Chapter 140: Hidden Title ( At the End)
< 140. Hidden Title ( At the End) >
“Governor, that proposal is absolutely impossible! Please reconsider!”
“I think I’ve told you many times. I’m doing this with a plan in mind.”
The Al-Hayn Hall of the Antioch Palace, which was used for meeting the nobles, was filled with loud voices.
It was not a rare occurrence lately.
The bureaucrats watched the repeated arguments with bored faces as usual.
“Governor, haven’t I told you over and over again? Among the nobles of Mesopotamia, there are some who have a long history dating back to the Persian, or rather Babylonian Empire. You have to respect the traditions that they have maintained for hundreds of years.”
“That’s why I have no intention of ignoring their traditions. I will respect them as much as possible if they have any value. But I can’t leave things as they are if there is a clear need for improvement. The current method of irrigation agriculture has the risk of accelerating the desertification of the land. I’m not trying to impose Rome’s tradition on you, I’m trying to protect the fertile soil of Mesopotamia.”
The noble who had lived in Mesopotamia for generations, Horshid, shook his head vehemently and shouted.
“I appreciate your noble intentions, Governor. But a policy that says ‘everything you’ve done so far is wrong’ will cause a lot of dissatisfaction among many people.”
“Then what do you want me to do?”
Marcus’s face showed a hint of annoyance.
Horshid quickly added a word.
“First of all, please gather the nobles in one place and listen to their opinions as much as possible. And if you gradually narrow down the differences, I’m sure you can find a common ground.”
“Don’t you realize that you’re asking for too much consideration? I’ve never given such treatment and privileges to the local nobles in Syria or Armenia.”
“I’m just grateful for your grace, Governor. But I’m just suggesting a way to integrate Mesopotamia into Rome without any conflict.”
“I know that too. That’s why I’m listening to your words.”
Horshid bowed his waist several times and expressed his gratitude.
“From that point of view, I have one more thing to say. It’s about the wedding ceremony that’s coming up…I’m afraid that many of the old nobles in Mesopotamia will be unhappy with the arrangement.”
“You’re saying they’re still dissatisfied even though I assigned them seats according to their influence and reputation?”
“Their pride is immense. My family also has a great pride in defending this land since Alexander the Great.
How much more would those who have lived here since King Xerxes or Cyrus the Great? They have rooted themselves in their land and held their ground while the rulers of this land changed many times.
They have accumulated time for hundreds of years. It’s not fair to hear them say that they are arrogant for feeling humiliated by being treated like the new nobles in Syria or Armenia.”
Marcus did not argue back.
Pride without ability was pitiful, but it was another problem to point it out in front of them.
And Horshid’s claim was not so wrong when viewed from the perspective of the current era.
The nobles of Mesopotamia, one of the cradles of human civilization, were indeed bound by a strange pride.
It was also because Parthia, the ruler before Rome, was a country that granted considerable autonomy to the local nobles.
Marcus nodded his head slightly as if he didn’t want to waste his breath and waved his hand.
“I’ll adjust your positions considering your beloved tradition and history, so just know that and go away.”
“I’m humbled by your generosity, Governor, which is as deep and vast as the sea.”
Horshid bowed his waist again and slowly left his seat.
As soon as he disappeared completely, Septimus shook his head and opened his mouth.
“He’s really annoying. He always comes and says the same thing over and over again…”
“He’s a bit too stubborn. I understand that he has a lot of pride, but it can be disgusting if it’s too excessive.”
“Are you going to let him act like that?”
“It’s annoying, but it’s another matter to punish him. He’s still one of the moderate ones who criticize me mildly. If I muzzle even those opinions, I might be accused of ignoring the local opinions completely.”
“I see…that makes sense.”
Septimus sighed deeply.
He had a lot to prepare already, and he didn’t like having old fossils with only pride bothering him.
Marcus also sneered bitterly and licked his tongue.
“Especially in places like Mesopotamia where the local forces have a lot of influence, they will swarm like bees if they have a reason. It’s not a good example to suppress them with force. Then there will be people in Rome who will nag me about it.”
“So you’re saying it’s better to appease their pride and slowly Romanize them. But don’t you think you should have asked him about the meeting he had with the other nobles last time?”
“I searched, but I couldn’t find any conclusive evidence. Then they would naturally try to evade the issue. And if they really are plotting something, it’s better to leave them alone for now. If we touch them rashly, it will be harder to catch their tail.”
