Aztec Eternals

"Oh! The knowledgeable elder Jatiri has arrived? Haven't summoned him quickly! No, I'll go to the door myself!"

Shulot woke up suddenly and turned around. There was a bit of joy on his face, and he was about to walk quickly to the gate of the main hall. Then, the young king suddenly remembered something. He looked at the plain robe on his body, paused for a while, and beckoned to the warrior commander to put on a solemn sacrificial attire for him. Then he strode to the entrance of the main hall and looked carefully at it impatiently.

The mighty long wind blows along the corridor and into the gate of the Palace of Winds; the curtains painted with the main god stand in the corridor, and the emblem of the hummingbird sun flutters in the wind. The two rows of guarding Mexica warriors were silent, only the wind chimes were ringing softly in the palace.

Among the samurai's hanging sticks, an old man with gray hair was leaning on a simple wooden staff, quietly staring at the ancient murals in the corridor, and also staring at the fresh paint on the murals. He is thin and ruddy, wearing a flat, dark round cap and the traditional blue Prepeca robe. Several black and white ribbons hang from the back of the blue robe, and there are various mysterious and unknown symbols on the ribbons.

Although this sage's attire is simple, it is definitely not something ordinary people can wear. It symbolizes a rare and noble status, and it symbolizes the knowledgeable elders who master knowledge and inheritance in the ethnic group. Walking on the road wearing this costume, one will naturally be awed by the tribes of Preepecha.

Hearing the sound, the sage Jatiri finally moved his eyes away from the old and brand new murals. He turned his head, revealing a pair of eyes as deep as lake water, and an old and gravel face. He looked at Shulot, at the handsome and resolute face of the young king, at the pair of eyes as warm as jade, and then at the solemn and solemn posture of the king, finally a trace of surprise appeared on his face.

"Rotten wood of Prepecha, remnants of the kingdom of Tarasco, Jadiri, to His Majesty the Mexica, the conqueror of the kingdom, the great new king!"

Jadiri lost his mind for two breaths, which is rare, before hanging down the wooden stick in his hand, bowing his head and saluting.

The king in front of him is so young, but only a boy of fifteen or sixteen years old! The young king has a handsome appearance, a calm demeanor, and wise and firm eyes. He is completely different from the image of the cruel and violent Mexica conqueror in his impression. Thinking of this, the sage's heart moved slightly, and a light flashed in his eyes.

"Dear and knowledgeable elder, in the name of elder, you are highly respected among the people of the kingdom. I respect you, so please don't be too polite!"

Shulot quickly stepped forward two steps, and lifted the old man up with both hands. In Prepecha language, the name "Jatiri" itself means an old sage.

The old man stood up naturally, without too much tweaking, with an indifferent smile on his face. But soon, the smile was replaced by surprise again.

The young king let go of his hands, took a step back, clenched his right fist on his chest, bowed over his waist, and performed a solemn etiquette.

"Sage Jadiri, you are the history master of the Kingdom of Tarasco and the inheritor of the kingdom's epics. Today, there are no monarchs or ministers, only teachers and students. This gift is for your wisdom! Newcomer, I sincerely ask you for the epic of Tarasco, and for the guidance of the sages!"

Jadiri turned his thin body to avoid the king's etiquette, and then returned the same solemn salute.

"People who are subjugated, dare not accept His Highness's etiquette, and an old tortoise curled up in a mud pond, what skills do you have to be a teacher of an eagle in the sky?"

Having said that, Jatili paused. He observed the sincere expression of the young king before continuing.

"The tortoise has lived in the mud pond for a long time, and may have seen some forgotten skies. If the eagle is not tired, I can talk to you slowly."

Hearing these words, a sincere smile appeared on Shulot's face.

The cultural heritage of Tarasco is concentrated in two places. One is the priest temple of the House of Wind, which is kept and passed on from generation to generation by the priests of the three gods. It's just that this inheritance, together with the knowledgeable senior priests, turned into a blue flame on the night that Qin Congcan fell.

