Chapter 161: To the East
< 161. To the East >
As the departure of Caesar and Marcus approached, the political situation in Rome showed signs of becoming restless again.
However, most of the senators expressed considerable relief at the fact that Caesar was leaving for Germania.
Once he embarked on the expedition, Caesar would not be able to return to Rome for at least two years.
And even if he succeeded in the expedition, Marcus would also come back after achieving similar military merits, so there would be no chance of upsetting the balance.
Above all, the fact that Caesar left the capital made the senators feel peaceful in their hearts.
They could calmly build up their power and prepare ways to confront Caesar while he was gone.
But Cato and Cicero could not shake off a nagging feeling.
“Something is wrong. Something is going wrong.”
It was not that they were dissatisfied with the actions of the Triumvirate.
Most of their policies were rational and did not infringe on the authority of the Senate much.
The only thing that the Triumvirate interfered with in the Senate was to revoke the qualifications of corrupt senators along with the censors in the early days.
This was also a matter that was carried out by conducting a strict and fair investigation and taking into account the opinions of both the populares and the optimates.
As a result, the number of senators whose qualifications were suspended was balanced between three optimates and three populares.
The vacancies were also not arbitrarily distributed, but were given priority to those who had been waiting for the longest time.
As a result, there was nothing that harmed the Senate.
It was impossible not to take bribes in one’s life, but the senators who were expelled by the Triumvirate were limited to those who had crossed the line.
In fact, more than 20 senators who had laundered money illegally were found during the investigation.
Caesar initially wanted to revoke the qualifications of 12 of them, but Marcus reduced it to half.
The corruption of the six who were expelled from the Senate was so serious that they could not even bend their arms inward.
Even Cicero refused to defend his fellow optimates.
The problem was not that.
The more they watched, the more they felt something strange about the flow of events.
If they were asked what was strange, they could not pinpoint it.
But lately, they had been feeling uneasy all the time.
Marcus was clearly restraining Caesar’s actions.
Most of the optimates were very satisfied with this.
It made sense that Marcus wanted to annex Nabatea Kingdom to counteract Caesar’s military achievements in Germania.
“But it still feels awkward.”
If this was just their own feeling, they could say it was a simple overreaction.
But this was a common thought between Cato and Cicero.
The two greatest scholars of the optimates both felt this way, which meant there must be some reason for it.
The two stopped visiting Marcus’s house almost every day.
Marcus realized that Cato and Cicero had doubts about him just by that.
He immediately took action.
“It would be troublesome to be doubted now. Maybe it’s a good thing that this happened before I leave.”
He had expected this to happen someday.
But Cato and Cicero did not seem to completely doubt him yet.
They just felt some kind of discomfort and watched how things would go.
Then there was still a chance to fix it.
Marcus immediately convened a Triumvirate meeting and began to prepare countermeasures.
“Why don’t we just ignore it? Anyway, there’s nothing they can do to overturn the situation now.”
Pompey’s sullen reaction was even agreed by Caesar.
“I think so too. After all, the citizens support us absolutely and more than half of the Senate is on our side as well. It’s impossible to get everyone on our side anyway, so don’t worry too much.”
“That may be true, but it doesn’t suit my temperament to leave something that can be dealt with alone.”
“Well, you’ve always been cautious. Then do as you wish.”
If there was something lacking in Caesar, who was perfect in almost every aspect, it was his excessive confidence.
He did not overestimate himself or underestimate his enemies.
Rather, his judgment was accurate in most situations.
So he tended to relax his mind when he thought it was enough.
Heroes are naturally bold, but sometimes he seemed to enjoy walking on a tightrope too much.
Thanks to this trait, he won battles that looked like gambles in a row in his original history, but on the other hand, he was assassinated miserably as well.
Marcus had no intention of meeting such an end.
To do that, he had to prevent anyone from doubting him in the Senate.
The blade of assassination that could strike from anywhere and anytime was hundreds of times more threatening than the visible enemy.
To quell the suspicion towards him, Marcus gave the Senate one more authority.
It was to appoint the young and new senators as deputy censors.
The rationale for creating a new position was also clear.
