Crusader Kings: Prisoners of War

The empire handed over naval defense to some city-states. For example, Rhode Island was an important naval provider in the eastern part of the empire. After all, it was really troublesome for a nation that was essentially a farming civilization to develop a navy, so on the Romans' side, one by one While building up the navy, the Greeks, Phoenicians and other peoples were also entrusted with the responsibility of the navy, just like what the Persians had done.

However, many of the financial backers behind these fleets are indeed members of the Senate. After all, they are wealthy people, and relying on their power, they have unimpeded access to the empire. It is of course easy for them to invest or support wherever they want.

In this era, the boundaries between sailors and pirates may not be so clear. There are many sailors and even military, business, and bandit talents. If someone is behind the scenes, it is very possible for them to change careers and become bandits.

The meaning of Cleopatra's words was to remind Orville to think carefully and confirm whether the attack was intentional. Obviously she did not completely trust her own review.

Orville comforted: "If the people in the Senate want to do harm to us, they will not use such low-level methods. The people in the Senate know that I have many brave guys, and they should also use this kind of small-scale assassination." Talented people are the ones. This kind of petty fight is useless except to arouse our vigilance. At this point, the pirates can't even pass the guard level.

If you still feel uneasy, you can review some of your subordinates. They may not be members of the Senate. It is possible that they may be motivated by wealth. Stupid people always have stupid ideas, such as letting pirates rob the regular army. They saw that you didn't have enough bodyguards, so they leaked the information to the pirates. "

In fact, Orville thinks this is difficult. In this era, there are no navigation and satellite phones. Even if the news is leaked, it is difficult to encounter it on the sea. It is possible to say that it is possible near the port, but the problem is not like this now.

"I also know that coincidence is more likely, but sometimes when thinking about a problem, you have to decide that it is not a coincidence, especially such a sensitive and life-threatening matter. I will investigate a little later and let you know if I have the answer. If not, think of it as a woman’s paranoia and try to understand me.”

Cleopatra knew her well and spoke clearly.

"I understand that, and by the way, are we still anchoring in Antioch?"

Cleopatra shook her head and refused: "It's not necessary. I have done everything I need to do while I was in exile in Antioch. It doesn't make much sense to come here again. I can just let my men do it for me after a while. .

I would also like to ask you, is it necessary to stay in Ephesus for a day or two? My sister seems to be under house arrest in this city, right? "

"How did you know this?" Orville was shocked.

He did not repeatedly ask for confidentiality, but the person in charge of this matter was Trajan, so he was unlikely to leak the secret, and Orville did not know where the other party got the information.

Cleopatra explained: "I am telling you because I hope you will pay attention. Your transport fleet has a small problem, and they will be tempted by money. I bribed a transport ship captain and got it from him. I heard some news, and based on my guess, I should have said something similar based on your expression."

Orville should be blamed for this. His fleet is expanding a bit too fast. In order to recruit a sufficient number of sailors and captains, he will inevitably compromise on quality, including using high salaries to lure some people to change jobs. These people can do things well, but often Will not be able to resist the temptation of money.

But after all, this is a group of merchant ship captains, and Orville actually does not have high requirements for them. As long as the business and tasks can be completed, if they really need to rely on it, it is more appropriate to rely on warships. At least the loyalty of the members is somewhat guaranteed.

Trajan and Orville dealt with military affairs, and he would leave business accounting to his own private accounting, so he had little contact with commercial matters.

Trajan believed that Pliny the Elder's navy was unreliable and might leak secrets, and that Orville's "own fleet" was more reliable, so after applying to Orville, he used Orville's own transport fleet to send people away. Orville didn't think much about it at the time, so he agreed in a daze.

"Thank you for reminding me, I will pay attention to this matter in the future." It's not like there will be a big purge, but catching the captain who leaked the secrets is sure to scare the monkeys. No one wants their subordinates to be in cahoots with others.

Cleopatra quietly gave Orville a piece of papyrus with the names of several people written on it: "Look for them, check carefully, you will find surprises."

"Thanks in advance." Orville was not dissatisfied with her. This was helping him to proactively eliminate risks. He would just make some corrections when he returned.

Of course, even if he said that, he would still be a bit cautious. No one knows whether Cleopatra has finished what she said or whether she has hidden spies in her system. At least she should consider this aspect in the future.

He continued: "If you have enough time, I think it would be best to stay in Ephesus for a day or two, giving you some time to catch up with your sister. I also have to handle some business by the way, so it shouldn't take a lot of time. "

Ephesus in the 21st century is not a big city, but in the 1st century it was one of the largest cities in the Roman Empire and the seat of the governor-general of the province of Asia (Asia Minor, also known as Anatolia). It is said that the population at this time was Around 200,000, which is definitely not inferior to most Greek cities anyway.

Generally, the culture of economically developed places is also more developed, and this place is no exception. Ephesus is one of the centers of faith of Greek polytheism. It has the Temple of Artemis, one of the seven wonders. Later, it became the core area of ​​Christian faith. Several major discussions about religious beliefs broke out here.

It can be said that at this moment, Ephesus is one of the top five to eight major cities in the Roman Empire in terms of size and comprehensive strength. It is a good place to negotiate business. Orville originally had some industry here, so he chose to send Cleopatra's sister Arsinoe here. This place can make Greeks feel familiar and familiar, but it is not completely out of his control, and it is not as eye-catching as some cities. It is a suitable place after comprehensive consideration.

Before, he was a little busy and had no energy and money to do it. Now that he has freed up his hands, he is ready to expand again. It is just right to come here in person to deal with things here.

"As you wish, we will not stay in Cyprus. We will go directly to Rhodes for some supplies and leave for Ephesus on the same day." Cleopatra explained to Orville, and later she did so in her orders to her naval soldiers.