Chapter 26 Chapter 21 Property Issues

Egonin was lying on his back on the bed, with his hands raised high, his palms facing the ceiling, and his fingers spread out.The light blue skirt fanned out over her legs, and she tried not to move her body so as not to crush the pleated skirt.This kind of clothing greatly restricted her movements, and it must have been invented by the Dark Emperor himself.She stared at her long nails, at least half of which would snap if she held a sailline now.It had been a year or two since she had held a rigging, but she was always ready to do so.As long as she needs it, she is fully capable of doing so.

"...What an idiot!" Bell raged, fiddling with the logs burning in the brick hearth. "Let luck see me through. The Seahawk was with the wind, and she was more powerful than any Seanchan ship." Come on. There was indeed a storm ahead at that time, but..." Egonin listened absently.All she knew was that Bell had stopped picking on the house, but was complaining about the old subject again. This dark-paneled room was not the best room in the Wandering Ladies Inn, not even the first-class room, but it basically met Bell's needs, except for the poorer view.Two windows were open, and only the stable yard of the inn could be seen.The rank of a green general is comparable to that of a flag general. In this place, most of the people who are lower than her are the adjutants or secretaries of senior officers of the ever-victorious army.Regardless of the army or the navy, titles of the blood of the king other than the high-ranking blood of the king will not improve your status much.

On the nails of her little fingers, sea-green lacquer glistened.In the past, she had been eager to improve her status, and even eventually become a golden general, commanding the entire fleet, just like her mother.When she was a girl, she had always dreamed of being named the Queen's Hand of the Sea like her mother, standing to the left of the Crystal Throne, becoming a servant of the Queen herself, and being able to talk directly to the Queen.May the queen live forever.Young women have foolish dreams.She has to admit that when she opted to join the Forerunners, she thought she would have a new name.Everyone knows that taking back the stolen land means more chances to become the blood of the king, but she didn't expect that she would have the promotion she has today.Now, she has become General Green, which should have been her expectation ten years later.Suddenly, she was standing on the slope of a steep mountain, which pierced through the clouds, and the empress sat on its summit.May the queen live forever.

However, Egonin was not too convinced that he would be given command of a large ship, let alone a fleet.Suros accepted her story on the surface, but if that was the case, why was she kept in Cantlin?Why, when the transfer order finally came, did she have to report here instead of boarding a certain ship.Of course, the number of ships available for command is limited, and even General Green cannot take away the command rights of other captains.Maybe Su Luosi has chosen another position for her that is closer to the Maharaja, but her order is to rush to Eboda as soon as possible and wait for further orders.Perhaps, the bloodline of the high-level king will directly talk to the bloodline of the low-level king without going through a spokesperson.But Su Luosi seemed to have forgotten her immediately after giving her the reward, which may also mean that Su Luosi had doubts about her.Disparate possibilities swirl in her mind.Either way, she'd rather live in the sea, as long as the truth-seeker gives up doubting her.Now that she can still wail in the dungeon, it shows that the truth-seeker is not at least convinced that she is guilty, but as long as he is in the city, he will keep an eye on her for any crime she has committed. a mistake.Now the truth-seeker can't move a finger of her, but the truth-seeker is very experienced in dealing with such small troubles, as long as his eyes are not blind, she can't escape his surveillance.The deck beneath her was safe for now, but she took every step carefully.She may not be a golden general, but it would be an honor to retire as a green general.

"How?" Bell asked, "What do you say?" Bell was a strong, heavy man, and she had always liked such a man.He was standing by the bed, wearing only a shirt on his upper body. This was not the attitude a servant should have towards his master.She sighed, letting her hands fall back to her stomach.Bell was not at all willing to learn the manners and manners that a servant should have. He only regarded this matter as a joke or a game. Sometimes, he even said that he wanted to be the spokesperson of Egnin.Egonin could only explain to him over and over again that he was not of the blood of a high-ranking king.On one occasion, she also beat him, and he refused to share her bed until she apologized.She even apologized to the Servant!

