Chapter 185: Shaking Balance
< 185. Shaking Balance >
“Why did you order me to come here? I don’t remember doing anything that would drag me to this place.”
Gnaeus looked around, ready to escape at any moment.
He was openly wary of the situation, but Caesar did not blame him.
“I told them to bring you as politely as possible. Did Ravius force you to come?”
“…No, he didn’t. But he did say that I might face some disadvantages if I didn’t follow him.”
“That’s not a threat, it’s because I didn’t tell Ravius the exact reason why I wanted you here. I have no intention of harming you, so relax.”
Caesar poured some wine himself and handed it to Gnaeus.
Gnaeus bowed his head slightly, but he did not even touch the cup in his hand.
Caesar inwardly sighed at Gnaeus’s lack of courage, but he did not show it on his face.
“Please tell me why you called me here. I’m afraid Ravius might have told you something different, but I didn’t try to cause trouble in Gaul. It was just a minor misunderstanding and an accident…”
“You don’t have to make excuses. I understand you well enough.”
“So you mean that’s not true…”
“How can you not be angry when you lost all your chances because of a single mistake and your brother took everything from you? Especially when your brother’s abilities don’t seem that outstanding compared to yours.”
Caesar’s gentle and trustworthy voice made Gnaeus lower his guard a bit.
He still looked nervous, but he did not act as if he wanted to run away right away.
“Then do you think my father’s will was wrong?”
“I can’t fathom the depth of Magnus’s mind. But whatever his intention was, it was a big wound for you. I think he was a bit lacking in consideration for that.”
“…I thought I would at least get Hispania or North Africa. I never imagined he would give everything to my brother.”
“That’s true. If it were me, I would have given Hispania to you and left the rest to Sextus.”
As Caesar sided with him, a glimmer of hope appeared in Gnaeus’s eyes.
He unconsciously leaned forward and sipped the wine he had ignored.
“Thank you for understanding me. Then may I ask why you brought me here…”
“First of all, I wanted to restrain you from doing anything rash. You have too much blood in your head right now. You need to calm down and plan rationally. You can’t achieve anything by rushing like that.”
“…I admit that what I was trying to do was not wise.”
“It’s not just unwise, it’s foolish among fools. You want to provoke the Gaulish tribes and clash with Hispania? Do you think that’s realistic? Even if you succeed, what can you do there? You’ll only have a negative impact on the Gaulish provinces that are undergoing Romanization right now. If something like that happened, I would have personally captured you and sent you to Rome for trial as the governor.”
Caesar’s cold tone made Gnaeus’s face turn pale.
He couldn’t deny Caesar’s words.
But Gnaeus was not completely stupid.
He had a reputation for being quite clever since he was young, although it was overshadowed by his impulsive temperament.
He guessed that Caesar wouldn’t bother telling him this if he wanted to get rid of him.
But he didn’t naively think that Caesar was on his side either.
The old Gnaeus would have judged everything in his favor, but not now.
He had changed after suffering a huge failure in Egypt and losing his heirship to his brother.
His previous arrogance had been broken down.
“I don’t think you brought me here just to lock me up and prevent me from doing stupid things. Please lend me your wisdom. If you can show me a direction that I can accept, I will follow your will.”
“Well… It’s true that I sympathized with you and wanted to help you avoid making irreversible mistakes. But do you think I have any reason to push you beyond that?”
“Wouldn’t it help your expansion of power if I check Sextus? If I can regain my position as the heir of the family, I will give Hispania to you at least.”
Hispania was adjacent to Gaul, so it was a region that Caesar wanted to get somehow.
If Caesar got Hispania, the north of Rome would be entirely under Caesar’s influence.
Plus, he would get the rich mineral resources of Hispania, which was a double benefit.
Of course, this was only possible if Gnaeus could successfully pressure Sextus.
Caesar did not trust Gnaeus’s abilities very much.
“I can’t support you directly. You don’t need me to explain why, do you?”
“Yes. Of course I understand that. Sextus legitimately obtained the rights of the eldest son, and the aristocrats also recognize his position. If you openly take my side, it would be a direct confrontation with the aristocrats, and you would want to avoid that burden.”
