Chapter 48 Chapter Forty-Six

Menelaus was graciously invited to many dinners and ceremonies, and Helen promised to accompany him, and obediently obeyed.As for those Greeks, they have long been mingled with the local residents, they abide by the local laws, and no longer let people criticize them. Such success increased the prestige of Siena, and the courtiers greatly appreciated his diplomatic talents; secretly, people criticized the attitude of the regent, whose hostility towards King Rasedmond was very obvious.Doesn't Ramses' lack of flexibility and messing up all the etiquette prove that he is not fit to govern?

Within a few weeks, Sienna had regained lost ground, and his brother's time in Abydos gave him a free space.Of course, he doesn't have the title of Regent, but doesn't he have a regent-like status? Although Yuan people dared to oppose Seti's decision, some ministers still secretly wondered whether the pharaoh had made a mistake.Although Ramses is more imposing than Xena, is this appearance alone enough to be the king of a country? Although the voice of opposition has not yet formed, a vague dissent is gradually expanding, and when the time comes, it will add another force of support to Xie Na.The king's eldest son took his lesson to heart: Ramesses was a formidable opponent, and in order to defeat him, he had to attack from many directions simultaneously, leaving him no chance to breathe.Sheena is fully committed to this shady job, motivated and persistent.

A major step in his plan has just been completed: two Greek military officers have been admitted to the palace's security guard system, other active employees will become their friends, and they will gradually form a party that will come in handy at a critical moment, perhaps One of them will also be hired as the regent's personal bodyguard!With the support of Menelaus, Xie Na seemed to be reassured. Since the arrival of King Razadmun, the future has brightened.All that remained now was to bribe one of the pharaoh's physicians in order to obtain accurate information on the pharaoh's health; it was clear that Seti's health was not improving, but it would be misleading to judge by appearances alone.

Shane didn't want his father to die suddenly, because his blueprint for the battle wasn't complete.Contrary to what the impetuous Ramses thought, time was not on his side; if fate allowed him to trap Ramses in the traps he had laid for months, the regent would die here. "Beautiful!" said Amenes, rereading the first poem Homer had written for him, sitting under the lemon tree. The white-haired poet detected a vague reserved tone from Amene's mouth. "What do you think is wrong?" "The gods you speak of seem too human." "Isn't it like that in Egypt?"

"In the stories of the storyteller, this is sometimes the case, but that is just some illusion for entertainment, and the teaching of the temple should be another matter." "You, a young clerk, what do you know?" "Very little, in fact. But I know that the gods are creative forces, and their powers should be wielded carefully by experts." "I'm narrating an epic! Those gods are not the main characters. Which hero can surpass Achilles? Once you know their exploits, you won't want to read other people's stuff!" Amene obeyed.Homer's fanaticism matches the reputation of Greek poets.The old Egyptian writer prefers to speak of pages of wisdom rather than deeds of battle, however great and heroic they may be, and it is not his business to lecture an elderly guest.

"The Prince Regent hasn't visited me for a long time," Homer complained. "He went to Abydos." "The Temple of Osiris? I heard that some great mysteries are taught there." "That's true." "When does he come back?" "I have no idea." Homer shrugged and drank a glass of intoxicating alcohol scented with star anise and coriander. "It's like eternal exile." Amene jumped up. "What do you mean by that?" "May the pharaoh dissatisfied with the inappropriate attitude of his son who will rule, make him a priest, and spend his life imprisoned in the temple of Abydos. Isn't it a pious people like you to get rid of a troublesome man the best decision?"

Amene was dismayed. If Homer is right, he will never see Ramses again.He really wanted to ask his friends' opinions, but Moses was far away in Karnak, Yaxia was in Asia, and Sai Dawu was in the desert.Alone and distraught, he tries to find peace of mind at work.His colleagues had already filled the folders on his desk with negative reports: searched hard, but there was nothing about the owner of the factory making illegal ink sticks, nor about the letter that lured the king and the crown prince to the palace. Aswan's letter writer's message. Amene was furious. Why did such an effort yield disappointing results?Criminals left clues, but no one saw through them!Yamenyis sat cross-legged and retrieved all the files from his first search in the dump.

