A Pharaoh and Her Beloved Queen - Chapter 9

The manic wind swept across the magnificent sea of fire, and the scorching, blistering heat poured down wantonly; sweat had no time to trickle before it evaporated into the air, vanishing without a trace.

The constantly billowing thick black mist rapidly climbed the sky following the wind. From a distance, it looked as if a black-red high wall had been cast on the coast, reaching straight for the firmament—exquisite and shocking.

Ye Zhiqing tightened her reins and looked up at the thick black fog that seemed about to pierce the clouds. Her jaw and slender neck formed a graceful curve; her calm gaze was filled with the shimmering light of one seeking life through death.

Not far away, blood splattered and weapons rose again, yet she stood there quietly in a posture of fearless and unruffled composure.

One drop, two drops… a moist sensation came from her face and hands. A torrential rain poured down from the low, grey sky, arrogantly crushing and swallowing the flames that were spreading unrestrainedly.

Her tensed expression suddenly relaxed, and a slight muscle ache came from her face. Ye Zhiqing let out a long sigh of relief, the corners of her beautiful lips lifting. Looking at the fire on the sea that was gradually dying out, she knew she had won her gamble.

The weather pattern of churning black clouds had lasted for several days without rain. Ye Zhiqing was certain the moisture content in the clouds was sufficient; the only reason rain hadn’t formed was that the temperature wasn’t low enough for condensation to occur.

There are two ways to lower the temperature: one is a cold air mass, which is beyond human control; the other is to increase the condensation nuclei in the air to achieve the goal of cooling.

The smoke produced by burning shrubs can create various inorganic salt dust particles, which are one of the main sources of cloud condensation nuclei. Rain-producing clouds are generally in the sky several hundred to over a thousand meters high; encountering a strong updraft can transport dust particles into the air, thereby forming the condensation nuclei needed for rain.

Massive raindrops pelted her face. Through the hazy curtain of rain, Ye Zhiqing struggled to observe the situation on the sea. Now that the Hittites’ plan to seal the gorge had failed, what would the Hittites and Edith do next?

Clearly, neither the Egyptian nor the Hittite armies had expected such a sudden downpour. Numerous looks of suspicion and awe-filled scrutiny fell upon Ye Zhiqing.

The magnificent sea of fire that had spread rapidly, the beautiful woman standing alone beneath it, and the sudden torrential rain—it was impossible not to link the three together.

Amidst the mixed sounds of wind, rain, and clashing weapons, the faint sound of Egyptian soldiers praising Neith, the goddess of war, drifted from the coast. This was a shocking sight they had never seen before. At a time when the Egyptian army was on the brink of desperation, if a deity were to descend, this must be the protection of Goddess Neith for Egypt.

A raging will to fight was reignited. Unlike the previous shouts of slaughter, this time, beneath the clashing of weapons, were prayers to the Goddess of War—fighting for Egypt, fighting for Her Majesty Edith.

Heshi gripped the hilt of her sword, which was already soaked in blood. Her gaze toward Ye Zhiqing was complex; unlike the vast majority of Egyptian soldiers, what lay in the depths of her eyes was not reverence, but deep wariness.

No one noticed the sharp sound of whistling wind hidden within the storm as several cold arrows broke through the rain curtain, heading straight for Ye Zhiqing.

The cold glint was piercing, aimed directly at her face. The warhorse beneath her neighed, its front hooves rearing high. Ye Zhiqing leaned her body back, barely dodging the first few arrows. When she looked up again, an arrow was already at her forehead; it seemed as if one could foresee the scene of brains splattering in the next moment.

Her pupils constricted, and white light flashed before her eyes. For a second, the blood in her whole body stopped flowing. Ye Zhiqing’s lips parted slightly, her body frozen in place uncontrollably.

Until a “clink” of a collision sounded near her ear. A faster arrow shot from the right struck it down. It grazed Ye Zhiqing’s cheek, leaving a slender cut at the corner of her eye before falling to the ground, the color of blood silenty seeping out.

Following that, a blatant rain of arrows shot toward Ye Zhiqing. Amidst Heshi’s urgent shouts, Ye Zhiqing squeezed her horse’s flanks and galloped toward the rear of the Dark Gorge. Under the protection of the Egyptian soldiers, she barely managed a disheveled escape from the dense volley.

Ye Zhiqing used the fastest speed to find a man-high reef to hide behind, attempting to identify who had just saved her life. Among the countless prying eyes, there was one that Ye Zhiqing felt was particularly special—it wasn’t suspicion, it wasn’t fear, and there was no killing intent; rather, it was filled with a sense of deep concern.

