Aztec Eternals

“Brother Ali, I'm still not quite understanding. You said before that the Great Ming in the south abandoned this Blackwater Forest Sea because they didn't have enough manpower and resources to maintain it, and even the fortified stockades they built were abandoned! You also said that the warriors of the Liaodong Garrison are very poor, which is why they are so fierce and greedy, and we can't let them discover that we're taking too much gold south... But now, you're saying that we can not only pay tribute and receive rewards, but also create a reputation to get good things from the Great Ming? Even get them continuously? How does that work...?”

Tall trees entwined with vines, ancient forests with drooping branches. The sound of wind through bones was like a mournful sob, crows circled above the sand, singing. Three Jurchen chieftains and a kingdom priest sat cross-legged around the skeleton of a chieftain.

They were in the old forest of Jurchen tree burials, surrounded by hundreds and thousands of skeletons, planning the future of their tribes and kingdoms in this Blackwater Forest Sea.

Listening to Ali's explanation, Maha Agudai held his chin in his hand, his eyebrows furrowed into a ball. As the martial force of the group, a true Raw Jurchen chieftain, he really wasn't good at these convoluted things.

For him, understanding these difficult things was much harder than hunting tigers or fighting black bears. But he was the core figure in the southward planning, and he had to understand 'Liaodong politics,' even if it was just the simplest superficial understanding. And it was through this repeated effort of thinking and guidance from others that his vision and wisdom were constantly improving, gradually transforming him from a reckless chieftain into someone with a deeper, more profound change...

“Brother Ali, give me a straight answer! Is this vast Great Ming tribal alliance in the south rich or poor? What do they value most, and according to what tribal rules do they operate?…”

“Um, let me think how to put it… Chieftain Agudai…”

“You can call me Brother Agudai!”

“Okay! Brother Agudai… Then let me use an easy-to-understand analogy!…”

The Skilled Jurchen chieftain Ali pondered for a moment, then stood up and walked to the extremely tall fir tree in front of him. Then, he first patted the trunk, which took several people to encircle, and said in a deep voice.

“Our Great Ming… is like this Solon tree! Look at its trunk, how thick it is! Look at its root system, how far it extends from this end to that! The Great Ming is like this big tree, from the northernmost Liaodong to the southernmost Lingnan, all are its branches. Each of its roots is deeply embedded in the soil of this land. And every speck of dust in this soil is its tribal people, the people it can control and from whom it collects taxes!…”

“This Solon tree of the Great Ming reaches the sky and penetrates the earth. It can extract fertility from the thousands upon thousands of soil particles under its roots, from every grain of dust, to grow into such a tall and strong form. Do you say it is rich or not, do you say it is strong or not?!…”

“However, look closer, look carefully! Right now, this Solon tree is covered with dense vines, covered with layers of moss. Birds peck at it above, rats gnaw at its roots below, and insects eat its bark and leaves in the middle…”

“Vines, moss, rats, insects, and birds all live off this big tree, drawing nutrients from it. As a result, some of its branches are bare, some are dead, and some of its bark and roots are completely rotten!… Look at the land under our feet, the former Nurgan Commandery was just the farthest, dead and broken branch of this Great Ming divine tree! And what is the Liaodong Military Command in the south? It is an important branch that has lost many leaves but has not withered, and is not allowed to wither!…”

“So, is the imperial court poor? Of course, the imperial court is also poor! The soil is becoming increasingly barren, the insects and rats are increasing, the vines are growing more and more, and the flocks of birds are also watching day and night… Looking at all the branches on this entire tree, looking at those withered and necrotic traces, it is naturally poor, but poverty is for all the branches! But if some of the fertility extracted by this divine tree is taken out separately and sent to a certain branch, that would be manpower and resources that you cannot even imagine, wealth you have never seen, things you can never finish eating!…”

“!!…”

The Skilled Jurchen chieftain Ali took a breath, looking at the thoughtful expressions on everyone's faces, even Black Bear widened his eyes, muttering “eating, eating.” And the skeleton next to him grinned, laughing silently, not knowing what he was laughing at.