“I understand. Then let’s continue to operate the surveillance network quietly.”
Septimus always trusted Marcus’s judgment.
Besides, he was too busy with the treatment of the guests and the preparation of the wedding to take care of every detail.
He was honestly relieved that he didn’t have to dig deeper.
Marcus chuckled at his visibly relieved expression.
“Since you don’t have to do it yourself, take a copy of next week’s newspaper to the Surenas mansion. Make sure the article about Pompey’s expedition is displayed prominently on top.”
“Did he finally give in?”
“He seems to have already leaned towards it, but he still has some hesitation. I’m planning to create a situation that will shake it off this time… Well, he has to make his own choice.”
“It would certainly stir his heart to see Pompey’s expedition article. The last war must have been an incomplete combustion for Surenas.”
Septimus agreed with a good opinion and turned to leave, but he stopped in his place with an expression of remembering something.
“By the way, I forgot to tell you one thing. The mansion where Artia’s family will stay is ready. I also contacted Rome to send over the furniture and slaves that they used.”
“Good. But what about Octavius? He’s frail, so you have to pay special attention to him. If he lives in a place with a different climate and soil all of a sudden, he might get sick.”
“I’m trying to make him live as similar as possible to when he was in Rome. I also told them to cook the same food with the same ingredients. Lord and Lady are also getting along well with Octavius, so you don’t have to worry about their friendship.”
“That’s good news. They’re not much different in age, so I hoped they would be close.”
Marcus had allowed Octavius and his family to stay at the governor’s residence until the mansion was ready.
He naturally intended to make Octavius closer to his own children.
Trajanus and Sophia, who were not moody children, welcomed their peer friend Octavius.
Marcus’s face showed a satisfied smile as he read all the reports written by the tutor.
“It seems that Octavius gets along better with Sophia than Trajanus, according to the tutor. I knew it from the start.”
“Maybe because Lord likes active things more. On the contrary, Lady likes quiet activities.”
“Sophia was bored with chess or cards because Trajanus was too weak, but she’ll soon have a good opponent.”
“Maybe so. Arsinoe is not very good at it either…”
“Will she admit it? She always says she was unlucky when she loses.”
Septimus smirked and spat out a word.
“That’s why the card game is popular. If you lose, you can make an excuse that it was bad luck, not your fault. And if you win, you can praise yourself for your strategy. It’s also trendy among the Syrian nobles these days, and I think there might be a big tournament with a lot of money soon.”
“It wouldn’t be bad to hold a tournament after the wedding when I have some free time.”
If he used paper and printing machines, he could print cards in large quantities and distribute them widely to the general public.
There is nothing more effective than throwing out a fun entertainment for gaining popularity from the citizens.
Giving money or food is short-lived, but holding a tournament that can be held continuously is effective as long as the popularity does not fade.
Marcus was already planning various events in the central cities of each province where he had installed amphitheaters.
He decided to introduce elements unique to the eastern provinces into the traditional Roman gladiator fights and start them next year.
He also planned to introduce horse racing and chariot racing soon.
But these were all closer to watching and betting on money than participating in them.
It seemed like a good idea to spread toys that citizens could experience themselves like card games.
Of course, even if paper was cheap, ordinary citizens couldn’t carry hundreds of cards around, so he needed to create public facilities where they could rent cards and enjoy games.
As he immersed himself in his thoughts about business, he felt like he had gone back to the old days.
Marcus had a refreshing time writing down his ideas that sprang up one after another in his notebook and cooling down his overloaded head.
※※※※
Ctesiphon, the central city of Mesopotamia province.
This place boasted a grandeur that was not inferior to any other eastern city even under Roman rule.
Horshid, who had returned straight from Antioch, entered the luxurious mansion without a chance to relieve his fatigue.
The rough footsteps that shook the floor revealed his displeasure.
A gentle voice rang out from inside the door with a lion’s head carved on it.
“Welcome. You must have had a hard time coming from afar.”
The one who invited Horshid was the young leader of the Intaphrenes family.
The nobleman, who was just over thirty years old, had a sharp impression that was both sturdy and sharp.
He was one of the most powerful nobles in Ctesiphon.
It didn’t matter whether he was from the Intaphrenes family, one of the former Persian noble families, or a fake who used their name.
Anyway, the current Intaphrenes family had enough wealth and power to boast their name.
He was someone that Horshid, who was rising with a frightening momentum, could not treat lightly.
But even so, his tone was naturally irritated by the long journey from Antioch.
