"Hmm? Gem trade?"
"Sit down, don’t be hasty."
Xiupan the Clan Leader had a calm face, commanding respect without anger. Xiutur reluctantly sat down again, listening to his father’s instructions.
"Xiutur, rember this. We City-State Maya Divine Descendants differ from the warrior Highland Tribes, governing warriors and citizens with divinity and intellect, managing territories and city-states! Your current focus should not be on slaughtering on the battlefield but on enhancing your divinity, constantly building alliances and supporters!"
"Huh? Focus on enhancing divinity and building alliances and supporters?"
"Exactly!"
Xiupan the Clan Leader nodded heavily and carefully explained to his eldest son.
"This gemstone fleet’s news has spread throughout the Peninsula. All lowland tribes want to gain a share of gemstones from them!... If you seize the whole fleet, gaining so many gemstones, the city’s gemstones will depreciate, and it won’t be consud quickly, offering little real benefit."
"More importantly, if you rob the fleet, the family will not only fall out with distant Highland Tribes but also extinguish others’ hopes, incurring the wrath of all tribes! The eyes of all tribes will focus on us, making us the target of many javelins... Rember, truly wise people won’t do such foolish things that yield little benefit with unpredictable consequences!"
Hearing his father’s analysis, Xiutur was stunned for a while but soon understood its essence.
"I see! So, you’re asking to trade, just to get the largest share of gemstones, while leaving the rest for other tribes?"
"Correct. That’s roughly the idea."
Xiupan the Clan Leader nodded, looking at his warrior-like strong son with a loving smile. His eldest son was indeed very smart but too impulsive in nature. His strong physique often acted before his mind could think.
"More tempering is still needed! He shouldn’t stay in the army all the ti, lacking the deanor of a Divine Descendant."
Xiupan the Clan Leader pondered for several monts before speaking solemnly again.
"Xiutur, take eight hundred elite Maya Warriors, along with the family’s precious goods, and quickly go north to the coastal Tail Village of the Tail Feather Clan, waiting for the east-bound gemstone fleet. It’s the first supply port within hundreds of miles after rounding the cape, and the fleet will definitely stop there."
"Then, first, you should try to exchange for the largest share of gemstones and bring them back to the Capital City, proclaiming the God of Wealth’s favor! If the goods are insufficient, you can requisition from the subordinate Tail Feather Clan. I’ll compensate them. You may also exert so pressure on that fleet, but don’t overdo it. And even if the gemstones gained aren’t much, don’t turn hostile, strive to establish good karma with the Nava Tribe! Because gemstones aren’t important, but the western Nava Tribe might be very strong."
"Ah? Father, gemstones aren’t important?"
Xiutur scratched his head, looking at his father in confusion.
"The strong Nava Tribe? Do you know where this fleet ca from?"
"Yes, this fleet presumably cos from the western highlands Aztec Alliance. They are a powerful force, but over three thousand miles away, they can’t affect the situation here. It’s suitable to establish so goodwill... Listen to ! Gemstones aren’t important. What’s crucial is enhancing your divinity!"
Xiupan the Clan Leader paused before speaking softly, elaborating on the art of governance.
"Divinity must be rooted in people’s hearts through grand ceremonies witnessed by all! You don’t actually need to acquire many gemstones but simply use various forms of propaganda to make people believe you are blessed by the God of Wealth, gaining many gemstones..."
"Similarly, the second task. During this northern expedition, you must hold a solemn sacrifice at the coastal ’Demon’s Tail’! It’s the sanctuary where the All Gods ended an era and created the world anew, also enhancing your divinity. After the ceremony, stay a night at the ’Demon’s Tail’. The next day, proclaim you’ve had a ceremonial dream... Say the Serpent’s tail erged from underground, entered your embrace, and rged with you..."
"What? Stay a night at the Demon’s Tail and concoct a ceremonial dream?"
Hearing his father’s strategy, Xiutur was dumbfounded, speechless with shock. He pondered for a mont before voicing his long-standing question.
"Father, what’s actually under the Demon’s Tail?"
"Below the Demon’s Tail lies the divine artifact of the All Gods’ cataclysm. It’s where the gods obliterated the era before chaos and created the world for the first ti! As for what the artifact specifically is, Snake City’s ancestors didn’t record it, perhaps the All Gods didn’t clarify either... Don’t change the subject!"
Xiupan the Clan Leader raised an eyebrow, and Xiutur imdiately adopted a submissive deanor, closing his mouth to listen.
"Regarding the third task, et with the coastal subordinates’ Tail Feather Clan and Luchong Clan leaders. Represent the Xiu Family, show support, express goodwill. After completing these, arrange personnel to spread the word that you conversed happily with various leaders, even to the extent of promising marriage alliances..."
"What? Marriage alliances?"
"Yes! First spread the news, letting all tribes know. Then, I’ll arrange people to propose to the daughters of two clan chieftains, letting you marry two Divine Descendant wives, and also gather two external allies."
Xiupan the Clan Leader nodded with a smile, kind-hearted and already foreseeing everything.
"After completing these three tasks, return to the Capital City with the gemstones, presiding over the festival’s ceremony on the grand Heavenly Serpent God Festival in April, doing two more things!... One is to distribute the majority of gemstones to the city’s nobility under the na of the God of Wealth. The other is to distribute customary small pastries to the city’s citizens under the na of the Heavenly Serpent Divine for the festival day."
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