swear to love heaven

The two dark iron city gates could not be closed tightly, blocking the rapid summer wind blowing from the outskirts. The tall city wall that could not be seen from the top separated Hattusha City from the outside world. The solid stone wall stretched in the dry air , an insurmountable copper and iron wall originally used to stop the invaders, has now become a barrier preventing the Hittite people from entering the city.

People seeking refuge from all directions of Hittite towards Hattusha were blocked outside the tall city gate carved with the statue of the Hittite god, just like the cold sight of the statue overlooking the feet, the two gates of Hattusa Just as hard and cold as ever.

More and more crowds gathered outside the city gate, and the crowd pushed each other. People close to the city gate raised their arms and slammed on the hard iron gate, calling out desperately, their gray faces covered with mixed The sweat of the dust and the anxiety to get rid of death.

The general standing on the tower glanced at the dark figures outside the city, frowned anxiously, and ordered his subordinates to stick to their posts and never open the city gate.Before he got the new order from the palace, no matter how hard the people outside the city begged, he could not disobey the order and open the city gate. It was not that he was hard-hearted, but he could not take the risk of putting Hatusa City in danger.

People outside the city may bring a terrible god of death into the city. This terrifying god of death is called the plague.

About fifteen days ago, news of the epidemic came from a city located on the west side of the Anatolian plateau. Immediately afterwards, similar illnesses appeared in many areas of Hittite territory at the same time... At first it was just a cough similar to wind-cold , accompanied by the phenomenon of low fever, as the condition changes, red scars appear on the patient's body, indicating that the disease is in the second stage.When the cough gradually stopped, the high fever began to continue. In the third stage, the red spots all over the body gradually suppurated and festered, and a large amount of blood was coughed up, until... death.

This extremely terrible disease was hard to guard against, and its spread was even more unexpected. Almost overnight, the Anatolian plateau was surrounded by great fear brought about by the plague.

Several cities around Hattusha also had epidemics one after another, so that people abandoned their homes and went to this holy mountain king city where the plague had not yet been discovered, in an attempt to obtain the protection of the plateau gods.

During the days when the city gate was closed, there were only a lot of people outside the city, which gradually made the guards guarding the city a little restless.People waiting outside the city in groups, the longer they stayed here, the more agitated and manic their emotions became.If things go on like this, I am afraid that there will be a possibility of mob riots.

On a hot summer day, what makes people more restless than the sun is the Hittite people gathered in the city and the increasingly uncontrollable situation.

At the same time, a battle of words and guns was taking place in the conference hall of the Jushi Hall.

"Refugees must not be allowed to enter the city! They come from areas where the plague was discovered. Even if they have no symptoms now, who can guarantee that none of them will be infected?" The ministers of the House of Lords were quite firm, and more than half of the ministers agreed What he said was related to the safety of the Hittite capital, and no one dared to gamble on luck.

Raschel glared at him, and said back: "Go to the city tower and have a look. There are more and more refugees, and refugees from other areas are still pouring towards Hattusha. At this speed, it will take less than ten days." There are tens of thousands of people outside the city of Hattusha. With so many people gathered outside the city, if the city gate is not opened, something big will happen."

"The refugees are making trouble, let the soldiers suppress it. In my opinion, the soldiers should drive these people away now, and they cannot be allowed to stay outside the city." A general said in an arrogant tone.

"Suppression!? Let the Hittite fighters suppress the civilians who have taken refuge. What the hell is this?"

"Under the circumstances, even refugees must be suppressed. It is the responsibility of the Hittite army to protect the safety of the king's capital. General Raschel, you are also a soldier, don't you understand this truth?"

Cusina glanced at the arrogant general, suppressed his anger, frowned at Raschel who was about to speak, and signaled him to control his temper, and then spoke with a gloomy expression. "General Andaman, if you send troops to drive away the refugees outside the city, not only will it not solve the problem, but it will intensify the conflict. The plague is breaking out in a large area, and Hattusha has not yet discovered the epidemic, so people will continue to flock here. Don't we Do you want to kill all the civilians who come to seek refuge?"

