"Can I understand that wealth circulates in society and all people can benefit from it, and the question is whether the value generated by wealth is in our hands, or in the hands of the aristocracy and the wealthy merchants?"

Cleopatra was a clever woman, and Apis only explained half of it before the queen of Egypt understood the gist of it. And a summary of these economic principles is made. In fact, the ruling group is itself an interest group. How to gather social wealth without collapsing the social order has always been a constant problem for kings.

"You can say the same thing."

Apis shrugged his shoulders and replied. The servant had put on his comfortable clothes, and now, while Apis and Cleopatra were talking, they went into the library together, where they ate snacks and fruits, and chatted.

"So, if for some reason you want to quickly accumulate wealth and monopolize a certain industry, do you think it is feasible?"

Cleopatra then asked. It is a time of war, and there is no doubt that Cleopatra is referring to some reason is war, and war requires money.

"Theoretically, as long as the army is absolutely loyal, there is nothing that is not impossible. But in practice, you need to be cautious and cautious, because you know that human beings are naturally profit-seeking, especially nobles and wealthy merchants. The nature of these people to pursue profit is even more serious. When we monopolize a certain industry, not to mention how the aristocracy will oppose it, the rich merchants and nobles who were originally engaged in this industry will transfer their money to another industry. Then, this industry may be monopolized by the government, and we profit from it, but the influx of social funds into other industries will cause the asset prices of other industries to inflate. For example, if we have a monopoly on mining, then there is a possibility that money from society will pour into agriculture or gathering or animal husbandry, and the prices of clothing and grain, feed and alcohol will probably rise because there will always be a place for the excess money. This creates instability in other sectors of society. In serious cases, it can even lead to the bankruptcy of the common people, because the big capital occupies these industries, acquires and merges other small operators, and thus makes the civilians or businessmen who were originally engaged in these industries bankrupt. This is another social problem. In short, politics, society and the economy are at a point of equilibrium, and if this balance point is broken, it may trigger a cascading reaction, and the outcome is likely to be out of control, so any policy must be carefully considered. The same is true for reform. ”

Faced with Cleopatra's questioning, Apis continued to explain.

"It's really a complete explanation, although it's still a little sketchy, but it's enough to summarize some of the principles and principles of the rule."

After listening to Appis's story, Cleopatra couldn't help but sigh with emotion. He had spent many years with Anthony, and he had not heard him mention a single insight into social management, but this Apis, who was much younger than Antony, was proficient in management and the accumulation of wealth.

Sunlight poured in faintly through the windows.

"You don't have to sigh, Queen, these management problems I also move forward in practice, and, many times, theory is not necessarily reality, I also have practice failures, there are also times when reform fails, in fact, in the first half of my life, there is only one reform that has been successful, that is, the implementation of the new "Agricultural Land Law", other reforms, all ended in failure, some plans have not even been implemented, and they are declared aborted, those opposition of the aristocratic class. Even the implementation of the new Agricultural Land Law has been full of twists and turns. So, you don't have to lament my achievements in running Rome, it is the experience gained from the lessons of countless failures. ”

As he spoke, Apis stretched out his right hand and put his hand on Cleopatra's shoulder.

"Appis, I have an idea."

"You say."

"For a long time, Parthia had dominated the trade routes in the eastern part of the kingdom, and luxury goods from the East had to be heavily tariffed, especially for precious goods such as silk. But with our strength, we could not completely defeat the Parthians. I've heard that you know the manufacturing process of silk? ”

Cleopatra said, looking curious.

"Oh...... Don't think about this question, it is impossible for us to obtain silk and make it ourselves. ”

After listening, Apis looked at Cleopatra with a smile.

"Why?"

"Do you really think silk grows on trees?"

……

"Let me tell you, silk does not grow on some kind of fruit tree, as legend has it, but a kind of silk spit out by a small worm. In the East, they are called 'silkworms', and these larvae are not readily available, and even if they do, they are already dead on the way after being transported by sea and land. Moreover, it is impossible for us to obtain the craftsmanship of making silk, which is a national secret for the Eastern Empire. ”

Looking at Cleopatra's curious and wealth-filled gaze, Apis smiled faintly and nodded. The queen longed for the recipe for the raw material of silk, but this was not possible. Silk has to go through a series of procedures such as drying, sorting, and silk reeling, not to mention that the Romans of this era could not reach the Han Dynasty, and even if they did, the merchants of the Han Dynasty would not tell these Westerners the recipe. That's their treasure to get rich.

The Queen's gaze quickly dimmed, but then there was a look of relief on her face, at least, Apis had cut off the thought of it. Apis seems to be her treasure trove of knowledge, and many questions can be answered through communication.

Sometimes, Cleopatra even felt that she could stay longer with Apis.

…………

There were no impermeable walls, and two months later, Antony was informed of Appis's alliance with Cleopatra. Antony, grief-stricken, beat his chest, he regretted trusting Cleopatra, the snake of the Nile, who had been defeated in Greece and could have returned to Alexandria to regroup, but because he believed that Cleopatra would not betray him and would not let Apis enter Egypt, and Asia Minor was undoubtedly the closest to Greece, he landed in Pergamon with his legion. Now it seems that her sincerity is worthless in Cleopatra's eyes, all she wants is power and status, and the lingering and warmth at the bedside is just a temporary tool for this woman.

Poor Mark Antony roared to the sky, trembling in his sword, and plunged him into the land of Asia Minor, vowing to regroup his legions and return to Rome. No longer indulging in any childlike affection, he wants to find himself back then, the Roman general who followed Caesar to conquer Gaul and Italy......