Augustus Road

Crassus's earliest expression was a little surprised. It was the first time he saw Lepidus so "blatantly", but just when he was about to get angry, he thought of his own little Crassus. Yes, he arranged for his son to marry the Metra family, a military aristocrat. It was to prepare the young Crassus to develop in the army, because he was already angry enough with the word "military" in his life - he was hunted down by Marius' populist party when he was young, and later he took refuge with Sulla and was ordered to go to the Masi people. To recruit soldiers, he subconsciously asked Sulla to give him a guard because the whole of Rome was in chaos at that time. As a result, Sulla was furious and rebuked him in front of many generals and said, "Now your father, brothers, friends and relatives, Many died at the hands of the enemy, and I was about to avenge them, and now you actually ask me for an army to save your own life!" This reprimand deeply hurt him, and also made Pompey and Lu Curas regarded him as a weakling on the battlefield, although he commanded the right wing of the legion in the Battle of the Corinne Gate, helping Sulla, who had been defeated miserably at that time, reverse the defeat and win the final victory; During the Dax Sword Slave Riot, he privately recruited multiple legions and fought several times in Italy before finally achieving a bloody victory; although he often said boldly, "If a man cannot raise an army of his own, then He doesn't deserve to call himself rich!" Although...he still can't compare with Pompey in terms of military achievements, and he can't compete with Luculas, and there are even signs of being surpassed by Caesar.

In Rome, sometimes problems cannot be solved with money. At least he couldn't spend money to ask the Senate to arrange a "grand triumph" for him that didn't exist at all. A Roman aristocrat without a grand triumph would always be just A nobleman cannot become a hero.

But the guy in front of him with the appearance of a foreigner not only had the ability to compete with him in business, but he was also quite courageous in the military. His son Crassus the Younger wrote in the letter He praised Lepidus very much, saying that he had the talent as a warrior. Now many natives in Spain and Lusitania have begun to worship King Numa he brought, and there is also an Eastern God of War called Rex. .Lius’s. Now this person is openly attacking my own thoughts and wants to help me complete a glorious expedition in my dying years? Interesting, interesting.

"Dear Lepidus, I don't know what you mean by this. Are you worried that I won't be able to qualify for the expedition, or that I don't have the money to organize a huge legion?" Crassus sneered arrogantly, leaned down and sat down. On the armchair, it means to let Lepidus continue talking.

"Of course you can qualify for the expedition, and of course you have the money to form eight to ten legions, but I have to remind you with trepidation that Asia, where Pompey made his achievements, means 'extremely remote' in Latin terms, but all All the naturalists are wrong. What is Asia compared with the more distant empire of Seres? It is like a wild ass theater in the countryside, compared with the huge amphitheater built in Pompeii!" Lepidus shouted! , he knew that Crassus was following this trick and wanted to link the glory of the expedition with economic interests. "As long as we cross the intermediate countries such as Parthia, we can get in touch with the Seris Empire. By then, we will be like the Punics, in Seris They established legionary fortresses and trading stations with Rome to monopolize trade between the two great empires. The most precious silk in Seris was transferred from middle-road countries such as Parthia, and the profits they made from it were simply As countless as the stars in the sky, yes, silk, that mysterious silk! The income from the exclusive sale of this product alone is enough for five thousand knights to pay taxes in the province for ten years. Seris is a descendant of Seris, the god of war, Lius. I will not lie to you." Lepidus' words made the greedy Crassus make a loud swallowing sound in his throat, and Lepidus knew what he was doing. The words worked, so he continued talking, "And in terms of military strength, a country like Parthia can be said to be weak. You have to know that not long ago, it was a vassal of Armenia! In comparison, Armenia's The king of kings, a barbarian army of 200,000, was defeated by two legions of Tuna. I personally participated in that war and captured the crown of Tegranis. This shows that Parthia is even more weak. To what extent - Your Excellency, maybe you will be elected as consul again in five years, and then in the name of provincial governor, you will open up the road to trade silk. You only need five legions. I guarantee that you can sweep everything! , and then you and your son will enjoy the grand triumph, and I will stay in the land of Parthia to help you manage the trade with the Seris Empire." After saying this, Lepidus' face almost touched Crassus' hair. of bald head. , Lepidus' face almost touched Crassus's hairless bald head.

"Besides silk, what other specialties does the Seris Empire have?" Crassus asked like a storm.

"There are many good things. There is a kind of emerald green plant with knots, which can be used to make documents and musical instruments; there is a kind of white plant called rice (Li Bida directly pronounced the Chinese pronunciation), which can be brewed to be more mellow than wine. Drinks; there is also a rare animal with only two colors of hair, black and white, which complement each other, and its body is as round as a sun wheel. It only eats the first plant I mentioned - once it appears in your It will definitely cause a huge sensation at the grand triumphal ceremony, and it will definitely be more attractive than lions, elephants, and leopards.”

"Can it be the new beast of the Colosseum? Can it stand up to lions and elephants?"

"...I think...it's ok...so we need five legions, and as long as you fulfill my wish this time, I will help you organize related matters in five years." It's a lie anyway, and Le Bida can't care anymore The scene where the "Pandas" bared their teeth and fought, whether it would be favored by the Romans who were accustomed to seeing blood, was a matter of detail.

"Five legions?" Although Crassus' tone was still a little cautious, he generally approved of Lepidus' plan. He was just considering whether an expedition of five legions or ten legions would be more appropriate.

"Yes, that's enough. I promise to serve as your deputy general when the time comes, but I'm most afraid that your legion will be full of recruits and mercenaries at that time, which will be insufficient."

Crassus stood up and secretly pulled Lepidus to the curtain in the corner of the room to avoid the eyes and ears of the slaves. "At that time, do you have a way to get a large number of veterans for me? If so, we will make a deal. Luculas’ side will be properly run by me.”

"Of course there is a way. We are all veterans. Not only can I get money, but I can also get people." A confident smile appeared on Lepidus' face again. This was also Crassus's favorite smile, the smile that guaranteed him, Then he couldn't help but ask Lepidah about his thoughts on the details. Of course, Lepidah told the general blueprint of "making people" with "reservations". As a result, the two figures behind the curtain kept laughing knowingly. This made the financial slaves sitting in front of the long table and abacus all confused. (To be continued.)