Augustus Road

In response to Claudius's audacity, Cato the Younger encouraged other senators at the conference, saying that he was just a political hooligan who voluntarily gave up his noble birth and mingled on the streets. Everything he did was to attract attention and accumulate false popularity for entering the Temple of Concordia in the future. We don't need to take his intimidation seriously at all. He can even surpass the Gracchi brothers. Wasn't it easy for the brothers to be beaten to death by the slaves and retainers of the nobles with chair legs?

But the senators didn't think so. They clearly felt that the people of Rome had become crazy these days. They didn't know why they brought up the old story of Marius, who had been dead for so many years. Some people even openly clamored to organize the people to sit in the suburbs and stop all work and entertainment. God, this was the action taken by the common people and the nobles when they fought hundreds of years ago. I didn't expect to see it today. It's a blessing. It clearly aroused everyone's nostalgia for the glorious years of their ancestors.

Facing the people's agitation, Cato the Younger mocked them, saying, "Everyone knows these people. They live in floating island apartments, thinking about humble things like working to make a living all day long. Virtue and nobility have nothing to do with them. Any boring political event can become an outlet for their equally boring emotions. So, my dear colleagues, Cicero announced the whereabouts of a governor of a distant province during the Catiline conspiracy. Of course, I don't need to tell you his name. Everyone knows it. He has always been a populist agitator. As far as I know, he After taking office, they will implement policies that are more radical than the Gracchus brothers to win people's hearts and destroy the foundation of the Roman Republic. "After saying this, he lifted the hem of his robe, raised his right hand into a fist and shouted, "What we see today is what we will see tomorrow! Julius Caesar must not become consul next year, otherwise the Republic will inevitably fall into a more dangerous state than during the Catiline conspiracy. Believe me, colleagues." At this time, he cast an eager (this is rarely seen in Cato's expression) look at Cicero and Crassus, hoping that these two people would echo his views.

But Cicero's expression was complicated, and he mumbled something at the corner of his mouth, as if he had something to say but found it difficult to speak. You know, Cato the Younger just mentioned his criticism of Caesar's position during the Catiline conspiracy. But before that, Caesar and Pompey's personal slaves went to the Palatine Hill to meet him secretly. The former asked him for assistance in the election campaign and promised to return the favor in the future consul election. Cicero was a scholar, but also a politician. It was not his dream to "score twice" in the consul position, especially the previous year's consul term, which made him feel that he was a person without any foundation (in fact, the Senate nominated It is because of this that he suffered in the governance, and he did nothing at all. In addition to gaining the false name of "Father of the Nation", to realize the great ideal, he must rely on the dirty sword stained with blood and fire. This is Cicero's current cognition; and Pompey, his envoy's conversation content is not as high-angle as Caesar's, but complained about Cato the Younger in private, saying that the other party had blinded the interests of the family and the state because of personal grudges, and said that he would not keep the same tune with him in various aspects in the future, and even did not want to maintain superficial respect. Pompey was obviously ashamed of the rejection of the marriage, and was doing the same thing as Cato the Younger. After meeting the two envoys, Cicero was very "sharp" in his heart. No matter what will happen to Caesar and Pompey in the future, it is a fact that they both hate Cato the Younger. Should I also consider my own position choice?

Therefore, Cicero's reaction disappointed Cato, but Crassus was even more so. This guy was just like Caesar. Caesar had already been in the port of Ostia and had discussed with him through Lepidus, Ebro and others about how to achieve a win-win situation. Yes, Crassus hated Pompey, but he would never abandon Caesar, a rising star who could bring him huge benefits, just because Cato rejected Pompey's marriage request. What's more, Caesar still owed him a large debt. Cato never wanted to owe him debts and favors. I couldn't control the guy who didn't owe him debts and favors - this has always been the truth in Crassus' eyes.

In the end, Cato pushed his eyes to the corner again. The "tuna" Luculas, whose eyes were slightly dull, had a slightly sluggish look. Although his memory was greatly weakened, it was rare for this guy to come to this meeting. Should I rely on the power of this friend? That's right. After all, I had fought for a small triumphal ceremony for him before. He is also a nobleman with popularity and has served as the former consul. Using him to fight against Caesar and Pompey may be the best choice now.

However, the next day, Lepidus and Claudius did not give the Temple of Concordia any chance at all. They were like a surprise attack tactic on the battlefield. After issuing the right of convening through the face of the tribune, a "voluntary delegation" from various Italian departments magically emerged in the Roman Square, fiercely criticizing the harm done to them by the dictator Sulla, and strongly demanded that the Senate return all the powers that were deprived of them twenty years ago, that is, the powers that Marius and Cinna had given them, in full according to the Julius Law!

What opened the eyes of the people of Rome was that the agitation method adopted by this group of delegations seemed to be something they had never seen before. They adopted a personal experience style: the old women cried and told how they were separated from their husbands in the persecution. They also held up the painting boards with their husbands' faces in tears and stood in front of the public, saying that even their husbands' bodies have not been found so far; there were also former masters who cried and publicly expressed their gratitude to the slaves who stood up for them in the massacre, telling the true feelings in the adversity; there were also survivors who opened their clothes in public to show the public all kinds of shocking scars, thanking their ancestors and clan gods for their protection and allowing them to survive.

What's more amazing is that Claudius and Lepidus even found several members of the "Cornelius Rangers" from somewhere, trembling and kneeling in front of the people, crying and vividly describing their crimes in the past, and expressing their earnest repentance and apology.

"Alright, that's enough. Since you, little Cato, already know that Caesar is behind all this, don't take this foolish approach of stopping him outside the city and giving others an excuse to talk!" The elders of the Temple of Concord could not help it after all. Now this is their appeal - let Caesar into the city! (To be continued.)