Aztec Civilization: Destiny to Conquer America!-Chapter 1643 - 1171: Maya All Gods, an Astonishing News..._2
"Witness the Highland Main God! On this journey to trade in Cuba, the two hundred jars of honey I brought are from the Honey Temple of the Tulum City-State, and they are undoubtedly the best sacrificial items! These honeys possess the divine power of the Honey God, not only sweet and delicious but also capable of healing all ailments, stopping bleeding on wounds, aiding in the recovery of the injured, and dispelling the erosion of the God of Death... Each jar of honey should at least be exchanged for two large bundles of Cuban tobacco leaves, or three baskets of cotton yarn!..."
As the conversation went on, the topic shifted from the Maya gods to Cuban trade. The eyes of the Mayan nobility Yan Hu gleamed brightly when speaking of commercial trade, he was much more spirited than when talking about mythology. And as an outstanding leader of the Maya merchant fleet, his mental arithmetic skills were among the best in Central America's various tribes of this era.
"Honorable Priest Tomate, the fleet has traveled thousands of miles this time, bringing a total of one hundred and two Highland Samurai, for which the prepaid transport fee was five Lake Gems per person. Upon successful arrival, you are to pay an additional five gems per person... As for the food and water consumed during the journey and loss due to storms, the equivalent in trade goods should be one hundred and twelve bundles of Cuban tobacco leaves, each bundle not less than the weight of a standard-sized stone and must be dried and fermented to a sufficient yellow color... Hmm, calculating this, Cuban tobacco leaves are harvested every March and need at least three to four months of drying, followed by another three to four months of fermentation... And now it's early December, the perfect time for collecting tobacco leaves! Once brought back to the city-state, storing the tobacco leaves for a year and a half will enhance their flavor and increase their price..."
"So, praise the Highland Main God! After leaving all the honey, you should give me five hundred and ten Lake Gems, plus five hundred and twelve bundles of Cuban tobacco leaves, or seven hundred and sixty-eight baskets of cotton yarn. On the return journey, since the ship's hold is relatively empty, the bird feathers collected by the Taino can be exchanged for half the volume of cotton yarn. Red bird feathers are the most valuable, worth five times ordinary feathers! Therefore, one basket of red bird feathers can be exchanged for two and a half baskets of cotton yarn, or one and thirteen-twentieths bundles of tobacco leaves... Hmm, to be honest, tobacco leaves are still easier to sell! Nobility from various city-states are not short of cotton cloth, bird feathers require effort to make feather crowns or feathered garments, but tobacco leaves for communicating with the Divine are always in demand!..."
"..."
Hearing the detailed business calculations of the noble Yan Hu, Priest Tomate's expression froze, and his smile became somewhat stiff. Could it be that the nobility of the Maya tribes also worked as calculating merchants? He hardened his face, extended his hand, and reached towards Yan Hu's head. The young Maya noble paused slightly and obediently knelt on the ground, allowing the High Priest Tomate to grasp his short-cut black braid.
"Yan Hu, my child! Engaging in commerce, trade, and profit, and pursuing shining wealth, is the delight of the Maya gods; it is weakness and helplessness! And the Main God from the Highlands favors the slaughter and glory of the battlefield, loves the blood and fire of sacrifices, and cherishes the devotion, courage, and fearlessness of His followers!..."
"The Chief Divine as a witness! You've traveled thousands of miles, ferrying the warriors of the Black Wolf Legion from the distant Western Sea Coast of the Lowland Maya to the Iron Bay Town on Cuba Main Island across treacherous waves... Such an outstanding dedication is seen by the Chief Divine! The gems, tobacco leaves, and cotton yarn promised by the Kingdom to you will definitely exceed expectations!"
"As for now, what you most need to focus on and strategize is the power struggle and conversion of the Yan Island city-state, the various city's tribes of Yan Island! You must erect the Main God's idol at the highest point of the Temples of the Gods, making all the gods subordinate at His feet!"
"You have told me, the tribes of Yan Island have nearly a hundred thousand tribes, controlling one-third of the city-states and population of the Ekab Chiefdom! Once you declare a conversion, even if it's just elevating the Sun War God to the Chief Divine, the hearts of the city-states, temples, and warriors will inevitably be in turmoil! In the unfortunate event that a clan's divine descendants raise arms or another city-state invades, how would you resist them? And if the Turum Great Temple issues a divine decree criticizing you and threatens your position within the clan, how would you respond? ... Have you considered all this carefully?!"
