Cleopatra glared at the chief of the palace guard for a few moments, and then her eyes turned to Rufio, who was standing at the bottom of the steps.

"Dear General Lufio, how have I treated you and your men all these years?" Cleopatra asked in a lazy and charming tone.

"Yes, well, my three legions are well treated, and although His Excellency Caesar is gone, His Excellency Pharaoh, the spokesperson of the Venerable Goddess Isis in the world, still takes a considerable part of the annual tax money to support the soldiers and their families." Rufio, a general who had been in Egypt for several years, with a slender build, high cheekbones, and short hair, who was distinguished by his dress at the Egyptian court, replied very fluently at this moment—although his attire had not changed, he had long since abandoned the truth-telling character of the Latins, and he understood that in order to have a secure seat in the court of Ipos, he had to pretend himself.

"Then why should your three legions go back to Italy? The soldiers have already enjoyed the coins engraved with the heads of me and Caesarion, many have found beautiful Egyptian women to wives, and I have provided them with camps and quarters, and you should now march and retreat with the Hormahi army to serve our mother and son. So saying, Cleopatra took her child's hand with pity and love, and then stroked his golden charm, and put him on the throne beside her, and said to Rufio, "Look at him, is he exactly like your master Caesar?" ”

"Yes, my devotion to Caesarion has been shown many times in my oath." Rufio hurriedly saluted.

"Then you now go to the desert border with the three legions, as well as the Hormahi legion, and don't let that bastard of Lybidaeus come into Egypt. If there are conditions. And they killed him. Cleopatra suddenly said this coldly.

Rufio's eyes widened. He raised his eyebrows on the spot, then pretended to be confused, and said, "Do I have the right to ask why I did this?" ”

"Quite simply, if you don't want your master's blood and blood to suffer the same fate as that young Caesar, then do it." Cleopatra on the throne raised her gold-covered fingers, "No, you have to. Now Egypt is the country to which you should be allegiated. ”

"The same was true of the legions of Gabinus, who thought they were Egyptians, but later most of them died under the attack of my master and the high priest, please forgive me Pharaoh's majesty, I think my duty is to protect Caesarion, but now he is not threatened in any way, the high priest just wants to see him, just as the elders want to see the juniors. This is also the agreement I have reached with the chief of the palace guard in advance, yes Pharaoh, if you and Caesarion go to the border to meet with the high priest in a friendly manner. There will be absolutely no problem. "Rufio spoke eloquently, he was an emancipated slave at Caesar's portal. Because of his cleverness, Caesar was appreciated, and not only gave him freedom, but also entrusted him to stay in Alexandra and supervise the three legions.

But on the other hand, Lu Feio has already had a deep friendship with Li Bida, and the people that Caesar appreciated, Li Bida has already recorded it, and he has long stretched out his hand to buy it, and Lu Feio has always respectfully called the other party "Father, respected teacher" in his letters. As early as when Li Bida and Young Caesar joined forces to conquer the Pompey Party and the Republican Party, Lufio hurriedly expressed his allegiance to the High Priest, saying whether he could command three legions and join the battle formation in Greece and Asia Minor, but Li Bida replied and told him to be steady, "You are now in charge of not only three legions, but also the whole of Egypt, so it is best not to move." ”

Now that the overall situation has been decided, Lufio is even more anxious, if he does not show his own words, then when the future is rewarded, won't he obediently hand over the army, lose his glory as a free citizen of Julius's family, and live his life?

Therefore, this time, while the high priest sent a letter to Cleopatra in the open, he secretly sent a secret letter to him and another eyeliner, Theotusus, in advance, so the two of them immediately became busy to promote the meeting between the high priest and the female pharaoh, because Lufio's vision was that the republic was about to annex Egypt, and it would be a great achievement to do so himself.

What he said in the court today is nothing more than the words that Lufio has already typed out of his mouth.

Trembling with rage, she angrily denounced Rufio's ingratitude, but the other party sneered and turned a deaf ear, and then she turned her gaze to the two veterans, Shekbehu and Serapion, but still did not get a response.

Then she looked farther for help, but Theotusus, the chief of the palace guard, interrupted her illusion, "Even the Tomb Guards and the River Guards will not shoot bows and arrows at the High Priests, and even more so the Nome chiefs and treasurers of the nations." Therefore, your Majesty, it is better to go to the meeting, and with the friendship between the high priest and you, he will never harm you. ”

Finally, Cleopatra's Majesty covered her face miserably, weeping and sobbing, is she destined to be a tool in the hands of Li Bida to seek wealth and power in this life, and can only be his ally and vassal to survive? She couldn't help but think of the conversation between her and Li Bida when she was very young, in the courtyard of the palace in the Bay of Naples after she and her father came to Rome, and now she thought of it with great shame - how young and frivolous she was, who had uttered such a grand goal, but now it was all in the past, and the Curian attendant, who seemed helpless in front of her at that time, now sat on the whole world, and became the last laugh in the chess game of power struggle.

"Egypt, Egypt, Horus God! Open your eyes and see, there is not a single man standing in the whole royal court. The grief-stricken Cleopatra cried out, frightening Caesarion to his feet, while the eunuchs and courtiers below continued to turn a deaf ear, reluctantly, whether in my eyes they were puppets, or in their eyes I was a puppet?

In the early morning of the palace of Ipos, Cleopatra stood in front of her, dressed in silk robes, the red morning sun rising over the market and the sea, and behind her countless servants and soldiers were leading mules, horses and camels, hurriedly preparing for a "rendezvous" on the border. Cleopatra looked at the child holding her hand, and couldn't help tears flowing again, she understood that one qiē was in the past, and one qiē was different, before Li Bida would refuse her courtship for his own interests and give her to Caesar, so now Li Bida will of course deal with her child Caesarion in order to eliminate future threats.

"Mother, listen to Diotusus, my guardian is a very good man, isn't he?" At this time, Caesarion raised his head and said to her with childishness. (To be continued......)