Chapter 70

“General Heshi, it has been a long time,” Manefertiti said. She was dressed in ordinary merchant’s attire, standing against the wind with a faint smile.

When Heshi saw clearly that the person leading the group was her, she froze in place. Her lips parted slightly, but she was speechless; her gait turned stiff, and her face was a picture of utter bewilderment.

She had never dared to hope she would see her again.

“Man—” Heshi started to say, but immediately corrected herself, adopting a tone of deliberate distance. “Her Majesty Edith sent me for the handover.”

With Manefertiti suddenly appearing here, Heshi wasn’t sure if the others on the ship knew her true identity.

To her surprise, Manefertiti strode forward. Even the nondescript merchant’s clothing could not hide her graceful posture and elegant temperament. Stopping before Heshi, the corners of her eyes curved upward as she directly took hold of Heshi’s hand hanging at her side.

“General Heshi, I am now the merchant ‘Yati.’ I have water and dry rations on board; once they are delivered to Her Majesty Edith, I will leave.”

Heshi’s hand had been clenched tightly, and Manefertiti’s sudden intimate gesture clearly left her at a loss. In a panic, she took a step back, trying to withdraw her hand. However, Manefertiti held on firmly, giving Heshi no chance to retreat.

The two remained in this strange posture as they watched the crew unauthorized copyfinish unloading the supplies. During this time, beads of sweat continuously broke out on Heshi’s forehead and her cheeks flushed crimson—making it impossible for Manefertiti to ignore, even if she wanted to.

“General Heshi, are you truly this uncomfortable being with me?” Manefertiti asked. It sounded like a joke, yet the undertone of self-mockery was evident.

As their eyes met, it felt as if they had returned to the time five years ago. Knowing they shouldn’t be entangled further, Heshi denied it the next second without thinking: “I am not.”

Manefertiti’s eyes shimmered like a sudden burst of sunset light, and her smile deepened. The development of the situation was far better than she had anticipated. Five years had not erased a single memory of their shared past; Heshi was still the same Heshi who would soften her heart the moment Manefertiti showed vulnerability.

Once the supplies were fully unloaded and Manefertiti’s companions had boarded the ship, Heshi’s expression turned complex. She could not refuse this version of Manefertiti—simple, harmless, eyes clear as stars, devoid of plots or schemes.

And more importantly, there was no longer the gap of status and position between them—even if it were all a facade she had put on.

They stood in silent eye contact for a long time until Heshi, unable to bear it, mentioned with feigned indifference, “The merchant ship should leave now.”

The implication was that Manefertiti should leave as well.

Manefertiti gave a somewhat helpless, bitter smile and signaled with a wave. The ship docked at the shore gradually began to sail away. Meeting the confusion in Heshi’s eyes, Manefertiti took out a cloth and unhurriedly wiped the sweat from Heshi’s face, acting as if it were a trifle.

In a nonchalant tone, she said, “General Heshi, the current ruler of the Hittites is Prince Narmer. I am now just an ordinary merchant. If you do [unauthorized copy]not take me in, I will have nowhere else to go.”

The gentle touch on her face and the warmth of the body beside her made Heshi feel a surge of dryness in her throat. The shock in her eyes was displayed without reservation; it took a long time for her to process the meaning of Manefertiti’s words.

Manefertiti gave up her status as the Eldest Princess of the Hittites for me…

Faced with Heshi’s wooden, dazed reaction, Manefertiti could only shake her head helplessly, her voice soft as if coaxing a child.

“Heshi, you already knew my difficulties. You were unwilling to accept the Hittite Princess, but I am no longer that person. It has been five years; are you still unwilling to accept me?”

The shock in Heshi’s eyes gradually transformed into a complex tide of emotion. She raised her hand, then lowered it, and finally pulled Manefertiti into a gentle embrace. “No… I am willing.”

In the next instant, tears flowed freely down her cheeks. Manefertiti hugged Heshi back tightly, an unshakeable determination in her deep eyes. Her Heshi had finally returned. They had missed so much time; from now on, they would accompany each other and never be apart again.

Edith’s indifferent gaze rested on the two by the shore, and her lips curled upward. Recalling the news sent by the Assyrian Prince Bunis, her heart felt soft.

Zhiqing, we will be able to meet soon.

After lingering for a long time, Heshi took Manefertiti’s hand and walked toward Edith. Her gait was somewhat hesitant, bailiantales.com whereas Manefertiti appeared much more at ease.

Perhaps sensing Heshi’s reservations, Manefertiti spoke first: “Your Majesty Edith, it has been a pleasure collaborating.”

“Yati, the pleasure is mine,” Edith replied. She had clearly expected this. The scorching sunlight made her lean, powerful muscle lines appear even more formidable, yet her attitude toward Manefertiti was surprisingly mild.

Manefertiti sat down on the ground with them and asked candidly, “Is Your Majesty planning to return to Thebes next?”

“Yes,” came the concise and certain answer.

Manefertiti then handed over a roll of papyrus she had been holding. “This is all the information I could gather. I believe Your Majesty will find it useful.”

