Aztec Eternals

Towards the end of January, the cold wind blows across Lake Texcoco, bringing iciness and chill.

In the past few days, in the southeast of Lake Texcoco, the two Skyfire Islands have been strictly guarded. Nearly a hundred warriors are stationed on Tianhuo Island, and those who land on the island must have the approval of the king and His Royal Highness. The boat division navy patrolled around the island, using the idle Tianhuo Erdao as a base, checking passing merchant ships, and cracking down on smuggling.

As a result, this place has become a patrolling military station that discourages civilians. There are also rumors that priests perform secret rituals to pray to evil spirits for power.

On the south bank of Lake Texcoco, hundreds of salt workers are continuously transporting nitrate and plant ash, and then transported to Tianhuo Island by naval ships. Moreno, the leader of the salt workers, boarded the island with Nitro along with the boat.

The fierce chief of the salt workers stood blankly beside the newly built port. He looked around, and there were reeds as tall as a person everywhere, as well as scattered wooden houses and thatched huts. The ferocious warriors were equipped with leather armor, batons and longbows, and dozens of canoe warships completely blocked the surrounding area of ​​the island. It was really a natural cage.

On the shore of the lake, a crocodile had just dived in, and before it could open its mouth, it was discovered by a sailor in surprise. The samurai immediately rushed forward and turned the four-meter-long crocodile over with long sticks, revealing its soft belly. Then, the warriors nimbly forked the crocodile's big mouth, and then hit it continuously with huge stone hammers. In just a few seconds, the crocodile died trembling and vomiting blood, unable to resist.

The warriors cheered. Afterwards, they shouted happily, skinned the crocodile and took the meat by the lake, and set up a barbecue bonfire. After a while, the aroma of barbecue came to the nostrils.

Seeing this scene and smelling the aroma of barbecue, the fierce Moreno couldn't help swallowing. He carefully restrained the expression on his face, smiled and asked the steward of the island, a middle-aged warrior with a weathered face.

"Dear warrior, how long are we going to stay on this island? It's actually not far from the village on the south bank. We can arrive early every morning and leave after dark."

Esco took a deep look at Moreno and smiled strangely.

"You are Moreno? Your Highness has specifically ordered that from now on, you and your subordinates must produce burning salt all day long, and at the same time research more efficient processes. Every improvement must be recorded, and there will be financial rewards You will be provided with three meals a day according to the standards of a warrior. No one is allowed to leave without His Highness’s personal approval. Otherwise.”

Esco nodded towards the barbecued crocodile, and smiled strangely again.

Moreno felt cold all over. He and his loyal brothers looked at each other, wanting to cry but not crying. Staying on a deserted island and burning salt, this kind of day. The grand dream burns in the heart of the leader of the salt owl. The Jinhe in the south is calling continuously. Moreno shows a fierce look again, and the salt workers gradually start to make noise.

"Go to work! Your workload today hasn't started yet! There will be someone to check and test tonight!"

Esco sternly reprimanded. He waved his hand lightly, and immediately a dozen warriors came up, pointing their sticks at an angle, and surrounded dozens of salt workers.

"This is the task His Highness has emphasized, the most important mission, and a hard-won opportunity!"

Thinking of this, Esco's eyes flashed fiercely, sweeping over every clamoring salt worker. The samurai's education told him that blood is the best way to shock everyone. He took off the sharp baton without hesitation and strode forward.

Moreno looked at the warriors with a fierce expression. Afterwards, his gaze met the middle-aged warrior, and the murderous aura that had gone through the battle came to him, making his heart suddenly chill, and he immediately calmed down from his unwilling anger. The leader of the salt worker bowed his head decisively, slapped the brothers beside him with his backhand, and yelled loudly.

"Get out of here and go to work! You idiots, do you all want to die!"

Immediately, Moreno bowed to the approaching middle-aged samurai, and then turned around and was the first to go to the hut in the center of the island. The unruly salt workers were only stunned for a moment, and the warrior's wooden stick was mercilessly swung down, driving them to the thatched hut. There, nitrate has piled up like a mountain.

Under the management of Esco, Tianhuo Island is operating with maximum efficiency. Two days later, Esco came in person and respectfully reported the production situation to Shulot.

Xiulot nodded in satisfaction, but sighed slightly in his heart.

"Fifty or sixty salt workers work all day, and the daily output of nitrate is only 20 to 30 catties, and the brown nitrate consumed is close to a thousand catties. It is still necessary to improve the extraction process."

Of course, the teenager didn't know that the nitrate content of ordinary nitrate is around 70g-140g/kg, which is about one-tenth. But now the extraction efficiency of the craftsmen is already 1/20 to 30. In the Middle Ages, this production efficiency was actually normal. He has adopted many subsequent separation techniques and precipitation experience. With the familiarity of the craftsmen, the production efficiency of soil nitrate will be further improved, even surpassing the European counterparts of this era.

Immediately, Shulot stared at Esco with admiration, and ordered seriously.

"Esco, you did a good job! I will give you another 100 warriors and allow you to recruit the peasants from the villages on the south bank to expand the collection of nitrate. The collection of nitrate is only for these two months, and you must do it with all your strength! At the Great Salt Mine It's up to you to contact Kavare, the leader of the overseers. Now, he is your subordinate!

The number of salt workers who make nitrate can be doubled or tripled. One month later, I want the daily output of soil nitrate to reach 100 catties, no matter what the price! "

Hearing this, Esco knelt down respectfully to accept the order, his heart was full of ecstasy and excitement.

In just a few days after being promoted by His Highness, he has already mastered two hundred warriors and managed thousands of peasants and salt workers. After 30 years of ordinary life and following the head of the regiment for 15 years, he finally embarked on a broad and smooth road. For His Highness's respect and a higher future, he is determined to spare no effort.

