Aztec Eternals

In early autumn, September in Heilongjiang is blessed with a mild climate and moderate water levels, making it the most suitable time of year for navigation. Back when the Nurgan Regional Military Commission still existed, the Ming army would seize this prime month to conduct official ship patrols and transport supplies. Large government ships, laden with grain, weapons, and daily necessities, would journey down the river, supplying the entire middle and lower reaches of the Heilongjiang River, serving as the most crucial lifeline for the various guard posts in the Outer Northeast.

At this time of year, the river water is wide and deep, flowing at a leisurely pace, resembling a silver ribbon winding across the vast Northeast land. When two wide ribbons converge from the north in the middle reaches of the Heilongjiang River, they stir up the black mud on both banks, revealing a hint of the "Black River's" appearance. This is where the Kingdom's horse-buying team has arrived.

"May the Lord God protect us! I've seen the vast downstream of this great river, but I never imagined that the upstream would be so wide as well? ... But, with such mighty rivers in both the Northeast and Northwest, which one is the true upstream of this great river? ..."

"Haha! High Priest, this winding waterway in the Northwest comes from the heart of the Mongolian tribes' grasslands and is said to connect to the true 'Sacred Mountain and Lake.' According to the traditions left by the Great Ming, this is the longer upstream of the Hun Tong River, leading to the 'Buyu'er Sea' in the Mongolian heartland! As for this river flowing from the Northeast, although it is wider, it comes from the Xing'an Mountains in the Northeast, just like our route. This is another important passage for the Northern Mountain Savage Jurchens to move south, ending in dangerous forests and mountains..."

Ha'er Man, the chieftain A'li, narrowed his eyes and gazed towards the "Black River" where the two rivers meet. The magnificent river converges here, and the sparse woodlands, shrubby plains, marshy meadows, and the black soil along the riverbank all blend into one. The further north one goes towards the upstream, the more noticeable the differences in the scenery of the two rivers become.

The upstream of the Northwest river, leading to the Mongolian Plateau, is noticeably flatter, offering an unobstructed view. Long grasses undulate in the autumn wind, resembling a golden ocean. Scattered birch and Mongolian oak trees dot the landscape, their leaves shimmering with golden sunlight. In the distance, one can see specks of activity on the riverside grasslands, perhaps roe deer, herds of deer, or grazing livestock. Eagles and falcons circle in the sky, occasionally descending and rising again, their claws clutching small creatures, undoubtedly plump autumn hares.

As for the upstream of the Northeast river, leading to the Northern Mountain of the Jurchens, it displays denser woodlands and towering mountains on the horizon. The tall trees gradually become denser, with birch, red pine, larch, aspen, and fir trees forming the main body of the forest. The leaves gradually change color in the autumn wind, creating a sea of gold and red. With the shelter of the trees, the creatures moving within the forest remain unseen. One can only hear faint sounds of bears, red deer, roe deer, and wild boars, all large animals active in the forest.

Of course, in the old forests of the Northeast, there are also the most dangerous two-legged beasts: raw-flesh-drinking, blood-lapping Savage Jurchens, leading hunting dogs, carrying bows and hammers, and even leading horses south. Before the winter cold wave descends, there are always Savage tribes who cannot survive and move south in advance, using their barbaric and fearless lives to embark on a one-way migration that gambles on life and death...

"May the Lord God of the Eastern Sea bear witness! This wide river flowing from the Northeast is also called the 'Jingqili River' or the 'Sahaliyan Ula'!"

"Huh! Why does it have two different names? Sahaliyan Ula? Isn't that what Aguda called the Hun Tong River?"

"Yes! They are two different names, representing the names of different tribes! Sahaliyan Ula is what our Jurchen tribes call it. In the eyes of our Jurchen tribes, the river flowing south from the Northern Mountain of the Xing'an Mountains in the Northeast is the true upstream of the Hun Tong River, the 'Sahaliyan Ula,' the 'Vast Black Water'! ..."

Saying this, A'li glanced at Maha Aguda, who was deep in thought, smiled, and pointed towards the Mongolian direction in the west, speaking again.

"In the eyes of the Mongolian tribes, this Northeast river is the 'Jingqili River,' which is what the Mongols call the 'Quiet Great River.' Here, 'quiet' often implies danger. Forests block the view and are always more dangerous than grasslands, making it difficult for the nomadic Mongolian tribes to penetrate deeply..."

