Aztec Civilization: Destiny to Conquer America!-Chapter 1715 - 1224: Gel Nation, Shang, Zhou, Qin, and Han?
"The Divine said, heavens and earth profound and yellow, vast universe and desolation... Those who obey the divine, ascend into the red Divine Kingdom and eternally enjoy tranquility and beauty. Those who defy the divine recede into the endless abyss, solidifying into Jin Shi, with their souls forever not liberated!... Believe in My God Huitzilopochtli, He possesses infinite might, controlling all existence from past to future, until the Doomsday arrives!..."
"The Royal Decree, regarding the conferment of military achievements for land grants: Descendants of Samurai, trained Militia, Tribal Banner People, and robust Agricultural Slaves, as long as they pass examinations and selections, can join the Kingdom Legion and become young Samurai. On the battlefield, when a young Samurai captures and beheads one enemy soldier, they advance to First Level Samurai. If they capture and behead two more enemy soldiers, they advance to Second Level Samurai, granted 20 acres of land and 1 Agricultural Slave. If they capture and behead five more, they advance to Third Level, granted 100 acres of land and 5 Agricultural Slaves. If they capture and behead twelve more, they advance to Fourth Level Veteran Samurai, granted 240 acres of land and 12 Agricultural Slaves... From Fourth Level Samurai upwards, achieving further military merit can elevate them to Military Merit Nobility, granted 800 acres of land, advancing in succession!"...
The clanging sounds of iron hammer strikes reverberated in the iron smelting field, echoing the sound of steel. And in the simple wooden house, the bonfire roasted whale bone, outlining the force of the flames. Beside such iron and fire, Monk Soldier Watanabe Masumi stretched his left hand, using his remaining four fingers to grasp the kingdom paper book he had painstakingly acquired, reading line by line, word by word intently.
"Samurai are divided into four levels, gradually advancing through military merit until becoming nobility. Craftsmen are also divided into four levels, with the highest being Craftsman Master, equivalent to Military Merit Nobility... Whether Samurai or Craftsmen, all must participate in the Divine War, fighting for the Divine!"...
These paper books were clearly printed, with a very peculiar form of text, all read from left to right. The entire script was primarily in Chinese, complemented by some unique new characters, and occasionally rare punctuation. However, with clear sentence breaks, the writing became much easier to understand. Yet, the political, religious, and military insights revealed between the lines made Monk Soldier Watanabe furrow his brows tightly, pondering anxiously without speaking.
"Chief Divine! Hachiman Mahasattva! This is really strange... truly extraordinarily strange! This system of military achievements for land grants is reminiscent of historical texts from the expansion system of Tang people's Qin State! And establishing real-power feudal lords of various royal bloodlines is akin to the Mongol Yuan or two weeks? As for the faith in the sole Mysterious Bird Chief Divine, surpassing Esoteric Buddhism, I've never witnessed such before!"...
"Ancestors of the Minamoto Clan! This prosperous, affluent, and populous Kingdom of the Lake, possessing gunpowder and Copper Cannon, with Gold and Silver beyond count, food aplenty, yet without mature Ironware, still remains in the age of Bronze! Just like two thousand years earlier during the Spring and Autumn Warring States of Tang Country, or a thousand years ago in the Shousei Ward era?"...
"The farmland villages I've seen along the way were mostly cultivated using Stone implements, constructing wooden huts and sheds. Only the stone-built temples and palaces in the city were extraordinarily tall and majestic. The vast population of the kingdom is divided into clans of Sacred Bloodlines, warriors fighting for clans, tribal people belonging to clans, and slaves laboring and serving... The appearance of this divine clan kingdom closely resembles Tang Country's Shang and Zhou, or the clan era when various tribes built ancient tombs... Indeed! That towering Temple Pyramid is nothing but an increasingly grand and magnificent ancient tomb of the divine clan!"...
"However, this mighty Kingdom of the Lake has also established a county system, subservient to the reportedly stronger Mexica Alliance... In the most grandiose Lake Capital City of legends, there resides the supreme Divine King, and under the Divine King are the High Priesthood and Council of Politics making decisions on major matters of world conquest!... I find this akin to the decree system of Qin Han during Tang Country, or even the Regal Era after the Great Reform? The so-called High Priesthood and Council of Politics are nothing but the Divine King's Deity Officer and Prime Minister!"...
Monk Soldier Watanabe, reading these public scriptures and regulations, only felt his intellect falling short, his mind turning to mush. How did these Jiao People Tribal Group, twenty thousand li from the East, evolve into such a peculiar political, religious, and military system?
"Chief Divine! Truly peculiar, powerful, and incomprehensible Jiao People Tribal Group!... How do they manage to simultaneously employ Firearms yet still use Stone implements for farming? How do they maintain Qin State's expansion system, Shang and Zhou's regional feudal system, Qin Han's decree centrality, and possess a monotheistic faith akin to the Shang era's Mysterious Bird? Hachiman Mahasattva! What does this count as? Are these Jiao People like us in the Wa Country, constantly being a tribe slowly integrating from Shang Zhou to Qin Han through Eastward migration? Yet they wouldn't still be farming using Stone implements!"...