But hearing Bell's question, Egonin hastily sorted out everything Bell said just now, it was nothing more than those old-fashioned arguments without any new stuff.She sat up from the bed and began to refute his so-called correct way with her fingers.Now she has to do this so often that she can almost recite the words backwards. "If you ran away then, the slaves on the other ship would have snapped your mast like a twig. It wasn't by chance that we were stopped, Bell, you know that. The first thing they shouted to us In a word, was to ask if our ship was the Seahawk. I turned the ship against the wind, and announced that we were going to Canterlin, and carried a gift for the Queen, may the Queen live forever, so as to ease their Doubt. If we make the slightest mistake, even the slightest mistake, we shall be chained and sold as soon as the ship reaches Cantlin. Or we shall be chained to the hangman if we are less lucky. There." She held out her thumb. "Finally, if you keep calm as I say, you won't be auctioned off. You cost me a lot!" In Cantlin, there were several other women with the same taste as Egnin, who turned out to be Bell's price was raised extraordinarily high.

Bell, a stubborn man, grimaced, scratched at his short beard, and murmured, "I still think we can throw it overboard, the Truthseeker has no proof it was ever on my boat." "Truth seekers don't need evidence," Egnin imitated Bell's tone in a mocking tone, "Truth seekers will look for evidence, and this search process is full of pain." If Bell can tell the truth that he has already admitted in his heart , then she can almost be satisfied. "Anyway, Bell, you've admitted that there's no harm in letting Suros get those collars and bracelets. If no one can get close to him, no one can put a collar on him, and I haven't heard of anyone ever Maybe he's going to get close to him." Egonin originally wanted to say that it doesn't matter if someone gets close to that person, but she held back in the end.Bell was not very familiar with the various versions of prophecies from this side of the earthly sea, but he said with certainty that there was absolutely no record in their prophecies that the Dragon Reborn would kneel before the Crystal Throne.Perhaps it was necessary to put Dragon Reborn in male shackles, but Bell would never understand that. "The past is in the past, Bell. If the light favors us, we can continue to serve the Empire for a long time. You say you know this city, so what is interesting or worth seeing here?"

"There's always going to be some celebration here," Bell said slowly, with a tone of reluctance. He never liked the sudden end of the topic he was arguing, no matter how boring these arguments were. appetite, some of which I'm sure you won't like. You're really... fussy." What did he mean?Suddenly, he smiled: "We'll find a wise woman, and a wise woman here will listen to our marriage vows." He ran his fingers over the shaved top of his head and rolled his eyes upward, as if to see the top of his head. "Of course, I remember what you told me about the 'rights and privileges' of the patrons, that patrons can only marry other patrons, so you need to give me back my freedom first. Let luck catch me, and you There is no dowry for marriage, but I can go back to my old business, and in this way, you will soon have a piece of land as a dowry."

Egnin opened his mouth wide.This is not an old topic between them, in fact, they never talked about it.She has always been proud of her calm mind. She became a captain because of her superb commanding skills and brave spirit. Numerous naval battles, storms and shipwrecks have tempered her nerves to be extremely strong.But at this moment, she felt like a new recruit who went to sea for the first time, standing on the top of the mainmast, looking down, dizzy and at a loss, the whole world was spinning in front of her eyes, and the sea surface was in her sight She flipped back and forth, and she seemed to be about to fall into the blue ocean.

"It's not that simple." Egnin stood up abruptly, forcing Bell to take a step back. The truth of the curse of light, she hated being seen gasping for breath! "If I want to release you, I must prove that you have the ability to live a free life to ensure that you can live alone as a free person." Light!This indiscretion is worse than breathlessness.Egnin imagined herself standing on the deck, which made her feel better. "And what you're going to do, I think, is to buy a boat." At least her voice was steady, "As you said, I don't have land as a dowry, but I don't allow you to go back and do smuggling, you I know." What she said was the truth, although there were some things she didn't say, but she didn't lie.Her years at sea have brought her quite a fortune, and though her gold may be pitifully small compared to other Kingbloods, she can still buy a ship, as long as Belle wants something other than a gigantic ship.But she also didn't say she couldn't buy a boat for Bell.