Andaman was speechless for a while, and glanced at Kusina dejectedly. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw the silent figure on the throne, and he could only turn his face away while hesitating to speak.

"As General Cusina said, the domestic plague is spreading too fast, and the witch doctors are helpless. If the refugees are allowed to enter the city, what will the general plan to do if they bring the plague into Hattusa?" No one thought, This sentence came from the mouth of Da Wuxia who was as silent as a tower. In an instant, everyone was slightly startled, and then fell into deep thought.

The hall fell into a somewhat frozen state of suffocation, everyone was silent, for the fear in their hearts.

However, the sudden strong uneasiness came from the young regent who was unusually quiet and indifferent on the throne today.

Usually, after listening to the report, he immediately summed up the matter in a clear and orderly manner, and then analyzed them one by one, and then ordered everyone how to deal with them. Since the morning meeting, Lemomena has rarely made a sound, and his calm and dignified expression makes people Can't fathom her thoughts.

Could it be that the sudden large-scale plague of Hittites and the people who hid here from various places and gradually started to make trouble outside the city after being blocked, even she felt at a loss?

I do not know how long it has been……

"Princess Khaleesi is here." The guard's voice broke the deadlock. Some people breathed a sigh of relief, while others sweated secretly.

"Your Highness." Khaleesi nodded gracefully, the corners of her lips were slightly stiff, and her face was gloomy and pale.

"Come and sit." Lemomena, who hadn't spoken for a long time, said softly with a smile.

Lifting the hem of the skirt, she slowly stepped up the steps. The breeze stirred the hair on her shoulders, and a few strands of black hair fluttered silently. The vivid ink-colored layers injected a breath of freshness into the already suffocated and sluggish air.

"Did the number of refugees outside the city increase again?" Sitting down, he asked softly.

"Yeah." Nodding, the furrows between his brows deepened.

Looking at the ministers around, this fierce and incurable plague has caused these courtiers who have been accustomed to handling routine affairs all year round to show a state of exhaustion, and they are caught off guard to deal with various emergencies caused by the plague , from trade to agriculture, from the border to the plateau, from the army to the market... the whole Hittites have become in a hurry.

"I went to the witch doctor department just now. The progress of the witch doctors is very slow. Only two or three people in the department have seen people who have the plague. Many witch doctors have never really seen the plague, but only learned about the plague from medical books. Let alone treatment."

"Have you found anything?" I had hoped for these witch doctors, but now it seems that I really overestimated their abilities.

Frowning, heavy tone, frowning. "Among the books collected from Assyria, there is a medical book that mentions the process of the plague and its treatment. I think the symptoms described above are very similar to the current symptoms. It's just..."

"what?"

"This book is written in two Assyrian languages, one is the official language, and the other may be the lost ancient language of the Tigris River. The treatment method is recorded in this ancient language. I don't know this language. Ask Many people, and no one can understand it.” This language, which was once spread in the lower reaches of the Tigris River, has long been out of use, and the only person who can understand this kind of jerky script is probably only the king of Assyria who is highly respected. great sacrifice.

At this moment, where to find a high priest of the Assyrian palace is simply as difficult as reaching the sky.

Leaning against the back of the chair, raised his hand, rubbed his brows, and sighed. "If there is no one who understands the ancient language of the Tigris River, you can only go to the Assyrian palace to steal a high priest."

Such a sentence sounds like a gibberish joke no matter how it sounds.However, given the circumstances at hand, there is a good chance that this joke will turn into a dire plan to infiltrate enemy territory.

Worried and urgent, but there was nothing she could do. Kalixi looked at Lemomenna and then at the ministers. All of them immediately lowered their heads, and the atmosphere once again fell to the coldness that could not be warmed by the summer wind.

"Your Highness." The guard came in and knelt down.

"what's up?"

