Two years after Lipida's triumph in Parthia, the Roman Senate became more and more debilitated and humble, and the only thing they feared was that the Protector for Life, the High Priest, the Archon who had been elected for ten years, and the holy "Friend of God" of Augustus, would one day simply abolish the Senate because of displeasure or political considerations.

However, the high priest did not seem to have such thoughts, and he only set about improving the institutions of the Executive Yuan and the local authorities.

In any case, Rome prospered again, the land and sea channels extended in all directions, and the roads of various administrative regions began to become more and more intensive and perfect under the vigorous investment of the state, most of the funds came from the materials sold by the state, and a considerable part came from the taxes and tributes of vassals, and the conquest of Britain, Dacia and Germania was gradually put on the agenda, but these things, Li Bida handed over to Leo to be specifically responsible, "Don't be anxious to send troops, don't be in a hurry to win, you need war, It is only in the midst of war that the people can gain pleasure and a sense of dependence, and your power and position can be strengthened, and you can demand more power from all sides. This is Li Bida's advice to his son and heir, because in an empire, it is better to have three or four enemies, whether they are real or false, whether they are enough to cause trouble or false.

When tribute from Egypt, Pontus, and Syria and foreign goods from other places poured into Italy and Macedonia, the cities of Rome and Lypita began to rise rapidly, the former began to change its appearance, and the latter began to flourish on the flat land, but even if the Romans did not recognize it, the resources of the empire were still tilted like a lever towards the new capital, because the new capital was supported by taxes in the two richest regions of Asia Minor and Greece, and controlled a great deal of trade by land and sea. And Italy has become nothing more than the most beautiful baggage.

In summer, on the outskirts of Ponticabbiang, on the cool waters of the Yukxing Sea, in the villages of the seaside. A small boat with its sails down was quietly half-leaning on the sand, in a modest college with a half-open colonnade on the shore. The bearded man, about forty years of age, was washing his hands in a basin of water, and then said goodbye to the young men who had come one by one, "When you go to the academy of Miletus or Athens, you must be careful not to sail along the coast of Dacia, which is very dangerous, but go to Sinop first by way of Colchis." Then by land. ”

"Yes, teacher." Several teenagers bowed in thanks.

"By the way, Tominius, if you are interested in medicine, then you can stop by Sinop, where it is said that Queen Eubertenia has recently opened a medical school in that city, where Scythian, Persian, and Greek medicine can be refined. But is that really good? Tomineus, your family should want you to go to a seminary, learn the Seven Arts, and then go to the beginning of the official court. The man was facing Tominius. To put it mildly.

But the young man, Tomignius, shook his head firmly, "In the future." I'm going to be the most famous physician in Ponticabion, and I want to be able to help everyone, including you and your wife. ”

The man laughed, patted Tominius on the shoulder as a sign of encouragement, and then he told the children to hurry up and set out in the boat, or it would be too late.

"Teacher, you have always taught us two times a day, two times to write and write, and the rest of the time to be by your wife's side and help her to be healthy. You're going to take her to the hot springs in the foothills of the mountains right away, aren't you? We're all here to help with the cart! "These children, under the leadership of Tomignius. Unison.

On the seaside path leading to the foot of the mountain, the man drove in a car. Pushing his wife, who had a scar on her hand, but her face was full of happiness and warmth, and the children were also helping on both sides of the wheel, talking and laughing, "Teacher, I heard that you are writing a long scroll of history, and you are going to record all the career and merits of Augustus in Rome, is it true?" Won't the king in Rome be angry with you? ”

After hearing this, a frightened expression suddenly appeared on the man's wife's face, and she silently took the man's hand, and the man immediately understood, and replied with a smile, "It's all right, Posia, that man will not be confined to these things, and besides, this book of mine is only a hole in the tree where he pours out his heart, and will not be published, and it will be better to hide in the house of Tominius after my death—and my mother is said to be well in the city of the Seven Hills, and she has regained her youth and beauty, and can often go to the court and the balls of the nobles, and is very popular." ”

The wife smiled again, but she held her husband's hand, but she never let go, she felt that this was the most secluded and beautiful place in the world, and the seabirds were hovering happily over their heads, and she had nothing to worry about now, nothing, everything was as quiet as the Yukxing Sea in summer.

——————————————

In the villa of Prima in Rome, Corinna, with a big belly, was sitting on a stone chair in the garden with her waist bent, smiling, her black hair in a bun at random, some of which were attached to her beautiful forehead, because of the slight beads of sweat on it, watching her nephew Silanus sit on his mother's lap opposite, pouting and shaking the small wooden horse with bells - in the living room on the other side of the steps, Horace, Virgil, Tylagnan and other most famous poets and scholars in the country were reciting poetry in front of her husband Messenas, the art of debate, and sometimes the expression of opinions on the policies of the state, but all of them are mainly praised, while Meecenas smiles, listens politely, and only gently corrects when the argument is wrong.

