Breaking through the trick
The moonlight was like frost, and the altar outside the temple was shrouded in dead silence.
High Priest Anubis stood in the shadows, his deep eyes burning with suppressed anger.
In front of him, several nobles dressed in gorgeous clothes had different expressions, but their eyes all revealed dissatisfaction and worry about the Pharaoh's centralization of power.
"Everyone." Anubis' voice was low and inciting.
"Ramesses has been bewitched by that oriental woman. You all witnessed the farce in the council chamber. For the sake of an outsider, he openly weakened the divine authority and trampled on tradition. If this continues, the glory and power passed down by our ancestors will vanish into thin air!"
An elderly nobleman interjected with concern, "The high priest is quite right. But Pharaoh holds military power. What can we do?"
Anubis sneered, "Since he wants to shake the divine authority for that woman, we will let the gods 'warn' him."
He paused, and lowered his voice even more, like a poisonous snake spitting out its tongue.
"The Nile's flood season is approaching. We will spread the word that this 'foreign princess' has impure blood and has angered the river god. This year's flood will be an unprecedented disaster that will devour our land and our people!"
This vicious plan made the nobles present gasp, but it was followed by uncontrollable excitement.
This is a conspiracy that is enough to shake the foundation of the country.
Within a few days, a rumor of an "unclear sacrifice" spread like a plague through the streets of Thebes.
People whispered to each other, their faces filled with panic, projecting all their fear of the unknown onto the mysterious oriental princess.
"The princess is a disaster! She will bring misfortune to Egypt!"
"The river god is angry. The Nile will no longer protect us!"
When the maid Safu trembled and repeated these words to Ding Wei, her little face turned pale with fear.
Ding Wei was copying an ancient papyrus document. Upon hearing this, the reed pen in her hand paused slightly, and the ink spread out to form a dark dot on the paper.
She raised her head, her eyes frighteningly calm.
Sapph had never seen the princess like this before. It seemed as if a storm was brewing in the depths of her clear eyes.
Ding Wei understood instantly that this was not just a simple folk rumor.
This was a precisely planned political attack, the target of which was not only her, the "foreign princess", but also the man behind her who was trying to centralize power - Ramses.
The nobles used her as a weapon to try to undermine the foundation of the Pharaoh's rule.
Passive clarification will only lead to falling into the quagmire of self-incrimination, which will only make things worse.
Ding Wei's mind was working rapidly, and a plan that was so bold that it was almost crazy took shape in her mind.
She wants to take the initiative and turn this crisis into her own stage.
She stood up and said to Sapph, "Change my clothes for me. I want to go see Pharaoh."
The atmosphere in Ramses' study was solemn.
He was also very upset by this sudden rumor and was discussing countermeasures with several trusted ministers.
Ding Wei's arrival surprised everyone.
"Your Highness." Ramses' voice carried a barely perceptible hint of fatigue.
Ding Wei ignored the scrutiny from the others and walked straight up to him, getting straight to the point: "Pharaoh, please allow me to hold a 'River God Blessing Ceremony', and I will personally be the officiating priest."
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone in the room was shocked.
A minister immediately objected, "Absolutely not! The princess is an outsider. How can she preside over such a sacred ceremony? This will only fuel the rumors!"
Ding Wei didn't even look at him, her gaze fixed on Ramses's face. Her voice was clear and powerful, "It's better to open up than to block. The people are in panic right now, and any explanation seems pale and powerless. If you allow rumors to spread, it will undermine your prestige. Conversely, if I, the person at the center of these 'rumors', preside over the ceremony, I will turn their weapons into my shield. I will pray to the Egyptian gods in the Egyptian way and demonstrate my piety to all my people. This is the most direct counterattack against the nobles, and the perfect opportunity to demonstrate your fearlessness of slander and your trust in the princess."
Every word she said was like a precise carving knife, analyzing the current dilemma and pointing out the only way out.
Ramses stared at her with his deep eyes. He saw fearless courage and extraordinary wisdom in her eyes.
This woman always brings him unexpected shocks.
After a long silence, under the anxious gaze of the crowd, Ramses finally spoke, his voice filled with unquestionable authority: "Approved. The ceremony will be presided over by the princess."
On the day of the festival, the banks of the Nile were crowded with people.
Everyone was waiting for the controversial princess to appear with mixed feelings.
When Ding Wei, wearing a white traditional priest robe and a holy lotus crown on her head, slowly walked up to the altar, the crowd let out a suppressed exclamation.
Her posture was solemn and elegant, even more divine than many priestesses in temples.
Anubis and a group of nobles watched coldly, waiting for her to make a fool of herself.
How could an outsider understand the complex ancient Egyptian prayers?
However, the moment Ding Wei opened her mouth, everyone was shocked.
The ancient, obscure, rhythmic prayer came out clearly and fluently from her lips, every syllable was precise and accurate, with a piety and power that seemed innate, echoing over the Nile.
The most senior temple priests all looked horrified - this was absolutely impossible!
In such a short time, she mastered the ritual language that even they needed decades to master!
The prayer ended, but Ding Wei did not stop there.
She stepped forward, facing the tens of thousands of Egyptians and the mighty Nile River, and declared in a voice that resounded through the heavens:
"I, Ding Wei, swear this oath as Pharaoh's wife and Princess of Egypt! If I am guilty, if I have angered the gods, I ask the river gods to punish me and swallow me up in this torrent! If the rumors are false, I pray with a sincere heart that the Nile River will flow as expected, bringing favorable weather and good harvests, protecting the Egyptian people and bringing eternal prosperity!"
