Augustus Road

"I know, I know, citizens of Colo District. But you also have to know that you are the only district left now, and you are still unwilling to accept the kind gifts, and insist on making things difficult for the former consul, the great general Luculas. , because you support that bastard Pompeo?" After Kelly finished speaking, he raised a money bag with his left hand, "Here are five hundred dinars, Karabis!" After hearing this, Karabis also took the money he brought. He raised the bag and said, "Here is another five-hundred-dinar money bag. It's double. It's all yours. Listen to me, give up going to the sheepfold, don't interfere with the normal voting process, and go back and sleep with your woman in your arms." —The tribunes of your district are doing just that now," Kelly said triumphantly.

"Damn and despicable slaves, you actually bribed the tribune!" the leading man shouted angrily, shaking his fist, and the citizens of the Colo district behind him also started shouting, "Don't tarnish our politics! Get out of the way!" , this group of people held torches and crowded forward with noisy shouting.

"Poof!" Calabis's cloak was spattered with blood. He looked closely and saw that the dagger in Kelly's hand passed through the throat of the leading citizen man. "Let me tell you what is The politics of Rome!" Kelly grabbed the man's hair and smashed him against the alley wall on the right. Then he drew a broad sword from his waist and cut off the man's head with a clang. The head was thrown into the crowd opposite, and several people collapsed on the ground in horror, watching the bloody head rolling around like a ball between their feet.

The other people who followed Kelly drew their swords one after another, "Hey, Calabis!" Kelly tilted his head and reminded him dissatisfiedly as he was a little distracted, so Calabis also pulled out his sword, "Now, what's the point? Anyone want to talk to me about politics?" Kelly threatened.

The citizens on the opposite side were all stunned. Some people were holding on to the wall in fear, eager to run, and some were looking at the people behind uneasily. The crowd was still hesitating whether to move forward, "Damn it, do it!" Kelly ordered in a low voice. At this moment, Calabis suddenly grabbed Kelly's purse, along with his own purse, and smashed it into the crowd twice, causing a lot of screams, "Didn't you hear that?" ! Go back and sleep with your women and children. You don’t want them anymore?”

In the end, the group of citizens took two money bags and ran away in a swarm, "Bastard Karabis, I have already killed one guy, but you threw all the money out, which is equivalent to giving you an extra share." Kelly complained as he wiped the blood on the dagger with his cloak.

Then, when he returned to the newly opened tavern, Kelly threw a silk suit to Calabis, "Put it on and look decent."

"What is this?" Karabis asked.

The two men who came with them held up chalk mud and volcanic ash and painted the words "Lucius Licinius Luculas sincere greetings to all citizens of Rome" on the wall of the tavern. They had just finished painting the words. The proprietress ran out yelling, akimbo and shouted to everyone: "This vici's patron saint will punish you, you sheepfold professional hooligans, graffiti hooligans everywhere, just wait, I will be there soon That charming bald city magistrate accuses you and punishes you with three months of hard labor in the Fire Temple!"

"Get dressed and take this money bag with you." Kelly ignored the boss lady's anger and gave Calabis a heavier money bag. "You sit down in the tavern immediately and see someone come and sit across from you. Just give him ten dinars, and don't ask any questions. The rest will be considered your reward. Also, this is a letter of recommendation from the publici. When the matter is over, take it to the Roman City Secretary. , someone will arrange work for you." Kelly handed Calabis a small bronze tube, then patted his chest and left with everyone.

Karabis, who put on a silk robe, wiped his hair, walked up to the landlady who was pointing at the backs of Kelly and others, and took out ten drachmas, and flicked them one by one into the spring mountain valley of the landlady, "This is The damage fee for the graffiti, and have my seats been prepared for me?" When the proprietress saw the well-dressed Karabis, her anger was half gone, but she was still unforgiving and gestured towards Karabis to express her annoyance. , shouted: "Don't think that ten Greek silver coins can be spent. I have to use the money to buy salt and fig leaves to appease the anger of the patron saint and the door god! Come in and sit down."

Panting, Calabis sat down tiredly on the seat next to the street. He placed the cloak and sword stained with blood that Luculas had given him on the seat next to him, and then put the same stained sword on the seat next to him. The blood money bag was thrown on the table. The landlady then brought him cabbage mixed with salt and a plate of clams doused with vinegar and spices. Brother, you will get used to it.”

The sun shone in through the window. Karabis was leaning on the table, eating. After a while, the door was pushed open, and several people with disheveled faces walked in. They wanted to say something but were embarrassed. The proprietress who was leaning on the counter touched the back of her neck with her hand and winked in the direction of Karabis. The other party understood and moved closer to Karabis.

Calabis raised his head and glanced at these people, then remembered Kelly's words, and discharged a sufficient number of bloody dinar silver coins from his purse. The people took them in turn with slightly shy expressions, among which One of them nodded to Calabis and said, "Tell your patron that the citizens of Rome also sincerely welcome him and welcome him to appear in the triumphal ceremony in the city."

Afterwards, people kept coming in, and Carabis distributed silver coins while biting clams. "Who are you?" Suddenly, Carabis put his hand on the purse and asked a ragged guy.

"A citizen of the Subura District, a descendant of the thirty oldest clans in ancient Rome. Any questions?" The dirty guy with a crooked mouth and greedy mouth said shamelessly.

"Are you a citizen? But I remember you. I saw you begging in front of the Temple of Isis when I passed through Mount Catopil in the early morning. You think foreign freemen are easy to deceive, huh?" Then Carapis raised his sword, "Don't let me see you again, get out of here."

"Brother, he is indeed a citizen, give him the money and send him away." Over there, the landlady came over and threw a piece of wheat cake to the guy. Carapis was skeptical, so he only gave him six silver coins. The beggar didn't say anything. He took the wheat cake and silver coins and asked the landlady if there was a good quality female slave to have fun with. The landlady stretched out her hand, and the beggar gave a dinar in her palm, "By the way, don't forget to send some olive oil and wine." After that, she happily went into the backyard.

Just when Carapis was about to ask the landlady something, the gathering bell rang in the sheepfold across the way. Groups of citizens sat down according to the different seats of the Hundreds. A man dressed in a short shirt and wearing a laurel crown stepped onto the podium - a podium made of a bronze ship prow captured in foreign wars. He raised his left hand and shouted in a loud voice: "Today's motion is about the accusation against Luculus, the former governor of Cilicia and commander of the Eastern War, and whether Luculus can enjoy the qualification of the triumphal procession."

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