Chapter 30 The Prophet and the Banquet (Part 2)

"Julius, you should take more care of yourself.", his wife Corpunia cried, and then several slaves came forward carrying a carriage. Caesar, covered in sweat, faced the people They waved and apologized, then lay down on it, looking very pale, and slowly left the square swaying.

When thousands of civilians and knights dispersed from the square with worried discussions, the Tuscan prophet who was almost arrested also staggered to the tavern next to the sheepfold, where several gorgeous maids Immediately everyone came up with plates, but the prophet just nodded and walked straight through the counter and the small atrium to the dark back arcade. As soon as he stepped through the door, a young man wearing a toga sat down. He was waiting for me there, "Here are some drinks, produced in your hometown, just warmed."

After saying that, the busty and beautiful landlady walked over tremblingly and poured a glass of wine in front of the prophet who also sat down. Then the prophet took off his cloak. He was a lanky man about fifty years old. , has a big aquiline nose and a somewhat melancholy brow. This is probably the standard appearance of a prophet. He is actually an Allobrogis, that is, a Celtic Gaulish. He was originally a Druid and later became a He traveled to Tuscany and learned about prophecy from the locals.

"As you requested, I warned Julius Caesar, the dictator of Rome."

Lepidus then turned the ring on his finger and said, "He didn't take your prediction seriously, did he?"

The prophet took a sip of his drink, nodded, and continued. "The prophecy itself is a warning. But due to the problems of the times and destiny itself. This kind of warning is often criticized by the world because of its vagueness. In fact, no one really believes the prophecy. If he believes it and escapes the disaster, it is tantamount to It means that the prophecy cannot be accurate; but if he does not believe the prophecy and ends up dying tragically, wouldn't it further prove to mankind that fate is powerful and cruel and cannot be disobeyed? This is the paradox caused by prophecy, and it is also the paradox for us prophets? Greatest humor.”

for his remarks. Lepidus nodded in approval, "Lecilia is so confident. She said that I could save Caesar three times, but I still couldn't change Julius' fate."

"Why are you doing this? I remember you told me before that you have made all preparations to protect yourself after Caesar's death. So what do you hope for by doing this?" asked the prophet.

Lepidus said while holding on to the pillar. "I remember one time, Caesar once said to me. He was afraid of smelling the smell of blood. I laughed at that time. You have to know that we were fighting in Greece at that time, and countless soldiers were bleeding on the battlefield every day and night. There were The enemy also had his colleagues. As the commander-in-chief of the entire army, how could he be afraid of blood? But the expression on Caesar's face was very serious at that time. He said yes. He tried hard to restrain himself every time and would not be afraid of blood. He vomited and fainted due to the smell. Later he told me the reason, which was that when he was very young, his uncle Marius was in the civil war with Sulla. When Sulla was on an expedition, his uncle joined forces with Cinna to fight back to Rome. After the city, they killed the consuls, high priests, legal officers, tribunes, etc., almost everyone was killed, including Crassus's father, Antony's grandfather, and Marius' colleagues, of course. There were also two of Caesar's own uncles. Their heads were chopped off and piled in the square for crows and wild dogs to fight for food. Caesar was still very young at that time. Every time he walked out of the Suburra area, he would soon be killed. Being able to see this scene, another time when he was standing on the edge of the square, he saw Marius walking over. What horrified him was that his uncle had killed so many people, but there was no wave in his eyes. It was a beast-like look, without mercy. You must know that many of the heads were relatives of Marius. He didn't understand why he had to kill so many people if he was passionate about power. That was not called pursuit, but just pure. Just a sadist. Therefore, Caesar spared many people during the war, but I understand his current state of mind. His epilepsy and brain disease are said to be getting more and more serious, and he is increasingly unable to handle government affairs. In addition, he also I know, sometimes forgiving your enemies is killing yourself. Of course he knows that after his death, if no measures are taken, the Julius family will be completely destroyed by the despicable villains hiding in dark corners during his lifetime, and His dreams and career, so he is not afraid of death, but like me, he needs to do things well after death, and the so-called prophecy, from my standpoint, I have to do it, but from my standpoint, From Caesar's point of view, he might not care - as Caesar himself said, a man who is always on guard is not a great man at all."

Then, in Chinese, Lepidus suddenly said Shakespeare's famous line in "Macbeth", "I have already sunk my feet in a pool of blood. If I no longer walk forward in the blood, the road back will be equally boring." "Then the whole room fell silent, very, very quiet.

In front of Brutus's house, Cassius called him, but Brutus looked at him and lowered his eyes, seeming to be embarrassed and unhappy. Cassius strode forward and said, "My dear friend, have you lost your tenderness for me in your eyes? Yes, I was overwhelmed by some insignificant things before, and almost buried our great cause. You have to know that in the city of Rome groaning under Caesar's shackles, even I sometimes have to raise my hands, squeeze out a flattering fake smile, and kneel down under the boots of the dictator who wants to be the king. Look, you regard the previous Cassius as your mirror. After the destruction of the Republic, won't all the nobles be like me, without any pursuit? Like a group of insects, wandering in the palm of Caesar's hand, performing all kinds of farces for the scraps he scattered, the country and the entire Roman people will sink, and we will be buried in tombs without glorious epitaphs in the future, and we will not be qualified to be listed together with our ancestors. But only you, Brutus, only your personality, your uncompromising and the glory of your family can cooperate with me to complete this matter of turning the tide. There was a Brutus in the past who was unwilling to let the country suffer the rule of a tyrant, just as he was unwilling to hand the country over to the hands of a devil. "

"But Caesar can give everything to everyone, but I can't. "Brutus said melancholy.

Seeing that his words had worked, Cassi grabbed the other's hand and said, "You also saw Caesar's ugly appearance in the square today during the Wolf Chasing Festival. He moaned like a woman and was as weak as a terminally ill guy. He foamed at the mouth and fell down shaking. This kind of person has nothing inside under the powerful appearance. We don't have to be afraid of him at all. Yes, Caesar can give everything to everyone, nobles, knights and all the weak-willed elements in the people, gifts, competitions, cheap slaves. After accepting these things, these people all became whores abused by tyranny, but I always believe that there is only one thing that only you, Brutus, can give to all Romans, freedom, that is freedom!" (To be continued...)