Chapter 25 Chapter Twenty-Four

Prime Minister Baji is suffering from foot pain.His feet were so heavy and so swollen that the dimples in the heels were gone.He can only wear big shoes with loose laces, and besides that, he really has no time for medical treatment. The more he sat at the desk, the worse the swelling and pain became. However, the busy state affairs did not allow him to rest or be absent. His wife Naidi declined the pharaoh's allocation of the prime minister's mansion and residence, and Baguier agreed with her, because he preferred the city to the country.So they lived in a modest house in the center of Memphis, guarded day and night.The Prime Minister of Egypt has always been safe and sound. Since the founding of Egypt, no Prime Minister has ever been murdered or attacked.

Although Baji was an extremely powerful minister, he did not become rich because of it.He always puts work first and life second.Neti has been unable to adapt to her husband's promotion.Because of her unprotrusive facial features, delicate figure and constant weight gain, she never participates in social activities, nor does she attend any official banquets.She really misses the days when Buji was a small employee and the work pressure was not high.At that time, he always came home early and would help her cook and take care of the children. On the way to the palace, the Prime Minister thought of his two sons and daughters.His son was originally a craftsman, but the master craftsman found that he was often lazy.After the Prime Minister knew about this, he asked the workshop to fire his son, and then let his son work as a vulgar laborer making raw bricks.The pharaoh accused the prime minister of being unfair, thinking he was too demanding of his family.While the prime minister must be careful not to privilege family members, excessive severity is also reprehensible (a prime minister was once dismissed for being too strict and unfair to his widows for fear of being accused of favoritism).So Baji's son was promoted to the first class, responsible for appraising cooked bricks.In fact, his son has no ambitions, and the only passion is playing checkers with boys of his age.As for his daughter, he was much more pleased. Despite her ugly appearance, she was very serious in her work and hoped to enter the temple as a weaver in the future.She didn't accept any help from her father at all. The reason why she succeeded was entirely due to her own efforts.

The Prime Minister was tired from sitting, so he took the chair away and sat on a seat made of fishbone rope with a slightly concave center. Before meeting the king every day, he had to read the reports presented by the various ministries.At this time, he bowed his body, endured the pain in his feet, and tried hard to concentrate. While he was reading the report, the special assistant came up suddenly and said, "I'm sorry to bother you." "What's up?" "A messenger from the Asian legion came to report." "Speak briefly." The assistant then briefed the military situation ahead. "The connection between the elite troops led by General Asher and the main force has been severed."

"Is it a rebellion?" "It's Eddafi in Libya, two small Asian countries, and some Bedouins." "It's them again! Our secret organization has also been attacked." Baji said angrily. "Should we send troops to help?" "I will go to the king immediately." Ramses sent two more corps to Asia and ordered the main force to speed up.The king attached great importance to this expedition. If Asher survived the battle, all the traitors must be wiped out. Since promulgating the imperial decree that shocked the whole court, the prime minister no longer knew how to implement the pharaoh's order.Because of his strict and precise management, it took only a few months to count the food stored in the Egyptian treasury and the gods; but his emissaries still had to ask the heads of the temples and the governors of the provinces, write a considerable number of reports and eliminate them. All of them fallacies due to imprecise work.These demanding demands of the king aroused the resentment in many people's hearts, and since Budge was regarded as the chief person in charge of this administrative investigation, he had to try his best to appease the emotions of many important officials and relieve their anger.

In the evening, Baji confirmed that the orders had been fully complied with, and the next day, he would send twice as many troops to garrison the King's Wall, which had been in a state of preparation for war. In the camp, the night looked especially eerie.Tomorrow, Egyptian soldiers will attack the small rebel fort to break through the isolation and attempt to contact General Asher.This raid was very difficult, and I am afraid that many people will die here and will not be able to return home. Suti dined with the oldest soldier in the army. He was from Memphis and liked fighting. Tomorrow he would be in charge of manipulating the mobile siege tower.

"I'm going to retire in six months." He said to Suti. "Son, this is my last battle in Asia. Come, eat some garlic, it will cleanse your body of impurities, so that you won't be hurt. wind chill." "It would be better with parsley and rose wine." "Big meal, let's enjoy it after the victory! Usually the food in the army is very good. You can often eat beef and cakes, the vegetables are still fresh, and there is a lot of beer. In the past, soldiers' hands and feet were not very clean. Later, Ramses strictly prohibited stealing and kicked out those who stole from the army. I have never stolen. After I leave the army, they will give me a house in the country, a piece of land and a maid. I don’t have to pay a lot Taxes, and you can give your property to whoever you want. It’s right for you to join the army, son, and the future will be secure.” Veterans are indeed quite satisfied with life in the army.

