After discussing this, Tuohuan ordered the nun to come in and prepare to transfer her. Guo Kang picked up the note she had written improvised and promised to have a good talk with these people to see if he could ask anything more.

Then, they took Odosia outside. At the corner leading to the ground, Luo Guanzhong was waiting here with a pile of papers. In the next room, there are also several nuns resting.

Tuhuan asked them to bring the key, and informed Luo Guanzhong of the decision. Luo Guanzhong took out two manuscript papers from the document and handed them to him. Tuhuan glanced at it twice, nodded a little surprised, then picked up the pen and ink on the table in the room and signed it.

The nun at the head took the key, crouched down, and unshackled Eudothea.

"It's finally easier." Eudocia sighed, "This chain is so tight. Even if I ran once, I don't need to exaggerate it. I saw that the felons on the road were not so vigilant. ”

"How can a felony compare with you? You woman, as dangerous as a tiger, how dare you not be a little tighter. After signing it, he shook his head with a smile and said.

Luo Guanzhong raised his head, glanced at Odosia, shook his head regretfully, and then stood up straight and looked at Guo Kang, as if waiting for him to do something. However, Guo Kang didn't understand what he meant, and felt that he shouldn't have anything to do, so he looked back blankly, wanting to wait for his reminder. Tuhuan didn't notice their reaction at all, dropped the pen, and left with everyone.

Luo Guanzhong wanted to speak again and again, and finally scratched his head, bowed to Guo Kang, and hurriedly followed with the documents.

"Is there any formalities left to do now?" Shi Ke was asking the others.

"I still have to talk to the criminal department, but it should be a formality." Luo Guanzhong replied.

"That's still going to be prepared." "Although this is a special case, we will probably have to arrest people later, and we will definitely have to deal with the criminal department - and it is very likely that they will be dug up as well." We'd better make everything we need to do clear in advance. Deal with the officials in charge well. ”

"Understood. The subordinates will do it. Luo Guanzhong nodded, and seemed to have a number in his heart.

"The person in charge of the Criminal Department this time is Uncle Gao. He, like your dad and the others, loves to visit these places in Fireworks Willow Lane. Shi Ke said to Cao Jian helplessly: "If it goes on like this, I don't know how many people in the government can be implicated, these venues are estimated to be a bunch of them by us, and I don't know what they think." ”

"Actually, it's nothing." Cao Jian replied: "This kind of place has always had a close relationship with those gangs. We have captured the traitors before, and we have already killed most of their financiers and thugs who support them. These places were supposed to be finished. ”

"You see, Alexander, the leader of the bandits who came from the Rus region to trick people into working for him, did not pick men and women at all. Men go to work, women can work strong, and those who can't go go to be low-level prostitutes. Anyway, he can manage to get back to his roots. ”

"When we put down the rebellion, we killed a bunch of such people. Even if it weren't for the prostitutes and theater troupes, they would definitely be affected. I guess during this time, a large number of people will have to go out of business. ”

"So that's ......" Guo Kang didn't know that Alexander's gang still did this kind of business: "I thought they were just fighting and running cults." ”

"When I was a child, I felt that the atmosphere at home was too unfriendly, and I used to run around outside. Well, I haven't met my childhood sweetheart like Brother Li......" Cao Jian said with some embarrassment: "However, I have seen a lot of these people of three religions and nine ranks. ”

"Actually, if you ask the elders, you should understand." He thought for a moment and said, "They have more social experience than us, and the same is true among the people. I heard that back then, Ling Zun and my father, as well as Uncle Gao and Uncle Li, all liked fat horses and light furs, and roamed freely in the market. ”

"At that time, Ling Zun was still their leader. My father has always said that the heaviest chivalrous is Ling Zun. Cao Jian told Guo Kang: "When he sees injustice, he will take action; When you meet a friend you like, make friends with them. If there are people who are appreciated, they will spend a lot of money on them; There are disgusting things, even if your own property has been smashed. The heroes of ancient times, probably like this. ”

"Therefore, they must know better than us about the market. It's just that later they all have something to do, so they don't have the leisure and energy they had when they were young. Uncle Guo seemed to be very busy, and he didn't go out with them much later, and went to Goolan to drink and listen to music. So, I haven't told you much about it......"

