Augustus Road

At the back alley gate of Cato's house, a maid from Portia walked out nervously, and then handed a Moorish slave a roll of paper. The dark-skinned, muscular guy climbed directly over the wall of the alley, along the Running wildly along the cattle market's path.

"Terry Ali, do you have enough armed slaves?" At the intersection of Oxtail Street, Pompey, who was walking at the front, faced the new tribune, Terry Ali, who was joining him with his men and had a complicated expression. , pointing with his finger, asked.

"Yes, Your Majesty the Consul, please ask your retinue to raise the batons together with the fascists. Then, as the tribune, I have the power to convict the exiles who have escaped privately back to the sanctuary of the city of Rome." Triarii He was originally the figure sent by Lepidus to infiltrate Pompey, but the role he set for himself at this moment was that of a double-dealer. He was not willing to put himself in danger in order to protect Lepidus, so he used "conviction" on Pompey. This word is as vague as possible.

As everyone walked quickly out of the city, Pompey's slave Demetrius slapped Triarii on the back. This was a treasonous act in Roman society, because a slave was actually walking in the same position as the tribune. , not to mention such an intimate act, "Dear Tribune of Triali, I remember that in the Bronze Table Law, an exiled citizen already belongs to the category of capital punishment. If he escapes privately back to the city-state, his life will be at stake. Don’t you get any legal protection?”

Among the swaying rods, before Triali could explain anything, Cato the Younger on the other side added with a livid face, "Since both the Court of Justice and the Meeting of Centuries have implemented the exile of Lepidus, then if it is to be done immediately in Pulai When Ma reads the will, any armed slave who sees Lepidus has the right to immediately take the death penalty. This is what I authorize you as the Roman proconsul."

At this time, Brutus's face next to Cato was getting worse and worse. He hoped in his heart that his wife would send someone to notify Lepidus in time so that he could successfully evacuate. However, paradoxically, he always believed that this behavior was right. uncle. No, it was a betrayal of the entire republic. Thinking of this, he turned to look at Cassiyo, who had an unpredictable smile on his face and whispered, "Maybe the tuna has harmed your friend, maybe it has made your friend happy."

"Tuna was crazy in the last stage of his life. Maybe he didn't know that Lepidus was actually exiled beforehand?" Behind Casio, Princia continued talking proudly, "I have inside information in Prema. She clearly told I, Lepidus, returned to Prima before the death of the patron, and I am probably waiting for the virgin's will to inherit the huge assets of four thousand talents from the patron!"

The door of Prima's outer court was suddenly pushed open by several armed slaves. Little Cato walked in proudly. Carrying his friend's will, he entered the other courtyard where the tuna coffin was parked with Li Xilia and the uneasy Zou Yi. But unexpectedly, he did not see Lepidus himself in the empty yard, only Marcus and Kelly were there.

In addition, there were actually two unexpected guests sitting on the bench in the courtyard, Claudia and Claudius, the tribune in a cloak and boots.

When Claudius saw Cato, he smiled indifferently, and then stood up slowly, "Welcome the most famous, law-abiding, and righteous little Cato in Rome, a myth who entered the aristocratic circle from a peasant family. , to read out the will of my relative Tuna. However, if I remember correctly, both my favorite brother-in-law and his personal slave Kelly once told me that the will clearly stated that the main heir was my friend. Cornelius Marcus F. Lepidus, who alone can decide and distribute the inheritance of four thousand talents."

"I heard that one thousand two hundred was given to us as a gift. My ex-husband, including Lepidus, are all good people..." Claudia, who was still sitting on the stone chair, poked her head out and said But when she talked about the inheritance, she was smiling, but when she said "her ex-husband is a good man", she started to choke up and became sad again.

Seeing Marcus with a confused look on his face, Cato shook his head, then looked at Claudius with disgust, spread out his will in front of the Virgin, and read out loud: The content of Tuna's will is completely the same as that of Sister Claudius. Just as I expected. However, after reading it, Cato the Younger said a few more words, "Since I am the reader of the will, apart from the main heir and the acting heir, I have full power to interfere with the inheritance. Lepidus, originally a Roman citizen, Acting commander of the Thirteenth Illyrian Legion, but he committed several crimes last year and was sentenced to the death penalty of exile. His citizenship and property were confiscated. In addition, I heard that he ran back to the country privately... "

"Tsk, tsk, tsk." Claudius walked back and forth around Little Cato a few times, and then said in a very magnanimous manner, "Stop beating around the bush and tell me directly, what are your opinions on the handling of Tuna's inheritance?"

"Lepidus automatically lost his qualification as the main heir, and Marcus's heir remained. Except for four hundred talents left to Marcus, the rest was confiscated and entered into the treasury."

"You disqualified Lepidus from the heir, but approved his qualification from the inheritance. Otherwise, what right do you have to confiscate most of my brother-in-law's inheritance?" Claudius roared, and Claudia screamed, He even fainted at one point.

Cato sneered a few times, pointed to the bunch of rods around him and said, "This is my power, tribune. You will not be able to do evil in Rome for long. Pompey has completely stood in my camp." , the enemy of the Republic is destined to be defeated. First remove Lepidus, then Caesar, and you, and the country will be at peace."

"If I spread the words that Tuna is a fool before, it is a personal hatred, then I am now publicly announcing that Tuna entrusted you to be the reader of the will, which is the biggest evidence that he is hopelessly stupid. He has a friend like you, I believe He will be very happy on the boat in Dijon." Claudius patted the tuna's coffin, and then helped his sister up. At this time, he obviously noticed that there was sweat on the forehead of little Cato standing in the center of the courtyard. When leaving the other courtyard, he added something to little Cato, "Yes, Lepidus is in Rome, and he will definitely take revenge in the future. I should feel lucky that it is not me who will be retaliated against, and that is not the case with the four." Something a thousand talents can fix.”

In the outer court of Prima, Claudius arrogantly called out names one by one with his fingers, Pompey, Princia (this one had a psychological shadow and was trembling with fear), Cassius, Brutus, and then on the neck He made a gesture of execution, then left with a smile.

"This guy is as dangerous as Lepidus and must be eliminated sooner or later." Pompey looked at this man's back and ordered Demetrius viciously. (To be continued...)