Aztec Civilization: Destiny to Conquer America!-Chapter 1524 - 1066: The End of the Eastern Expedition, the King’s Return East

"Chief Divine witnesses! Bertade, since the jungle tribes have formed an alliance, the Kingdom's missionary priests and trade caravans must set out quickly from Golden Bay City and Hidden Serpent City. They must travel along the Great River, deep into the inland jungle, and swiftly establish faith and trade links among the tribes..."

"Missionary work is a long-term and stable plan, and trade is the foundation of mutual benefit. These, along with intertribal marriages, are the strategy for peaceful expansion of the Seaside Alliance, extending influence from the seaside into the inland jungle..."

"Yes, Your Highness! I understand your intentions, using missionary work, trade, and marriage for peaceful expansion in the inland jungle where transportation and logistics are inconvenient. Whereas for the coastal lands where these are convenient, military force will flatten opposition... Remove the original Divine Descendant Nobility, and use numerous warriors granted titles through military merit as the root of control!"

Sunrise River flows majestically, from the Chiapas mountains in the southern upstream, through the jungle to the northern coast, merging into the endless Caribbean Sea. Xiulote and Bertade stood one after the other on the hills by the Sunrise River, gazing out over the vast Eastern Sea, as if their minds were broadened.

The King's eyes had an ethereal depth, a meaningful anticipation. The Head Warrior's expression was much more calm and steadfast. In his heart, there was a will as tough as stone and a faith as fiery as fire, akin to the green jade and cinnabar produced at the seaside. In seaside culture, green jade represents wisdom and immortality, while cinnabar symbolizes faith and death, both commonly found in burials.

"Bertade, the coastal tribes must be firmly controlled, and granting titles and land through military merit is the best way!"

After a moment, Xiulote finally spoke softly. His expression was calm, but his voice implicitly carried a sense of solemn murder.

"Chief Divine bless! The army marches eastward, recruiting the surrendering coastal tribes, forcibly converting them to the Chief Divine, then using defectors as vanguard, attacking the city-states and villages of the tribes. Then, promote the bravest warriors among them, elevating them to the core of the Kingdom Legion... This is the first level of selection, choosing warriors who have shed blood for the Kingdom!"

"Next, for the occupied coastal tribes, kill off the Divine Descendant leaders completely, then appoint Kingdom Legion warriors to hold control of various city-states and villages, establishing the Kingdom's governance order! Just like the Black Wolf did in Red Lake Town, offering sacrifices to the Moon Water Serpent Descendant, appointing warriors from Hidden Serpent tribes, also appointing locally allied warriors. The source of appointed warriors is roughly seventy percent of each tribe's warriors, and thirty percent local warriors... While local tribal warriors, after conversion, are all conscripted, continuing eastward fighting, continuing eastward appointments!..."

"Your Highness, I understand your meaning! These three years of eastern expedition, the Kingdom's occupation strategy is like kneading cornmeal dough for tacos!"

Bertade knowingly nodded, making a gesture of kneading dough, which is the most classic way to eat among various Central American tribes.

"Start by enveloping the earliest surrendering western Totonac tribes like cornmeal dough, mixing in the spices of faith and legion, kneading uniformly till no tribe can be distinguished. Next, carve out pieces of warrior cakes through military merit, spread them out well, appoint them in the newly occupied eastern Totonac..."

"Then, continue enveloping, continue kneading, and continue cooking pancakes. Envelop the eastern Totonac tribes, spread them in the conquered Central Maya Coast. Then envelop these Central Coast Soc Maya Warriors, continue northeast, conquering northern Maya's Yucatan Coast..."

"Chief Divine bless! That's the way of pancake cooking, bite by bite, piece by piece, to devour the entire coast!..."

"Haha! Very good, excellent! Bertade, you understand my thoughts best!..."

Upon hearing such an expressive analogy, Xiulote's eyes lit up, smiling contentedly. He patted the Head Warrior on the shoulder, then pointed to the ships at the coast, several longships, and over a hundred twin-hulled canoes, which are logistics fleets transporting food eastward.

"Chief Divine witnesses! The Kingdom's ability to conquer the coast relies on the advantage of water transportation! All transportation at the seaside depends on fleets. The first batch of twelve oar-sailed longships from Totonac had been launched. As for the single-hulled war vessels and twin-hulled transport ships, there are altogether about seven to eight hundred of them! The scale of this fleet must continue to expand to establish sub-fleets for each state, maintaining transportation and communication along a thousand-mile coast..."

"And the Eastern Sea Shipyard will also have three shipyards, one located in the Snake City, one in Golden Bay City, and another in Hidden Serpent City. Among them, the shipyard in Golden Bay City is the main one, capable of constructing oar-sailed longships..."

For the warships and twin-hulled boats commonly seen in the East Sea Navy, the technical content is not high, all states can build them. It just requires a lot of conscripted manpower, as their carrying capacity is not big, sufficient scale is necessary to ensure carrying capacity.

