Stars like an ocean, shining in the night sky. Hence, the color of the night reveals a deep blue, the deep blue presents a dark hue, and within that solitude, a faint glow erges. Looking at it now, the night sky, though silent, is far from flat; it’s an ever-changing entity, as if reflecting the rotation of the starry river.
The King’s words, calm as the night, gently float into the ears. Bertade looked up in surprise, gazing at the King’s profile, he also saw the dreamy backdrop. At this mont, he felt the King’s deanor, like the starry river in the background, vast in its silence, seemingly calm, yet sothing was spinning deep within his eyes.
"Your Highness, His Highness Xiu Hua is still young, and the Totonac expedition does not have the King’s endorsent... At this mont, to make such a request to King Aweit might... upset the King."
Bertade knelt down, softly advised.
"Both Princes of the Royal Family currently have no actual fief. The Predecessor Monarch’s eldest son Montezuma II is already of age and still resides in the Capital City. The Predecessor Monarch’s second son, Quetzalcoatl is the sa way, not to ntion the other royal nobles... To request vast Totonac lands for His Highness Xiu Hua at this ti, might cause dissatisfaction among the royal factions and invoke jealousy..."
"Hmm! I understand what you an."
Xiulote nodded slightly, reminiscing, his gaze sowhat complex.
"King Aweit once agreed with to guard the West for him. All lands to the west of the Kingdom of the Lake were promised to , I could conquer them all! But now, I stretched my hand to the East, creating such a huge commotion, he will surely be displeased..."
"However, the Eastern Seaside is crucial, it relates to the layout of Cuba... Now that there is an opportunity to obtain it, I cannot let it slip! ... Even if it displeases the King, the necessary lands must still be claid! Because, ti will not wait for us..."
Upon hearing this, Bertade recalled the terrifying prophecy once described by His Highness. He tightened his lips, bowed deeply, and made a low promise.
"Your Highness, crossing to Cuba, managing Snake Island, resisting the white n, I will never let you down!"
"Hmm, Bertade, I trust you! Once the rainy season is over, I will reinforce Black Wolf, I might even personally go to the Eastern Sea to take charge of the situation. And once the Kingdom has secured the Totonac coastline, the next major task will depend on you!..."
Xiulote nodded, carefully instructed. His gaze beca firm, yet a smile appeared on his face.
"Of course, I will not oppose the King for excessive land. The majority of Totonac land will belong to the Alliance, controlled by the King. The so-called enfeoffnt of Xiu Hua is actually just to compensate for the pretext of conquering the Seaside Lands, obtaining the King’s endorsent, providing the Alliance with a justification for deploying troops. As for what the Kingdom needs, it’s rely a string of coastal strongholds. As for large inland domains like Five Mountains City, who they are ultimately enfeoffed to, I will leave entirely to the King’s decision!"
"Ah? This... Your Highness, if that is the case, the dissatisfaction among the royal nobles can be quelled. The Kingdom of the Lake contributes forces for conquest, King Aweit claims the majority of territories, controls key transport routes, can transfer lands to the Great Nobility,... the King over there will likely accept it!"
"Hmm. I will additionally write a long letter to King Aweit, explaining in detail. The Kingdom of the Lake claiming a few seaside strongholds is truly just for the prophecy regarding the Eastern Sea..."
At this, Xiulote gazed towards the distant East with a silent sigh. He remained silent for a long ti before continuing.
"Ti is running out! Whether the King believes it or not, the arrival of white-skinned demons will naturally confirm all I say... Moreover, with the current centralized reforms the King is implenting, aiming to flatten the Great Nobility of the Alliance, he will still rely on my support! At this mont, he will definitely not want to push to the side of the Great Nobility..."
"...Yes!"
Bertade looked up again, carefully observing His Highness’ serene deanor, filled with emotion.
"His Highness can say so calmly, choosing to join forces with the Great Nobility against the King! ... The King has finally matured!"
A ruler embarking on the path of power can only be propelled by rising political groups, continuously seizing power, unable to retreat! At this point, between King Aweit and His Highness Xiulote, the previously pure and beautiful teacher-student bond no longer exists, replaced by a political alliance of mutual planning and compromise.
"Hmm... Upon careful consideration, King Aweit should agree to my request for enfeoffnt for Xiu Hua. However, in words, be as respectful as possible, without offending the King’s authority... Xiu Hua is very young, and the Totonac lands enfeoffed to him will nominally remain under the central managent of the Royal Family. I fear the King may use this as a reason to keep Xiu Hua in the Capital City, personally guiding and cultivating him..."
Xiulote closed his eyes, softly deducing the political situation of the Alliance. As a student cultivated by Aweit, he understands Aweit very well, just as Aweit understands him.
"Bertade, if the heir of the Kingdom of the Lake grows up in Tloquiditlan, influenced by the King... will the kingdom’s generals accept him?"
"Your Highness, I dare not... make an assertion. But I believe, as long as you are here, with your orders, the generals will never dare to oppose!"
Bertade lowered his head, speaking very cautiously. He believes His Highness can grasp the implications of his words. If Prince Xiu Hua sides with the King, harming the interests of the kingdom’s generals, it could be troubleso...
"Hmm, I understand."
Xiulote nodded, not continuing the topic. He looked at the vast starry sea, thinking of the history three hundred years ago, softly narrating a story, his words becoming serene.
"Bertade, under the witness of the starry sky, let tell you a true story! The protagonist of the story is an unprecedented Great Chief, who first united all the scattered peoples across ten thousand miles of prairie. He personally shaped a nation, conquered countless lands, killed innurable enemies, and reshaped the entire direction of the world..."
"Of course, the earlier part you may consider as a distant, inspiring tale. But the story’s ending leaves indecisive. In that ending, in order to govern unprecedented vast lands, the Great Chief integrated all the tribespeople, organizing them into Thousand Houses and Wan Hu. Then, he established rules, distributing vast lands and tribes among his different sons, called the ’enfeoffnt of all sons’. On this basis, he designated the most fundantal Capital City and base to his youngest son, known as ’youngest son guards the hearth’..."
"I see the vastness of the starry sky, and know the boundlessness of the world, far beyond anyone’s imagination. Beyond the known world, there are still the North’s endless continent, the South’s endless continent, the series of islands in the East... Bertade, do you think, in striving to control such vast regions, can the approach of the Great Chief truly be successful?"
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