A brave man, that is, a man of faith.

- Marcus Tulius Cicero (Roman statesman, orator, orator, jurist, and philosopher)

In the face of Oscar's hypocrisy and grievances, Decius had no choice but to be open and honest: "Oscar, you and I both understand the crisis that the Maxentius family is facing now; We don't talk darkly, and I don't want to be tempted with you anymore. As far as I am concerned, I will be satisfied to be able to preserve the inheritance of the Maxentius family, and to arrange for the two brothers Sevius and Marcus before I die; You help me, and I will give you enough benefits. “

This was the first time Oscar had heard Decius speak to himself so bluntly; Although Oscar feels that what Decius is showing now is not necessarily true, Oscar will not doubt what Decius is saying. Indeed, what Decius wants now is not how to develop the Maxentius family, but how to let his two sons control the family safely; Oscar was silent and said, "Father, I can't do whatever I want; I am the son-in-law of the House of Maxentius, but I am the leader of the House of Augustus! When I think about things, I must always put the House of Augustus first; Only on the premise of not harming the interests of the Augustan family can I try to help the two brothers as much as possible, otherwise, I can only say sorry. “

Oscar's answer made Decius smile with a hint of relief, Oscar's answer this time was completely less tactful than the last answer, he had already put down his psychological defense and was ready to talk to himself. It is rare to have such an opportunity, and Decius will naturally not miss it; So, after sorting out his thoughts, Decius said to Oscar: "Oscar, I am very pleased with your candor; To be honest, this may be the last time we'll have an open and honest conversation together. I can feel that my time is near, and that you will not be able to return for a while when you go to Sardinia; Maybe the next time you come back is for my funeral. Do not say anything comforting to me, for I have lived a long time compared to your father and old Scipio; Now I don't want to live longer. I'm just worried about my two sons.

Once I leave this world, the Maxentius family will enter a time of internal and external trouble; The House of Julius, the House of Brutus, and the House of Scipio will not honestly let go of their grudges against my family of Maxentius, and Marius will not easily obey the command of my two sons. Even Antony and Octavian were Marius' men; So. My two sons simply can't get the support of the family legion!

When the time comes, I need both you, Oscar, and your House of Augustus to stand up for my two sons; As long as your Augustan family fully supports my two sons, Marius and the other three families will not dare to act rashly. For Marius could only have the limited support of the Julius family, while Sevios could have the absolute support of the Augustus family; Even if the Brutus and Scipio families were involved, they would be evenly matched.

This situation was formed. Coupled with some of the other arrangements I left behind, there is no way for Marius to steal the power of my Maxentius family! However, my hidden means are all auxiliary means, and the full support of your Augustus family is the strength backing they need most; So, I have to assure you of your absolute support for both of them. “

Decius's analysis makes sense and fits the truth; The leader of the Augustus family was killed before, and Oscar was able to ascend to the throne smoothly. On the one hand, it is the full support of the generals of the Wolf Legion such as Luquis, and on the other hand, it is the acquiescence of the Maxentius family; Of course, it is undeniable that it is because everyone underestimates the young Oscar. And the transfer of power from Scipio's family was also carried out smoothly because the other families had no time to take care of him.

In the centuries-old history of the four major families, there is hardly any family whose leadership and power transfer has not been harassed by other families; And this transfer of power by the Maxentius family is even more severe. This was largely due to a bad decision made by Decius himself that year. Who made him confused for a moment and married his third daughter Portia to Marius, this is a typical lure of wolves.

It's a pity that it's too late to regret it now; By the time Decius and his two sons learned of Marius' plot and had a relationship with the Julius family, it was too late. At this time, Marius had already usurped the military power of the Maxentius family with the indulgence of the Maxentius family and the covert support of the Julius family, unless he was looking for a strong foreign aid; Otherwise, it would be impossible for the Maxentius family to solve this cancer on their own!

However, our Excellency Oscar has stated his position beforehand; That is, the interests of the Augustus family must be safeguarded first, and on this basis, the Maxentius family can be assisted as much as possible. Therefore, Oscar had to say helplessly to Decius:

"Father, I really can't give you any guarantees right now; There really comes a day when I will try to make sure that the eldest brother Sevio and the second brother Marcus are safe. But I can't promise anything else. Although the Augustan family is nominally the fifth largest family in the Republic, it is too shallow to compare with the other three; And, when that day comes, if Marius gives me the conditions of the Augustus family, it will be even more favorable. I can't go against the interests of my family! ”

This time Oscar is completely open to Decius; Although these words make people think that Oscar is a mercenary villain, this is the real hero's capital. Oscar can't take the Augustus family and the Julius family for the benefit of the Maxentius family, right? That's not realistic! However, Decius did not blame Oscar for Oscar's bluntness; Instead, he said confidently:

"Oscar, of course I understand your difficulties; I'm also glad you can confess your inner words to me. However, I can tell you unequivocally; I can prescribe conditions that Marius will never be able to do. And help your House of Augustus grow as quickly as possible to become the fifth largest family in true Rome! First of all, Marius was, after all, the man arranged by the Julius family; And he's a wolf ambition himself.

