Augustus Road

"Commander who is devoted to his duty, I have a comprehensive and detailed understanding of the entire war process, thank you very much. But my backyard kitchen only arranges my meals, even for my two staff assistants and nephew, now You are also busy outside. I think your commander needs you very much now." When Cato saw that the sundial was pointing towards noon, he prepared for the second and last meal of the day. Sabo saw that something was wrong. , then he bites the bullet and remains where he is.

Seeing his situation, Cato thought about how he had made his intention of not staying a guest very clear just now. What else could be going on? He had no choice but to sit back on the armchair and made a gesture to Sabo and Tagus to invite them to speak.

This time it was Tagus who spoke. This brave warrior of native Spanish origin was as straightforward as his sword fighting, "As for the spoils of war, Your Majesty Commander, please go to another place to convert the proceeds."

When Cato heard this, he laughed. It turned out that the seven thousand talents left by Ptolemy of Cyprus were not all gold and silver coins, but many of them were precious utensils, weapons, murals, gems, etc. This amount was calculated by equivalent value, and the treasures were divided in half with Lepidus after valuing the treasures. Therefore, both sides have talents who are proficient in finance. Lepidus' side is Saab Kaimus, while Cato the Younger's side is Cannaidis. But when Cato then bought the spoils, he strictly asked Brutus and the others to auction the spoils at the highest price on the market and not give any merchant a chance to counter-offer.

Of course Cato had his reasons for doing this, and there are no more than two reasons. One is to maximize his income, and he wants to return home with a solid 3,500 talents; the other is to limit the price to the highest level, This eliminated the possibility of corruption among his staff. He now does not trust anyone, including Brutus.

"Can you tell me the reason? Sergeant." Little Cato asked.

"Of course, Your Majesty the Governor, you sell everything at the highest price. Our commander sent word that this not only sucked up the largest amount of funds on the island of Cyprus and hindered the recovery of the economy, but also affected his interest in the spoils of war. "We need hot money for our military."

Little Cato couldn't stop, stroking the writing board in his arms. It was a letter from the Jewish Chamber of Commerce with Ephesus as the center of its activities. Joseph suggested that the distinguished governor could give them these rare things as a mortgage. , and the Chamber of Commerce will give a lump sum of 100 million sesterces (approximately three thousand talents) to the Governor in accordance with the previous negotiation, and the exchange conditions are:

The treasures of Ptolemy from Cyprus, worth three thousand talents, were directly mortgaged to the Chamber of Commerce for the price of four thousand talents. Our Jewish Chamber of Commerce naturally has the means and ability to deal with them. The money obtained will be paid according to the nine-year plan after three years. The amount will be repaid to His Excellency the Governor without interfering with the loan;

When the Governor returned to Rome in triumph, our Chamber of Commerce actually paid 92 million sesterces, and the remaining 8 million were deducted as interest;

This loan of 100 million sesterces has a repayment period of fifteen years. No interest will be paid for the first ten years. The interest for the next five years has also been deducted in advance due to the principles implemented in Article 2. Therefore, Your Excellency the Governor At that time, all you need to do is pay off the principal;

The Chamber of Commerce will have five-year tax rights in Byzantium and Cyprus, plus ten-year tax collection rights for Egyptian shipping. The deposit to the Republic will be paid by us, and the Governor will not have to bear any responsibility.

To be honest, the price of Joseph of Ephesus was very generous. At this time, Lepidus proposed the offer again. Cato thought for a while, then slowly extended his hand towards the two of them and said, "If you don't dislike the humble house and the crude food, If so, please go to dinner again and we can discuss it in detail while eating, Di Linmo!”

The former tomb robber immediately walked out and stood next to the owner in a very orderly manner. "What is the third rule regarding the Cato family's diet?"

"When it's time to eat, you must eat, don't miss anything." Di Linmo seemed to know the family motto well, and even Sabo was secretly laughing. This guy used to be a tomb robber, which was a waste of his talents. He can join the legion and become an excellent messenger.

"Then go quickly." Cato waved his hand, and Di Linmo walked out of the door. Outside the door were all the guests asking to see little Cato, and the traffic that could block the entire alley. When they saw Di Linmo, who walked out with a backpack on his back, knew that he was Cato's closest servant, so he raised the purse in his hand and gave it to this man with a loud noise, but Di Linmo regarded it as nothing but dirt and pushed it away. The crowds walked towards the market in the city, where you can hire excellent cooks and provide delicious and fresh ingredients. Cyprus’ wheat flour, olive oil and caviar are all first-class.

In a burst of sunlight, a tall black figure grabbed him at the entrance of an unknown alley, covered his head with his backpack, and violently beat him. He was dizzy after resisting. He finally gave up and was dragged to the dark side of the alley by the dark shadow.

"Don't touch me, you have to know that I used to be a famous person in the Aventini Hills of Rome!" When the other party tied his hands behind his back, pressed them against the wall, and then took away his backpack, Di Linmo said The corner of his mouth was bleeding, and he yelled viciously, and then received two quick punches in the mouth. With stars in his eyes, he squeezed his eyes and saw that the one who kidnapped and beat him was actually the Oriental who came to Rhodes Island to negotiate with his master. Commander.

"If you used to hang out in the Avondine Hills, you should have heard of me!" The oriental man resisted him, his tone even more fierce than his.

"Could it be you?" Before Dillingmer could answer, Libida picked up two tablets, whipped him a few times, and grabbed his hair so that he could see the seals on them clearly. "See, take these tablets back to Rome and find the knight named Camus or someone under his command. Each tablet can be immediately exchanged for 10,000 dinars or 7,000 drachmas."

Asshole, who do you think I am? I am a person who has been influenced by the family motto of the most prestigious Cato family in the Republic. I will leave my name in history in the future. Dillingmer spit on the tablets with contempt, indicating that he completely rejected this matter and would rather die than surrender.

Libida then took out two more tablets and slapped his cheeks with both hands, "These two tablets are worth 15,000 drachmas each, all four are yours, now is the time to make your choice!"

"I'll do it, I'll do it, give me a poisoned dagger, and I'll help you kill Cato tomorrow." Dillingmo bit the four tablets with his mouth and shouted incoherently. Libida really admired him for being able to express his thoughts in such a posture.

"You don't need to kill Cato as seriously as you can, it's just a very easy thing." Libida grinned, untied Dillingmo's rope, and said. (To be continued.)