"He didn't tell me that much." Guo Kang muttered: "He really blew the people of the Guo family away......

"Huh?" Cao Jian didn't understand.

"Nothing." Guo Kang hurriedly said.

"Actually, it's okay to be a little merry. Mencius said that for those in power, lust is not a problem, and it is enough to know what you need to do. He explained: "When the time comes, we should also explain this truth." ”

"I've been to the slums before and I've checked where they're holding people. To be honest, there are no beauties over there. Even if they find women who want to sell for money, they won't be very good. Because beauty, like morality, is also supported by material conditions. ”

"Theoretically speaking, although beauty is related to blood, there is also a lot of randomness, especially the top beauty. Therefore, Xi Shi is from the fisherman's family, Zhaojun and Luzhu are from the countryside, and the Song people are the so-called four beauties, and only Ban Jieyu is a nobleman. Because the number of nobles is too small, the number of commoners is much more. Even if there is a difference in the probability of appearance, but the difference in the base is so large, it has no effect. ”

"What's more, in some places, it is not good for nobles, and they can't improve their bloodline. You have to look at the nobles of Europe, which are more stumbling. He spread his hands: "Just find a village girl from a rich family in the countryside, I think they are all ...... than them."

"Therefore, if you really love beauty, then you should try your best to make the people richer. They have money, their children's bodies can grow well, and they also have the leisure to dress up, so that they can make people beautiful. With more beauties, there are more choices. That's a good thing for everyone. ”

Cao Jian, Shi Ke and others all agreed again and again, and felt that what they said was very reasonable.

"Also, in terms of quantity, there should also be an improvement." Guo Kang continued: "Before, everyone was too poor to be able to support so many children. In this case, only the baby boy will definitely be retained. ”

"In the Law of the Twelve Tables, some acts of infanticide are allowed. According to the law, a family should support all the boys and eldest daughters. The rest, it doesn't matter. The Greeks, for their part, also acquiesced in and even encouraged infanticide. Because the conditions are extremely limited, the boys who can fight must be kept first, otherwise there will be nothing. ”

"Because of the strong pressure and this custom, the society of the ancient Greeks and Romans had an exaggerated ratio of men to women. The male-to-female ratio in Rome was 131:100, while in Greece and Asia Minor, it was 140:100. ”

"I haven't looked at the numbers, which is even more exaggerated than we are now. Won't the extra ones make trouble? Shi Ke asked.

"Not really." Tuhuan shook his head and told him: "At that time, it was not a big deal, because there were too many wars. Looking at the number of men, I actually don't know if I can make up for the consumption of the war. And, if the war is won, women can be replenished from the spoils of war. ”

"When the Romans started, the city was full of men, and there were few women. But they soon robbed the women of Sabine. It can be seen that as long as you can win the battle, these gender ratios are not a problem. ”

"I have heard that the god Romulus once told the people around him that the greatest joy in life is to defeat their enemies, to hunt them down, to take their city-states, to rob them of their wealth, to take their wives and daughters as slaves, and to watch their closest people weep in their faces—I don't know if this is true or if it is seconded by posterity. However, it does fit the style of the Romans at that time. ”

"But now, times are different. When the city-state is small, it is no problem, but when the country is big, if it continues to grab like this, it will not be able to make up for the shortfall, but will make the problems accumulate more and more. The ancient Romans were good at fighting the world, but they were not good at ruling the world. We have to think about how to avoid their past problems. ”

Guo Kang always felt that he had misremembered the person he had quoted. But that's what it means anyway, as long as everyone understands. So, he didn't say anything......

