When Xin Hexue regained consciousness, he naturally realized how terrifying the vague idea that had flashed through his mind was.
Even if his body could withstand it, his mind would undoubtedly be scarred. Moreover, the prerequisite itself was impossible to fulfill.
Furthermore, according to the flexible review standards of the major platforms in the Big World, although some intimate scenes could be broadcast after being covered with holy light effects, if sexual activities involving more than two people appeared, Xin Hexue had no doubt that the entire series would be taken down across the entire star network overnight. Of course, the more likely scenario was that it wouldn’t pass review in the first place, let alone be broadcast.
Xin Hexue turned over in the bed. The thin silk blanket rolled up to his chest, exposing his bare back. The sunlight came from outside the window; by the time it passed through the layers of curtains and fell upon the lines of his shoulder blades and spine, only a very faint layer of gold remained, not enough to harm the Divine Envoy’s fragile skin.
It seemed that, compared to sunlight, the kisses of the fanatical believer had caused more obvious “damage.” Red marks snaked down his neck all the way down to the tailbone concealed by the silk blanket.
Xin Hexue had already put away the cat tail. Suddenly, he slowly sat up and remained still.
K spoke up and asked: [What’s wrong?]
Xin Hexue reached out his hand to the inner corner of the bed, to an extremely hidden spot.
He picked up a small tuft of snow-white cat fur.
This would undoubtedly be a great blow to a fluffy long-haired cat, a damage to its perfection.
‘That rough Shamule, look at the good thing he did!’
K looked at the snow-white fur in Xin Hexue’s palm and comforted him: [Don’t worry, this is just normal shedding. It will grow back.]
Xin Hexue sighed. [What’s the current progress?]
K reported the current situation one by one.
[Rahotep Love Value 85, Heartbreak Value 70]
[Shamule Love Value 99, Heartbreak Value 67]
[Seto Love Value 90]
[Nub Love Value 80]
It seemed he was entering the final stages of this small world.
Xin Hexue remembered the slave from Nubia with golden eyes. On the night before he was abducted by Huowen, Nub had escaped from the palace in Thebes and jumped into the Nile under cover of darkness.
The guards failed to catch up with him, and Nub disappeared, his fate unknown.
However, target characters in each small world seemed not to die so easily, so when Xin Hexue heard the system mention this name, he assumed Nub was still alive.
It was just that, currently, he had no grasp of Nub’s whereabouts, which added an obstacle to his goal of maxing out the love value.
The boat will straighten itself when it reaches the bridge. Xin Hexue set this concern aside for the time being.
Another half-month passed. This season’s Forget-Worry Grass had all been made into Forget-Worry Incense. Following Xin Hexue’s instructions, Shamule ordered the diluted holy water to be distributed to every member of the guard army. These guards were undoubtedly die-hard loyalists to Lower Egypt, and their lifelong honor was bound to this beloved land. But years of consuming the Forget-Worry Incense had made them feel as if they were walking on a tightrope high in the air, never imagining they could be freed from the eerie fragrance of this deep purple plant.
The best death they could imagine was to be liberated in their old age, sinking into sleep accompanied by the scent that had been with them all their lives and quietly passing to the other side of the River Styx.
The name of the Divine Envoy and the story of the holy water spread throughout the city of Buto.
The day to destroy the Forget-Worry Incense was set for the fifth day after that.
The Forget-Worry Incense was all poured into an empty pool. This place was far from the settlements of Buto’s people, closer to the direction of the distant sea. Water from the Nile was channeled in through a ditch to soak all the incense.
Soldiers dumped bucket after bucket into the pool.
There were no major cities downstream from Buto. Following this tributary, the dissolved Forget-Worry Incense would quickly flow into the ocean.
Shamule invited Xin Hexue to observe the ceremony. As piles of the Forget-Worry Incense were immersed into the water, the soaked incense didn’t release the fragrance it would when burned, but instead produced a pungent odor that rose into the air.
It mingled with the north wind from the Mediterranean.
