There was no doubt that Shamule and Rahotep were twin brothers.
But even with identical facial features, strikingly similar golden hair and violet eyes, no one would ever mistake one for the other.
Rahotep was like a piece of jade already polished smooth and devoid of sharp edges. His tall frame was often draped in long robes dyed from precious linen, his demeanor gentle and magnanimous. He was like a falcon spreading its wings under the sun; only when he revealed his talons to strike at prey would people remember that beneath that expensive robe hid a sharp longsword.
Shamule, on the other hand, was his exact opposite. His aggressiveness was completely unconcealed. His deep honey-colored chest was bare, and a wide-collar necklace of agate, chalcedony, and lapis lazuli spread across his shoulders and neck in an interwoven display of color. Gold armbands and ivory bracelets tightly encircled his arms, openly showcasing his lean, tough muscles.
He was like a wild tiger or leopard, unpredictable. No one knew when he might explode in an instant.
Shamule’s eyes were narrow and long, with a deep, rich purple hue within them. They were now looking at Xin Hexue with intense interest, and his eyes were like a snake’s tongue, slowly licking every inch of his snow-white skin.
The more he looked, the more he felt that those eyebrows and eyes, that personality, that unyielding soul…each and every one scratched the itch in his heart.
This was clearly a treasure bestowed upon him by the gods…
Why should the White King possess it?
A flame stirred in Shamule’s chest, burning fiercer and fiercer. It had been a long time since he felt such exhilaration.
Oh, but he shouldn’t celebrate too soon.
He had almost forgotten…his and his brother’s extreme pleasure and pain were interconnected and mutually felt.
If he gets too excited, his diligent elder brother, who would probably be listening to the Vizier’s report in the administrative palace, will suddenly get the shock of his life.
What was extreme pleasure for him will not be the same for Rahotep…
Even though his inherently wicked nature found the idea of making his self-composed elder brother lose his composure amusing, Shamule himself was still an extremely stingy and selfish man.
Therefore, he forced a cold sneer from his chest.
This was something he had earned. Rahotep had done nothing, why should he share in the extreme pleasure?
He had to think carefully about how to settle the ultimate treasure he had captured.
“I am very satisfied,” Shamule said to the great hero of this expedition. “Huowen, you may go to the Treasure Hall and choose the reward you desire.”
The people living in Buto all knew that the Lord of Lower Egypt enjoyed collecting rare and exotic treasures from various countries. He had a special palace for his private collection of treasures, a vast sea of exotic jewels and rare curios, where pearls, jade, and gemstones were discarded like worn-out shoes. Shamule did not specify the quantity of the reward, very generously allowing Huowen to pick and choose as he pleased.
Huowen did not show any surprise, he only felt relieved as he took his leave. However, before leaving the palace, he remembered something very important. “Your Majesty, do you plan to appoint the Divine Envoy as the new High Priest of the temple? Do you need me to notify the temple priests?”
Hearing this, Xin Hexue turned to glance at Huowen.
After witnessing the scene from earlier, this person could still ask such a question naturally and without doubt…he truly embodied the thick-skinned, oblivious manner of a military man.
Did Huowen actually think the Red King had gone to great lengths to capture him just to make him the Divine Envoy of Lower Egypt?
The moment he locked eyes with the Red King, Xin Hexue felt like he was scalded by the intensity of that gaze. In that instant, he understood how the story would unfold.
And it was consistent with his suspicion.
Upon hearing his subject’s words, the Red King let out a laugh of ridicule directed at Huowen. “You are truly very foolish and uncomprehending…”
And Xin Hexue’s covert glance towards Huowen was interpreted by Shamule as hope.
The Divine Envoy looked aloof and unfeeling; he probably didn’t understand how ugly human nature could be. Coincidentally, he was one of the most evil of them.
Shamule: “Take him to the Meret Palace to bathe. From now on, this guest will reside there.”
‘Meret Palace…?’
Huowen’s eyes widened slightly.
In their language, ‘Meret’ meant love. Usually, only the wife of the Lord resided there. Or, a more straightforward explanation:
It was the residence of the Pharaoh’s favored concubine.
His Majesty’s meaning was…
Did he intend to blaspheme the gods?
Huowen’s gaze fell on the Divine Envoy in the white robe. The emotions in his eyes shifted several times, revealing a hint of guilt.
After all, he was the one who had brought the Divine Envoy back…
In a way, he was also instrumental in the blasphemy of the gods.
He stared at Xin Hexue for too long, and the Red King’s look towards this subject gradually grew displeased.
“Huowen, remember to bring your Ankh to the palace victory banquet tonight.”
‘What…?’