Bell spread his arms.A servant of the saints should not do this.A moment later, she had already rested her cheek on Bell's broad shoulder, allowing him to hold her tightly. "It's going to be all right, sweetheart," he said softly, "it's going to be all right." "Don't call me 'little heart'." She said in a reproachful tone, her eyes staring at the flames in the fireplace behind Bell, lost in thought.Before leaving Tanchik, she had already decided to marry this man, and she always liked to make decisions in such a thunderous way.He might be a smuggler, but she wouldn't let him do it again.He was firm, strong, and intelligent, and more importantly, he was a sailor, which was necessary for her.It's just that she doesn't know the traditions of his life yet.In some parts of the empire, it was the man who had to make the request first, and even if a woman only hinted at it, it would be offensive to the man.She also doesn't know how to charm a man, her limited number of lovers are men of her class who can openly approach each other, and when those men are transferred to another ship, or get a promotion , they can also calmly say how much they cherish each other.And now, he's a patron, and it's okay to sleep with his patron, as long as you don't go around showing off.He could get a bunk next to his bed, like the other acolytes, even though he might never sleep on it.But to get rid of a patriarch, to lose him the rights and privileges of a paternity, no matter how lightly Baer despised them.No, she was running away again.Or worse, she was lying to herself.She wants to marry this man named Bel Domon with all her heart, but she is tormented by the fact that she is not sure if she wants to marry a freed slave. "Since my master orders it so, so be it!" he said solemnly, but his tone revealed a cheerful and mocking mood. She punched him in the ribs.The strike wasn't heavy, but enough to make him grunt in pain.He must learn to obey the rules!She didn't want to see Iboda anymore, she just wanted to stay here, in Bear's arms, without making decisions, just to be with him forever. There was a harsh knock on the door, and Egonin pushed Bell away, and Bell at least knew not to disobey her now.He began to smooth out the coat frantically, while she shook the hem of the skirt vigorously, and tried to smooth out the wrinkles that had been pressed on the bed.Although she was motionless on the bed, many wrinkles appeared in her skirt.It might have been an emissary from Suros, or an inn maid, but she didn't intend to let anyone think she had rolled in bed. In the end, Egonin gave up this useless pretense and waited for Bell to button up his buttons, adopting the attitude he thought a paternity should have—like a captain standing on the quarterdeck, ready to give orders.Then she sighed secretly, and then shouted: "Come in!" The woman who opened the door was the last thing she wanted to see. Bersamin gave Egnin a melancholy look before rushing into the room and closing the door gently.The sin slave master took a deep breath, then knelt down and straightened his upper body stiffly.Her dark blue dress with a lightning pattern on a red background looked like it had just been washed and ironed. It was in stark contrast to Egnin's dress, which made Egnin even more angry. "Your Excellency," Bersamin's voice was also full of hesitation, and she swallowed again, "Your Excellency, I beg you to have a talk with you." She glanced at Bell and licked her lips. "If possible, I would like to speak with you privately, sir?" The last time Egnin saw the sin master was in a cellar in Tanchik, when she removed the manacles from Bersamin's neck and let her go.Such a thing is enough to blackmail the blood of a high-ranking king!There is no doubt that what she committed was a "treasonous" crime of freeing the slaves without permission, but if Bersamin denounced her, he would certainly be in danger. "No matter what you say, don't hide it from him, Bosamin." Egonin said calmly.She's sailing reef-strewn waters, and she has no choice but to stay calm. "What do you want to talk about?" Bessamin moved her knees and licked her lips for more time, and then words rushed out of her mouth like a flood of flood gates: "A truth seeker came to me and ordered me to reunite with you... …new contact, and report your every move to him.” After saying this, she bit her lower lip again and stared at Egnin, her dark eyes full of despair and pleading, as if she was frankly speaking. It's the