Augustus Road

During the recent period, the entire city of Rome was nothing short of burning. The two consuls, Pompey was busy having sex with his beloved wife in the Alba country villa, and Crassus was either busy raising funds and armaments or fighting in the Temple of Concord. Lip lawsuit. The city turned into an anarchist paradise. A faction headed by Claudius began setting fires and fighting in the streets with the newly emerging Triali. Claudius's base was the Maxim Drainage and the Avondine Hill. The base of Triari, an unemployed mob, was the veterans who had entered Rome from other places. The former were numerous and had a fanatical attitude, while the latter were experienced and fierce in fighting. For a time, they were inextricably linked to each other in various cross streets and markets.

Crassus' proposal to resign early and go to Syria to take over met with unprecedented mad opposition in the Senate. Although these specially selected fathers sometimes make big jokes, many of them are still very calm in foreign affairs. " The tyrant of Parthia, Herod, is gathering terrifying troops to ravage the borders of the Syrian province. We must pursue it in depth, and we can join hands with the legendary Empire of Seris to attack this evil nest," he said. It caused many people to stand up and boo, and Cicero's friend Aetius made a particularly sharp rebuttal. He made a vivid conclusion, "With the strength of the Republic at this stage, we can only maintain a certain attitude towards Egypt and Asia Minor." The vassal system cannot be directly annexed, and Syria is now just an outpost, unable to maintain a large-scale garrison there. Most of the seven legions brought by the consul are rookies, lacking will and experience. Your plan is really Such whims are ruining the army and honor of the Republic.”

Crassus was furious after hearing this rebuttal, but most people in the Senate agreed with Aetius's remarks. They did not understand why the consuls still acted when it was clear that Parthia had not taken any actual hostile actions against Rome. Going to conquer. So if the division is unknown, even if there is no formal war, it can only be regarded as Crassus' private trip to the east to rob. This is the most intolerable thing for the Republic.

When the meeting is over. Crassus left in anger. But he was still not relieved, so he turned around and pointed at the many statues in front of the steps and porch. He spat fiercely and shouted, "I will return from the east with great honor, and the entire republic will be benefited by my favor. My goal is not only Parthia, but also Bactria and India further away." "

As a result, his bold words even caused the elders to shake their heads and laugh.

Next, the manic Crassus decided to leave the city of Rome. He obtained Caesar's consent and invited Pompey again to meet again in the village of Russell. Discuss specific matters.

Moreover, Crassus forced Lepidus to follow him on the road, because the city of Rome stipulated that a consul must be permanently stationed in the city. Therefore, Pompey's secret meeting and Crassus were staggered, and Lepidus spent a long and peaceful time with the children and women in the village purchased by Russell.

"Leave it to the People's Assembly. I will communicate with Claudius. If there are not enough votes, there is a solution - just like last time, I will temporarily stop attacking the barbarians, let the soldiers enter the winter camp in advance, and then send half of them Soldiers, a total of 30,000 to 40,000 people, will return to the city of Rome to vote," Caesar promised to his old friend and sponsor in the venue converted from a warehouse in Russell Village.

Crassus nodded and said that this was the only way. Then Caesar and Lepidus winked at each other and continued to suggest, "The Senate and the tribunes are blocking you. It doesn't matter. Use the great Pompey As long as he is willing to vouch for you, the citizens will still let you go to Syria." After saying that, Caesar stood up and slowly squatted in front of Crassus, just like a young man treating his elders respectfully. He held the opponent's hand and encouraged, "As far as my military experience is concerned, what is war? It is the commander's strong determination, the determination to crush everything. Think of Hannibal, the enemy of Rome, and think of Alexander - It is said that Alexander clearly understood the vulnerability of the Persian Empire after reading "The Long March" written by Xenophon. Before his expedition, all his relatives, friends and officials were against him, but how did Alexander do it forever? Enthusiasm and hope finally arrived in India.”

Yes, yes, Crassus was attacked to the point where his confidence was not broken before. Spartacus's sword slave uprising was always a pain in his heart. Even though it was successfully suppressed by his private army, the soldiers In private, he was only called "commander" instead of "triumphal general" like Pompey and Caesar. The Senate also refused to give him a triumphal ceremony, even the lowest one. Could it be that his war against the sword-fighting slaves was really No honor at all? No, it was those guys who thought that awarding them a triumphal ceremony meant acknowledging that the army of the Republic was fighting the slaves regularly, which meant shame, so they sacrificed me!

Bastard, I have to prove myself. After hearing Caesar's encouragement, Crassus was ignited with ambition that was inconsistent with his age. He seemed to see the endless plains of Mesopotamia and the endless stretches of Bactria. Countless cities in the mountainous area have fallen at his feet. When the time comes, they will split into two groups, go all the way north to find the Seris Empire to monopolize the silk business, and go all the way south to conquer India and monopolize the spice business.

That's it.

In early autumn in Russell, Lepidus rode on a horse in casual clothes that concealed his presence. Julia and Potts held the children in front of the door and said goodbye to the host. Lepidus was in a heavy mood. According to the history he knew, even if he went to the safer Armenia and relied on the mountains to cross the Parthian diagonal, the possibility of being annihilated still existed, which was not comparable to the battlefields of Gaul and Egypt. He knew the strength of the Parthian cavalry. What was more terrible was that he would have to rescue the remnants of Crassus or approach Crassus, which would be extremely dangerous.

Thinking of this, he took the children's woodcuts again, and wrote a will in advance and gave it to Julia for safekeeping. He believed in the existence of fate, but he was more convinced of the power of the Parthian arrows.

"If I die, don't come looking for my bones. And remember not to invest in marine insurance or mines. Just sell all my properties and give them to Habaluka to manage, whether it's lending or not. Just let Leo get the status of a knight when he grows up. As for the little pigeon, you can give him part of the family property and give him the name of the Lepidus family. Let him go out and fight for it on his own. I am confident in his abilities. Remember, Julia, don't invest with my inheritance, never, ever." Lepidus first handed Julia the box containing the wax tablet of the will and his ring seal, and then repeated it to her verbally twice. When he was about to repeat it for the third time, Julia put her arms around his neck, gave him a light kiss, and said, "Go to the battlefield with peace of mind. I will take good care of the family property."