Chapter 23 Chapter Twenty Two

After Pazar sat down in the most popular restaurant in Thebes, he began to talk about Hattusha, the wife of Ramses the Great through diplomatic channels.When signing a peace covenant with the Hittites, the king of this small Asian country expressed his sincerity by giving one of his daughters to Pharaoh as his wife. She was Hattusha.As the number one member of the Thebes harem, she has inexhaustible glory and wealth. Hattusha, which ordinary people cannot touch or see, is not popular with the public.Among the market, rumors about her are widely circulated.She may be able to use magic spells, or she may have something to do with night devils. There must be something wrong with her, otherwise why doesn't she attend every grand celebration? "It's all because of her that the price of the balm is twice as expensive.

" said the owner of the restaurant. "Why is it because of her?" "Her maids have to make up all day long, and the number is increasing. There are so many high-quality balms used in the harem, and the prices are expensive, so the market price is also driven up. The oil is the same. When will we get rid of this foreign woman?" Amidst the repeated complaints, no one came forward to defend Hattusha. The complex of the Hae Dong Harem is surrounded by lush greenery and canals run through it: a place well irrigated by water, including several gardens dedicated to the palace's elderly and widowed women, a large orchard and a spinning A garden where you can relax with weavers.The harem of Thebes, like the harem elsewhere in Egypt, had many workshops, schools of dance, music, and poetry, and a center for the manufacture of spices and cosmetics; there were many specialists who made wood, enamel, and ivory processed products; There are also dressmakers who specialize in fine linen gowns, and Huaqi masters dedicated to the delicate art of flower arrangement.The active harem is also an educational center, cultivating high-level administrative talents for Egypt and foreign countries.Therefore, in addition to the ladies wearing bright gems, craftsmen, teachers, and administrators who prepare fresh food for everyone come and go in the harem.

Pazar - arrived at the main hall early in the morning.Because of his extraordinary demeanor, he easily passed the guard level and met Hattusha's manager.The manager received the judge's request letter and handed it to the hostess. To his surprise, the hostess did not refuse. Pazar was taken into a room with four pillars and paintings of flowers and birds on the walls.Colored stone floors add to the splendor.Hattusa was seated on a wooden and gilded throne, flanked by two dizzy dressing girls. They first brought the bottles and jars for make-up, scooped up this bottle with a small spoon, scooped up that jar at once, and mixed several kinds of spices to make a special fragrance. Finally, there was the most difficult morning dish. Make-up procedure: adjust the wig, after they replace the curls that are slightly flawed one by one, the person with more dexterous hands will add a few more strands of wig.

Princess Hittite, about thirty years old, picked up a mirror with a handle like a golden lotus stem, admiring her beautiful face with a proud and arrogant look. "So early, a judge came to me! I'm curious, what's your purpose in coming to see me?" "I want to ask you a few questions." Pazar said straight to the point. She put down the mirror and dismissed the waitress. "Let's talk one-on-one, okay?" "It could not be better." "Finally a bit of entertainment! Fuli's life is so boring." Hattusha, with her fair skin, long fingers and dark eyes, is fascinating but also disturbing.

She was joking, sarcastic, quick-witted, and merciless with people, always delighting in denouncing their flaws and appearance flaws directly, and condemning them for inappropriate words and clumsy manners. She looked Pazar carefully and said, "You are not the most handsome Egyptian man, but women will fall in love with you madly, and will not change their minds for the rest of their lives. You are impatient, and your heart is full of enthusiasm and ideals...all of these It is a serious shortcoming. You are too serious, even a little serious, and you have no youthful breath at all. "

Pazar ignored her, and continued to circle the topic in a serious manner: "Can I start asking you?" Hattusha was really irritated by his disrespectful attitude: "You are so brave! Do you know how reckless you are? I am Noriko, the son of Ramses the Great.I can dismiss you at any time. " "You know it's impossible. I will be defending myself in a court presided over by the prime minister and you will be summoned for abuse of power." "Egypt is a strange country. People not only believe in the law, but also abide by it and care about its enforcement.

This miracle will not last long. "Hatusha picked up the mirror again and began to check the curls of the wig one by one. "I'll only answer your question if it's interesting." "Who is it that brings you fresh bread?" Hattusha's eyes widened in surprise. "Do you also care about the bread I eat?" "Not just bread, but also the baker in Hexi who wants to work for you." "Everyone wants to work for me! I'm known to be generous." "But they don't like you." Hearing what Pazar said, Hattusha had another opinion. "I don't like them either. People from Thebes or anywhere else are just as stupid. I'm a foreigner, and I'm proud of being a foreigner. Now I have dozens of servants under me, because the king made me Take charge of this harem, and I have turned this into the most active harem."

