Chapter 13: Peculium Part I
"He's not so much a careerist as a vanity." -- A British critic satirized Pompey
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Hearing Calabis's warning, the Claudius brothers and sisters looked at each other in surprise, and then Claudius shouted angrily: "Why did Cicero do this, I was just seducing his wife!" Besides, everything is going on very secretly, even if Lenzart refuses my courtship, there is no need to make a big deal about it, does she understand the rules of the city of Rome, bastard, hateful, who revealed the news? ”
"Isn't it you who proudly said the name of Cicero's wife at the banquet when the Thirteenth Legion was stationed in Tun Philipplon? Bablius. Lord Claudius. Calabis teased in his heart, but he remained silent on the surface, and only said with sincerity: "I only know that the banquet, no matter how big or small, is the abuse of fierce rumors, and Claudius you should pay attention to your tone in the future." ”
At the same time that Calabis was in his heart, several cloaked fellows, holding chalk buckets or chalk in the alleys of the Palatine Hill villas, scribbled on the walls and temples of Lenchardt and Claudius's obscene spring palace, they were all amateur architectural interior painters, hired to eat a bowl of rice, so they tried their best to use perspective in their artwork to win the favor of their employers, and every beautiful detail and organ of the two protagonists on the picture was incomparable, as well as a large number of supporting words. When they were finished, they walked out of the alley, in the hands of Paruma, the little pigeon watching the wind at the mouth of the alley, and the giant man Opric. I took the money bags one by one with great gratitude. Then he looked around and left.
Over there. Claudius's advice worked, and while Claudie scolded Cicero and Renchate, and constantly doubted Anthony, Curio, and even his sister's new lover, he walked around the restaurant uneasily, and Zuihou asked Calabis as if he remembered something, "You said that Cicero wanted to stop me from being the civilian tribune." What despicable means will be used? "It seems that this person has never cared about the process of becoming a tribune.
"I think there are no more than two points, one is to make a fuss about your pure aristocratic lintel, as we all know, the Claudius family is the most noble matrilineal family in Rome, the descendants of the Sabinees, and the Julius family is as ancient and noble as the Julius family, and Cicero will pinch your noble blood, you must know that the plebeian tribune can only be served by the commoners; The second is that Cicero will incite the public opinion of the Tribus Council and the Centurion Town Council to bring you down so that you don't get the quorum of votes, so now I'm worried. Claudius: Can your assets support the needs of the election bribery? ”
Sweat oozed from Claudius' forehead. He put his arm around Calabis's shoulders and said, "My sister's assets are negative now, you know, yes, my sister has lied to you before and knocked you 30,000 drachmas, but you should continue to help me." Calabis, it's good for you, the Liliang of the Civilian Tribune is enough to shelter you from anything in the city of Rome, I have two great powers, Iusauxilii and Veto, who else will we be afraid of, Pompey? Crassus? Or little Cato? ”
The playboy is right, iusauxilii is the "right of interference", exclusive to the tribune, who can use this power to help any citizen who comes to complain, against anyone, including the senators; As soon as the tribune shouted this slogan, the decrees of the officials and senators in Rome would be forbidden from taking effect, and would be submitted to the town assembly for further voting.
"But I have also calculated the cost of bribery, at least two hundred Talents, and my current assets are not enough to pay for these. There is only one plan for now, and that is to borrow money from your former brother-in-law, who is also my patron, as an intermediary. Calabis continued to get straight to the point.
As soon as these words came out, the Claudius sisters and brothers screamed at the same time, as if they had heard the most terrifying thing and expressed the strongest opposition, but Carabis did not give them a chance to make noise, "Listen, Lord Claudius, and my esteemed former mistress, you are the people who will call for wind and rain in the political and social circles of Rome in the future, and you will not even be able to understand this little stake!" Now our enemy is Pompey, and Lucuras's enemy is also Pompey, and everyone's interests are the same, so I will leave this matter to me, as long as I have a token. ”
"What token?"
"Ottolicus, the saber of Mithridates." Calabis said word for word.
Claudius hesitated, but Calabis continued: "I also understand what this saber means to you, but Luculas will not veto your exploits because of this sword, and I think that even if there is a small triumphal ceremony, it will probably be delayed until two or three years later because of Pompey's efforts." Therefore, this sword will not be of much use to you, because you will be the civilian tribune next, and you will not be allowed to join the legion, and the law is very clear, the tribune must be in the city, and cannot leave the city of Rome for even a day, so it is better to exchange this sword for campaign funds - Claudius, you can't trust outsiders now, you can only trust me, what good are those friends who drink and meat to you? It's just me who gives your brothers and sisters full support regardless of their past suspicions, and I'm the adopted son of Marcus, do you think I'm not working well in this matter? ”
Zuihou, Claudius and Claudia exchanged glances, and finally nodded to Calabis, indicating that everything is on you.
"By the way, what about my noble blood?" When Calabis put his sword in the narrow box and carried it behind his back to leave, Claudius hurriedly asked behind him.
"This is also very simple, just find a civilian family and be his adopted son."
"Then let me be your adopted son! You are the adopted son of Marcos, but not more than a generation, and you are not a nobleman in theory, but only an upstart commoner. Claudius hurriedly took Calabis's hand, and Claudia next to her also walked up and grabbed her, "In this matter, you must answer me, Calabis, this is my begging." ”
Looking at the two siblings, Calabis looked solemn, first looking afraid of trouble, and then nodded responsibly, saying, "I will find someone to go to the municipal department to handle this matter as soon as possible." ”
In the early morning of the next day, in the Villa of Prima, Luculas sat on a circle chair, looked at Ottolicus in his hand with satisfaction, and counted the exquisite diamonds on the hilt and scabbard, "This is the spoils of my former conquest of Asia Minor, and I wanted to obtain the crown of the king of Armenia, the sword of Mithridates, and the scepter of the king of Parthia, which was the pinnacle of honor for a Roman general, but I only completed one of them, son, you have done a good job." ”
"But six thousand Tallents are fake." Calabis stood cautiously beside his patron, fearing that he would be dissatisfied with the formation of the Thirteenth Legion and "nothing". (To be continued......)
PS: There was something last night, and today the three watches are made up, and the classmates of the monthly pass are smashed,'(*∩_∩*)′.