“Let's talk about the Liaodong Military Garrison! Liaodong defends against the Mongols and protects the capital, it is the most important barrier outside the pass, and it must not be lost! Therefore, the Liaodong Military Garrison is one of the most important branches that the imperial court values. With the imperial court's big tree providing 'nutrients,' it can get a continuous supply of manpower and resources, no matter how much loss there is in the middle, the imperial court will not hesitate to pay the price. In the eyes of the great men in the court, one Liaodong is more important than Fujian, Guangdong, Yunnan, Guizhou, and U-Tsang combined! The Great Ming can do without the six southern provinces, but it must not lose Liaodong!…”

Speaking of this, Ali sighed deeply, not knowing what he was sighing about. The skeleton next to him grinned, laughing silently, his dry bones laughing out a bloody red.

“May the chief god protect us! Is Liaodong Garrison poor? Of course, it is poor! The land is barren, the climate is cold, and there are Tatar raids… The people of the various Guard Posts and the garrisons of the border fortresses are so poor, they can't even eat a few full meals a year! But is Liaodong Garrison rich? Of course, it is also rich!…”

“The imperial court allocates so much silver every year and transports so much grain from thousands of miles away. So many conscripted craftsmen work day and night, and the conscripted laborers work all year round without paying half a penny in wages! In the treasury of Liaodong Garrison, weapons and armor are piled up like mountains, and grain has been stored for several years. That is a wealth that you cannot even imagine, and a little leak can make us full!…”

“Ali, since the Great Tlatoani of the Great Ming has transported so much military equipment and grain to the Liaodong nation, and since there are so many good things in the treasury of the Liaodong nation… then why doesn't he distribute them to the legions and guard posts? Shouldn't the legion warriors of the Great Ming eat well, drink well, train hard, and be equipped with the best armor and weapons, so that they can concentrate on fighting the enemy and be promoted by beheading them?…”

“…”

Zuwaro's naive question was so absurd on so many levels that Ali couldn't help but chuckle, unsure how to answer. But seeing the other man's sincere and matter-of-fact expression, he couldn't help but wonder who was more ridiculous. His smile faded, and after a long silence, he replied with some difficulty.

"High Priest Zu, the Great Ming is too vast and too complex. Nothing is ever that simple… The Ming's border troops, whether they are paid soldiers or the garrison troops who farm the land, are completely different from the 'warriors' you speak of who can be promoted. The military meritocracy you describe sounds like a military system from a long time ago? This would be 'valuing martial prowess over civil affairs, leading to the downfall of the nation,' the 'beginning of tyranny' in the eyes of the scholar-officials, a taboo that cannot even be mentioned!…"

"I don't know what it was like before. But now, the imperial court only follows one principle when it comes to using soldiers: harsh treatment in peacetime, and rewards to motivate them before battle. This is the so-called 'Soldiers are dangerous weapons, they must not be allowed to be full, for fullness leads to laziness,' 'Controlling soldiers is like controlling hawks and hounds, useful when hungry, difficult to control when full,' 'The way to control soldiers is to keep them in constant hunger and cold, only then will they fight to the death.'… Simply put, in the eyes of the officials, soldiers are just 'hunting dogs' to be used and consumed. Why would they treat 'hunting dogs' well, or even allow them to be promoted and climb above people?…"

"Of course, the military garrisons of Liaodong often have to fight with the various Mongol tribes. All the officers in command, from the highest-ranking generals to the lowest-ranking centurions, will keep some capable retainers and personal soldiers. These retainers and personal soldiers are treated as you described, with good food and drink, rigorous training, and the best weapons and armor, dedicated to fighting!… But those are actually the generals' private troops, and their numbers are usually small. Generals generally can't afford to keep too many, and wouldn't dare to keep too many. A centurion would be considered to have a lot if he had a few dozen personal soldiers…"

As they talked, the topic drifted back to the military system. Zuwaro was very interested in everything about the Great Ming, like seeing a seedling of a giant tree, eagerly observing and learning. Aguda, on the other hand, was much more focused, only paying attention to the parts relevant to him, just like when he hunted, he only focused on the prey. So, he frowned and spoke again.