"Can you tell me about the baker?" Pazar still did not forget to get back to the topic. "Go to my steward, he knows all about it. If this master has ever brought bread, he will tell you. Is this important? "Hatusha was a little impatient, but puzzled. "Do you know of a tragedy that happened near the Sphinx of Giza?" "Do you mean something, Judge Pazar?" "It's nothing important." "This kind of game is so boring, like those celebrations, and like the ministers in the court! I only have one hope, and that is to go home. It would be great if the Hittite army could invade Egypt and crush your soldiers. Fight a beautiful battle of revenge! However, I am afraid I can only die here, guarding the most powerful king for the rest of my life, guarding this man I have only met once at a wedding. What is even more sad is that this political The wedding was attended by diplomats and jurists, and they only cared about ensuring the peace and happiness of the two peoples, so what about my happiness? Who cares?" After a burst of high spirits, Hattusha couldn't help but think of her own experience and future Sadness comes from it.

Pazar didn't want to make any further comments, so he saluted and planned to leave. "Thank you for your cooperation, Your Highness Wang Ji." Hattusha was really annoyed that the judge was so ungrateful. "I'm the one to end the conversation, not you." "I didn't mean to offend you." "Go out." Hattusha's manager confirmed that he had indeed ordered bread from a skilled craftsman in Hexi, but he never delivered the bread. Pazar walked out of the harem full of confusion.This time he still did not change his old habits, and in order to find a little clue, he did not hesitate to alarm the aloof Wang Ji.Was she somehow connected with the conspiracy?Another unsolvable mystery.

The assistant mayor of Memphis opened his mouth with a distressed expression. "Take it easy," Kadashi told him. Kadashi told the patient honestly: the molars must be pulled out.Although after a series of intensive diagnosis and treatment, it still could not be saved. "Open a little more." Kadashi's hands are indeed not as stable as before, but he will still work hard to prove his ability. After administering the patient with local anesthesia, he began the first stage of the extraction procedure, clamping the sides of the molars with forceps. He clamped his teeth imprecisely, and his hands shook so much that he hurt his gums.But he still pulled hard.

