Curling fragrance rose from the black pottery incense burner, carrying a peculiar scent that seemed to tug at the mind. When one portion of Agarwood burned out, Nashu added another portion of Divine Smoke. Beside the incense burner, the young king set down one scroll of diagrams and unrolled another.
"Supreme His Highness, Monkey Kuluka reports to you from River Mouth County. This year's autumn harvest is neither good nor bad, an average year! Based on the grain collected from the various militia-farms, the priests estimate that the county's population is about 250,000 mouths, with four able-bodied adults in every ten people. The fields under cultivation are at least two million mu. The exact number may be too high, or it may be too low. But the militia-farms are all in our hands, and the grain tribute collected will not be lacking. Oh, and after the autumn harvest, stored grain is very sufficient. We can send a batch of support to Qingqiu County in the north."
Seeing this plain yet accurate report, Xolotl smiled, feeling rather gratified. Then he settled his mind and read carefully.
"After the autumn harvest, the fifteen Dog-kin Great Banner Units—oh, right, plus the one newly taken in from the north at the start of the year, now sixteen in total—are all clamoring to go raid the Lake Chapala region again. They are a complete mess at farming. When they see the spoils brought back by the Guachichil Legion, their eyes turn red, and their heads are filled with nothing but battle and killing..."
"This year in the north, there seem to be signs of a white disaster. The wasteland tribes are still moving south, and the Guamar Dog-kin have also organized themselves. They have tasted sweetness, and agreed with us to send troops together and