"Mama, when I give birth, I will take the baby and go to Yulia Mama's Ophelenu estate for half a year, and then it will be my turn to accompany her, Papa stayed there for two months when she last went on a tour of Spain, and I am afraid that Yulia Mama will be lonely now." While Corinna was talking, a postman appeared at the door of the garden, with an expression of great event, and hurriedly handed the word board in his hand to Porti's outstretched hand, and then bowed one by one, hoping to send this message to the man in the main hall as soon as possible, "There are two other copies, which are being sent to Lord Leo and His Excellency the High Priest." ”

"My brother is in the Executive Yuan, but didn't Papa just go on a tour with Habaruka to Greece and Asia Minor?"

At this time, Potty looked at the word board and was stunned. She looked at Corinna for a moment, then whispered, "It's an urgent letter from that Fonteius on the island of Malta." ”

Corinna's heart sank slightly. She had nothing to do with him anymore, but she remembered the past. I still couldn't help but blurt out, "Could it be Turinus?" ”

Poti nodded, and then said in a mournful tone, "Turinus is dead. ”

According to the letter, Turinus' death came very suddenly, and one day, according to the custom, Fonteus's soldiers took him to the town for a drink, and Turinus was in a good mood that day. After drinking some wine, he went to the town bathroom to take a bath, but when he came back, he suddenly had a fever, and he could not stop it from taking herbs, massages, and bloodletting, and it is said that before he died, Turinus only said one sentence, "The curtain call is finally it, Corinna.......

Hearing the description of this sentence, Corinna turned her face sideways, and there were tears faintly in her eyes. Then she said to her mother, "I want to organize the relics of Turinus, including letters, poems, and articles. Then they commissioned Horace to sort them and collect them. ”

"Wait until after childbirth, Mecenas and you Papa should not object, but I am only afraid that you are not fit to touch these things at this time, and the voices of poor Turinus will make you sad." Poti touched her daughter's knee and suggested, then she lowered her head and nodded her chin before handing the tablet to the slave. He whispered, "Let's get inside." ”

A bazaar day later. In a large bathhouse in the city of Athens (this was after the surrender of Athens, at the request of the high priest. Built as a sign of Latinization, with an inscription that reads 'Gift to Minerva's Descendants'), in the bath with the statue's sprinkler, a veteran, covered in scars and tattoos, grunts and complains that the mud on his body is too stubborn, but he can't afford to hire a servant to clean it with scrapers, "So, what kind of country is this!" Even if you can't wash the sludge into the bath, there must be something wrong with the country. The more the veteran spoke, the more outrageous he became, and he kept spitting on the floor outside the bath.

Just as everyone else was avoiding it, another bather leaned over and said to everyone, "That's how you can do it from now on!" Then he raised the bath towel in his hand, pressed it directly on the old soldier's back, and slashed it like a carpenter, and in the amazement of everyone, but saw that the old soldier trembled with joy, and the dirt on his body was first strips, and then became a sphere, and was neatly pushed down by the bather, until the old soldier's back was flushed with red, and the bather straightened the bath towel, and slapped it several times on the tower by the bath, and said to the old soldier, "Now it's all right, soak in it." ”

The veteran nodded, sank down, buried himself in the hot tub, and immediately groaned, as if every pore had been loosened, "This country is so beautiful. ”

The bather laughed, and then said to the others, you will do this to each other in the future, and the bathroom maid can also provide services in this way, and the others applauded, and it seemed that the problem that had been bothered for many years was solved at once by this clever bather, and Athenian scholarship would be at the forefront of the world again.

Then another bather swam over with admiration, saying that he was willing to rub for the clever bather, and the other party sighed, nodded very happily, and then turned his back - at this time, the bather who swam over suddenly saw that the other party's left ear had a pierced and healed scar, a tattoo of grapes on his body, and the signature black silky hair, as well as a special ring on his finger, this swimmer was a businessman, who had seen the world, and was immediately frightened, holding the bath towel and not daring to move.

"Why, haven't you understood it yet—then, Habaruka, you're here to help me, thank you." The bather continued to laugh.

After the cold bath, the bather shouted for refreshment, put on his traveling cloak, went to the front yard with Habaruka, and, after paying the little man who guarded the mount to add fodder, went away quietly and quietly with the rest of his servants, mostly blacks, on mules, horses or donkeys.

Slowly, they left the city of Athens and walked to the outskirts, "Habaruka, I have been stuck in the memories and nostalgia of old people lately, look at the scenery along the border. Do you remember when we went to Sardinia together to find your mistress Yulia? ”

"It's a far worse view than in Sardinia."

"But then your state of mind was far worse than it is now, and your mistress was in debt. Almost sold you too. The scenery must match the state of mind. ”

The group talked and laughed. When he arrived at the port of Piraeus, the high priest and his servant in civilian clothes immediately transferred ships to the palace of Nicomedia, where he was relieved by the parade along the way—bandits and pirates were gone, and the streets were full of excursive burghers, farming villagers, merchants, messengers, and envoys.

