Legend of Ishi

After Izmi said goodbye to Master Rabaru, the journey through the Lebanese forest went smoothly.

The holy relic was left by Izmi to Master Rabalu, and he didn't choose to take it back to make a fool of himself. The box used to hold the relic was made of cedar cut by Luca.The cedars in the forests of Lebanon overgrown the sky and presented a formidable obstacle to travellers.In terms of human productivity at that time, their limited cutting and utilization did not affect the fundamentals of this forest.

Therefore, the entire Lebanese forest is like night during the day, and there are too many wild animals in it. Prince Izmi led his troops and repelled wolves, bears, wild boars, jackals and other animals along the way. Beware of people being bitten by snakes and insects.

Inanna followed Luca very obediently, and didn't encounter any serious difficulties. It was like visiting a particularly exciting safari park and eating a lot of strange game, although they were all leftovers.

A very small number of wounded were handed over to camels to carry them all the way to the bustling coastal city of Phoenicia.

The men who ate their mouths full of sand and walked countless roads can finally unload their weapons. After General Hazas issued an order to rest for two days, they happily put on their money bags and ran to the street to find women.

After twenty or so people ran away, Inanna breathed a sigh of relief. Although she was still young and slender, which did not conform to the ancient people's aesthetic concept of breasts/big buttocks, she walked back and forth for more than a month, as a The only woman in the team, she can still feel some malicious eyes more or less, but because the leader of this team is a handsome guy with a restrained/sexy temperament, the people below are bitterly holding back with.

The prince strictly ordered Luka to keep an eye on her. Although Inanna could not escape, it was not without benefits.

"General Hazas," the prince pointed to the Phoenician harbor not far away: "Go and contact Casey, stop the boat at the port closest to the market, and find a few people to carry the wounded up to the doctor for treatment. I'm going to the market to see."

The prince didn't name anyone to follow, but Inanna found that only General Hadzas, Luka, a dozen camels, the wounded, and herself were left in the team. She and Luka consciously followed behind the prince.

At the moment they are in Phoenicia, the smallest but richest country on the coast of the Great Green Sea. There are many city-states scattered in this country, and each city-state is its own country. This country is backed by Mount Lebanon and cannot develop agriculture. It can only rely on sea trade. To meet the needs of survival, the handicraft industry and commerce are extremely developed. Because of its wealth, even a small country is afraid of neighboring countries.

Although Inanna didn't know where Assyria was, she also heard that the west of Bitai (today's Europe) is still a wild forest. Although she had heard of Babylon, the comic book "Tokyo Babylon" that she peeked at in class Can't help her much right now.

When the book came to use, she hated it. It was not until she was taken to Phoenicia that Inanna was convinced that she had returned to 3000 years ago.

At this time, Phoenicia was still prosperous on the east coast of the Great Green Sea, and the Roman Empire, which regarded it as a confidant, had not yet appeared in Eurasia, let alone launched three Punic Wars. It will take another 1000 years to be born in this world.

The Roman Empire began in the ninth century BC, so the land where Inanna stands is at least 3000 years old.Here is Tire, the largest city in Carthage, where the most brilliant craftsmen and businessmen from all corners of the world gathered. The wealth of Tire was praised by ancient poets with all the most gorgeous words. Although the words are vague, if you use modern To sum it up in language, it can be roughly summed up as that gold is everywhere in Tire.

Prince Izmi asked them to put on cloaks together and squeezed into the crowded Tyrian bazaar.Vendors displayed glass vases from Egypt, gold and silver jewelry and metal utensils from Assyria, exquisite and sharp bronze swords made in Damascus, olives and sea fish from Minoan, copper, tin and lead for smelting metals, and even There are also intact ivory and slaves as black as coal, which are said to have been brought back from the black land of the distant sea.

The scale of this market is at most similar to that of later towns and towns, but 3000 years ago when the navigation technology was backward, the Phoenicians had traveled all over Europe, Asia and Africa, covering half of the world, and it became one of the best after nearly a hundred years. Slavery powerhouse.

But Prince Izmi didn't look sideways. What he was looking for was the foundation of Phoenicia's fortune.The word Phoenicia comes from the Greek word "the country of purple", which is famous for its rich purple dye.The Phoenicians forced slaves to go to the sea to collect sea mussels, and the high-quality fuchsia dyed fabrics extracted from them were sold to countries around the Great Green Sea. Because the finished products were scarce, such fabrics were basically reserved for the royal family.

All the official robes of Prince Izmi himself are Tyrean purple robes with gold edging, but Bitedo controls the export of black iron and the top-secret skills of iron smelting, so he is not in the leading position in the trade with Phoenicia. Weak, the pig iron trade that weighs as much as five cows approved by King Bitaido every year is enough to make businessmen from various countries break their heads.

The export of iron weapons is completely controlled in the hands of the royal family, and is only used as a diplomatic means rather than economic benefits. Not only does it have more face in diplomacy, but it can often achieve the purpose of deterrence.

The cloth trade is located in the center of this market. Outside the building made of cedar wood, steps are paved with rose-colored slate. At the bottom of the steps, a colored pool divided into several pieces is built with alabaster. An intoxicating fragrance is far away. The ground spread to the nostrils of pedestrians.

Two beautiful women in thin linen skirts wrapped their waists with gold-like purple-red cloth to hide their shame, holding a slender wine jar between their plump breasts, twisting their waists slightly , pouring the liquid in the tank into the pool with all kinds of flair.

