Chapter 213: Fight

The curling green smoke rose up, carrying the priest's song, dedicated to the gods in the sky. Xuluot stood under the flag of the gods, silently looking up at the sky. After a long while, he slowly and clearly answered.

"Bertard, you are right. I cannot accept Suangwa's surrender."

Xuluot lowered his eyes slightly, and when he opened his eyes again, he was full of fighting spirit.

"The Tarasco royal family must not be retained! This is not only the will of the elders, but also the need to rule the land in the lake. The Mexica League does not want the Tarasco people to surrender in name, but to directly control every conquered city-state and truly take root in this fertile land."

"The contradiction between me and Suangua cannot be reconciled. The Patzcuaro Lake area will become my foundation and lay the foundation for my future career. The southwestern mountainous area is an opportunity for great social development! Eliminate the royal family, relocate the nobles, reform the priests, and develop iron mines. The plan cannot be changed. Only a blank piece of paper can create a magnificent painting!"

Listening to the declaration of the young king, Bertard bowed his head and saluted, and respectfully made suggestions.

"Your Highness, if that's the case, there's no need for you to meet Suanga. The Tarasco nobles are like crocodiles in the Tarsus River, fierce, barbaric and cunning. The great Teotihuacan Empire has disappeared for a thousand years, and the noble Tula Kingdom has also turned into ruins. The ancient etiquette is actually meaningless to the emerging alliance."

The warrior leader paused, and the arrow wound on his back seemed to still hurt. His face was as calm as water, with the perseverance unique to civilian warriors.

"Your Highness, you are the future sun, you should not easily meet with the enemy's royal family alone, and you must not lose the most important credibility of the king! You hope that Suanga will surrender sincerely and end the war as soon as possible; but you can't really accept his surrender and swear an oath with him in front of the army."

Speaking of this, Bertard's eyes were fierce, revealing the ferocity of a senior warrior, and he treated life and death as ordinary.

"Then, let the distinguished royal member of the legion meet with the King of Tarasco on your behalf! If the King of Tarasco is really willing to lay down his arms, let this person accept all the treaties and swear an oath with Suanga to the gods!"

Xuluot was slightly startled, and he looked at the chief warrior who was his confidant.

"A distinguished member of the royal family? Who is it?"

"Tlatelolco's honorable noble, Tepoporo the Destroyer. The Tlatelolco family has been married to the royal family for generations. Tepoporo's mother and grandmother are both princesses of the Mexica royal family. In the legion, he often regards himself as a member of the royal family."

"Anna mentioned it to me. The nobles in the capital rumored that Tepoporo intended to hand over the family's territory and seek a suitable fiefdom in the vast territory of the Kingdom of Tarasco. He has a deep foundation and is the first honorable noble to voluntarily hand over the territory. Neither King Avit nor the immortal elder will treat him unfairly."

"Although he cannot compare with Your Highness and has no chance to the rich Lake Patzcuaro area, he will definitely be able to gain a foothold in the land of Micanque. In this way, he is a potential competitor of Your Highness. He does not know the will of the elders, so let him surrender King Suanga!"

At this point, Bertard stopped talking. Whether Tepopolo succeeds in surrendering, breaks his promise, or fails in surrendering, or is attacked and killed, it will be beneficial to His Highness.

Xiuluot's eyes became deep. After a moment, he nodded gently.

"Just as you said."

Then, the young commander gave a loud order.

"Notify the envoy of Suangwa. Tell him that according to ancient etiquette, the royal family of the Mexica will meet with the royal family of Tarasco in front of the two armies!"

"Call the honorable noble Tepopolo, I will personally give him orders!"

The sun climbed to the high zenith, majestically sitting on the clouds, patiently watching the world. The huge army was fully deployed on the field. Two huge legions, separated by several miles, were waiting for the decisive battle of fate. The senior warriors sat on the ground, with their weapons in front of them. They looked calm, accumulating physical strength for fighting, chatting and laughing with each other from time to time, and had long regarded death in battle as normal. The long-lance militias were strictly disciplined and had a lower status. They continued to maintain the integrity of the formation, just relaxing their legs and feet in place, silently waiting for the decision of the gods.

After a while, two teams of nearly 100 people slowly walked out of the military formations of both sides. The flags of the Mexica and Tarasco royal families fluttered in front of the team, and the elite warriors gathered around the leader.

"The Destroyer" Tepopolo wore a gorgeous noble battle suit, a drooping battle feather crown on his head, and walked in the front with high spirits.

Since leading 3,000 warriors to participate in the Western Expedition, Tepopolo has been full of setbacks along the way, and most of the power and glory he expected have fallen through. First, he failed to ask for marriage from the naval commander Anateli and missed the alliance's navy. Then, he stationed in the fortress on the north bank for several months, moldy in the rainy season, and practiced the dishonorable bow and arrow with the royal warriors. Then, in a great battle on Lake Yuriria, he fought as a front-line fighter and half of his men died in one battle. Looking back now, the tragic scene is still frightening.

After that, there was a long period of rest. Only after the capture of the river mouth fortress did his legion move there to control the key logistical nodes. He had just been very active and had several banquets with the surrendered Tarasco nobles. The experienced Xiusok took the opportunity of capturing Huayamo to leave his army in the river mouth fortress and sent himself to the legion on the front line to participate in the "glorious battle of siege of the capital".

As a reinforcement sent by the king, Tepopolo understood the fears of the Holy City. He had no chance and no intention of fighting for military power on the Northern Road. Seeing that the victory of the Western Expedition was certain, his eyes were already set on the future. The latest envoy sent months ago has returned. Through the relay of the intelligence officer, the king gave him a clear commitment.

