Augustus Road

"After war, what oaths are required to maintain peace?" - Appian

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"Caesar, Caesar, are your ambitions and achievements going to be buried in quicksand?" Seeing the bloody corpse of the dictator lying in the aisle, Antony, who couldn't bear to see the death of a noble man, walked away. He knelt down, touched Caesar's body, and began to cry.

"What should we do now?" Pansa also knelt down, holding Caesar's drooped head, and said, "Ebro, Igurus, Basatus and Hegius, we are all from humble backgrounds. Yes, we entered politics only after being appreciated by the dictator, are they going to bloody purge us next?”

"Don't panic, don't cry!" Lepidus, who was standing under Pompey's statue, calmly scolded, "Now that Julius is dead, and he died at the hands of a despicable assassin, the top priority now is to search for him Get the list of Caesar’s murderers, the second is to protect Caesar’s will, and the third is to control the army!”

"Perhaps, Brutus and the others will start to liquidate us soon, and we will lose the opportunity to appeal in front of the people." Pansa became a little afraid, but Lepidus said, "Don't be afraid, everyone, when Caesar was still a boy, he dared Didn’t the people who resisted the dictator Sulla retreat with their lives intact? The people loved Caesar, and all the military areas in Italy and distant provinces also supported the Aemilius Act. Of course, they knew that if the murderers succeeded, they would. The power we gained before will be completely lost, so now we have to distinguish between ourselves and the enemy and win more friends. " "Yes, in order to avenge His Excellency Caesar faster and better" As he said this, the corners of Lepidah's eyes also shed tears. Tears, "How much he believed in those people he had promoted. He thought these people could repay their kindness, but this group of people chose to behave like animals. Don't panic, you two. You must know that it is not the Gracchi brothers now. In the era, high priests and consuls could kill political opponents at will, but it is different now. We have armies, sword fighting slaves, and Caesar's will - they are afraid of us, otherwise Brutus and Cassius. He won’t take people to hide on Capitol Hill.”

"Then let's make a division of labor!" Anthony said, "The Sixth Army of Hezhou is your direct descendant, and the control of the army will be left to you. And I will stay in the Juilliard Hall as the cavalry commander and acting consul. His identity was intertwined with them, while Pansa contacted Ebro and other staff to recruit grain and reserve troops from various provinces as the Executive Yuan to prevent Diximus from counterattacking, because he was the default candidate for Shannan Gaul. There are four legions of soldiers newly recruited by Caesar." As a result, he obviously saw Antony hesitate. At this time, Lepidus' sharp eyes seemed to have seen through everything, and then Antony shook his head decisively under Pompey's sculpture. Saying that he doesn't know anything about the murderer, it's the only thing he knows now. It was Brutus and Cassius who led the assassination.

Under the statue of Pompey with a fake smile on his face, Lepidus nodded calmly. The problem just now was easily solved, so he proposed, "Because most of the senators have gone home in panic, Brutus will not take radical measures in the city for the time being in order to win their support and the support of the people." What we have to do now is to carry Caesar’s body back!”…

So in the darkness and sad wind, Lepidus, Panza and Antony walked out of the theater and came to the iron gate, hoping to find the bearer. However, the whole street was full of desolation, and the Roman people and slaves hid very quickly. This is a skill they have developed since the time of Sulla. They moved all their children and food into the mezzanine between the arcade and the chimney, locked the doors and windows, and picked up the weapons they could find on hand with their wives and slaves to fight for the enemy. Self-preservation.

"Have you sent someone to Julius's home to report the news?" Lepidus asked.

Pansa nodded, but didn't understand why no one has come to collect the body so far, "Forget it, it seems that Caesar's relatives also know that Caesar, who died an untimely death, will inevitably be counterattacked. They are different from us. Apart from ourselves, There is nothing to lose," Li Bida lamented.

As a result, in the dusk, a swaying shoulder cart appeared on the street. The slaves carrying it carried it to the gate of the iron gate. They didn't even dare to ask for money, so they dropped the shoulder cart and ran away like flying. .

Then it was Peppa who walked out of the carriage. She felt lost and slowly walked up to Lepidus. She said in a trembling and depressed voice, "Is Julius dead? The whole city is going crazy today." Pass this on."

"Yes, it's rare that you can still come to see him." Li Bida said.

Peppa lowered her head and covered her face and said, "I have nothing to be afraid of. What else is there to be afraid of? I just came to help him for the last time in the name of my ex-wife." Lepida nodded and said that it is rare for you to be a The woman still had the courage and responsibility, but when Caesar's body was taken out, Peppa almost fainted.

Finally, Lepidus and others carried Caesar's body on the shoulder cart. Then three men carried the shoulder cart and walked unsteadily on the street. Peppa, who was walking behind, burst into tears again. , "Why didn't he listen to the prophet's advice? Isn't the current scene exactly the same as that prophecy - he will definitely be lame on one leg. Now three people are carrying the carriage of four people. Isn't it a 'lame leg'? What is it?”

In the twilight, Caesar's body was placed in the Julius Courtyard in the Subura District where he had lived since childhood. Several old slaves said nothing, fumbling to light the lights, changing the bloody clothes for the former young master, cleaning the wounds, and preparing wax masks, face clothes and clean shrouds. Lepidus and three others stood silently on the side, watching this scene, while Timotheus, as a doctor, took a clerk to record the number and depth of the wounds left on Caesar's body.

"It's clear, there are a total of 23 wounds, the most fatal of which is on the back of the neck, but the one that caused him to lose resistance seems to be in the groin." Timotheus finally stood up and concluded.

"That means that there are about 20 senators who directly participated in the stabbing." Pansa said with gritted teeth.

At this moment, several people wearing dark cloaks came in one after another at the gate. Li Bi Da saw that they were Cota, Basatus, Bisuo and others. "If you are willing to take the risk to mourn, why do you hide your identity?" Li Bi Da asked angrily.