He reread the account, especially the last part with Shane's name on it, and made a hypothesis about the murderous man.This hypothesis was found to be credible after Yamenes had checked the handwriting of the letter. Now, everything has come to light, but Ramses will be imprisoned forever, unable to learn the truth of the matter, and the criminal will not be brought to justice. Such injustice aroused the indignation of the young clerk, whose friends might have assisted him in dragging the vile bastard before the court. Esther insisted that Nefertari ask the queen to meet her immediately, but Duya was exchanging opinions on preparing a religious ceremony with Hathor's chief priestess, so she had to wait patiently.Esther was restless, twisting and twisting one cuff of her linen robe until she finally tore it.

Finally, Nefertari opened the door of the reception room, and Esther staggered and fell to the feet of the Great Queen. "Your Majesty, I beg you to come forward and make the decision!" "What hit you?" "I'm sure Ramses didn't want to be imprisoned! What did he do wrong to be punished so harshly?" Duya pulled Iser up and asked her to sit on a low-backed chair. "Does living in an open-air temple scare you?" "Rameses is only eighteen years old! Only old people would like such an arrangement. At his age, being imprisoned in Abydos..."

"Who told you that?" "His confidential secretary, Amene." "My son is now in Abydos, but he is not imprisoned. A future pharaoh should be baptized in the mystical rites of Osiris and learn more about the functions of the temple. Once his course is completed, he will be back." Esther found the absurdity both amused and relieved. Nefertari put on her shawl and was the first to get up, just like every morning.She recounted the big and small affairs of the day and the queen's appointment arrangement, without thinking about herself at all. The big queen's housekeeper had a heavy workload and had to be careful every step of the way.Far from the religious life she had expected as a priestess, Nefertari quickly adapted to Duja's strict demands, which was due to her great admiration for the Queen.Duya is the human embodiment of the goddess Mayat, who constantly reminds the world of the necessity of justice.Witnessing the important role of the Queen, Nefertari felt that her work should not be limited to secular activities. The family and its members she was responsible for were the pillars of the country, and any mistakes she made could not be forgiven.

The kitchen was deserted, and the servants loafed about.Nefertari knocked on every door, but there was no answer.She pushed open a door in surprise. Not a single person. What the hell are these normally disciplined and measured women doing?Today is neither a holiday nor a public holiday. Even in those special circumstances, there are still some substitute maids to take over the work.There was no fresh bread, no pastry, and no milk, and besides, in fifteen minutes, the Queen would be dining! Nefertari panicked, a disaster was about to befall the palace. She ran to the grain pile, where perhaps some food had been left behind by those who skipped work.But all there is is a few grains of wheat, and it takes a lot of time to grind, knead and bake.It was true that Dujah would reproach her housekeeper for carelessness and lack of foresight, and she would be thrown out of the house immediately. In addition to the loss of face, it adds to the sadness of leaving the queen.In misfortune, Nefertari suddenly felt that she had deep feelings for Duya, and it would be a heart-wrenching pain not to be able to serve the queen anymore. "Today will be very good." A deep voice predicted. Nefertari turned slowly. "Prince Regent! Why are you here..." Ramses leaned against the wall, arms crossed. "Isn't it time for me to show up?" "not me……" "As for my mother's breakfast, please rest assured that her maids will bring it up on time as usual." "But... I didn't see half of them!" "Isn't your favorite adage just this: 'A perfect word hides better than a green stone, yet we find it in the stone miller.'" "You dismissed everyone in the house to lead me here?" "I expected you to react like this." "Are you happy to see me busily pounding the wheat?" "No, Nefertari, what I want to hear is a perfect sentence." "Sorry to disappoint you." "I'm convinced it's the opposite." She is beautiful and outstanding, her eyes are as deep as the pale blue sea. "Perhaps you will lament my gaffe, but I think your joke is tasteless." The regent felt that he had lost faith in himself. "That sentence, Nefertari..." "Everyone thought you were in Abydos." "I just came back yesterday." "And your first job is to buy the Queen's maids to mess with my work!" "Near the Nile I met a wild bull, whom we had confronted, who might have taken my life with his sharp horns; and as he stared at me, I made some serious decisions: since he If you don't kill me, I will once again be the master of my own destiny." "I am glad that you escaped death, and I hope that you will be king in the future." "Did it mean my mother or yours?" "I'm not in the habit of lying. May I go?" "There is a saying more precious than that green stone, and you really have it, Nefertari! Will you allow me to say it happily?" The young woman bowed her head. "I am your humble maid, Regent of Egypt." "Nifertari!" She straightened up again, her eyes proud.Her nobility is enviable. "The Queen is waiting to have an early morning conversation with me and it would be a serious fault to be late." Ramses embraced her. "What should I do before you agree to marry me?" "Just ask me," she replied softly.