"General Seto, who is guarding the city, asks to see you."

"Let him in." At this time, Seto should be guarding the tower, why did he come back?

Seto walked quickly into the hall, bowed his head and knelt down, and said, "Your Highness, General Sharma of Egypt asked to enter the city at the south gate of the city corner. You ordered no one to enter or leave Hattusha City, so your subordinates dare not let her go." Come in, but she insists on entering the city, you see..."

For a moment, he was stunned.

Half-surprised and half-suspicious, she looked at Khaleesi, and her eyes paused for a while under her surprised blue eyes. Lemomena looked towards Seto, and was silent for a moment. This short silence gave her a break in her thoughts. The son was a little confused.

He pondered and nodded. "Let her go to town."

"Your Highness, General Sharma must have passed through the plagued area. I'm afraid... I'm afraid it's inappropriate to let her enter the city." Andaman objected. Even the generals of the allies cannot enter Hattusha casually during this special period.

While thinking, he glanced at Kalixi.

She sat with her head down, staring at the ground, for some reason, she looked a little dull.

But the moment before he opened his mouth, a voice floated in leisurely, and he relieved Lemomena's difficulty in walking in time: "Prince Regent, I have something to say."

"Say."

"General Sharma returned to Hattusha. I don't know if she had contact with patients on the way. I asked the witch doctor to go to the city to examine her immediately. If everything is fine, I will invite her into the palace." Kalixi said rationally , a little uneasiness was well hidden by her, but it couldn't escape Lemomenna's complicated eyes.

"Do you hear me? Just do what Kalixi wants." She said to Seto, and stood up slowly, with a layer of sternness that the sun could not touch floating in her still calm brown eyes, her stern voice contained Irresistible majesty. "Hartusa's safety is of utmost importance. Refugees cannot enter the city until a cure is found. Raschel, Andaman, you lead a few teams to send refugees to a nearby temple. If there is not enough space, set up a temporary tent Let the people who have taken refuge settle down first. The Witch Doctor Department will send people to go with you, since none of them know how to treat this disease, then observe and think of a way, and execute it immediately."

"Yes." The two nodded respectfully, Seto followed suit, and strode away behind them.

His eyes flickered, and a faint light climbed out from those brown pupils, lingering on Khaleesi's delicate facial features, just for a moment. "You wait for Sharma in the palace, I will go to the edge of the city to have a look."

Hearing a hint of disappointment, Kalixi bit her lip, her mood disturbed, and her breathing was a little messy. "Okay, be careful yourself."

Smiling lightly, nodding slightly, and looking at Kalixi with a burning gaze, she stepped down the steps while withdrawing her gaze, and walked towards the door full of dazzling sunlight, with firm steps.

★★★★★★★★★

Sitting on the horse, looking at the thick and solid black city gate, there were continuous cries of pain and pleading outside the gate, accompanied by the sound of slapping on the iron gate in disorder, and the smell of dust from being trampled by people's chaotic footsteps could be faintly smelled in the wind. The swirling summer wind infiltrated the not-so-fresh earthy smell, and when it hit the face, the knot between Lemomena's brows deepened.

"Open the small door, I want to go out." She ordered, but no one dared to move.

Raschel and Andaman were taken aback for a moment, and stopped them almost at the same time. This time, they clearly agreed. "Regent, please think twice."

The thoughtful gaze came from the determination of the unmoved black back who immediately glanced back, opened his mouth again, and still gave the same order. "Open the little door."

Raschel was obviously in a hurry, regardless of the difference in status, he drove to Lemomenna's side, and said anxiously in a low voice: "Your Highness, people outside the city may be infected, and if it infects you, I will die." Can't bear it."

Leaning sideways at the anxious young face in the sun, for a moment, he held the corner of his lips and raised a comforting smile, saying: "I won't be infected, don't worry. You are likely to be infected, order everyone to do it." Good protection."

