Augustus Road

In the pool of blood in the main hall, a general in military uniform walked up the steps, surrounded by the torches of his subordinates, as if he was watching a grand bloody drama. Queen Otepili saluted him personally, and then sat down. The other party stared at the pseudo-king and said with great interest, "So this is the pseudo-king in front of the sacred mountain ceremony of your country. His appearance seems to be the same as that of the king of kings." He is similar to a king, but his temperament cannot be highlighted even if he is wrapped in king's clothes."

At this time, a large number of slaves came up in a hurry and began to carry away the corpses and wipe away the blood. Otpereli smiled and said to Lepidus that this false king is not the core of tonight's discussion, and he should be kept for his own use, "and Compared with this, I am more concerned about my children who are drifting away and have just returned. "

"His Royal Highness, no, he is the future king of kings. The lion on the top of the holy mountain is naturally safe. I have sent an entire infantry brigade to guard him in the military camp, and the military camp officer, according to the introduction of the queen, , is also a very loyal person. There is nothing dissatisfied, my noble queen, you and I have been planning this for a long time, including your sister Eubotia." Lepida then said silently. posture, "But even if the victory is now in hand, it is still not appropriate for His Highness the Prince to come forward, in order to have the final say. Therefore, I once again ask you on behalf of the Republic, Your Excellency, Queen, can you guarantee the friendship between Armenia and Rome? Can you truly kill decisively?" "

"That's natural." Otter Perry replied easily, "If the matter is successful, next year my country will fulfill its promise and provide you with a servant army of 10,000 cavalry. How about it?"

Of course it's very good, Lebida promised generously. and ensured that the throne of Little Tegre was under the sanction of the Republic. It will be as stable as Mount Tai. And as the conflict between the Republic and Parthia intensifies, the importance of your son will become more and more prominent, and your country will always benefit. Of course, this matter must be kept secret for the time being. I will have two legions soon. I will also ask Lord Crassus for another half of the legion, which is the fourth Syrian legion. I heard that Crassus was sailing to Asia Minor at a rapid speed. The commander of the legion was nearly drowned, and half the ships and men were lost.

These two and a half legions must lurk on the Armenian border. "In short, don't let the Parthian craftsmen discover that there is a big anomaly in Ataxeta. Continue to keep everything external, so everything will be resolved tonight." Okay." After saying that, Li Bida smiled and bowed to the fake king who didn't know what you were talking about, and then left.

Early the next morning, the royal city of Ataxeta. Everything is normal: the false king is still sitting on the throne in disguise, and all dissidents in the palace have been eliminated. The city walls are still tightly guarded, and to the people in the market below the royal city, they seemed to have heard the sound of troops mobilizing in the military camp last night, but this is perfectly normal for the heart of a kingdom. , everyone knows that now the whole of Asia Minor and Syria are shrouded in the clouds of war.

In the bathroom where the doors and windows were completely sealed, the oil lamp had slowly withered away. The real king, Tegranis, had dull eyes, watching the darkness gradually become like a tide, completely submerging the room. During this period, he did not eat, nor did he. Drink water. If you are hungry, dip it in ointment and essential oils. If you are thirsty, you can drink the clean water in the bath. Yes, he is not dead for the time being. It seems that the rebels have no hope of letting him die. They are always guarding him. He had no intention of coming in for execution.

But the problem is that there is still a full market day and a half before the Holy Mountain Festival. Of course, this time is just a vague concept to Tegranis. The bathroom without the light of the fire is dark, and several eunuchs have committed suicide because they know that no matter what Whichever faction wins, whoever sees this scene must die. The King of Kings sits in silence among the corpses of those who died after hitting the pillar.

After a market day passed, all the anointing oil and so on were gone, and he began to eat his own feces in desperation. He originally thought that he might encounter such a day. It should be said that some kings have such concerns. On the throne With the sword of Damocles hanging at all times, "I will die vigorously then, so as not to lose the king's demeanor." At that time, he was sitting in the palace, the army and the power, he thought generously, but when the matter came to an end, he realized , even if I eat the stinky excrement, I don’t want to die, not at all. At this time, should I praise the tenacity of life, or should I laugh at my obsession with greed for life and fear of death?

Finally, the day before the Holy Mountain Ceremony, the bronze door was opened with a bang. Tegranis was naked, covering his head with disheveled hair, nestled in a smelly pile of excrement, and was illuminated by the sudden light. He could not open his eyes, and his body was very weak, and he could not even speak. However, several wolf-like soldiers, most of whom belonged to the Cyrenaic Legion, Gaspar, the leader of the Armenian Guards, flatly refused to execute the king. He believed that rebellion was okay, but regicide was absolutely out of the question, and he could only let outsiders do the work.

These soldiers grabbed Tegranis's braid and dragged him out like an animal. The other man's eyes were distracted and his mouth was slightly open. He didn't know what he was saying. A certain soldier inserted a barbed iron rod into him. After a few violent stirs in his mouth, the true king could no longer make a sound. His tongue and teeth all turned into pieces. "Put him on the king's crown and clothes," the leading officer said. Shouting in Greek with a Thracian accent, his men randomly put some gorgeous underwear and robes on Tegranis, whose mouth was full of blood and looked like a dead fish, and then carried him all the way to the courtyard of the fountain. In the meantime, Ote Peili stood there, turned around and looked at her husband, and actually smiled and said to the Puppet King next to her, "The play you are going to perform will take some time to close, but it is also very simple. From now on, You are the symptom of a stroke. I will give you a luxurious palace with no shortage of food and maids. You just need to enjoy it inside and don't come out."

The false king's eyes widened, full of the exaggerated surprise of a common man. He looked at the queen, at the half-dead real king, then at the sullen soldiers around him, and then said a few words slightly. , presumably satisfied with the conditions offered.

Several of the queen's trusted eunuchs threw the true king onto a sedan chair, tied him up with ropes, and sent him out of the main gate of the palace. Countless Armenian nobles lined up their chariots in front of the gate. When they saw " The "false king" was carried out, and the "real king" and the queen, surrounded by the imperial guards, gave out thunderous cheers as they waved to everyone.

On the top of the mountain of Ararat, Tegranis, who had been untied and hooded, was kneeling on the snow and grass. Several Cyrenaic soldiers were wiping the blades of their swords. The King of Kings was shivering with cold. He looked at He stared at the rock in the distance, and then suddenly the sky fell sideways, and an eagle spread its wings and flew across his eyes. At the moment when his soul came out of his body, he saw the still young Mizarro falling from the sky on the rock, smiling. Holding his hand, slowly rising away... (To be continued...)