"Brutus...... Brutus...... Did any of you see Brutus? If you see him, don't do anything to him! ”

After the bloody battle, the battlefield of Pharsalus was littered with corpses. Pen × fun × Pavilion www. ｂｉｑｕｇｅ。 InfoCaesar and his personal guards patrolled the horrific pile of corpses, and he almost screamed hoarsely, telling all the soldiers that if they saw Brutus, they must not put him to death, and let him come back unscathed. But in the vast expanse of the earth, among the thousands of corpses, Caesar could not identify them one by one.

Antony accompanied Caesar in search of Brutus, but no one knew why Caesar would attach so much importance to this young man, he was still a traitor, betraying Caesar and defecting to Pompey. But Caesar still ignored it, he just continued to search and search on the bloody battlefield.

The setting sun had already hung in the sky, the air was full of the putrid smell of blood, and the soldiers were exhausted from a long day of fighting, and Appis sat wearily on his shield, looking at the battlefield full of corpses, and for a moment he forgot about himself. I don't know what I'm doing at the moment, and I don't know what I'm going to do next. There was nothing but bloody misery. Caesar told the world in the Civil War that he lost only 300 men in this battle, while Pompey lost a few thousand. But now it seems that the number of casualties in the war is far more than that. The dense mass of corpses stretched to the end of the line, and Apis guessed that if he was to be buried, it would be another mass grave in the Western battlefield.

But in short, the battle was over.

I can unload my armor and return to the field, no, not to return to the field, it should be said that I can go to Rome and experience the comfortable life of people in this era. Yes, I have this condition, a retired centurion, with some capital in hand, can buy a mid-range apartment, buy two more slaves, and then, go to the courtyard and bathhouse every day to enjoy life. Appis laughed a little as he thought about it. It's a kind of post-war exhaustion, and it's a beautiful and happy thing to stay away from politics, if you're not involuntarily.

At night, when Caesar's army entered Pompey's base camp under the leadership of Pompey's captives, the queue was already lined up, and the Senate and all Pompey's generals were waiting for Caesar's surrender. Indeed, Pompey was defeated, they were no longer able to fight Caesar, and the whole of Greece, already belonged to Caesar, and it should be said that the whole of Rome, already belonged to Caesar.

It was also here that Caesar met Brutus, whom he was missing.

"Caesar......

"Thank you, gods, Brutus, you're all right, I pray to Jupiter, I only hope that you will live safely on the battlefield."

"But I betrayed you, Caesar, and I have no allegiance to you......"

Caesar and Brutus met with no outsiders, and they sat alone in their tent like father and son, with only the faint light of the torches reflecting the silhouette of their vicissitudes.

"It's your choice, Brutus, you know, I never force anyone to do anything for me, you see these soldiers outside the tent, they are all Romans who have voluntarily followed me. Everyone has the freedom to make their own choices. But it doesn't matter anymore, Brutus. If it's important, you're back, and I think your mother must miss you too. I have written to her, and soon I am sure that she will come here by boat and meet you. The three of us haven't been together for so long. ”

Caesar read to Brutus. His gaze became loving and tender.

"I'm sorry for making you miss me."

Brutus' guilt was a source of relief to Caesar. But at the same time, Caesar also saw in his erratic gaze the weakness of Brutus' humanity. He is so easily swayed, instigated, and even deceived. His hesitant and weak personality was in stark contrast to his mother's.

"Caesar, what are you going to do with these people, who, like me, have betrayed you."

There was silence for a long time before Brutus spoke again, and read his question to Caesar.

"Freedom, they have their own freedom. Those who choose to stay, those who are willing to follow me, I will forgive them for their past mistakes. Brutus, Rome needs to be rebuilt, its bloated and complicated, inefficient administrative system has seriously interfered with the development of Rome, and the people need a more efficient and clean government. I will give them such a government. This is not something I can do alone, I need helpers, I need helpers like you. And helpers like Cicero, Anthony, Lepida, that kind. Can you help me fulfill this wish? ”

Caesar opened his heart to Brutus, worried like an old man when talking about the future of Rome, and excited like a child when he talked about the return of the people. It was as if he was thinking about the future of the republic. Yes, he was, and Brutus was almost certain that Caesar's fanaticism began with an ardent and beautiful anticipation of the future of Rome. His vision ushered Rome into an era of greater prosperity and strength.

But Brutus was still a little unsure, and it was one of the reasons why he had never been able to trust Caesar.

"Caesar, will you change the Senate in Rome? I mean, will you be like Sula? ”

Brutus was asking in what way Caesar would change Rome? As a dictator? Make your own laws, yourself above everyone? This is the stubbornness of Brutus in his bones, he identifies with Caesar, but even more with his grandfather. Rome could no longer fall into the hands of tyrants when it was freed from the hands of tyrants, and this was one of the tenets that the Brutus family guarded for centuries. Like Cato the Younger, Brutus was a staunch republican.

"Your question is too naïve, kid. First of all, if you ask me that, I'm sure I'll say no. But if I tell you no directly, you will surely doubt my motives and honesty in speaking out. There's no way to answer such a question, kid. I can only tell you with my actual actions that I will, or will not. Because any verbal promise is false, it is as deceptive as honey on a spear, and when you experience its beauty, reality gives you a fatal blow. So, Brutus, believe me, join me, and together we will build a new Rome. The whole world will be proud of us. ”

Caesar said, hugging Brutus almost with tears in his eyes.

Brutus's young and idealistic faith was shaken, and he began to believe, to believe Caesar, to believe what his mother had said. The others with him did not completely submit to Caesar. Cato the Younger, Rabienus, and Kventus are still missing. And Pompey, who also did not know where he went after this big battle. It was only from the mouth of the old subordinates of the barracks that he had gone to the east. (To be continued.) )