"The most basic requirement is definitely to improve the standard of living. Otherwise, nothing else can be managed. He took the opportunity to say: "We don't need to make too many moves, so a little effort is enough to change a lot of things." Even if you want more beauties, you can profit from it. It can be seen that our goals are all the same, so what can't be convinced? ”

"Okay, let's find an opportunity, and when there is a banquet in a few days, they will be happy, and I will take the opportunity to say so." Shi Ke nodded: "It's still a brother, you can see through it." I guess that way, they will laugh out loud and not resist. ”

"yes. Those words, if I were myself, would be happy to hear them. "Moreover, citizens will not resist anything, but will benefit from it." As long as you can make everyone's life better, who cares how many women you find. ”

"Yes, who doesn't have a love of beauty?" Guo Kang could also understand, and nodded with him.

However, Theodora kept staring at him, and as a result, he didn't dare to brag with them, so he could only follow a few words.

Seeing this, Dehuan didn't say anything anymore. After waiting for a moment, the nuns put Eudosia into a carriage and closed the thick door. And he gathered the people together.

"We may need to do a little bit more to prepare." As he spoke, he found Luo Guanzhong, who was following behind, and asked, "How is this Miss Odosia's mother, and the people in the troupe, now?" ”

"It's lost now, and I haven't found it yet." Luo Guanzhong said: "During the previous triumphal ceremony, they won the opportunity and were hired by the imperial court to perform in the carnival after the ceremony. So, I just received a lot of money. This news, many people know. As a result, that night, when there was a big chaos, the citizens knew that there was a lot of money there, so they all went to rob it. ”

"There are too many things that the government needs to take care of, and they don't have time to take care of it. When the time came, their camp was about to burn down, and the people were either killed or scattered, and it was not known how many were left or where the survivors had gone. ”

"She didn't mean it." Shi Ke muttered quietly.

"It won't be her turn either." Luo Guanzhong reminded: "Everyone knows about this matter. On weekdays, there may still be time to transfer, and there is also the support of the forces and gangsters behind it. But suddenly this kind of thing happens, and the people who could have violently supported them are either drawn into the war or disintegrated in chaos. With this kind of security in the city, something will definitely happen. To blame, you can only blame bad luck. ”

Shi Ke thought for a moment and nodded.

"That's right, if the final decision is to leave it alone, then we have to arrange a new identity for her." "Do you have any ideas?" ”

"I have an idea." Cao Jian thought for a moment: "I knew a few people before...... Otherwise, let's try it tomorrow. ”

******

The next day, Caspilos was at home.

The great room was now empty, and Caspilos and Frajos sat at the balcony, with only a young servant pouring tea for them.

"How's it going over there?" Caspilos, who still had a bandage on his head, took the initiative to ask, "Is there any news?" ”

"Not yet." Frajos replied briefly.

"Hollinus received an invitation from the Empress yesterday." Caspilos put down his glass: "This is the third banquet." ”

"yes, I knew it then." Frajos nodded: "He was so happy that he wanted to run naked in the streets." The whole street could hear him cheering like crazy......"

"Chiotis is really crazy. I heard that when he got the invitation, he was suddenly there shouting and saying, 'Oops, I got it, I got it!' Everyone was taken aback. Kaspiros imitated the guy's expression and said with an exaggerated expression: "The Varyag who delivered the letter slapped him several times before he woke him up." ”

"Alright, you." Frajos interrupted him dissatisfiedly: "When is it, it's still performing." Get that stupid face out of your way. You know what? Your expression is as funny as a comedian's mask. ”

"That's the expression of Siotis, not mine. I'm just imitating it. Caspilos corrected, "And—if I hadn't been hurt, I'd have swollen your face, you idiot." ”

However, he was dressed in bandages, and there was no deterrent effect when he said this.

Sure enough, Frajos just shrugged his shoulders and didn't care at all.

"Forget it about what you look like. But then again, you're in for a fortune. It's the first time I've seen someone who has been slapped by a bear and still survived. I think you're still satisfied. He said, "And your servant ......."

Frajos pointed around, "It's all gone." What about the boxer you hired? I should have run away, right? Then you can't fight now. ”

"How can you say run. It was a special situation, and I fired them all temporarily! Caspilos hurriedly denied.