Due to excessive tension, Kadashi's tooth extraction failed this time, and the root of the tooth came out due to excessive force.He hastened to pick up a drill whose tip was stuck in the wood that had been dug, and then used a dragging bow to make the drill rotate rapidly, generating some sparks. When the flame was big enough, he put the lancet on the fire to heat it, and then used the knife to cauterize the patient's wound. The mayor's assistant left the dental office with a swollen and sore jaw in his hands, without a word of thanks.Kadash has lost an important patient, and he must have bad things to say about the dentist. In fact, Kadashi is now facing a moment of choice.He couldn't accept the fact that he was old, and he didn't want to admit that his technology had regressed.True, dancing with the Libyans would lift his spirits again and give him a little momentary energy, but that was no longer enough.The solution seems to be in sight every day, but it is always out of reach!Kadash must use other weapons to perfect his technique.Prove that you are still at the end of your life!Another metal: that's all he needs. The ferry departs.Pazar hopped and landed safely on the jagged deck of the flat-bottomed boat, crowded with livestock and people. Ferries shuttled between the two sides of the strait non-stop. Although the journey was short, passengers still took the opportunity to exchange news and even discuss business on board.Pazar was squeezed by the cow's butt and bumped into a woman, but the woman didn't respond. "Sorry." She ignored it and covered her face with her hands.Pazar felt strange, so he took a special look at her. "Aren't you Ms. Shabab?" "do not bother me." Shabab was wearing a brown robe, a maroon shawl, and her hair was fluffy and messy. She looked like a poor woman. "I have something to tell you, so you should have something to tell me, right?" Pazar stared at her. "I do not know you." "You remember my friend Suti. He persuaded you not to spread rumors against me." The more she listened, the more panicked she became, and she turned around and was about to jump into the rushing river.Pazar grabbed her arm and said: "This section of the Nile River is very dangerous. You may die if you jump off it." "I can not swim." As soon as the ferry docked, several children couldn't wait and jumped ashore immediately.Then came the donkey, the ox and the farmer. Pazar and Shabab were the last to disembark.He still wouldn't let the whore go. "Why do you keep pestering me? I'm just a maid, I..." "Your words are really strange, didn't you tell Suti that I was your benefactor?" "I don't understand." "I'm Judge Pazar, you remember?" She was so frightened that she wanted to run away, but Pazar's hand still held her tightly. "Can you be more sensible?" "You scare me." "But you're the one trying to slander me." Shababu burst into tears.Pazar didn't know what to do, so he let go of his hand. Even though she was an enemy, seeing her current situation, Pazar couldn't bear it. "Who told you to slander me?" "I don't know." Shabab shook her head feebly. "You are lying." "The only ones who contact me are the people who work below." Pazar still asked persistently. "Is it the police?" "How do I know? I didn't ask." "What do they pay you for?" "Let me live in peace." "Then why did you help me?" She smiled wryly. "What a life and memories...my father used to be a judge in the country and I loved him dearly. After he died I grew to loathe my village and moved to Memphis.After one bad encounter after another, I became a prostitute, a rich and respected prostitute.Someone will pay to pry into the privacy of my brasserie patrons. "It's Mengmoxi, isn't it?" " "Think for yourself. No one can force me to slander the judge. In order to maintain respect for my father, I let you go. If you are in danger, you can only count it as bad." "Aren't you afraid that they will retaliate against you?" "My past will protect me." "What if the mastermind doesn't agree with you?" She lowered her eyes and said sadly, "That's why I left Memphis and hid here. Because of you, I lost everything." "Has General Asher ever been to your place?" "No." "The truth will come out, I promise you." "I don't believe in guarantees anymore," said Shabab sullenly. "Be confident." "Why did they destroy you, Judge Pazar?" Hearing her question, Pazar deliberately admitted: "I am investigating an accident that happened in Giza. All five guards there were dead, or so the officials said. " "I haven't heard any rumors about this matter." Suddenly, she put her right hand on her left shoulder and let out a cry of pain. "What's wrong with you?" Pazar asked nervously. "Acute rheumatic pain. Sometimes the arm hurts so badly that I can't move it." Pazar thought for a while before making a decision.She helped herself once, and now he should save her too. When Pazar introduced Shabab to Nefiri, she was treating a donkey with a broken foot.Shababu promised Pazar to conceal his identity. "I met this woman on the ferry. She has a pain in her shoulder, can you take a look at her?" Nefiri washed her hands carefully, and then asked, "Has it hurt before?" "It's been more than five years." Shabab replied aggressively, and then asked again, "Do you know who I am?" "A patient I am treating now." "My name is Shabab. I'm the owner of a beer shop and a prostitute." Pazar's face turned completely pale.However, Nefiri seemed to be indifferent. "Too much sex, coupled with perhaps poor hygiene from a sexual partner, can be the source of your ailments. " "Check it out for me." Shabab took off her robe and was completely naked.Pazar wondered if he should close his eyes, turn around, or dig a hole in the ground.Nefiri would never forgive the humiliation he had brought her.What an unexpected "surprise" to introduce a happy woman as a patient!If he denies it, it will only be more absurd and redundant, and it will be useless at all. Nefili touched Shabab's shoulder, then used her index finger to move down a meridian, pressed several acupoints, and felt the curvature of the shoulder blade.She said: "Your situation is serious, the rheumatism has deformed your shoulder blades. If you don't treat it, you will be a quadriplegic." Shababu's prestige just now was gone.She stammered and asked, "What should you... what should I do?" "First of all, stop drinking, then inhale a little pure tincture of willow bark every day, and then apply a combination of natural water soda, clear oil, balm, frankincense, honey, hippopotamus oil, crocodile oil, catfish oil and mullet every day. Fish oils (catfish and mullet are both Nile fish). These are very expensive products and I don't have them here, so you need to see a doctor in Thebes." Shabab got dressed. "Heal as soon as possible." Pazar sent Shababu to the entrance of the village, feeling as sad as ten thousand ants crawling. "Am I free?" Shabab asked timidly. "You don't keep your word." "You may not believe it, but sometimes I'm afraid of lying. It's impossible to lie to a woman like her." Pazar sat on the side of the road, letting the dust fly all over his head and face.He was too naive to end up in such a miserable situation. Shabab's sudden action, after all, completed the task, and Pazar felt that he was completely destroyed.Nefiri must have thought him a dissolute hypocrite for this self-proclaimed incorruptible judge to have sympathized with a prostitute. Shababu, who is as human as a child, respects the judge because she misses her father, and she will betray him without hesitation when the opportunity comes her way.Tomorrow, she will also betray him to Meng Moxi, if she has not done so. It is said that the drowned will be pardoned by the god Osiris when they appear in court in another life.The waters of the Nile will wash away their sins.Lost love, tainted reputation, and ravaged ideals... Pazar could not help but have the idea of ​​suicide. Suddenly, Nefiri put her hand on his shoulder and asked, "Is your cold better?" He didn't move, just said, "I'm sorry." "Why are you sad?" "That woman... I swear I..." His tongue was tied and his words were incomplete. "You have brought a patient, and I hope she will go to the doctor immediately without delay." Nefiri said softly. "She was going to slander me, but she said she would let me go." "So she's a well-intentioned whore?" "I thought so too." "Who would blame you?" "To celebrate my friend Suti's enlistment in the army, I went to Shababu's hotel with him." Nefiri didn't take her hand away.Pazar continued: "Suti is an incredible person with inexhaustible energy. He likes wine and women the most. He wants to be a hero and doesn't want to be bound by anything. We are friends who share life and death. That day, Sarah I've been sitting outside since Barb brought him in, thinking about my investigation. You've got to trust me." Nefeli did not answer, but said: "There is an old man who worries me a lot. I have to help him bathe and disinfect the house. Would you like to help me?"