Chapter 162 Investigation (Additional Chapter for Alliance Leader Xian Qilin)

Continuous drizzle fell from the sky, wetting the high-erected flags and falling on the solid bluestone fortress. The bluestone has been washed away and has become slippery. The raindrops meandered downwards, then merged into the flowing Leman River, passing by the boats on the river.

In front of the river mouth fortress of Tarasco, five or six Mexican boats were swaying and peering at a distance of a hundred meters. This is a routine daily reconnaissance by the enemy in the north, and the defenders of the fortress have long been accustomed to it.

Shulot stood on the bow of the boat and carefully observed the shape of the river mouth fortress.

Since we were conducting the investigation in person, of course we couldn't carry the commander's flag or ride in a big boat. The young commander wore a simple civilian warrior uniform, carried his usual Mexican long bow, and wore an obsidian dagger that never left his body. He was like an ordinary young samurai, energetically conducting reconnaissance with the ship. Behind him, the tall warrior captain also carried a long bow and stood steadily in the center of the boat.

Shulot looked at it for a long time, his expression gradually becoming serious. He straightened his arms, crossed his thumbs, and gestured with his fingers for a while, then frowned deeply.

The height of the walls of the Hekou Fortress is an astonishing six meters. At this height, the defenders' rolling stones and bows and arrows were extremely lethal. Judging from the number of defenders lined up side by side, the width of the top of the fort wall is also five or six meters, and the width of the bottom is at least eight or nine meters. The exterior of the fortress is covered with bricks, and the bluestone base is exposed on the top. The thick walls are carved with deep and complex yellow patterns, revealing traces of ancient vicissitudes.

Xiulote briefly recognized it. This was a mysterious symbol carved by the priest of Tarasco, which represented the blessing of the Mother Earth Goddess Kveravaperi, implying the use of the power of the earth to strengthen this vital fortress. It seems that the Kingdom of Tarasco has been operating the river mouth fortress for a long time and attaches great importance to its defense.

The young commander thought for a moment, and then he whispered an order to the warrior commander behind him.

"Half a circle around the fortress along the Leman River. I want to see the specific terrain!"

Bertard nodded slightly without saluting to avoid exposing Hulott's identity. Soon, five or six small boats set up their oars and circled around the fortress like swimming fish.

After looking back and forth twice, Shulot took a deep breath. Although he had already heard about it from the scouts, seeing the terrain with his own eyes still made him feel cold. The Hekou Fortress is surrounded by rivers on three sides and faces the ground on one side. It is truly easy to defend but difficult to attack.

The fortress is bounded by the wide Leman River to the north and Lake Quetseo to the west. The estuary channel between the river and the lake is only thirty to forty meters wide and hundreds of meters long, completely within the striking range of the fortress head. The fortress does not have a north gate. There is a water gate in the west, which is connected to Lake Quiceo. The defenders can attack from here at any time and cut off the channels of the river and lake.

The east side of the fortress is land on the river bank, but there is a natural moat, which is also five or six meters wide. Similarly, in order to facilitate defense, the fortress did not have an east gate, but only a vaguely visible south gate to facilitate the passage of large groups of warriors. Outside the south gate, there are two circles of wooden fences used for blocking, both of which are within the range of long-range strikes from the city head.

The young commander silently calculated in his mind. The Hekou Fortress is two to three miles east to west and two to three miles north to south. The area is about two square kilometers. It is actually a small city. This kind of military city can station 10,000 to 20,000 people, and relying on the natural terrain and acquired fortresses, it is really difficult to capture. If we storm the city by force, we don't know how many casualties there will be.

Shulot raised his head again and carefully observed the city. Rolled logs and stones were piled on the city walls, and tall watchtowers were erected. There are also thick shields on the top of the wall to protect the archers who shoot. The remaining militiamen, holding bronze spears, gathered into a group and were looking at the Mexica boats on the river.

"Although the Tarascans only have ordinary single bows, they have a large number of armor-piercing copper arrows. They can kill leather-armored warriors at a distance of twenty meters."

Shulot thought secretly, feeling heavy. He looked at the flags flying at the top of the city. One was the divine flag of the sun, moon and stars, the other was the "Ukuscha" flag symbolizing the royal family, that is, the eagle flag with wings spread, and the last one was the flag of the local nobles, the family crest. It's "Ospie", the green crocodile.

The meaning of these flags is that the local "crocodile" nobles actually control the fortress here under the dual jurisdiction of gods and kings.

"The king's flag can be planted on the fiefdoms of border nobles. It seems that the degree of centralization of the Kingdom of Tarasco is indeed higher than that of the Mexican Federation. If a powerful crocodile can be used as a family crest, the person who entrusts this place must be a A real nobleman.”

Shulot looked at the flag and analyzed it for a while, then observed the solid fortress again. He looked at it for a moment, thoughtfully, and many classic battle examples flashed through his mind. Finally, the young commander turned his head and said to the warrior commander.