same as in that cellar in Chick. Egonin looked at her coldly.In the waters full of hidden reefs, another storm blew up.She understood why she had been summoned to Ebouda so abruptly, she didn't need to explain, she knew, it was that person.Nor did she need to ask Berthamin why he betrayed the truthseeker.If the truth-seekers decide to interrogate her directly, sooner or later she will tell everything she knows, including what happened in that cellar.At that point, Berthamin would soon be back in the shackles, so now her only hope was to help Egnin escape the Truthseeker. "Stand up," Egonin said, "sit down." Fortunately, there were two chairs in the room, although neither looked very comfortable. "Bell, I think there should be a bottle of brandy in that cupboard." Bersamin was trembling all over, so Egonin had to lift her up and help her sit on the chair.Belle brought a carved silver cup with a little brandy in it, and he finally remembered to hold the glass to Egnin first, and bowed.But when he returned to the cupboard, Egonin saw him pour himself a glass too.He stood there, glass in hand, looking at them as if this was the most normal thing in the world.Berthamin stared at him, eyes wide. "You think you've been impaled on a long pole," Egonin said, the slave master trembled, and his eyes suddenly turned back to Egonin, she was obviously frightened, "You're wrong, Bertha Min, the only crime I committed was to release you." What she said was not entirely correct, after all, she had handed over the pair of male criminal handcuffs to Su Luosi.It wasn't a crime to talk to an Aes Sedai.The truth-seeker might suspect that he had tried to eavesdrop on them outside the door in Tanchik.But she is not a sin slave owner, and she has no responsibility to hunt down Malasdamani, which can only get her reprimanded. "As long as he doesn't know, he has no reason to arrest me. If he wants to know what I said and what I did, tell him. But remember, if he decides to arrest me, I will give your name." This reminder would prevent Berthamin from thinking she was safe and leaving her only with the Truthseeker. "I'm not even going to wait until he makes me let out a scream." To Egnin's surprise, the sin master let out a hysterical laugh until Egnin leaned over and slapped her.Rubbing his cheeks sullenly, Berthamin said, "He knows almost everything, except he doesn't know about the cellar." She began to tell Egnin about the rebellion that the truthseeker wove through the shadows. net.Aegnin, Bale, and Suroth were all included in this web, and even Tuon was not immune, and of course an important part of this web were the Aes Sedai.Berthamin's voice grew flustered as she uttered one unimaginable crime after another the Truthfinder accused.It wasn't long before Egnin sipped her brandy, just sips, and she was calm.She is completely in control of her nerves, she... This is no longer the waters of the reef, she is rushing towards the coast in the downwind, and the one who controls the storm is the Burning Soul Demon Lord, who is going to goug out her eyes.Bersamine's words made her eyes grow wider and wider.Bell drank the dark spirit in the glass in one gulp. Seeing his shocked appearance, Egonin felt a little relieved, but this relief made her feel deeply guilty.She shouldn't have suspected that Bell was a murderer. Moreover, Maharaja Turak's skills in using weapons and hand-to-hand combat are extremely superb. In comparison, he is the worst at using swords, but his swordsmanship is also top-notch.He could slit Bell's belly like he would a herring.Egnin would have suspected Bell because he had had two Aes Sedai with him in Tankek, but such doubts must be absurd!The two Aes Sedai were not involved in any conspiracy, it was purely coincidental that they were there.Witness the light, they are just two girls with innocent faces.She had advised them to slit the Truthseeker's throat if they had the chance, but there was no way such a soft-hearted girl would do such a thing.This is indeed a pity.They were the ones who handed her the manacles.A shivering chill ran down her spine. She had thought of doing what the two Aes Sedai had suggested to do with the slave.If the Truthseeker knew about it, or if anyone else knew about it, she would surely be convicted of treason, whether or not she threw it into the sea.Are you innocent?she asked herself.The Dark Emperor is about to goug out her eyes. Tears rolled down Bethamine's cheeks as she clutched her glass to her