Augustus Road

"Hannibal dared to accept the inevitable; Scipio knew how to maintain profits and maintain peace after victory. This shows that the two great opponents have a noble soul and a statesman's genius." ——Mongolian Sen comments on the peace negotiations between Carthage and Rome after the Battle of Zama

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A tall flagpole was erected in front of Julius's courtyard in Suburra District, with Caesar's favorite scarlet general's cloak hanging on it. Caesar would raise it every time in the most critical battles, or wear it himself. He led all the soldiers into the battle without hesitation. This scene was very helpful in arousing the emotions of veterans and citizens towards him. Everyone gradually knew that the body of the dictator who gave his life for the country was still lying there, which was very important to him. His evaluation has not yet been settled, but more and more people have come to express their condolences in these days, and the two cavalry commanders Lepidus and Antony are also stationed here. They gathered Caesar's staff and subordinates during his lifetime, and led the cavalry to the general camp. The hospital became a temporary combat "headquarters", {no} wrong {small} said... and the Republicans headed by Brutus on the Capitol Hill faced off from afar.

Now the whole of Italy is beginning to become turbulent, and countless people are pouring into Rome. In general, the new citizens who have benefited from the Aemilius Act have all sided with the Julius Court; and most of the old Romans The citizens sided with Brutus and Eurabella. Except for a previous long-distance firefight between the Sixth Army and the City Army, large-scale fights in the city have not yet occurred. After all, both sides have maintained basic restraint. Soon, Brutus appeared in the Subra District and the Bull Market. On the street where they met, they claimed that they wanted to talk to two cavalry officers.

His appearance brought the situation to a boil. Many generals and veterans who had served under Caesar. All armed. Especially Milu, who gathered all Caesar's elite soldiers and barbarian guards during his lifetime, saying, "We want Brutus, these bastards, to know how we feel about the unprovoked murder of the dictator" and "a tooth for a tooth, an eye for an eye." , Everyone knows that His Excellency Caesar was stabbed twenty-three times!”

However, Brutus was also surrounded by hundreds of sword-fighting and armed slaves. This was all provided to him by the senators headed by Deximos as a security guard.

"I'm not here to fight. This will only endanger the city of Rome and the entire Republic. The only thing I'm glad about the bloodshed is that so far, only Caesar, a tyrant, has died, and no good people have yet died. He was caught in the chaos and died." Brutus stood there loudly and said to the murderous veterans on the opposite side, "You are serving the country and are not private soldiers of some politician or warlord. Caesar's affairs naturally have laws and the Senate. Discuss with the People's Congress. It has nothing to do with you. As for the land resettlement of all the troops after they retire, we have already solved part of it. As the chief justice, I guarantee that the rest will be properly resettled within the remaining stipulated time. Therefore, the only people I want to see now are the two cavalry officers. If you still think that you are soldiers of the Republic, then don't block the streets like thugs and hinder the conclusion of the peace agreement." These words shocked the veteran. They were speechless. They were far from Brutus' opponents in terms of words. At this time, Milu also calmed down. He asked everyone to get out of the way, but Brutus must also keep all his sword fighting slaves. , alone with his documents and retinue, went to see Lepidus and Antony.

The gallery in front of the courtyard, that is, the altar, the atrium, and the kitchen in front were full of water from the past few days. Standing there, Brutus saw that Caesar had been buried in the stone coffin, but it had not yet been covered. The coffin probably proves the old saying, "The coffin cannot be sealed before the verdict is pronounced."

Lepidus and Antony, divided into left and right, sat on armchairs. Lepidus was the first to speak. He said, "The army and most of the people demand that the murderer of Caesar be handed over."

"Lepidus, what you are talking about is just a legal issue. If you want to judge my crime, you can go to the court, not now, not to mention that there is no practical judgment to be made in this courtyard. , isn’t it?” Brutus retorted.

"Look, the guy who took away the life of a sacred figure for no reason is now asking for peace." Anthony stood up on the armchair angrily, "However, Julius has not been buried yet, so we demand that he be given a state funeral and Admitting that his assassination was illegal."

"Yes, if this can calm your anger, I am willing to persuade the Senate to discuss all your proposals, but I also have a request, that is, all troops must stay in their garrison honestly, Lepidus, Antony must swear not to use violent machines to destroy the peace and tranquility of Rome. Even the legions on the way, please send the token officer and order them to return to their original camp." Brutus immediately made this request.

Lepidus did not stand up, but spread his hands and said, "Although we really want to avenge Caesar, we have no intention of destroying and ravaging Rome, because that is not what the person lying in the coffin wants to see. He is in the coffin." He foreshadowed his sudden death many times during his lifetime, but he still asked me and Anthony to continue his unfinished business. In addition-he never thought that you would be the murderer who stabbed him with a dagger, Marcus, all the time. "As he said that, Lepida shed tears.

Brutus also tried his best to suppress his sobs. He said with an uneasy tone that fluctuated up and down, "What's the point of saying these things now? The only thing I want now is to get the country, the law and the army back on track. When that day comes, I am willing to accept any kind of punishment, exile, imprisonment, or even push me off the high cliff of Capitoline Hill to death."

"I'll give you your first sentence back. What I care about now is how you plan to resolve our differences?" Lepidus asked, supporting his cheek with his hand.

"First, recognize each other's titles and positions during Caesar's lifetime, and then hold a public speech and debate on Capitoline Hill. This meeting is not for a single class, but divides the members into five equal parts, one for the Senate, one for the knights, one for the representatives of the new citizen centurions, one for the representatives of the old citizen centurions, and one for the army. I hope to have widespread participation, but the votes and opinions passed by the assembly only have moral validity, not legal validity, and it does not produce any bills." Brutus said.

Antony was about to say something, but Lepidus held him down, and then he said to Brutus, "I think you can pay tribute to Caesar in private. We accept the method of the great debate, but the venue must be changed."

"The Capitoline Hill is full of sword-fighting slaves of Cassius and Decimus. Lepidus and I are afraid that we will suffer the same fate as Caesar, so I request as the cavalry commander that the meeting place be set at the Temple of the Earth Mother at the foot of the mountain. Both parties enter and exit from one side of the street, and swear not to carry weapons!" At this time, Antony supplemented Lepidus's opinion in detail.

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