Blood Moon is coming
At dawn the next day, before daybreak, a shrill scream broke the tranquility over Thebes.
The sound came from the highest observatory in the city. The high priest tumbled down the platform, his face ashen, and cried out at the top of his lungs, "Blood Moon! The Blood Moon is coming! It's a sign of disaster! The gods are furious! Egypt will perish!"
The cry was like a drop of boiling oil splashing into boiling water, instantly detonating the entire capital.
Panic spread like a plague. People who were awakened from their sleep ran around to tell each other, their faces filled with fear of the coming doomsday.
They dropped their work, left everything at home, and flocked to the major temples like a tide, prostrating themselves on the ground, and prayed for the gods' forgiveness in the most humble manner.
Thebes, the thousand-year-old capital, was shrouded in a huge shadow overnight.
Amidst the chaos, an ancient prophecy quietly spread.
At first, it was just whispers in the alleys, then it became an open discussion in the taverns, and finally it gathered into a cry that resounded through the sky - "Only the eagle of the Nile and the morning star of the foreign land, two kings, sacrifice together with double piety, can appease the wrath of heaven and save Egypt!"
This is Ding Wei's backup plan.
Isis had already used her intelligence network throughout the city to implant this carefully woven "oracle" into the hearts of the people.
In the face of great fear, people urgently need a life-saving straw, and "double kings' joint sacrifice" sounds so reasonable and full of hope.
For a time, the voices of "Please ask the two kings to pray for Egypt" were overwhelming, even overshadowing the fear of the blood moon.
The atmosphere in the general's mansion was as heavy as iron.
Seti's face turned grim as he listened to the news brought back from the city by his confidant. He gripped the hilt of the sword at his waist tightly with his hands, his knuckles turning white from the force.
How could he not see the human manipulation behind this?
It was obvious that the foreign woman was using the name of natural disaster to seize power!
"General! We can't agree to this!" a young officer shouted excitedly.
"This is equivalent to publicly recognizing her status. From now on, she will be on equal footing with the Pharaoh!"
"Right! We should immediately send troops to disperse the crowd and expose this as a conspiracy!"
Seti said nothing, his sharp eyes sweeping over everyone present.
Until a gray-haired aide sighed, stepped forward, and whispered, "General, it's too late. The people's will is already determined, and God's will is revealed. If we forcefully oppose it now, the people will see us not as opposing that woman, but as obstructing Egypt's only hope of saving it. Then, we will go from being pillars of our nation to sinners who defy Heaven. That will be the ultimate damnation."
These words were like a bucket of cold water, extinguishing everyone's anger.
Seti's eyes snapped shut, his chest heaving violently.
He had been a soldier all his life and could fight against thousands of troops on the battlefield, but for the first time he found that he was forced into a desperate situation by this invisible "public opinion".
After a long time, he slowly opened his eyes. The anger in his eyes had died out, leaving only bottomless coldness.
"Pass on my orders."
His voice was hoarse and heavy. "Prepare the highest level of sacrifice and offerings. Tell everyone that I, Seti, will follow the two kings and pray to the heavens to protect the people of Egypt."
On the eve of the sacrifice, the moonlight was cold and clear.
Isis quietly came to Ding Wei's bedroom, her beautiful face filled with worry. "Your Majesty, the blood moon is an extremely rare natural phenomenon. What if...what if nothing happens after three days? We've deceived the people of Egypt. What will be the consequences..."
Ding Wei was polishing an ornate scepter by the window. Hearing this, she turned back, a mysterious smile playing on her lips. "Who says we need a real blood moon? Isis, remember, people only believe what they want to believe. What we need isn't a natural disaster, but a reason for everyone to 'believe' that a natural disaster is coming."
She took out a sealed ceramic bag from an exquisite wooden box and handed it to Isis.
When Isis opened it, she saw a bag full of dark red powder, which gave off a strange fishy-sweet smell.
"This is cinnabar, produced in the far east. When ground into powder, it's the color of blood. I had the caravan mix it with something else—a kind of seaweed powder that ferments quickly at a certain temperature, turning the water red."
Ding Wei's voice was calm but full of power.
"Send your most trusted men to drop it into a hidden tributary of the Nile River at night. Three days later, when the tide returns, the red water will flow downstream to Thebes. When the people see the red water flowing under the moonlight, what will they see?"
Isis gasped, her hand trembling slightly as she gripped the pottery bag. "The red river reflecting the moon... they'll think it's a sign of the Blood Moon's arrival, a disaster that's dyed the Mother River red! Your Majesty, this... this is bordering on deceiving the gods!"
Ding Wei walked up to her, gently pressed her shoulders, and said word by word with a scorching gaze, "Isis, if I don't first use mortal means to shape myself into the 'god' in their hearts, how can I have enough power to protect those who truly need protection?"
Isis was shocked. Looking at the deep and determined eyes of the woman in front of her, the uneasiness and fear in her heart gradually turned into an almost fanatical admiration.
She understood that this was not just a game of power, but also a gamble with the lives of all people at stake.
On the day of the sacrifice, the streets of Thebes were deserted.
People from all over the city gathered in the huge square in front of the Karnak Temple. The dark crowd stretched to the end of the sight, and the air was filled with a suffocating silence mixed with piety and fear.