"Pull it down, this house is almost empty. Not only did they run away, but they also took a lot of your stuff with them. Frajos scoffed

"Well, that's what I left for them on purpose." Caspilos was a little weak-hearted, but he still insisted and said: "Suddenly dismiss people, I'm always embarrassed to sweep them out of the house." So, I'll let them pick something and take it. ”

"You think you're raising the Varyag......" Vlahos was speechless.

According to the tradition of the past few hundred years, the Varyags hired by the emperor, in addition to receiving a high salary, could also go to the royal treasury of Constantinople when they retired and choose a treasure to take with them. This extremely high treatment made many noble children in the north flock to this place, so that the Varyag team maintained a high combat effectiveness for a long time. This tradition is still alive and well to this day.

Of course, Caspilos also knew that the other party was yin and yang. He immediately mocked: "Isn't the situation in your family similar? Oh, did your wife run away too? ”

"Hmph, that stupid woman." Flahos glared: "I've long seen her unpleasantly, but her brother is still there, and I can't say anything." She's gone, isn't it a good thing? ”

Caspilos spread his hands and laughed playfully.

"Then your loss is estimated to be greater than mine, and that woman must know what your family is worth." He said happily, "My side." In fact, it is placed on the shelf, decorated, and looks very luxurious, let them grab it...... What was taken away was nothing of value. ”

"Look over there." He pointed around the corner, "See that gray bottle?" ”

"That's ......" Frajos stepped forward, glanced at it, and immediately recognized it: "Ah, it must be something from the classical period." When did you put it here? ”

"This vase was once placed on the altar of the Vesta in the city-state of Corinth." Caspilos said proudly, "This is the most valuable treasure in my hands." After the accident, I replaced the bottle here, took it out of the warehouse, and threw it here. ”

"Sure enough, those idiots only care about going to the warehouse and the display shelves to get things, and no one cares about it. In fact, this bottle is more precious than all other treasures combined. You see, if you don't have culture, you can't even do this kind of thing. He shrugged and said.

"Tsk, sinister fellow." Frajos shook his head, cursed in a low voice, and returned to his seat.

"I'm left with John himself." Caspilos pointed to the young man pouring water next to him: "However, after this kind of thing, you can see who is more loyal." There's not even one on your side. ”

"I'm only comfortable myself, and those stupid servants are so clumsy that they almost smashed my statue of Pergamum. They'll just get in the way. Frajos emphasized.

Kaspiros pouted, ignoring him.

"That, boss. I'm so loyal, can you settle this half year's salary? John quickly bent down and whispered to Caspilos.

"Take it yourself. This old guy is just bluffing on weekdays, who would listen to him just because he has some gold coins? Frajos, who was sitting opposite, said angrily: "Don't you understand, it's just that the imperial court strongly maintains this order, and declares that those who have gold coins have power, so that he can be a fox and a tiger." Once there is chaos, the court can't take care of it, or if he commits a crime, the court won't protect him, so what's the use of his money? ”

"I know, Boss Flahos." John replied honestly: "It's just that the boss's house, now there is not a single copper plate, and it has been taken by other servants and citizens who have taken advantage of it." I came late that day, and the gang didn't leave me anything......"

"Hahaha......"

Frajos couldn't help but laugh. Kaspiros was furious, but there was nothing he could do. John was also at a loss for words.

But at this moment, at the corner of the street, a line of soldiers suddenly came out, and there were several people in the middle.

Frajos jumped straight to his feet, and Caspilos was not as nimble as he was, and struggled to get up. And in the mansion opposite them, there were also people who rushed out and slammed the windows shut. The whole street was almost silent.

The group didn't care about what was going on next to them, and walked straight to Caspilos' house. Their armor glistened golden in the sunlight, making it impossible for Frajos and the others to look directly.

"No, it's not here to deliver an invitation, is it?" Caspilos said in alarm.

"And comfort yourself. How can so many people send invitations. Flahos turned his head and was about to run: "This is obviously looking for you, I'll leave first, you can deal with it." ”

"Don't, I can't get up like this, can you help me open the door and meet them?" Kaspiros hurriedly said, "If you come at me, it won't hinder you?" ”

"Pull it down, how can you let the guests help, you can open it yourself." As he spoke, Frajos put on his robe and trotted all the way to the back balcony, trying to escape over the wall.

