Chapter 6: Disloyalty (Part 2)

At this time, Ptolemy, who was holding a scepter (actually an exquisite small ax made of pure gold), wearing a crown that also shone with golden light, as well as his naked eyeliner and fake beard, got out of the sedan chair happily, With the support of the great eunuch Motamenes and his daughter Cleopatra, he walked up the hillside. Out of courtesy, Lepidus and other generals dismounted collectively and bowed to the formidable Pharaoh.

Ptolemy hurriedly high-fived, and several eunuchs came up carrying golden badges. Lepidus took a closer look, and saw that the badge was a cobra with a pharaoh's striped crown, and he said proudly, "This is the patron goddess of the Nile." Incarnation, dear Lepidus, I can't bear to let your army go out without a flag. Look at the shabby lion on the scarlet flag, how unattractive it is." Pharaoh covered his nose and said with disdain. Petheneus's legionary flag was so outrageous that the general immediately asked the flag-bearer to move the auxiliary legionary flag to the other side of the hillside so as not to interfere with the Pharaoh's sacred sight. "So now I will move the Egyptian royal flag to the other side of the hillside." The badge of the army is given to you, and I hope you will achieve a glorious victory on your horse."

This was a big deal. It was the official badge of Ptolemy in Egypt. Lepidus quickly lowered his body and raised his hands. As a result, he turned around and handed the heavy badge to the frowning Sabo next to him. He said loudly and grandly, "Take it." Okay, my staff, from now on, while flying the mountain falcon flag and the lion flag, put the golden cobra given by the Pharaoh on the top of my base camp!"

Hearing this answer, Ptolemy laughed like an old woman, and then several Roman engineers used horizontal rangefinders and said, "Dear Pharaoh, your palace is here. I have already The Chaldean astrologer hired has inspected it, and it is a complete treasure. It can not only enjoy the beautiful sea view, but also be protected by our cavalry patrol. "

While Lepidus was blowing the conch, he saw Cleopatra behind the Pharaoh constantly giving him various looks, sometimes naughty, sometimes charming, so he pinched his nose and stopped watching this girl's performance, maybe she Let’s also rejoice in our “survival”! At this time, the Pharaoh held Lepidus' back and walked slowly on the hillside. Pretending to be very knowledgeable, he asked about the next march route, "Can we take a boat down Epirus and go to Cyrene first?" Niga, go to Alexandria to restore my throne?"

Yes, Your Majesty the Pharaoh, we can easily cross the Adriatic Sea in this small, single-layer vessel that was temporarily collected, and then continue to march thousands of kilometers in the desert full of poisonous insects and scorpions to reach the city of Alexandria. , defeat your eldest daughter's army at once, and then you may be able to enter this great city with your mummy.

Lepidus complained fiercely in his heart, but on the surface he still showed respect for the Pharaoh, even if the other party was just a half-idiot, "The road to Cyrenaica is too dangerous, and most of the soldiers I recruited are new soldiers who are not suitable for long-distance shipping. My proposition We will first go to Dikhajan in Epirus, then cross the Thessalian Mountain Road to Macedonia, and then go to Ephesus in Pergamon, where we can get the next step of supplies. After resting, we will first Take control of Cyprus, and in time the city of Alexandria, the jewel in your crown, will be safely returned to your hands."

The string of place names made Pharaoh a little dizzy, but he was still very happy after hearing Lepidah's confident initiative, and he warmly invited Lepidus and his generals to have dinner in the makeshift camp. "Although now The conditions are a bit simple, but the truly grand banquet and rewards will be held in the restored capital!"

But Ptolemy XII’s words proved to be completely polite after nightfall. At the banquet, sixty soft-waisted dancers were accompanied by various musical instruments, such as harps, lutes, lyres, single and double flutes, etc. , wearing silk scarves and dancing gracefully, and Lepidus and his followers were each given ivory castanets, which were responsible for beating the rhythm of these dancers. Little Queen also came over specially to teach Lepidus this and that. , "Hey, after finishing the rhythm, you have to bite your fingertips gently, right like me. This is a kind of respect for the dancer's skills, yes." Just when Cleopatra was sticky After leaning on the ground, Sabo next to the commander of the 12th Army had a sullen face. He held the dinner plate, moved it a few times, and then placed the dinner plate heavily on the small table.

"Well, your staff seems to be very angry." Cleopatra raised her eyebrows, looked at the sulking Sabo through Lepidus, and said innocently.

"You have to know that the Romans don't like their commanders to get too close to foreign dignitaries." Lepidus' answer made Queen Elizabeth laugh non-stop, but Lepidus continued to touch Sabo and asked, "I know You don’t like this kind of occasion. You are a descendant of the standard Romans and don’t like pleasure and foreigners, right?”

"What I don't like is the former, and the latter depends on the situation."

"I'll give you a new task."

"Your Excellency Commander, I cannot refuse your mission, even if you ask me to take over the position of the musician opposite and play a double flute."

"That's not necessary. You should discuss with Cassius tomorrow to see if you can rent a three-story luxury cruise ship with 500 oarsmen. Yes, it's best to be covered with bronze and lead, and shiny. I want to use it as the flagship for the Pharaoh, so that it can increase the majesty of the royal family." Lepidus's order made Sabo even more resistant, but he still frowned and nodded. He didn't understand what real effect this so-called "Eastern majesty" that was boastful and useless could have. Even now in Rome, a powerful consul general might usually travel alone on a donkey.

At this moment, a maid from the Pharaoh's palace, carrying figs and dried fish smeared with spicy ingredients, knelt in front of their straw mat. The maid had thin lips, dark skin but very delicate and lovely, fragrant incense sticking out of her black hair, pointed breasts and curly buttocks, which stunned Sabo. This was obviously a native girl of the Nile River, with a strong exotic style.

"What's her name?" Lepidus pointed at the half-kneeling, poorly dressed girl and asked Cleopatra.

"Her name is Nefertiti, the daughter of a Nile boatman, a loyal maid in our palace, and of course she is also a prostitute. From now on, I will give her to your angry staff." Cleopatra said, hugging Lepidus's arm nonchalantly. (To be continued.)