"Although it's not the best, it's still acceptable."

Tepopolo thought with a smile.

"Whether Marshal Hulot is cautious and timid, or avoids suspicion, the opportunity to meet finally fell to me! The singing of the epic is something for the future. If I can recruit the royal army of Tarasco, I can truly Establishing a foundation in the land of Mikancho and establishing connections with the nobles of Tarasco. As a brave warrior, why not take risks for such a feat?"

Tepopolo held his head high and looked forward. Tarasco's royal flag was already a hundred steps away. Surrounded by the bronze axe guards, a tall king wearing golden bronze armor and a purple bronze helmet held a sapphire scepter in his hand, greeting him from a distance.

Tepopolo looked solemn. He raised the family scepter in his hand and solemnly returned the salute to the polite King Tarasco. At the same time, he greeted the approaching team with a loud and glorious greeting, his voice confident and loud.

"Members of the royal family of Mexica, the glorious nobles of Tlatelolco, Tepopolo the Destroyer, pay tribute to the ancient royal family of Tarasco! This is a noble tribute from the descendants of the gods, and it is also witnessed by the gods. meet!”

Then, the glorious noble Tepopolo put down his scepter and nodded slightly towards the opposite side. When he raised his head, the king opposite had not yet replied, still holding the staff high. Tepopolo thought for a moment and thought that this was the ancient ceremony that the Tula people were waiting for, so he raised his staff again and shouted loudly.

"Under the witness of the Lord God, the great divine war is about to come to an end! The Sun God has enough holy blood and continues to burn and shine on the world! The supreme alliance assumes the responsibility of commanding the world and saving all ministries and people!"

After a long time, until the two teams came within sixty steps, the Tarascans' reply came belatedly.

"King of Tarasco, Kazonchi of the Prepecha people, Eagle of the Land of the Lakes, His Majesty Suangua is here to pay his respects to the emerging Mexica royal family!"

"The Sun God watches us and leads the destiny of all things. The sacred blood flows in the descendants of God and determines the fate of the world. Only the future king can talk to the supreme king. May I ask His Highness Shulot of Mexica? , are you in the front line?”

Tepopolo's face darkened, and he felt slightly angry. He gritted his teeth and shouted loudly.

"According to the practice of the alliance, His Highness Hulot carries the banner of the coach and the glory of the God of War. Once he stands in the legion, he will not move another half step until the battle is over! Tlatelolco's line It has been inherited for hundreds of years and is one of the oldest families in Mexico. As the glorious nobleman of Tenochtitlan, I will fully represent the alliance and the royal family!”

Again there was no answer for a long time. Tepopolo's heart sank. With his last hope, he made a promise.

"I swear in the name of my family that in the land of prickly pears and rocks, there will be a place for the eagle on the lake to live!"

After sixty steps, Suangua stopped. He did not reply to the call from the other side, but also held the last hope and carefully observed the leader of the Mexica people. Through the feather helmet, he saw the face of the middle-aged man. Then, he scanned the Mexica warriors behind him one by one to judge their height. After searching for a few breaths, he finally sighed in disappointment.

A few steps behind Suangua, the "Hound" warrior Yuku held the long bow in his hand tightly, staring at the leader of the Mexica people, and looking at the magic staff instructed by the king with his peripheral vision. He understood the importance of the mission and had been rehearsing it in his mind along the way, estimating the exact distance. For a senior hunter, the opportunity to hunt flying birds is always fleeting, and shooting quickly with a bow has long been his fighting instinct. With a steady hand, sharp eyesight, and close coordination, the bow can be drawn with half a bow, and the prey will fall down at the sound.

However, Yuku waited silently and nervously for a long time, but did not wait for the staff to fall. He hesitated for a moment and made a waiting gesture to the sharpshooters behind him. Then, he took a few steps forward and asked in a low voice.

"Your Majesty, the Mexica marshal should not have appeared. Who is this member of the royal family? Do you need me to stay?"

Su Angua shook his head, showing a little helplessness, and finally dropped the magic staff in his hand.

"What's the use of catching a chirping cardinal if the proud eagle can't catch the noble quetzal?"

Then, Su Angua looked solemn and shouted to the opposite side majestically.

"The glory of the king is inviolable! Since the black wolf of Mexica is unwilling to meet, the condor of Tarasco will never fall to the ground! In this case, let the sacred battle decide our destination!"

Su Angua paused, looked at the cronies beside him, and asked in a low voice.

"I'm sorry that your journey was in vain. When will support from the capital arrive?"

The confidant looked grateful, bowed his head respectfully, and replied softly.

"The scouts have contacted the capital. The chief has mobilized three thousand warriors and is on the way to support. The reinforcements have been kept hidden for the past two days, and there are still more than twenty miles away."

"Three thousand warriors, more than twenty miles away. If that's the case, let's challenge the Mexicans on the opposite side to a fight!"

Suanga nodded, and the doubt in his eyes flashed away. At this time, can the capital still mobilize 3,000 warriors? How much fighting power can the warriors have left after running for dozens of miles? He forced himself to put away his thoughts, smiled confidently again, and shouted loudly to the opposite side.

"The Mexica people value warriors the most, and so do the Tarasco people. According to ancient etiquette, the fearless Tarasco warriors challenge the warlike Mexica warriors! Under the watchful eyes of the God of War, let the bravest warriors fight against each other and offer the highest salute!"