However, when I went to the place, there were still some soldiers who had blocked the back door. Frajos was also greatly frightened, and hurriedly ran back again, urging Caspillos, who was still limping, to hurry up and meet the people.

"John, you go." Caspilos hurriedly changed someone to urge: "Anyway, it's definitely not to arrest you." ”

"No, boss, I haven't been paid......"

“……”

There was no way, Kaspyros could only bite the bullet, use crutches, go down the stairs, and wait at the door.

Not long after, Tuhuan, Guo Kang and Cao Jian came to the door with Odosia.

Caspilos seemed to recognize Tuohuan, and when he saw him, he was even more shocked. He nodded again and again, trying to squeeze out a smile that was more ugly than crying, and greeted: "Hello Taiji, dare to ask if you have anything to tell you when you come to the Humble House?" ”

"Oh, you're the president of the Jewel Guild, Caspilos, aren't you?" Tuohuan looked at the note in his hand and asked.

"Exactly down there." Caspilos replied with a completely sad face.

"We're looking for Frajos. It was Frajos, who ran the estate and transport fleet. He said, "Is he with you?" ”

"Huh?" Kaspyros only felt a thrill in his head, and he was stunned on the spot.

"Hello?" Guo Kang stepped forward and stretched out his hand and shook it: "Hey? How do you do this? ”

"We just went to Frajos's house, and there was no one in his house. The neighbors said he had come to your side as a guest. Cao Jian also said, "Have you seen him?" ”

"Oooh!" Caspyros reacted immediately, and suddenly showed an ecstatic expression: "He's here!" Frajos is upstairs! Come with me, don't let him escape!" ”

"Huh?"

Cao Jian didn't react, he saw Caspilos swooping out, ran up the stairs in a puff of smoke, and turned around the corner to beckon: "Come on!" Grown-ups, over here! ”

"Is his injury real? It's the first time I've seen someone with a broken leg, and he can still run so fast......" Guo Kang said in surprise and followed first. Others are also catching in.

On the second floor, they saw Frajos, who and Kaspiros were tugging at each other's collars. Dehuan asked them all to sit down, and the two of them were unwilling to let go.

Caspilos limped to move a chair and asked him to sit down, but he waved his hand and said no.

"It's a simple matter this time." He said in a deep voice: "Vlahos, someone has reported your convoy to help the criminal Alexander, smuggling the mouth from the Rus region. After that, with the help of your estate, resettlement and transfer will be carried out. Now that the gangs have collapsed, many of the criminals have confessed to us, and some of your men have turned themselves in. The evidence in this case is already very conclusive. Do you know what the crime will be for? ”

Frajos sat on the ground, unable to even utter a word of justification. After a while, he reluctantly said: "They are all Slavic slaves, and I see that the government is also transporting ......"

"What the government takes from war is legitimate. And if you smuggle it yourself, it will not be lawful. Do I need to say anything about this? Tuhuan shook his head: "Do you have anything else to defend?" ”

Frajos's face was pale, and he couldn't answer at all.

"You are also decent people and very well educated. It stands to reason that such sufficient material conditions ......" He looked back and forth, and found that Caspilos's house actually looked like a family with four walls, and he was very surprised for a while, and he was stunned for a moment: "...... In the past, such abundant material conditions should be able to satisfy you. ”

"I don't want to make things too big, and I'll give you face." He said, and asked Odosia to come over: "This is my friend's...... Friends, from the countryside, want to be active here, but lack an opportunity to enter. In this way, if you take her as a daughter, give her a part of the property, and donate the rest to charity, we will only pursue the person who actually ran it, and we will not pursue you, and several other shareholders are jointly and severally liable. ”

"Then ......" Frajos hurriedly got up: "I can explain more!" Can you leave me some property? I know of several of their other crimes! I'll do the rest, too! ”

"It's useless for you to talk about it now, they've already finished explaining to each other." Tuohuan shook his head and said.

