Augustus Road

"Never fight two enemies at the same time. ♦," - Ancient Roman proverb

————————————————————

After a while, Lepidus seemed to remember something, and said that this matter should be the matter of the inspector, but Spinzer had been taken out just now, and his position had been stripped, and the other inspector, Mr. Bisso, We cannot exercise power alone, so we also need someone older and more virtuous to take over the position vacated by Spinzel.

"I recommend Your Excellency Cicero, only he can be the elder who protects the entire republic." This was the signal jointly sent by Basatus and Cotta.

Then, the wallflowers also agreed one after another, because they understood the whole story when they saw the look of agreement on Li Bida's face.

The final result was a vote on the spot, and Cicero was elected as Bishop's fellow censor on the spot.

Now it can really be said that "everyone is happy", but this is not the case for quite a few senators. Cicero, who just put on his purple-edged robe, immediately finalized the "exclusion list" of seventy people with Bisso. "Most of them are the murderers of Caesar, or have some involvement in the murder, and some are Cicero's personal enemies. This can be understood by anyone in any era.

The Senate suffered a huge purge, like a ship suddenly hit by a storm, but for Caesar's party, this was definitely an eye-catching victory. Lepidus' external legions were advancing, and Cicero's internal troops were at odds with each other. Working together, we achieved amazing results.

In the Prema Villa, all the women and servants lined up to congratulate the master, man and father in one. Wearing the robe of a consul, Lepidus successfully assumed the highest authority of the Republic. He had been a praetor when he fled Rome. Later he was a public enemy, but now he has returned here with honor and has become the most prominent and powerful figure.

After his adoptive father paid his respects, Lepidus walked into the courtyard. The first people he met were his daughter Corinna and his daughter-in-law Viviya. Their daughter seemed to be in a good mood. "After Turinus returns again, can he take up the post of legal officer?"

"Yes, he has held such an honorable official position at such a young age. This is not only my pride, but also yours, isn't it, good girl?" Lepidus touched Corinna's hair and congratulated her as well. .

But Viviya was obviously uneasy, because her husband was still detained at Anthony's place, "Father, I want to remind you that you will go out to fight tomorrow, but Leo is still trapped in the enemy's camp. ”

"I will bring my child back. No one can hurt him, especially Anthony now and in the past." Lepida comforted his daughter-in-law and said.

Then, he saw Claudia and Fulivia coming out of the garden. They approached and grabbed the corners of Lepidus' robe, begging him for mercy on Anthony, "Since you have the power to attack, Then you should be lenient with Marco. Marco made a mistake this time, but for Lepidus, he has the right to be forgiven by you. "

"My son regards Marco as his father." Lepidus' answer made everyone feel at ease on the spot.

But then after the farewell banquet was over, Potty quietly took his hand and said to him in the corner of the hall, "Brutus has escaped and became a public enemy, and my good friend and his wife Portia is dying." ....."

Lepidus, holding the wine glass in his hand, looked at his woman. It was obvious that she felt sad for Portia. From the moment Brutus walked out of the house to assassinate Caesar, Portia's spirit was not normal, and her comb The maid clearly saw that Portia was walking hysterically in the hall, sometimes almost fainting, and when Brutus left, she had completely collapsed, and people looked at her in her pajamas and nightgown. Wandering around the gate and garden, she could not remember anything except the night before March 15th. "I cannot and cannot stop my husband. A just cause always requires sacrifice." ", these were the only coherent words on her lips.

"That's enough, kind-hearted woman, don't say any more." Lepidus put down the wine glass, "Since you are still willing to treat Brutus and Portia as friends, then I have the same idea. Come with me before going to the military camp."

At night, twenty Medici guards held torches and swords to clear the way ahead. Lepidus rode a horse and escorted Poti, who was sitting on a carriage, to Brutus's abandoned houses.

Almost all the servants have fled, and friends have also left for fear of being implicated. The doorways and colonnades are covered with accumulated dust and cobwebs. Even Brutus's mother rarely comes to visit, perhaps because she still hates Bo. Thea failed to dissuade Brutus, perhaps because he was not in the mood to face Caesar's murderer's wife.

Portia was wearing an ill-fitting robe and was sitting on the couch in the main hall. The remaining fire was swaying like a quiet ghost. It was said that it was ill-fitting, not because the original robe was too big, but because of her. Becoming too thin.

Seeing Lepidus and Porty walking in, Portia raised her sunken eyes and disheveled hair, and looked at the two people with empty eyes. Porty was the first to be unable to bear it, and rushed forward to hold Portia's hand. The face burst into tears.

"Are all your children already married or married?" This is Portia's question.

Li Bida nodded.

"How wonderful. I think the gardens and fruit trees in your yard are also luxuriant. The family god has blessed you all and allowed you to be immersed in happiness. But the nourishment of the earth will never change, and there will be anger. , there must be withering." It was hard to tell who her eyes were looking at. The blow she had suffered was too great. Lepidus still remembered the first time she met her husband on the ship to Sardinia. , Brutus once said that his cousin's hair was like the soil of the olive grove, and her face was like the apple in the hand of Venus.

"It's all your own fault. Kaxi and I flirted with him. He is just a simple and a bit stupid and stubborn person. He has never had a lover. He loves me wholeheartedly and values ​​friendship with everyone. He has never acted according to the wind. Even though we didn't have children, he never flirted with women, and he never mentioned a word about abandoning me. He loved his adoptive father, but he was deeply influenced by my father, and it seemed that all cruel choices had been reduced. On Brutus’s head, everything—perhaps, marrying Portia was cruel to him, allowing him to sacrifice himself on the altar of the Republic.”

"Don't say it anymore, don't say it anymore, Portia. It's a world where men fight, and we don't need to worry about it." Bodie put her arms around Portia's neck and said, "I pray to my man that he will let it go." Brutus, he will send Brutus back to reunite with you. You just need to go to the countryside and go there without caring about worldly affairs. Didn’t the Romans say that as long as a person is willing to give up speaking and campaigning in the public square, Then he won’t be in any danger, so he’ll be safe.”

Portia took Poti's hand, her eyes shone a little, and she asked, "Is it true, Lepidus is willing to pardon her husband?" (To be continued...)