diymy Chapter 1399 - 954: The Second Military Governor—Monkey,
Chapter 1399 - 954: The Second Military Governor—Monkey,
"Chief Divine as my witness! The Chapala Lake Region lies in the northwest of the world, 600 li from the Qinchongcan Capital and a full 1,200 li from the Lake Capital City! Here, the influence of the Mexica Alliance will become negligible. No matter how the God King reaches out, he cannot grasp the mirror-like waters of Lake Chapala... In contrast, Rivermouth County is 600 li from the Lake Capital City, connected to the western part of the alliance by the Lerma River and neighboring Longran Fortress. Envoys from the Texcoco Lake District can easily travel back and forth, liaising with the Mexica warriors in the county..."
Xiulote sat cross-legged in front of the desk, looking at this letter that had traveled from Chapala City, nearly 2,000 li, before reaching Golden Bay City, and fell into deep contemplation.
This letter was rushed day and night by fleet-footed Canine Descendant scouts, taking over a month to reach the seaside. He had read the final contents of this letter many times, committing them to memory such that he could recite them. Initially, he was noncommittal about the Monkey’s request and did not reply, but over these days, he gradually changed his mind.
"The Chapala Lake Region is fertile and lush, and its area is especially vast! Just along the Great Lake, it stretches more than 300 li east to west and over 200 li north to south. Around the Great Lake, there are desolate farmlands, the ruins of villages, and many broken townships. It is said that twenty years ago during the Tarasco Era, there were as many as 400,000 tribes here! And the Tarasco Kingdom’s legion also set out from here to campaign against the more western Northern Ticos tribes..."
"Chief Divine as my witness! Your Highness, I have patrolled over half of the Chapala Great Lake and carefully examined the situation along the way. Currently, although according to the priests’ estimates along the way, the population of the whole lake region is about over 200,000, with the development potential of this lake region combined with agricultural techniques inspired by the Chief Divine... the entire lake region could support a population of at least three times that, up to 600,000 people!"
"The terrain north of the Great Lake is flatter, with two Great Rivers flowing from the wilderness, connecting to Lake Chapala. Four to five hundred li upstream of the rivers are the camps of the Guamar tribes. Further north, over 200 li, is the Sakatekas Desert depth where the remnants of the Guajili tribe are entrenched... According to the Guajili flag team that went on expedition, there is an enormous silver vein in their former wilderness homeland, resembling an open-air mountain range in its gray-white expanse, with reserves exceeding the world’s total silver!..."
Upon reading this, Xiulote nodded slightly, recalling the situation in later generations. The area north of the Chapala Lake Region would later develop into the Greater Guadalajara metropolitan area and become the second-largest metropolitan area in all of Mexico, with nearly six million people! Its terrain and transportation are very convenient, with a natural advantage for rising. Aside from being too far west geographically, its development potential far surpasses the Prepecha Lake District...
Moreover, on the Sakatekas Desert north of Chapala, there is also the Sakatekas-Fresnillo open-air great silver mine area, where the silver reserves are more than one-tenth of the entire world’s! Over a hundred years later, Zhang Juzheng’s "Single Whip Law" tax reform could be implemented precisely because of the tens of millions, or even billions, of taels of Sakatekas silver traded by the Spaniards...
"Chief Divine’s blessing! The Chapala Lake Region is vast, fertile, and abundant, a divinely promised land granted by the Chief Divine to the kingdom! The Feather Prince cannot keep this place. He cannot develop the north, nor can he subdue the Guamar people, turning fertile lands into barren hills, wasting this fertile land in vain..."
"In my view, as long as stone fortresses are built upstream on the Great Rivers to the north, and the Guamar tribes who are wanderers are dealt with, the peace of the whole lake region can be established! After that, settle tribal immigrants, establish flag team villages, restore farmland villages, rebuild ancient towns... then dispatch a great army to the west, campaign against the western city-states and tribes, forcibly relocate mountain tribes to settle in the lake region, thoroughly open up the Lerma River estuary to connect with the kingdom’s northern trade routes..."
"Building forts in the north, stationing the army, accepting surrenders; establishing flag teams, villages, townships in the central lake region; campaigns west, relocating people, trade routes, plus the conversion preached by the Chief God Priest!... Chief Divine’s blessing! With all these efforts, the entire Chapala Lake Region will become another foundational land for the kingdom in the northwest, a central stronghold for the northern continent’s development, and become Your Highness’s true rear and retreat!"
Upon seeing this, the thick letter was down to the last two paragraphs, and the purpose of the Monkey’s request had already become apparent.
"Monkey Kuluka thoroughly investigated the situation in the Chapala Lake Region. His multiple campaigns there have given him a far deeper understanding of the surrounding tribes than any Legion Commander! This entire letter, though without a word of boasting, is actually Monkey’s development plan for Chapala sent to me!... His request... his ambition... and his wisdom... can they truly be accommodated by his future loyalty?"
