Chapter 39

Inside the side hall of the Palace of Khonsu, Ye Zhiqing set down the surveying tools she had commissioned from the craftsmen. Her expression was one of surprise. “Princess Manefertiti is waiting for me in the main hall?”

Lamassu lowered her head and repeated her affirmative answer.

Looking down at the complex engineering diagrams that were nearing completion, Ye Zhiqing let out a breath of relief. She instructed her attendants to keep watch over the work and walked toward the main hall.

If she remembered correctly, the Hittite delegation was scheduled to depart tomorrow. To come to the Hall of Khonsu today…

Her moon-white silk robe was interwoven with intricate hidden patterns. From the layered hem upward, the lines of the design grew clearer, converging at the waist like scattered starlight against a deep blue sky.

Hearing the approaching footsteps, Manefertiti turned around. Her falling reddish-brown hair swayed slightly, and a dreamlike, flickering soft smile played upon her lips.

Just as Ye Zhiqing had seen at the banquet, her skin was pale and translucent, a smile graced her brows, and her poise was elegant and composed to the extreme. Every movement was full of grace.

Bypassing polite pleasantries entirely, Manefertiti stepped forward and proactively handed a prepared command token to Ye Zhiqing.

The token was shaped like a crouching leopard, about a quarter the size of a palm. It radiated the dark bronze metallic luster of alloy, yet its icy touch felt more like jade. It was engraved with exquisite and complex incantations.

Ye Zhiqing took the token without understanding, her expression somewhat blank. “Princess?”

“With this token, you can enter and leave the Hittite Empire freely, and you can even command officials at the Hittite border,” Manefertiti said. her eyes were clear, as if she were speaking of something inconsequential. Her unchanging [read the original at bailiantales.com]soft smile vanished into her hairline, making it impossible to glimpse her true intentions.

In the palace of Thebes, handing such a token to someone with Ye Zhiqing’s sensitive status was enough to invite infinite speculation.

Subconsciously, Ye Zhiqing moved to return the token to Manefertiti, but she was gently pushed away.

During the Hittite delegation’s stay in Thebes, Ye Zhiqing had deliberately avoided them at every turn. Aside from necessary meetings, she had no interaction with the Hittite side.

The smile in Manefertiti’s eyes deepened as she stared into Ye Zhiqing’s. “Miss Ye, I never take back things I have given away. What this token is depends entirely on you. If you don’t need it, it is just a stone. Conversely, it can give you exactly what you need at the most appropriate time.”

Without giving Ye Zhiqing a chance to reply, Manefertiti turned and left the hall.

The light outside was bright. Manefertiti left the Hall of Khonsu as quickly as she had arrived.

Feeling it was strange, Ye Zhiqing found it hard not to overthink. After hesitating for a moment, she finally decided to keep the token. Just as Manefertiti said, as long as she didn’t use it, this token was no different from a stone.

However, to be mindful of the relationship between Egypt and the Hittites, Ye Zhiqing found a hidden compartment to store the token.

After putting it away, she walked to the main hall door. Along the way, her mind was blank. Manefertiti’s actions today had deep implications from any angle one considered.

Edith was standing in the courtyard. From a distance, she saw Ye Zhiqing walking over with a contemplative look, wondering what she was thinking. Edith curled her lips slightly and unhurriedly walked up the stone steps.

Lost in thought, Ye Zhiqing was entirely unaware that Read on BaiLianTalessomeone was standing in front of her and walked straight into her.

Her wrist was gripped tightly, stopping her erratic steps. Ye Zhiqing looked up and suddenly bumped into a pair of eyes that should have contained a vast universe, but were currently filled only with her.

Since the barrier between them disappeared, the love in Edith’s eyes grew more intense by the day.

The gaze she directed at her became increasingly passionate and bold, conveying her joy to Ye Zhiqing without reservation.

The Queen’s love, much like the year-round bright weather of Egypt, diffused into every corner, proclaiming her existence.

Even the air felt sweet, enough to make one’s heart leap.

Ye Zhiqing met Edith’s gaze and proactively pulled her into the hall.

In recent days, Edith had been busy with state affairs and stayed overnight at the Palace of Ra. Ye Zhiqing had also begun to carefully study the documents and materials sent by the engineering architects of Thebes.

Although Ye Zhiqing had researched Egypt’s primary river and canal systems back in the 21st century, thousands of years had passed, and many changes had occurred. Some details in particular required meticulous scrutiny, and once finalized, field surveys and mapping would be necessary.

Naturally, the time the two spent together had decreased. That Edith came to the Hall of Khonsu so early today was quite a surprise to Ye Zhiqing.

“Majesty, are the state affairs for today finished?” she asked in a casual, conversational tone.

Edith turned to Ye Zhiqing with a doting smile. “The read the original at bailiantales.comHittite delegation returns tomorrow, escorted by Heshi to the Mediterranean border. I intend to go outside the city tomorrow morning with you to see them off.”

Escorted by Heshi to the border? Edith personally going outside the city to see them off meant she had done enough for appearances.

