Chapter 17 Chapter Sixteen

"Make peace!" Brother Wei Shengde said. In the open square of the post station, some armed soldiers watched the mass very intently, not talking, laughing or complaining like in the past - only the neighing of a horse and the gurgling water at the foot of the mountain were heard. Despite the monk's invitation, they remained unmoved. In the center of the square, several corpses covered in shrouds were placed on a temporary high platform, and everyone focused their eyes on it, as if it was difficult not to look at them. Jia Boye didn't wear armor like everyone else because it was inconvenient to have a cloth towel wrapped around his stiff arms, but the cotton chestpiece inlaid with iron sheets that he usually wears is now stained with his own blood.

From dawn on, even their most loyal Indian comrades-in-arms, whenever they passed the Spaniards, all looked down at the ground.As for the senior officials who accompanied Xia Leguqima, they seemed to have disappeared from the mountains.Not even the general himself took a step over his shoulders. Mr. Francisco Pizarro passed by the rows, walked to the center, and stood directly in front of the corpses, with Brother Wei Shengde beside him.He is fully armed, with only his evil little head like a blackbird showing.Before he delivered his speech, he looked at them, one by one, and everyone looked up at the officer.An excitement that some people have long been familiar with flowed through the ranks again, just like on the eve of the Cajamar War, when there was no distinction between infantry or cavalry, rich or poor...

"You are in pain," he said firmly, "You are angry..." He did not turn to look at the shrouded corpses, but pointed to them and said: "They are all our friends and brave fighters, and I don't want you to forget their names. Juan Alonso de Rodas, Casba de Machina, Versigo Martin Swatina, Miguel Luz, Henando de Toro..." Like singing the names of saints one by one, he recited everyone's name sonorously. "They came from the Basque Country, Seville, and our beloved Estemadura..., they were fair or sallow, some knew how to write, some only knew how to fight, some rode horses, some On foot...they are all victims of treason, heroic to benevolent..."

Jia Boye glanced at Enando de Suto's face.He was indifferent. "I know," continued the Governor, "that some of you must be asking yourself why. Let me tell you." With a big wave of his hand, the weapons on his body clattered, and the governor pointed to the Velcaconga cliff.His hand pointed straight at the top of the mountain and the distance, as if shooting the sky. "I remember," he said, almost laughing, "the people who questioned whether we would ever find the kingdom of gold. I know, boys, I know... Well, now we stand at the threshold of the capital of the kingdom of gold. You Did you hear that?"

His eyeballs shone like gold nuggets, and everyone's eyes also shone.Just as the Governor lowered his voice, he also lowered his eyes to the few dead bodies. "But do you think that for the sake of gold—for all the gold in the capital of the Golden Country!—I can forget for a moment who killed these men, these brave men from the land of Spain?" "Never! Never!" Cheers sounded from all directions, and Jia Boye guessed that their desire for revenge might be stronger than the roar of the river. "Remember this memory, dear children," insisted the governor passionately. "Keep it in your heart forever, and you know that one day, your blades will make this memory shine!"

When climbing up the slope of the Vilkakonga Hill, Jia Boye had a strange feeling that those ghosts seemed to be still lingering in the bushes, behind the rocks and on the riverbed... He looked in all directions and believed that he could see thousands of ghosts every minute. Several soldiers rushed out, and heard the sound of troops gathering and the frantic braying of horses.Although he slowed down and the atmosphere in the team was peaceful, he broke into a cold sweat. He insisted on walking at the forefront of the team, but it was difficult for him to step on the loose stones, and the tingling pain on his arm was even more unbearable.

"My lord, are you tired?" "In order to save your black ass, my lord almost exploded my body and head..." With a deft movement and a loud laugh, Sai Batian came to his friend's side. "My master is hurrying to catch up with you, but it is said that Su Tuo is rushing to Cusco so quickly because he..." "what is this?" Jia Boye pointed to the dangling long sword hanging on the side of Sai Batian, whose colorful robe was still very eye-catching. "Have you never seen a sword, sir?" "Where did you get it?" "It was officially presented to me by Mr. Dick de Almagro, in addition to thanking me for my long-term service, and asking me to pledge my obedience to God, the king and Dick de Almagro. Mr. himself." Sai Batian narrated like a schoolboy.

Jia Boye curled his lips and whistled. "What about the sequence?" "Whoever asks first, I will serve first." "Then may we know how you intend to serve?" "Ah! This..." Sai Batian made a helpless and indifferent expression.Although the sky was clear blue and almost cloudless, it was getting dark.They walked through the thick woods, and they guessed that the top of the small hill should be at the end of the woods. "I thought you would teach me a lesson." Sai Batian said a little shyly. Jia Boye looked at him with a confused expression.

"You just want to be killed, don't you?" "Me? You are talking nonsense, elementary school student, otherwise I will obey the command of my sword..." "What did your sword say?" "My lady is my law." "What a beautiful oath." "You see, it didn't bring good luck to its former sword master..." "Who is that person?" "Miguel Lutz." The two men fell silent for a moment.MiG was one of Jaberye's comrades when he was attacked in Vilkaconga.If anyone is like garbage, he is, perhaps, a piece of garbage sleeping on the ground.He was born to a gentleman in Seville and a slave girl...

After walking out of the dense forest, the sun made them dizzy, and Jia Boye saw the top of the hill. Seven black shadows are clearly reflected on it. All morning, Annamaya stood around Shalakuzima's shoulders.She asked Yin Qi to sit in her sedan chair, and she walked beside the Inca general. Although the atmosphere was full of fear and death, she still ignored the menacing Spanish soldiers who once again shackled the general. She bent over the thin alpaca curtain with a red background and a black and white check pattern. "Charles Guzima?" "I heard it." She smiled.The stern-tongued Inca warrior softened his voice especially for her.

