Chapter 25 Chapter Twenty-Five

Hattusha Wangji is dreaming of another world.In order to ensure peace, her father dedicated her to Ramses, but she was just a lonely woman who was responsible for the successor.The rich life in the harem does not satisfy her.She longed for love and the intimate company of the king, but she was lonely and unbearable as if she had been thrown into a cold palace.The more her life was washed away by the Nile, the more she hated Egypt. When will she see the Hittite capital again?The royal city was built on a high ground, and it was a desolate scene to the interior. Gullies, canyons, and steep hills connected the vast grasslands, and the city was surrounded by high mountains as barriers.This towering fortress built of huge stones, overlooking the valley between hills and cliffs, symbolizes the pride and barbarism of the early brave and invincible Hittites.The city wall of the king's city matches the precipitous rocks of the mountains.The appearance alone is enough to make the enemy fearful.Hattusha has been running and playing in steep streets and alleys since she was a child, and she would put adults on rocks as sacrifices to steal the devil's honey, and often played ball with boys who were as agile and capable as her. .

The life there is always carefree and carefree. All foreign princesses who were sent to the Egyptian court in order to show their sincerity in peace negotiations never returned.In the future, only the Hittite army can rescue her from this seemingly heavenly prison.Her father and family have never given up the idea of ​​occupying the Delta and the Nile Valley, which will become their slave concentration camps and huge granaries, so she must erode the foundations of Egypt, destroy the internal structure of the country, and weaken Ramses power, and then ascended the throne as regent.There have been many queens in the past, and they have all waged wars against the invading Asian nomads from the north.Hattusha has no choice but to free herself in order to bring her people the most glorious victory.

Dai Nisi didn't know that once she got the magic iron.Confidence and strength will increase greatly.Because in Hittite, having this kind of metal represented the favor of God.Hattusha crafts amulets, necklaces, bracelets, and rings as soon as she gets her hands on the Divine Iron.She will also put on the iron clothes of the gods and become the daughter of flint to overcome thorns and thorns. Dai Nisi is stupid and arrogant, but there is still a little use value.Disrupting the food industry would certainly dent Ramses' prestige, but another strategy would open the door to success more quickly.

Hattusha has decided to fight to the death.She had to conquer a human first before she could divide Egypt and open a gap for a massive invasion by the Hittite army. * * * At noon, the Temple of Karnak was silent.Among the worship ceremonies performed by the high priest in the name of the king every day, noon is the shortest time.Since the long ceremony at dawn has awakened the gods, at noon he only needs to simply worship in the inner hall where the statue is enshrined, so that the divine power will fill the huge stone hall in the dark, ensuring harmony in the world. Although Kani turned himself into the high priest of the Temple of Amun.His status is second only to pharaoh and prime minister, but he has not lost his nature as a farmer.His face is weather-beaten, his skin is full of wrinkles, and his hands are full of calluses; he doesn't understand the bureaucratic theory of a clerk who graduated from the highest institution in the capital, and he only manages his subordinates by cultivating plants.And no matter how busy his official duties are, he will never let others do the work of taking care of the herb garden.People in the top religious circles are not easy to please, but they are surprisingly supportive of Carney.He used to be a vegetable farmer and didn't care about his privileges. He just upholds the love of work and the belief in the pursuit of perfection, doing his best to expand the temple industry, and obeying the law to perform the priesthood.His outspokenness often horrified the art of speech of administrators, but because he did everything himself, he was quite convincing.Although he was extremely unpopular in the past, there were no serious protests after he took office, and everyone in Kanak obeyed him.Naturally, the ministers of the DPRK and China had to praise the wisdom of Emperor Ramses the Great.

