Augustus Road

"The senators use the money in their pockets to buy the votes of the voters, and then fill their pockets with the money plundered from the provinces." - Ancient Roman political proverb

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The scene became noisy again, and the chief legal officer spread his hands helplessly, indicating that we could enter the free fighting stage. Anyway, I was just a sign from beginning to end.

Taylor handed an amber slab to little Cato, an amber slab that Calabis was very familiar with. "What is this?" He was pretending to be crazy.

"Oh, this is one of the evidences of Catiline's rebellion. The text on the amber board is the list of the ten-member committee that Catiline established to pass the land reform plan. Above are the signatures of ten people who participated in the matter privately. Seal - By the way, Karabis, can you do basic arithmetic?"

Karabis nodded humbly, "I understand a little, I understand a little."

Little Cato held the amber plate majestically and walked up to Calabis, "How many people are there on it?"

"One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, I think it's seven people, Your Excellency." Karabis counted with his fingers slowly and slowly, delaying and gaining time to think.

"One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight! That's eight people. Calabis, I think you should hire a reliable financial officer to run your business in the future. Of course, if you can get out without guilt today." Little Cato said angrily corrected.

Oh, Calabis plucked his fingers again, and finally approved Cato's number.

"Committee of Ten, where are the remaining two people?" Cicero also rushed over and asked.

Calabis was shocked for a while and shrugged, "Maybe Catiline didn't find all his partners. You know, this is also a common thing in business."

"The two remaining people, aren't they Crassus and Caesar? Many senators and insiders said that they had an affair with Catiline long ago and signed this amber tablet. Crassus also helped Catiline eliminate I have paid the debt, and this amber tablet has been handed over to me, and there are traces of modification on it." Cato and Cicero expressed their anger at the same time.

Finally, Calabis hesitated and replied to the two people standing in front: "The remaining two people may also be you two." As soon as these words came out, not to mention the audience, even the legal officer on the seat couldn't bear it. He couldn't help but laugh.

Amidst the laughter, Cicero suddenly became serious. He raised a roll of parchment and slowly unfolded it, "You are indeed an extremely cunning Oriental, but I think you know Princia! He is the hanged Syrian. La Lentulus's mistress, it was she who secretly handed over this amber tablet to me, and now she has also come forward to prove that it was you who took out this amber tablet - Crassus and Caesar The most important sequestre is Calabis. I don’t need to elaborate on the chain of inferences involved!”

This evidence is indeed very lethal. The afternoon sun fell along the patio on the dome and fell on Calabis's back. His eyes were turning rapidly. Amidst the surprised comments of everyone, he felt uneasy and had a look on his face. The sweat also flowed down, Cicero and Cato were proud and sat back in the spectator seats. The legal officer and the jury began to whisper and discuss the matter of voting for a conclusion.

In front of the colonnade outside, a slave said a few words in Crassus's ear. Crassus showed no expression. He raised the cup and took another sip. Then he spilled the water in the cup onto the steps, and soon there was no sound. It seeps into the masonry and soil without any interest.

Seeing this, a group of Crassus' armed slaves began to push through the crowd and slowly walked towards the direction of Jukora Street.

"What's the matter, Karabis, you'd better say something before the court pronounces the verdict. Also, did you hear the question I just asked? You have a hole in your left ear, and my voice must be able to convey it. ." Cicero sarcastically said.

Suddenly, Calabis spoke something loudly that no one could understand. He kept talking, causing everyone to shout in surprise, "I can't hear what you said clearly!" Cicero walked up to Calabis again and shouted.

Apparently, Cicero had never heard of a language called Chinese.

Just when the chief legal officer lost his patience and was about to ask his followers to control Calabis's emotions, he suddenly returned to normal and said: "Your Excellency the consul, your new residence on the Palatine Hill is very beautiful and luxurious. no?"

Cicero didn't know what he wanted to express. Maybe it was to delay time, maybe to confuse the audience, but Calabis was obviously familiar with his situation. After he became the "Father of the Founding" of Rome, his reputation and wealth soared instantly. Rich people gathered on Palatine Hill and bought a beautiful villa surrounded by beautiful poplars. This allowed him to have a bird's eye view of the entire city of Rome from the terrace.

"Yes, but how does this relate to this case?" Cicero returned.

"Would you like it if someone set fire to your villa?"

Cicero raised his hands, indicating that the defendant was unreasonable, and urged the court to issue a sentence as soon as possible to prepare for further torture.

"You definitely don't want to! Because this villa cost you 80,000 drachmas, and you and your wife regard it as your life. But if we want to infer, how could Crassus, who owns half of the property in Rome, participate in Catiline's conspiracy? Didn't you clearly state the crime you convicted Catiline of at the beginning, that his followers wanted to set fire to the entire city of Rome? Just ask, how could the inspector Crassus agree to such a plan to destroy his own billions of property with his own hands, and how could he participate in it! This simple logic is not difficult for everyone present to understand." Carapis suddenly spoke out like a string of cannons.

The whole scene froze for a moment, and then the jury and the audience felt a sense of reversal and applauded Carapis. The judicial officers began to whisper to each other again. Cicero and Cato were a little dumbfounded, but Cato said firmly: "No matter what, Carapis, your crime is conclusive."

"What crime? Just because I accepted the project contracted by the censor?"

"No, it's because you have an unclear relationship with the Catiline incident. We need to interrogate you."

"Don't forget, everyone! - How did the consul swear before Catiline's conspiracy was exposed, saying that he would only need any free citizen If you are willing to turn Catiline over, you will be rewarded with 200,000 septae, and even if he is involved, you will not be held accountable - Mr. Consul, I still have a copy of the notice you posted all over the city at that time! Didn't Princia's testimony say that I handed the amber tablet that determined the fate of the Republic to her? A Roman who broke his promise, especially a consul, what kind of quality and personality can he talk about - the father of Rome! ? "Carabis mocked loudly, and suddenly pulled out a piece of papyrus that was still neatly preserved from the bronze tube in his sack. It was the one he had peeled off from the statue in front of the Senate before. He shook it twice and placed it in front of Cicero.