On the highest platform of the temple, Ding Wei and Ramses stood side by side.
The young pharaoh was dressed in traditional golden robes, looking solemn and dignified.
Ding Wei, on the other hand, chose a long, floor-length red robe with patterns of the sun and stars embroidered on the edge with golden silk thread. When the breeze blew, the hem of her skirt fluttered, like a sunset glow burning in the sky, the color of disaster yet full of the power of life.
Isis, the main priest, held a golden scepter and recited ancient prayers aloud.
Her voice was clear and penetrating, echoing throughout the square: "Only when two hearts are in tune can we hear the oracle! Only when two eyes gaze together can we see the future! Only when two kings offer sacrifices together can we avert the catastrophe!"
As soon as she finished speaking, a miracle happened.
In the eastern sky, the edge of the originally bright moon seemed to be covered by a layer of gauze, and its light dimmed slightly.
There was a suppressed cry of surprise from the crowd.
Then, someone pointed in the direction of the Nile River and let out a terrified scream.
I saw that in the upper reaches of the wide Nile River, the water was actually emitting a faint red glow.
The red color was very light at first, like a touch of rouge dissolved in water, but as the water flowed, the color became deeper and deeper, and finally it was like a flowing river of blood, gleaming ominously in the moonlight.
"Red River! The Nile has turned into a river of blood!"
"Oh my God! Divine punishment has arrived! The prophecy is true!"
The screams and cries like a landslide and tsunami resounded through the sky.
Tens of thousands of people in the square seemed to be pressed down by an invisible hand. They knelt down in unison, their foreheads pressed tightly against the cold stone slabs, their bodies trembling with extreme fear.
Even Seti, the battle-hardened general standing on the side of the altar, turned pale at this moment. He subconsciously lowered his head, clasped his hands together, and muttered prayer spells.
He may know that there is a trick behind this, but in the face of such a thrilling "miracle", personal reason seems so small and powerless.
After the ceremony, public opinion completely turned to the two kings.
Seti unexpectedly changed his usual behavior and took the initiative to ask to see Ding Wei.
In the reception hall of the palace, he personally held up an ancient bronze war drum. The drum surface was worn, but it still exuded a terrifying murderous aura.
"Your Majesty!" Seti's voice was low and powerful.
"This drum accompanied my father in his battles for twenty years, a symbol of my family's glory. Today, I present it to the two kings, willing to brave fire and water as a vanguard for Egypt."
Ding Wei looked at him. This was Seti's gesture of goodwill, but also his test.
Smiling, she gladly accepted the generous gift and, in front of all her ministers, issued an order: "Come, hang this drum in the center of the military command hall in the palace. Inscribe it: 'Seti's drum, sounding for the country.'"
As soon as these words came out, Seti's eyes suddenly changed.
Ding Wei's move not only gave him great face and acknowledged his family's military achievements and glory, but also quietly took this glory and made it "nationalized."
From then on, this drum was no longer the private property of Seti's family, but the military soul of the country.
He, Seti, was also tied firmly to the chariot of "Singing for the Country" and had no way to retreat.
The atmosphere at the celebration banquet that night was warm and subtle.
A nobleman, who had always maintained a neutral stance, raised his glass to Ding Wei and Ramses, praising them loudly, "In the past, we only heard of the Pharaoh as the sole ruler. Egypt, though powerful, was always plagued by hidden dangers. Today, we see two kings ruling together, and they are able to move the heavens and rally the people. This is truly a grand spectacle Egypt has not seen in a thousand years!"
Late at night, Ding Wei climbed up to the observatory alone, and the evening breeze blew her red robe.
She did not look at the stars, but gazed at the Nile River in the distance, which was still slightly red.
There was a sound of light footsteps, and Ramses came quietly to her side.
He followed her gaze and asked softly, "Do you regret it? You used a carefully planned lie to exchange for everyone's trust."
Ding Wei didn't look back, but just shook her head. Her voice was soft but firm: "I'm not deceiving them, Ramses. I'm... teaching them how to believe. Believe in miracles, believe in hope, and ultimately, believe that we can bring the peace this land has longed for."
Ramses was silent.
He stared at her profile, the moonlight casting a holy glow on her.
After a long moment, he finally grasped her slightly cold hand and whispered, "You know what? Today, at the altar, watching tens of thousands of people bow down to you, I actually felt that you were more like a true pharaoh than I was."
Ding Wei finally turned her head and looked at him.
In the moonlight, her smile was gentle yet held a hint of undeniable sharpness: "Then you'd better get used to it soon. Because from today on, I will become more and more like you."
As the two stood side by side overlooking the kingdom they had "saved" with their own hands, no one noticed that in the deepest and darkest cellar of the Karnak Temple, a black shadow flashed by like a ghost.
That was Amenhotep's closest attendant. He pried open the stone cover of a ground fire well with an expressionless face, and a wave of scorching air hit his face.
He took out from his bosom an ancient scroll made of human skin and covered with scarlet spells.
The human skin scroll caught fire and turned into a wisp of black smoke, but the spell on the scroll seemed to come alive, twisting and screaming in the flames, and finally dissipating into nothingness.
A deception against the gods has just come to an end, and another curse that truly comes from darkness has quietly begun.
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