Controlling mountains and rivers since the Warring States Period

Chapter 395 Sula
"I will never allow the glory of the Senate to be destroyed by a dictator like Marius!"

When Sulla, then over fifty, walked out of Rome, he said with certainty:
"The gods and the people will stand behind me and uphold Rome's fine democratic traditions!"

Crassus, standing beside him, smiled and echoed him.

Compared to his youthful appearance when he was sent as an envoy to the Qin state, Crassus, now nearing thirty, looks much more mature.

of course,

It could also be due to bloodline.

His thinning hair at a young age and the wrinkles on his face made him look older than the gentlemen of the Central Plains.

This is also a rare instance of Qin's disdain for Rome among its many "similar" states.

After all, the gentlemen of the Xia Dynasty were very particular about their appearance; their hair should be darker and their beards should be neatly trimmed.

Unfortunately, the Romans, and even the Germanic tribes living in the forests and grasslands of northwestern Thailand, all suffered from premature baldness and didn't have the fashion to grow a beard...

How could the Qin people possibly find them handsome?
The Qin ambassador to Rome, who had known Crassus and had offered him some protection during the earlier years when Marius and other reformers pressured and expelled him, privately told Crassus:
"You look very different now than you did when you were twenty!"

Why is there such a difference between the childhood and adulthood of Westerners?

Crassus, who was already quite unclear about the reasons why the Chinese could read and write the language of the Xia people, should not feel offended because of this.

After all, he had to be aware of his own identity when he sought refuge under the Qin people.

Moreover, from a certain perspective,
If it weren't for the Qin envoy's dignified and serious demeanor, and if it weren't for the Qin envoy's dislike of Crassus's appearance...

Crassus, being a pure-blooded Roman, wouldn't mind developing a deeper relationship with the other party in exchange for more benefits.

right now,

There's no need to think about that too much.

All he had to do was stand by Sulla's side and enjoy the fruits of victory.

Although Sulla became the first Roman general to lead an army to storm the capital in order to expel Marius, the leader of the rebellion...

But what does this have to do with Crassus?
Ma Lue fled and disappeared without a trace. The Senate regained power, and he emerged from the cover of Qin.

Everything was so beautiful.

Even the air seemed to be filled with the sweet scent of "freedom and democracy".

But the joy didn't last long.

Crassus then heard Sulla say, "I am going to attack the Kingdom of Pontus!"

"what?"

The Kingdom of Honto

It is a country located in the southern part of the Balkan Peninsula.

It ruled over parts of what was originally Macedonia, and many Greek city-states were either annexed by it or submitted to it.

Its ships traversed the eastern Mediterranean and were even comparable to those of Rome.

more importantly,
The reason this country was so powerful was because it had the Qin state backing it.

The Qin people, who ruthlessly dominated the entire Asia Minor, Mesopotamia, the Iranian Plateau, and the Black Sea coast, were never satisfied with the vastness of their territory.

They'll always want more!

So over the years,

The Qin people penetrated southward into Egypt, using the allure of handsome men to gradually imbue that ancient country with the characteristics of the distant East.

To the northwest, the Beidi Commandery was established, and the Yubi City was built.

In order to solidify their rule here and have ample time to assimilate the land and its population, the Qin people chose to support the Kingdom of Pontus, making it a bulwark for their western frontier and a conspicuous stumbling block on Rome's path to power.

Rome was furious about this, to the point that even the reformers and conservatives reached a consensus on the issue.

Damn it!
How could the Qin people be so wicked!

"...But if we attack the Kingdom of Bendu, will it provoke the displeasure of the Qin Kingdom?" Crassus worried.

This is one of the reasons why Rome harbored resentment towards the Kingdom of Pontus, yet did not launch a strong war against it.

To express it in a proverb from the East, it would be:
"You have to consider the owner before you beat a dog!"

But Sula said, "I need more victories!"

Marius had held power in Rome for many years.

