At the beginning of March, the warm spring breeze swept across the southern plains, painting the growing flora with tender shades of green. It was the season of wildlife reproduction, and life thrived at every turn.
Xiulote led three thousand Imperial Guards, inspected the Apa Plain, and then returned to the Apa military city in the East. With this completion, the southern campaign ca to an end. The lands in the south had to be reorganized and the gathered populations settled and assimilated. The hunting falcons had their fill for now, and in preparation for next year’s hunt, they quietly conserved their energy.
Before Xiulote headed south, the Zicao County in the south had around 210,000 inhabitants, with over 70,000 in the east, over 60,000 in the center, and over 70,000 in the west. After reducing enfeoffnt and swapping and punishing the rebels, four thousand rebel civilians from Zicao County were sent to the Capital Region and demoted to agricultural slaves. Nine thousand people were rounded up in the campaign against the southwestern Coahuiltecan tribes. Four thousand of them were also moved to the Capital Region to serve as agricultural slaves, while the remaining fifty thousand were left in the west to cultivate the Apa Plain. In the north of the Lerma River, the three states of Otomi had all had one to two thousand exiled nobility and officers.
By rough calculation, after the southern campaign, the population of Zicao County was around 220,000. Centered around Kulamo City in the east, there were over fifty thousand in each, the east and center, totaling one hundred and ten thousand, mostly Prepetcha descendants. Centered on Apa City in the west, the Apa Plain was ho to another one hundred and ten thousand people, half of whom were Prepetcha, and the other half Tekos descendants.
During his survey of the west, Xiulote pondered the arrangents for the south.
The Apa Plain would focus on agriculture, reclaiming wasteland, and integrating the mountain people of the Tekos. The areas around Atoyac Lake, outside of Kulamo City, would focus on external trade and develop the shipbuilding industry. Both regions would station a semi-professional army of eight thousand, each led by Ezpan and the veteran Etalik.
"The south is vast and the developntal focuses are different. The veteran Etalik, with his deep experience and being a family Samurai from the Holy City, is not under the sa command as Ezpan, a model surrendered general from the Prepetcha who is about to be promoted to the nobility. Whichever one I select to lead overall, the other will not be content."
After much consideration, Xiulote finally decided to split Zicao County into two, with separate counties for the west and the east-central regions. Fifty li east of Apa City was set as the boundary, with Apa County to the west, governing one hundred and ten thousand people with its seat in Apa military city, led by Ezpan in both military and administrative matters; to the east remained Zicao County, also governing one hundred and ten thousand people with its seat in Kulamo City, and simultaneously bringing the coastal Tarsus directly under control, overseen by Etalik.
Since both held significant troops with the power to levy taxes, the King created a new official position for them called County Magistrate, similar to what was established in the Chu state during the Spring and Autumn period. County magistrates commanded both troops and finances, wielding the power to suppress internal insurrections and expand territory externally, acting decisively without restriction, a role that could only be entrusted to a true confidant.
Upon reaching a decision, the Royal Decree was imdiately communicated to the south. anwhile, a ssenger also arrived from Monkey Kuluka, the County Magistrate of the North Coast.
Last year, at the end of the year, Monkey mobilized four thousand Spearn and conscripted another four thousand Canine Descendants who joined forces with the Naval Forces, and headed west along the Lerma River. Eight thousand troops took advantage of the unprepared Feathers Legion, pillaging the borders of the Saka state and the Chapala Lake Region. After three months of raiding, they returned with twenty thousand captives. The Canine Descendants gained much, which further solidified military morale.
The Rivermouth Legion, relying on the Naval Forces and using Canine Light Infantry, was quite swift in action. To prevent the Kingdom’s pillaging, the Lake Region dispatched hundreds of canoes to patrol along the Lerma River. The Kingdom’s Naval Forces battled the Lake Region’s Naval Forces several tis, leveraging their nurical superiority with catamarans to gain a firm upper hand and killing hundreds of the enemy. Once the Galleys were launched, the Naval Forces’ advantage would amplify. All was ready, and the ti to conquer the Chapala Lake Region was ripening.
Benefiting from the spoils of war, the population of all four counties of the Kingdom increased. Rivermouth County grew by twenty thousand to a total of 230,000; the Capital Region grew by eighty thousand to 360,000; and both Apa and Zicao Counties grew to one hundred and ten thousand each. The four counties combined amounted to 810,000 people, steadily augnting the foundations of the Kingdom, which only needed ti to integrate.
"Throughout the Kingdom, there is an eager desire for war, a delight to hear of battles! Once the door opens to granting nobility for military rit, it becos thrive in war, perish without it."
Mulling over these thoughts, Xiulote fell silent. Not long before, the veteran Etalik had sent an Envoy from Kulamo City with a letter discussing two matters.
One was that the three thousand Black Wolves were resting in Kulamo City, with many spoils of war that either needed to be transported to the North or converted into more portable goods such as cacao beans or cloth on-site. The other was the underpopulation of Kulamo City; hearing of the King’s victorious return from the campaign and the great number of captives acquired, they inquired whether there were surplus people to be sent to Kulamo City?
"The Tekos captives would either be relocated to the Capital Region or develop the Apa Plain, so where would there be surplus people..."
Reading this, Xiulote shook his head slightly and continued reading the letter.
The Black Wolf returned from his raid on the mountains with a thousand Tekos fishern, several hundred canoes, and thorough intelligence on the southeastern Tekos tribes. Four to five thousand Tekos tribesn nearby Sea Woman City, relying on that small coastal city for defense, had no more than a few thousand able fighters. The reorganization of the Jingji Legion was completed, leaving four thousand Samurai in Kulamo City. The newly ford Zicao Legion also reached three thousand, sufficient to suppress the locals.
Thus, Black Wolf Torc and the veteran Etalik jointly requested authorization.
"Your Majesty, four thousand Jingji Samurai and three thousand Guajili Legionnaires, sailing down the river, are enough to break Sea Woman City and bring back tens of thousands of captives in plunder!"
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