“Right, I’m glad you have at least that much insight. I’ll correct one thing in your words. I don’t care what the aristocrats do. The weak Senate is no longer a problem for me. I just don’t want to oppose Marcus.”
“There could be a huge war that divides Rome, so I understand. But if you can take the lead, wouldn’t the whole of Rome fall into your hands?”
Gnaeus cautiously predicted, and Caesar chuckled.
“Don’t try to flatter me with such obvious words. Let me make it clear, I will never oppose Marcus for you. Of course, Marcus would think the same way.
“It may sound cold, but you have to face reality. You and Sextus are not worth that much.”
Gnaeus’s face hardened, then turned puzzled.
“Not just me, but Sextus too?”
“I have been receiving news from Rome faster than anyone else through my spies. Most of them are about your brother’s movements. And from what I see, your brother is a bit lacking to follow in the footsteps of your great father.”
“Of course. If I can’t do it, neither can Sextus. But why did father cast me aside for one mistake…”
“That’s your misunderstanding. You were not pushed away because of a simple mistake. Pompey considered his relations with the other triumvirs and discarded you, who had betrayed Marcus, and favored your brother instead. As I said before, it was a bit cold of him to not even give you a chance to redeem yourself.”
Gnaeus bit his lip.
He had no excuse for his actions in Egypt.
He could not understand why he had made such a blunder.
“I learned a lot from that incident. I will never repeat the same mistake again.”
“Of course you should. If you are no different from before, I have nothing to expect from you. But since you seem to have changed, I will tell you one way. Take Hispania. I will help you discreetly.”
“Really?”
“I have never spoken an empty word in my life. You are still Magnus’s son, and Hispania has a lot of discontent with Rome. Rome has been giving them unfair treatment without knowing it since Sertorius’s rebellion. They are exemplary provinces that have been well Romanized, but this is not a proper way to treat them.
Besides, unlike Sextus who is openly pro-Greek, you have followed Magnus and spent a long time in Hispania. The Hispanian citizens will like you more, who know their culture and language well. If you exploit this point properly, it won’t be hard for you to take Hispania.”
“But if I start another rebellion, Rome will send legions.”
Caesar shook his head and sighed.
“When did I tell you to start a rebellion? Just attract the governors of Hispania and the people who support Sextus to your side. And use that to pressure Sextus. I will connect you with some popularis senators, so persuade them and get their help.”
“Will the popularis support me?”
“Of course. Who do you think Sextus is closest to right now? None other than Marcus, the leader of the optimates.
Most of the popularis senators are in great anxiety right now. They suspect that Sextus might secretly join the optimates. If you only give them some assurance, there will be quite a few senators who will support you.”
“But then the optimates will side with Sextus. Won’t this make things bigger than expected?”
“It will only be a proxy war at best. Neither I nor Marcus will move directly, so don’t worry.”
That was what Gnaeus wanted to hear most.
What he was most worried about was Marcus’s intervention.
No matter how hard he tried to hit Sextus, he had no chance if Marcus sided with Sextus.
But if Caesar could restrain Marcus, he had a chance.
“I will do as you advised, Caesar. I won’t cause any trouble for you, so please lend me your wisdom in the future.”
Caesar nodded with satisfaction, having gained an excellent pawn.
And he began to unfold some schemes for the young man who was ready to follow his words exactly.
※※※
Marcus did not pay much attention to Gnaeus’s scheming in Hispania while he was away.
Strictly speaking, Gnaeus was not even in Marcus’s mind.
Whatever he did was Sextus’s problem, not his own.
There were more pressing issues than that right now.
“Shouldn’t we hear from the Kingdom of Karen by now?”
Marcus asked as he buried his face in a pile of documents and did not stop his pen.
Without Septimius, the work speed had noticeably slowed down.
But if he had brought Septimius too, the administration of the East would not have gone well, so it couldn’t be helped.
Instead, Lepidus, who had recently joined Marcus’s camp, was a big help.
Lepidus had attended Publius’s wedding as a guest and caught Marcus’s eye there.
