The Otomi Legion had dispersed at the mountain city. Each state’s Otomi Warriors, led by the Nobility, returned to their fiefs to prepare for this year’s spring plowing. Further south from Ototpan Mountain City, the first Spear Legion of the Monkeys Kuluka took charge of leading them.
By late January, Xiulote had finally returned to the southern Rivermouth Fortress with the Imperial Guard Legion and the last over ten thousand prisoners. The Royal Banner of the Black Wolf was erected at the Rivermouth Fortress, with six thousand Imperial Guards stationed inside the fortress. The King stayed there, personally inspecting the settlement of the Canine Descendants Tribes.
Over the course of several months, sixty thousand members of the Canine Descendants tribes were settled in Rivermouth County. The villages and farmlands here were already established, and with the Chief God Priest delving deep into the villages, Rivermouth Fortress was further fortified with troops stationed there.
During the era of the Tarasco Kingdom, the population of Rivermouth County was over two hundred thousand. Then the western expedition began, and brutal wars were waged on this land. Refugees fled south, able men were conscripted, armies clashed, until the western expedition ended, and the traditional Nobility rule completely collapsed, with the Great Nobility of Tarasco utterly purged. Only about one hundred thousand people, mostly women and children, were left in Rivermouth County.
After establishing the new kingdom, Xiulote prioritized the Capital Region and Rivermouth County. Settlements were established in Rivermouth County, households organized, and Priests arranged to manage. Initially, twenty thousand mountain tribes were relocated from the Mexican Valley, and another twenty thousand captives were traded from the hands of the Guamal Canine Descendants. With the additional sixty thousand Canine Descendant Tribes, the population finally recovered to the scale of two hundred thousand.
With the replenishment of the population, the boundaries of Rivermouth County continued to expand westward, absorbing nearly half of the Saka state. With patient management for two years and adequate accumulation of provisions, the kingdom could progress westward from here and completely eliminate the Feathers Prince entrenched in the Chapala Lake Region.
Of course, the immediate priority was to quickly assimilate the sixty thousand subdued Guajili Tribes, spread the belief in the Chief God, and stabilize their incorporation under the kingdom’s rule.
One must understand that these were sixty thousand fierce wilderness Canine Descendants, not the docile Prepetcha peasants. The Guajili Canine Descendants had always hunted on the wilderness, excelled in archery and combat, and had been baptized by war. Once they started rioting, they could scurry everywhere, instantly causing great chaos in the northern regions of the kingdom.
Therefore, Xiulote kept the Royal Banner at the Rivermouth Fortress, unable to move south for the time being. He personally stayed with the Imperial Guard Legion, suppressing the northern kingdom while reorganizing the various Canine descendants. Thinking of this, he stroked the feathers of the small golden eagle and looked towards the loyal Head Warrior.
"Bertade, have the Canine Descendants Tribes been properly settled in the south?"
"Yes, Your Highness."
Bertade nodded solemnly. Then, he glanced subtly at Aviloztli, scaring the little golden eagle to shrink its neck, chirping twice "bad person".
"As per your instructions, the sixty thousand Guajili Tribes were disrupted and reorganized into fifteen banner teams of four thousand people each. Then, they were separated into the east and west, respectively. Six banner teams were settled in the east, mostly Canine Descendants from the Red Fox Valley, near Tepopolo’s fief. Nine banner teams were settled in the west, all being Canine Descendants from the Pamus Valley, close to the mountains of the Saka state."
Xiulote nodded slightly. Separate settlements were to avoid the risk of large-scale Canine Descendants gatherings, as well as to reduce the risk of rebellion. There was also a certain estrangement between the eastern and western Canine Descendants.
As for the banner team system design, it referenced the organizational form of the nomadic tribes combining soldiers and farmers. Each small banner consisted of four hundred people, with a leader and Priest appointed. Then, ten small banners formed one large banner team of four thousand people, similarly appointing a leader and Priest responsible for warfare and agriculture, respectively.
Larger and smaller banner teams were made up of people with combat experience, shared lineage, or from the same regions. The banner team system, integrating soldiers and farmers, was tightly organized and could continuously accommodate surrendered tribes from the north. Overall, the establishment of the banner team system was for the long-term future, aimed for military expansion of the empire in the wilderness and even North America. And now, this new trial had just begun.
"Are the newly-settled Guajili Tribes satisfied with the land for settlement?"
"Your Highness, they are amazed by the richness of the southern forests and the fertility of the land by the rivers. Ordinary tribal people praise the Earth Mother Goddess, and there are no complaints. The first batch of Chief God Priests has already gone to each banner team, spreading faith and guiding the upcoming spring plowing."
The Guajili Canine Descendants were not skilled in farming but excelled in hunting and combat. Xiulote deliberately settled the Canine Descendants near the eastern and western borders’ forests, intending to maintain their martial tradition, even if just for one or two generations. Similarly, the combat-skilled Canine Descendant Tribes could also exert certain boundary pressure on their neighboring tribes.
"Are all leaders compliant? Any alliances and disturbances?"
"During the reorganization process, some leaders who lost their tribes attempted rebellion, but they were swiftly suppressed by the Red Frog Chieftain Keka and the Red Monkey Chieftain Ozoma."
Bertade smiled, bowed his head respectfully.
"Your Highness, your great banner remains here, with the Imperial Guard Legion, Jingji Legion, and the first Spear Legion stationed in Rivermouth County. The prestige of the ’God of Death Great Chief’ suppresses everything, and the southern bank of the great river is stable and peaceful, just like the Snake Mountain where the War God resides."
"Excellent! Hmm, the first Spear Legion of the Monkeys..."
Xiulote pondered for a while, then ordered in a deep voice.
"Quickly select two thousand Guajili Hunters to replenish the Monkeys’ legion completely."