When the high priest comes to the palace. Adiana was like seeing a pink bird flying into her dormitory with beautiful branches and leaves, and she woke up from a light-colored dream again, wearing a scarlet Persian dress, with her long maroon hair scattered at will, and the nasolabial folds at the corners of her mouth added to the charm and maturity of the silkiness, and she walked through the gardens and colonnades, and climbed onto the terrace by the sea.

There, shadows mingle with blue sea and white clouds. The high priest sat on a circle chair with his back to her, and she whispered two words of "Calabis". But there was no answer, the high priest was still sitting quietly in the roar of the waves, and Adiana stayed where she was, her hands on her chest, and she was a little frightened, afraid that Calabis was deceiving her about her previous oath, so she hurried over, grabbed his shoulders, and touched his cheeks and nose.

"Are you afraid I'm going to die?" The high priest took her hand.

"I'm just afraid you're defaulting. Cunning amphorae. ”

Saying this, the high priest laughed twice. In his hand he carried a tablet with the news of the death of Turinus. Standing up from the circle chair,

"Fate and man play the game of batting with sticks,

Or play a game with people blowing chestnuts,

All of you know,

Destiny is a hunter, and man is nothing but a lark. ”

After saying this, the high priest sighed, and looked at the ships that came and went on the sea, and in front of the terrace, the sea dove, against the wind, stretched its wings with all its might, but was still held in place, unable to advance or retreat, and then he turned back and saw the teary-eyed Adiana, and then he took her in his arms, "Don't be stupid, thank you for taking in a wanderer, I will write to Niko and Yuajit in a moment, and let them come from their respective territories to rejoice." ”

"That's two months to wait, it's just two months for us. Here I am the hostess, and I decree that you must not be lonely, nor leave this world casually, you need only a lark that soars with you, a two-eared clay pot. Adiana took Lipida's hand with her backhand, held it around her waist, and raised her other hand, pinched his ear, and spoke softly.

They are still in love with each other.

(End of book)

To the readers of The Way of Augustus,

To be honest, at 10:25 this morning, Sula typed the last keyboard of the story of Calabis and Calabia in his notebook, and the 20-month journey of writing a book (Sula didn't even expect to be able to write 2.5 million words) was over.

This book, Sura's manuscript is very small, in the first 10 months there are about 10,000 words of manuscript, and then it is one or two chapters wandering, but Sulla is pleased that during the serialization of this book, although sometimes the update is only 2000 words a day, but it has never been interrupted, which is also the place where Sulla thinks he is most worthy of your readers, but it has not exploded much, and it is also where Sulla is sorry for your readers. Because when I first wrote "The Way of Augustus", when I was about 60,000 words, Sulla had an impulse, the kind of woman who suddenly became pregnant, and couldn't wait to tell this "silent surprise", which led to the embarrassing situation of the following embarrassing hand, but fortunately, with the support of all the dear readers of "The Way of Augustus", Sula smoothly and unscathed, rain or shine, finished this niche and unpopular theme - this croaking child may not be so perfect, But it is full of love and care from the author and readers, and it is the best blessing.

Feelings of emotion, pride and gratitude are now filling my chest.

This is also the real joy of writing a book, which is hard to get from other jobs.

From the beginning of writing, "The Way of Augustus" has received a lot of criticism and criticism, during which there are good intentions, but most of them are suspicious and gloating, abusing the lord, cuckolds, greeting Sula's family and other hats have come one after another, as if writing like this is a great rebellion, it is heretical, as if someone is sneering coldly, "waiting for you when the eunuch".

But with the support of many readers who really love this book, and with the support of Sula's shameless spirit of "love to see and not to watch", Sulla still ended this book, and I can now say to everyone,

"I love all my readers, because I finished the book, and this is the best reward for you; I despise all sunspots, and because I'm done, this is the best counterattack to you. ”

At the same time, I would like to thank the editor who submitted the book to sign the contract, and I would like to thank the editor Huya sister who has always followed up the book, because there is no intersection chat with Canglang after signing the contract, so I have been writing the book for so long, mainly to communicate with Huya, but I'm sorry, many times I am more than the editor - many times, it is Huya sister who took the initiative to contact me, tell me the finalization of the recommendation position, and care about the subject matter of my next book, I am really ashamed, the writer can meet such an editor, it is also a blessing.

Now there are many readers and friends who are very concerned about the problem of my next book, to be honest, the theme of the next book has not yet been decided, Sulla once had the impulse of a certain theme, and has collected the information, written the outline of the first two volumes, but because this subject suddenly encountered an irresistible problem, so Sulla's heart suddenly cooled and sad, and lost his enthusiasm for creation. This also shows how great the impact of your actions on readers and enthusiasts is for any creator to consider when conducting your activities! In the future, when Sulla becomes an author, he must always think of this truth.

Therefore, the next book can only be put on hold for the time being, and Sulla will have to think about other topics, but rest assured, if the conditions are ripe, Sulla will open a new book as soon as possible, maybe in a month, maybe in three months...... Please feel free to follow Sulla's threads in the Starting Point Book Review section or the Path of Augustus.

In short, i?ill?be?back!

sulla?felix

2015.7.24(To be continued)