The sky was still drizzling.
Alcibidus led the pack out of the port area and went straight to Tuliyi City after getting on the main road.
Since Alcibidus owned a lot of properties in Turín, he would come to Turín almost every month or two. Every time he came, he would find some changes in the urban area of Turín. He often lamented that the Kingdom of Diónia was developing too fast!
This time, there were many new changes in the city of Turín. In the past, there were more than a dozen large waterwheels along the Krati River in Turín, which transported clear river water to the city through the viaduct. The water would then be transferred through the water towers to the large fountains distributed in an orderly manner throughout the city. The residents only needed to go to the fountain nearest to their homes to fetch water. It was very convenient and there was no need to worry about water supply at all. The drought this time taught the people of Diónia a lesson. Not only did it make them cherish water more, but it also made them prepare for a rainy day and take more measures to store water. For example, in the residential areas of the outer city, every household built a reservoir in the courtyard and covered it with wooden planks to prevent water from evaporating. Many citizens even raised money to build a small altar of Poseidon in their residential areas.
Although the drought had ended, there were still many people lining up in front of the temporary grain stores that the City Hall of Turiyi had set up in the various markets of the city. There were even more people than before because the food stored in the homes of the people had basically been eaten up.
Alcibidus looked at the long queue in front of him. The people basically maintained good order. He thought of a series of recent events in the country.
His mother state, Liguim, did not have fertile land and did not produce much. After becoming a free city of the kingdom, Liguim was backed by Diónia. Its trade was prosperous, the territory was safe, and the citizens were rich and extravagant. The people did not have extra food reserves. After the drought ravaged Liguim, several rivers in the territory were cut off, and the city soon began to run out of food.
The council of Liguim panicked and hurriedly asked the Kingdom of Diónia for help. The Devers ordered a quantity of corn allotted to Lidjim, and sent word that each man should control his purchases.
The officials of Liguim did not take it to heart at all. The grain was put on the market and was bought up by the rich people of Liguim in the blink of an eye. So they had to ask for help from Diónia again.
The Devers, in spite of their sullen and angry faces, authorized another shipment of grain to Liguim, warning them that Diónia's reserves were to feed nearly two million people in the kingdom, and that there would be no surplus for Liguim. If there is a food shortage in the future, please think of a solution on your own.
Logically speaking, Billy Jim should have learned his lesson this time, but he didn't.
The generals and council members of Lijim divided up the grain in private, and some even sold it in their own grain shops at a high price. The merchants of Liguim also took action, going all over the Mediterranean to buy grain, then shipping it back to the Liguim market to sell it at a high price. They even went to Diónia to make money in the same way, but they were severely punished by the Kingdom's Ministry of Commerce.
In the city of Liguim, there were not only wealthy merchants, but also ordinary civilians and a large number of port freemen. They did not have enough money to continue to buy grain in the market, and the price of grain in the city was too high, but the council did not impose strict restrictions, causing the people to complain.
It was at this time that someone exposed the fact that the Liguim council had twice embezzled the free relief grain from Diónia, which finally aroused the anger of the people. They gathered, robbed the grain shops, injured the merchants, and even shouted the slogan, "We don't want to be a free city, Liguim should be completely integrated into Diónia."
When Alcibidus left Liguim and came to Turií, the riot was still going on …
Alcibidus sighed, suppressed this annoying emotion, and went straight forward. After passing the interrogation of the city guards, he led the pack into the inner city.
It was almost dusk, but the Victory Square was still very lively. Vendors were selling their goods loudly, bards were rapping and singing, some students from the Diónia Academy were giving speeches, both to exercise their courage and knowledge, and to promote their profession to the people, and some artists were performing their poems, music, and even plays they had just created, and went back to improve their works through the audience's response and feedback.
Around the Victory Square, the people were discussing the contents of the Senate announcement that day posted on the stone wall; under the steps in front of the library, young people were reading stories from books, surrounded by children who were listening attentively; beside the fountain in Turi, women were chatting while drinking water, and children were laughing and having a water fight … It was a warm and peaceful scene!
Seeing this, it was hard to believe that a war was actually happening in Diónia, and it was about to start a bigger one! Alcibidus sighed inwardly. He passed through the Victory Square, bypassed the Senate Hall, and arrived at the forbidden area that the people of Turií named the Hill of the Kings, and was immediately stopped and interrogated by the palace guards.
