Chapter 216: Imprisoned

In the dark, sunless prison of Rome, Dong Zhongshu had been imprisoned for many days, his body covered in wounds.

Whenever night fell, he tossed and turned, unable to sleep in the cramped cell, thinking about how to break this predicament and accomplish the great cause of the Han–Rome alliance.

One midnight, all was silent; only the occasional rustle of a mouse could be heard in the corner.

Suddenly, a faint footstep sounded outside the cell; immediately, a weak beam of light shot through the gap in the door.

Dong Zhongshu sat up warily, and in the dim light saw a thin, weak-looking man holding a key, carefully opening the cell door.

"Who are you?" Dong Zhongshu asked in a low voice, his eyes full of caution.

The man entered the cell and whispered, "Sir Dong, I am Amir, a slave of Mojietuo state. I have heard of your ordeal, and I also know that the Great Han once helped us drive off the invaders of Mojietuo. This kindness I have always kept in my heart. Today I will surely rescue you."

It turned out that while Amir was a slave in a Roman noble's household, he had heard that Dong Zhongshu was imprisoned for trying to forge an alliance between Rome and the Great Han, and his heart filled with admiration.

Adding to his gratitude toward the Great Han, he decided to risk a rescue of Dong Zhongshu.

"Time is pressing, Sir Dong; we must leave at once." Amir said, stepping forward to unfasten Dong Zhongshu's shackles.

Having been bound for so long, Dong Zhongshu's limbs were numb; as soon as he stood, he staggered.

Amir hurried to support him, saying, "Sir Dong, I'll hold you up."

The two cautiously went through the dim corridor, avoiding the patrolling jailers, heading toward the prison's rear gate.

Just as they were about to reach the rear gate, a jailer suddenly stepped out from the corner.

"Who goes there?" the jailer shouted loudly, at the same time reaching for the sword at his waist.

Amir's heart tightened; he quickly drew a dagger from his bosom, rushed forward, and grappled with the jailer.

After a fierce struggle, Amir finally subdued the jailer.

He didn't even pause to catch his breath, pulling Dong Zhongshu as they continued to run outward.

They passed through a narrow alley and arrived at a concealed spot.

Amir took out some dried food and water from his bosom, handed them to Dong Zhongshu, and said, "Sir Dong, eat something first to regain your strength. I have already arranged a merchant ship for you; at dawn you can board it and leave Rome."

Dong Zhongshu received the food and water, his heart filled with emotion.

He looked at Amir and said, "Amir, thank you. Your kindness, the Great Han will certainly not forget."

Amir smiled and said, "Sir Dong, this is what I ought to do. May you successfully complete your mission, so that the Great Han and Rome may join hands and create peace together."

In the dawn's light, Dong Zhongshu stepped onto the merchant ship and set sail toward Mojietuo state.

As the sails slowly rose, the merchant ship drove onward into the distance amid the waves.

He had thought they were on the way back to Mojietuo, yet fate played a trick on them.

After sailing for several days, the sea suddenly whipped up a gale and towering waves; the merchant ship tossed violently in the surging billows and lost its bearings.

The crew struggled to make repairs, yet they could still not change course.

After several days, the storm finally subsided.

When Dong Zhongshu and Amir stepped out of the hold, the sight before them left them stunned.

In the distance, a majestic pyramid glittered with golden light in the sun, surrounded by orderly temples and palaces, utterly unlike the familiar Rome and Mojietuo.

"What… is this place?" Dong Zhongshu murmured, his heart full of doubt.

After the merchant ship docked, they asked the locals and learned that this was actually a place called Kaimait, ruled by the Tuolemi dynasty, whose present pharaoh—that is, emperor—was Tuolemi IX.

Although he was curious about this unfamiliar land, Dong Zhongshu's thoughts remained fixed on the Han–Rome alliance.

Thinking that he must leave quickly to continue his mission.

Amir saw Dong Zhongshu's thoughts and said, "Sir Dong, don't be anxious. Let us first rest here and try to find a ship to Mojietuo."

Dong Zhongshu nodded and said, "That's all we can do. I hope we can leave soon and get back on track."

With the help of the locals, Dong Zhongshu and Amir found a place to stay.

At night, moonlight spilled over the courtyard; Dong Zhongshu gazed at the sky, his thoughts myriad.

"I never imagined I would end up in ancient Aiji by a twist of fate. I wonder how things are faring in Rome, and whether General Ma Lue has seen through the schemer's plot?"

He silently prayed in his heart, hoping it was not too late.

In the morning of ancient Aiji, sunlight spread over the golden sand, bathing the whole city in a dazzling glow.

Dong Zhongshu and Amir searched the streets for a way to leave, failing to notice the strange glances cast upon them from around.

Suddenly, a hurried footstep sounded; a group of elders in white linen robes, spears in hand—the Elder Guard—surrounded them on all sides.

"Who are you? Where do you come from?"

The captain of the guard, his eyes like a hawk, examined them up and down and asked in a cold tone.

Dong Zhongshu politely bowed and explained, "We come from the distant Great Han; we encountered a storm at sea, drifted here by accident, harboring no ill intent, only seeking a way to leave."

However, the captain gave a cold snort, utterly disbelieving their words, and waved his hand:

"Take them away! These foreigners dare to intrude into Aiji; they must harbor ill intent—put them to work building the pyramid, serving the pharaoh."

Without waiting for Dong Zhongshu and Amir to argue, the guard roughly dragged them away.

Along the way they saw other laborers who had been seized, each sallow and thin, eyes full of fear and despair, and their hearts sank involuntarily.

Soon the two were brought to the pyramid construction site. Here dust flew, huge stones piled up like mountains; laborers toiled with difficulty under the blazing sun, while overseers wielded whips, incessantly urging and berating.

Dong Zhongshu and Amir were also assigned a task: to haul the heavy stones.

The stones weighed several hundred jin; they could barely budge them even with all their strength. The scorching sun hung high like a fireball, baking the ground until the surface temperature became unbearable.

Before long, Dong Zhongshu and Amir were drenched in sweat, their clothes soaked, their skin burned red, as if about to be scorched.

Seeing this, the overseers not only showed no sympathy, but brandished their whips and shouted angrily:

"Move faster! Are you loafing about, trying to slack off?"

The whip occasionally lashed at them, leaving bloody stripes. Though their bodies were exhausted and they still had to endure the whip's blows, Dong Zhongshu's heart held firm: he must not collapse here; he must find a way to leave and fulfill his mission.

This journey has truly been one twist after another—just escaped the abyss only to fall into a tiger's den.

Amir also gritted his teeth and encouraged, "Sir Dong, we will surely endure till we find a chance to escape."