chest as if hugging herself.Egnin wondered if the sin master was trying to stop herself from shaking, but she clearly failed.Trembling, she stared at Egonin, or somewhere behind Egonin, some terrible place.The fire didn't raise the temperature of the room much, but beads of sweat covered Bersamin's face.She continued to say in a stammering voice: "...If he knows about Li Na and Xita, he will know! He will come to arrest me, and other sin slave masters! You must stop him! If he catches Stop me, and I'll confess you! I will!" She raised her glass suddenly, drank it all in one gulp, and then began to cough and sob violently, but she still held out the glass to Bel Domon.She still wants to drink.Bell didn't move, it was like a pole was erected there. "Who are Li Na and Xita?" Egonin asked.She was as frightened as the sin master, but she kept her fear under control. "What can the truth-seekers know about them?" Bersamin looked away from Egnin.Egonin suddenly understood. "They're slave masters, aren't they? They're in shackles, just like you." "Now they are Suroth's entourage," whispered Bessamin, "but they were never allowed to accuse the Slaves. Suroth knows about them." Egonin rubbed his eyes wearily.Maybe there is really some conspiracy in it, otherwise Su Luosi should hide these two slave masters in order to protect the empire.The slave masters are the pillars of the empire, the foundation of the empire's power. If people know that the slave masters are women who can learn to channel, then the core of the empire may be completely shattered.Of course, she will only be a grain of sand in this great turmoil, even if she is smashed to pieces, she is insignificant.When she released Bersamin, she had no intention of violating her duty.So much had changed since Tanchik, she no longer believed that any woman who could channel should be put in shackles.Except, of course, those who committed crimes, and maybe those who refused to swear to the Crystal Throne, and... she didn't know.Her life had been filled with facts as sure as a rock, with a guiding star hanging above her head, shining brightly.She wants to go back to her old life, she wants some certainty. "I thought," Berthamin began again, that if she continued to lick her lips like this, her lips would be torn, "Your Excellency, if the Truthseeker... had an accident... maybe the danger would follow. He left." Guangming, this woman is actually plotting against the Crystal Throne, she is actually ready to do such a thing for herself! Egnin stood up.The sin slave master had no choice but to follow her. "I'll think about it, Berthamine. You can visit me whenever you have time, which is what the truthseekers are looking for. You can't do anything until I make up your mind. Understand? Except you You can’t do anything about your normal work and what I tell you to do.” Berthamin understood that she was greatly relieved to be able to let someone else handle this dangerous matter.She knelt down again and kissed Egnin's hand. After pushing the slave master out of the room, Egnin closed the door and threw the wine glass towards the fireplace forcefully.The cup hit the bricks, bounced sideways, and rolled all the way across the carpet, leaving a noticeable dent in it.This wine set was given to her by her father when she received her first commanding officer position.Her strength seemed to be exhausted in this movement.The possibility that the truth-seekers would weave a noose around her neck from all those idle guesses and chance coincidences, and that at best she would be a slave to be sold in the market She trembled.No matter what she did, the Truthseeker had her. "I can kill him." Bell clenched his fists, and those two fists were oversized like the rest of his body, "I remember he was just a skinny monkey, he must be used to being bowed to him , I didn’t expect someone to strangle him by the neck.” "You can't find him, Bell, he doesn't meet Berthamin twice in the same place. Even if you keep following Berthamin, he's probably in disguise. You can't kill every Berthamin Min talking man." Egonin straightened up, strode to the desk, and opened his pencil case.This wavy-carved stationery case, the silver-topped glass inkwell and the silver sand jar inside were gifts from her mother when she got her first commanding post.In addition, there was a stack of clean white papers, on which were printed the badges she had just received-a sword and an anchor. "I'll write your release order now," she