Augustus Road

Lepidus was sitting in the tent, playing with the green ring left by Alexander. Then he looked at Septimius, who was standing there, and asked, "Where is the pharaoh you are protecting?"

"Unfortunately, when I was fending off the pursuers, Your Majesty swam to climb onto the boat, but he drowned. I can't find the body." The old centurion said in a hidden voice, with a look of sadness on his face. look.

"Your name is Septimius. You are a country boy from Sicily. You used to serve under General One-Eyed as his flag-bearer. Later, you were incorporated into Pompey's account. It is said that he killed Guy on Pharos Island. You are the one who belongs to Binus and Marcellus." After finishing speaking, Lepidus slowly put down the turquoise ring, "How could a veteran like you be loyal to that little pharaoh who is at the end of his life? Ptolemy was also secretly murdered by you, wasn't he?"

As soon as he heard this, Septimius immediately handed over the amber ring in his pocket, saying that he had indeed killed the Pharaoh and surrendered to the cavalry commander because he was desperate. Now he sincerely surrendered to the Pharaoh. He presented both of his rings in the hope that the cavalry commander would forgive his crime.

It seemed that this guy was very clever. Lepidus took the amber ring and threatened again that the murderer who killed the previous consul had now killed the Egyptian pharaoh. No matter what, the dictator must pursue such a person. "As long as the cavalry commander presents these two rings, the merit will naturally be yours. And Septimius, for many people, it is probably better to 'die' or 'disappear'. Even if It's for His Excellency Caesar," the old centurion said with a smile.

"But aren't you afraid that I will really kill people and silence them?" Lebida smiled and asked this frightening topic.

"I am the one who killed the consul and the pharaoh. I have been waiting for this opportunity for thirty years, and now it has been completed in just a few days. Milu, my loyal friend of the cavalry commander, and I have been like-minded for a long time. If the cavalry commander needs to ask me to die, then I will have no regrets in dying now - but I still hope that the cavalry commander can forgive me, because there is no point in killing me even in the future. It’s just a name in the history books.”

Li Bida waved his hand and said, I understand everything you said. You are not allowed to keep the two rings privately, but I can reward you with twenty talents and send you to Cyrene to live in seclusion with your wife and children. I believe you will remain anonymous. You can spend the last years of your life with peace of mind, right?

Septimius bowed to the commander of the cavalry with satisfaction, saying that he had obeyed his orders. Three days later, Lepidus' army triumphantly returned to Alexandria. The cavalry commander's guards and ceremonial guards lined up directly from the Kenops Gate to the palace of Ipos. The citizens of Alexandria who had previously attacked the Republic ferociously were now attacked again. He quickly regained his servility and crouched respectfully under the hooves of the conqueror's horse. Listening to Caesar's throne speech to them, and roaring with joy.

"I will try my best to follow the will of my friend the Pied Piper to arrange this country. Although due to tragic wars and conflicts, its implementation will be different from the original vision of the Pied Piper, but the overall spirit will not change. That is, the original noble royal family still rules Egypt!" After saying this, Cleopatra sat on the colorful embroidered sedan chair, holding the Pharaoh's crown and scepter, amidst the cheers of the crowd. Directly along the streets and gardens of the city, we came to Caesar. Caesar smiled and kissed the back of her hand and her scepter, marking that Egypt and the Roman Republic had entered a honeymoon period of mutual love. Then the dictator personally wore a crimson robe and guided Queen Marie's carriage on foot. Entered the palace.

At the door of Yuecheng, Lepidus stood there, holding two crystal precious rings in both hands. Queen Elizabeth smiled at him, trying her best to make a calm and peaceful expression, then she said extremely grateful and put the rings on her On the slender fingers.

"It's a pleasure to serve the new Pharaoh, and a pleasure to successfully carry out this mission for the dictator." Lepidus also responded humbly, and then he hugged Caesar and many generals one after another, "Where is that poor child? You Have you seen his body?" Caesar asked quickly while hugging him.

"I'm sure the child is dead. As for the body, it's missing." Li Bida's tone was filled with regret.

"That's fine. Let's just say that my brother has consciously admitted defeat in the Nile River and lived in seclusion. Before leaving, he gave me all the rings and scepters, and weaved a tender legend, which is good for the face of the people and the royal family. It's pretty." Little Queen Elizabeth said as she sat on the sedan chair after hearing the conversation between the two.

Obviously, both the dictator and the cavalry commander knew this. Rome also held this attitude in its early years. For example, the founder of the city-state, Romulus, was actually assassinated by a group of nobles during a sacrifice, but it was recorded in the book that it actually said that Romulus Mulus was surrounded by a gust of wind, and after the wind dispersed, the person disappeared. Then the priest said that he had ascended to heaven, and was dismissed as "dead by the wind".

In the days after the triumph, the political affairs of Egypt were entrusted to Lepidus, because Caesar and Cleopatra took a fancy boat up the Nile to Thebes to attend the festival. When the dictator had no intention of handling miscellaneous matters, his deputy had to take over: the reorganization of the border guards, the tomb guards, the river transport guards and the Hormachi Legion, the transfer of the garrison areas of various armies, the surrender and payment of various generals and nobles, and the control and demands of the treasurers on various nomes were all turned into piles of official documents and sent to Lepidus.

Ten days, twenty days, thirty days, and finally even the document of the Roman Senate was delivered to Lepidus. The content of the letter was very anxious:

Curio's four legions have landed in Africa and set up camp at the old site of Scipio (Africanus)'s camp to capture Carthage. However, Curio did not dare to take the initiative to attack the coalition forces of Pompey and King Juba. His subordinates were in a mess and clamored to go to war.

So the Senate submitted a document to Caesar, asking him to decide the matter as soon as possible and send reinforcements to Africa to reinforce Curio.

"But the dictator will not come back so soon." The dictator's confidential clerk Igurus whispered to Lepidus.

"How long will it take?"

"Looking at the situation, it will probably take at least three months." Igurus said with dissatisfaction, "What I find most incredible is that the dictator actually publicly told the generals and soldiers that he came to Egypt to fight for that woman. Everything he did was for Egypt and his beloved Cleopatra."

Lepidus threw the hook pen into the tube and reminded Igurus, "Pay attention to controlling the rumors in the camp. The dictator is old and has met a woman he likes. It is normal for him to say something that is not so rigorous. Don't over-speculate and exaggerate-by the way, what should we do about Curio's reinforcements?"