Chapter 31: Sleight of Hand (Part 1)

"This war (for Athens) was the destruction of the whole, the navy, the army, everything was destroyed." - Thucydides commented on Athens' defeat of the Sicilian expedition

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Lepidus admired the craftsmen of Pompey's statue very much. This bust was so lifelike, with exaggerated eyes, funny curly hair, and riotous clothes. It was exactly the same as the real person. It was the overconfident Gnaeus on the battlefield. Pompey, "Be careful, be careful." Many slaves used simple lifting equipment to slowly place the bust on the pedestal in front of the theater. There were many sculptures there, and some Gallic nobles killed themselves. Statues of wives and reliefs of Eastern kings riding in chariots were once enemies of the Republic, but now, without exception, they became inspiring decorations that the Roman people could see before entering the Coliseum, turning them into national glory. and part of a sense of hubris.

"In Caesar's eyes, Pompey is about to become a loser..." After Lepidus settled the matter, he went to Caesar's pre-designated mansion as a guest, that is, Brutus's mother Seville's room.

The atmosphere of the dinner was very cold and awkward. Seville was wearing a well-dressed dress, but she was sitting on the couch with a dull expression, playing the harp for Caesar. Portia, with red eyes, sat beside her without saying a word. One word. Occasionally, only the servants and the best groomsmen walked back and forth, adding plates and drinks to the guests, and whispering to each other cautiously in low voices. It is said that Antony was also holding a banquet with two widows, Claudia and Fulivia, at Claudius's old house, but the scene there should have been much more wild and lively, because it was said that Antony was pursuing Fulivia. Just marry this young, beautiful and proud widow. He can get a generous dowry, but now Claudia sees a young handsome man like Anthony in the political arena, like a crocodile in the river seeing a wildebeest. I wanted to pull it immediately into the "river" on Xianggui's bed and chew up all his flesh and bones.

"You mean, Brutus is now in the city of Ephesus and is under attack from both sides by your army. He is likely to suffer the same fate as my brother?" After hearing the euphemistic narrative of his lover, Seville , stopped playing the harp and said softly, and then her eyes turned to Lepidus, "The world is so helpless. I didn't expect that Cato was besieged to death in the end. It was you, Lepidus, who made the civil war the most harmonious. It appears to be true that families are being divided and their closest friends are turning against each other.”

"Dear madam, I feel sorry for you that such a tragedy happened, and I feel sorry for my friends Brutus and his wife. Portia is also here. Brutus risked his life to cross the Syrian desert. When he came to see me, even though I had the military power and the camp was different, I still handed over the legion to him without hesitation - but the battlefield is far more cruel and ruthless than you think. "Lepider had to explain, even in his heart, he thought that telling women about things on the battlefield was purely boring and unnecessary. Portia still couldn't hold it back, covered her face with her hands, and started crying. Her formerly red and plump face now became haggard due to worry and sadness. She choked and said to everyone, "I'm so sorry. I still can't. She is used to being in the same room as her father-killing enemy, even though Brutus is now on the same side as Pompey. This is probably the frailty of women!" After saying that, Portia ran to the inner room crying.

Lepidus was left behind. Sitting there in embarrassment, neither saying goodbye nor toasting, Caesar calmed down the atmosphere and said, "Women's fragility may not be a bad thing, so we have always said that women live longer because their emotions will change with the water." Expression comes out, and men can only use blood, so I am more worried about my child Brutus than this. He is working with those people in Pompeii. He is a philosopher, a young student, and that group of people. The murderous troops are together, still in the remote and wild east..." As he spoke, Caesar himself stood up excitedly and paced back and forth, obviously expressing his emotions to a certain extent.

Sevilla couldn't calm down, and his eyes were silently streaming down his eyelashes and cheeks, "Do you remember that even though he has no blood relationship with you, haven't you already regarded each other as father and son?" So Caesar took the opportunity to step forward. , comforting his favorite woman, Lepidus felt suffocated, so he walked to the ventilated terrace of the restaurant, looking at the deathly silent martial law streets under the night, and then Caesar's personal slave quietly came forward and handed him a note.

Lepidus secretly glanced at the restaurant inside. Caesar's back just blocked the hostess's sight. Then he turned around and unfolded the note under the firelight. The handwriting on it was very clear and it was Caesar's own handwriting: "The triumphal ceremony is fake. Then It is a deception, and time must not be wasted. If it is delayed, the soldiers will sooner or later provoke a greater mutiny. They cannot be given time to breathe and think. Within three days, the legions all set out to join Brindisi's 12th, 13th, and 13th troops. The Fourteenth Legion is preparing to go to Greece to fight Gabinus and Marsellas. You will continue to serve as the governor of Sardinia and detach part of the army to join forces with Curio to go to Africa. "

After reading it quickly, Li Bida calmly wound the note quickly and threw it off the terrace. It soon burned into ashes in the mid-air wind and scattered in a wisp.

In the next three days, Lebida continued to go in and out of streets, squares and sculpture workshops as a temporary construction official. Some well-dressed soldiers also continued to come in and out of the city gate, interacting with construction officials on conspicuous streets at any time. They were discussing something, and seemed to be planning the route for the triumphal procession. More and more grain-carrying ships came to the Tiber River port, bringing precious bricks, spices, wine and other things from various places. "Caesar is going to hold a grand triumphal ceremony. Look at those large and gorgeous ceremonial vehicles parked outside the city gate! "On the streets, this is the core topic for people of any identity these days.

"I don't want dinars for a thousand drachmas of silver coins, because they are not of good quality. I have seen the world, and only you people living in the city still recognize this kind of money. You must know that in the previous battle, I successively He has received four gold chains, so he should be worthy of such a reward. "Sometimes, a certain tall and round centurion would brag about his adventures and bravery in various battlefields under the city gate, and look forward to it. The triumphal bounty, "should not be less than a penny, otherwise we would have to compose a song about Dickote's story when we entered the city, and we have been singing it since he was twelve years old."

The whole city was immersed in such a cheerful atmosphere. Only the shepherd children in the plains on the outskirts of the city could see groups of soldiers taking off their feathers from their helmets and placing their shields with them in the hidden paths among the woods. The flags were all covered with cloth, making it impossible to judge their identities, and they were heading south one after another.