Elder Uguel walked briskly, ignoring the traces of war along the way, and arriving at the still heavily fortified Xilotepec camp, he then directly entered the Commander’s large tent.
Inside the tent, Osellor was discussing the follow-up rewards with his officers. Seeing his old friend enter directly, he helplessly shook his head slightly and had the officers withdraw.
Soon, only the two of them remained in the tent. Uguel took off his heavy stone crown, dragged over the Commander’s prized black bear skin, spread it on the somewhat cold ground, and sat down opposite Osellor with a plop.
Watching his old friend’s unreserved actions, a twitch appeared at the corner of Osellor’s eye.
"Uguel, this is a war trophy from when I campaigned against the Canine Descendants of the north; it’s smooth, intact, exquisitely fine, and soft—you better not tear it."
Because of his name, Osellor, unlike other Commanders, did not like collecting Jaguar pelts; instead, he preferred the bear and wolf skins from the north.
Uguel shifted his body, felt the firm yet soft touch, and nodded with satisfaction.
"Not bad, this skin is a bit more durable than the Jaguar’s, it’s more comfortable to sit on..."
After the praise, the Elder Priest then looked at his old friend and laughed heartily.
"Osellor, are you ever short of skins? The King and the High Priest wish to keep the northern stronghold under control; you might have to stay here for a long time, and perhaps you’ll be directly enfeoffed here... when that happens, if you want bear skins, just go hunting in the north!"
Upon hearing this, Osellor’s expression became serious. He contemplated for a moment before speaking slowly.
"That’s exactly what I’m hesitating about. King Aweit has sent an Envoy to ask for my thoughts, and I wasn’t sure at the moment... Uguel, I haven’t returned for two years; what is the situation in the capital now? Over the past few months, the news has come piece by piece, I’ve truly heard of many big events!"
At this, Uguel’s plump face turned solemn, and he too shook his head with a sigh.
"What is the situation in the capital now? I can’t figure it out myself. As I see it, it’s a situation of murder!"
So saying, the Elder Priest stretched out his thick fingers, counting one by one.
"You see, during the coronation ceremony, we sacrificed thousands of Otomi people, which is alright and quite a spectacle. Then, on the day the ceremony ended, the Chief Priest died of poisoning, which was extremely frightening, and I couldn’t sleep well for a month!
And in just a few days, the Texcoco lineage was completely uprooted, and thousands of Great Nobility were sacrificed, which was tragic. Most of the nobility are having nightmares. And that’s not even the end. After the New Year’s ceremony is over, the remaining one or two thousand lesser Nobility and Samurai will be relocated here. By that time, people will be panic-stricken..."
Upon hearing this, Osellor thought for two seconds and interjected naturally.
"This relocation is actually very beneficial! The twenty thousand Mexica Samurai will be dismissed soon, and most of the Royal Legion will head south. There will only be five thousand Mexica Samurai left in Xilotepec City, plus more than four thousand Otomi captives. Given that the northern stronghold is a frontier place, and the Otomi population within the state is in the hundreds of thousands. If two thousand Mexica Nobility and Samurai could be added, I would have the core force to govern this place, and the situation would become more stable.
Once these banished Nobles and Samurai come here, after we award them mansions and farmlands, arrange marriages for them, they will naturally settle down. And amidst the sea of Otomi people, they can only rely on the Alliance!"
Uguel pondered for a while, nodding his head.
"Yes, the elder is always right!... Now listen to me continue. Before my departure, the High Priesthood had just promulgated Noble Law. Immediately after, a thousand Temple Guards deployed, arresting over twenty hereditary Noble families in Tlacopan, on grounds of obstructing Alliance tribute. These three hundred or so people are all to be sentenced to be sacrifices. When I lead back more than a thousand Otomi Nobles here, the New Year’s sacrificial rite will be another grand ceremony!"
"What? A month has already passed and the New Year’s sacrificial rite hasn’t started yet?"
Osellor was clearly taken aback. Then, after pondering for a short while, he said.
"Uprooting the Texcoco Royal Family and cleaning up the Tlacopan line, does this mean that the Royal Family has now unified the Lake Region?"
The Elder Priest was somewhat moved, shaking his huge head.
"Yes, the Royal Family has unified the Lake Region, and so has the High Priesthood. The immortal Sun hangs high, the youthful Jaguar is warlike, and now there’s also a cunning old fox... It’s clear there has been early planning step by step! Although there are many Nobles big and small left, there is no leader among the pack of wolves. These Nobles, even though they make a fuss, really can’t make anything big happen!"
Then Uguel thought for a while and continued to mumble.
"As for the delay of the New Year’s sacrificial rite, it’s the elder’s intention, and it’s for the sake of new religious reform. Many ceremonies will undergo major changes in this rite, and the priests in the capital are all extremely busy. The elder has also demanded that the ceremony be sufficiently grand and spectacular, waiting for the north to send the Sacrifices quickly...
I thought, rather than busying myself to and fro in the capital, being anxious all day, I might as well take up this assignment and come to see an old friend in the north. Relax here a bit, live some comfortable days... Who knew the city would fall so quickly? I received the urgent news halfway and hurried along the way. I only arrived last night... it wore me out!"
Osellor nodded in understanding, smiling as he handed Uguel a wood board covered in diagrams, then fell into thought.
Uguel looked at the board, which showed twenty large boxes, filled with various brightly colored Gold and Silver, gemstones, Feather garments, and herbs and spices, and below were twenty little figures with distinct female features.