Aztec Civilization: Destiny to Conquer America!
Chapter 932 - 541: The King’s Scheme, the Preemptively Announced Victory_2

Chapter 932: Chapter 541: The King’s Scheme, the Preemptively Announced Victory_2

Aweit smiled, nodding slightly. Then, he pondered over the arrangements for the Grand Festival in the Capital City. The expansion of the Great Temple was complete, the High Priest had been murdered, the elder departed to the Divine Kingdom, the eastern expedition of the Divine War was victorious, and prayers for a bountiful autumn harvest were in place. All these five major events were to be combined into an unprecedented Grand Festival! Such a Grand Festival was destined to proclaim the Chief Divine and ancestors, suppress internal and external states, and consolidate the hearts of the Alliance people as a top priority!

"How many divine descendant captives from the Tlaxcala do the Northern Route Army have now?"

"Your Majesty, the Northern Route Army, after capturing Hot Spring City and Feathered Serpent City, took about a thousand divine descendants and nobility prisoners. Various legion warriors dispersed and raided, capturing over a thousand more. Altogether, including the elderly and young, there are more than two thousand five hundred!"

"More than two thousand five hundred noble bloodlines... still quite short of the six thousand mark..."

Aweit frowned, thinking for a while, and then spoke in a deep voice.

"Let the Southern Army send two thousand captured divine descendants and nobility to the Lake Capital City! Once we have breached Tree Snake City, conduct a massive search in the city; we must gather enough for the auspicious number of six thousand! And after collecting the noble prisoners, I shall return to the Lake Capital City to preside and then announce to the entire world the Grand Festival celebrating the victory of the eastern expedition!"

"Yes, as you command!"

Gillim bowed low in deep salute. Then, with a slight movement of expression, he asked for further instructions.

"Your Majesty, with three-quarters of the four Tlaxcala states conquered, what should be done with the land and population after the Grand Festival?"

"Hmm, how to dispose of the four states of Tlaxcala..."

Aweit contemplated for a long time. The north and south expeditions were extremely bloody, and the four states of Tlaxcala were already in ruins. For the Alliance to truly rule here, Mexica immigrants would need to be relocated to occupy important cities and fortresses, assimilating the remnants of the Tlaxcala tribes. And according to the Alliance’s traditional practice, new Mexica city-states should be established by granting fiefs to princes and relocating the nobility.

"Should the territories be distributed as per tradition or directly incorporated into the central domains? If incorporated into the central domains, the royal central authority would have to invest manpower and resources for garrisoning legion warriors, with potential dissatisfaction and complaints from the great nobility of each state..."

Thinking of this, Aweit felt a bit hesitant. Unlike the Kingdom of the Lake, which is a blank slate, the Alliance is deeply intertwined internally. Even someone as prestigious as him cannot arbitrarily reduce fiefs like Xiulote, expanding direct control and continuously strengthening central power. Weighing the pros and cons, and evaluating the situation of the Alliance, he finally sighed and said.

"According to the previous plan, most of the four states will be granted as fiefs, and the Alliance will only control important cities and checkpoints! Reassign parts of the seven northern and southern states’ nobility, granting them more than double the fertile lands of the four states, then incorporate their original lands into the royal domain!"

"As you command!"

Gillim nodded respectfully, bowing deeply. After a little hesitation, he raised his head to suggest.

"Your Majesty, the four Tlaxcala states cover vast areas with fertile lands. Even with the bloody eastern campaign wiping out half of the Tlaxcalan tribes, there are still five or six hundred thousand people left! Though historically at odds with our Mexica, they share the same language and similar culture, making assimilation within a generation feasible. The commoners, known as moth people for hundreds of years, have been accustomed to the rule of the divine descendant nobility..."

At this point, Gillim paused. In this era, the Sun God, God of Death, Cloud Serpent Divine, Feathered Serpent Divine... each carries distinct symbols, with a tangible divinity in the hearts of the people. Recently, he heard His Highness Xiulote proclaimed the position of God of Death to win the hearts of the Tlaxcala captives, and thus devised a similar plan.

"Your Majesty, after removing the Cloud Serpent Divine descendants among the Tlaxcala tribes, if a royal scion were to preside, inheriting the Cloud Serpent Divine’s position, they could quickly win the hearts of all the tribes, making them serve the Alliance!"

"Hmm? A royal scion, inheriting the Cloud Serpent Divine’s position, to win over the Tlaxcalan tribes?"

Hearing this, Aweit was slightly stunned, hesitantly asking.