Though she felt something was off, Ye Zhiqing didn’t overthink it. She pulled Edith to the desk and pointed to a gourd-shaped gap in the landscape where hills converged on the map. “Majesty, if this area could become a water storage region for the Nile, it would be more than enough to handle floods like the one this year.”

The area Ye Zhiqing pointed to was in the lower-middle reaches of the Nile. Due to its unique topography, the silt washed down from upstream was intercepted here. The soil was fertile, making it a very large agricultural zone. Simultaneously, its special terrain made it highly suitable for use as a reservoir.

If anyone else heard Ye Zhiqing say this, they would surely call her a whimsical madman.

Reservoirs are generally not chosen in agricultural zones. Even if absolutely necessary, areas with excessive river flooding are avoided as much as possible.

Yet Ye Zhiqing was directly designating such a large agricultural area as a reservoir. To an ordinary person, it was too outrageous.

Edith lowered her eyes in thought, staring blankly at the region Ye Zhiqing had marked.

Based on the arable land area of Punt, during Ye Zhiqing’s reign, Punt’s annual grain yield was three times that of an equivalent area in Egypt.

No one had ever dared to make a proposal like Ye Zhiqing’s. Even Edith herself had never considered it.

After a brief silence, a hint of inquiry entered Edith’s smile as she asked bluntly, “If this entire area is used for water storage, how will the lost grain production be compensated?”

Ye Zhiqing smiled without speaking, ​stolen content​pointing her finger toward the downstream Delta agricultural region.

Compared to the downstream Nile Delta, the Naqada Valley agricultural area Ye Zhiqing had just pointed to was insignificant.

Ancient Egyptians divided the year into three seasons—Inundation, Sowing, and Harvest—based on the rising and falling of the Nile and crop growth patterns. Each season was four months long, and the time for sowing was concentrated within the four months of the Sowing season.

If they could maximize the storage of Nile water during the Inundation season, it would not only solve the problem of floods submerging farmland but also, given Egypt’s climate, ensure ample sunlight and temperature year-round after the sowing period.

The primary factor restricting Egyptian farming was the water source. By solving the water problem, three or even four harvests a year of grain would be possible.

In Edith’s understanding, the primary and most direct purpose of building reservoirs in the Nile Valley was to solve the flood problem during the inundation period.

Edith clearly hadn’t grasped Ye Zhiqing’s full meaning. She sat down beside Ye Zhiqing, her eyes burning as she waited for her to explain.

Most proposals usually required only a small hint from Ye Zhiqing for Edith to understand.

As a monarch, the only way Edith was inferior to Ye Zhiqing was in her 21st-century experience. Whether in strategic means or the ruthless temperament of a ruler, Edith was clearly far superior to Ye Zhiqing.

Entirely unexpected that Edith wouldn’t understand her meaning, Ye Zhiqing realized after a long silence that some of the common-sense knowledge frameworks she possessed were things the Ancient Egyptians of thousands of years ago had never encountered.

Pfft— Edith’s current expression looked very much like a student dutifully seeking knowledge. Ye Zhiqing couldn’t help but laugh.

Using the most accessible language, she explained some basic principles to Edith in great detail.

By the end, Edith’s eyes were filled with light and shadow of wonder.

The two looked at each other and smiled in perfect harmony. For Ye Zhiqing, being able to put what she had learned into practice was a blessing.

For Edith, this would be the firmest foundation for her prestige and rule in Egypt, and for her desire to push Egypt to incomparable heights.

Many details would have to wait for field surveys before conclusions could be drawn; for now, it was just a proposed direction.

They both stopped talking at the same time, and tender affection rippled quietly between them.

It was a subtle, wordless moment.

The next day.

A fierce river wind blew against their faces under the bright sunshine.

A massive wolf head was perched at the bow; the colors of the Hittite ships were generally more vivid than those of Egypt.

Edith stood atop the city walls of Thebes, with Ye Zhiqing at her side.

Beside Manefertiti was the King Narmer with his reddish-brown [Read on BaiLianTales]curly hair. Bringing him on this trip to Thebes had clearly benefitted him the most.

Shifting her gaze, Ye Zhiqing’s eyes unexpectedly met Manefertiti’s meaningful look. Her calm and steady expression didn’t change, but her heart beneath her left chest suddenly quickened, as if she could hear the clear thumping in her ears.

In that instant of eye contact, Ye Zhiqing didn’t know why she felt inexplicably guilty.

While everyone’s attention was on the departing Hittite ships, she feigned nonchalance and glanced at Edith beside her. The steady, cold profile hadn’t changed. She breathed a quiet sigh of relief.

Just as Ye Zhiqing prepared to look away, Edith suddenly turned her head.

Uncontrollably, a flush from her ears quickly spread across her cheeks. Her lashes fluttered, and Ye Zhiqing quickly turned away, tilting her chin up to face the strong river wind, trying to lower the temperature of her face.

All of this was watched by Saul, who was hidden in the shadows. His eyes were filled with a bone-chilling coldness and mockery. Would even a soul from another world be attracted to Edith?

Glancing at Karnak and his party below the city wall, the mockery in his eyes grew even thicker. These people were no longer useful; it was time to clear them out.