"Bertard, let's get closer and take a closer look at Minato!"

The boy's voice drifted in the wind and gradually became inaudible until it reached the top of the river mouth fortress. Under the three fluttering flags and among the surrounding warriors, two Tarasco nobles in battle uniforms sat cross-legged on a cotton blanket and were discussing matters opposite each other.

"General Cucuna, the main force of the Mexica navy has left, and the kingdom's navy has also been assembled. It's time to send out a large army to teach the enemies on the north coast a lesson!"

A majestic round-faced nobleman said loudly, with a majestic and commanding expression as he spoke. He is surrounded by an exquisite bronze necklace and wears a dark gray crocodile leather hat inlaid with purple red copper, which shows his noble status at a glance.

"Dear Commander of the Russian Regiment, now is indeed a good opportunity for the navy to dispatch. However, the mobilization of the army is insufficient, and the southern camp has just been ambushed by the Mexicans. It will be difficult to dispatch after losing 700 warriors and 3,000 militiamen. The army marches north."

General Kukuna bowed his head slightly and greeted the round-faced noble. He has a respectful expression, is not tall, is relatively plainly dressed, and has a conspicuous aquiline nose. Or, to the Prepecha people, "turkey nose."

Yes, in the Prepecha language, the word "Kukuna" means turkey, just like "Ospie" means crocodile. In this era, the names of nobles often came from animals, ancestors, myths or gods, and they often had corresponding responsibilities. The name "Ospai" means the heritage of the navy, while "Kukuna" is obviously just the commander of a militia group or low-level warriors.

It is worth mentioning that in the Nahua language, the name for turkey is "Kokoro", which is very similar to the Prepecha language "Kukuna". This similarity in pronunciation proves that the Mexica and Prepecha people actually have very similar ancestral origins, and both should be descended from migrating dogs in the far northwest.

In the Yucatan Mayan language, the name for turkey is "Urum" or "Daz", which is completely different from the Mexica tribes.

Hearing General "Turkey"'s words, the round-faced noble glared at him dissatisfied and shouted loudly.

"Those nobles in the southern fortress are all land turtles who cannot bear to fight in the wild. They only dare to hide behind the camp and let the ferocious Mexica people wreak havoc and plunder the people of the kingdom! The river mouth fortress is controlled by my navy, so it should be Have the courage to attack and bite like a crocodile!”

"Cucuna, it is precisely because you lack the courage to fight that you lost the wooden fort on the north bank so quickly. You didn't even set a fire to destroy the wooden fort, allowing the Mexicans to easily gain a foothold! Fortunately, you still have three hundred warriors and thousands of militiamen, so you still have a chance to make up for your mistakes."

After hearing the instructions from the leader of the Russian faction, Kukuna lowered his head and remained silent.

"I have gathered 20,000 militia sailors, 3,000 elite warriors, plus more than 2,000 warriors from the southern fort, and can raid the three wooden forts on the north bank at any time. As long as His Majesty Suangua's royal capital army arrives, Or if support from Lake Chapala arrives, we can cross the river and go north to completely drive the Mexica people from the north!"

Hearing this, Kukuna was shocked. he finally admonished.

"Dear leader of the Ospai, Your Majesty will give you three thousand warriors and tens of thousands of militiamen to firmly guard the fortress at the mouth of the river. It controls the passage of Lake Quetseo and also protects the hinterland of the kingdom along the lake. Don’t miss anything!”

"The Mexica people have always been good at fighting, and their infantry are strong and elite. Now, they have a powerful bow that can kill warriors more than a hundred meters away. The rapid fall of the wooden fortress on the north shore was precisely because of these large bows. Caused by the bow!”

The round-faced nobleman originally showed disdain, but after hearing this, he became interested.

"Cucuna, I heard it from the warriors who came back, but I just don't believe it. Now you also say that the Mexicans really have a big bow that can shoot from a hundred meters away and penetrate the warriors' leather armor? What is that? What does it look like?”

Kukuna tried to remember and described intermittently.

"A very big and long bow, like a curved wooden pole. It is estimated to be two meters long and can be stretched to one meter. When shooting from the big bow, the arrows are like meteors and as fast as lightning. They are unstoppable. Commander Ospai, there are Although these longbow defenses and the three wooden forts on the north bank are short, they cannot be broken by 20,000 or 30,000 people!"

Ospie shook his head and chuckled, picked up the tequila water wine on the cotton blanket, and drank it in a big gulp. He ignored Kukuna's nonsense and regarded it as an excuse for the loser.

Kukuna was worried, but his words could not convince the legion commander. He looked around, and his eyes were suddenly attracted to five or six boats on the river. He watched the boats getting closer and closer until they were only about fifty meters away from the water gate on the west side. Several warriors on the ship, risking being shot by bows and arrows, were spying on the details of the fortress.

