Crusader Kings: Prisoners of War

To be fair, Orville doesn't really mind sharing part of his technology, but now he still wants to make money. Let him make money for a while with his monopoly advantage, and then he plans to wait until the nobles can't bear it anymore and force him to disclose the technology. By the way, these merchants can also make a lot of money and gold coins.

By this time, he was actually almost able to become a publishing giant and even the number one in the publishing industry of the Roman Empire. He already had an advantage in the industry, and it was not difficult to continue to maintain his advantageous position.

He has prepared technical secrets from the very beginning. Except for the core craftsmen who are strictly guarded, the vast majority of the remaining people only know a certain step of the process, and the production location is in Britain, which is geographically isolated. Coupled with the confidentiality of the process, these businessmen will never be able to obtain Orwell's papermaking technology in a short period of time.

Although there is no airtight wall in the world, he does not want to keep the technology as a family heirloom for a lifetime. Keeping it secret for ten or twenty years is enough.

With this in mind, things were arranged smoothly without causing much trouble in the city of Rome. In the eyes of the merchants and nobles in Rome, Orville made a war fortune in the Province of Britain and wanted to expand it. Business, the publishing industry market is only so big, one more person or one less person will not have a big impact.

By the time they discovered Orville's intentions, it was already too late. Now the new paper had been distributed and they were starting to make books. This would bring Orville considerable profits. With more income, he would naturally be able to do only a few things. More. Whether it is to expand industry or use money to support the army, he has the right to make his own choices.

However, at this stage, he only plans to touch areas such as handicrafts and manufacturing that do not arouse too much vigilance. He does not plan to touch areas such as real estate, agriculture, and strategic materials that the Senate focuses on. Those are only needed in the next few steps. The things to consider are not within the current plan.

——

After nightfall, Tia was chatting with her sister in Flaviy's mansion.

Domitia said to her: "I feel that you have been a little absent-minded recently. Is it because of Orville?"

After all, they are biological sisters. Domicia discovered very early that Tia's mood was not quite right and was much lower than normal. And not only that, Tiya is often in a daze, which is not the state she should be in under normal circumstances.

After hearing this, Tiya sighed melancholy again: "More or less, I feel quite sorry for him. I feel that I have robbed him of the honor he deserves. The protagonist of this triumph should be him, not me."

If he were a normal person, he might accept it with peace of mind, but Tia's sense of morality is much stronger than that of ordinary people, and now he feels very sorry for Orville.

Domicia also felt helpless about her sister's thoughts: "Orville doesn't think there's anything inappropriate about it, so don't worry about it."

But Tiya still shook her head and insisted: "This is a matter of principle. He deserves such an honor, but I stole his honor. There may not be many opportunities to hold a triumphal ceremony in a person's life. "

It's no wonder that Tiya felt so guilty. Although Orville didn't care about it at all, for Roman military talents, the triumphal ceremony was the highest honor they could obtain in their lives, and there was almost no one.

Domicia knew that she couldn't change the other person's mind, so she simply helped with an idea: "This is already the case, and the result cannot be changed. Then you should find a way to compensate him."

"You're right about that. Do you have any suggestions?"

Domitia rolled her eyes and showed a malicious smile: "If you ask me, you are twenty-seven or eighty years old this year. It is almost time to think about your marriage, or it is too late not to think about it now. I think In fact, you and Orville are quite suitable, what do you think?”

Domitia was actually making fun of her sister, but she meant it more or less sincerely. Although the lifespan and aging speed of Rome's practical talents will be enhanced, they are not much better than ordinary people.

She could tell without being blind that Tiya was vaguely interested in Orville, and Orville didn't reject it, so she dared to make such a joke without any worries, otherwise she would probably have to be reprimanded by Tiya.

Tia didn't speak, but her cheeks were a little red, as if she was really thinking about this matter.

Domitia was still joking at this time, and continued to say to Tiya: "I think there is no way for you to continue to be so hesitant. That Gaul (referring to Jeanne) has not made any progress with him. This should be because of that Women have little interest in love and are always busy paying attention to people's livelihood problems.

But not everyone is like this. Didn’t Orville say he would go to Egypt in the future? The Egyptian princess seems to have a good relationship with him. I have seen letters exchanged between her and Orville. Although there is nothing explicit, I think the frequency of communication of one letter every two weeks is definitely abnormal. You have to pay attention to that guy. . "

Tiya's expression instantly became serious. After thinking for a long time, she gritted her teeth and said, "Yes, you are right. I will think about this matter carefully."

Domitia waved her hand to Tia to express encouragement and support her sister in pursuing love. However, at this moment, she did not realize how much impact her words would have on the political situation of the empire.

——

Orville on the other side was unaware of these things. He was busy processing and summarizing the new information coming from Egypt and Greece.

In the letters Cleopatra sent, the situation in Egypt was getting worse and worse, and finally reached the point where both sides could not even maintain the peace on the surface. Most of Cleopatra's family was eventually driven out of Egypt, just like in history.

Cleopatra knew that the governor of Egypt and the nearby military commanders were bribed by the eunuch Berdinos with money, and they had no need to help her, so she did not apply for political asylum from the Romans. She was worried that she would be handed over to Berdinos and others and executed on the spot like her sister, so she turned to seek refuge in a farther place.

Before she left, she also wrote a letter to Orwell, saying that she was now preparing to flee to Antioch (Antioch), the capital city of the Syrian province and the important city of the Roman Empire in the eastern province, and there she would rely on her identity as a descendant of the Diadochi and a large amount of Egyptian money to recruit supporters and troops, and try to confront Berdinos.

Obviously, this plan had little chance of winning, but she also respected the agreement with Orwell and did not directly drag Orwell or King Herod into the water.