said, dipping the silver pen into the ink, "and I'll give you enough money." The tip of the pen ran across the paper.She could write well, and the logbook must be neat and clear. "Maybe not enough to buy a boat, but enough to get you out of here. You take the first boat out of here and shave all your hair so you don't get in trouble. Bald men without wigs or It's easy to get noticed, but probably no one..." Bell took the paper from her pen, startling Egnin. "If you release me, you can't order me," Bell said, "and, first of all, you've got to make sure I'm capable of living alone." He threw the paper into the fireplace and watched it curl and blacken. "You are right, we are looking for a boat, and I will carry you on it." "Listen to me!" Egnin put on her most dignified demeanor, but it didn't seem to have the slightest effect on Bell.It must be because of her wrinkled skirt! "You need a crew," Bell's voice overshadowed hers, "I can find a crew for you." "What use am I to have a crew? I don't have a ship, and even if I did, where would I escape before the Truthseeker can't find me?" Bell shrugged, as if it didn't matter. "First of all, the crew. I know that young man in the galley, the one who hugged the chick and kissed it. Don't make a face, a kiss is no big deal." Egonin stood up straight, she wanted to let Bell know what the rules were.She just frowned and didn't show any expression.Those two guys courted in public like two cattle.Moreover, he is her slave!He couldn't talk to her like that! "His name is Matt Cawthorne," Bell ignored Egnin who was about to speak, "look at his clothes, he should be doing well now. When I first saw him, he was still wearing A farmer's coat, fleeing from a place where even the Trollocs are afraid, to avoid the Trollocs. The last time I saw him, half the town of Whitebridge boiled because of him. Kill him and his friends, I would never have believed it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes. Anyone who can survive the Trollocs and the Wardawal will be of use to us, especially now." "One day," Egnin muttered, "I'm going to see those Trollocs and Myrdao you mentioned." Even if those monsters were real, they couldn't be as terrible as Bell said. Bell shook his head with a smile, he knew how Egonin thought about those shadow creatures. "And young Lord Cawthorne had a companion in my ship, and he would be of great help to us. You know him, Tom Merrylin." Egnin held his breath.Tom was a wise old man, and a very dangerous old man, and he had been with the two Aes Sedai when Egonin met Bell. "Bell, is there a conspiracy in this? Tell me, please." No one would plead with his own slave like that, not even if he was an acolyte.But when she wants to know something badly, that's different. Bell shook his head again. He put his hands on the stone mantelpiece, stared at the fire, and frowned. "Aes Sedai will plan how to make the fish swim, and they will use their strategies to deal with Suroth. But the question is, will Suroth accept it? I have seen the eyes of Suroth when she looked at the sinner, It was like looking at a flea-ridden, mangy dog ​​with the plague. Could she really talk to an Aes Sedai?" He looked up, eyes clear and honest, nothing to hide from Eignin. "I won't lie, I swear on my grandmother's grave, I don't know any plots. But even if I knew ten plots, I wouldn't let that truthfinder or anyone else hurt you, no matter what it cost me What a price." Any loyal sage would say those words, but Egnin had never heard them uttered so bluntly by any samurai.Egnin deeply believed in him, but she knew that Bell's loyalty to her was not the loyalty of a servant to his master, absolutely not. "Thank you, Bell." A stable voice is the most basic requirement of a commander, but now Egonin is proud of being able to make such a stable voice. "Find that Lord Cawthorne, and Tom Merrylin. Maybe we can do something." Bell forgot to bow to her as he left, but it never occurred to her to scold him for it.She will not let the truth seeker catch her, as long as she can stop the truth seeker, she will not hesitate to use any means.She already had such determination before releasing Bersamin.She picked up the dented glass and filled it with brandy.She couldn't think if she drank so much, but she just stared at the dark liquid in her glass and didn't drink a drop.Do not hesitate to resort to any means.Light, she is no more faithful than Berthamine!But that doesn't change anything.Do whatever it takes.