But Your Majesty clearly knew that although he was of an age to have long been married, he did not yet have an Ankh…
But Your Majesty clearly knew that although he was of an age to have long been married, he did not yet have an Ankh…
Huowen’s lips parted and closed, but ultimately, he said nothing. “Yes, Your Majesty.”
If the King believed he should have an Ankh and demanded he bring one to the banquet, then he had better have one.
Xin Hexue was taken to the so-called Meret Palace. This palace had been unoccupied for a long time, but it was the closest to the Red King’s sleeping chambers, so the palace servants dared not slack off in its usual cleaning.
The courtyard garden was lush and green, carp swam in the fountain pool, lotuses bloomed within it. All the furniture in the sleeping chambers, made of precious wood, was scrubbed to a dark shine, and not even dust could be seen on the carpets.
Since the Red King had forbidden any use of incense in the Meret Palace and did not allow the attendants to presumptuously anoint Xin Hexue with any perfumed oils, when they served this honored guest in his bath, the bathwater did not even contain cedarwood or mint…only a few medicinal herbs were added as a cleansing agent.
The prepared clothing was delivered by servants who attended the Red King. The deep blue lotus-patterned cloak on top was folded neatly, and the cloak’s lining was made of gilt silk fabric. Underneath it was jewelry.
Xin Hexue lowered his gaze and scanned them, his eyelids twitching slightly.
The royal family had a maidservant with the best makeup skills in the land, responsible for applying makeup for royalty and nobility before court banquets or important ceremonies. She was very familiar with the entire process, but looking at this guest, the maid was stumped for the first time.
It seemed all the colorful gemstone powders and cosmetics favored by the nobility seemed superfluous and cheap on this face.
He didn’t need extra embellishment from others.
He was undoubtedly more perfect than any alabaster statue crafted by artistic artisans, and was dazzling enough on his own.
In the end, the maid simply used a pigment made from green malachite powder to trace slightly upturned lines following the curve of his eyelids over the thin eyelids.
Eye makeup was crucial; it was key to warding off evil spirits.
Xin Hexue’s eyelashes lifted again. The maid said softly, “May the Sun God Ra protect you.”
……
The sunset quietly sank into the depths of the Nile. The evening breeze from the sea blew through the exquisitely carved lotus-headed stone pillars into the courtyard and palace where the evening banquet was held. The air was rich with the scent of spices and delicacies.
The royalty and nobility clinked glasses and conversed with laughter, but upon closer inspection, one would notice their smiles seemed extremely unnatural, as if stretched with great effort, unable to conceal the fear behind them.
They dispersed to their respective places around the four corners of the banquet hall. Long tables were covered in pristine white linen, the flames in the candelabras reflected off the shine of gold and silver vessels and the glistening oil on the crispy skin of whole roasted geese.
The roasted beef ribs stuffed with dates and herbs were tender and juicy, the fragrant roasted sea bass and smoked eel dripped with grease, and fresh lemon juice was provided in small dishes for seasoning and cutting the richness.
It was clearly a luxurious picture meant to whet the appetite, but few could muster an appetite.
At the last banquet, a noble had eaten four pieces of honey cake sprinkled with almonds. The Red King had the person taken away on the grounds that they were dissatisfied with the other banquet food. A few days later, other nobles heard that the crocodiles in the marshes outside the city had enjoyed a good meal.
This news was something they heard during court, vividly described by the scribe beside the Pharaoh as he narrated the crocodiles’ feast.
The one on the throne was a complete tyrant. Even so, they still had to exhaust all means to sing praises to his glory and wisdom.
The Red King’s gaze turned towards the outside of the palace.
A slim figure appeared at the palace entrance, arriving late.
“Ankh Ir.”
Shamule spoke.
Ankh Ir was the term for one’s most precious, most beloved person. In monogamous Egypt, everyone would have such a person in their life, so none of the guests present would fail to understand its meaning.
It was precisely because of this that their bodies shuddered upon hearing the Pharaoh utter this word.
Some quick-witted nobles immediately began to praise the Pharaoh’s beloved Ankh.
But halfway through their words, the entire hall of guests fell into silence the moment they clearly saw the newcomer.
Behind Xin Hexue’s deep blue cloak, a tail of silver hair tied up by silk ribbon swayed gently with his steps, as lively and spirited as a fish swimming in the waves of the Nile.
The unique hair color was enough to reveal his identity.
Everyone in Lower Egypt knew that not long ago, the Red King had ordered Huowen to lead a great army to attack Upper Egypt. The reason they were gathered here tonight was to celebrate the victory.
Lower Egypt had welcomed back the Divine Envoy, even if the methods weren’t particularly dignified or honorable.
But no one had expected…
The captured Divine Envoy to become the Red King’s Ankh.