His influence and power could not be wiped out by a single surprise attack. As long as Marius was alive, he had the opportunity to lead his followers back to Rome and regain power.

The most direct way to resolve this threat is either to hunt down Marius and ensure his death, or to consolidate one's position through continuous victories.

"What's more..."

"Who knows if Marius might flee to the Qin state?"

Crassus frowned and said, "When I was on a mission to Qin, I heard the Qin people say that Ma Lue was their biggest threat."

"The Qin envoy protected me to make things difficult for him..."

"The Qin people aren't here to cause you trouble!" Sulla corrected sternly. "They're here to cause trouble for Rome!"

Those damned Qin people are just like all those laws they created—cold and indifferent!

They would not waste their extra emotions on other races!
"And I remember!"

"Did the Qin envoys in Rome leave on their own while you were out and about?"

When Crassus was persecuted by the Marius faction for supporting Sulla, he hid in the Qin embassy.

This embassy has a long history; it was the place where Ying Duan, the second ruler of the Western Qin Dynasty, stayed when he was on a diplomatic mission.

While Qin and Luo were deeply in love and working together to divide up the existing power structures around them...
The Qin people built a magnificent villa for the Roman envoys in the old capital of Epang; Rome, in accordance with etiquette, designated the villa where Ying Duan had stayed as the exclusive residence for the Qin envoys.

Both sides also signed a treaty prohibiting murder and arson within the embassy grounds, as a sign of respect for their friendly nation.

Later on,

Although the relationship had broken down, the system was still preserved because the two sides were large neighboring countries.

Generally speaking,
The various upheavals in Rome had nothing to do with the Qin envoys stationed there.

When the Gracchus brothers were rafting on the Tiber River, the Qin envoys did not take any other action, so why did they run away this time?

Upon hearing this, Crassus also realized something.

But he still said, "I have observed the Qin envoy. He is very low-key, lives a very simple life, and even dislikes attending banquets hosted by the elders... How could he have time to contact Ma Lu?"

For this,

Sula simply shook his head and said, "So you have to realize that the smartest people don't go into business; they're more often active in politics."

Crassus then fell silent.

Sulla headed toward the Senate to discuss with the nobles who were celebrating their return to their "rightful place in history" the conquest of the Kingdom of Pontus.

His reasons are perfectly valid:
It is highly likely that the Qin people took in the fugitive Ma Lue!
Why are they still hesitating and worried about turning against the Qin state?

The Qin people have already made their move!
The elders hesitated for a long time, but under Sulla's resolute assurances, they finally agreed to his proposal.

……

At the same time,
In Jade Wall City
The prefect, accompanied by his trusted confidants, was welcoming the unexpected arrival of distinguished guests from Rome.

The aged Ma Lue, supported by his family's younger generation, came before the prefect, patted his chest in a gesture of respect, and said in somewhat broken Mandarin, "I am extremely grateful for Qin's help!"

"I never imagined that those hateful old party members would attack their own capital for power."

The prefect, who was well-versed in the nearly thousand-year history of the Qin Dynasty and knew that the Qin people had stormed the capital countless times, simply blinked upon hearing this.

He smiled and said, "It's alright!"

"You are deeply loved by the people in Rome. It won't be long before you can return to the country and seize power again!"

Marius gave a bitter smile but said nothing.

Seeing that he did not look well, the governor knew that he must have been exhausted from the journey. So he said to his adopted son Spartacus, "Take our distinguished guests to rest and take good care of them."

Spartacus agreed and then stepped forward to lead the way.

Driven by the mindset of a politician and a refugee, Marius seized the opportunity to communicate with Spartacus.

He praised his strong physique and the civility and demeanor he displayed after years of being educated in Qin, and introduced him to the younger generation who had followed him out of Rome and come to Qin:
“This is my nephew, Gaius Julius Caesar.”

"He is a smart and brave child!"

Then he turned to the thirteen-year-old boy beside him and said, "The man before us is undoubtedly a warrior!"

"Caesar, you should learn more from him!"

(End of this chapter)