As soon as these words were spoken, the whole audience fell into silence!
Everyone was shocked by her oath, which was a gamble of her life and property.
What courage and boldness it takes to tie one's own destiny to the well-being of all Egypt!
Anubis's face turned pale in an instant.
Every day after the festival became a long wait.
On the first day, the river was calm.
The next day, there was still no incident.
The atmosphere in Thebe became increasingly tense, and the nobles who supported Anubis had begun to gloat secretly.
On the morning of the third day, an earth-shaking cheer came from the riverside and instantly spread throughout the city of Thebes!
"The water is rising! The river is rising!"
The Nile River, the source of Egypt's life, arrived as expected!
The turbid and vital river water slowly rose, overflowing the dry river banks and moistening the cracked land.
The people rushed to the river, knelt down and kowtowed, shouting "The princess has appeared" and "A miracle has appeared."
The rumors that were all over the place were completely washed away and refuted by the magnificent force of nature.
Those nobles who once supported Anubis were now silent, fearing that they would be implicated.
That night, Ramses summoned Ding Wei alone in the garden of the palace.
The night breeze blows gently, carrying the faint fragrance of water lilies.
He looked at the frail yet powerful woman before him, his tone softer than ever before: "You sacrificed yourself, risking your life and innocence. Why are you so bold?"
Ding Wei met his deep gaze and said calmly, "Because I believe in science. The Nile River's flood season has its own rules. And more importantly, I believe in Egypt under your rule, and I believe that the people are kind-hearted. All they need is the truth and hope."
Ramses was silent for a long time. The night blurred the expression on his face, but it could not hide the bright light in his eyes.
Finally, he reached out, gently grasped her wrist, and whispered, "You understand the kingly way better than any of them."
On the other side, in Princess Hathor's bedroom, a precious vase was thrown heavily to the ground and shattered into pieces.
As she listened to the news brought back by the maid, the flames of jealousy almost consumed her.
Ding Wei, it’s Ding Wei again!
How did she win the hearts of the people and the admiration of the Pharaoh time and time again!
"That bitch!" Hathor gritted his teeth, his nails digging deep into his palms.
She couldn't sit still any longer.
She summoned her most trusted maid and, lowering her voice, ordered, "Go, find a way to get some hallucinogenic datura pollen and mix it into the ointment she uses daily. I'm going to make her go crazy and lose her composure in front of everyone at the next palace banquet, and become a complete laughing stock!"
However, Hathor underestimated Ding Wei.
As a doctor who has received modern higher education, Ding Wei's knowledge of plant pharmacology is far ahead of this era.
When the new ointment was brought to her, she only took a light sniff and detected a very subtle, strange sweet scent.
She accepted the ointment calmly, then changed into her own supplies and secretly ordered her confidant Sapphire to trace the source of the ointment.
She did not expose it immediately, and a bigger web was being woven by her own hands.
At a palace tea party a few days later, Hathor was expecting Ding Wei to make a fool of herself, but Ding Wei looked normal and chatted and laughed with the ladies.
Suddenly, as if by chance, she smelled the fragrance of a certain flower. She chuckled meaningfully and said, "Speaking of which, the flowers and plants in this world are truly amazing. Some poisonous weeds, seemingly fragrant and harmless, are actually the most destructive to the human heart, causing people to suffer irreparable consequences without even realizing it. This is very similar to certain close people hidden around us, isn't it?"
As soon as she finished speaking, Hathor's hand holding the teacup shook violently, and the scalding tea spilled on the back of her hand. She seemed unaware of it, her face turned pale in an instant, but she couldn't refute a word.
Seeing that the internal offensives failed one after another, the Hittite prince Thutmose finally could not sit still anymore.
He secretly met with Anubis, who had become even more gloomy after losing power.
"High Priest, it seems that woman is more difficult to deal with than we thought."
Thutmose's eyes flashed like a venomous snake. "Since neither the people nor the divine authority can move her, then we will charge her with the death penalty for treason!"
He proposed an even more sinister plan: to forge a secret letter between Ding Wei and the Hittite royal family, which directly pointed out that she intended to collude with foreign countries, murder the Pharaoh, and usurp the throne of Egypt!
The two hit it off and agreed that at the next supreme military meeting, Anubis would present this "ironclad evidence" to the Pharaoh in front of all the generals and ministers.
The storm is gathering in secret, and Ding Wei is still unaware of it.
Until one night, Queen Mother Nefertiti woke up from a nightmare and sent someone to summon her urgently.
Queen Mother Wang's face was pale, her eyes filled with fear and anxiety. She grabbed Ding Wei's hand and said tremblingly, "I dreamed... I dreamed that on a night of fire and sand, all the truth was completely buried, leaving only endless darkness."
Fire and sand...the truth is buried?
Ding Wei's heart trembled, and a strong sense of unease surged in her heart.
She didn't understand what this prophecy meant.
Outside the palace walls, the night was deep. Thutmose and Anubis had already prepared the forged secret letter, waiting for tomorrow's military meeting.
That thin piece of papyrus seemed to carry the weight of a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood, and was about to be thrown into the center of Egyptian power.
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