The other inheritance is kept in the Palace of Winds, and it is managed by the sages of the tribe that have been passed down from generation to generation. This is also thanks to the sudden attack of the old militia. Chief Tarasco's death was too sudden, and he did not have time to light the prepared fire. The boards, books and murals inherited in the Palace of Winds are thus completely preserved.

In these days, Xiulot was reading the ancient drawing boards while enacting the laws of enfeoffing the country.

While reading, Xiulot discovered that although the Tarasco Kingdom lasted only two hundred years, the Prepecha civilization in the land of the lake has been passed down for nearly two thousand years! The upper stratum of the Tarasco Kingdom was originally a chichimaker breed from the Northwest Plateau. They went south more than two hundred years ago, conquered the land in the lake, and then integrated into the ancient civilization of the lake area, becoming a member of the Prepeca people. In the land of the lake, the Prepecha people who occupy an absolute proportion are the most important ethnic group, and they also have a mature and unique cultural system.

Shulot wants to understand the spiritual world of the Prepeca people and explore the cultural origin of civilization, so as to better formulate the assimilation strategy of the ethnic group. However, these ancient records are abstract and mysterious, difficult to understand, and unwritten, and must be explained by oral inheritors in order to understand the deep meaning.

The young king sent people to search for a long time, only to find that the master of the epic of the Palace of Winds had survived the war and was hiding in the civilian community, being taken care of by the residents of the capital. So he sent a brigade of trusted warriors, and solemnly invited the other party to come and explain the epic of the Prepecha people.

Numerous thoughts flashed through Shulot's mind, and soon sank into his heart. With a gentle smile on his face, he personally supported Jadiri's left arm with his right arm, leading him to the center of the hall. Jadiri tried to twitch his arm, but he couldn't break free from the powerful arms of the young king. The old man had no choice but to smile helplessly, and let the other party support him while walking briskly.

"Guard, send me two cups of fresh hot cocoa! Just follow my daily drinking habit, add honey and vanilla."

The two came to the wooden table in the temple. Xiulot helped the old man to sit on the ground, then let go of his arms and sat cross-legged across from him. Then, he loudly gave instructions to the guards. The guards brought the hot drinks that had been prepared. The young king held the clay cup with both hands, and handed it to Jadiri affectionately and unquestionably.

"Dear Master Sage, please try this cup of hot cocoa! It refreshes the mind and refreshes the mind. It is the sacred drink of the Mexica Union!"

Jadiri took the hot cocoa, took a sip, tasted the taste, and praised.

"Not bad! It tastes different from the cold cocoa of the Mexica Alliance. It should be the first-class fermented cocoa beans created by His Highness. After fine grinding, the light brown cocoa pulp is separated. The wild honey in the southern rainforest is produced from brilliant flowers. In the spring, there is also an elegant fragrance of flowers. The vanilla in the Texcoco Lake District is produced in Chinanpa in the lake in late autumn. It takes eight months for the flowers to bloom in spring and pollinated by professional old farmers. Ripe vanilla pods are produced, and only the Mexica Alliance can produce a large amount of these high-quality raw materials to complete the deployment, and then boil and brew with the slightly sweet well water in the palace, so that there is such a delicious taste!"

Speaking of this, Jatili paused, and once again observed every trace of Shulot's expression with deep eyes.

"Your Highness, the effort spent on these two cups of hot cocoa would require a mature farmer to work in the fields for a whole year!"

Hearing the sage's admiration, a smug smile appeared on Shulot's face.

In this era, there are not many drinks that can satisfy him. And the honey vanilla hot cocoa is the most perfect drink he concocted based on the impression of his previous life, as if it is connected to the past memories. The combination of these top-grade natural raw materials tastes far better than the cheap products of the industrialized era.

However, following Jadiri's final words, the young king's smile instantly froze on his face. He forced a smile, a trace of shame flashed across his face.

"Dear and knowledgeable elders, I don't like extravagance, but I prefer some exquisite food. People's power is precious and should not be abused; people are like water, and boats can be capsized. As a king, you must keep in mind. Well, sage Jatiri, you just now When I was at the door, I have been looking at the new murals in the corridor, do you have any insights?"

"People are like water, even boats capsize"

Jadiri chewed on this sentence, an inexplicable look flashed in his eyes. He took a deep look at Shulot, and then said with a smile.

