At the end of the year, the tail of December marks the five ominous days of Nemontemi. According to the shared traditions of the Nava Tribes and the Maya Tribes, this is the ti when the Divine Spirit ceases to protect humanity, making the world fragile and filled with uncertainty. It is a ti of chaos, danger, and void, an appropriate occasion for sacrifices, rewards, and the display of the Monarch’s divinity.
"Witnessed by the Chief Divine! Kwahu, you besieged Cloud City and ambushed the Zapotecs Army, making contributions in the southern expedition! I, the xica Divine King, in the na of the Chief Divine, confer upon you the title of Honorable Nobility of the Alliance!..."
"Willing to die for the Divine King!..."
A three-tiered Divine Platform was built outside of Cloud Mountain City. Tens of thousands of the Alliance Army surrounded the valley outside the city. Divine King Avit, dressed in the elaborate attire of the Divine King, donned a Feather Crown as radiant as the sun, sitting high at the top of the Divine Platform. anwhile, Royal Army Commander Kwahu was kneeling and saluting on the second tier. At this mont, he was listening with excitent to the conferring words of the Divine King, catapulted to the pinnacle of the Alliance pyramid from an ordinary hereditary noble through military rit!
"Kwahu! Your fiefdom is right here, in the Cloud Mountain Valley! The fief covers twenty thousand acres of fertile land amidst the clouds, granted with a thousand Mixtec Tribe mbers!..."
"The Chief Divine witnesses your valor and also your loyalty! At present, while the southern expedition continues, the Alliance’s Royal Legion cannot do without you as an outstanding Legion Commander... And the newly conquered Cloud Mountain Valley requires the migration of commoners, the appointnt of priests, and the organization of farming and sacrifices... Therefore, the Alliance’s central authority will temporarily dispatch personnel to manage your fief. Yet, the various outputs of the fief will still be, as per the ancient ’tradition’, half retained as your family’s inco. Additionally, the Alliance can convert your harvested grain into more valuable spices, cocoa, cotton cloth, and gold and silver..."
"...?"
Hearing the Divine King’s words, Legion Commander Kwahu was montarily bewildered. The central Alliance sending personnel to manage his fief, to manage his taxes on his behalf, and then directly disbursing ’money’ to him? Was there ever such a precedent in Alliance history? Kwahu hadn’t studied the Heritage Tablet and knew little... With this in mind, he raised his head and looked towards the Great Nobility and High Priests not far away.
As the Divine King announced this declaration, whether it was the Royal Family’s Great Nobility or the local City-State’s Great Nobility, surprise and disbelief were evident on their faces. Subsequently, many lowered their heads, concealing the changes in expression on their faces. The High Priests exchanged glances, and if a Great Noble stood up to question whether there was such a ’tradition’ of the Royal Family exercising the powers of a Great Nobility’s fief, the Priests would recall the ’Heritage Tablet’ with reason and grounding...
"Hmm? Kwahu?!"
"Ah! Praise the Supre Divine King! I, Kwahu, am willing to die for the Divine King!"
The voice of the Divine King once again resonated, and Legion Commander Kwahu imdiately bowed his head after being dazed for just a few breaths. He prostrated himself fully, bowing deeply, with loyalty still etched on his face.
No matter what, as the favored general of the Divine King’s army, as a small noble personally elevated by the Divine King, the Divine King would not treat him poorly! He leapt from a hereditary noble to an Honorable Nobility, directly skipping several generations of efforts, reaching the pinnacle of military rit rewards, and gaining the right to participate in the Alliance’s legislative etings. Such a rise in status was his greatest achievent!
As for the fief and inco of the Honorable Nobility, these were newly granted and even if handed over to the central Alliance for managent, it was no big deal. After all, compared to the twenty thousand acres of land and a thousand subjects amidst the clouds, it was more crucial to command the eight thousand Samurai of the Royal Legion, which held much more real power!
"The Chief Divine protection! In the guise of military rit awards, this involves the central managent of newly elevated Honorable Nobility’s fiefs within the Alliance, gradually transforming actual fiefs into virtual ones... This is another breakthrough in the Alliance’s control over the fiefdom governance of the Great Nobility! Furthermore, fixing and expanding on these ’traditions’, ’precedents’ is necessary until a new political balance is achieved..."
On the left side of the second tier of the Divine Platform, a half-level sacrificial platform was erected, with divination flags of the sixty-four hexagrams hanging in the air. Xiulote stood quietly on the platform of two and a half tiers, wearing ceremonial dress and carrying divination tools. He wore a mask of the Divine Spirit without expressing any emotions. Similarly, he noticed the reactions of the Alliance’s Great Nobility, observing each disguised, confused, shocked, uneasy, and even angry profile. In silence, he lowered his gaze, sensing the turmoil in people’s hearts, once again witnessing Avit’s fearless determination to reform and centralize authority through warfare. Even he couldn’t help but feel a sense of admiration.
