Chapter 23 Chapter 21

In the palace wing where Schena worked, the faces of his employees were stern, each strictly following his instructions to remodel the office, and neither laughter nor conversation dared to break the dreary atmosphere. The news came just before noon: two regiments of excellent troops were immediately dispatched for emergency assistance.Obviously to start a war with the Hittites!Shane was petrified that the violence was affecting the business policies he had just begun to promote, and he was about to reap the first fruits. Such foolish conflict would breed new insecurities, not conducive to reconciliation; like most of his ancestors, Seti was caught in a dilemma.It is always this kind of outdated moral concept, this kind of awareness to protect the land of Egypt and preserve the great civilization, and waste some manpower and material resources that are very useful elsewhere!Siena had not in the past canceled the advice of the king's military advisers, so that their actions would prove wasteful; these militants thought only of war, and thought that the whole country would praise their achievements.If the war fails, Xie Na intends to drive these idiots out of the palace.

Who will take over the affairs of state when the pharaoh, prime minister and general are away?Queen Duya, of course.Even though she and Shayna's conversations weren't speculative, and they sometimes even quarreled violently, they were deeply in love with each other.It's time to explain clearly—Duya not only knows it well, but even encourages Seti to keep the peace.So he insisted on seeing her as soon as possible, even though she had a full schedule. Du Ya received Xie Na in her reception room in the afternoon. "I bet you're not asking for a private meeting." "You guessed it, it's the same as before. Where did you get this sixth sense?"

"A son should not flatter his mother." "You don't like war, do you?" "Who likes it?" "Was my father's decision too hasty?" "Do you think he's in a hurry?" "Of course not, but now...the Hittites..." "Do you like nice clothes?" Shane looked embarrassed. "Of course, but..." "follow me." Duya took her eldest son to another attached living room. On a coffee table, there was a long wig with curly braids, a wide-sleeved shirt, a long skirt with ruffles and fringes, and There is a crossed scarf that falls to the hips and is intended to be tied around the waist.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" "A stunning piece of work." "This suit is for you. Your father chose you to be his right-hand standard bearer for this expedition to Syria." Shane turned pale. The standard bearer, on the right side of the king, holds a long pole with a ram's head symbolizing Amon, the god of victory. The eldest son of Pharaoh will follow his father to the battle and go to the forefront of the battlefield. Ramseston is not satisfied. Why did Yameni delay in returning the decree announcing the list of key officials of the royal family who will accompany Seri?The prince couldn't hold back anymore, he was eager to know which formation he was assigned to.He didn't care about the pompous title that was put on his head, the important thing was fighting.

"You're back at last! Hello, where's the list?" Amene bowed her head. "Why are you unhappy?" "look by youself." In the royal decree, Sheena was assigned as the pharaoh's right standard bearer. As for Ramses' name, he was not even mentioned. All the barracks in Memphis are in preparation for battle.From tomorrow, under the personal command of the pharaoh, the infantry regiment and the wagon train will set off for Syria. Ramses was in the hall of the barracks headquarters all day.At dusk, when he saw his father stepping out of the strategic consulting conference hall, he boldly stepped up.

"Can I ask you one thing?" "Say it." "I wish to go with you." "My decree has been decided." "It doesn't matter to me whether I am an officer or not. I just want to destroy the enemy." "That's more evidence that my decision was correct." "I... I don't understand." "An unreal hope is worthless at all. If you want to annihilate the enemy, you must have the ability. This is not something you can do, Ramses." Shane is not dissatisfied with his new assignment, because it is the icing on the cake.In fact, it is impossible to get close to the throne without being a warrior.From the early days of Thebes onwards, all kings were supposed to demonstrate their ability to keep their lands intact and drive their enemies out.Scheiner had to succumb to this deplorable tradition, but mostly to flatter the people.The tradition bordered on fun for him the moment he met Ramesses' annoyed eye as the advance unit to which the standard-bearer was attached passed.

The army's expedition, like all special events, was accompanied by a banquet; the people had a day off, and they would not miss the opportunity to die drunk in beer, and who doubted Seti's victory? Despite his personal victories, Shane was not without worries, and on the battlefield, the best fighters can be dangerously knocked down.Imagining himself wounded, sick, or crippled, he is frightened. At the front, he will be especially prudent, entrusting dangerous work to those experts. Again, good luck favored him: in this battle, he will have the opportunity to exchange views with his father and arrange his own future.The prospect is worth striving for, though being away from the comforts of the royal family is an ordeal.

