"The Chief spoke well, Ihuatzio City holds both religious and economic significance. Therefore, I will rebuild Ihuatzio, transform the pyramid into the main Temple, expand the marketplace, and further control the trade within the Fief!"
The elderly scholar smiled slightly and moved his finger to point at the second painting.
The second painting was more complex, depicting several finely dressed adults. They were laid out in layers like a pyramid, divided into three levels. At the very top was a Monarch wearing a Divine Eagle crown. His figure was extremely tall and striking, holding a Divine Staff and Long Spears, occupying one-third of the entire scroll.
"The so-called three levels refer to the hierarchy of the Tarasco Kingdom. Similar to the Mexica Alliance, they are broadly divided into the King, Nobility, and Samurai, and do not include the ordinary commoners. Naturally, at the very top, is the King of Tarasco, the ruler of the land in the lake, the clan leader of the Royal Family, Cazonci."
"In the Prepetcha language, the King Cazonci is also called Camacha cupeni, which means governor, the one who groups, the one who manages others. He has the authority to administer the entire Kingdom’s people, whether they are Nobility, Samurai, or commoners. He also has the right to determine everyone’s status!"
At this point, Xiulote’s eyes lit up.
This title implied the concept of an autocratic Monarch, similar to the true "King" in the Huaxia philosophy. And, as part of the Nava language family, in the Mexica language, the "Great Tlatoani" merely had the concept of a major decision-maker. Though he holds the highest authority in speech, he does not possess absolute power over all the subordinate entities. It seems that the centralization of the Tarasco Kingdom is indeed higher than that of the Alliance and the Prepetcha people’s compliance with central authority is likely to surpass the various tribes of the Alliance.
"Chief, I am quite interested in these governing terms of the Prepetcha language. Could you speak a bit more about their deeper meanings?"
Jatili paused for a moment, then nodded with a smile.
"Then this old servant will speak a few more words. Your Majesty, the Central Government you just mentioned is called Camachacupecha in the Prepetcha language. It means that those who have the force, the powerful ones, come together to command the ordinary commoners. They then humbly establish friendships with friendly strong parties and harshly conquer and deal with hostile ones."
And the authority of the Government is called Ch’echesiqua. It refers to the feeling that instills fear, and this fear can remain over time, repeatedly evoking it.
The ordinary Nobility is called Urechadanini, which means the ones who speak first, the ones with the power of speech. The ordinary commoners are called Haripantatani, which means the owned, the governed..."
The young King pondered deeply the social philosophies and group characteristics hidden within these everyday words.
Language and writing are important because of the cognitive concepts contained within, which subtly influence the user’s ideas from minute details. Looking across world history, ethnic groups with similar languages and writings tend to be consistent in certain traits. And when it comes to modern times, the first step of national awakening is often the creation or strengthening of a script unique to the ethnic group.
"The Government is a union of the strong to dominate the commoners, unite with or oppose other strong parties... Authority is the fear of violence... Nobility are the decision-makers, commoners are the subjects..."
Xiulote frowned slightly and murmured to himself.
"These ideas are similar to those of the Mexica language. This means that in the traditional Nava language recognition, there is no concept of benevolence and trust for rulers. The governance of the state is maintained by violence, and the commoners have almost no rights, the whole society is in a typical slave system era."
"It seems that when I have spare time, I should still recall the concepts from the times with similar productivity in the Celestial Empire, especially Legalism’s rule of law and Confucianism’s benevolence. Then I’ll convene Priests and Scholars to appropriately modify and handle them, and introduce them to the relatively primitive culture of the Fief. The mixture of Confucianism’s facade with Legalism’s backbone, the combined use of Kingly and Hegemonic tactics is the core that allows the vast Celestial Empire to maintain a stable rule..."
Myriad thoughts flashed through the young King’s mind. For him, governing was still a continuous exploration and practice. What he could rely on were the stories that had emerged in history and the trajectory of future development. He would reference and grope his way until he carved out a unique path for the Celestial Empire of America!
The learned elder watched Xiulote’s expression, pausing at just the right moment. When the King signaled again, he smiled and continued.
"The second level of the Kingdom are the various Nobles and High Priests. Your Majesty, please look at these personages dressed differently. The order in which they are arranged symbolizes their status, and the items in their hands represent different powers."
In the forefront is Ivachi, Royalty, holding a Scepter. This usually represents those of the highest standing, Lords who are closest in blood to the King. Indeed, the origin of Ihuatzio City’s name is because it was first awarded to the closest branches of the Royal Family. And when King Aweit left, he took nearly all of the Royal Nobles with him.
The next is Carrachapacacha, the Nobles with real power, holding weapons. It is close to the term used for the Central Official, meaning local enforcers. They control the local Samurai and Militia, managing regional order. Although their titles are hereditary, they are subject to the influence and interference of the Royal Family. If the direct sons are unable to independently sort out their standing, they must turn to the authoritative Royal Family for adjudication.