Chapter 476: The King of the Jews

Herod's Palace.

After undergoing the gate inspection, reporting, and waiting, Mi Ti Ya, Balthasar, and Gaspar, the three Persian doctors, finally entered the palace interior, guided by a court attendant, passing through the heavily guarded courtyards and colonnades.

Light filtered through the tall windows, falling onto the polished smooth marble floor.

The murals depicted scenes of myth and war, showcasing a blend of Roman culture and local elements.

They were led to a relatively spacious audience hall.

The hall was lavishly furnished, carpeted, and stocked with gold and silver vessels.

Then they saw the elder seated on a high‑backed chair inlaid with ivory and gold.

Herod.

He, the actual ruler of the Judea region, a faithful ally and proxy of the Roman Empire, had already entered his old age.

Time and scheming had carved deep wrinkles on his face, his skin sagged, and his eye bags were evident.

Yet those sunken eyes still glittered with an eagle‑like sharp, suspicious, and domineering light.

He wore a purple robe, a golden crown, and toyed with a Seal Ring in his hand.

Although his stature was no longer as upright as in his prime, the authority of long‑standing rule mixed with a faint, late‑life bitterness and suspicion, creating an unsettling sense of oppression.

He slightly lifted his eyelids, his gaze falling on the three dust‑covered foreign visitors.

"Sages from the East?"

Mi Ti Ya immediately stepped forward, performed a courtesy bow, and said:

"May light and wisdom ever accompany you, Your Majesty. We have come from Persia seeking the one who was 'born to be King of the Jews.'"

He lifted his head, his gaze calmly meeting Herod's scrutinizing stare, and continued:

"In our eastern homeland we observed his Star Phenomenon, and, following the Ancient Prophecy and the guidance of the starry sky, we crossed countless hardships to come here to worship him."

"Born to be King of the Jews..." Herod murmured the words, and the finger that had been twirling the ring suddenly halted.

A strong unease instantly permeated his heart.

The Throne beneath him was granted by Rome, and he had seized it by any means from the remnants of the Hashimang Clan and other rivals, maintaining it ever since with an iron fist and political machinations.

A being 'born' destined to be 'King of the Jews'? This is undoubtedly the most direct challenge to his legitimacy.

Especially now, in his old age, as his suspicion deepens to the point where even close kin are untrustworthy, this news is like a bolt of thunder!

His face remained impassive, yet the light in his eyes flickered sharply, like a beast whose territory had been invaded.

He fell silent for a moment, seemingly digesting the shocking information and rapidly weighing pros and cons.

"Oh?"

Herod finally spoke again, his voice slower than before, with a measured astonishment: "Such a thing exists? A... born King of the Jews?"

"This matter is of great consequence, involving prophecy and law; though I am the ruler of this land, I dare not decide lightly,"

He showed a thoughtful expression, paused, then said, "Very well, scholars from afar, allow me to summon my High Priest and the scribes well‑versed in the Scrolls to examine our Prophet's records in detail."

"To verify where the star you mention points, and what person it corresponds to."

"Then."

He gestured to rise, "You have traveled hard; you may first rest at the guesthouse. After I have inquired thoroughly, I will invite you back tomorrow to discuss this together, agreed?"

However, Mi Ti Ya did not depart immediately as he wished.

The elder stepped forward half a step and spoke again:

"Your Majesty, before you examine the Scrolls, we have another urgent matter and earnestly request your assistance."

Herod, about to leave, paused and sat back down.

He wanted to see what other demands these Persians might have.

"What matter? Speak freely," Herod waved his hand, his tone slightly impatient yet leaving room.

Mi Ti Ya said plainly, "Along our path, guided likewise, there is another sage from a far‑more distant East."

"However, shortly after we entered the city, he was arbitrarily detained by your soldiers."

"We earnestly ask Your Majesty to order the immediate release of this innocent traveler."

"Such a thing?!" Herod's face instantly showed astonishment and anger, indicating his displeasure at his subordinate's actions.

He frowned, quickly gesturing to a trusted attendant standing nearby.

"Feiluo," Herod called.

A middle‑aged attendant dressed in a pristine white robe, with a sharp face, stepped forward and bowed to obey.

"You will accompany these three doctors to investigate the situation."

"If any of my soldiers have indeed detained a distant guest without cause, release the person immediately and severely punish those audacious fools!"

Herod ordered in a deep voice, his tone severe, assuming the demeanor of a just ruler.

"As you command, Your Majesty," the attendant named Feiluo replied respectfully, turned to Mi Ti Ya and the others, and gave a slight nod:

"Three doctors, please follow me."

Mi Ti Ya, Balthasar, and Gaspar exchanged glances, bowed again to Herod in thanks, then followed Feiluo, hurrying out of the audience hall.

Watching their silhouettes vanish around the colonnade corner, Herod's astonishment and anger faded quickly, replaced by a deep, inscrutable gloom.

He did not speak to himself nor display excessive emotion.

This time he also did not leave the Throne, but turned toward a younger attendant standing on the other side.

He issued another command:

"Go, summon the High Priest and all the scribes most versed in law and the Prophetic Books here immediately. Now."

"As you command, Your Majesty!" The young attendant, daring not to delay, hurried out of the hall.

Before long, hurried footsteps sounded.

The High Priest—a aged yet clear‑sighted elder clad in a splendid priestly robe—and several similarly aged scribes rushed to Herod's presence.

Just as they were about to perform the formal greeting, Xi Lv Wang impatiently waved his hand and cut them off directly:

"I heard… the 'king of the Jews', that is, our 'Christ', has been born?"

He emphasized the words 'king of the Jews' and 'Christ', his gaze hook‑shaped, fixed tightly on the high priest and the Scribes:

"Tell me, according to the Prophet's Prophecy… where should he be born? When was he born?"

Regarding Xi Lv Wang's question, the high priest and the Scribes did not seem very surprised.

After exchanging a brief glance, the leading elder high priest stepped forward and, without hesitation, gave the answer they had long observed:

"Your Majesty, reporting back."

He paused, and together with the other Scribes answered in unison:

"He was born in Bo Li Heng."

"As for when he was born, we do not know."