Aztec Civilization: Destiny to Conquer America!

The June rain was like the rapid beat of drums, urging on the busy work among the fields. The corn had grown a foot tall, the green beans were stretching out their tender branches, and the pumpkins were sprouting new shoots, slowly spreading across the ground. The ample rainfall nourished the crops' root systems, and the warm sunshine gave the plants the energy to grow. Thus, when the scorching sun first appeared in the sky after the rains of July, the earth was already a scene of flourishing life.

The sweltering sunlight shone over both banks of the Lerma River. Mexica samurai emerged from their narrow dwellings, joyfully praying for the grace of the Sun God. They took out their long-damp clothes and blankets to hang in every corner of the camp, allowing the sun to dry them. Garments of different ranks in red, yellow, black, and white turned the simple wooden fort into a colorful street. The quartermasters also took out wet corn cakes and grains, spreading them out in the open area at the center of the fort, trying to minimize the loss of food during the rainy season. The solemn fort turned once more into the grain society of a village.

Outside the open wooden fort was a fence set apart for a specific purpose. Under the strict guard of the samurai, the gunpowder craftsmen accompanying the army set up wooden tents in the shade to dry the damp gunpowder. The faint smell of the volcano drifted with the wind, and amidst the swaying grass, many grass snakes avoided and fled far away.

In the spacious wooden cabin at the center of the fort, Xiulote sat with his legs hugged, closely examining the sand table before him, the result of his efforts over several days.

The sand table was small, one meter in length and width. A "river" made of fine sand traversed it from east to west, and at the southwest, it branched into a "lake." Between the river and the lake was a "fortress" fashioned from clay, adorned with little wooden gates, with a shallow stream on the eastern side, representing the Rivermouth Fortress.

The young commander pondered, first pinching out a camp on the level ground east of the "fortress" and then contemplating filling in the castle's moat. He measured the distance from the fortress walls to the riverbank and frowned. Next, he made another camp in the open space south of the fortress, thought for a moment, and placed two more strongholds even further south as a precaution.

Xiulote then turned his gaze west, looking at the miniature wooden "water gate" and the narrow channel between the river and the lake. He again corrected the positions of the channel and the fortress's western wall based on his memory. After that, he placed a tiny wooden boat on the channel, measuring the distance from the wall to the boat, and fell into silent contemplation.

After a while, he mimicked the movement of the boat. The wooden boat slowly moved forward from the start of the firing range until it reached the water gate. He calculated a time in his head, then introduced another boat to protect the water gate under the support of the castle, countering the first boat. The young commander again calculated for a moment and then deeply furrowed his brow.

At that moment, the voice of a guard rang out from outside the wooden cabin, along with an equally courteous reply.

"To the valiant Head Eagle Warrior, Ters extends his greetings!"

"Ters, there's no need for such formalities. The light of the Sun God shines upon us all! I have a matter to report to His Highness."

The wooden door creaked open, and the sunlight from outside penetrated in, illuminating the dimly lit cabin. A tall figure wearing Leather Armor and a Beast Helmet walked in.

Xiulote looked up and waved at Ters, who was smiling goofily. The young samurai from the Holy City bowed his head in earnest respect and carefully closed the wooden door behind him. The once young boy had now become His Highness, and he was now the guard at His Highness's door.

The young commander then smiled warmly at the fully-armed Bertade.

"Bertade, the weather is so hot, hurry up and take off that outfit!"

The Head Warrior nodded, removed his Beast Helmet, revealing a shorn head and a face with tattooed features, fearsome as a fierce beast. Next, he took off the Leather Armor to display the long robe underneath, completely soaked in sweat.

"Your Highness, these past two days I have taken a squad of Jaguar nobility warriors to investigate Otapan City to the north. The Otomi have nearly completed their spring plowing, and it seems they are mustering their forces, starting to mobilize the militia."

Xiulote pondered for a moment and spoke slowly.

"The Otomi cannot be neglected; the warriors must be on high alert. Have two envoys sent again to condemn the Otomi for their breach of trust. They accepted food from the Alliance and agreed to a peace treaty, but they were only going through the motions. They didn't truly move south to plunder the Tarasco villages before spring plowing! Let's see how they respond.

Furthermore, invite Otapan City-State separately to join the campaign against the Tarasco. Land, as well as luxurious Featherwear, Gold and Silver, gemstones, and even trade in foodstuffs can be offered to them.

I am thinking about whom I met during the last negotiations, Jiowar from Otapan City, wasn't it? Have the envoys visit him personally in my name. Also, I wonder if the old Priest Olte is in Guamare or Otapan. If he's in the Ototpan Mountain City, they could gauge his opinion as well."

Bertade nodded in obedience. He pondered for a moment, then spoke.

"Your Highness, I will arrange for the envoys immediately after my return. However, the Otomi are like grass in the wind, faltering and unpredictable. They always give lip service to the Alliance. I fear it will be difficult to reach a genuine agreement. Even if an agreement were reached, the army must not relax its vigilance. They are like lurking Coyotes, ready to pounce and bite at a vital spot."

The young Commander laughed heartily.

"Bertade, you're quite right. After the spring plowing is finished, the Otomi have the ability to mobilize for war, and they can no longer be trusted. I am only trying to delay for two weeks, hold the wooden fort, and wait for the eastbound fleet to return, bringing a large force of reinforcements from the Holy City.