“This smell isn’t toxic,” Shamule said as he put his arm around Xin Hexue’s waist. He tightened the hood of Xin Hexue’s white robe to avoid direct sunlight, then took a handkerchief from a servant and handed it to Xin Hexue. “Is it unpleasant? Then cover your nose and mouth. We’ll head back now.”
Compared to before, almost no one could confidently say this was the Red King. He now looked like a tamed lion, sheathing his claws and sharp teeth for his beloved Ankh.
Xin Hexue took the handkerchief, then suddenly paused, gripping the corner tightly.
He remembered this familiar smell…
On the night Nub attempted to assassinate Anaket, he had smelled it at Anaket’s palace.
The palace was chaotic at the time. After all, it was the primary scene of the assassination attempt. Various smells mixed together, for example, the rusty scent of blood, the moisture brought by the north wind, and……
Xin Hexue closed his eyes. His memory allowed him to reconstruct the palace, returning to that moment in first-person perspective.
In the corner of the palace, there was an incense burner that had been doused with water.
It was exactly the same as the smell of Forget-Worry Incense after being soaked.
It was impossible for the incense servant to have doused it with water for no reason. So, was it done by Nub, who had broken into the palace?
It was entirely possible for Forget-Worry Incense to enter the palaces of the Upper Egyptian royalty, especially since letters between the old priest and Lower Egypt had been discovered in Anket’s palace.
While he was thinking, his gradually solemn expression was mistaken by Shamule as a sign of discomfort.
Suddenly, Xin Hexue was picked up horizontally by Shamule and lifted into the air. He hurriedly explained, “I’m fine!”
Shamule: “Your face is so pale. Why are you enduring?”
Xin Hexue: “…”
He didn’t know how to respond. Should he say that compared to Shamule, his face would always look pale no matter what?
Shamule was clearly still worried. He quickly walked away from the area. Anyway, with Huowen supervising, it was fine for the Pharaoh to leave abruptly.
Xin Hexue buried himself in Shamule’s embrace, his back to the sun.
Nub… why did he attack Anaket back then?
…..
When they returned to Buto city by sedan chair, Xin Hexue suggested getting down to walk and stroll back to the palace.
The place they disembarked was Buto’s bustling market. Sandy streets converged here from all directions, and shops and stalls lined both sides of the road; some simply displayed melons and fruits on cloths spread on the ground, hawking their products enthusiastically. The crowds were bustling, and the clamor was endless.
Most lovers would stroll aimlessly hand in hand along long streets.
Thinking of this, Shamule grasped Xin Hexue’s right hand. His heart was filled with a happiness that felt like it was about to leap from his chest, and Shamule desperately wanted to show off to all of Lower Egypt that this young man was his Ankh.
But they had not had a grand wedding yet, although the paired rings were already on their fingers.
However, now was not yet the time.
Shamule wanted to save the happiest event of his life for after the unification of the Two Lands.
A child, playing with his friends, bumped into Shamule just as he was turning a corner on the street. Seeing the attire of the person he had bumped into, the child’s lips trembled in dismay, and he started crying in panic.
As if he had bumped into a ferocious beast.
But the Red King in Buto city was indeed a figure who could make children stop crying at night. Even beyond Buto, legends circulated about this king’s cruel nature.
The passersby who had been bowing to the Red King as they passed fell silent instantly because of the situation.
Shamule only glanced at the child, whose face was streaked with tears and snot, and said coldly, “Go play somewhere else.”
Having said that, he led Xin Hexue away by the hand.
“That child was crying just now. Why did you squeeze my hand?” Shamule asked only after they had walked some distance. “In your eyes, do you think I’m someone who would trouble even a child?”
Xin Hexue’s tone was mild. “Your Majesty jokes. I merely felt hungry and wanted to hurry back to the palace.”
Shamule let out a cold snort from his nose, unsatisfied with this answer. “Let’s go.”
He added, “Also, you can only call me by my name. Do not address me by any other title.”
And definitely not “Rahotep”.
But Shamule didn’t say this explicitly, because he knew that even though they were twins, their appearances and personalities were distinct enough that Xin Hexue wouldn’t mistake them.