"Then you have to leave this tiger's den alive." Su Ti did not forget the crisis in front of him. "We will be able to take this little fortress. You must pay special attention to the left hand side. Men's death comes from the left hand side, and women's death comes from the right side." "Are there no women on the enemy's side?" "Yes, and he is very brave!" Su Ti will not forget to pay attention to the left and right, and he will also remember to pay attention to the back. This is the lesson left by the chariot captain. The Egyptian soldiers began to dance wildly, spinning their weapons above their heads and raising them to the sky, praying for good luck and fighting courage until the death.By agreement between the nations, fighting does not start until an hour after dawn; only the mean Bedouins will sneak up.

The old soldier stuck a feather in Suti's black hair and said, "This is the custom, and all sharp archers do it. This feather represents the goddess Maat, who will bless you with single-mindedness and perfect shooting. "The foot soldiers carried ladders, and the former pirate walked in the front. Suti climbed up the siege tower, with the old soldier. A dozen soldiers pushed them in the direction of the small fort. The sappers have managed to sort out a dirt road. It won't be too difficult to get the movable wooden wheel to travel. "Turn left. "The veteran ordered.

At this point the terrain leveled out.On the heights of the fort, the enemy's archers began to shoot arrows.Two Egyptians were killed, and an arrow flew past Suti's head. "It's your turn, kid." Suti pulled away the cuticle-sheathed handle.If shot in a parabola, the arrow can fly as far as 200 meters. The bowstring has been pulled to the extreme, he concentrated and did not let out a breath until he let go and shot the arrow. A Bedouin was shot in the heart by an arrow and fell off the pheasant butterfly.This blow greatly increased the confidence of the infantrymen, and they immediately rushed towards the enemy with big strides.At a distance of more than a hundred meters from the target, Su Ti changed to another bow.This acacia wooden bow can shoot more accurately, and it is much lighter to hold. If you keep him sure to hit every shot, you can quickly wipe out half of the enemy soldiers on the pheasant butterflies.Before long, Egyptian soldiers could also ride ladders.

When the siege tower was only twenty meters away from the target, the veteran controlled was shot in the abdomen by an arrow and fell down. The speed of the movable tower increased, and it hit the wall of the small fortress.When the companions jumped on the wall and attacked the fort, Suti was busy taking care of the veterans. The wound was too deep. "You'll be honorably discharged, boy, just wait and see...I'm just unlucky." As soon as he finished speaking, the veteran's head drooped. The Egyptian soldier rammed it vigorously with a sheep's head ram, and the soldier who had been a pirate also slashed with an axe, and finally broke through the city gate.The enemy fled in panic.The little local king jumped on his horse and trampled on the sergeant who ordered him to surrender.