"Ah... the clan's divine descendants raising arms, the invasion of other city-states, the divine decree of the Turum Great Temple..."
Upon hearing this, the young noble Yan Hu stood stationary, his eyes somewhat vacant. It seemed that seizing the grand power of a clan was not as simple as leading a merchant fleet, buying low and selling high, and making money, nor could it be done simply by mastering calculations...
"What to do... Honorable Priest Tomate, seizing the city-state, controlling the grand power of the clan... I've never done such a thing..."
"Ha! Yan Hu, you are still young and lack experience... These killings and conquests, conversions and sacrifices, the Kingdom has long been familiar with... The warriors of the Chief Divine will help you accomplish this! As for the Turum Great Temple, as long as you attack it, capture the priesthood of the Great Temple, and control the so-called 'Divine Will', there's no need to worry about the influence of the priests..."
Saying this, Priest Tomate's gaze was cold and carried a hint of regret, as if he saw endless blood and corpses. But soon, he smiled warmly, grasped Yan Hu's hair again, and gently advised.
"The Chief Divine as a witness! I will write a detailed letter to the Black Wolf Marshal Toltec... You will take this letter, and my token, to find him... Black Wolf Marshal is a decisive Legion Commander, and the leaders under him are also capable of making decisions. He will provide you with enough warriors and a pack of wolves to fight with..."
"Yan Hu, my child, enlarge your heart and broaden your vision! Five hundred warriors are too few; one Yan Island city-state is far from enough... With your status and position, you can lead a vast merchant fleet, docking at the various city-states along the eastern coast without any precautions. As long as you plan carefully, and make adequate preparations. Not to mention the Yan Island city-state, the various city's tribes of Yan Island, even the entire Ekab Chiefdom, are sweet honey ripe for the taking!"
"Hmm, Tulum City is the largest port in Eastern Maya and the most important religious center in the eastern lowlands, possessing the largest Great Temple in the East... This crucial eastern city-state must first be taken down and firmly controlled by the Kingdom... in your hands! The highest idol of the Chief Divine must be erected above all gods in the Tulum Great Temple!"
"Hiss! Taking the Yan Island city-state, capturing the great city of Tulum, even taking the entire Ekab Chiefdom?... Oh, Chief Divine! This..."
"Do not be afraid! The Chief Divine is watching over you, and blessing you! His light has long shone upon the Maya lands..."
Priest Tomate smiled, extended his rough large hand, and caressed the stunned and frightened face of the young noble. He laughed and comforted for a while, until Yan Hu managed to regain his senses with difficulty, then inquired about the details of the lowland Maya and the movements of each clan's chiefdoms.
"Yan Hu, before you left, what was the situation of the Lowland Maya tribes, and the various clan chiefdoms specifically? What was the general response of the clans towards the Kingdom's coastal strategies? The autumn harvest has long been completed, and it is now the agricultural off-season for all the chiefdoms; have they begun to mobilize the militia? Have any emissaries been dispatched among the cities to discuss forming an Allied Force?"
"Ah! Honorable Priest Tomate... More than two months ago, I received this batch of transported kingdom warriors in the territory of the Canul Clan... The Highland Barbarian Soldiers of the Black Wolf Marshal... Ahem! The Highland Legion... are still stationed in the Canul Clan, but the vanguard has already reached the Northern Coast and is attacking the subordinates of the Xiu Clan, the Tail Feather Clan..."
"The route of attack by the Kingdom Highland Legion, brutally sacrificing all captured city-states' Divine Descendant Nobility, is already making each clan tense and even fearful! And indeed, all the clans are mobilizing the militia, but there are no signs of uniting. The reason they have not united to form an Allied Force against the Highland Barbarians... legion is because of one piece of news, a startling news that shook the entire Lowland Maya, causing division among the tribes..."
"This startling news has already spread rapidly ahead of the Kingdom Legion, through the mouths of nobles along the coasts and the jungles. Upon hearing this news, the clan elders of the Ekab Chiefdom and tribes of Yan Island were in heated discussions, with nobles from each town in the chiefdom quarreling endlessly, unable to make a decision. It was precisely because of this that I saw the decay, conservatism, and weakness of the elders and my father, thereby nurturing the thought of converting to the Chief Divine and serving the Highland Kingdom..."