"I heard those foreigners talking this morning. From their tone, I can hear that they have a deep hatred for you... They blame everything that happened on you." "Don't worry about me." "If you want to escape, now is the time," There was a sentimental laugh from behind the curtain. "If I wanted to escape, I would have done so." Due to the narrow road, Anna Maya managed to get rid of the Spanish soldiers, who were forced to walk at the front and rear of the litter. "They have no evidence at all, and I am the only one who can persuade Ji Zhizi and Gu Yapa to put down their weapons." Ana Maya felt her heart pounding wildly. "You know they don't need any evidence. And since I appointed Manco, don't you—" "He was not appointed by you, foreign girl, but by our father, the great Vanya Kapac... Today, you make peace with the foreigner, what about tomorrow?" The last few words in the general's mouth turned into muttering to himself.The road widened again, and the Spanish soldiers had already surrounded them with arrogance. "Tomorrow, the Incas and all the Indians will have a decisive battle with these foreigners, and you are the one who caused the trouble." A Spanish soldier gave Anna Maya a push. "What conspiracy and rebellion are you planning?" She stared at him contemptuously, not wanting to answer at all.In Anna Maya's heart, the more she resisted Xia Leguzima, the more disturbed he caused by his words.She seemed to see war, red flames and pools of blood. Uneasy, she seemed to see the faces of Jia Boye and Manco respectively, so close that they almost bumped into each other, head to head, mouth to mouth, one of them's blond curly hair intertwined with the other's long black hair. "Is it him?" Jia Boye asked himself when he first saw this Inca boy in a light yellow cotton jacket.He stood a step ahead of the others, with a proud and shy expression on his face. With the accumulation of time, Jia Boye learned to distinguish these faces that seemed to him the same in the first place, a bit like the thousands of identical statues of precious llamas that were melted down in Cajamar. He recalled Atahualpa's bloodshot eyes, Guyappa's piercing gaze, and Shalakuzi's immobile expression.However, he saw something different from theirs on the young man's face. His face was written with nobility, pain, and authority—a young life lived a thousand times, having died at an early age. The small group of Incas looked at a Spaniard who had reached the top of the mountain without flinching—and with firmness.Jia Boye stepped forward without waiting for the governor and the interpreters. "I am Manco Inca Capac," said the young nobleman firmly, "I am the son of the Inca King Vanya Capac, elected by all the princes to be the Inca King of the Quadrilateral Empire." "I know." Jia Boye replied in the Quechua dialect. Manco was not surprised.He looked at Jia Boye carefully. "Your governor, is he not here?" he asked at last. "He'll be here soon." Jia Boye stared at the scenery on the top of the mountain.Beyond the steep walls of the Ablimak Valley, the mountain landscape opens up into a vast plateau with several domed hills.In the distance, just on the cliff, the settlement village of Hakihaguina can be seen, and after that, another mountain pass. The last mountain pass.After passing the mountain pass, it is the city of gold... He walked back to the Incas.The Inca stared straight at the Spaniards and horses that were gradually filling the hill.Behind Manco stood five princes of similar age, all wearing gold earrings.A little farther back there was a shorter Indian, older and darker than the others, with a strange square hat on his shoulder-length hair.Unlike the others, he was not looking at the Spaniard, but at the mountains around him. Don Francisco and his two younger brothers arrived at the same time, followed by Almagro, Suto, Beddo, and several important Spanish leaders. The Doge shook Manco's hand and extended him warm friendship.A shy smile appeared on the young Inca king's face, and he accepted their welcome with restraint. "Me and all Cuzcos, we have to put up with those traitors from the north. They try to rule us, accuse us and take revenge against us against the will of my father, Vanya Capac." "I know very well," said the Governor, with kindness, "that's why I've come to support you, across mountains and rivers..." "The same people who attacked your army are not my men. We, we want peace." The Governor beamed. "We are brothers, then! For I have not come to declare war on you or take your treasure." "My so-called peace," Manco said, looking ahead, "is to govern our country and live in peace with foreign people who come to visit us." "Our interpretation of peace is the same. Please rest assured, I will definitely help you, you and your people, return to the capital safely, and will not be killed by the traitors in the north." The two men smiled at each other. "I have to remind you," continued Manco, "that the troops of General Ji Zhizi and Captain Guyappa, with their fighters, are ambushing in the outskirts of Cuzco, and they intend to start a war there so that you can find them. Not a sliver of treasure, not a morsel of food to feed your soldiers." "We will not allow them to succeed. We will certainly put an end to all the treachery of the one who accepts our hospitality and considers us a friend. He is always sending classified signals and orders to strike us down—I will Talk to the dog Charguccima." The word "dog" came out of the Viceroy's mouth roughly like a flying arrow.He stopped talking, looked at Manco, and waited for his response. Manco was silent. "Don't you think the dog's time has come?" Manco still didn't answer.He took his eyes off the governor and stopped at the intersection.Anna Maya's sedan chair, carried by eight bearers, came forward slowly and then stopped.Anna Maya got off the sedan chair. "Kamacankyad is coming with us," Manco declared authoritarianly, "and she will not leave until she reaches Cusco." The Governor turned his head to look at Jia Boye, and then nodded vigorously. "Don't worry, my friend, if you really wish it to be so, so be it!" Jia Boye held his breath and concentrated.He tried to find Anna Maya's gaze as she walked past him.But she seemed to be deliberately pretending not to know him, so he had to look at Manco.From those black pupils he was surprised to see a look of defiance, but no doubt a sign of respect.