This was simply blaspheming the gods…
Their land and people would be forsaken by the gods…
Shamule left the foremost seat. He walked forward along the long gold and red carpet and extended his hand towards Xin Hexue, seemingly hoping his Ankh Ir would place their hand in his palm, allowing him to escort them to the seat of honor beside him.
“Pah!”
Xin Hexue slapped the hand away mercilessly and looked at Shamule calmly.
He was challenging Shamule’s bottom line.
The Red King withdrew his hand, the smile that had been on his thin lips disappearing. “The same trick is fresh the first time, but a bit too dull the second time.”
He seemed to have lost patience, or perhaps intended to wear down the pride of the young man before him.
“I’ve heard the ceremonial dances of Upper Egypt are quite different from those of Lower Egypt. Since the Divine Envoy is late, why not let everyone appreciate the ceremonial dance of Upper Egypt and the Divine Envoy’s grace?”
Shamule had already returned to his high seat. He propped his chin on his hand and looked towards the Divine Envoy, standing isolated in the center of the gold and red carpet amidst the crowd of guests.
The musicians in the palace had already begun to play, and the music of lutes, lyres, and flutes intertwined.
Xin Hexue pursed his lips together, his expression cold and detached. The deep blue cloak accentuated his fair complexion.
Standing there, he looked like a jade tree.
Not seeing a humiliated expression appear on this stunningly beautiful face, Shamule couldn’t say if he felt any regret in his heart.
He thought the current predicament was enough to make the Divine Envoy recognize the situation. He was just about to call Xin Hexue to come sit beside him when he saw the other party suddenly move.
Xin Hexue raised his hand and untied the cloak binding at his neck. The evening breeze blew into the palace, causing the exquisitely crafted deep blue cloak to billow up like a rolling wave before being casually tossed aside.
Shamule’s face darkened.
Huowen and the other nobles in the seats below only heard the Red King say in a deep voice, “Anyone who dares to open their eyes will have them gouged out.”
No one would doubt the truth behind these words. Everyone did not dare to look up, nor did they dare to cast offensive gazes towards the Divine Envoy.
However, it was different from what they imagined.
Beneath the cloak was not some revealing attire. The wrapped skirt had layers of exquisite fine pleats, long enough to reach the knees. The upper body was still clad in a soft and delicate kalasiris.
The kalasiris was thin as cicada wings, nearly transparent, enough for Shamule to see the delicate pearl chain he had sent over.
It was wrapped delicately around the waist. With the ceremonial dance steps, the two layers of pearl chains collided, swaying precariously with each movement.
The pearlescent white was lustrous, and the tinkling sound was pleasant to the ear.
Even without the visual, the sound was like a feather, hooking and tugging at people’s emotions, its allure not much less than seeing it firsthand.
The hearts of those present seemed to be stirred by the light sound of those dancing steps, lifted by the taut, white arches of feet, only to be mercilessly trampled on under bare feet, over and over again.
Huowen sat among the seats. Before tightly closing his eyes, he vaguely saw the deep blue cloak floating towards him.
Fortunately, there were no dishes placed directly in front of him, mostly just fruit platters.
The slight sound of pearls clinking seemed to be getting closer and closer… Huowen couldn’t help but crack open a slit of his eyelids.
The deep blue cloak swept past his eyes. Huowen only caught a glimpse of a slender, narrow hand. Accompanied by it came a faint yet impossible to ignore cold fragrance.
Huowen was stunned for a moment. By the time he reacted, the music had already ended.
And he had already opened his eyes completely.
He didn’t know if the Red King had noticed him opening his eyes during this process, and cold sweat broke out on his back.
The purple in Shamul’s eyes was deep and intense. He reached out towards Xin Hexue. “Come to me.”
All of His Majesty’s attention must be focused on the Divine Envoy, right? Huowen let out a breath.
He watched as Xin Hexue walked step by step towards the high seat.
But the next moment, he heard Shamuel say, “Did I say you could open your eyes?”
Huowen’s heart sank. He subconsciously stood up, even knocking over two fruit platters. Figs and dates scattered and rolled across the gold and red carpet, and the noise caused others to open their eyes a slit.
The sudden change happened at this moment.
A cold gleam rose high in the air, sharply stabbing towards Shamule’s chest.
“Die.”
Xin Hexue said expressionlessly, his eyelashes lowered.
It was just one inch away from piercing the spot on the chest corresponding to the heart when it was forcibly intercepted within the flesh of a left hand!
“So you’re not mute?” Shamule raised an eyebrow and met Xin Hexue’s gaze. “It sounds really nice.”
Xin Hexue twisted the silver dining knife, and watched the blood surge forth. He curled the corners of his lips at Shamule.
The pink lips pursed together, showing a faint hint of red.
Shamule: “Are you smiling for me?”
[Shamule Love Value +10]
