A week before Lin Ke returned to Cairo.
Matruh city.
This is a city standing at the junction of the Mediterranean Sea and the desert.
One side is bathed in the salty and humid sea breeze, while the other side has the smell of the scorching desert.
Unlike the prosperous and wealthy Cairo, this city has a unique charm.
The port is always docked with all kinds of ships, from small fishing boats to merchant ships from afar, with masts like forests and flags flying.
The market was filled with a dazzling array of goods from Greece, Rome and even distant lands.
Merchants and sailors of different skin colors and colorful clothing walked on the streets.
In the city’s largest market, grain merchants were worrying about the day’s pricing.
He held a handful of high-quality wheat in his hand, rubbing it repeatedly, and calculating the appropriate selling price.
Finally, he settled on a price.
Just enough for an average family to eat, but absolutely nothing left over for savings or to improve their lives.
"Is it the same price today?"
A housewife who often comes here frowned and complained, "It hasn't changed for three months!"
"Didn't you say last month that the price might drop?"
The grain merchant just spread his hands and pretended to be helpless.
"This is the city lord's rule. Prices must remain stable."
The housewife didn't say much, but just continued to pay for the purchase.
Not far away, several inspectors in respectable robes were walking slowly through the market. They were the city lord's confidants, specifically responsible for supervising the "normal operation" of the market.
Whenever they appeared, the vendors would involuntarily straighten their backs and smile respectfully.
"How is it, is there enough flour supply today?"
The leading inspector stopped and asked a flour merchant in a condescending manner.
"Enough, my lord."
The merchant immediately bowed and replied, "According to the city lord's instructions, we will prepare sufficient flour for sale every day."
The inspector nodded with satisfaction: "Very good."
"The city lord is wise and intelligent, and manages the city well. It is because of his good coordination that everyone can now buy food."
The vendors around echoed in agreement, their faces filled with fawning smiles.
"That's natural! That's natural!"
However, after the inspector left, the vendors frowned.
As night falls and the civilian area gradually quiets down, the city lord's mansion is brightly lit with singing and dancing.
Amidst the clinking of glasses, the city lord and his cronies were having a lavish banquet.
"By the way, I heard that Cairo sent people to inspect the granary?"
The city lord asked casually while sipping the fine grape wine imported from Persia.
A fat tax collector wiped the sweat from his forehead and responded: "Yes, Lord Mayor!"
"They said they were preparing for the upcoming Harvest Festival and needed to check the grain reserves in various warehouses."
Upon hearing this, the city lord sneered.
"Humph, it must be the idea of that old fox Kamul."
"This old guy seems to be paying special attention to the border areas recently. He even gave us 20 tons less food than we requested this time."
Upon hearing this, the granary manager looked worried, and the wine glass in his hand stopped in mid-air.
"Sir, what should we do?"
"If the royal envoy finds any problems, we..."
The city lord narrowed his eyes and just gave a meaningful smile.
"That's not easy. Have the warehouse clerk prepare two sets of account books."
The granary manager blinked a few times: "Two sets of account books?"
The city lord put down his wine glass and said, "Yes, a beautiful and complete set, showcasing our ample food reserves and rational distribution system."
"The other set...I don't need to explain it any further, right?"
The steward hesitated for a moment, then spoke with some embarrassment: "Sir, this... isn't it inappropriate? What if we get caught..."
The city lord slammed the table and stood up: "Idiot!"
"Do you think I'm asking for your opinion?"
The laughter and joy at the banquet froze instantly, and everyone lowered their heads, fearing that they would become the next target of the city lord's wrath.
Only the granary manager looked pale and as if he was sitting on pins and needles.
“Yes! Yes!”
"Please calm down, my lord. I will send someone to do it immediately!"
The next morning, the order from the City Lord's Mansion was issued as expected.
The granary manager summoned all the clerks and conveyed the city lord's request.
Prepare two sets of account books, one for inspection and one to keep the real data.
"grown ups?"
"If we do this...what if the higher-ups find out?"
"If they sent someone to investigate, they would have probably discovered something."
A young, thin warehouse clerk asked timidly.
He had just been working in this job for less than half a year and this was the first time he faced such a situation.
When the steward heard this, he just coldly asked back: "Either do it, or pack up and get out now."
"The line to replace you could stretch from here to the outside of town."
"Do you still want this job?"
The clerk bit his lower lip and fell silent.
He has a sick mother and younger siblings to take care of at home, and this job is now the only source of income for his family.
He finally lowered his head: "Yes! Sir! I will do it!"
"Don't worry!"
In the following days, the clerk fell into unprecedented torment.
During the day, he falsified the account books as instructed, filling in the actual missing grain and covering up the part that was misappropriated by the city lord and his cronies.
At night, he secretly wrote down the real numbers and kept them in a hidden place in his home.
His wife, who was looking at his records, asked in confusion.
"Why did you do that?"
"If you get caught, you'll lose your job!"
"Even our whole family might be implicated!"
"We have enough food to eat now, we should be thankful!"
"Why do you have to go to all that trouble?"
The clerk listened to his wife's words and rubbed his head in pain.
"Oh, you don't understand."
"So many people are starving, while the city lord and his men are feasting every night."
"You know, these grains were supposed to be used to help the people in the city, but now they are being misappropriated..."
"If the people from Holy Egypt come to investigate and do nothing about it, then our hard times will continue endlessly!"
"If I want to put an end to this kind of life, I have to do this!"
"Otherwise, if the manager gets in a bad mood one day and fires me, what are we going to do in the future?"
At this time, his wife just snatched away what he was writing.
Her eyes were filled with tears: "That's not your business!"
"We have finally managed to live today, I beg you, don't be stupid!"
"Matruh is a long way from Cairo, and it was occupied by the Hebrews for such a long time."
"They won't take places like this seriously! And you shouldn't do these dangerous things again!"
"Please, please! Okay?"
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