Shulot pondered for a moment, then continued to give instructions.

"The prepared soil salt is sealed in clay pots and stored separately in the ground. Do not touch the flames! You should stay away from these soil salts, just in case.

I will send two deacons to you to record the specific production steps and also participate in the improvement process of nitrate making. Soon, there will be special craftsmen going to make potions for fire, and you have to prepare empty work spots for them alone. "

Although he half-understood His Highness's words, Esco still nodded respectfully, trying to remember every word in his heart.

Xiulot patted the middle-aged warrior on the shoulder encouragingly before waving his hand to let the excited man go down.

The young man sighed softly. Both soil nitrate and gunpowder are chemicals that are easy to inflame and explode. If you are not careful, major accidents will occur, resulting in death or injury. He let the newly promoted Esco take charge of this matter, but he actually had a selfish intention in his heart. Otherwise, based on the importance of this work, it should be handled by Bertard, Berguire or "Monkey".

Speaking of "monkeys", Kuluka has already traveled to the mountain city-state south of Tarasco with the Mayan businessman Tikalo to smuggle copper ore to the local tribal leaders. If all goes well, the first batch of copper ore should be brought back by the fleet in two weeks. They also had a dangerous mission to find out the terrain and distribution of troops in the southern city-states, and collect intelligence for the expedition after the autumn harvest.

Xiulot stood up, pacing and thinking slightly.

The copper ore on hand was beaten into bronze tools and handed over to the old carpenter for making longbows. The gathering of the miners and the recruitment of the Burakumin should wait until after the New Year's sacrifice. The bronze three-meter spear was not in a hurry either. You can first take out the two-meter bronze spear seized from the Tarascos and use it for the drills of the elite militia, and use the large shield of the samurai in the armory for the shield.

"With the support of the entire alliance, it's much easier to do things. I can finally settle down to farm and scientific research."

Shulot raised his head with emotion in his heart. The noon sun shone down on the main hall, illuminating the wooden plaque on the top of the hall, and three gilt and strict Chinese characters came into view, "Shenqi Temple".

This mansion was originally the mansion of Prince Texcoco, but now it has changed its name to "Sacred Enlightenment". Shulot's original favorite name was "Oracle", which was used to remember some long-standing memories.

However, the grandfather pondered for a long time and seriously rejected the proposal. The word "oracle" is too sensitive and has a strong connotation of power, which is not suitable for today's teenagers. On the contrary, his reputation as a "spiritual enlightener" has been spread by the priests and elders, and it is easier to help him establish authority by forming a new craftsman center in the name of divine revelation.

Now, the hall where Shulot is located is the center of Prince Texcoco's mansion. The hall is richly decorated, spacious and transparent. There are traces of repairs in many places, vaguely recording the bloody battle not long ago. The murals of the Texcoco royal family on the four walls have been leveled, and there is nothing on the sacrificial altar.

The young man didn't know that Troll's head had been worshiped here, and he didn't know the conversation and plan between the chief priest and the prince. Ambition fades, the dead do not return, the past is gone with the wind. And a new chapter is opening in the acceleration of heroes!

In Xiulot's plan, the "Shen Qi Institute" is the alliance's technology research and development center. Under his direct leadership, the most professional craftsmen and talents were gathered to carry out epoch-making scientific and technological progress. For this reason, he specifically asked his grandfather for instructions, and summoned a group of priests who knew how to count to join the "God's Enlightenment Institute" with a bright future.

The high priest shook his head and chuckled, then nodded in approval. It would be a low-key way to leave the sensitive military, political and religious fields and study some gadgets to pass the time temporarily.

Therefore, the high priest majestically allocated quotas for each temple to be completed in the meeting of priests and elders. Afterwards, after a heated discussion, the elders threw out the lowest-level civilian deacons, and asked them to join the lowly craftsmen and accompany His Highness the "God-Enlightened One" to make "toys" of wood and clay.

Not long after, Shulot received forty or fifty young civilian priests with low morale, and there were also a few noble priests who joined in the service. He froze for a moment and sighed slightly. This is also good, these young low-level priests are more likely to accept command, and their plasticity will be higher.

The "Divine Inspiration Institute" is currently carrying out several research projects at the same time, and the quartermaster Boji Lei has been appointed as the specific manager. Hundreds of professional craftsmen were summoned and divided into different research groups with the priests to engage in military and civilian projects designated by His Highness. They worked hard to deduce and complete the actual production from His Highness's prophetic description, and then recorded the materials and steps in detail.

In order to stimulate the research enthusiasm of the craftsmen, Xiulot specially set high rewards. Every research breakthrough of craftsmen will get a large amount of gold and silver, gems, cotton cloth and even land, enough for them to live comfortably for several years. Recorded merit also increases their title pay.

The teenager rearranged the levels of craftsmen. The craftsmen of the "Shenqi Institute" are now divided into four levels: apprentice, ordinary, senior, and master. Each level is divided into upper and lower levels, enjoying different daily treatment. Senior craftsmen were given the status of ordinary warriors, while rare master craftsmen were conferred as military nobles.

These places are specially requested by the teenagers from Avitt. The great nobles were a little bit dissatisfied, but the number of master craftsmen was few and could not be inherited, so they reluctantly accepted the matter. They now have a more important focus, the imminent introduction of the Nobility Law.

Low-level priests will accumulate meritorious service to improve the priesthood. In the future, the teenager plans to separate the promotion system of "artisan priests" and create an independent research department.

With high rewards and strict supervision, various researches are being carried out in an orderly and efficient manner. Thinking of this, Shulot strode out of the main hall, and under the personal guard of the warrior commander, he inspected the research progress of each craftsman group.