Aztec Civilization: Destiny to Conquer America!-Chapter 1700 - 1211: The Greatest Difficulty of the Southern Expedition

"Nine-three. Noble men strive unceasingly by day, and remain vigilant in the evening; danger, yet no blame."

Divining the divine, prophesying blessings and calamities, is the Priest's duty, greatly influencing the hearts and minds of the people and army. Xiulote bowed before the altar, carefully contemplating his path. The brutal and intense Southern Expedition and Divine War were reaching an even more ferocious climax.

Early the next day, the Royal Legion Commander Kwahu led five thousand vanguard warriors southward to Cloud Valley, heading straight for the Mountain Pass Fortress, one hundred and fifty li away. As the name suggests, Mountain Pass Fortress is a small stone city built in a narrow mountain pass, located at the junction between the valleys of Divine Stone City and Cloud Mountain City, the last checkpoint on the route south to Cloud Mountain City.

As the original source of the Mistek people's rise, Cloud Valley on the highland is actually divided into three parts from north to south by three northwest-to-southeast Cloud Mountain ranges. The northern valley, centered around Divine Stone City, is called Divine Stone Valley. The central valley, centered around Cloud Mountain City, is called Cloud Mountain/Divine Mountain Valley. As for the southeastern valley, it is where the Zapotek people's Oaxaca (Huaxyacac) Valley, known as "Divine Tree Valley," is located!

The three areas of Cloud Valley, from north to south, produced the earliest tribes and city-states almost simultaneously. This is also the reason why the Mistec and the Zapotek tribes share a close relationship, both being known as Cloud People: their ancestors, two thousand years ago, were indeed one family!

A few days after the vanguard headed south, a new batch of logistical food supplies was transported by tens of thousands of civilians. After Xiulote received the report, he went to personally inspect it. As the only Supreme High Priest in the army, he performed divination military rites and also served as a Military Judge. When he compared the grain transport chart, checked the delivered food, and inquired carefully of the noble officer leading the team and several Militia Captains, he frowned slightly. After making some calculations in his mind, he took the grain transport chart and went to Aweit's large tent.

"May the Chief Divine protect! Greetings to you, esteemed Divine King!"

"Hmm? Xiulote, you've come at just the right time! Haha, here is a report sent by the old General Casal, the marshal of the Western Army, saying they captured Ye Guo City more than half a month ago!"

Upon hearing this, Xiulote was slightly taken aback, took the report, read it, and smiled somewhat. After four to five months of hard battle, the Western Army finally captured Ye Guo City, a key western stronghold of the Mistek Alliance by the tributary of the Tarsas River. The Great Chief of Ye Guo City, Yunshi Kawa, fled south with only a few hundred people, whereabouts unknown.

This protracted and grueling skirmish and siege in the mountains cost the Western Army over four thousand warrior casualties and led to more than ten thousand tribal warriors and militias being killed. Not only was the tribal force around Ye Guo City completely wiped out, but even the warriors from Xianggou City who came to support from a hundred li south were all sacrificially offered. Now, the old General Casal is ready to strike Xianggou City in one go, clearing the western two states of the Lowland Mistek. What follows is the long march southward to subjugate the Coastal Mistek tribes.

"Praise be to the Chief Divine! From Xianggou City onwards, four hundred li southwards lies the Dual Mountain City of the Coastal Mistek! Marshal Casal might be the first among the three armies to reach the coast... However, this additional four hundred li of grain routes all lie amidst perilous mountains, with no tributaries of the Tarsas River connecting them, rendering waterway grain transport impossible..."

Xiulote's face first showed delight, then worry. He respectfully saluted the Divine King, handed back the report with both hands, and solemnly spoke.

"Honorable Divine King, from highland to lowland, from lowland to the seaside, the territory of the Mistek is vast indeed. Their domain stretches eight hundred li north to south and six hundred li east to west, four times the size of the Tlaxcala people! And most of these territories lie within mountain forests, with almost no north-south rivers... It's truly a logistical nightmare for the army!"

"Hmm? Difficult to transport food?..."

Hearing these words, Aweit frowned, showing seriousness in his eyes. He unfolded the map of the Mistek tribes on the table, looking at the dense markings, instructed Xiulote.

"Xiulote, come over here. Speak to this map!"

"Yes!"

Xiulote saluted again, then moved closer with precise steps, like a human ruler. He stretched out his finger, tracing three imagined routes on the map, corresponding to the grain transport routes of the three armies.

"May the Chief Divine protect! On this southern expedition, the Divine King mobilized fifty thousand Royal Legions, thirty thousand City-State Army, and countless auxiliary militias and able-bodied men. In fact, the militias responsible for the army's logistics are currently about twice as many as the Alliance Warriors, at least numbering over one hundred and sixty thousand!"

Upon hearing this, Aweit nodded slightly. This southward expedition against the Cloud Central Tribes has almost completely emptied the alliance's resources of over five million people; it is a thorough mobilization. The Royal Family's central command includes six Royal Legions, four thousand Tonsured Guards, one thousand Eagle Jaguar War Group, totaling fifty-three thousand troops directly under the royal family's command!