Edith said nothing, took the document, and scanned it briefly. Her eye color shifted slightly as she said, “Heshi will arrange your identity in Egypt.”

“What, does Your Majesty not intend to tell me about the plague in Egypt? I fear that if it isn’t handled well, someone else might end up sitting on that throne,” Manefertiti teased ambiguously, though it sounded more like a jab.

Edith rose with indifference and mounted her horse. “Many may covet the Egyptian throne, but none can take it—unless I give it away.”

The violent wind blew her unrestrained black hair even more wildly. read the original at bailiantales.com Her tall, strong figure sat atop the horse, the golden halo surrounding her growing more dazzling. That was truly the aura of an imperial monarch.

As Edith’s former rival, having cast off her own identity as a ruler in a single day, Manefertiti couldn’t help but feel a sense of contrast, but she felt a deep sense of relief. Her choice, from beginning to end, was Heshi. Besides, she was willing to lose to Edith.

Judging by Edith’s attitude, she didn’t seem worried about the plague at all, so there was no need for Manefertiti to worry either. She turned back; Heshi was standing not far away, quietly waiting for her. They smiled at each other as the wind rose, bringing a sense of fulfillment.

Clatter, clatter… The orderly sound of hooves rang out as the golden waves of sand merged into the azure sky. Simultaneously, several hawks circled in the firmament. Their piercing cries appeared and vanished within the clouds, crossing the desert and the oases, finally disappearing outside the city of Thebes.

Inside the City of Thebes.

After receiving a reply, Agda immediately went to find Bunis. Since Miss Ye was rescued by the people from the palace, she hadn’t appeared again, a fact that clearly made Prince Bunis very anxious. Agda didn’t understand; in his eyes, this Miss Ye could not compare to Queen Chimenis at all, but since the Prince insisted on approaching her, they could only comply.

“Your Highness, news has come back from Her Majesty Edith. She wants you to be prepared at the Muto border.”

“Anything else?”

“Her Majesty will return to Thebes shortly.”

“Has the news about Ye Zhiqing been sent?”

“It has.”

“Hmm?” Bunis paused pointedly. The guest house where they were staying was diagonally across from the palace. They had been watching the palace gates for a long time but hadn’t made any valuable discoveries.

“Your Highness, Her Majesty said in her letter that you need not worry about Miss Ye.” Agda looked at the sky speechlessly where Bunis couldn’t see, his mouth twitching. I didn’t want to say it, but you kept asking—now it’s awkward, isn’t it?

However, Bunis lacked any such self-awareness. Just then, a military column emerged from the palace gates, looking different from the usual patrols. Bunis instantly threw Agda’s words to the back of his mind.

Through the staggered statues, a familiar silhouette appeared. Bunis hurried downstairs. “Agda, get ready immediately. Ye Zhiqing has appeared.”

As for Ye Zhiqing, she quickly merged into the crowds the moment she exited the palace gates. A short while later, she changed her attire and reappeared on the bustling streets of Thebes.

The fake “Edith” had actually allowed her to leave the palace freely and hadn’t even sent anyone to monitor her—this was something Ye Zhiqing had never expected. Whether or not hidden guards had been added in the shadows, at least no one was visible on the surface. Did this mean the fake “Edith” wouldn’t obstruct her from doing certain things?

Ye Zhiqing thought as she walked, holding the stone seal Saul had given her at their parting. Rather than running around like a headless fly, she decided to go straight to the High Priest. She figured that since Saul wanted to make a deal with her, he should show some sincerity.

Hurrying along, she didn’t notice [bailiantales.com]several groups of people following her—or perhaps she simply didn’t care.

Bunis saw the direction she was heading; she was clearly going to the Luxor Temple. What is Ye Zhiqing doing there? According to his intelligence, Edith and the officials of the Luxor Temple were at odds. Seeing that she was nearly there, Bunis seized the opportunity and “bumped” into her.

As Ye Zhiqing was walking, a powerful force hit her from the side, nearly sending her to the ground. Bunis reached out to pull her back; after a few stumbles, the two managed to stand steady.

“Tulu? Why are you here?”

“It’s me, Miss Ye. We meet again,” Bunis said with his usual exaggerated smile.

“Do you need something?”

“Indeed, I do. Miss Ye, why don’t we find a place to have a proper talk?”

Ye Zhiqing didn’t know Tulu’s background and didn’t want to waste time with him right now. She shook her head in refusal. “I have urgent business. Perhaps next time.” She tried to step past him.

“Miss Ye, I suspect the sharp weapons forged in Punt aren’t actually steel of insufficient purity, are they? And the automated canal irrigation system—does that really belong to this world?”

Bunis’s words successfully made Ye Zhiqing stop in her tracks. He lowered his voice and leaned into her ear. “Miss Ye, am I right?”

Ye Zhiqing turned her head. As expected, a glimmer of shrewd calculation shone in his eyes. She quietly increased the distance between them. “Yes. How do you know that?” Her words were devoid of warmth.

Is Tulu also from the 21st century? The thought flashed through her mind. And is he friend or foe?