It's all nonsense, Hattusha thought to herself. The wily king just didn't want to pick someone who was too capable and might threaten him.Ever since the reign of Akhenaten, the relationship between the pharaoh and the high priest of the god Amun has been tense.The Temple of Karnak is too rich, too powerful, and too large. It is the jurisdiction of the God of Victory.Yes, the high priest is appointed by the king, but after taking office, is there any reason not to start to expand his power?One day, if the power of the king gradually retreats to the north and breaks with the high priest who rules the south, then Egypt will perish.

Carney's appointment gave her that opportunity.The pomp and wealth must have made the humble farmer feel elated: as Lord of the Temple, he must have aspired to rule the southern provinces and, by extension, the nation.He may not know it himself, but Hattusha is confident.Therefore, she must wake up Carney, to awaken his ambition, and unite with her against Ramses.The greatest power is no greater than the high priest of Amon. * * * Hattusha was dressed soberly, without gorgeous necklaces and jewelry, and she was waiting to meet the high priest in the solemn pillared hall.If Kani hadn't been wearing a gold ring as a sign, he would be exactly the same as other priests.He had a bald head, a thick chest, and a lack of grace in his manner.Wang Ji secretly rejoiced that he was well dressed, and the simple high priest probably didn't like the fancy dress.

"Let's go." He suggested. "This place is truly majestic." "The momentum here can crush a person, or it can make a person grow." "The architects of Ramses were talented." "They did the will of Pharaoh, just like you and me." "I'm just his second wife, a pawn in foreign policy." "You represent peace with the Hittites." "I don't want to be just a symbol." "Would you like to retire to the temple? You will be very welcome to the singing women of Amun. Since the death of Queen Nefertari, they have felt like a bunch of orphans."

"I have other, bigger plans." "Does it have something to do with me?" "You are the key person." "How is it possible?" Carney only responded lightly. "It's about the fate of the country, is the High Priest of Karnak indifferent?" "The fate of the country is in the hands of Ramses." "Even if he despises you, you don't care?" "I don't feel that way." "That's because you don't understand him. His duplicity has already deceived many people. The position of High Priest of the God of Amon makes him uneasy. In the short term, he can only find a way to remove you from the position and let him take over. "

"Isn't that the truth? Pharaoh was originally the only bridge between the Holy Spirit and the people." "I don't understand these theological theories." Hattusha shook her head and said, "But Ramses is an autocratic person, and your excessive power makes him uneasy." "So what do you think I should do?" "The people of Thebes and the high priest should fight against tyranny together." "To rebel against Pharaoh is to deny life." "Kani, you are born as a commoner, and I am a princess. Combine our forces, and all subjects will come to us. We can create another Egypt."

"If the south confronts the north, Egypt will be paralyzed as if with a broken spine, and we will suffer disaster, poverty, and foreign invasion." "This was caused by Ramses, and only we can avoid it. You support me, and I will make you rich." "Princess, please look up. Is there any greater wealth than gazing at the eternal god in the stone every day?" "You are our last hope, Carney. If you don't intervene, Egypt will be destroyed by Ramses." "I know that you want revenge. You want to destroy the country that hosts you because of your own misfortune. Divide Egypt, cut off its lifeline, and make Egypt a part of Hittite... Is this your intention?"

