The enemy retreated as night fell. Seven longships docked on the shore, and the kingdom’s expedition team of over two hundred set up camp on the west bank of the Great Water River. Ping led two hundred pike warriors, quickly treating the wounded and interrogating prisoners. The samurai also supervised the burial of the dead from both sides by the eight hundred able-bodied n.
Soon, small campfires were lit along the flat riverbank. The aroma of food, mixed with a faint sll of blood, spread with the night wind in all directions.
"I personally interrogated the prisoners... The leader on the other side is called Yunshi Kawa. He is the military leader of Ye Guo City and has always maintained close ties with the Great Chief Yun Chen of Mountain River City, serving as his supporter and ally."
Ping, holding a spear, approached two captains. He sat down on the ground, took a roasted soft corn cake, and began gnawing on it while recounting the enemy’s identity.
"Yunshi Kawa? Military leader of Ye Guo City, ally of Great Chief Yun Chen?"
Upon hearing this, Puap appeared confused.
"What does this represent?"
"In short, the leader on the other side is among the most firm opponents of the alliance among the Mistec people."
Ping put down the corn cake, extended his hand, and gestured to the southeast.
"Since the eastern expedition, the Mistec initially maintained neutrality. Ye Guo City, the closest to here, is nominally a subject of the alliance. If the scouts from both sides encountered each other, although they watched each other cautiously, they wouldn’t directly engage."
"This relationship persisted for several months. But when Your Majesty swept through the two southern states, the attitude of the lowland Mistec tribes here gradually turned hostile. Under the rallying of leaders like Yun Chen and Yunshi, more and more Mistec tribes opposed the alliance..."
"The Mistec subsequently garrisoned forces in the marsh, secretly threatening the army’s rear. Your Majesty also stationed troops to confront them. Three months ago, when the news of Your Majesty burning the Holy City and sacrificing the Cholula Priestly Family reached them, the attitude of the lowland Mistec completely changed! Many devout tribes in the lowlands started to oppose the alliance. The kingdom’s scouts also engaged in more than a dozen skirmishes with the nearby tribal warriors..."
"This river delta is within the control range of Ye Guo City. The eighty or ninety thousand Mistec tribes there have beco enemies of the alliance and could reinforce at any mont!... And across the river, Yunshi Kawa is also a seasoned forest warrior. He just fought a battle with us, leaving behind two hundred corpses, and retreated. But I think he might just be retreating temporarily..."
"What! In a hundred miles, there are eighty to ninety thousand hostile tribes? They could muster at least ten thousand able-bodied n!"
Upon hearing this, Puap’s expression changed, and he spoke solemnly.
"Commander Ping, we can’t delay here; we need to head quickly to the northwestern upstream tributaries... You know, if there are too many horseflies in the mountain forest, they can be deadly!..."
"Yes. We’ll leave first thing in the morning! As for now, I’ll go arrange the able-bodied n’s camp and the samurai’s night patrols."
Ping clapped his hands, stuffed the last piece of cake into his mouth, and then, shouldering his spear, turned and walked away to organize tonight’s defense.
"May the Chief Divine bless the kingdom!"
The late sumr breeze was warm, the forest deep and vast. The long river flowed eastward, winding along its course. Chiwaco gazed at the dark and dangerous night, looking at the main river course upstream to the east, his eyes growing pensive.
"Old Pu. Why do you think His Majesty made us travel over a thousand miles upriver to co here?"
"Why?"
Puap scratched his head, pondering for a long ti without a clue. He recalled the journey, and based on his understanding, speculated.
"Perhaps he wants to test whether the upstream waterway of the Tarsus River can be navigated? We ca from the southwestern estuary, traveling upstream for two months before reaching here. And the upstream waterway ahead is said to go straight into the heartland of the Mistec, though it’s unknown how much farther it goes... Anyway, this is the first great river of the South, over two thousand miles long!"
"Yes, a two-thousand-mile-long river! From the land of the Tekos to the heart of the Kingdom of the Lake, then to the southern city-states of the alliance, and finally the chaotic city-states of the Mistec tribes, even extending to the Trascal Land in the north... This long river connects all the southern tribes together..."
Upon hearing this, the old militia nodded in agreent and gently sighed.
"Along the way, we saw so many ships, so many captives! Without this waterway, escorting tens of thousands of captives a thousand miles overland back to the kingdom would cost countless lives! And these fleets that can transport captives can naturally also ferry warriors, food, and strange stones mined from the mountains..."
At this point, the old militia paused. His old eyes glead with contemplative insight and practical wisdom.
"The kingdom controls the lower and middle reaches of the Long River. Now, we’ve been tasked with traversing this difficult upstream passage... I think His Majesty is like a greedy giant anteater! The entire Long River is like his extended red tongue, ready to devour the lands and tribes along the way like ants, one bite at a ti!"
"Oh! You old man, what nonsense are you spouting? How dare you speak ill of His Majesty!"
Hearing these words, Puap shivered all over. He nervously glanced left and right, seeing no one else, he finally sighed in relief. He pursed his lips and lowered his voice.
"...However, you do have a point... To the east of the Kingdom of the Lake is the xica Alliance, and to the north is the desolate Northern Land. King Aweit of the alliance is also a robust jaguar. He controls the xica Alliance, continually waging wars all around, blocking the kingdom’s path for eastward expansion... If His Majesty wishes to extend his reach to the prosperous southern city-states, to the abundant eastern tribes, he can only rely on this Long River!"
"And if the upstream of this Long River can be fully navigated with large ships, then the kingdom’s tens of thousands of troops... might even bypass fortresses and appear in the alliance’s..."
At this point, the two fell silent, their words going unsaid. In the hearts of the Prepecha Warriors, there was no thought for the alliance’s king.
The night wind blew, the campfires flickered. After a while, the old militia sighed softly.
"The southern mountains are as nurous as the leaves on a tree. The southern rivers are the trunk of the great tree. As for these southern tribes, they are the stinging bees hidden in the leaves... You never know when they’ll erge, ready to sting you!"
"Kill!... Ah!... Uh... Huh-huh..."
A sudden burst of fighting broke out from the northeast corner of the riverbank, right where the samurai were patrolling. Across two miles, the sound was sharp and urgent, like a mountain cat tussling and biting in the forest at night.
The two captains looked towards the sound, but in the pitch-black night, they couldn’t see clearly, only noticing a vague, dark shadow. Puap drew out his bronze axe and gripped it tightly in his hand. Then, he turned his head, grinning.
"Old Qi, the bees have co out to sting us now!"
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