"Divide my kingdom's Imperial Guard and enfeoff them in the valley of God Stone City, then pass it on to the two children?..."
In the Divine King's great tent, a map of the Cloud Land lay spread across the redwood table. Though the Mixtec tribes were still resisting, their territories in the clouds had already been divided up in the mouths of the Mexica leaders.
Hearing Avet's question, Xolotl's expression did not change, but his thoughts flashed like lightning.
"The Imperial Guard I've kept at my side are almost entirely not Mexica People, but mainly Purepecha Warriors, Tecos tribal fighters, and warriors from the Wasteland barbarian tribes... With their tribal origins, it would be very hard for them to be accepted by the Alliance's nobles. And with the influence of my many years of personally leading them, they absolutely cannot be collectively bought off!... At most, only a small number among them might have had sand mixed in..."
"Therefore, the political exchange Avet has proposed, trading control over the lands of God Stone Valley for the kingdom's Imperial Guard at my side to go out and receive enfeoffment in the localities... This is using long-term family interests to exchange for weakening the military strength at my side... He wants me to go a step further and become a symbol of religious faith, become a purely theocratic leader!..."
"And on the other hand, the very proposal of this exchange is also a kind of political probe... Does Avet truly intend to hand God Stone City, at the army's rear, completely into the hands of my direct line?... Or does he merely want to throw a stone and ask the way, to see my bottom line, see how I respond, and judge whether my thoughts... have been changed by the prestige of