Who exactly was it?

Her rapid heartbeat echoed in her chest. She couldn’t tell if it was rain or sweat. The coast was still a scene of chaotic combat, making it impossible to distinguish anything. After searching several times and finding nothing unusual, Ye Zhiqing simply sat down with her back against the reef.

Relieved of a heavy burden, her every movement carried the sense of being fortunate to have survived. Perhaps this time, the trajectory of major historical events would indeed deviate.

Now, as long as Edith could seize the opportunity to emerge from the Dark Gorge—or as long as she was prepared in advance and had excavated a landing passage on the land side of the gorge—then once she reached land and met with the Egyptian land forces, Edith could successfully escape and evade the pursuit of the Hittite army.

She was immensely grateful that those pursuing the Hittites were all navy, while the Egyptian army ambushed here were all cavalry. The Hittites’ extra troops would not have much significance once they landed. Edith’s goal of dispersing the Hittite forces in the Kadesh sea area had been achieved.

At this moment, Ye Zhiqing felt an incredible trust in Edith—believing that this rebellious yet far-sighted Queen of Egypt could turn this crisis into safety.

Before long, a massive, unusual sound came from behind. Ye Zhiqing hurriedly wiped the rain from her face and stood up to look beyond the reef.

The only reason that could trigger such a violent reaction was that Edith had appeared. Everything seemed to be moving in a positive direction.

However, before Ye Zhiqing could see clearly, she received a heavy blow to the side of her neck. The sounds in her ears gradually faded, and before she could react, she collapsed limply onto the sand.

Her rain-soaked curls clung messily to the side of her face. With pale lips and her light robe soaked in the yellow, turbid water on the ground, she possessed a desperate beauty.

The person behind her left in a hurry; no one noticed Ye Zhiqing, who had been knocked unconscious beneath this reef.

The sounds of slaughter on the battlefield gradually faded, replaced by the receding sound of galloping warhorses and the whistle of sharp arrows.

A trace of chill came from the moist fine sand beneath her. Because of the cold, Ye Zhiqing curled up tightly; the skin beneath her had turned slightly white from being soaked in water for too long.

After the storm, the heavy black clouds dissipated, leaving only a clear moon in the sky. The moonlight was hazy and pale, and the wailing wind rendered the night in this sea area even more deathly silent.

Her eyelids flickered. Her head felt heavy and groggy, and a distinct ache came from the side of her neck. Ye Zhiqing opened her eyes and struggled to move her stiff body, her thoughts somewhat sluggish.

Leaning against the reef, she stumbled outward. On the sea and along the coast were corpses that had not yet been cleared. A few weak, unextinguished flames flickered along the shore. By the light of the fire, Ye Zhiqing looked closely; they were the uniforms of Egyptian soldiers.

It looked as if Edith had successfully escaped. The sand dunes not far away were covered with messy, dense arrows, likely left behind during the Hittite army’s pursuit.

The throbbing in her head became increasingly obvious. Her throat and nasal cavity felt as if they had been rubbed with sandpaper; every breath induced an unbearable pain. Her body was ice-cold, yet her breath was scalding.

She had no time to wonder who had knocked her out or why; the bone-chilling cold made Ye Zhiqing tremble involuntarily.

Using the last of the weak flames, Ye Zhiqing lit a campfire on the leeward side of a sand dune. Sitting by the fire, her body gradually warmed up and she felt much better. She took a shallow sip from a water skin she had just picked up by the shore.

Her thoughts gradually cleared. Ye Zhiqing stared expressionlessly at the burning fire, thinking to herself: This place is a two-day horse ride from the nearest city, Tanis. In between is a boundless desert. No horses, no food, only a little remaining water.

Just as Ye Zhiqing was wondering what to do, a strong smell of blood came from a dark corner nearby. Taking her short sword and a torch, Ye Zhiqing walked over cautiously.

Her breath caught. Without warning, an exquisitely beautiful face of extreme gentleness burst into Ye Zhiqing’s sight.

Her slender eyebrows were slightly knit. Even by the firelight, one could see her near-transparent skin tone, glowing with a jade-like luster, and her ruby lips. Even Ye Zhiqing, who was used to seeing beauties, couldn’t help but marvel at such a world-toppling beauty.

In this place, Ye Zhiqing rarely saw faces that leaned toward an Eastern look; even her own appearance was extremely rare. Let alone this typical Eastern classical beauty before her eyes, whose very frown felt as soft and graceful as water—except for that noticeably mismatched long brown hair.

With a graceful figure, she lay softly on the sand dune. Ye Zhiqing unconsciously slowed her breathing; she was like an elf in the woods, and no one would have the heart to disturb such beauty.

