A Pharaoh and Her Beloved Queen - Chapter 5

The moist monsoon winds arrive in Egypt during each flood season, carrying ample moisture. The weather in Tanis becomes unpredictable at this time; one moment it is brilliantly sunny, and the next, dark clouds may layer upon each other—much like the highly unstable state of war between Egypt and the Hittites.

Inside a heavily guarded rectangular building, General Situ sat to the left below Edith. His lean body looked as if a gust of wind could blow him over, and a thick black beard covered his entire face. From a distance, the beard seemed to grow out of his helmet, though the outline of tense muscles was faintly visible on his arms.

“King, according to reports from our scouts, the Hittite reinforcements this time equal the sum of the previous two waves. As for the specific reason for this buildup, it is currently unknown.” Situ had been stationed in Tanis for years, and the Hittites’ major movements clearly left him worried. When he squinted his eyes, which were already obscured by his beard, they became so small they were almost invisible.

Heshi sat opposite General Situ, watching Edith. The Queen’s lips were pressed tight, and the marks on her chin had already been concealed with fragrant powder. “I suspect,” Heshi offered, “could it be because news of our lack of military supplies has leaked?”

“Egypt and the Hittite Empire have been at a stalemate in the Mediterranean for a long time. Without confirmed information, it is not the Hittite style to rashly increase troops. There must be another reason.” Edith’s fingertip traced across the parchment map, finally pointing to Nusya.

Nusya was a small country bordering Egypt’s northern frontier. Situated across the Mediterranean and wedged between Egypt and the Hittites, it was fertile but small. Because its military and geographical position was extremely vital, it naturally became a target for the great powers.

Egypt had always wanted to establish and consolidate hegemony in the Nusya region, but it had met powerful challenges from its neighbor, the Hittites. Given the Hittites’ highly unusual movements, Edith’s first thought was Nusya.

Seeing Edith point directly at Nusya, the other generals clearly realized the implication as well.

Situ gave a cold snort. “King, a team of ‘dead agents’ (spies) has already been dispatched to Nusya to investigate. It seems Kaumone has sat on his throne far too comfortably. In my opinion, we shouldn’t have shown mercy in the first place.”

Edith lowered her eyes without a word, raising a hand slightly to signal the subordinate generals to continue reporting on the recent state of the war.

The longer the battle between Egypt and the Hittites in the Mediterranean remained at a stalemate, the greater the attrition, yet it brought no actual benefit to either nation. Both countries were now in a period of exhaustion. The fighting a while ago had been exploratory, but recently, the offensive had suddenly and unexpectedly become fierce.

“King, the Hittite attacks have been violent several times lately. The number of their warships is at least half as many as before. In the most recent encounters, we could only barely retreat. The frontline is being pushed closer and closer to the southern coast.”

“At this rate, in less than half a month, Hittite soldiers will land on the coast near the city of Kadesh.”

“The situation on the Sonjung Peninsula does not allow for more troops to be diverted to support the Mediterranean.”

“…”

Below, one after another, they argued incessantly. Edith listened in silence, her reed pen marking the parchment map from time to time. After a long pause, she suddenly asked, “Heshi, what is your plan?”

Instantly, the others fell silent. General Heshi was the commander-in-chief stationed at Tanis. Her exceptional military talent offset the disadvantage of her youth, successfully winning the recognition and loyalty of the other generals.

The eyes in the room converged on this heroic female general. “Heshi believes we can use guerrilla tactics to disrupt or delay the Hittite marching arrangements, acting according to the situation while waiting for reinforcements from the Sonjung Peninsula.”

With a vast disparity in troop strength and knowing there were no reinforcements, Edith was not surprised that Heshi proposed the safest suggestion—which was also the consensus of the other generals.

The expression on Edith’s face remained the same calm she had worn since entering. She gave a faint command: “Proceed according to General Heshi’s plan for now. Heshi, stay behind. The rest of you are dismissed.”

“Yes.”

The rustling sounds and disorganized footsteps faded into the distance. Edith curled her lips toward Heshi.

Pointing to a circled area on the map, Edith asked directly, “General Heshi, have you personally scouted this area?”

“King, according to your instructions, I have scouted it all. This is the detailed topographical map I drew. If we can lure the majority of the Hittite forces here, their numerical advantage will be severely limited.” Heshi stepped closer respectfully to answer, her voice filled with undisguised reverence and admiration.

The circled area was a rugged stretch of coast far from Kadesh. Reefs and seawater deposits formed a complex terrain, like a small canyon halfway submerged in water. The number of ships it could accommodate was limited, and once a vessel entered, it would be difficult to retreat.

Edith looked at Heshi and nodded slightly, signaling her to continue. A flash of appreciation crossed her eyes; Heshi’s sharpness on the battlefield was indeed outstanding.

Her cheeks slightly flushed with excitement, Heshi took a long breath and continued, “But this area is far from the Kadesh waters where the two countries are fighting. I am ignorant, King; I cannot think of a way to lure the Hittite army here.”

Her index finger habitually tapped the tabletop. Edith smiled lightly. “Focus on setting up the ambushes in this area during this time. Don’t worry about anything else for now.”

“Yes,” Heshi replied crisply.

“After this war is over, return to Thebes with me, General Heshi.”