Monk Soldier Watanabe, troubled, rubbed his head, even grabbing a short stick to knock his forehead three times forcibly. Regrettably, he did not have the unparalleled insight of the Sixth Ancestor Hui Neng, nor the night-time enlightenment of the Fifth Ancestor Hongren, completely unable to see through the reason behind this dream-like bubble, only sighing helplessly in resignation!
"Alas!... Whatever it may be, within this vast and affluent land of the Jiao People, the true, decisive dignitaries are the legendary 'Divine King', the 'Feudal King' of the Kingdom of the Lake, and the 'Daimyo' of the clans in various regions!"...
"Chief Divine protection! If I aim to seek development, to advance further and return to the Main Family... I absolutely must seek support from these dignitaries! The wealth of Gold and Silver held by these dignitaries far exceeds General Ashikaga by many, perhaps comparable to the infinitely prosperous Ming Dynasty! And the number of warriors and ships in the Kingdom of the Jiao as well doesn't fall short compared to General Ashikaga of the Shogunate! As for the land under the occupation of the Jiao People Tribal Group, stretching twenty thousand li in all directions, without having traversed this journey, I could never have imagined!"...
Monk Soldier Watanabe silently pondered, his eyes alternately flashing reverence, greed, and eventually burgeoning future aspirations. He indeed hailed from the lineage of a true Martial Family! His knowledge, his Martial Family awareness, were incomparable to those captured Korean sailors or those clueless Emishi Warriors. No one understood better than him! No one comprehended the vastness, boundlessness, and wealth of the Jiao People Tribal Group more deeply! And these Jiao People, though not lacking in wealth or land, why adhere to Divine Revelation, arduously venturing two thousand miles to the Far North land?...
"Divine Guidance! The Jiao People Priests said it was to fulfill the Divine Revelation, to seek the same clan of Jiao People in the Western continent! But as for 'Prophecy' and this 'Search for Western Tribe', setting aside that dreadful mystical prophecy, what exactly is it for?"...
"Ah! Bodhisattva Manjusri Enlightenment! One practicing Samadhi must focus on single-mindedly cultivating proper concentration for the true principle of Concentration Observation..."
Monk Soldier Watanabe lowered his eyes, sitting cross-legged, silently chanting. At this moment, within the depths of his heart, he made an effort to visualize a golden-bodied Buddha statue wielding a sword, representing the supreme wisdom of 'Manjusri Bodhisattva the Sublime Auspicious'. As a Monk Soldier of the Tiantai Sect's Miao Courtyard, he was certainly immensely familiar with this hallowed Bodhisattva. While reciting the scriptures of Manjusri Bodhisattva, the swirling fog in his mind gradually subsided. He vaguely, gradually seemed to grasp the true purpose of the Jiao people's quest!
"Chief Divine Witness! These Jiao People Priests, greatly favor those adept at horse raising like Sukeichiro, those capable of Blacksmithing like Otani, those skilled in shipbuilding like Kim Sun-su, and those good at sail-making like Park Sun-pan, while letting the remainder farm, growing the rice and beans we brought... Ah! I understand now! Their westward journey is likely to gain resources they lack, inquire of craftsmen who can produce various goods, seek skills here neither existent nor preserved!"...
Upon this realization, Monk Soldier Watanabe's eyes immediately sparked brightly, his thoughts bursting like a lightning bolt, revealing countless ideas. He felt he finally understood! He became aware of what the leaders of the Jiao People sought!
So, as a Blade-wielding Martial Family member, how should he cater to their preferences to gain the support of the Jiao people? If he does not wish to perish here, if he desires to return to the Main Family in Kyushu... how should he navigate this immensely challenging, distant, risk-and-opportunity-laden path?...
"Goods, craftsmen, and skills... Gold, ships, and warriors... Hmm?!... Hmm!!..."
Monk Soldier Watanabe contemplated with his head lowered, cross-legged like a seasoned monk in deep meditation for a long time. Only when the firewood in the hearth burned out, with a final crackling sound, did he suddenly seem startled, opening his eyes quietly, revealing a Martial Family-like intent to kill. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢
"Buddha! My master instructed me to let go of the past, bestowing upon me the Dharma name Watanabe Masumi. I must have a pure heart to cross to the other shore... yet now, this shore of liberation, I'm afraid I cannot reach! This murderous karma of the past, these desires of greed, anger, and ignorance, breed endless illusions in my heart..."
"Chief Divine! I can no longer be pure, can no longer cross the river! I've walked to this day, come to the Land of Gods of the Jiao People... I must pick up the murderous intent I once set down, reclaim my original name... Ryuzoji Clan Hong!"
