Cortés captured the Aztec ruler Cuauhtemoc and ended the siege of Tenochtitlan. According to Spanish accounts, Cuauhtemoc surrendered peacefully and Cortés allowed him to continue ruling. However, indigenous accounts describe the Spanish looting the city, taking women and strong men as slaves, and torturing captives to find gold. In the following months, Cortés continued conquering nearby provinces and interrogating Cuauhtemoc about the location of hidden gold.