Chapter 32 The Beast Cage Is Broken (Part 2)

However, Cicero's expression was extremely serious. He even told Taylor and other slaves, "I still have seven villas under my name. Yes, I have been living in poverty for so many years. You and others should hurry up and take them." Sell ​​them all at a discount and concentrate them in places such as Formia and Naples. It should be more convenient. Taylor, you are a slave. The soldiers of the legion will not embarrass you. They only need to hang your nameplate around your neck. You can leave the city, the sooner the better, they will probably be worth 300,000 drachmas of Greek silver coins after an emergency auction underground."

Then, several slaves and cooks threw the letters, account books, and books in Cicero's study into the huge fire bowl, and carried them out one by one. In the garden, Cicero, with a deep expression on his face, saw off Taylor and his party. After that, he squatted in front of the fire bowl, lit the flame, and threw it on top when Fabilia exclaimed, "The old husband is actually burning the most cherished thing in his life!" Ya hurriedly stepped forward, supported her heartbroken husband who was sitting on the ground, and kissed his wrinkled nose and cheeks. She instinctively realized the seriousness of the situation and asked her husband what was wrong.

"Don't ask any more, my dear wife Fabilia, no matter what, thank you for staying with me during this last time, so that I can enjoy the same comfortable adult life as Sulla in my later years. Now you can go back to the Fabian family , This is undoubtedly the safest, don't stay with me, an old man who is blindly in danger!" Cicero stared at the flames in front of him, and then held Faberia's shoulders.

"If I don't leave, we will still travel to Lesbos, and we will also take a boat to Rhodes Island side by side. Look at the place where you, old husband, studied when you were young. Are you afraid that there will be turmoil in the city of Rome? Don't be afraid of me. Good old husband. Fabilia, I also brought a dowry of five hundred thousand dinars. These funds can be exchanged in Ephesus, Chios and other places." Fabilia hugged her like a baby. Like a child, "Call Taylor back quickly, don't go through all the trouble of selling the property at a discount, we will leave here tonight, with five thousand dinars in cash is enough to rent a boat - Old Husband, you are always indecisive and have no ability to judge, so it is easy to buy second-rate Cyrenaic fabrics.”

Cicero was completely moved. He originally thought Fabilia was so young and beautiful. It turned out that she was just an aristocratic young woman who admired his reputation and talent. The relationship between him and her was just a "golden romance" in a private lesson in the study room. Just as his ex-wife Lenchart criticized - Cicero spent all day long He advocated rationality and philosophy, but one afternoon when he was alone with a delicate young female student like Fabilia, he couldn't restrain his body reaction and took possession of her half-heartedly, thus leading to this marriage.

But Fabilia did not abandon Cicero at such a juncture.

Cicero did not expect that after his life was over sixty years old, he would still be able to have an adventurous trip with a young woman. He quickly ran Taylor to the house of another inspector, Bishop, and expressed his thoughts concisely. Bisuo didn't say much and took out the token readily. After all, Bisuo was a generous elder.

After obtaining the token to get out of the city gate, Cicero and Fabilia eagerly brought some belongings and informed his brother Quintus. The group wore cloaks and tried their best to cover their faces. He was afraid of being caught. The soldiers on duty in the legion interrogated him, and they were even more afraid of being discovered by other veterans.

At this time, on the Quinta Plain on the outskirts of Rome, amid sudden shouts, countless torches illuminated the night sky brightly. The reflection of the cavalry shields and armor formed a huge light belt around the plains and swamps. The guards held the pine tree high and marched all the way into the "Ship Arena" that Caesar had dug before his death. Then Lepidus and Young Caesar rode side by side, with Leo and others following closely behind, and large groups of flags. and bundle sticks, entered here one after another.

In the center of the arena, the artificial lake that was originally dug out has been drained, and the water has been used for irrigation by local farms. Several decayed ships lie across the dry mud, as if they are still telling the story of the great triumphs of the past. Then everyone stood on the seats and under the colonnade, waiting for Lepidus' lecture.

"We need to negotiate within the city of Rome. Of course, we are not standing on the same equal seat as the Senate. The current situation is that we make demands and the other side must accept them." Lepidus's opening words aroused the excitement. All the soldiers and centurions cheered, "So I announce that the Thirteenth Army will immediately be relieved of its duty to guard the city. Then the Sixth Army and the Twelfth Army will enter together. The three legions will enforce martial law together, and all previous entry and exit tokens will be invalid." ”

Then, the two legions and cavalry teams ordered by Lepidus took the lead into the streets of the Roman city. It seems that now, let alone crossing the Rubicon River, it is commonplace to directly enter the city with weapons. In Sulla's time, the people still dared to stand on their arcades and throw buckets and stones at the army. Now they can only hide, taking their children and elderly people with them, hiding in mountains of toilet jars.

At this time, when Cicero and his family had just walked to the street below the hill, they heard the thunderous sound of horse hooves that broke the silence of the night sky, and several senators with unbelievable expressions ran over frantically and shouted, "Lepidus is finished, his vanguard legions have all turned against him and entered the city, volunteering to surrender to the Republic and accept the leadership of the Senate." Hearing this, Cicero was instantly excited. He seemed to have forgotten about escaping, but trotted all the way, leaving Fiberia behind, and came to the gate of the synagogue, shouting, "Come to the assembly! Come to the assembly! I have great good news to announce and vote on." He shouted at the top of his lungs, as if all the blood rushed to his face. He had never been so excited.

Several senators really surrounded him, and everyone stood proudly in front of the Senate Hall like a proud statue, straight and straight, as if the glory of their ancestors and the country was all condensed at this moment.

Faberia and Quintus were both stunned. They stepped forward to hold the column, shouting Cicero's name, asking him to leave quickly, but the elder did not respond. He just stood there straight, holding his robe elegantly, looking straight ahead.

After a while, there were a few rough shouts, and a team of cavalry with high feathers ran along the square. They leaned on their swords and saw people gathered in front of the hall. The leader said, "Leave here as soon as possible. The whole city will be under martial law soon." (To be continued..)