Meanwhile, all eleven local City-States in the alliance have all deployed Samurai militiamen. The three nearby Southern City-States—Sun City, Salt Lake City, High Mountain City—were part of Xiulote's Southern Army during the last eastern expedition with fewer warrior losses, and this time they are commanded to deploy five thousand troops! The remaining four Northern City-States and the four newly established conquered City-States are ordered to deploy two thousand troops each by royal decree. Together, the Eleven States form a City-State Army of thirty-one thousand troops.

In addition to these eighty thousand troops, Xiulote has one thousand Imperial Guards, along with one thousand Thunder God Mortar Cannon soldiers supported by the Kingdom of the Lake, making a total of two thousand more troops. Furthermore, the Purple Grass Army from Zicao County is ordered to raid the Coastal Mistek tribes along the southeastern coast, holding back the military forces of the local City-States... This Divine War from the alliance was launched from the start aiming to completely eliminate the Cloud Central Tribes and level the southeastern mountainous forest!

"The Mistec Land stretches six hundred li east to west, and as the army moves southward to conquer, it splits into three routes: East, Central, and West. The Western Army, led by Casal as marshal, commands eight thousand from the Royal Legion, eight thousand from the City-State Army, over ten thousand auxiliary militia… a total of two to three thousand troops, moving south from a tributary of Tarsas River! This route's logistical grain path roughly starts from High Mountain City, supplied by Southern City-States. There are one to two hundred li of valley roads, three hundred li of waterways, totaling four to five hundred li of grain paths! Due to the waterway's availability, the current maintenance cost of this grain path is relatively low, only requiring ten thousand militia. But if continuing southward, adding an extra four hundred li mountain road to conquer Coastal Mistek, the transporting militiamen must double to forty thousand..."

"Hmm… may the Chief Divine grant protection! If Casal can fight to the coast and unite with the Kingdom of the Lake's Purple Grass Army, the logistical food supply would not be a significant issue..."

"Indeed! If the Western Army can battle its way through to the coast, the Kingdom of the Lake will shoulder the food supply for the Western Army along the southeastern sea route!"

Xiulote's expression was humble, nodding in agreement. Then, he continued to extend his finger, shifting towards the position of the Central Army.

"The Central Army, led by Giant Bear Stanley as marshal, commands one thousand Eagle Jaguar War Group, eight thousand Royal Warriors, eight thousand City-State Army, more than ten thousand alliance militia… totaling thirty thousand troops, advancing south from Blade Road City, breaking Little Liuzhai, attacking Mountain River City where Yun Chen Leader's main force is stationed. According to the latest intelligence, the two armies are confronting at Red Earth Village, forty li northwest of Mountain River City. Stanley is keeping his position without launching a large-scale assault..."

"Haha! This was my order for him. The Central Army presses down near Mountain River City, confronting the main force led by Yun Chen of the Mistec Alliance Master! It prevents the Lowland Mistek tribes from supporting the Highlands, nor can they decisively abandon their foundational city-states to escape to the distant southeast and join forces with the Zapotek people… Once our Eastern Army's main force moves south, breaks Cloud Mountain City, closes the mountain roads of Oaxaca Valley, cutting off the Zapotek Tribes' mountain support and severing the retreat route of the Lowland Mistek people… then turn around, envelop Yun Chen from two sides, completely encircle and eliminate the Mistek people's main force, not letting a single Divine Descendant escape!…"

Aweit smiled gently, gazing deeply at Xiulote, and laughed.

"Xiulote, this is the story you told me a long time ago, letting your bravest hunting dog confront the enemy's second bravest hunting dog, then quickly defeat them and close the gate to capture the dog!"

"Uh... Tian Ji's horse racing and closing the gate to capture the dog?…"

Upon hearing this, Xiulote was slightly taken aback. He couldn't remember when he had shared this with Aweit. However, the three-route strategy of this southward expedition was indeed meticulously planned by Aweit, demonstrating strategic wisdom. The Central Army binds the enemy's main force, allowing the Eastern and Western armies to move southward for encirclement, capturing cities and villages. Especially with the Eastern Army's main force being formidable, it quickly cuts off the entire Cloud Valley, dividing the Cloud Tribes, concentrating superior forces to defeat them one by one...

"Indeed! Divine King is wise! With this strategy, the Central Army is pinned around Mountain River City, without advancing further south. Part of the logistical food supply is transferred from the Southern Three States, but the majority still originates from the Texcoco Lake District. This route's grain path is approximately five to six hundred li long, with only over one hundred li benefiting from river paths, the remainder consisting of difficult mountain forest roads. To maintain thirty thousand warriors and militiamen at the frontline, the logistical transport militiamen are estimated to be around sixty thousand!"

"Hmm… five to six hundred li of mountain grain paths... similar to the grain path's distance during the attack on Ototpan Mountain City back then. And this is just the beginning..."

Upon hearing this, Aweit pursed his lips. In this moment, he truly realized the logistical pressure of the southward expedition against the Cloud Tribes.

"May the Chief Divine bear witness! Honorable Divine King, the logistical supply for the Western and Central armies is relatively easy to resolve... but the Eastern Army's main force is a solid fifty to sixty thousand, and the grain path is much longer, making it exceedingly difficult!"

Note: The bonus chapter contains detailed maps of the southward expedition, and shall be visible once it passes review.