"Oh Chief Divine! Just over a decade ago, the Great Nobility of the Alliance could exercise full authority over their fiefs, from the military to taxation and religious matters! Yet as the Alliance forged ahead with centralization, they first lost religious authority, followed by losing portions of their military, having various fiefdoms reduced, and inheritance ddled with... Until this mont, even the governance of fiefs faced Alliance interference as a precedent!..."
"Although the direction and goal of centralization were sothing I once personally conveyed to Avit. In the Kingdom of the Lake, I also thoroughly pursued centralization... But Avit’s starting point is still different from mine! I established a new system on the blank slate of the burning Kingdom of the Lake, whereas he ventured forth with sweeping reforms in the xica Alliance, where the Great Nobility’s foundation is deeply rooted, intertwined like a thorny jungle... with relentless courage and progress, a ceaseless push!..."
"If I were placed in his position... I’m afraid I couldn’t do as he does, ’burn you and with blazing fire’... But such extre pressure, even with my assistance and the endorsent of divine authority, can the Great Nobility from central to local truly accept this? ... It’s important to know this centralization breakthrough is not just a move against City-State Great Nobility. Even the Royal Family’s Great Nobility can perceive its impact... and what cos next, still needs..."
Xiulote remained expressionless, but his mind was as tumultuous as waves. anwhile, the continuous sound in his ears was the Divine King’s further military rit awards to the Royal Legion. Besides Legion Commander Kwahu’s promotion to Honorable Nobility, as many as twenty military rit nobles were also granted fiefs, leaping from the lower echelons of nobility to hereditary nobility!
"...conferring hereditary nobility! Granting two thousand acres of fief, with a hundred subjects! ...the fief’s managent, temporarily carried out by the central Alliance!..."
"Praise the Supre Divine King! Willing to die for the Divine King!..."
The cheers of the military rit nobility, like the mighty claw of thunderstorm, sent the flying birds of the mountain forest scattering and slapped the faces of the old nobility. Thankfully, this round of conferring was all conducted on the newly acquired Land Amidst the Clouds, providing legitimate reasons for central managent, not directly forcing the old nobility to a dead-end. Under the Divine King’s gaze, no Great Noble dared to stand out in opposition. Thus, the celebration of military rit awards by the Alliance advanced to the end amid such cheers.
"Witnessed by the Chief Divine! Guard Captain Turquoise, leading five hundred Imperial Guards, launched a surprise attack on Snake Waist Camp. With all his might, he blocked the retreat route of the Zapotec Army, earning great rit..."
"I, the xica Divine King, in the na of the Chief Divine, confer upon you hereditary nobility of the Alliance, granting two thousand acres of fief, managed centrally by the Alliance! Additionally, I bestow two chests of gold and silver, two chests of gemstones, twenty bags of spices, and a Royal Feathered Garnt!"
With this generous royal decree, Guard Captain Turquoise walked vigorously up the Divine Platform, then fell heavily on it as if toppling a massive stone. His expression was serene, his face ruddy and simple, and he bowed dutifully three tis in earnest.
"Praise to the Divine King! Turquoise, willing to die for the Divine King!..."
"Haha! Good!"
On the Divine Platform, Divine King Avit smiled with satisfaction at this simple yet brave and loyal officer of the Imperial Guard, revealing great contentnt. Such military rit minor nobility, born from various states, was the focus of his authority-centralizing reforms and the layer that benefited hugely from the reform, balancing the power of the old nobility from various states.
"Turquoise, the Chief Divine has witnessed your bravery, and the Divine King is pleased with your loyalty! Henceforth, you will be promoted from Vice Camp Commander of the Tonsured Guard to Imperial Guard Camp Commander, officially commanding a thousand n, becoming one of the only four Camp Commanders!"
"Yes! Praise to the Divine King! Turquoise, willing to die for the Divine King!..."
"Haha! Co here!"
Divine King Avit laughed heartily, stood up, and then walked down two steps to personally pat Turquoise’s hair, allowing this loyal and brave general to step back. Indeed, he had enough confidence that with such a grant of power, fief, and benefits, the other would remain loyal to him until his end, just like in the fierce and life-risking battles!
"Alright, may the Chief Divine protect! The military rit awards have concluded! Next cos the punishnt and sacrifice that must be in ’ominous days’..."
"Xiulote!"
"Present!"
"In the presence of the Chief Divine, punish the ambush general who fled, and utilize divination to decide the prison!"
"Yes!!..."
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