Edith mentioned it as if in passing, but it sent a massive wave through Heshi’s heart. She subconsciously swallowed. “King…”

Edith did not give Heshi a chance to speak further, waving her hand to dismiss her. Watching Heshi’s receding back, Edith let out a helpless, soft sigh.

Heshi was originally the daughter of the High Priest of Thebes, five years younger than Edith. She had entered the palace as Edith’s study companion since childhood. Had she stayed in Thebes, she undoubtedly would have succeeded to the position of High Priest.

However, a few years after Edith ascended the throne, Heshi chose to go to the Mediterranean front and had been away for five years.

Thinking of the reason why, Edith’s gaze darkened slightly.

She stood up and walked to the door, looking up at the layers of black clouds in the sky. Her eyes were murky; this was a sign of the coming storm.

This was a simple and modest courtyard. Though it couldn’t compare to the luxury of Edith’s warship, it was quite elegant and unique. By comparison, Ye Zhiqing clearly preferred it here.

Lamassu and the other maids were busy in the kitchen preparing the evening meal. Ye Zhiqing had repeatedly said she would just eat something simple, but it was no use; Lamassu only smiled and refused to listen.

Coming to her senses, Ye Zhiqing couldn’t suppress her curiosity and began wandering around the courtyard. To truly touch and observe the magnificent and brilliant ancient Egyptian civilization was indeed an exciting and pleasant thing.

Upon entering, there was a wide courtyard path of green limestone leading directly to the veranda. The path was carved with simple sun-disk patterns and mysterious ancient script.

On both sides of the path were two spacious pools, where clusters of unknown green aquatic plants floated. As the wind swept past, it brought bursts of fresh fragrance.

Judging by the ripples, one could tell these two pools were filled with flowing water and were interconnected. Ye Zhiqing was instantly interested. From the surface, the two pools seemed to be strictly separated by a solid block of limestone in the middle; if the water was flowing, there must be a hidden culvert built beneath.

Taking off her papyrus sandals, she stepped down the stone stairs. As she entered the water, a refreshing coolness surged from the soles of her feet throughout her body. Ye Zhiqing let out a satisfied sigh. She pushed aside the plants blocking her view and focused intently on observing the construction of the hidden culvert under the path.

When Edith entered, what she saw was Ye Zhiqing in this state—serious and focused, but with no regard for etiquette. She had shed her defensive wall and the calculations she used when confronting Edith. The shimmering light and shadows from the water surface reflected unevenly on Ye Zhiqing, making her look extraordinarily refined and elegant.

Her heart skipped a beat, suddenly thrown into chaos.

Edith slowed her pace, walking unhurriedly toward the figure by the pool.

The sound of the wind, carrying the rustle of fabric from her movement, approached silently. Ye Zhiqing was still blissfully unaware, reaching into the water in an attempt to find clues about the underwater culvert’s structure.

The deep water was dark, and the brilliant sunlight on the surface made it even harder for Ye Zhiqing to see. She could no longer tolerate the growing ache in her waist; just as she was about to straighten up to rest, she caught a glimpse of a shadow standing behind her reflected in the water.

“Ah—!” Caught off guard, her foot slipped, and she fell toward the water. Closing her eyes tight, Ye Zhiqing’s whole body went stiff. Whether in the 21st century or here, she was a true “landlubber” who couldn’t swim.

Edith clearly hadn’t expected Ye Zhiqing to be so startled. She quickly reached out, circling the woman’s waist and pulling her into her arms.

White skirts and hair tips shimmering with a colorful glow traced a graceful arc in the air. Her body spun, crashing directly into Edith’s cold, hard armor.

“Ouch,” Ye Zhiqing cried out in pain. The tip of her nose turned red instantly. Her eyes were filled with lingering shock as she looked at a teasing Edith.

Edith held her very tight. Ye Zhiqing could even feel the heat radiating from her body through the thick armor. Almost instinctively, she pushed the person away with force, forgetting that the pool was still behind her.

The scene repeated; she was pulled back into Edith’s arms once more. This time, the tip of her nose wasn’t just red—it was swollen.

“What are you doing?” Edith asked with amusement. A Ye Zhiqing who had retracted her claws and sharp teeth was worlds apart from her previous self; it seemed this version felt quite nice as well.

Learning from the previous mistake, Ye Zhiqing waited until she was standing firmly before pushing away the Edith who was holding her tight. However, this time, the hand gripping her waist was clearly more forceful than before.

The weak sunlight filtering through the edge of the black clouds fell upon Edith’s golden crown, coating it in a layer of cold shadows. Ye Zhiqing looked up, seeing only a blurred face.

Her water-rimmed eyes flashed with traces of anger at being offended. Whether in the 21st century or in Punt, no one had ever been this close to Ye Zhiqing, let alone held her or taken her into their arms.

The Ye Zhiqing of the 21st century had been focused on archaeological research, maintaining social relationships on the principle of “friendship as light as water.” She had no time to worry about matters of the heart. Here, she was focused on state affairs, which was even more tiring than doing research in the modern world. Romance was out of the question, let alone such close physical contact with someone.

“Let go,” her voice was calm and clear, yet it was saturated with a strong sense of detachment.

The softness Edith had glimpsed earlier seemed like a hallucination. The person in her arms now had deep black eyes radiating a frost that pushed everyone a thousand miles away.

Edith pursed her lips and said nothing. Once she confirmed Ye Zhiqing was standing steady, she took a step back and released her hand.