The Egyptian soldiers couldn't help being furious when they saw it, so naturally they couldn't spare him.While the fort was engulfed in flames, there was a ragged enemy soldier.He escaped the vigilance of the Egyptian soldiers and went straight to the woods.Suti caught him again, and when he grabbed the patched robe, it was torn due to excessive force. It turned out to be a young, strong girl, and the wild girl who stole all his equipment. The girl continued running naked.Under the laughter and encouragement of his compatriots, Su Ti finally connected her tightly to the ground. She was terrified and struggled for a long time.Finally, Su Ti helped her stand up, tied her hands, and then put on the old clothes for her. "She's yours," said an infantryman. A few survivors held their heads in their hands, their bows, shields, saddles and sticks all missing.To use the words that the Egyptians used to describe them, they would say that they lost their souls, their names, and their semen.The victors took the copper utensils, as well as oxen, donkeys, and sheep, and burned the camp, furniture, and cloth.In the fortress, only a pile of broken and charred stones remained. The soldier who had been a pirate went to Suti. "The commander is dead, and so is the man who manipulated the siege tower. Now you are the bravest of us, and you are the best archer. Let you take command." "But I have no experience." "You are a hero, as we all testify. Without you, we would have failed. Lead us north." Finally, Suti accepted the request of the robes.He asked everyone not to abuse prisoners.After a quick interrogation, they determined that Eddafi, who had instigated the mutiny, was not in the fort. Su Ti held the bow in his hand and walked at the front of the team.On his right was the female prisoner. "What's your name?" "leopard." Suti was fascinated by her beauty, her untamed looks, golden hair, sparkling eyes, sculpted figure, and sensual lips.She also has an eager and engaging voice. "Where are you from?" "Libya. My father is a living dead." "What's the meaning?" "Once the Egyptians plundered our village, he was stabbed in the head with a knife. He should have died, but he became a prisoner of war and cultivated the land in the delta. Then he even forgot his language, his people , turned Egyptian. I hated him so I didn't go to his funeral. I went back to war." "What's your dissatisfaction with us?" His question startled the leopard, and he shouted, "We have been enemies for two thousand years!" "Isn't now the best time for a truce?" "impossible." "I'll convince you." After all, Su Ti's charm cannot be ignored, and Leopard finally raised his head to look at him. "Will I be your slave?" "There are no slaves in Egypt." Suddenly a soldier yelled, and everyone jumped to the ground. Something seemed to be moving in the bushes on top of the hill.Everyone stared fixedly for a while, but saw a pack of wolves emerging from the bushes.After the wolves looked the soldiers up and down, they ran away.The soldiers breathed a sigh of relief and thanked the gods for their blessings. "Someone will come to save me." Leopard said with certainty. "You can only rely on yourself, don't rely too much on others." "I'll turn my back on you at the first chance." "Honesty is a rare virtue. I've come to appreciate you." Out of anger, she refused to say another word. They walked for two hours on stony ground and onto the bed of the dried-up rapids.Suti kept his eyes on the steep rock walls on both sides of the bank, paying close attention to any slight disturbance.And when a dozen Egyptian archers blocked their way, they knew they were saved. When Pazar arrived at the office around eleven o'clock, the door was still closed. "Get Arlo for me." He ordered Cam angrily. "With baboons?" "Take the baboons." "What if he's sick?" "No matter how he is now, bring him to see me right away." Cam didn't dare to ask any more questions, so he hurried to find someone. Arlo, flushed and with swollen eyelids, groaned and explained, "I'm resting at home because of indigestion. I put dead seeds in the milk, but I still want to change. The doctor ordered me to drink juniper tea and gave me Please take two days off." "Why do you keep asking the police station in Thebes to send me messages?" Pazar asked angrily. "There are two urgent matters." When Pazar heard this, his anger subsided a little, "Say it quickly." "The first urgent matter: we have no more papyrus. The second matter: the inventory of the grain in the barn needs you to come forward to check. According to the results of the liquidation of the professional sector, the stock of wheat in the main storage tower has been reduced by half. "Yallo then lowered his voice and said: "Once this breaks out, it will be big news. " After the priest offered the first crop of rice to Osiris, the goddess of harvest, and offered bread to the goddess, a long line of porters carried baskets of precious grain to the storage tower, singing: " Another beautiful day..." They walked into square or round barns, climbed up the stairs leading to the roof, and poured the precious grains on their backs from a skylight opened and closed by a small trap.There is also a door, which is used for bulk food. When the barnkeeper greeted Nizar, his attitude was unusually indifferent. "I was ordered by the king to check the count of the grain stored in the barn." "Professionals have already checked it for you." "The results of it?" "He didn't report it to me, and only you have the right to know." "Set up a big ladder in front of the main barn." Pazar ordered directly. "Do you want me to say it again? Professionals have already checked it." The supervisor was extremely impatient with the judge's request. "You want to disobey the law?" As soon as the word decree was mentioned, the steward immediately became amiable. "I'm thinking of your safety, Judge Pazar. It's dangerous to climb that high, and you have no experience." "Don't you know that half your grain is missing?" The manager seemed to be shocked: "It's terrible." "Can you explain?" "It must be the bugs." "Isn't pest control your main task?" Faced with the judge's questioning, the manager pushed the blame completely: "I have given the full responsibility to the health unit, and if you want to blame, you have to blame them." "Half of the stored grain, this is not a small amount." "But once there are moths..." Before he finished speaking, Pazar interrupted him and said, "Build a ladder." "It's really useless. It's not your job as a judge." "If I put a seal on the official document, you will have to bear legal responsibility." So the supervisor asked two employees to move a large ladder and set it against the wall of the storage tower.Pazar climbed up the steps, feeling uneasy: the wooden ladder creaked a lot and seemed unstable.Halfway through the climb, his body swayed, and he couldn't help shouting anxiously: "Steady below!" The steward glanced behind him, as if planning to run away.Cam stepped forward and put his hand on his shoulder, and the baboon leaned to his feet. "Listen to the judge." Cam said coldly, "You don't mean to make him have an accident, do you?" So they balanced the ladder together, and Pazar climbed up with peace of mind. When he climbed to the top eight meters above the ground, he pushed the latch and opened a skylight.The storage tower is full of rice. "How strange! The inspector must have lied to you," said the steward to Pazar. "There is another possibility: you are also an accomplice." Pazar thought for a while and said. "You have to know that I was also deceived." "I don't know if I should trust you or not." The baboon let out a low growl, baring its teeth. "It hates liars," Cam explained. "Accommodate this beast." "If a witness annoys it, I can't help it." The manager had no choice but to lower his head and say, "He said that as long as I vouch for his profession, he will give me a generous reward. We originally planned to sell the reported missing grain, which should have been a seamless plan.But since it's not implemented, can I still keep my job? "Pazar worked very late that night. He signed the general manager's dismissal order and listed the reasons for dismissal. He also searched the list of civil servants, but could not find the name of the inspector. He must have used False names. It is not uncommon for grain to be embezzled, but such a large amount is new. Is this just a case of a storage tower in Memphis, or is it a general phenomenon of official corruption? If the latter, then It is not difficult to understand the reason why Pharaoh issued such a sensational decree. Didn’t he just hope to take this opportunity to rebuild the axiom and establish a new style for the distorted justice? Regardless of the position, as long as everyone behaves Being impartial and disciplined will soon be corrected. In the blazing light, he saw Nefiri's face again, her eyes, her lips.It's so late, she should be asleep. Did she think of him too?