Chapter 18 Brutus's Accusation (Part 1)

"If sports competition is associated with money, then its great glory will be lost." - Ancient Greek poet Pindar

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After watching Lepidus leave the school grounds, Caesar, who was resting on the second floor of a public villa on one side, breathed a sigh of relief and sat on the couch to drink water. Next to him, Ebro and Basatus stood nearby holding files in their hands. The bald man He is becoming more and more like a dictator, and the relationship between him and his staff has subtly changed into an Eastern-style monarch-subject situation.

"For Lepidus and I, this may be the best ending, because I always want to be a close friend with him, so that there will be no suspicion or estrangement." Caesar sighed, and then he told Basatus He said, "Have you mentioned the marriage contract between your daughter and the son of Lepidus? Do you, as a consul, have no such thoughts at all?"

Basatus said in fear that he did not dare. He just hoped that after returning to Rome, he would bring up the marriage of his daughter Vivia and marry Lepidus, because he was also a "foreigner" from Spain and also got Caesar. To serve as the highest administrator of Rome, he should marry another of Caesar's immediate deputies to protect each other.

Caesar nodded and said with a smile, "Vivia looks like her mother, with thick black hair and skin like wheat. She is a standard Iberian beauty." Basatus said yes with a smile, but in his heart Caesar was very angry because he knew his wife so well. then. Caesar took Ebro's file again and said, "About two thousand foreign soldiers were captured on the battlefield. Have they all been sent to Rome on ships?"

"Yes, there are still 4,000 people who will be sent out one after another after the legion is dispatched." Ebro also accompanied him and said carefully, "The 2,000 people sent first will be sent out in large numbers in accordance with your promise." A new temple of Venus will be built next to the square, and after completion, they will be sent to the Neruda Colosseum to entertain the audience.”

"Let Lepidus be my leader and go back to prepare for the real grand triumph. Let's settle the affairs of the New Venus Temple." After saying that, Caesar put down all the files because he saw Brutus Looking very angry, he climbed up the stairs. Walked in front of him.

"Do you have anything to say? My son and future high-ranking city official, Marcus Brutus." Caesar asked with a joking tone.

"I heard that you actually want to hold a huge triumphal ceremony in Rome for these wars?" Brutus said with fists.

Caesar nodded and answered in the affirmative.

"Why! Why! As far as I know, a triumphal ceremony, whether big or small, is awarded when a foreign enemy is defeated. It represents the glory of the Republic, and now it is a civil war. So many people died, countless The national elite, Cato the Younger, Domiius, Pompey, and Afranius all died in this catastrophe, and then you have to enjoy a triumphal ceremony for this. This has no precedent in Roman history and is unreasonable. "Yes!" Brutus expressed his anger in one breath. "Since there is no precedent, then I will do it. There is nothing embarrassing about it. Besides, who said that civil war cannot be awarded a triumphal ceremony? There is no such restriction in Roman law." Caesar said calmly.

"Because those who win in civil war are not heroes. Those who lose are not enemies." Brutus shouted.

"Nonsense!" Caesar thundered furiously. He slapped the long table and stood up. This was the first time that he vented this anger to Brutus, who regarded him as his own son. "Didn't Sulla call himself a hero back then? He defeated my uncle Marius, and Marius happened to be the one who defeated the Republic three times. The ashes of the foreign war hero who was invaded by aliens were exhumed and thrown into the river. Who said that Marius was a hero at that time? Only I dared to put the bust of this old man on display despite the struggle. Am I not Julius a hero in foreign wars? I conquered dozens of tribes in Gaul, repelled the German invasion, conquered and killed millions of people, and sent hundreds of thousands of free or cheap slaves to the Republic. There was no shortage of people in the mines and farms. Golden-haired Gallic prostitutes filled the brothels in Roman neighborhoods. Anyone who could spend two pennies could enter and have fun. I reconquered Spain, the Bosporus and Egypt, and let the local Wheat flour is continuously being imported into the Ostia River Port, allowing the people to eat free food rations again. Who do you think gave me this life when I made such a great contribution to the establishment of the country? The Senate and Pompey? How did they frame and exclude me? I almost became a prisoner and suffered an unfair trial. But at that time, Brutus, you had the ability to stand in front of Pompey and say such **** words: "There are no heroes in the civil war"! War is war, and its catastrophe has been predestined before it was born. There is no distinction between inside and outside. Only the weak and losers will cling to this boring concept and live in peace. The winner is destined to move on and accept A bigger challenge.”…

Brutus's face turned red after being refuted. He almost forgot that Uncle Caesar went to Rhodes Island when he was young and apprenticed under the debate master Mauro, an orator from the same family as Cicero. Many people at the time commented that if Caesar had not had political ambitions, he would have become the greatest lawyer of his time, and perhaps could rival Cicero.

After the situation was deadlocked for a while, Brutus said stubbornly, "Maybe you can convince me, but you can't convince the Roman senators and people. Showing off your achievements will only put you in an extremely dangerous situation. "

"That is to say, they will instigate you Brutus, the simple and passionate Brutus, to become my enemy?" Caesar's tone suddenly became bleak, and he looked at Brutus and said, "Pompey sank in Lake Mykonin. At that time, I expressed the same meaning to me, but I, Caesar, will not be afraid. You care for me, my child Brutus, but I will not stop because of someone's hostility or someone's concern. At my own pace, my racing track was destined when I was eighteen years old, unless death stopped me."

"I love you, but you love too many people, and there is no place for you in my heart." Brutus choked, then he bowed to Caesar and slowly withdrew.

Caesar waved his hand, and Ebro and Basatus left knowingly. He was the only one left, looking at the Temple of Atasia and the school grounds after the speech. The crowds came and roared away, leaving only the wind. The dust in the sky, and a few unattended shops, are still waiting for the afterglow of the sunset. "The hustle and bustle has dispersed, leaving only the silence of death." Caesar imitated the epitaph and said, "But I still want to continue to pursue Next hustle because I don’t have a cemetery.”

At this time, in the square in front of the temple, Lepidus led another young man to Turinus and Leo and introduced him, "His name is little Juba. He is a prisoner of war and a guest. He will join us soon." Return to Rome."

"Will you kill him? After the triumph, papa," Leo asked.