He eloquently explained the necessity of this position in the Senate hall with a heated voice.
“Through the last inspection, we learned that corruption beyond the limit is gradually eating away at the Senate. But are the senators especially more greedy? I don’t think so. I’m sure that corruption and bribery are much more rampant outside the Italian peninsula. We just don’t know because we haven’t found out.”
Cicero frowned and agreed with Marcus’s opinion.
“I think so too. There is a system to monitor the provinces, but there are many ways to escape it. In fact, most of the people who committed corruption enough to lose their senatorship did not wear togas in the provinces. I can’t even imagine how much the local nobles who colluded with them are making.”
“That’s right. That’s why we need personnel who specialize in monitoring the personnel related to the provinces. And the reason why I entrust this to young senators is because they need physical strength to run around the vast provinces. Young senators will have no ties to the provinces, so they will have less worry about forming collusion.”
“The provincial monitoring authority is a position that guarantees considerable power. Are you going to entrust it entirely to young newcomers of the Senate? The governors will not be easy to deal with.”
All rights related to the provinces were originally under the jurisdiction of the governors.
The governors had absolute authority over all areas, such as legislation, judiciary, administration, military, and diplomacy, in the provinces they ruled.
“Of course, the governors are excluded from the monitoring targets. If they need to be monitored, it will be done by the censors of the Senate after their term ends.
The main task of the provincial monitors will be to supervise the illegal activities of local nobles. This alone will be a very meaningful check. It will also be beneficial for young senators, and most importantly, I think they will be able to remember the importance of integrity.”
There was no disagreement from the Senate.
Marcus declared that he would entrust the recommendation of these monitors to the Senate.
The senators cheered.
In any society, monitoring and auditing were key devices that guaranteed enormous power.
Of course, Marcus did not pass a policy that only benefited the Senate.
The recommendation was made by the Senate, but the actual appointment was done by the consuls and the Triumvirate.
The senators were satisfied that they could exclude those who did not suit their taste, but in fact it was not very effective.
Most of the young senators who were candidates were loyal to Marcus or Caesar.
Of course, there were also a lot of staunch republicans, but they could just send them to other provinces.
Besides, monitoring the local nobles who engaged in corruption in the provinces was something that Marcus could do without lifting a finger or blowing his nose.
It was a clever move that gave face to the Senate and allowed the Triumvirate to take advantage of it.
Marcus did not intend to end here.
He invited Cato and Cicero to his house to talk more about the provincial monitoring system.
And he adopted their opinions as much as possible within what he could accept and made a draft of the bill.
When the meeting was almost over, Marcus revealed his real reason for inviting them to his mansion.
“Can you take care of one of the pillars of the Triumvirate instead of me while I’m in the East with my father and you two?”
“Not only Crassus but also us two?”
“Yes. My father is old and it’s hard for him to handle everything alone. So if you two help him, I think I can leave Rome with ease.”
“I don’t know if Caesar and Pompey will allow our interference…”
“I’ve already talked to them. Caesar also agreed to have two representatives on his side. I was late to tell you because I was busy getting things done.”
Marcus looked around and added in a low voice.
“After all, it should be us, the Senate, who lead Rome.”
Hearing these words directly from Marcus, Cato and Cicero’s doubts melted away like spring snow.
They felt sorry for Marcus in their hearts.
He was doing everything for the Senate even until he left Rome, but why did they misunderstand his sincerity?
They were ashamed that they had harbored suspicions against someone who was giving them such privileges for the Senate.
Now that this had happened, they had no choice but to repay their debt by meeting his expectations.
Cicero nodded his head with a determined expression.
“Leave it to me. I’ll make sure Caesar doesn’t swallow up the Senate until you come back.”
Cato also spoke firmly.
“Don’t worry about us and focus on annexing Nabatea. If you stabilize the southern border of Syria, we won’t have any corners on our borders.”
“Then I’ll just trust you two.”
Marcus personally escorted Cato and Cicero out of his mansion.
His eyes flashed a strange light as he looked at the two disappearing in a carriage.
It went well this time, but once the doubt started, it could explode again at any time.