General Turkey looked carefully and was attracted by the tall warrior at the head. The warrior looked majestic and stood solemnly, with a Mexica longbow behind him. The young warrior standing in front of him also had a long bow. The six surrounding guards also had rare longbows in their hands.

Kukuna shouted eagerly.

"Commander of the Russian team! Look, that's the Mexican reconnaissance fleet!"

Ospai glanced at it and said casually.

"Mexican reconnaissance fleets come every day, only five or six at a time. Kukuna, as a warrior, you should learn to be calm and don't speak. Listen to me!"

The round-faced nobleman pondered, with a serious look on his face.

"Kukuna, I just had an idea. You have been stationed in the north for several months, and you and the Otomi people have not disturbed each other, and you have some tacit understanding. In this way, when you go on a mission to Otopan City, no matter whether it is food or copper The kingdom can promise them weapons. I just want the Otomi to send troops quickly and attack the Mexica together with the kingdom! By the way, after the wooden fortress on the north bank is recovered, they can be returned to them, and the two countries will be separated from each other. The Man River is the boundary!”

Kukuna's face froze. He didn't care about talking about the long bow and said in surprise.

"Commander of the Russian delegation, how dare I give up the land on the north bank of the Leman River during negotiations without His Majesty's permission!"

Ospie shook his head, his tone was calm, with a touch of sarcasm.

"Cucuna, you have proven with your own record that the wooden fort on the north bank cannot be defended. The Kingdom's control there is just a waste of troops. What's more, the top priority now is to defeat the Mexica forward. , To prevent the enemy from gathering more and more! As for the promise made at this time, of course we have to wait until the war is over before deciding whether to follow it. "

Kukuna thought about this proposal and felt that it was feasible. The captain seemed to be more determined to send troops. He was anxious and pointed at the Mexican boat in front of the water gate and shouted loudly.

"Captain, look, that's the Mexican longbow!"

Ospai was slightly stunned. He turned his head and looked closely at the Mexican boat. The round-faced nobleman's eyes passed over the young man looking at the bow, and stayed on the tall and calm vicissitudes warrior, and then looked at the huge longbow behind him.

"Is there really such a big bow?! I wonder how powerful it is!"

According to the height of the warrior and the length of the boat, Ospai gestured with his fingers. Then, he looked at the most conspicuous vicissitudes warrior, his eyes shining.

"This warrior has a steady figure, standing still on the shaking boat. He must be a warrior with great martial arts skills! He is wearing civilian clothes and has no family crest. He seems not to be a nobleman and can be persuaded to surrender. He is wearing leather armor and a long bow, well-equipped, and has a solemn aura. I guess he is a warrior battalion commander from a civilian background!"

The round-faced nobleman showed his excitement of war. He stood up suddenly with his majestic body, strode away, and left a majestic and casual order.

"Kukuna, guard the water gate, I will be back soon! I haven't fought for several months. I have to stretch my muscles today and capture this warrior. It's a good time to ask what the situation is on the north bank, and see what the power of this longbow is!"

Bertard stood solemnly in the middle of the boat. He carefully guarded Lake Quetzao and the Leman River, and was wary of the possible appearance of the Tarasco fleet in the distance. As long as the enemy's navy approached within two miles, he would return with His Highness without hesitation.

Xiuluot looked at the top of the fortress, and a round-faced warrior suddenly stood up, looked down for a moment, and then disappeared. The young commander didn't care, and continued to observe the water gate more than 50 meters away.

The shape of the water gate is quite large, about 7 or 8 meters wide and about 3 or 4 meters high. Below is a waterway that is also 7 or 8 meters wide, which can accommodate two 3-meter-wide canoes in parallel. The waterway extends all the way, and it is not clear where it leads to in the fortress, and it is unknown how the internal defense is. This water gate is really a wide marching passage.

While Xiuluot was thinking, he suddenly heard the "creaking" sound of wood friction. The young commander was stunned for a moment, and the water gate that had been closed all day suddenly opened! Hundreds of enemies rushed out on boats. Taras's warriors waved their weapons with murderous intent.

The first dozen small boats came like arrows and arrived in front of them in the blink of an eye. They were full of two sailors and six warriors, and the shining bronze spears were raised, ready to stab at any time. Then came two large boats running in parallel, each carrying ten sailors and thirty warriors. One of the boats was particularly gorgeous, with a high platform decorated with crocodile heads. A majestic round-faced warrior was sitting on the top, with his spear flag pointing directly at the boat where Your Highness was sitting.

Bertard was shocked. He reacted the fastest, pushing Your Highness to sit on the boat, and turned his head to shout anxiously to the guards rowing the boat.

"Go, go!"

Note: As promised before, this chapter was owed for a long time, probably more than a month, and I didn't dare to forget it. Today I finally paid it back. I will continue to add more chapters later, and I will also pay the accumulated rewards. (_)