"Brother Ali! You just said that the large tribe of Liaodong in the south can constantly obtain good things from the Great Ming tribal alliance. But the nobles in the tribe are very stingy and won't easily take out the good things… Then what can we rely on to go south and pay tribute, to get these good things from these nobles?…"

"Ahem! Brother Aguda, you just need to play the role of Wuxiong, act as a loyal Jurchen chieftain guarding the border for the imperial court, inherit the position of the Duoerbi River Guard, and confirm your status… As for manipulating things to get good things, that will depend on the 'connections' I can build, and the 'yellow objects' in High Priest Zu's hands…"

"Ali, are these officials you speak of really willing to take the imperial court's military supplies and give them to us? Aren't they afraid of being discovered by the Emperor, the Great Terator Ani, and having their heads chopped off?"

The latest and most complete novels are at 6_9_book_.bar_first.

"…High Priest Zu, you know nothing about the officials' methods. The officials never make mistakes; it is always the subordinates who handle the affairs who make mistakes. If the imperial court investigates, at most a few low-level clerks will lose their heads. There are so many vines and vermin eating the nutrients, how much can we eat, and what does it matter?… Besides, if we don't try our best to present a useful title, the officials won't give us a chance to knock on the door and open the way…"

At this point, Ali sighed again, shaking his head as he looked at Zuwaro. If it weren't for him, this foolish "East Sea Priest" would have gone south with the gleaming gold and probably been eaten clean by the officials, leaving no bones behind. The other party saved him from the savages, and he indirectly saved the other party. This was truly a fate bestowed by the Main God!

"Main God is my witness! The branches of the Liaodong border garrisons have the officials at the top, the various government clerks and military officers in the middle, and the common soldiers at the bottom. To use an inappropriate analogy, the officials are the most beautiful flowers, magnificent and noble, monopolizing the nutrients on the branches and guarding the fruits that are produced! The government clerks and military officers in the middle are the bark of the branches, connecting the leaves on one side and the flowers on the other, sharing some of the nutrients. And the common soldiers at the bottom are the leaves on the trunk. These leaves are not worth mentioning; they wither and fall off, and new ones are added to replace them…"

"So, once the imperial court's goods are transported to the border garrisons, they no longer belong to the imperial court, and they have nothing to do with the poor border troops! They are distributed, nominally recorded in the accounts, but in reality, they become the officials' property. Understand? Since they are the officials' property and not the imperial court's property, you have to send money to the officials to get good things! And if you don't understand the officials' rules, even if you have the imperial court's approval, you will only receive a pile of scrapped junk…"

"Like you asked before, what are the Great Ming's rules? The rules set by the officials are the Great Ming's rules. And what are the officials' rules? Money!…"

"What is money? Yellow and white, that is money! Brother Aguda, I know you don't have money, but don't worry, don't be anxious… Don't worry! With the extravagant High Priest Zu around, we don't lack money! High Priest Zu has a real gold mine in his hands… What we need to worry about is how to convince the officials, to let the officials take the money safely!… This rebuilding of the Ha'erbi River Guard is a title that I finally managed to find, a title that allows the officials to take the money safely!… Alas! It's not easy for me!…"

Ali sighed faintly. The yin wind blew through the treetops, and the dry bones on the trees rustled, as if laughter was coming from the underworld, or as if it was emerging from the soil gripped by countless roots. In the laughter of the dry bones and the Yellow Springs, he raised his head and deeply gazed at the Jurchen corpses on the trees, and the tall Solun pillar.

At this moment, he seemed to see the old ancestor buried in the tribal ancestral land, worshiped by the entire Ha'er Man tribe, passing down the inheritance and guiding the descendants of the tribe, whom he had never seen with his own eyes. After a long while, he spoke in a low voice, using the official language of the imperial court that no one understood, and recited the unforgettable last words left by the returning old ancestor, the Jurchen eunuch who had served three emperors, Taizong, Renzong, and Xuanzong.

"So, what is the Great Ming? The sun is like gold, and the moon is like silver. The sun and moon combined together, that is called the Great Ming! You little ones, don't be short-sighted and reluctant to part with the few coins in your hands. You must know… first offer the gold and silver, and then the light of the sun and moon will shine down! When the sun and moon shine down, then you will have good days, and you will be able to earn more gold and silver!"

"And is this gap for offering gold and silver and leaking light given by Heaven for free? Bah! There is no such cheap thing! This gap, you have to rely on your own sharp minds to drill upwards with all your might, and only when you drill it out will it work!… Do you understand? Remember it well! After I, the old ancestor, die, I will rely on you!~~"