Chapter 4 New Policies (Part 1)

"When did people talk about Rome and say that within her vast walls, there was only one world? It was really a no-man's land." - Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar"

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Caesar returned to the Suburra district, where he had stayed for thirty-seven years. Before officially setting off for the expedition, he only wanted to visit his "Julius Courtyard". He led the horse and strolled through the streets. Among the spider web-like alleys, Subura District is still so dirty, with unplanned arcades, shops, puddles, chickens, ducks, geese, wild dogs and cats running everywhere, and men and women carrying all kinds of work items. , a large gathering of people with different skin colors under the sun, Caesar has lived in this noisy and energetic place from the moment he was born. He enlightened his childhood under the guidance of his mother in his own mansion, and then started to receive education from here. He practiced the six arts until his father died when he was sixteen years old. He put on a toga robe and a ring handed down from his family, and won the title of Cinna His daughter became the little master of the house.

After parking the horse in front of the gate, the aging servant came out shivering. Caesar hugged him affectionately, touched their foreheads, and then kissed each other lightly. Then Caesar walked to the front of the yard. In the corridor, dry and ancient vines have completely wrapped the pillars, and a few wisps of the cold and lonely incense of cooking smoke are wandering on it. This compound has been abandoned for a long time, and Caesar’s current wife does not live here. With the death of Caesar's parents, Julius's courtyard was completely lifeless, under the eaves of the front porch. Caesar stared again at the wax figures of his ancestors. Six hundred years ago, the small Latin country where Julius lived was destroyed by Rome. Then, as a Roman matrilineal noble, he flourished in the city-state surrounded by seven hills. He was previously unknown, but finally he became famous in his own hands. So, with pride, Caesar half-knelt down and stroked the wax figure of his father with his hand, "Be proud of me, Father. Although there is still a rough road to go before the final peak."

But when he crossed the front porch and walked into the courtyard, under the mottled shadows of the trees, his mother's rocking chair was still there quietly. Caesar lowered his hands and felt that his mother was still there, rocking back and forth in the rocking chair. And he was still a stubborn and thin boy, holding a writing board and pen. He was sitting on the steps copying Greek, and occasionally he was lying down comfortably. The mother in the breeze and smoke, her eyes slightly closed, with the tranquility and delicacy like lake water, little Caesar felt love in his heart, the only true love he may have come into contact with in his life.

"Mother." Caesar shouted, with tears in his eyes, but the image of his mother had disappeared, leaving only the rocking chair, lonely and still. Caesar, who was over fifty, raised his face and tried not to cry. He got up, then lay down on the chair. Before the slave at home could cook the food, he wrapped a blanket on it and fell asleep quietly.

The sunlight made a chaotic sound, and Caesar shouted, waking up from the nightmare, grabbing at random with his hands as if drowning, until he grabbed the arms of Lepidus who was kneeling next to him. Sweat oozed from Caesar's forehead and neck. He grabbed Lepidus tightly, and his nails were almost embedded into the opponent's muscles. He almost showed signs of epilepsy again. It seemed that the cavalry commander had fallen asleep just now. He walked into the courtyard, preparing to report something important. When he saw that the dictator had fallen asleep, he waited aside without disturbing him.

When the cavalry commander asked calmly what was wrong, Caesar was also infected and gradually calmed down. Then he took a glass of water, drank it gurglingly, and then said:

"I had a horrible dream that I raped my mother."

Li Bida also fell silent. After a long time, he said, "Maybe you miss your deceased mother too much, and you happen to be sitting in this rocking chair again."...

"No, it's not just longing. I'm filled with boundless fear and shame, but there's a power somewhere that drives me to do this shameless thing. This is a huge omen. I need a fortune teller. I We need a diviner!" cried Caesar in confusion.

"Listen, calm down and think about your illness." Lepidus hugged Caesar around the waist, then pressed him on the rocking chair, and then asked, "In the dream, can you clearly see your father's face? ".

Caesar rubbed his face and shook his head tiredly.

"Since you can't see clearly, then in your mind, the other person is a symbol of 'mother'. What is it that acts as the mother of all of us?" Li Bida asked in detail.

"It's the earth, it's Isis, the Mother Earth Goddess." Caesar said it naturally.

"Isis is also the god of conception. She blesses all fertility and harvest in the world. This dream indicates that your achievements must have a beginning and an end. Perhaps the female pharaoh of Egypt is already pregnant with your child, and this expedition to Africa will also be There are huge rewards," Li Bida said.

"Yes, yes, I still lack an understanding of myself and the world." Caesar regained his energy, sat upright in his chair, and then said, "I have already done what Curio did. It is very clear that he was wrong and should be punished in the future.”

But Lepidus said humbly that now is a difficult time when the legions are rebellious and assets are scarce. The dictator should not be obsessed with right and wrong, but should take into account the overall situation. "Cario, Antony and Eurabella should not be right." They punish them, but they must do everything they can to support them.”

"No." Caesar said clearly, "I will forgive Mark, because the position I assigned him was not what he was good at, and the responsibility lies with me; and Eurabella is Cicero's son-in-law, and I I still need an orator to set an example in Rome, an example of order and stability - but Curio, I have been completely disappointed and discouraged by him. After all, he was originally the pawn I sent to Africa to contain Pompey, and his biggest role was Consuming Pompey's strength is like Pompey reusing Labienus."

Then, Caesar bluntly stated what he was thinking, "Curio now has four legions, most of which are brave and capable Masi people, and they have intercepted a large amount of supplies that should belong to you. It's time for him to go to war! "

"However, Curio has been restraining his troops."

"I'll leave it to you." Caesar finally said this, and then he sat up and started another topic, "How to resolve the huge debt?"

Lepidus also seemed to have made up his mind and proposed this plan: to establish a wartime province and directly contract the province to the Knights in exchange for contracting fees to support the army.

"A wartime province?" Caesar said in a voiceless voice.

The other party nodded, meaning that this was the only way to go, "In the name of the dictator, several provinces are allocated and classified as wartime provinces. The Senate has no right to appoint governors in these provinces, only Only the dictator has the power to collect taxes in the province during wartime for a period of five to ten years - and then you will sell the long-term tax rights to our knights. Half of the total payment must be paid in cash, and the remaining 30% must be paid in cash. It will be paid off after three years and the balance will be paid at the end.”

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