Xiulote lowered his eyes, remaining motionless for a long time. From any perspective, Monkey Kuluka is more suitable than Wolf Head Elvi to oversee the Chapala Lake Region! As Monkey said, the handling of the Guamar tribes, the campaigns against the Northern Ticos tribes, the settlement of the flag team and civilian settlements in the lake region... he understands them all well and can execute them effectively! Besides...
"My supreme, sole monarch! Your loyal Monkey requests you! Please transfer and grant land to my Spear Legion and their families in the Chapala Lake Region! Let the legion’s 8,000 Mexica warriors become the kingdom’s Divine Tree, a reliable root system to control the lands of Chapala! As for the Guajili flag team accompanying the campaign, they can also move ten thousand people to settle north of the Great Lake to assimilate and accept the Guamar tribes of the wilderness!..."
"As for Rivermouth County, with a population of nearly 300,000, this land that has already fused into the roots of the Divine Tree... perhaps it would be more beneficial for the kingdom to be managed by the Legion Commander Elvi from your family of Samurai, stationed with his Long Snake Legion from Tlaxcala. After all, the influence of the God King cannot possibly penetrate deeply into the Tlaxcala Warriors! These foreign warriors who have submitted to you and worship you like a deity may be more reliable than the Mexica Warriors at certain critical moments..."
"And I, your monkey... am willing to garrison the northwest frontier for you, expanding the kingdom’s territory, conquering all that do not submit!... Even if I travel between the wilderness and the Great River, starting anew from the desolate Lake Region, and venture beyond the thousand-mile Long River... I will be your most loyal subject, the monkey that you personally promoted!... Chief Divine bears witness! I am willing to die for you, my only king!..."
The long letter finally came to an end. The monkey’s sincere request, like his simple face, emerged in Xiulote’s mind. Facing this request, the political instinct of being a king kept him hesitant. It was not until he faced the immense pressure from the God King and decided to return to the Lake Capital City, unleashing the leashes on his wild beasts, that he finally made a determination!
"Chief Divine bears witness! The monkey’s request to reassign the Spear Legion to garrison the Chapala Lake Region... to relinquish the affluent neighboring Rivermouth County and start anew from the newly conquered and distant Chapala Lake Region!... Monkey, oh monkey, your request is truly filled with boldness!..."
"I can unleash the Black Wolf, allowing him to bite and fight all over the place, because he only excels in conquest, not in managing places... I can let go of the veteran Etalik, not only because of his loyalty but also due to his age, which can no longer support long-standing ambitions..."
"But as for you, monkey! You are adept at managing places and at handling the relationships among various tribes. Although you do not have illustrious military achievements, you are indeed a Great General talent. Your strategic vision is second only to Head Warrior Bertade among my generals!... And you are quite young, always able to win the hearts of the warriors..."
Xiulote recalled his first encounter with the monkey, when he was pushed forward by the warriors under him after the death of the camp’s general. The reason he named him "monkey" was not merely due to his appearance but also due to certain vague thoughts from future generations. At present, if he were to loosen the leash on the monkey, allowing him to stay in the promising Chapala Lake Region... then the monkey’s future might...
"Oh monkey! If it weren’t for the pressure from God King Avit, I would never let you out of the cage! I would not doubt your loyalty at this moment! But people, they always change quickly with the rise of circumstances... Moreover, if I were no longer here, even dead in the Capital City... Would your loyalty remain with my sons?..."
The gentle breeze blew, taking away the long deliberation of the king. Xiulote snapped back to reality, gently shook his head.
The situation is always changing, and people’s hearts are always changing, one cannot envision too far ahead. From the current circumstances, to counter God King Avit, the Long Spear Legion composed of Mexica indeed needs to be relocated! As for Monkey Kuluka, after all, he is the kingdom’s Western Expedition Marshal, the loyal "Divine Monkey" Legion Commander, not some "monkey" from another dimension...
After contemplating for a long time, Xiulote finally put down his pen, dipped in blue ink, and wrote a brief and indisputable royal decree on a roll of blank document.
"Royal Decree: Western Expedition Marshal Kuluka, to be stationed at Chapala Lake Region, garrison the Long Spear Legion, and relocate their families! Long Snake Legion to move and be stationed in Rivermouth County after the westward expedition. Additionally, voluntarily relocate two main flag teams, eight thousand Guajili tribe, to be stationed in Chapala..."
"Monkey, my loyal Great General, I grant you full authority over the Western campaign, and the management of Chapala area! You must diligently manage the distant Chapala area for me, subdue and incorporate the nomadic tribes of Guamar, and further open the entire Lerma River!"
"This is a long-term task, also full of vast future opportunities! For this purpose, a Great Lake County will be established at Chapala Lake Region, and you will not only be the County Magistrate but also the Great Lake Commissioner! You will have the complete military and political authority as the Great Chief of the Great Lake, independently deciding matters of war!"