"Your Highness----" Before she could finish speaking, she was interrupted by her horse walking forward, and Raschel frowned in distress.Knowing that he couldn't persuade her, and he couldn't forcefully stop her, he sighed heavily, pulled up his mask, and raised his hands towards the army behind him. Everyone put on their masks together and marched towards the city gate.

The number of refugees was more than I imagined. There was a sea of ​​people that could not be seen at a glance, and there were sad faces that could not be seen at the end.

The appearance of Lemomena really scared the people outside the city, although none of them had seen the Hittite regent.However, when this young woman with a half-faced green armor appeared at the half-opened city gate, everyone guessed her identity without a doubt.

No one thought, and no one dared to think, that the supreme regent of the Hittites would appear here.

Lightly clamping the stirrups, she walked slowly into the crowd while sitting on the horse. Under their horrified and bewildered eyes, Lemomena looked around, and the gray and frightened faces made her feel very uncomfortable.

"I am Lemomenna, the Regent of the Hittites. I ordered the city gates to be sealed to prevent you from entering. I made this difficult decision not for my own life or death, but for the safety of the city behind me "She said loudly to the surroundings, with a clean and clear voice, a calm and introverted breath, after she said this, the sea of ​​people around her spread like a wave of subtle commotion, questioning, dissatisfaction, worry, and more fear.

The horse's hooves lightly trampled on the hard sand, the rhythm was regular and crisp, and the words that followed were also crisp and crisp, with a trace of unbearable being pressed into her throat by her. Facing these hopeful faces, she could only harden her heart to take care of herself. big picture.

"There are 23 healthy people in Hattusha. If I rashly allow you to enter the city without confirming whether you are infected with the disease, then all lives in this city will be threatened. I dare not take this risk." Therefore, I come to ask for your understanding, and I also ask you to give me the greatest support. Now, all I can do is to close the gates of Hattusha, try to reduce the chance of healthy people being infected, and want to There is a way to find a cure; all you can do is... trust me."

Silence, the tide of tens of thousands of people gathered is like a dark night, falling into the silence of death... The sound of panting blends into the sound of the wind, like a sharp knife passing by the ear, the pain of flesh and blood is caused by the guilt deep in the heart like fire Burning pain.

Lemomena could even feel her own blood froze a little under the uncertain eyes of the people. She clenched the rein tightly, her fingertips went numb for a while, and she looked at the suffocated crowd with a deep voice.

"I have ordered you to be arranged to the nearest temple. The witch doctor will arrive later, and they will find a cure as soon as possible. This sudden plague is destroying our homeland... At this moment, it is the most difficult time for Hittites. At this time, I need your support and your trust.”

"I haven't given up on you, and I won't give up, please believe me."

With a sincere attitude, and with a firm tone, a firm green light ignited in the bottom of the brown eyes, scorching like the sun, and even more intense.

Silence, like a huge net, enveloped the ocean of people. People looked around them, and those strangers who wanted to enter the city as themselves saw the same hesitation in their eyes, and they didn't know what to do. Good dilemma.

After a brief silence, the family closest to Lemomena knelt down first. The white-haired elderly man bent down on the ground, his head was so low that it almost touched the sand, and his trembling voice soaked the ground. With all due respect.

"Regent……"

After a while, the sound of clothes corners rubbing against the scorching sun was heard outside the city, and there was a continuous crowd of people kneeling down. The sun is also impenetrable gloomy.

"The Regent..." People's sincere worship from the heart sounded in the wind, and the voices one after another drowned out the scorching hot wind that lingered on the top of the city.

Throat tightened, Chengquan's left hand also tightened, something soft was blocked in the bottom of his heart, causing his breathing to become trembling, the corners of his mouth were raised weakly, the bottom of his brown eyes cast a sharp light, There is a kind of sad and bright luster flowing faintly.

Kindness is always the most admirable quality of ordinary people. These poor and poor people possess a kind of supreme and noble state of human nature. With the tolerance and kindness they are accustomed to, hundreds of thousands of people in a city are safe and sound.