"Yes! Your Highness, I will prioritize shipbuilding, also giving preferential treatment to the shipwrights, promoting a batch to Craftsmen Nobles!"

"Very good! For those outstanding shipwrights, rewards must not be spared! Their value is more important than the chieftains or nobility surrendering from various tribes..."

Xiulote's eyes gleamed, watching the Kingdom's navy fleet, aside from the tiger squat copper cannon on the longships, mostly at the level of Ancient Greece and Rome, even somewhat inferior. While the Kingdom does not lack for manpower, if craftsmans from the Old Continent could be obtained...

"Head Warrior, by the time you fully open the Eastern Sea, it will be the end of the year or even next year. However, this year on the islands of the Eastern Sea, there will be the vanguard large ships of the white-skinned demons! The warriors of the Kingdom must attack them and try to capture the ships. As for capturing the white-skinned foreigners, skilled craftsmen can be kept. The rest should be killed or sacrificed as needed... Be sure to guard against the evil demon plague they carry!"

"Yes, witnessed by the Chief Divine! Your Highness, I will definitely follow the prophecy of the Divine Revelation, find these demon fleets, defeat and capture them!"

"Good! Bertade, you have always had clear thoughts and handled matters calmly; you are capable of handling things alone as a Marshal. I am always very confident in entrusting the Eastern Sea to you!"

"Your Highness, I am willing to serve you to the death!"

The sea breeze blows, and sea birds fly lightly in the sky, overlooking the villages and City-States along the coast. Xiulote stayed in Sunrise Village for a day, having in-depth talks with Head Warrior Bertade and advising on strategies for the Eastern Sea expedition. Afterwards, he took over a thousand Imperial Guards, heading upstream against the Sunrise River towards the second ancient city of the Olmec, La Venta.

The second ancient city, La Venta, is located seventy to eighty miles upstream of the Sunrise River, owning numerous ancient and mysterious giant stone statues, with the heaviest statue even reaching 20 tons. Besides the iconic giant stone statues, there are also essential All Gods altars, fairly primitive small pyramids, and observatories distributed high up.

"Praise the Chief Divine! He envelops the ancient land of Olmec, from ancient myths continuing till today!"

Xiulote established the god statue of the Mexica Chief Divine in the second ancient city, once again holding a two-day ceremony.

The scale of this Chief Divine ceremony was relatively small, with few tribes participating, but it formally announced that the second ancient city of the Olmec also became a sacred sacrificial site for the Kingdom, becoming the 'Land of God's Ancestor's Chief Divine site.'

The mountain wind warmed, with the sky high and clouds thin. After the lengthy ceremony, Xiulote, wearing a soaked priest's robe, stood on the ancient observatory. He gazed at the upper reaches of the Great River towards the southeast, looking at the dense jungle and mountains, and sighed deeply.

"Bertade."

"Your Highness?"

"The second ancient city of the Jiao People is the easternmost point I can reach on this eastern expedition! As for the Red Lake Town further east, you must inspect on my behalf, observe how Black Wolf has been doing. Hmm, also check out the ruins of the Classical Maya Sky City, and seal it as the 'Land of God's Ancestors of the Jiao People'..."

"Yes, as you command! Your Highness... and you?"

"Hmm, I must return! Tomorrow I will embark on the journey back..."

Xiulote's voice was soft, with a slight smile on his face, his expression somewhat elusive. Yet at this moment, he seemed without hesitation, with little longing...

"May the Chief Divine protect! From this second ancient city to the Alliance's Lake Capital City, it's nearly two thousand miles! I lead two thousand Imperial Guards, traversing the entire Totonac Coast, crossing Tlaxcala land... Even if we cover forty miles a day on the return journey, it would still take nearly two months. This boundless seaside and jungle are truly vast!"

"And everything is under control, tens of thousands bow obediently. Warriors campaign extensively, and beauties surround the knees... The exquisite taste of power is indeed tempting! But the grand plan is set, and it must be executed... I must return, I can't let God King Avit wait anxiously!"

Hearing the King's resolve, Head Warrior Bertade lowered his gaze, and remained silent for a long time. After a while, he silently kneeled before Xiulote, bowing his head, asking the King to grasp his hair and utter the final vow.

"Your Highness, please take care of your safety! You are the core of the Kingdom, the hope of the world, and truly the only Sun..."

"And as long as you issue a Royal Decree... even if I am thousands of miles away, I will abandon the Eastern Sea land and lead your legion back... For you, the warriors of the Kingdom will spare no effort, even if it means bloodshed against the Alliance!"

"Witnessed by the Chief Divine! Even if it burns down all the jungles of the world, to ignite a new Sun, no matter how many red rivers flow, it's a price worth paying... I swear by soul and blood, may the Chief Divine protect you!"