In March, the climate in northern Africa is pleasant, the hot summer has not yet arrived, and the Nile River floods that alarm Egyptians will not sweep across the entire delta until October.

The Qin army's choice to attack Egypt at this time was not without purpose. Long before sending troops, Meng Hu sent Hu Shang, a convert to the Tianshi religion, to secretly sneak into the Nile River Basin. They carefully dispersed everywhere to collect intelligence and draw maps.

, providing the Qin army with a series of useful information.

Over the years, Meng Hu's Military Intelligence Department was responsible for providing important information on the Qin Army's Western Expedition, and its accuracy was praised by generals at all levels in the Qin Dynasty.

Unlike the generals who made meritorious deeds on the battlefield, Meng Hu has remained relatively unknown in recent years. His name has gradually been forgotten by the Qin people. Most young Qin soldiers can no longer remember what he was like during the Unification War.

That fat and fierce general in the Qin border army.

"There are always some things that someone has to do. As for the limelight, leave it to the young people." Meng Hu, who is nearly forty years old, often comforts his subordinates when they face their dissatisfaction, and this is his share.

Peace also made him more valued by Li Yuan.

The Qin army is now rich in talents and there is no shortage of generals who can lead troops in battle. What is really lacking are down-to-earth people who can share Li Yuan's worries. Organizations such as the Military Intelligence Department and the Zhijing Department need a strong and powerful

Smart and reliable people should be selected to serve. Otherwise, if the personnel are not used properly, the Qin army will fall into a blind man and a blind horse.

——.

The Qin army, said to be 200,000 strong, came overwhelmingly.

Along the way, the cities and fortresses of the Ptolemaic Kingdom were completely destroyed. After capturing Cairo, an important town on the lower reaches of the Nile River, Li Yuan did not hesitate to point his troops at Alexander.

The Egyptians were left alone.

Among the allies of Ptolemy V, King Antiochus of Seleucid had long been killed by the Qin army, and King Philip V of Macedonia was being beaten by the Romans in the city of Pella. Don't say anything.

Crossed the sea to support Egypt. On the contrary, Macedonian rescue messengers came over in batches from the sea, asking Ptolemy V to send reinforcements quickly to rescue him.

The descendants of the once powerful Alexander the Great, after more than two hundred years of debauchery, finally reached their final point on the historical stage.

Alexandria.

This natural port located in the Nile Delta is the largest port city on the Mediterranean coast of Africa and the largest trade distribution center.

Its existence makes Haifa of the Jews, Crete of the Greeks, and the capital of Athens only play a following role. The rich natural resources of the African continent provide a steady driving force for trade here. This is the case in other places.

cannot be given. Especially in the past ten years, this advantage of Alexandria has become more and more obvious.

The reason is very simple. Carthage, a competitor in the African Mediterranean area, was destroyed by the Romans. The once glorious Carthage civilization no longer existed. In comparison, although the Ptolemaic dynasty was also weak, it could still survive.

Maintain the country's independence.

Inside the palace in the city.

Ptolemy V's face was pale, with slightly dark circles under his eyes, which showed that his mental state was extremely poor these days. The Qin army's fierce attack had already caused Egypt to lose a quarter of its land. If this continues,

.The entire kingdom will become a county of Qin State.

"What to do? What to do?" The young king was so anxious that he was sweating profusely and furious at all his subordinates. He was greeted by lowered heads.

Ptolemy V had just taken control of the country. A group of generals in the original army were purged, but the newly appointed generals obviously lacked confidence and did not have enough control over the army. This was also the reason why the Egyptian army suffered a complete defeat.

"Your Majesty, the Qin people have advanced weapons and well-equipped equipment. It's true that we are not trying our best, but we really can't defeat them!" After a long time, a trusted general of Ptolemy V took the courage to cry.

"You bunch of trash——!" Ptolemy V was furious.

"Your Majesty, we cannot sit still and wait for death. My motherland Seleucid was destroyed by the Qin people. This time they sent troops to Ptolemy to kill us. We must unite all our forces to fight against the devil from the east.

If the Macedonians don't work, we'll look for the Romans; if the Romans don't work, we'll look for someone else."

During the stalemate, a sharp female voice suddenly sounded. When Ptolemy V turned around to look, he saw his newlywed wife Cleopatra standing on the high stone steps, wearing a white veil.

Skirt, like a goddess looking down at all the living beings underneath.

"Uh, Queen, you want to find the Romans? We have a long-standing feud with Rome, and Philip's side is still at war -" Ptolemy V swallowed dryly and asked with an ugly face.