"So what?" "It's treason. It's punishable by death." "You're so bad at grasping luck." "There is no so-called luck in the temple, only dedication." "You're wrong." "If it is wrong to be loyal to Pharaoh, the world is not worth loving." Hattusha failed.Her lips trembled and she asked, "Will you report me?" "The temple wants nothing but silence. Speak no more words of destruction, and you will have peace." * * * Swallow still continues to fight with death.Nefiri placed it in a straw-lined basket so that cats and other animals would not invade it.She moistened its wounded mouth.The swallow, unable to eat, folded its wings and quietly let Nefiri accompany it. Nefiri asked Pazar, who was still blaming herself, "Why don't you continue to ask Mrs. Ninofar? She is very suspicious." "She's good at fabric and needle, I know. But I don't think she's a cold-blooded killer. She's excitable, she's a loud voice, and she's full of confidence and self-righteousness..." "Maybe she's a master of disguise?" "I admit that she does have the physical strength to kill." "Didn't the killer hit Blarney from behind?" "yes." "So accuracy is more important than physical strength. It should be said that the killer has a considerable understanding of the structure of the human body." "Then Nebamon is the most suspect." "What he said before he died was sincere, not him." Nefili was very confident in Nebamun. "If Ninofa is summoned to appear in court, she will deny it and be acquitted. I have no evidence, only scattered clues, so another interrogation is useless. She will not only assert her innocence, but also use her connections to sue me Harassing her for no reason. I need new leads now." "Did you mention the poisoning incident to Cam?" "I mentioned it, so now the baboon and him take turns protecting me day and night." "Can't he send the police?" "I think so too, but he doesn't trust people." "Then let him protect you." "Sometimes it's uncomfortable." "Elder of the gate hall, your responsibilities are more important than your hobbies." "Do you think I look like an old servant?" she pretended to be musing.His expression was even a little anxious, "This question is worth discussing. Let's take a look tonight..." Pazar immediately picked her up and walked into the door. "I, an old man, can cooperate with you at any time, why wait until night?" * * * The seal of the elder of the gate hall has been hanging and has not been sealed. From early in the morning, Pazar began to approve official documents, the content of which was mainly related to farming operations, land income, and food delivery.He flipped through it quickly, but suddenly a report surprised him. "A shipment of fresh fruit was five days late?" "Yes," replied the clerk. "No, I can't get a stamp. Have they been asked to pay a fine?" "I have sent the form to the clerk at Thebes." "The results of it?" "No response yet." "why?" "Because everything is delayed." "It's been a mess for more than a week, and no one has reported it to me!" The clerk muttered some excuse: "Because there are more important matters to investigate..." "What's more important? There may be dozens of villages without fresh food! You have a big belly, so you don't think this is important, do you?" The clerk became more and more disturbed the more he listened.A stack of reports was presented. "Other items have also been delayed. We have been informed that vegetables from the central region will not arrive at the barracks in Memphis for at least ten days. This news may cause panic." Pazar's face turned pale. "How do you think the soldiers will react? Go to the pier, hurry up!" Keim himself drove along the canals parallel to the Nile, warehouses, barns, and finally stopped at the wharf where the cargo ships arrived.After getting out of the car, Pazar ran to the fresh food registration room.Inside were two officials dozing off, with a little boy fanning them beside them. "How about the storage capacity of fruits and vegetables?" Pazar asked right away. "Who are you?" "The elder of the door hall." Only then did the two get up in a panic, saluted the judge and explained: "Please forgive me, because the transportation operation was interrupted, we have had nothing to do for several days." "Where is the ship stuck?" "The ship is not trapped and has already arrived in Memphis, but there is a problem with the cargo. Today's largest vegetable and fruit cargo ship entered the port, but it brought a pile of stones. What can we do?" "Is the boat still there?" "I'm going back to Thebes soon." Pazar, Kem, and Fufu walked through the shipyard together and arrived at the port, where a ship heading to Cyprus was slowly sailing out to sea.On the vegetable and fruit cargo ship, the crew members were busy setting up the sails, and Pazar wanted to board the ship without even thinking about it. "Wait a minute." Cam took his arm. "We don't have time," Pazar said hastily. "I have an ominous feeling." The baboon also wrinkled its nose and stood up straight. "I'll go ahead." Cam knew why baboons were irritable.Among the wooden