‘Well, this is enough for now. I just need to divert their attention until I come back.’
Anyway, people like Cato and Cicero, who were stability-oriented, could not push anything recklessly.
With Crassus and Pompey, there was no chance for the Senate to take the initiative.
They just had to believe that they were the ones who led Rome.
Truth is, there are more times when you are happier not knowing than knowing.
※※※※
Marcus finished all his business in Rome and headed to Brundisium.
Caesar left Rome two days earlier than him and said goodbye first.
Pompey followed him to the outskirts of the city to see him off, even though he was coughing.
Marcus, who received a warm welcome from everyone and boarded the ship, landed in Antioch again.
He did not meet the schedule exactly, but he was not too late either.
When Marcus returned to the palace, it was a day after Danae had given birth.
“How are you feeling?”
Danae, who had not fully recovered yet, greeted Marcus lying down.
She looked at Marcus, who was carefully holding her child, with a faint smile.
“I’m dying… People who give birth to three or four children are admirable.”
“They say the first time is the hardest. And this child is much bigger than other newborns. That’s probably why it was harder. You did a great job.”
Danae propped herself up with her hand and raised her upper body. She still looked exhausted.
“Did you solve everything in Rome? You didn’t come back in a hurry because of me, did you?”
“Of course. I took care of everything perfectly. You know my ability.”
Marcus’s joke made Danae’s expression noticeably more comfortable.
She sighed with relief and brushed her hair back.
“I’m glad. I was worried that there might be some trouble in your schedule because of me.”
“I told you not to worry about such trivial things. By the way, did you have any inconvenience while I was away?”
“No. Rather, other people were trying to be too nice to me, so I felt a little pressured at times. Arsinoe offered to take care of me and I got scolded for refusing.”
“…I asked her to take care of you, but I didn’t ask her to do that much.”
No matter how much she had Marcus’s child, Danae could not be his wife.
It would not be comfortable for her to receive service from a royal family member who was a strong candidate for the next pharaoh as a concubine.
Fortunately, Cleopatra, who was watching this scene with disbelief, intervened.
Arsinoe, who had no intention of making Danae uncomfortable, sent servants instead of herself from then on.
“To be honest, I preferred working. It was boring to do nothing all of a sudden. Julia is back too, so I think I can go back to work…”
“No way. You have to rest and take care of your health for at least two weeks. That’s what the recommendation says.”
“Where did that recommendation come from?”
“…Anyway, going back to work right away is too much. You have to take care of your child too.”
“Yes.”
Danae nodded and then slumped her shoulders.
“…It would have been better if it was a daughter, right?”
“Huh?”
Marcus tilted his head in confusion as he did not understand her sincerity.
Danae looked at her son sleeping in Marcus’s arms with a complicated expression.
“I guess if it’s a son, there will be more things to worry about later. Even if he has no inheritance rights… He might get involved in various problems if something goes wrong. If it was a girl, she could have grown up without any worries and only received cuteness.”
“What are you talking about? He has no inheritance rights, but he is my child no matter what anyone says. Nothing like what you’re worried about will ever happen. I won’t let it happen, so don’t worry about such stupid things. I wish you would trust your child’s father more.”
“Yes. I’ll do that.”
Danae’s eyes softened.
Her face was still pale from the aftermath of childbirth, but her eyes regained their original vigor.
Marcus stayed with Danae for a while and comforted her heart before returning to his office.
Septimus greeted him with a pile of documents and a resentful smile.
“Did you enjoy your trip?”
“Trip? …Why do I feel like there are thorns in your words?”
“I’m not saying this because I worked an average of four hours a day while you were away.”
“…I’m sorry. You can also take two weeks off from today and rest without doing anything.”
Septimus’s face brightened up as if he was the happiest person in the world.
He picked up a bunch of documents from his desk and brought them to Marcus.
“These are the information you ordered before you left. It’s about the Nabatean kingdom and the desert tribes south of it.”
“Good. Let’s take a look.”
“Are you going to declare war on Nabatea?”
Marcus casually flipped through the documents he received and answered briefly.
“It depends on what they do.”
< 161. To the East > The end
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