By the time they reached the palace, evening had arrived.
A golden sun rose over the Nile in the distance. Shamule still felt the need to defend himself. “No matter what others think or say, I hope you do not see me as a cruel tyrant and avoid me because of it.”
“Rumors have it that I once ordered for the corpse of that Nomarch of Giza to be hung outside the gates of Giza and let vultures peck out his eyes. He hypocritically pleaded for reduced taxes for the people of Giza because he had embezzled the disaster relief funds sent by the royal city to Giza. In fact, he treated the people under his rule as fish and meat; his crimes were far more disgusting than those of the carrion-eating vultures.”
“And those nobles I threw into the Sacred Beast Pool…”
Before Shamule could finish explaining why they deserved their fate, Xin Hexue pressed his lips against his.
A touch that left immediately.
A lip-to-lip contact.
“There’s no need to explain to me.”
Xin Hexue’s warm, pink eyes held his reflection, far more beautiful than the sunset on the horizon.
However, an uninvited guest quickly shattered this peace.
“Your Majesty, urgent news from Memphis!”
The messenger ran over quickly, knelt on the ground, and presented a papyrus letter.
“The White King’s army launched a surprise attack on Memphis last night!”
Hearing this, Shamule and Xin Hexue turned to look at him simultaneously, but with different lights in their eyes.
….
The terrain of Lower Egypt was not suitable for defensive warfare. This was the delta formed by the Nile’s alluvial deposits, vast expanses of flat land without any tall mountains for defense. If the Upper Egyptian army broke through Memphis, the dividing line between the Two Lands, then the White King’s northward advance to capture Buto would be significantly easier.
The army assembled in a grand manner below Buto city, raising the blue lotus banner, their feet treading the wind and sand, and set out that very night.
Letters requesting troop mobilizations were also sent to the various Nomes via messenger birds, scattering in all directions.
Shamule personally led the campaign to the front lines, while Huowen remained to guard Buto.
Xin Hexue was effectively imprisoned in the Meret Palace. Although Shamule didn’t explicitly forbid him from leaving, Xin Hexue knew that every time he left the Meret Palace, shadow guards followed him.
Even a cat leaving the Meret Palace wouldn’t escape the sight of the shadow guards.
The Red King, leading the campaign at the front, could not bring his Ankh along. He was anxious, as if worried the Ankh would grow wings and escape, and fall into the embrace of an old lover.
Letters from Memphis arrived one by one in Xin Hexue’s hands. In one letter, Shamule demanded that Xin Hexue put the shed cat fur in the package to be sent back with the messenger and mail it to him. The alternative was to send him some of the fragrant herbs used during his bath.
Faced with the choice, Xin Hexue opted for the cat fur.
The intervals between these letters arriving in his hands grew longer and longer.
At first, it was two days, then three days, later seven days……
Shamule had set out before the Shemu season ended completely. The golden light of the sun and the white brilliance of Sirius simultaneously split the night sky. The new Aket season arrived. The Nile’s water level rose, then receded over four months. The farmers went out onto the black soil and began planting for the new year’s Peret season.
By this time, Xin Hexue had gone a full month without receiving any reply from Shamule.
The night before, Huowen brought Tisis to his palace, requesting that Tisis sleep in a side chamber of the Meret Palace, and that he would come the next day to resume responsibility for Tisis’s care.
This young royal had just celebrated his birthday, and was eight years old now. He had grown taller, beginning to shoot up like his older brothers.
Huowen did not come to pick up Tisis as promised the next day.
When the intruders burst into the Meret Palace, Xin Hexue was in the courtyard teaching Tisis how to shoot a bow.
They had set up a target at the far end of the courtyard.
Xin Hexue stood behind Tisis, bending his knees slightly and leaning down, guiding Tisis’s elbow to draw the bow.
His face was as fair and gentle as ever. For Tisis’s result of hitting the bullseye, he smiled.
The sound of a sword clattering to the ground rang out!
Seto stood frozen in place, his mask split by an ugly crack.
Mother Goddess…
Had another “good child” now.