boxes on the deck, there is a wooden cage with a leopard walking around in it. "Call the captain out," Pazar said to the crew. A stout man in his fifties walked up to the judge from the steering wheel and said, "We are about to sail, please disembark." "I'm a policeman," said Kaim. "I'm doing the work, and I'm being supervised by the elders of the gate hall." The captain's tone softened immediately: "I followed the rules, but the pier won't let me unload the sandstone." "Isn't it originally loaded with vegetables?" "Yes, but my ship is called up temporarily." "Requisition?" Pazar asked in surprise, "Which public agency recruited?" "I'm just listening to the clerk. I don't want to get in trouble." "Show me your voyage diary." When Pazar was looking at the documents, Kem ordered someone to open one of the wooden boxes, and the sand and stones in it were indeed used by the temple stonemasons. It is recorded in the diary that a large number of fresh fruits and vegetables were indeed boarded on the east coast of Thebes.However, during the voyage, the ship was temporarily recruited by the shipping clerk, unloaded the cargo on the west bank of Thebes, and then traveled north to the Gabe Sicilian quarry, where the quarry workers loaded boxes of sandstone and shipped them to ...Karnak!Since the destination had not changed, the cargo ship sailed to Memphis, but the dock supervisor did not accept the irregular cargo. Cam checked the other boxes suspiciously, but they were all sandstone blocks. * * * The Devourer of Shadows had been following Pazar since morning.The task was already very difficult, but there was Cam and the baboon following him inseparably.He had to re-plan, keeping an eye on their slack gaps. Finally, the opportunity came.He joined a group of workmen, took the opportunity of carrying provisions for the crew, boarded, and hid behind the mainmast.Pazar was concentrating on questioning the captain, while Kem and the baboon were inspecting the cargo hold, and no one noticed that he was slowly crawling towards the cage. He slowly removed four of the five wooden poles of the animal cage.The leopard in the cage seemed to understand his intentions, quietly waiting for the time to break out of the cage. Pazar lost his temper.Asked the captain for the third time: "Where is the chapter of the river police?" "They forgot to cover the door, they..." "You are not allowed to leave Memphis." "No. I must take the sandstone away." "I'm going to withhold your log and examine it in detail." After Pazar finished speaking, he walked towards the gangway. As he passed the cage, the Devourer of Shadows pulled out the fifth stalk and pressed himself against the deck.Hearing Pazar's fast pace, the leopard immediately jumped out of the cage and lay across the gangway, letting out a deep roar.This beast, caught in the Nubian desert, has dazzling patterns all over its body.The stunned judge looked into the beast's eyes, and there was no hatred in its eyes.If it pounced, it was only because he happened to be in its way. Suddenly there was a roar, which frightened all the crew members out of their wits.I saw the baboons jump out of the cargo hold.Poked between the judge and the leopard.It opened its mouth wide, its eyes were red, its hair stood on end, and it kept waving its long arms to demonstrate to its opponents. If a leopard encounters a group of gorillas on the prairie, no matter how hungry it is, it will leave its prey and run away.But the leopard bravely bared its teeth and claws to face the excited baboon, who was jumping in place. Keim stands to the right of the baboon, dagger in hand.He would never leave his best subordinates alone. The leopard began to back away slowly, and finally entered the cage again.Cam also stepped forward immediately, his eyes fixed on the beast, and his hands were busy inserting the wooden pole into its original position. "There's someone running away over there." The Devourer of Shadows escaped the cargo ship along a cable, before disappearing around the corner of the pier. "Can you describe what he looks like?" Pazar asked the shouting crew. "No way. I only see his back." Pazar squeezed the baboon's strong, hairy hand, grateful.The baboon also calmed down, with a hint of pride in his eyes. "Someone's trying to kill you," Cam said. "It should be that he wanted me to be seriously injured. He knew that you would definitely rescue me, but what would I become?" "As the Chief of Police. I really want to lock you up at home." "As the elder of the gate hall, I will not let you detain me arbitrarily. The opponent is so eager to act, it seems that our direction should be right." "I'm really worried about you." "Are there any other options for me than to move forward?" "This might help." Cam opened his palm.It turned out to be a cork. "In the basement, that is, in the captain's wine cellar, there are more than a dozen of the same corks. From the above information, the owner can be found out." The handwriting on the cork is scrawled, but the words "Princess Hattusa's Harem" are still legible.