And it was exciting to see Ramses' dismay. Buchan didn't like the country troops.When war threatened, they began training future soldiers and volunteers who dreamed of doing great things in faraway lands, but the country rough couldn't do without the suburbs of Memphis and would soon return to work in the fields .As keeper of the royal stables, he possessed extraordinary strength, a square face and a short mustache, and he was also responsible for the training of young recruits. In a low, hoarse voice, he ordered them to take up a sack full of stones, fasten it over their right shoulder, and run along the ramparts of the barracks until he ordered them to rest.

The elimination was extremely cruel and extremely fast.Most of the people were exhausted and out of breath, so they had to put down the things they were carrying.When there were fifty or so candidates remaining, Buchan waited patiently for them to rush forward and terminate the test. Startled, he was sure he recognized one of the Apprentice recruits: a good head taller than most of the crew, with a surprisingly composed face. "Prince Ramses! Your position is not here." "I want to take this kind of training and get a certificate of competence." "But...you don't need it! You just..."

"That's not mine, and it's not yours, we don't fight on papyrus!" Bakken awkwardly played with the two leather bracelets that accentuated his powerful biceps. "This is tricky..." "Would you be afraid, Bakken?" "I, afraid? Enroll!" For three consecutive days, Bakken trained the men until they were exhausted.In the end, he selected the twenty most valiant, and Ramses was among them. On the fourth day, weapons drills began: stubby sticks, daggers and shields.After Bakken only explained a few details that needed attention, he let these young people compete with each other.

When one of them was wounded in the arm, Ramesses dropped his dagger to the ground.His companions did the same. "What's the matter with you?" Buchan scolded angrily, "Continue to practice. Otherwise, get out of the camp!" The recruits obeyed the coach's request, and those who were weak and dull were eliminated one after another.In the advance unit there were only twelve volunteers who were considered capable of becoming professional soldiers. Ramses persevered, ten days of intensive training did not dampen his enthusiasm. "I need an officer," Buchan announced on the morning of the eleventh day. With the exception of one, all the candidates were evenly matched when it came to direct shooting with acacia wooden bows and arrows from fifty meters away. Proud of such excellent results, Bakken showed them a large bow and arrow, the front of the bow was inlaid with a layer of horniness, and then he hung a copper target 150 meters away from the shooter. "Shoot through that target with this bow and arrow." Most people were unable to draw their bows and arrows. Although two people managed to shoot, none of their arrows could shoot beyond a hundred meters. Under Bakken's disdainful gaze, Ramses was the last to enter the stage.Like his companions, he has three shots. "The prince can't lose face, those who are stronger than you have not passed the test." Ramses was so engrossed in only paying attention to that side of the target, as if nothing else existed. Pulling the bow requires a strange strength, and Ramses' muscles seemed to be torn, so he reluctantly pulled the bowstring made of bovine cartilage. The first arrow hit the left side of the target, and Buchan sneered. Ramses took a deep breath, held his breath, and immediately shot the second arrow, which flew over the copper target. "Last chance," Bakken announced. The prince closed his eyes and meditated for a minute, and the target appeared in his heart.He told himself that the target was in front of him, and he wanted to turn himself into an arrow, and this arrow strongly wanted to be combined with that target. The arrows shot out for the third time were like a runaway horse. The bow and arrow split the air and pierced the copper target like a ferocious hornet. The other recruits cheered the victors, and Ramesses returned the bow and arrows to Bakken. "I'll add another test," Bakken instructed, "to fight with me bare-handed." "Is this within the rules?" "It's my rule, it's for me, are you afraid to fight me?" Ramses is taller than Bakken, but he is not as strong as him, and his skills are not as good as him, so he must react quickly and agilely.Bakken struck unexpectedly, and the prince dodged, Bakken's fist lightly brushing his left shoulder.Five times in a row, the coach's attacks were all in vain. He was so angry that he successfully intercepted the left foot kicked by the opponent, causing him to fall to the ground due to his unstable center of gravity.Bakken tried to kick Ramses in the face, but the latter dodged, then reached out and slashed Bakken hard on the neck. Ramses thought he had won.Driven by pride, Bakken stood up, then lowered his head forward, and slammed into the prince's chest. Esther rubbed a special ointment on her lover's chest, and the pain eased a lot. "I'm stupid," murmured Ramses. "That monster wants to kill you." "He carried out his work, I thought I defeated him, if I were on the front line of the battlefield, I would have died long ago." Esther's hand grew softer and bolder. "I'm glad you're staying! War is hateful." "Sometimes that's unavoidable." "You don't know how much I love you." Esther's hands wrapped around her lover's body like tender lotus stems. "Forget about war and violence, am I not cuter than them?" Instead of pushing her away, Ramses was overwhelmed by the pleasure she brought him.He had, however, an even stronger joy—the joy of getting his officer's certificate—but he didn't tell her about it.