As the "Puff" liquid leaked into the wine tank, the rich aroma of the wine wafted out, condensing the senses of passers-by in this wonderful situation of mellow and beautiful wine.

Although there is no such thing as advertising in this world, the minds of Phoenician merchants have been used for business since ancient times. What could be more attractive than beautiful women and fine wine?Besides, these two spokespersons are very dedicated.

Seeing Prince Izmi and others approaching, one of the women held a gold wine vessel and handed it to the handsome man, and automatically regarded Luca and Inanna behind the prince as air.

Inanna looked at the woman in front of her who was wearing no clothes, as if she was covered with a layer of "preservative film". She raised her hands and handed the wine glass to the prince, her breasts were squeezed between her arms, as if she was about to burst pop up.With the twisting of the body, the deep ditch was slowly squeezed, which was even deeper than the wine pool.

The prince has always been handsome, and he has seen many bold women, but he has never met such a blatant one.

But he had strong self-control, in the end he just smiled gently and didn't go to pick up the wine vessel. The woman didn't get annoyed, she twisted her waist and walked away. The contempt in his eyes was clearly visible.

Inanna gritted her teeth and turned her head away, remembering her poor underwear and cups that had shrunk to an extent.

On the contrary, Luca, seeing such a stunner kneeling in front of him, because he came from a poor background and had never seen much of the world, suddenly didn't know where to put his eyes, and his face flushed with embarrassment.

The prince also knew it well, pointing to the pool and said: "Luka, if you like, you can go have a drink, and it's okay to play. Sister Suka, you come in with me."

Suqammumu (Suqammumu) is Inanna's new name given to her as a slave. In Sumerian and Akkadian, it means silence, like a mute.Inanna had no objection to the new name, it was the prince's right to call him what he liked, and she would not live with this name for the rest of her life.

It would be best to bring all of your belongings with you when you leave, and then throw the rags on your body back at the prince's face, and finally give him the title of human face and beast heart.

Luca listened to the prince asking him to play, even if he had a big breast in front of him, he would not leave the prince's side for the sake of a woman, the boy shook his head desperately to explain that he didn't want to play, the prince smiled and beckoned him to go in together.

Inside the door, there were already maids wearing the same thin loincloths who were welcoming the distinguished guests, and businessmen with huge fortunes from afar were waiting in the hall holding gold wine glasses.

The hall is decorated with cedar like the outside, but it is hollowed out with a variety of bewitching and colorful branches and arabesques, extending from the ceiling to the floor, and pearls, shells, tortoise shells, corals and other gemstones from the sea are inlaid in the sea of ​​patterns. , branches made of gold extend from both sides, and a golden cage hangs from the branches, burning incense.

The smell of myrrh is strong and sweet. Inanna is very unaccustomed to smelling this unique Western spice. Myrrh is very popular in Arabia after its descendants.

Inanna couldn't help sneezing, so she quickly covered her mouth and nose with the cloak, which relieved a little, and she didn't care about the contemptuous eyes of the maid next to her, a country bumpkin.

The three princes of Izmi looked different from others. They were neither fascinated by the magnificence of the house, nor were they interested in tasting delicious food and wine, which fell into the eyes of those who cared.

Several maids took baskets and began to sprinkle flower petals soaked in perfumed liquid on the high platform, and the male slaves came out from the back door, displaying pieces of exquisite purple-red fabrics in front of these buyers.From the most common camel hair tapestry, the fine linen of Egypt, the Nineveh lamb skin from Assyria that is softer than a baby’s skin, the cotton cloth woven from Harappa, the feather silk from the mysterious land in the East, and Roencross cylinder skirts and fringed wrap Kaunakas popular in Mesopotamia.

Prince Izmi, who was standing behind the crowd, was not very interested. As a prince, these are just ordinary objects that he stepped on. On the battlefield, no matter how gorgeous the clothes are, it cannot guarantee victory.

As the extraordinary fabrics were displayed one by one, he watched Inanna's expression.She was not surprised or wanted, but only curious and purely watching the excitement, and what was placed in front of her was clearly a treasure that the common people could never touch in their lifetime, but the nobles regarded it as the most precious treasure.

Izmi's heart sank, and he once again wondered how rich and prosperous the place Inanna came from was, so that such a slave had seen so many worlds.

And what kind of means should such a slave who cannot speak be used to make her dedicate all the knowledge she has learned to Bitaido.

While he was contemplating, someone came to strike up a conversation with them. It was a man in a purple cloth, with brown and black hair curly and long to the neck, and a big beard, but his hazel eyes were very bright. Young and very smart.While talking and laughing, there was a businessman's sharpness, but there was a sense of ruthlessness when he spoke.

"Guests from afar," the man revealed his identity as the host: "What makes you stay out of the way and have no interest in this luxurious room?"

He pointed to the door: "That's the wine pool where I entertain guests. The red one is pomegranate wine from the Anatolian plateau, the purple one is the wine from Mount Sinai in Egypt, and the golden one is the wine from Mitanni spring. The mead that is brewed, yellow is ale from Assyria, black is date wine brewed in Babylon, and sweet beer, Galibon, Valier, what makes you not even take a cup What about me? No one in this city of Tyre can refuse me this wine well."

Luca noticed that the man was followed by two tall black slaves. The black muscles shone like obsidian, a specialty of the plateau. He swallowed, but looked at the prince's face, clenched his hands into fists, and restrained himself from touching the flesh. And tied waist knife.