“Even if you traveled by horse and boat, Syria and Mesopotamia are not easy distances to come and go. If it wasn’t something urgent enough to call me, you should pay a corresponding price.”
“Of course, we didn’t intend to waste your time with a trivial matter. But this is the most important thing for us, so we had to be rude and apologize for it.”
Horshid couldn’t be more angry when the great nobleman of Mesopotamia bowed his head and apologized.
He nodded slightly and entered the reception room.
Many nobles were sitting in a row around the luxurious table.
Each one of them had considerable influence in the region.
And they all had one thing in common: they were not pro-Roman.
“Horshid, welcome.”
“How much trouble have you had in Syria?”
The nobles greeted him warmly as they saw his face.
Among them, he saw the face of Hidarnes, a noble family that boasted a tradition of over 400 years.
It was clear that they gathered here to discuss an extraordinary matter.
Horshid felt uneasy and frowned as he stopped in his place.
“I thought I made it clear last time… I don’t want to be pro-Roman or anti-Roman. Don’t drag me into your power struggle. The ones who talked were just disposable ones who didn’t care if they were taken away. Even if I reported to Governor Marcus, you could have cut off your tails and that would have been it.”
“That’s an accurate judgment. But at least if the governor knew we were plotting something, he would have been more cautious and we would have had to change our plans drastically. It may sound unpleasant to you, but the last meeting was a place we prepared to test you.”
Horshid’s face hardened more and more. He looked like he wanted to turn around and leave right away.
“Damn it… You’re crazy. Don’t you know that this is too easy for you? I bet none of you know Marcus as well as I do. I don’t want to get involved in this plan because it doesn’t seem possible at all. But I can’t betray my compatriots either, so I’m just keeping my mouth shut.”
“But we still need your guidance, Horshid. As you said, we don’t have enough information about the Roman governor. But if you tell us what you know, we can make a more meticulous plan. Of course, it’s not free.
We’ll give you some of the rights that everyone here has as a reward.”
He looked around reflexively and Horshid’s face stiffened for a moment.
All the anti-Roman nobles in the region were gathered at Intaphrenes’s mansion.
If he received some of their rights, Horshid would become virtually the king of Mesopotamia.
It was a condition that he couldn’t help but be tempted by for a moment.
“…But the chances of success are too low…”
“Is the governor that ironclad? Of course, I’ve heard a lot of praise for him and seen his status, but most of it was exaggerated rumors, wasn’t it?”
“You should think that everything you’ve heard and seen is based on facts. In my opinion, even if you leave a hundred pieces of evidence, it would be hard to succeed in this plan. Marcus is surrounded by such tight security.”
“Then what about tampering with his food?”
Hidarnes, who had been listening to the story, asked with a cautious expression.
Horshid snorted and shook his head.
“That primitive method won’t work. They thoroughly inspect the ingredients and have slaves taste the food first.”
“Then there’s nothing we can do?”
No one could answer Hidarnes’s lamenting question.
Horshid scratched his head as if he didn’t want to and broke the silence that had settled in the audience.
“Well… There’s not no way. Anyone shows a gap when there’s a big event. If you really want to do something, the wedding is the best opportunity.”
Intaphrenes’s eyes sparkled and he nodded vigorously.
“We thought so too when we heard about the wedding. We all agreed that this is the only chance we have, so we were able to arrange this meeting.”
“Fifteen percent.”
“Excuse me?”
Everyone widened their eyes at Horshid’s sudden words.
“Give me fifteen percent of the rights you have. Of course, secretly so that Rome doesn’t notice. If you swear to do that, I’ll help you make this plan succeed.”
“But taking fifteen percent from everyone here is too much…”
“Then the negotiation is over. I’ll go back now, so don’t stop me.”
Intaphrenes quickly followed Horshid, who turned around and left the reception room, and grabbed his sleeve.
“I agree. I’ll give you fifteen percent. But we’re a community of fate from now on. We swear never to harm each other and stick together.”
“Of course. I swear by Ahura Mazda.”
Ahura Mazda was the name of the supreme god of Zoroastrianism, the religion of Persia and Parthia.
A vow made in the name of Ahura Mazda meant a lot to the Persian nobles.
Intaphrenes smiled contentedly and led Horshid back to the reception room.
A thick scent of conspiracy finally flowed out of his mouth.
“Shall we begin then? The discussion to assassinate Governor Marcus.”
< 140. Assassination > End
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