Therefore, he will not sincerely pay too much benefit to the Augustan family; Even if something was promised to the Augustus family because of the situation, Marius would regret it afterwards. Even if Marius did not repent, the Julius family would not agree with Marius's decision to strengthen the Augustus family; You and I know that. I am different, I can help you Augustus become strong first; In the future, when the two brothers are truly in charge of the Maxentius family, you will be able to gain even more benefits.

What's more reassuring for you. You'll never have to worry about the two brothers crossing the river and tearing down the bridge; That's what their personalities are. And, with Prisca acting as a conciliator among you, you can be more intimately united. Of course, I'm not a man of empty words; The benefits I give you will be many. In addition to the covenant we have agreed on last time, I have two phases of benefits for you.

The first stage is that I help you to make the House of Augustus truly the fifth largest family in Rome; When you return to Sardinia, you will surely make Sardinia the base of your Augustan family. But the population of Sardinia greatly limits your development and the replenishment of your legions; So, I would arrange for a large number of poor people from Rome to emigrate to Sardinia. It is expected to transport 5,000 people every month, and 100,000 people will be transported continuously. If you need it in the future, I will continue to arrange this kind of population immigration.

The second stage was after the Augustus family helped my two sons to successfully take the helm of the Maxentius family; At that time, I will no longer be alive, and the two brothers have no ambition for external expansion, and I will leave a legacy for them to fully support the external expansion of your House Augustus. When the time comes, you Augustus will be able to do what you want with all your heart; And we, the Maxentius family, provide you with a steady stream of immigrants and the support of the Senate. “

Truth be told, the future that Decius sketched out for Oscar did make Oscar's heart pound; But what Oscar doesn't understand is: why did the Maxentius family support the Augustus family so selflessly to become stronger step by step? Isn't the Maxentius family afraid that one day, the Augustus family will be strong enough to attack the Maxentius family? Oscar thought about these questions and raised them to Decius anyway.

on this. Decius's explanation is: prosperity must decline; The strength of a family is limited, and the world is so big, it is impossible for the Augustan family to conquer all the enemies. As long as the House of Augustus had enemies outside the Republic, it would not have been possible to turn the spearhead and launch an attack on the House of Maxentius; If one day the Augustus family succeeds in destroying all the enemies, then the Maxentius family will have no meaning of existence.

Well, Decius's explanation convinced Oscar once again; This is indeed the case. Oscar really did not have the confidence that he would be able to dominate the countries of the Mediterranean in his lifetime; Before that, Oscar also had no idea of starting a Roman civil war. So, the idea of Decius makes sense; At the very least, it is more realistic. Moreover, the character of Sevio and Marcus is indeed more trustworthy than that of Marcus.

In the end, Oscar chose to accept Decius's suggestion. And promised: as long as the Maxentius family helps the Augustus family become the fifth largest family in Rome, then the Augustan family will be the most staunch ally of the Maxentius family; Oscar himself would also try to keep Sevio and Marcus in charge of the Maxentius family. To show his determination, Oscar even swore in the name of the ancestors of the House of Augustus!

For the Romans, especially the aristocratic politicians of Rome; Promises cannot be trusted. But the promise sworn in the name of the family's ancestors cannot be broken. Because in essence, the Roman nation was a people who revered their ancestors; In the hearts of the Romans, the status of ancestors was very high, even above the gods! This shows how high the status of the oath in the name of the ancestors was in the hearts of the Romans.

So, after Oscar swore in the name of his ancestors. Decius was very happy and swore in the name of his ancestors that he would guarantee the absolute support of the Maxentius family for the Augustusian family; Then the two big hands were tightly clasped together. After discussing these important matters, Decius sent Oscar to the backyard to greet Lady Honoria; After Oscar was gone, Sevious and Marcus walked out of the dark room in the study.

Looking at Sevio and Marcus, who had been listening to his conversation with Oscar in the back, Decius smiled knowingly; Today, I brought Oscar to not only negotiate a new secret agreement, but also to teach his two sons a memorable lesson in what he has been a successful family leader. Obviously, I succeeded; Oscar performed very well and made a very deep impression on his two sons. (To be continued.) )