Chapter 7: Silver Tongue (Part 1)

"The emperor's decrees and royal laws are like two sharp axes, cutting down the forest of ancient laws. %乐%Read%Novel　.23x.com" - Tertullian satirizes the dictatorship of the Roman emperor

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Of course, Lepidus on the high ground was not idle either. He asked most of the soldiers to build fortifications along the high slope where they were stationed, and then stood on the high ground and looked around. The strong wind gradually eased, but the city of Bugarotum was dim. Under the cloudy sky, the sound of fighting was still fierce. It seems that after Rabinus saw that the weather improved, he insisted on pursuing and fighting hard to encircle Caesar and his tribe in this town.

After quietly observing for a while, Lepidus summoned Sabo and Hansk and gave them a task, which was to lead fifty cavalry directly from our army's position without stopping, along the mountains to Bugaro. Tum, and then went to the camp of General Calenus, walking back and forth, while drawing the precise terrain, and giving some words to Caesar and Calenus each. Then, Lepidus summoned Otagilius, a young man from Salona who had stayed with him as an aide since the last battle.

"Similarly, now you still have a mission. If you complete this mission well, you will achieve more outstanding achievements than the last defense battle of Salona City. I will recommend you in front of Your Excellency Dicrado. You know that I am People never lie." Lepidus said, placing a bag of gold nuggets in front of Otagilius, who took it and weighed it. It was about five talents, and then Lepidus threw another big one. "It was your bounty just now. Now this is the cost of the event. There are twenty talents." Then he told the content of the task.

Who would have thought that Otagilius said, "Twenty talents are not enough to convince the other party!"

"Persuasion does not require money. My friend, I have great confidence in your argument. In addition, I think the flaws in the other side's camp are very clear just now. We just want to take advantage of this reading." Li Bida encouraged him , "This money is for you to make connections, so the amount will not be large, but it will play a big role."

Because Lepidus is good at discovering incredible effects in some humble people.

Finally, the brave Otacilius mounted a donkey in the camp, escorted by several veterans. He wandered down the hillside, and then followed Lepider's instructions. Along the Apsus River, we walked towards the camp of Pompey's army.

As expected, Lepidus told him rightly. He couldn't go straight because the opposite side was Lelias's camp. If he caught Otagilius, he would just execute the unlucky guy directly; There was no way to go to Bugalotum. Rabinus, who fought fiercely during the day, camped in the newly occupied area and set up dense sentries. So Lepidus told him to walk diagonally and directly towards the camp of Gabinus, the opponent's top coach.

Unsurprisingly, outside Gebinus' camp, they were surrounded by enemy soldiers on patrol. Otacilius hurriedly got on the donkey's back and shouted that he came "with good intentions". "Even though the previous peace talks were interrupted and disrupted by your general named Labienus, Caesar still hopes to talk to Sir Gabinus alone about something."

Then, Otakilius took out a few money bags full of silver coins and gave them to the leader of the opponent. The atmosphere eased, but when the soldiers were about to take him to the commander's camp, Otakilius Us requested, "Let me see your engineering director first, Lord Machius. I am very familiar with him. I hope he can assist me and make the peace talks go more smoothly."

Marcius's camp was slightly forward, because he knew that the town on the other side would be stormed immediately. As the director of engineering, he had to be on call at any time to direct the construction of siege equipment. But when Otacilius brought a message from Lepidus, stood outside the door, and asked his shield-bearer and groom to send him a message to see him privately, Marcius was still slightly surprised.

It turned out that his shield slave and groom had been secretly bribed by Lebida!

When exactly? I was captured by him three times, probably during the Spanish period, or even when I was in the city of Corfinium. No matter what, this is simply... Marcius is ready to attack and punish these two greedy people. I'm a despicable guy, but I'm afraid - maybe that treacherous Lepidus has already bribed my cook, personal slaves and even my retinue. If I'm too tough this time, I might have poisoned food one day. Reading, and the unexpected dagger, killed me!

Thinking of this, Machius' cold sweat oozed from his forehead and back in a steady stream. He looked around at everyone coming and going in the camp with fearful eyes, as if any one of them was a huge suspect, and then he adjusted Taking a deep breath, determined to press down the matter and not delve into it further, he invited Otagilius to come in.

"It turns out that twenty talents were given to the opponent's shield slaves and grooms. It seems that a small price was spent to pave a road that stretches for thousands of stadias!" Otakiliu Si thought to himself, and then entered behind the curtain.

Marcius did not give him a chance to speak at length, declaring that after a quarter of the night's sentry hour he would have to leave immediately.

"If I want to see Gabinus, I must rely on your guidance and protection. Otherwise, I'm afraid it will be difficult to see him alive and leave here alive." Otagilius also got straight to the point.

"It's ridiculous, why? It's ridiculous!"

"Because Caesar has let you go twice, and General Lepidus has let you go for the third time. You owe him three favors. Even if you are Pompey's Creon, what I am going to say to Gabinus right now will not hurt your patron. Everything is for the peace of the Republic." The young debater spoke eloquently, as if he was going to do something that was more upright and aboveboard.

Since it came to "owing favors", Marcius was also a little embarrassed, because this was an ironclad fact and he had to pay it back.

In the end, he still hesitated and sent the other party to Gabinus's tent in a daze.

"What! Lepidus wants to retreat, and Caesar wants to retreat too! Then why did you ask me to come?" After hearing what the young man said, Gabinus, who was sitting at the table and eating, put down his napkin. He was completely confused - since you all knew that this battle was going to fail, it was really puzzling to do it.

"Yes, now Caesar will retreat, it is the consensus of everyone, it is really a matter known to all the wise and foolish. However, I think what you are most concerned about is who will get the honor of defeating Caesar." Otacilius said this calmly.

Gabinus was stunned when he heard this. He stopped eating and thought for a while. As expected, he said to Otacilius, "There is no one here to interfere with the conversation. Marcius is my closest comrade. You can speak boldly about your views. I like young people who are clear in speech and sharp in mind the most." (To be continued..)