Augustus Road

Today I have a lot of things to do, so I will update two chapters in the evening. Thank you for your monthly ticket support.

————————————————

In front of the villa, several people came together, wearing knight cloaks, and began to hesitate in front of the gate, because there were some dilapidated walls, leaning against densely packed sticks, all of which were symbols of the dignitaries of Rome, so these knights didn't know what the dinner tonight was like, but there were more and more people at the alley, some were knights who were also invited, some were tribunes wearing boots, and some were slaves wearing gorgeous silk shorts. At dusk, Prima became bustling again. Many regular guests of the banquet could probably only recall such a scene from a few years ago.

Although the pond and the buildings were largely deserted, the Apollo Restaurant on the artificial lake was still radiant with golden colors after emergency repairs. All the guests gathered here. Many people, even the knights who were famous for their rich savings, had heard about the extravagance of the former owner of the mansion. To be honest, a plate of peacock tongues from Luculas was almost equivalent to their annual income. Today, they finally saw such a scene again. The oriental chef hired by Lepidar at a high price pulled out a string of grilled sausages from the belly of the roasted pig like magic. When the guests raised their drinks and stared in amazement, they brought a silver-plated plate and then opened the cover. Real birds flew out from inside under the cheers of the guests, fluttering in the four corners of the room. "Close that patio, close that patio!" Some guys who were familiar with the situation shouted, and the servants standing by hurriedly pulled the mechanism with ropes, and the originally opened patio was suddenly closed with a bang. The birds cried in fear. Many crashed into it, splashing blood and falling. The guests found it very interesting, more enjoyable than watching people risking their lives in the arena and the racetrack - the elders and knights were tired of the fights between large beasts, and the fall of small lives was refreshing.

With the help of the chef, male and female slaves, and the musician, everyone immediately reached a climax. Someone carefully calculated that twelve prominent elders and nobles had come. They were all in debt before. Who helped them get out of the debt crisis? It goes without saying that everyone in Rome now knows that Lepidus is a big celebrity in front of Caesar, and everyone has some rumors about the purpose of this banquet, which is about Crassus's huge inheritance.

Crassus's 7,000 talents of assets are only the existing ones. Excluding the 3,000 talents that he took to Syria and turned to ashes, there are still many scattered and stored in various temples. Now his enemy Surena was killed by Lepidus. Coincidentally, it is said that Crassus is in the will. His son Crassus the Younger had long been established as the first heir, and Lepidus was the second.

"This is all nonsense!" An old knight named Boyannis, with a red nose, shouted. Although he was financially subordinate to Crassus, he was a loyal supporter of Cicero in faith. He worshipped Cicero to the point of obsession, so he was commissioned by the other party to come and inquire about the details of the banquet. Cicero was just a provincial, and he was known for his quick news in the Republic. But Boyannis had drunk too much at this time, and he couldn't help being rash.

Just as the two groups of knights began to argue over the authenticity of the heir, the air began to become dull again. There were occasional flashes outside, and it seemed that the spring rain had not yet completely ended. At this time, the gate opened wide, and Lepidus walked in quickly with Zeno's sedan chair. The guests stood up from their seats and couches and saluted the two. Especially when they saw the virgin holding the will box, they were even more shocked. It seemed that the heir issue was about to be settled.

Then, the person who walked next to Lepidus and had a very close attitude with him made it easier for people to make a conclusion - Si Pingze, the supervisor of the Senate, was talking to him very closely in a low voice.

"I always feel that there is no difference between the debt of 40 million sestris in the past and the debt-free days now." Si Pingze complained.

Lepidus asked in a joking tone why this was the case. Is it easy to live with heavy debts? Spinzer laughed and said that because I was in debt before, and I had no money now, I didn't feel anything strange about Caesar helping me pay off my debts. It was really strange.

Lepidus understood immediately after hearing this. This was a naked bribe. He had previously sent a team of slaves carrying a silver jar of 200,000 drachmas to his mansion, but his wife openly said to Kelly, who was leading the group, "Although this Palatine mansion is out of reach, I think it has fallen into disrepair. The ladies now are more interested in villas in Apilon or Alba."

"Please tell your wife that there will be a villa with a garden fountain in each of the two regions for her to exchange." Lepidus spoke very directly, but it unexpectedly benefited the censor. He liked this style. Then he knocked on the wine glass and announced loudly that I was the announcer of the will of the deceased former consul, and I was recognized by the chief virgin of the Temple of Vesta. Then the virgin who was present at the scene was asked to hand over the will.

When Zeno's face flushed, and he took out a thick stack of wills from the box, many knights, especially Boyannis, took the lead in making loud mockery, "These papyri were probably shipped from Egypt this quarter, and there is still a fresh smell of sea breeze and fish on them!" Boyannis laughed loudly, and many people echoed him. They publicly accused, "Aren't you colluding with the virgins and the powerful to wantonly divide and usurp the inheritance of Mr. Crassus?"

In this wave of accusations, Zeno almost couldn't stand still. It was the first time that the reputation and credit of the virgins were criticized in this way. She didn't expect it to fall on her head. She was very embarrassed and could only raise the box slightly to cover her face.

But Lepidus remained motionless, like a fearless warrior on the battlefield. It seemed that he was well prepared. He quickly shouted to everyone, "Everyone, I once swore allegiance to the former consul in front of the statue of Apollo. I have never forgotten this gratitude. It was with its support that I defeated the vicious enemy who killed the consul in the harsh and cruel desert." After saying that, he suddenly took out a head from another box held by Matthias and threw it on the floor. Everyone screamed, and the wine glasses and plates in their hands fell to the ground. They all dodged. The head rolled back and forth a few times. It looked like an oriental general with a barbarian bun. His appearance was already hideous and blurred. "This is Surena. His cavalry is known as the Horned Viper and the Viper. They are all elite cavalry. But I defeated him, not because of anything else, but because the gods recognized me, and the heroic spirit of Lord Crassus recognized me!" (To be continued...)