Chapter 1347: Chapter 1347
"The villages of Northern Land... the communal work villages..."
The sun tilted westward, casting a sky full of red clouds. Woodpecker Aitz led the tribal archer camp, having traveled over fifty li in a day, and was truly exhausted. The kingdom officers around were similarly fatigued. However, the lightly-equipped tribal archers, though tired and hungry, showed no sign of complaint. They seemed as obedient and resilient as worker ants, wearing only a set of paper armor, with leggings wrapped around their legs, seemingly capable of marching through the night.
"It’s getting dark! Let’s reach a nearby village, have a hearty meal, and get a good rest!..."
The kingdom officer of the camp discussed with the garrison leader of the nearest village for quite a while before the latter stiffly agreed. Yet when the Tlaxcalan archer camp arrived at the village, what they saw was a rather enthusiastic "welcome" scene.
At the entrance to the village, as many as four hundred strong men of the village were fully mobilized. Their faces were full of vigilance, a sternness born of simplicity. Each held a two-meter long spear, most of which were sharp obsidian, and even dozens were of shiny copper spears. The militiamen in the front rows held plain shields, standing shoulder to shoulder. The formation they put up seemed even more orderly than that of Woodpecker Aitz’s archer camp!
"Oh Chief Divine! Are these village militiamen of Rivermouth County trained in spear arrays as well?" Read full story at nοvelfire.net
Woodpecker Aitz watched in surprise for a moment before realizing that the truly well-organized ring was just the outermost circle, consisting of a hundred or so trained militia who had participated in kingdom campaigns. Inside that circle, older men in their thirties and forties, a dozen or so children, and the confused-looking "green melons" were surrounded by the outer ring, not presenting much of a threat.
However, in any case, given that Rivermouth County was engaged in continual battles yearly, these trained militiamen had genuinely been on the battlefield. The array they presented was a real combat formation. Such a scene of "reception" instantly provided a silent deterrent to the tribal archer camp.
"Damn! Are these northern villagers mistaking us for mountain bandits to guard against? This is within the kingdom’s borders, and under my command are supposedly well-trained... uh... alright!..."
Woodpecker Aitz stood there in a daze, annoyed for a few moments before coming to his senses. Presently under his command were not reliable Mexica warriors or Prepecha warriors from his homeland, but newly recruited tribal archers. These Tlaxcalan archers had only submitted to the kingdom for a little over a year. Merely two years ago, they were fighting fiercely against the Alliance’s army. Undoubtedly, their forefathers were much the same... such vigilance and precaution from the villagers of Rivermouth County are indeed unsurprising.
"Fine! The villagers’ caution and defense, if it deters the tribal camp, it is not a bad thing..."
Thinking of this, Woodpecker Aitz felt somewhat relieved. After all, he was also concerned that these tribal archers might seem obedient on the surface yet secretly cause some robbery trouble, especially within the kingdom’s heartland, right when the Grand Festival was approaching.
"Praise Chief Divine! I am Tuniao, the village’s Preaching Priest. Esteemed military merit nobility, your accommodation is the village chief’s longhouse. Your officers will each have separate huts. As for these skilled tribal warriors... the village has vacated dozens of grass huts and grain drying yards..."
Naturally, the one who came out to speak to the kingdom officers was the highest-ranking village priest. During the westward expedition that year, Rivermouth County was the front line of repeated battles and underwent stringent cleansing. The old nobility of the Tarasco Kingdom was nearly eradicated, with not a single family left. After destroying the old noble territories, nearly all of the hundred villages in Rivermouth County established communal farms, incorporated directly under the kingdom.
The highest status in the village belongs to the village priest presiding over sacrificial rites. These village priests often communicate with the kingdom’s priesthood, receiving "Divine Revelations" for guidance on agricultural reform, promoting composting, new tools, and field management.
The village priests bring spiritual comfort, increased grain production, and orders from the kingdom government, naturally occupying the highest power position. In truth, in the obscure Central America, they are the masters of advanced culture and productivity. Without them, the village could not find anyone capable of reading the "Book of Ama Colley" and understanding the kingdom’s religious laws.
Beneath the village priests are the garrison leaders who allocate manpower and oversee canal and road repairs, and the militia captains who train the village militia. These are often retired or injured samurai, forming the grassroots of the kingdom’s power in the countryside. The "Divine Authority," "Government Authority," and "Military Authority" they hold, working in concert, constitute the basic rural order. This "faith in the Divine," "strict discipline," and "Samurai supremacy" rural order certainly has many flaws and cannot be called fair. However, merely establishing and maintaining a stable order exceeds the chaos found all over Central America!
"Praise Chief Divine! Greetings to you, esteemed Chief God Priest! I am the kingdom’s Thousand-man Camp Commander, Woodpecker Aitz!"
Facing the young village priest, Woodpecker Aitz bowed slightly, showing respect in his demeanor.
"Hmm... I stay in the longhouse, the officers in the huts, the archers in the grass huts and grain yards..."
He then thought about the village arrangements, finding them quite suitable, and nodded with a smile in response.