He was the grandson of Saturinus and the son of that Lepidus who had rebelled and been suppressed by Pompey.
Originally, the Lepidus family was a noble family that had enough clients to start a rebellion in Rome.
But after the rebellion, the family’s power had rapidly declined, and the glory of producing consuls in succession was long gone.
Lepidus’s elder brother Paulus had chosen to side with Caesar, but Lepidus, unlike the original history, had decided to join Marcus.
This was considered a very unusual thing in Rome.
Usually, most of the noble families would form strategic alliances with other families, but not subordinate relationships.
That’s why Brutus also respected and followed Marcus, but did not completely join him.
“Is there anything else you need me to do?”
Lepidus asked as he finished sorting out the papers on his desk.
He was a young man with a handsome face and a gentle demeanor.
He looked more like a scholar than a politician or a soldier.
But he had a keen mind and a diligent attitude, which made him a valuable asset for Marcus.
“Not for now. You’ve done enough for today. You can take a break.”
Marcus said as he put down his pen and rubbed his eyes.
He had been working non-stop since dawn, and his eyes were sore.
Lepidus nodded and got up from his seat.
He was about to leave the room when he saw someone enter through the door.
It was Lucius, Marcus’s eldest son.
“Father, I have something to report.”
Lucius said as he approached Marcus with a serious expression.
He was wearing a military uniform and had a sword at his waist.
He looked like a spitting image of his father, except for his blond hair and blue eyes that he inherited from his mother.
“What is it?”
Marcus asked as he looked at his son with curiosity.
He knew that Lucius was in charge of the military affairs in Syria, but he did not expect him to come here personally.
“It’s about Gnaeus Pompey.”
Lucius said as he handed over a letter to Marcus.
Marcus took the letter and opened it.
His eyes widened as he read the contents.
But Lepidus decided that he needed Marcus’s help to revive his declining family, and Marcus gladly accepted Lepidus, who was from a deep-rooted noble family.
Unlike his brother who was good at politics and administration, he rose to the chief financial officer of the eastern provinces in a short time.
Of course, he had to deal with the hellish paperwork as a price, but he endured it as a way to advance.
“Did it just arrive this morning? Do you want to read it?”
“Open it and put it next to me. I’ll finish this and read it right away.”
“Okay.”
Marcus handed over a bunch of documents with his signature to Lepidus and quickly scanned the report that Lepidus had opened.
“That’s strange…”
“Is there a problem?”
“No, there’s no problem at all.”
Marcus replied.
“That’s why I don’t understand. Why is it so quiet?”
“Huh? Isn’t it good if there’s no problem? The Kingdom of Karen was in chaos not long ago because of the nomads who invaded. If it’s quiet now, isn’t that something to celebrate?”
“They repelled the nomads who invaded, but they didn’t completely root them out. I thought there would be some more actions, but it’s strangely quiet.”
Marcus suspected that the nomads who had invaded the Kingdom of Karen were those who had been driven out of their territory.
It made sense if they tried to settle down there and make a new territory, not just for plunder.
So before he went to Egypt, he ordered Surenas to take three legions and check the situation in the east of the Kingdom of Karen.
He was sure that something bad was happening in the east.
But the report that came in said that there were no signs of anything unusual.
They said they would do some more investigation just in case, but it didn’t seem like they would find any problems.
It didn’t fit.
It felt like a puzzle piece was missing.
“I should have told Publius a few more things…”
Unlike the original history, the Silk Road was much more developed now, so it was not unreasonable for the nomadic tribes in the northeast to covet it.
The name of Rome might have reached the ears of the northern nomads hundreds of years earlier.
He had been distracted by other matters and had not prepared for anything.
It was an undeniable mistake.
“I need to see how things are going on the east side of Germania… I guess I have to talk seriously once.”
Depending on the situation, the question of whether Sextus was worthy of being a successor of the triumvirate or not might not be worth worrying about at all.
A huge event that could explode at any moment.
Marcus reached for a piece of paper.
He wanted this to be dealt with before any other issue.
His feelings were clearly expressed in the phrase that he attached at the end of the letter.
< 185. Shaking Balance > End
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