"Huh?" Flajos was shocked: "So, where will I go after that?" ”

"Your family and servants are done anyway." Guo Kang said next to him: "Your house is empty, and there is nowhere to go now." Otherwise, why do you have to come here to visit him? The relationship between the two of you is not good, either. ”

"......," Flahos couldn't answer for a moment.

"If you agree, I can arrange a way out for you." Guo Kang said: "In Crete, there is our archaeological team, if you like, go there." At least food, clothing, housing and transportation are covered by us. The archaeological team was established by me in contact with the University of Constantine, and if you perform well, it will be paid to you according to the scholar's allowance in the future. ”

Frajos struggled, and Caspilos couldn't stand it anymore: "What are you still putting up, don't die." Say yes. ”

Frajos nodded and agreed.

Cao Jian asked one of his attendants to take out the documents and sign them, and Frajos sat on the ground, tremblingly took the pen, and hastily signed a few documents.

"There's a bit of formalities to follow, including your work arrangements — so you'll have to come with us." Cao Jian said: "Oh, by the way, you still have to participate in social activities and do the whole thing." ”

"Oh, yes." Tuhuan took out an invitation letter and handed it to him: "Here, my mother will have the next banquet." There are more than 1,000 people participating, so when the time comes, remember to bring your 'daughter' there. ”

Finally, he got the invitation he had been waiting for, but Frajos was not very happy, and nodded with a sad face.

Next to him, Caspilos almost laughed, that is, the coercion of the visitor was too strong, so he couldn't help but make a sound.

And at this time, Tuohuan picked up the list again: "You are Caspillos." Many people have confessed that your guild has been funding the gangs for a long time, allowing them to fight against foreign competitors, and even to rob raw materials that are not certified by you. There was an Italian businessman who had been victimized, and she put together all the evidence for me. And during the turmoil, they fought against each other......"

"Oh, but you're fine, it's not as serious as him." He put the note away and said to Caspilos, who had his mouth open and did not speak, "However, these punishments cannot be escaped. Otherwise, you should go to archaeology with you. ”

Caspilos couldn't answer for a long time, but they weren't in a hurry.

"You donate all the jewelry and jewelry materials in your shop and warehouse to the church. When they registered, they were told that they were going to donate to the project that the princess had recently presided over - that is, to poor families, to fund the weaving machine. Tuhuan also threw an invitation letter to him: "Do this well, and the church people will take you to the banquet together." ”

After saying that, he took the others and left.

Both Frajos and Kaspyros sat on the ground, and it took a while for them to recover.

"Hey......" Flahos sighed, "it's nothing." ”

"I ...... too," Caspilos had just spoken, when he suddenly remembered something: "No, he only said to hand over the jewelry and jewelry raw materials, and I didn't ask for those cultural relics." ”

Frajos was also stunned, and said a little unwillingly: "Then how many do you have?" ”

"There's a little bit left, more than you." Caspyros was rarely happy again, and smiled at him: "You used to be the richest man in the city, but now, I can surpass you." ”

Frajos pursed his lips unwillingly, turned his head, and stopped looking at him.

Kaspiros laughed for a moment, and was about to say something, when he noticed that Frajos had been staring at the foot of the wall.

"What are you doing? Thinking about philosophy? He quipped.

"No......" Frajos pointed at the finger, "didn't you notice anything unusual?" ”

"What an anomaly." Kaspiros put the invitation in his pocket: "My house was designed by a designer from Syria, not in our traditional style, nor in the Romanian style of mix-and-match. Those wall decorations and layouts are all people's characteristics, and you can't understand them. ”

"Besides, when is it now, and I'm still working on architecture. Although my house is almost empty, the house itself should still be able to be protected, so you should think about your own house. He said sarcastically.

"It's not architecture." Frajos corrected: "Your Corinthian vase is missing!" ”

As he spoke, he stood up and looked around, "That John is gone, too." ”

"Ah——!!!h

From the small building, the screams of Caspilos were heard.

(End of chapter)