"And these two different tribal names represent that this is precisely the place where the Mongolian tribes and the Jurchen tribes meet! Currently, the Mongolian tribes are strong, and the rivers and tribes here belong to the Mongols. But if one day the Jurchen tribes become strong, this place will also belong to the Jurchens... I just don't know if that day will ever come..."

"Two great rivers converge, Mongolia to the west, and the Jurchens to the east..."

Mountains and rivers stretched far and wide, grass grew tall, and eagles soared. Zu Walo opened his eyes wide, gazing at the magnificent grasslands he had never seen before. He stared deeply for a long time before asking another question.

"May the Lord God protect us! A'li, has the Great Ming of the South ever been here before? What name do they use for this place?"

"They've been here! Even further north..."

A'li replied with a smile, then lowered his eyes, his voice also dropping.

"In the traditions of the Great Ming, they used the records of the Northern Yuan. This place doesn't have a special name; it's just called 'Huli,' which is Mongolian for 'riverside.' And there should be a border outpost left by the imperial court here, called 'Huli Plain Outpost,' which means 'a very flat outpost by the water'... But it's long gone! Such a northern outpost was long ago captured by the Mongols! ..."

"Huli Plain Outpost, a very flat outpost by the water? Let me think, since there was an outpost, there must have been a tribe stationed there, and it must have been a strong tribe in this area to hold it? ... Then, as long as we find the outpost, we can find a tribe to trade with, right? ... Hu Nu, bring me my divine telescope!"

Zu Walo sat on his horse, raised his divine telescope, and gazed at the boundless grasslands to the north. After a moment, he shook his head and ordered.

"Continue north! Along the great river... Go slowly, pay close attention to the surroundings, and see if there are any tribes! ..."

The horse-buying team, consisting of more than one hundred and sixty infantrymen and thirty-seven cavalrymen, continued north, like a group of trekking ants between the mighty river and the grasslands. However, the weapons carried by these ants, the armor they wore or transported, and the large bows they carried on their backs all represented the most basic "reasoning." Only by mastering "reasoning" could they have the capital to engage in reasoned discussions and "friendly" trade with the nomadic tribes they encountered, large and small.

"Huh! May the Lord God protect us! I see four-legged beasts! Huge... no, they don't seem like such big four-legged beasts... Strange gray-white beasts gathered together like cotton..."

"Cough! High Priest, those should be sheep. Sheep are the most commonly raised and most important livestock for the herders. The milk produced by sheep eating grass is the tribe's main food... Where there are sheep, there must be herders! Which direction are they in? ..."

"Northwest, along that river, a little more to the east... See them? Hmm, it's too far, I need a thousand-mile mirror to see them... Aguda, send a few cavalrymen over there and bring the herder back to ask! It's in the direction I'm pointing... Everyone else, speed up! ..."

"Wushu? Go! Take a few people over there, find the herder and bring him back! ..."

"Alright! Boss!"

"Da da da..."

"Okay! ..."

A'li nodded and rode forward. Maha Wushu had already stopped his horse and lightly lifted the herdsman off the horse's back. The main reason was that the herdsman was too light, probably less than ninety pounds, probably the lowest level in the tribe who starved five out of every six meals.

"Ugh..."

"Raise your head!"

"Yes... yes! Ulus Lord... Ah no! Nayan Lord! ..."

The herdsman was dizzy and tried to kowtow twice before raising his head to look, and was immediately shocked. He thought it was just a small tribe from another camp, and the passing "Ulus" cavalry were asking questions, but he didn't expect to see dozens of cavalrymen, and more than a hundred strong warriors with bows and armor!

This time, it couldn't possibly be a small tribe. It must be a large tribe from the south, possibly sent by the Tumen myriarchs of Fuyu, Taining, or Duoyan. And the one who could command such an elite team must be a "Nayan" leader under the Tumen myriarchs. It certainly wasn't just the ten-household "Arban Nayan," at least the hundred-household "Jagun Nayan," perhaps even the thousand-household "Minghan Nayan"!

"Tengri, the blue sky, how could so many warriors suddenly come from the south? The appearance of armored warriors with weapons has never been a good thing. September is the time when horses are fat and strong... Could it be that the Tumen lords in the south are conscripting again to go south?! ..."