"Once Annatri's Naval Forces return, cutting off both banks of the Lerma River, the Tarasco will find it difficult to attack from the north. And when the new Legion arrives, the Alliance will take advantage in military strength, with the autumn harvest also approaching. At that time, we can use the army to threaten the Otomi's harvest, forcing them to demonstrate their sincerity in peace with the Alliance with tangible actions!"

Bertade smiled knowingly, his tattooed face trembling with a touch of solemnity. Then, he glanced toward the southern window and continued speaking.

"The Tarasco Naval Forces to the south are very active. Their scouts have repeatedly appeared around the three wooden forts, often making provocative and aggressive gestures. The samurai within the forts are eager for battle, finding it hard to restrain themselves."

Xiulote thought for a moment and then nodded slightly.

"Ever since the rumors of the Sun God's blessing spread, the samurai's morale has been boosted, and they are eager for battle. Such fighting spirit should not be suppressed but guided. Our current strategy is to maintain a defensive stance; we should not actively move southward...

Therefore, let's send different squads of a hundred men each day to engage with Tarasco's scouts in battle. For scout warfare, there's no need to take prisoners; military achievements will be judged solely by the heads they bring back! Then, evaluate the performance of all squads involved in the skirmish and reward the leading teams, bestowing upon them honorable titles for their valor in combat!

Yes, this could serve as a psychological refuge for the samurai. Perhaps I should also modify the rules of the ballgame courts to provide some daily entertainment activities."

At this point, the Young Commander took out paper and pen and jotted down the words "basketball" and "football." He thought for a bit and added "horn push" and "tug of war," and with the existing games of javelin throwing, archery, and martial combat, these would make up the Mexica's heptathlon.

Bertade nodded and accepted the order. He looked at the sand table on the ground, and a flash of admiration crossed his face once again. Sometimes, he would wholeheartedly thank the Sun God for blessing the Mexica with such a divinely enlightened king, who possessed wisdom in all things and inventiveness in all aspects.

"Your Highness, the rivermouth fortress has a western water gate, and the western wall controls the rivermouth, blocking the Navigation Forces' move south. This fortress cannot be besieged. It can receive a continuous flow of reinforcements and supplies from along the shores of Lake Cuitzeo."

Watching the sand table, the Head Warrior analyzed slowly, waiting for His Highness's far-sighted strategy.

Xiulote nodded in agreement.

"That's true! The rivermouth fortress can only be assaulted, not besieged. If we strike, it needs to be swift, the quicker the better. The site has crisscrossing rivers, soft soil, and abundant groundwater. The main army can't dig tunnels, nor use gunpowder to blast the walls. Of course, we don't have miners skilled in excavation."

Faced with the concept of new warfare tactics, Bertade seemed enlightened. He was often by His Highness's side, able to constantly learn and keep up with the young thinker's intellect, providing timely suggestions.

"Digging tunnels, using gunpowder to blast walls... Your Highness, Tarasco's seasoned miners can excavate copper mines; Ezpan is one such experienced miner. Once the main army advances into the Patzcuaro Lake region, we can gather civilians, pooling together the experienced elderly miners to perfect Your Highness's tunnel warfare tactics."

Hearing this suggestion, Xiulote laughed heartily; his thoughts briefly drifted before he refocused on the topic at hand.

"Before we attack, three preparations are necessary. The first is to find an opportunity to severely damage the main force of the Tarasco Naval Forces, aiming to destroy as many enemy ships as possible."

At this point, the Young Commander paused briefly, his train of thought becoming clearer. He chose not to elaborate and continued speaking.

"Second is to concentrate our forces to establish a significant advantage and achieve a breakthrough as soon as possible. The autumn harvest is a critical juncture; we cannot delay past harvest time and give the enemy a chance to muster on a large scale. Hmm, I will send another envoy to the northern general, Osellor, requesting reinforcements. And the military forces from the Capital City must also be transported here as quickly as possible. It takes a month for the ship convoy to make a round trip, able to bring tens of thousands of samurai and three months' worth of provisions for ten thousand men. I need to plan the transportation schedule meticulously."

Xiulote pondered in his mind and noted "transportation" on paper, then smiled faintly.

"Third is the preparation of siege machinery, forging the appropriate siege equipment. Bertade, how is the manufacturing of the three devices I previously ordered coming along?"

The Head Warrior took a moment to reflect, recalling what he had seen at the craftsmen's before his patrol, and slowly nodded.

"Your Highness, the movable light catapult has been researched for nearly a month and has just been completed. We have yet to test the load and range of its ammunition. The light shield car, which covers the archers, is relatively simple and can now be deployed in battle. As for the seven-meter wooden water gate which you requested to be built after the reconnaissance, the craftsmen have only partially reconstructed it; more work is needed."

Upon hearing this, Xiulote laughed with satisfaction.

"Excellent! The light catapult launches paper fireballs wrapped with gunpowder, not requiring high demands for load and range. The light shield car can be as simple as possible; the key is mass production. There's no need for the water gate to be fully reconstructed; I just want to test how it can be effectively destroyed!"

Saying this, the Young Commander stood up tall. He patted the Head Warrior's shoulder affably and exclaimed with a loud laugh.

"The sun shines brightly today, a rare auspicious day indeed. Come, accompany me to see these siege engines!"