like a withdrawn fist ready to strike out and intimidate all states internally and externally! Meanwhile, the supply consumption on the eastern expedition front will also be greatly reduced... As for the precarious Cloud Serpent Mountain City and White Snake Hill City, they can be slowly besieged, no need to rush, leaving it to the war-experienced His Highness Xiulote..."

"Hmm! I’m reassured with Xiulote commanding. After capturing Tree Snake City, I’ll send an envoy to clearly explain the subsequent arrangements to him. And let him conclude the Eastern expedition!"