Ye Zhiqing’s gaze followed the smooth brown hair down to her waist. A patch of bright red at her waist was particularly obvious, and a sizable puddle of blood had already gathered beneath her.

Ye Zhiqing hesitated for a moment. Setting aside why she would appear here alone, in her current state, if she wasn’t bandaged, Ye Zhiqing was certain she would be in mortal danger from excessive blood loss.

Without much thought, Ye Zhiqing walked over slowly and knelt down, cautiously reaching toward the wound.

“What are you doing?” The tone was mild. Even with the weakness of being injured, it couldn’t hide a gentleness like a slow cool breeze at dusk—a chill infused with streaks of warmth.

Ye Zhiqing’s extended hand froze guiltily in mid-air. She looked up and met a gaze with zero aggression. “You are injured and need bandaging.”

Stating the fact calmly, their eyes met in the air. After a moment of silence, the eyes that had been open slowly closed again, masking the sharpness and realization that flickered through her brown pupils.

Forcing herself through her own physical discomfort, Ye Zhiqing had to use what was available. She used her short sword to cut several strips of cloth from her own long robe to serve as bandages, dressing the woman’s wound as quickly as possible.

Once everything was done, Ye Zhiqing silently moved the campfire over. Under the firelight, that gentle face hadn’t changed in the slightest. While treating the wound just now, Ye Zhiqing hadn’t seen her show any reaction, as if this body didn’t belong to her and she could feel no pain, letting Ye Zhiqing handle her as she pleased.

Unknowingly, Ye Zhiqing drifted into a deep sleep. All that had occurred just now relied on sheer willpower; in truth, she was already exhausted and weak, both physically and mentally. To Ye Zhiqing, this battle was a more severe ordeal than the fall of Punt.

The brown eyes slowly opened after Ye Zhiqing fell asleep, like a predator lurking in the dark, wantonly sizing up the prey she had set her sights on. The corners of her mouth still held a faint smile; no one could see the aggressive, eerie light in the depths of her eyes.

She waved her hand toward the shadows. Several figures quickly arrived by the campfire, left a few bags of dark objects, and hurried away. The sleeping Ye Zhiqing was completely unaware of everything that had happened.

As the golden light crossed the horizon, the desert greedily absorbed the heat from the light, quickly becoming scorching.

Woken by the heat, Ye Zhiqing struggled to sit up. There was no one around. If not for that puddle of blood and the several bags of food and water scattered beside her, Ye Zhiqing would really doubt if everything last night had been a dream.

Her physical condition had not improved despite a night’s rest. The temperature difference between day and night in the desert is huge; even with a campfire, Ye Zhiqing felt as if she had been in a world of ice and fire last night, tortured repeatedly yet unable to wake up.

The throbbing in her head showed signs of becoming more intense. Ye Zhiqing looked at the clear blue sky, where not a single cloud could be seen. Once the merciless sun fully emerged, her situation would only get worse.

Trapped in the desert, isolated and without help.

Ye Zhiqing gave a bitter smile. She took her short sword, cut a man-high crutch, and used the water to barely eat some of the dry rations left by that person.

She roughly identified the direction and stumbled step by step toward Tanis. Undeniably, her chance of survival lay in Tanis.

Severe physical discomfort stripped Ye Zhiqing of all thinking ability. Who had knocked her out and deliberately abandoned her here? And why only knock her out instead of killing her? What was the identity of the woman she met last night? Was last night’s encounter a deliberate approach or a chance meeting? If it was a deliberate approach, what was the purpose?

She only knew to walk forward mechanically, her thoughts a blank. Her body’s moisture was losing rapidly, and both water bags were already empty.

Ye Zhiqing’s steps grew smaller and slower. With weak and rapid panting and blurred phantoms before her eyes, she had already reached the absolute limit of what her body could endure.

The sound of hooves slowed along with the neighing of the warhorse. When Edith, her expression cold and sinister, saw that familiar figure from a distance, a thousand complex emotions appeared on her face, only to turn into an unfathomable calm in an instant.

She quickly dismounted, but before she could pull the person into her arms, Ye Zhiqing had already collapsed onto the sand.

Her face was tinged with an abnormal flush, and her body temperature was even more unbearable than the merciless sun. Ignoring the wound on her shoulder blade, Edith pulled the person into her arms, turned her horse, and galloped toward Tanis, leaving only a trace of panic and helplessness wandering in the endless yellow sand.

Her amber eyes shimmered with a colorful glow in the bright sunlight; panic spread and grew in the shadows, completely unrecognized and difficult to perceive.