"It is rumored that His Highness is divinely enlightened, kind, merciful, brave and good at fighting, and is a born king. When I saw it today, I knew that the reason for the wind and light to penetrate into the tent is because of the hole in the ceiling. ! As for the opinion of the frescoes."

Jadiri turned his head and looked at the murals in the hall. Condors and hummingbirds had disappeared. And under the stalwart light of the Lord God, Lake Patzcuaro shone with waves. The Prepecha people in the west are working with the Mexica people in the east to build the magnificent and beautiful Qincongcan City, building a towering pyramid, as if connecting the kingdom of God and the world. Next to the built city, there are flowers surrounded, butterflies flying among the flowers and plants, and folk husbands who come and go transport exquisite gold, silver, and bronze wares, and the place is rich and beautiful.

Seeing this, Jatiri smiled lightly again. He praised first.

"His Royal Highness has only been in the Palace of Winds for a few months. Not only has he devoted himself to spring farming, directly organized the people, and removed the nobles who hindered him, he has also innovated murals, spread the belief of the Lord God, and made people sing poetry in the countryside. It can be seen that His Highness's gaze is indeed like a condor. Go far, look at the world and the future!"

Hearing the old man's praise, Shulot's pupils shrank slightly. After pondering for a while, he took out a wooden spoon and stirred the cocoa in the pottery cup. Then he handed the same wooden spoon to Jaitiri. The other party took the spoon, stirred the layered cocoa, stared at the mixed cocoa for a moment, and then took a shallow sip.

Jadiri's eyes were deep, and he continued to preach to the young king in deep thought.

"Your Highness, I don't know much about this old man, and I don't intend to comment on His Highness's New Deal in front of others. Just from this mural, Lake Patzcuaro and the people of Prepecha are integrated. The brushwork is old and old, and the environment is harmonious and natural. It is the old paintings of the palace that symbolize the vitality of the kingdom when it first emerged.

The image of the Mexica is simple and vigorous, with a square face and simple and vivid movements. This painting method is also ancient, full of the simplicity and boldness of ancient times. The painter should be from the holy city of Teotihuacan, imitating the murals of the Teotihuacan civilization.

The image of Vitzilopochtli, the main god of Mexica, is blurred and majestic, descending on the pyramid, radiating tremendous light. The feathers on the back of the main god are flexible and elegant, and the pyramids at the feet of the main god are magnificent and thick. This strong contrast technique comes from the craftsman spirit of the Tula civilization, and also contains the aggressiveness and tolerance of the Toltecs. The inheritance of Tula civilization was inherited by the Tepanek people, and then fell into the hands of the alliance. The artist was supposed to be from Askapochalco on the western shore of Lake Texcoco.

As for the flowers and butterflies next to the city, and the gold, silver and bronze wares on the backs of the peasant husbands, the pens are complicated and gorgeous, with details and colors. This kind of gorgeous painting method has the feeling of being surrounded by flowers and blurred, which is the painting characteristic of the southern city-states. The artist should be from Mixtec, or Zapotec further south”

Jadiri commented one by one with a smile, and then concluded with a smile.

"In my view, the three painting methods have their own characteristics and strengths. It's just that the paintings are all about unity. Compared with the original murals, Teotihuacan's ancient painting methods are the most natural and close. The two are of the same origin, like ink entering There is no gap in the water. The painting method of the main god of Tula is the most inclusive and broad. The gods bless the world, and the people are prostrate, like the queen bee directing the bee colony. It seems to be gorgeous and rich, but it is distinct from the original painting, and the top and bottom are very different. Even if the painting is completed for a while, after a long time, you will feel out of balance, and I am afraid it will not last long."

Speaking of this, Jadiri looked at the young king and asked with deep meaning.

"Your Highness, I was invited by your samurai. I just wanted to be a tortoise with closed eyes. It was only when I saw His Highness that I suddenly became confused, opened my eyes and uttered so many nonsense. I don't know what Your Highness thinks of this old man Are you satisfied with the comments? I don’t know which painting method do you prefer in the administration of the feudal country?”