"Philip, that loser, we can count on. If we want to fight against the devil, we have only one choice, and that is to form an alliance with General Scipio of Great Rome." Cleopatra said firmly.

"Romans, it's a pity that our several missions were rejected by the Romans. As for Scipio, the queen said that the Roman general who defeated Hannibal of Carthage was too young.

The person who has the power to make decisions in Rome is not him, but the consul Fabian," Ptolemy V shook his head and questioned.

"Fabia, that old guy who only has eyes for the estates on the Roman Peninsula, how can he be compared with the wise General Scipio? If your Majesty doesn't believe it, I am willing to go to the Roman army to lobby in person. I will definitely convince Scipio to lead his army to help.

." Cleopatra was confident.

"That's good, I'll pay the queen a visit. However, even if the Roman army arrives, it will still take some time. The Qin people have just reached the city. Our top priority is to stop the Qin people." Ptolemy V thought.

Thinking, he nodded helplessly. His queen is the daughter of Antiochus III of the Kingdom of Seleucid. She hates destroying her country and kills her father. For the Qin people who took away her motherland, Cleo

Petra hated her to the core.

"Your Majesty, don't we still have the war elephant troops that have not been used? With them here, what are you worried about?" Cleopatra said sweetly with a wink.

War elephant.

As the name suggests, it is a branch of the military that uses elephants as mobile tools on the battlefield. Unlike elephants in Asia, elephants in Africa have taller bodies. People have to ride on them. It can be said to be condescending, just like a hill, and more

The important thing is that elephants have rough skin and thick flesh. To them, a blow like an arrow is like a mosquito bite and they don't feel anything at all.

Aren’t the people of Qin good at cavalry and crossbows?

Let them try the secret weapon of my Ptolemaic army! Just imagine what will happen when the war elephant meets the war horse. Thinking of this, Ptolemy V and his men couldn't help but feel confident.

——.

Carthage.

An ancient country located in the western part of the Mediterranean Sea in North Africa. In a manor in the Bagladas Valley in the south of it, a middle-aged man with slightly gray hair tilted his head and looked at a scroll of parchment text with his left eye lowered at his desk.

His other right eye was covered with a leather bag, and half of his cheek was also blocked, making it look very vicious at first glance.

"Senator Bacca, this is the information about the Romans. Although there are conflicts between Fabian and Scipio, they have not really broken their skin yet. Therefore, the Senate wants you to wait a little longer."

Opposite the middle-aged man, a Carthaginian with a somewhat hunched back whispered.

"Wait——. Is this the answer of those cowards? Is this how they treat the warriors who fought for Carthage?" The middle-aged man's voice was sharp and unusual. His head suddenly raised, a pair of eagle-like eyes

Staring at each other. These information collected from all directions are an important tool for him to judge the current situation while under house arrest in this manor, so there cannot be any negligence.

"Senator Bacca, the Senate is also in trouble over this matter. Did the Romans send people to monitor it? What the great senator means is, please be patient for a while. I heard that the Romans and the Qin people in the east are already fighting. Our chances may be

Right in front of you." The hunchback trembled after being scolded and defended softly.

"The Qin people are fighting with the Romans. What's going on? Tell me quickly." After hearing this, the middle-aged man asked with a thoughtful expression.

The hunchbacked Carthaginian wiped away the cold sweat and quickly told everything he knew about the situation. He couldn't help but feel nervous. It was true that the middle-aged man opposite him was too famous and had extraordinary abilities.

Even the Romans who defeated him could only temporarily put him under house arrest and did not dare to kill him.

Hannibal Barca.

This is a name worthy of special mention in the history of Western civilization. In the process of Carthage and the Romans competing for hegemony in the Mediterranean, he was the commander-in-chief of the Carthage side.

Hannibal, who had been an enemy of Rome all his life, had outstanding military and diplomatic performance. It was precisely because of his existence that the Romans suffered a lot in the Battle of Lake Trasimeno and the Battle of Cannae.

However, in the Second Punic War, the Carthaginian army commanded by Hannibal was defeated by Scipio, and then he retired and ceased to serve as the administrator of Carthage.

Carthage is a city-state founded by the Tyrians, a branch of the ancient Phoenicians. Their earliest settlement was between the Dead Sea and the Mediterranean Sea in Asia, where the Jews live today. In the ninth century BC

At that time, the Tyrians crossed the Mediterranean and reached the Mediterranean coast of Africa.

From about the 8th century BC to the 6th century BC, Carthage began to expand into the interior of Africa and gradually controlled most of the Phoenician colonies in North Africa. At the same time, Carthage also moved towards the western Mediterranean and occupied
Chapter completed!