Augustus Road

"Don't marry a wife, which can save your family's expenses. A loyal official can take care of your family business better than your wife." - "The Canterbury Tales"

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"Who are you?" Queen Eubotia raised her proud chin and whispered to Lepidus, also in Greek.

At this time, Lepidus suddenly heard the hillside over there. The noble prince's ears seemed to twitch, and his eyes glanced sharply towards him and Adiana. At this time, Matthias behind the fence was speaking in Greek, Arguing with the beauties, Arp led the guards, shook hands with the brass pipe with the golden eagle symbol, and stood beside Lepidah.

Lepidus' eyes quickly turned, but what he was looking at was not the noble Parthian prince, but Adiana. He clearly saw that the other person's face was full of pride. He was very familiar with that face. This actually suppressed his mania and made him calm down immediately, and he continued to shout to the queen in Greek: "I am Lepidus, the deputy general of the Syrian Expeditionary Force, representing the Roman Republic's Governor-General of Syria and the Senate to declare war and make peace. Priesthood, I have an eagle badge and a sacrificial mask, so Queen of Eubotia, you did not come to Galaxia to pay my homage to me and provide the due blood tribute to the republic as a subject country stipulated in the treaty. So I arrived here on horseback and gave you the choice: peace or war?" After saying that, Lepidah rode on the horse with a defiant and defiant expression, only the wind blew past the golden eagle wings behind him. sound.

"What..." Adiana was a little surprised. She never expected that the amphora would react like this. Her original plan was to see the other person angry and furious.

But Lepidus didn't talk about any other topics at all. He then repeated it in Greek. His goal was just to face the Queen, and he folded the corners of his robe into two balls, holding one in each hand, "I repeat, any republic can give you war or peace, whichever you need, the only difference is that in the triumphal ceremony, you Is it the actors or the audience?" These words made Adiana tremble with anger. At this moment, the noble prince came in a hurry and spoke hurriedly to Lepidus in Persian. Lepidus said contemptuously to his entourage, "There is only one language in the diplomacy of the Republic, and that is Latin. It's a miserable day that I spoke specifically in Greek, so let's do it! Anyone can translate this Persian guy's words into Latin, or maybe I can deign to meet him face to face. comminicate."

An attendant walked respectfully to the noble master's horse and exchanged a few words quickly. The attendant then started a conversation with the Roman envoy, "My master is questioning your etiquette. According to Persian customs, the queen is the master here. It is extremely impolite for a guest to yell at the master, not to mention She is as charming and noble as a flower.”

After hearing this, Adiana was even more proud, but when she saw Lepidah's expression, it was a standard poker face. If there had been such an entertainment toy in that era, resentment and bitterness immediately came to her. throat.

"Tell me your master's name and my identity just now. You must have heard it."

After another round of whispering, the accompanying translator said, "My master is the most noble noble family in Parthia. His name can be passed to your ears with the permission of the merciful one. He is the great and brave Su." General Reyna."

Lepidus, who was under the eagle logo, laughed rudely and said, "Maybe I have stayed in a country called Rome for too long, and I don't know that in this desert land where only monkeys and hippos live, there is such a thing. The existence of a general. Oh, general, please forgive my rudeness, maybe I should say that there is a triumph waiting for you in Rome. Just start from the Colosseum of Martius and walk to the ridge of Vilia. That's it." Then he rolled his eyes twice and looked up at the unscrupulous and clear sky. The whole scene was awkward. This was too much like the atmosphere that a Roman envoy was best at creating, rude, arrogant, and... Every word and deed is provoking the other party's bottom line, eager to unleash the catastrophe of war.

"General Surena forgives your rudeness, Roman. He will save punishment for the battlefield. He also wants to question you about Parthia's treatment of Anatolia, Lydia, the Levant, and Judea. Many kingdoms treat each other with courtesy, but why did your governor launch unwarranted troops to invade this peaceful land? "

"I can leave these reasons until your king's official envoy comes here, and then give a suitable and powerful answer. As for this general, I have no reason to reveal any information to you in private. I can only tell you, Soon the punishment of the Romans on the battlefield will really fall on you poor mountain people. Your Excellency the Governor has a strong military force of ten legions. In the coming year, he can use Syria as a base to travel across the entire Mesopotamia. Damia..."

At this moment, Adiana actually pulled up the reins of the horse, circled it in place, and shouted, "I am willing to provide military services and supplies to the Republic like all the kingdoms of Galaxia and Bithynia. And arrange Good envoy for your stay. I also hope that you can grant me and my humble kingdom precious peace."

After nightfall, Lepidus, who had just bathed, smiled and wore a loose robe, sitting on an armchair and under a long foot lamp on the terrace, holding a file and reading it. Matthias and several followers stood beside him holding silver-plated kettles. Soon, the bronze knocker of the room rang. With a creaking sound, Adiana, wearing a Cretan-style lotus leaf skirt, a horizontal corset on her upper body, and colorful butterfly sleeves on her arms, walked in indignation. Her chestnut eyes quickly swept around, and then shouted to Lepidus in Latin, "Amphora, I didn't expect that you went to Rome for a few years, married a wife, had children, and your mind is on par with the swineherd there! That Surena can speak Greek at all, and he can understand everything you say. The translator is just deceiving you! And just now, because of your stupidity, you actually revealed the marching plan of your superior Crassus. As expected, being with a woman like Potti will only make you as ridiculous as the stupid donkey who entered Athens. You'd better not follow the expedition. Anyway, you have been exiled by Rome. Why not stay here? Maybe I can save you."

"No." Lepidus put the file on the small table. "Of course I know that guy can understand Greek. You can tell from the ridiculous expression on your face. That general is the most cunning and difficult enemy of Parthia. I have learned about it from intelligence a long time ago. But he is also the most dissolute and lustful nobleman. He has collected so many beautiful wives and concubines in various countries, including Macedonia and Chios. They all communicate loudly in their local dialects in the hunting grounds and quarreled with my servants. So there is no reason why he can't understand Greek. Now he wants to collect spoils in Euboea, and-" As he said, Lepidus stepped forward and put his hand on Adiana's soft hair. "You said before that those who can't speak Greek are country bumpkins. If Surena really can't speak a word, with your temper, how can you look at her straight in the eye?" (To be continued..)