"Tiberius. Claudius. Nero, you are suspected of deliberately killing Gaius, a Roman citizen. Fibius, do you confess your crimes? ”

"No, I refuse to admit that I didn't mean to kill him."

The indictment of Tiberius took place on a sunny winter morning, and the cold weather did not stop people from curvy and watching the case. Inside and outside the Julius Assembly Hall, crowds of people watched the excitement. Magistrate Alvius heard the sensitive murder case with impartiality and rigour.

At the same time, some nobles and senators were most looking forward to Appis, but they did not attend the court. He was a few miles away in the West Quarter, in the Troute Arena, watching a bloody and ordinary competitive game. No one will find it strange that even the first head of state, who is in a high position and has almost been deified, has the need to watch the games and have leisure and entertainment.

On stage, Appis watched the game like a normal person, talking and laughing, and no one felt a trace of heaviness and unease on the face of the supreme ruler of the empire. It was as if the indictment in Julius's Hall had nothing to do with him.

"Could it be that we are mistaken? Tiberius was not the heir of Apis at all? ”

Lucius and several Roman nobles sat in the stands, staring at Appis's every move in the main stand in the distance, and began to whisper uneasily. They had a good relationship with Livia and had invested a lot, and if Tiberius were to be judged today, all their previous investments would be in vain. So, while some of them went to the court to observe the outcome of the trial, they themselves followed Apis secretly and observed his movements.

"No way. In the war against Antony and the war against Parthia, Apis took Tiberius with him, and it is said that they were close and like father and son. ”

The great nobleman Babs quickly retorted.

"Maybe it's just out of normal compassion for a pair of orphans to take with them. You know, at that time, Appis had a boy named Tretus by his side, who was the son of Octavia. At that time, Tretus was even more prestigious than Tiberius. The call is also stronger. ”

Another nobleman, Sirious, said.

"That's true, if it weren't for that foolish Tretus running away from home, who doesn't know what the situation would be like today. Appis must have been closer to Octavia than to Livia. ”

Patriarch Lucius chimed in. They had no intention of watching the fierce beast fighting in the audience, and in their eyes, they only had Appis's every move, as well as their own ethereal inferences and guesses.

"I think this is one of Appis's ways to cover people's ears. Don't you notice? Our dictator often plays his cards out of the ordinary. Every time, the more he shows that he doesn't care about one thing, in fact, behind the scenes, the more he pays attention to it. I suspect that in the case of Tiberius, Apis was involved in nine times out of ten. And the reason why he did not go to the General Assembly Hall today to observe the hearing was to cover up, to cover up people's eyes and ears, and to pretend that he didn't care. In fact, it was protecting Tiberius. Because of his relationship with Tiberius, if he intervened, the case would inevitably be reversed, and at that time, some people would accuse Appis of favoritism and abuse of power. Appis has just been recognized by the people, and he will not lose the support and love of the people because of such a 'small matter'. Therefore, he appeared here today, watching the competitive game with the people, so that everyone could see him, and watch the game in a relaxed and leisurely manner, without caring about the Judgment Hall thousands of miles away. ”

Another patriarch, Byblos, said with a sly smile.

…………

"Brother, everything you told me has been dealt with."

In the noisy arena stands, Crane stepped out of the passageway, sat down next to Appis, and then turned his face to whisper. No one could hear what Crane was saying to Appis. I saw Appis sitting there with a blank face.

Then, the gladiator in the audience stabbed his opponent in the arm with a sword, only to see Appis excitedly raise his thumb in appreciation. It was as if his attention had been drawn to the competitive game in the audience.

"Okay, that's the end of this matter, you and I are not involved, understand?"

"Understood."

The crowd was noisy, and Apis and Klein exchanged heads in the stands, as if they were purely watching the game.

"Now, let's be natural and watch the game. Brother, you know, right now, in the stands of this arena, there may be countless pairs of eyes staring at us. Don't have any expression on your face, we're here to play. ”

Looking at the fierce fight in the audience, Apis said lightly.

…………

"Now I declare that Tiberius. Claudius manslaughtered citizen Febius. According to the citizenship law, he had to pay an indemnity of 10,000 dinars and sacrifice a ram in lieu of punishment. ”

At the end of the competition, the indictment case held in the Julius Assembly Hall also came to an end. The magistrate made the final verdict on the stage.

However, Febius's family expressed serious dissatisfaction with such an outcome.

"It's a conspiracy! A naked conspiracy! Tiberius was a deliberate murderer! Everybody saw it! ”

The son of Febius shouted in court, and he was so emotional that he almost had the urge to rush forward and tear Tiberius's skin apart. So much so that the fascists (ancient Roman executioners) who accompanied the court had to beat the ground with sticks to show their silence.

"Plaintiff Febius. Youdes, please be quiet, you have the right to appeal, but you have no right to disturb the order of the court, let alone rule on the outcome of the trial. ”

Seeing the resentment of the family members of Fibius at the trial, the magistrate Alvius warned the people of the Febius family in a loud voice, telling them that this case was not an ordinary case, and that the laws of Rome were sacred and solemn, and no one was allowed to mess around here.

"What kind of court is this? What kind of trial? The witness must have been bribed or threatened, and I asked for a private interview with the witness. ”

Yudes shouted excitedly. This trial, from the beginning of the vow, thought that the evidence witnesses were conclusive, and there was no doubt that they would win, but in the end, it was reversed. Yudes was clearly unhappy with such a trial, which was full of corruption and darkness. You must know that beforehand, even some elders came to their homes and expressed their willingness to support themselves in the trial. And now, the result is another matter, such a case with conclusive witness evidence can also be overturned, can there be any other explanation except for someone secretly operating?

"No, you don't have the authority to do that. Fibius. You must know that witnesses are protected from harm and threats to their personal safety, and your proposal will threaten their lives, so your request is not approved and is not supported by the citizenship law. ”

The result of the reversal was already in the hands of the magistrate, and now, Fibius's request was obviously just the final battle of the trapped beasts, and it was easily refused.