The King's Gift

In the deep spring of April, orioles cried for a thousand li, tender green grass and trees grew across the boundless plains, and vivid flowers bloomed over the lake region's flatlands. When travelers returned from far journeys and saw the spring scenery spread like a painting in every direction, they would forget they were living in an age of chaos.

After the first rain fell, pink Red Cicada Flowers showed their first smiles in the gentle land of waters, welcoming the king's victorious return. Black smoke from burned-off fields rose from the villages of military colonies and civilian colonies, while songs of busy farming rang bright and clear over newly opened fields. The season of spring plowing had arrived, and the entire Lake Kingdom was bursting with life amid hard, hectic labor.

Xolotl led the Imperial Guard Legion north from the mouth of the Talsas River, stopping first for a day at Kuramo City. He instructed the old general Etalic to concentrate manpower and resources and give priority to developing the iron mine at Black Rock Mountain by the river mouth. After that, he made a slight detour and stayed for a day in the Tingambato mining district, where he summoned the Director of Mining and Industry, Nekali, and ordered him to send skilled miners and craftsmen to assist with the mining and smelting of the river-mouth iron ore.

The kingdom's south had finally grown calm. Whether they were Purepecha farmers assigned to civilian colonies or Tecos tribesmen assigned to Banner Units, all were rushing about for the busy spring plowing. This was the foremost great matter of the year, deciding whether they would have warmth and full bellies in the year to come.

Ezpan sent envoys back to report that thousands upon thousands of southwestern tribes had poured out