Alcibidus stated his identity and origin, and a guard immediately rode to the king's mansion at the top of the mountain to make a report.
While Alcibidus was waiting, the guards checked the items he was about to bring up the mountain. Alcibidus was already used to this.
At this moment, a white covered carriage pulled by two white horses came from the east under the protection of the guards. Although the carriage was not inlaid with gold or silver, the exquisite design of the carriage, the gorgeous decorations on the roof, and the elegant clothes on the white horses all showed the elegance and nobility of the owner of the carriage.
"Brother!" The curtain on the side of the carriage was lifted, and a beautiful face was revealed.
… …
Aegnis let Alcibidus into the carriage, and had the pack that had been checked follow closely behind as they headed towards the top of the mountain.
"Is father feeling better?" Aegnis asked with concern.
"He's the same as before, paralyzed on the bed and unable to walk. The doctors sent by His Majesty have treated him several times, but there's not much progress … But he doesn't throw his temper like before, and just two days ago he told me that he wanted to come to Turií to see you. But, you know …" Alcibidus shrugged helplessly.
Aegnis' face was immediately filled with melancholy when she heard this. She obviously knew what Alcibidus was referring to.
All these years, the chief general of Lijim, Atilykrus, would always use all sorts of indirect methods to hint to the Devers that they should choose Apox, the son of Aegnis, as the heir to the throne.
Two years ago, at a family banquet, Atilykrus, who had drunk a little too much, publicly declared, "… Cristoya isn't a pure Greek (Greeks in Asia Minor often marry foreigners), and was once a princess of Persia. If her child, Crotocatax, inherits the throne, I'm afraid it will cause public criticism. Moreover, Crotocatax's personality is too gentle, and he's not suitable to inherit the throne. Apox, on the other hand, is intelligent and has a pure bloodline, so he should be a suitable successor to the Devers …"
After these words were said at the banquet, the Devers flew into a rage. What he hated the most was the interference of others in matters related to the succession of the throne, and deliberately stirring up disputes to destroy his family. In his anger, not only did he smash the wine jar in his hand, but he also ordered the guards to chase him out of the mansion, ordering him to return to Lijim immediately, and never to come to Turín again.
From then on, Atilykrus's prestige in the Lijim council was greatly reduced, and the councilors who usually tried to curry favor with him began to distance themselves from him. Atilykrus, who had suffered such a blow, was depressed, and drank all day long. One day, he suddenly fell down and fell into a coma. After being rescued, he regained consciousness, but his lower body was paralyzed, and he could not walk …
Thinking of these past events, Aegnis's expression became gloomy. After all that had happened, she, who had been caught in the middle, was the most uncomfortable. On one hand, she felt very sorry for Cristoya. Although Cristoya later generously expressed that Atilykrus's words were drunken, and that she did not mind it. She even got along with Aegnis as before, but Aegnis had always felt guilty. On the other hand, her father had fallen ill from drinking, and she felt that she had to bear part of the responsibility. So this matter had always made her feel guilty.
At this moment, she hesitated for a moment, and said, "… I will ask His Majesty to lift the ban and allow Father to come to Turín!"
Alcibidus shook his head and said, "Aegnis, you must not ask His Majesty! You know Father's temper. If he doesn't come to Turín, it will be good for you and the children! "
Hearing this, Aegnis opened her mouth, but in the end, she remained silent.
Seeing this, Alcibidus comforted her, saying, "Father can't come, you can go to Lijim to see him."
Aegnis's eyes suddenly lit up, 'Yes, I can go to Lijim, His Majesty shouldn't stop me!'
The two chatted in the carriage about recent interesting things in Lijim for a while, and then arrived at the king's mansion.
As soon as they got out of the carriage, they saw a few figures rushing over, "Uncle! Uncle! … "
According to blood relations, only Aegnis's two children had the right to call Alcibidus uncle. However, in order to not let the children become estranged because of this difference in kinship, the Devers had specially talked to Alcibidus and made all the children call him uncle from the start.
So the children running at the front were not Apophis and Avia, but Briantes and Eunice.
"Uncle, what good gift did you bring us this time?!" Briantes said, his eyes staring straight at the pack behind the carriage.
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