Chapter 3 Planning (Part 2)
On the tower, the sea breeze was strong. Calabis slowly came around and held a shield in front of Adiana. Elcapa on the other side raised a small abdominal bow with both hands and pointed it at him and the princess. The whole scene On the verge of breaking out.
"Helenuptina, you should relax. The princess is right about one thing. I am also very sad about Ella's death, but everything I do is for you and Little Nicole, and even more for the Amazon Kingdom." Calabis tried to comfort the queen.
"Don't talk about the Amazon Kingdom, that has nothing to do with you! I told you when I met you three years ago that men are always the most fragile creatures, and you are no exception. For a guy who is blinded by beauty and wealth, my face is not the same. I hope it will splatter your blood." After saying that, Helenputina took off her visor, leaving only the cold reflection.
"Queen, Ponticabion is bursting with black smoke," Elcapa said.
"Shut up, El Capa, don't interfere with my sight." After Helen Putina said this, everyone present came back to their senses, put down their weapons, and followed El Capa's hand. Go, and sure enough, from the huge city across the bay, plumes of black smoke rise.
Adiana was shocked and held onto the arrow window with both hands, "Those smoke pillars surround the palace of Malca!"
"That's right." Helen Putina and El Capa also said to themselves.
"Hey, princess, the consequences of your formation of the New Model Army are here." The princess turned around and saw Calabis leaning against the wall, his black hair floating around, "I ask you, do you serve as the centurion of the New Model Army? Who are they?”
"Most of them are deserters from Pompey, and a few are from Syria. What? You mean these Romans rebelled."
"No, the soldiers of the Roman legion did not recognize the camp, only the money. There was only one reason why they burned the city. They did not receive the military pay they hoped for." Calabis crossed his hands, "Adiana, I can finally confirm it now. , that is, your father Mithridates did not have six thousand talents of gold and silver at all. This is the conjecture I made after asking you last time in the White Ship. In addition to paying all the soldiers before fleeing Pontus, your father In addition to a year's salary, after such a long time and so many battles, even after capturing the opposite city, there was no reward for the soldiers. For a hero like your father, there is only one reason for doing this. The assets of six thousand talents were simply an illusion. He deceived everyone, including the Bronze Shield Army, the New Model Army, generals, eunuchs, concubines, and of course you, Adiana. Tens of thousands of people acted like fools. Following Mithridates, who had no assets, he circled half of the Black Sea."
"Impossible!" Adiana began to become emotionally unstable. "As we all know, the key to her father's vault is in the hands of Stratonis, and she has to count it every day."
"Yes, we have to count it every day, but I don't believe that at this moment, your father will still entrust so many assets to a concubine. This concubine is also a prop for your father's acting. The explanation is, Ste Latonis didn't know what she was counting, or she subconsciously thought that what she was counting was gold and silver." Calabis said mockingly, "Of course, everything now is just my speculation. You might as well recall it. , how is the gold and silver in the vault packaged?
"It's a jar with an iron seal." After Adiana said, she felt like the world was spinning. She held the arrow window and slowly squatted down, "Are all my plans just a dream-like illusion? I Was he also deceived by his father?"
Calabis put his hand on her shoulder and said: "You can now understand why Mithridates expelled you - otherwise, today we will be surrounded in the palace, including you, Adiana. Contamination The new model army that the Romans were accustomed to did not recognize any princess or queen. These pillars of smoke indicate that the king of Pontus is about to die. This is the funeral of Mithridates. "
At this time, everyone present was silent, leaving only the sea breeze that was noisy in people's ears, and Adiana's low sobs.
"Everyone, cheer up! Adiana, I have to tell you, we don't have to worry too much about the six thousand talents below. The top priority is that I have to get your father's body, whether it was suicide or homicide. ." Calabis said coldly.
He was answered by Adiana tearing, cursing and beating her with tears, but Calabis remained expressionless, even though there were bloodstains on his face. Finally, he grabbed Adiana's hand and shouted: " I can understand your feelings, but the body is the last valuable thing of your father. Pompeo wants it, and I want it too. Instead of giving it to Pompeo for free, I promise to put his body in the most honorable clothes! and accessories, get the royal treatment.”
"Why should I give it to you? You and Pompey are both enemies of Pontus, and you are both bastards! You will still put your father's body on a mule cart and appear in the triumphal procession of Rome, being watched and talked about by thousands of untouchables. Is there anything more shameful than this? And me, you will also tie a slave chain around my neck and lead me through the dirty streets of Rome, right?" Adiana bit her white fighting teeth, tears streaming down her face, still grabbing Carapis' neck and face. Carabis, who was not annoyed, held her shoulders against the wall, "Enough, Adiana, what you need now is not to shout, but to make a choice bravely and calmly - the Bronze Shield Army was annihilated. If Menander and Stratonice were together, they would not dare to go to Ponticabiae again. Their most likely destination is to take a ship to Pompey. Now they have only one capital, that is, the so-called 6,000 talents. Therefore, the authenticity of this gold and silver is meaningless to us now, and your father is the only bet we have left. Otherwise, what capital do you have to bargain with Rome?! Think about it, your father is already hopeless, he has no money for a battle, Pompey and the Thirteenth Legion will annihilate him sooner or later."
"Ask me to make a choice..." Adiana, who was leaning against the wall, laughed crazily with tears in her eyes.
Heleptina and Elcapa were silent as they watched Carapis continue to speak, "Yes, listen - the Malcha Palace is now under siege. Archelaus, Achilles, and the land and sea forces of Pontus, no one is willing to be loyal to your father anymore. Now you go out, as a princess, and let our advance team peacefully accept this city, and by the way - accept your father's body."
In the wind, with Carapis holding her shoulders, Adiana raised her head and howled like a beautiful female wolf, gnashing her teeth, her chestnut hair and crystal tears floating together.
"Man, I don't know if it's weakness, but it must be the most terrible." Seeing all this, Helenputina whispered sadly. At this time, she turned her eyes and looked outside the tower. The clouds were torn by the manic wind. The black fireworks over the Ponticabia Palace became more intense. A seagull was flying against the wind. Although it tried its best and cried shrilly, the strong airflow still blocked its body, and it could only stretch its wings in vain at the origin. (To be continued.)