"Do you mean to assign my nephew, Montezuma Xocoyotzin, here as a prince, proclaiming the position of the Cloud Serpent Divine, to govern the Tlaxcalans?"

"...Majesty, that is not what I meant."

Gillim bit his teeth and spoke openly.

"His Highness Prince Chimalpahin is valiant and wise beyond his years! In my opinion, His Highness could be appointed as a prince and succeed the position of the Cloud Serpent Divine!"

"Ah? Little Chimalpahin, appointed as prince?"

Upon hearing this, Aweit was surprised. He examined the Chief Intelligence Officer, his expression slightly cold.

"Gillim, he is only nine years old this year! How could he leave the capital city to be appointed to the Tlaxcala territories?"

"Your Majesty! Although the young prince is still very young, he is indeed incredibly intelligent and decisive, far surpassing other noble offspring!"

Gillim prostrated himself, forehead touching the ground, earnestly advising.

"You can continue to keep the young prince by your side, carefully teaching and nurturing him. But by allowing him to inherit the Cloud Serpent Divine position, appointing him prince, on one hand, he could nominally command the reassigned Alliance nobility and control the four states’ territories. On the other hand, it would greatly assist in the assimilation of the Tlaxcala people, consolidating the hearts of the various tribes!"

"...And as the young prince grows older, he can then set out eastward to manage the Four Snake Cities. The Four Snake Cities are not far from the Lake Capital City; if taking a shortcut through the mountains, it’s less than three hundred miles, making it convenient to meet..."

"...Moreover, with the future of the Alliance handed over to His Highness Xiulote and Princess Alisa, the young prince will eventually need a place to establish himself! Your Majesty!..."

"A place to establish himself? My son, Little Chimalpahin..."

Upon hearing this, Aweit lowered his eyes, a myriad of emotions surging in his chest, yet he made no sound. The Royal Tent was silent for a moment, with only Gillim’s earnest advice echoing softly inside.

"Alisa, together with Xiulote, will inherit the Alliance I leave behind. And young Chimalpahin’s appointment..."

Aweit closed his eyes in deep thought, remaining silent, as reason and emotion clashed in his mind. His first daughter Alisa has always been his favorite; now she is married, she and his son-in-law Xiulote will inherit the great power of the Alliance. Yet by his side remains only the second son from his late wife; without any arrangements, there would eventually be a trace of guilt...

"Hmm... Accelerate the assimilation of the eastern Four States..."

After a while, Aweit let out a long breath, finding a reason to convince himself. He suppressed his deep emotions, nodding slowly.

"Appoint young Chimalpahin, succeed the position of the Cloud Serpent Divine... It is acceptable!"

Gillim, kneeling on the ground, was overjoyed. He performed a respectful salute, with a hint of delight in his voice.

"Praise the King, praise the Chief Divine! Under the protection of the Chief Divine, blessed by the ancestors, the eastern expedition will surely triumph!... Your Majesty, you have vanquished both the Tarasco and the Tlaxcala two parties, dividing the entire world, becoming an unprecedented magnificent monarch! In decades, you will surely be revered as the most supreme and greatest immortal Great Tlatoani in the history of the Alliance!"

"Haha!"

Upon hearing the words of the Female Snake, Aweit laughed aloud. Then, he shook his head arrogantly, correcting.

"No, Gillim, you got it wrong!... With the elder and High Priest’s subsequent fall, I am now the most supreme, the greatest Great Tlatoani within the Mexica Alliance!"

"Yes, congratulations to Your Majesty! You are the supreme one, shining brightly in all directions like the Sun!"

Gillim saluted in praise, while Aweit laughed heartily. The traces of tears on his face had dried, leaving only vigorous ambition and a thirst for conquest. Never before had so much power been concentrated in one person’s hands across the entire world, yet he desired even more!

"Perhaps, I should adopt a new title."

Aweit thought to himself mysteriously. Then, he grasped the Divine Staff, bellowing in a powerful voice.

"Someone, announce to the entire army, mourn for the elder and High Priest for one day! After one day, the whole army marches south, attacking Tree Snake City, avenging the High Priest, and offering sacrifices for the elder!"

"As you command, O supreme Sun!"

Soon, the news of mourning spread, and the warriors’ cries and howls echoed throughout the entire military camp. Those boiling shouts were like the howling of a pack of wolves, unending throughout the night, carrying a fierce sense of killing intent.

The old sun slowly set, and the new sun would rise the next day. And after the sun rose, there would be a bloody and cruel siege, akin to a sacrificial slaughter!