Chapter 23 Blood Feast (Part 2)
The Pharaoh held an alabaster cup and frequently persuaded the guests to drink, but what everyone was most concerned about was whether they could get out of the royal city alive. After a while, Hebrida led a group of soldiers into the hall, holding a pot with manuscripts in her hands. Several scribes immediately came up to the leather box, took the manuscripts, looked through them, smoothed some of the more important ones with ivory, and then knelt down and presented them to the Pharaoh.
Ptolemy Twelve put down his wine glass, glanced at the papyrus with majestic eyes, and not long after, he slammed the dining table with his fist. All the dignitaries present also trembled with this sound.
There was silence, only the angry voice of the Pharaoh echoed, "What is the origin of Dere? He is just a sheepherding untouchable in Upper Macedonia. He relied on his uncle to serve as an officer in the Hormashi army. He came to my court at the age of thirteen. How did I treat him as a guard? I kept him from the filth of labor and made him a noble warrior. Later, I entrusted him with the western border of Egypt. But who would have thought that this is how he would repay me in paper! He betrayed my son and cursed me in front of the gods! Even if he dies, he is no longer my king’s friend. I will completely confiscate all his property and supervise the country!”
Lepidus, who was next to him, immediately took out the account book and handed it to Pharaoh. The hall was immediately filled with wailing and angry voices. Pharaoh looked at the rows of names on the account book, his hands trembling, "Two-thirds of the powerful people in our country are doing tricks. , Today it is no longer you who are enjoying the meal of the Orbit Festival, but my crocodile is enjoying it!" After saying that, the Pharaoh screamed twice angrily, threw the account book on the steps at his feet, and then threw it at the feet of several dead soldiers! Under escort, he left the banquet. Turned into the apse.
The servants, dancers and musicians also fled through the secret passage through the side door. The whole hall was filled with a storm.
Lepidus stood in the center of the throne. Then he made an execution gesture to the centurions and soldiers around him expressionlessly. Then two rows of Roman soldiers immediately formed a shield wall on the steps, covering the commander-in-chief behind them.
"Who wants to die!" Several aberrant dignitaries shouted, crossing the pillars and preparing to run out of the palace door. As a result, hundreds of black Nubian soldiers had already rushed out of the tower and faced the pillars. A volley of arrows were fired, and those people were covered in arrows, screaming and tumbling on the steps. More and more people began to run around helplessly and desperately, and there were flying arrows everywhere, deftly like stabbing arrows. Like a moth in the fire, the lamppost was soon hit and knocked over, igniting the wine and carpet. Raging flames burst out everywhere, and corpses slowly filled the entire hall. The crocodile pool is full of "copper-headed and iron-armored" beasts. After smelling the smell of wine and blood, he became extremely excited and swung his tail in various trajectories. Some people couldn't stand the fire and arrow shooting, so they climbed over the iron fence, and were immediately bitten by the crocodile's jaws. Their flesh and blood were torn and dragged into the pool water, and the delicious food in their bellies quickly melted.
The killing came to an end in two nights at the rear. After the shield wall was untied, the Roman soldiers walked down the steps, kicked the corpses with hideous faces and various postures piled at their feet, and stabbed the dying ones who were still bleeding, moaning and crawling. "All solved, four hundred and thirty-three corpses." After a long time, Haibrida wiped the sweat from the corner of her mouth and came up to report to Lepidah.
"It doesn't matter. The Pharaoh will soon recruit a new group of loyal and loyal 'king friends' from among the scribes and petty officers to help govern Egypt. These more than 400 moths have nothing to do with the country except corruption and corruption." There is no benefit." Lepidus then snapped his fingers, and a treasurer named Charlena came forward, "You are very talented in writing and administration. I will leave the chores of confiscating the deceased's property to you. Don't forget to follow the agreement. , and hand over one-third of the proceeds to my legion as payment. Also, after a market day, that is, after the situation in Alexandria and Lower Egypt is stable, you can host the Heberside Festival for His Majesty the Pharaoh. (Temporary amnesty celebration), after completing this, you will be the new most important friend of the king."
Charlena, who was in his thirties, immediately bowed to Lepidus to thank him, and then took a few scribes and hurriedly rushed to the palace library to get busy.
Three days later, not long after the blood feast in the palace ended, the scribes' team began to confiscate all the property of the powerful, and Lepidus' army began to attack the Jewish quarter of Alexandria. They deprived all the Jews until they were There was only a little food and clothing left, and they were forced to board the ship with their families and "deported to Cyrenaica or the Cusi region!" However, Lepidus' method was quite merciful. He only confiscated their houses and took away 70% of the food. Most of the family wealth was sent to the legion's treasury, and part of it was transferred to the pharaoh's treasury.
The Eubotian Chamber of Commerce came to Alexandria by ship shortly thereafter, bringing nearly a thousand merchants with them. In the Great Temple, people were hurriedly discussing in cold yet fierce whispers the many matters concerning the construction and distribution of warehouses, shops and docks in the "New Jewish Quarter". As for the transport fleet, there was no need to worry about it - Lepidah had already put together the previously assembled fleet. All were transferred to the Eubotia Chamber of Commerce.
In the Hormashi military camp, Cassiyo sat across from Lepidus' table. The two sometimes exchanged harsh words, sometimes spread their hands to compromise, and discussed the matter of dividing the spoils. "There are too many accounts in the army treasury now. If the three-part account is taken, we will suffer a great loss!" This is what Cassiyo wants.
"How can I clean up some account books? I'm not as stupid as Cato the Younger. I wish I could return half of Assi to the Temple of Saturn in the Republic." Lepida responded tit for tat.
Then the two of them continued to exchange bad words. Sabo, who was sitting next to him, took notes as usual, "Okay, okay! Don't make any more noise with me. Two thousand talents of gold will be paid in one lump sum. Take them, go back to Rome, and take credit from Cato!" Lepidus shouted, announcing his bottom line.
"After careful calculation, we admit that we still owe one thousand talents." Kaxiyue refused to give up an inch of ground.
At this time, Sabo Kemus thought of something and whispered a few words in Lepidus' ear. The commander-in-chief nodded and agreed to increase the amount to three thousand talents, but the condition was that Triali and a quarter of One of the fleets stayed in Alexandria City, "What, this condition is very favorable. As long as you say a word, then it will just be a formality issue between the two governors Gabinus and Caesar."
"You shouldn't want to form a new fleet, right? Caesar privately recruited the Thirteenth Legion outside the framework of the Republic, and the Thirteenth Legion privately recruited the Serapis Legion. You were in the middle, Your Excellency Lepidus, now you You are still not satisfied and want to build a fleet? But don’t you think Triali is just a waste with insufficient achievements? Personally, I think Maximus is good.” Casillo completely saw through Lepidah’s plan. (To be continued...)