After reaching a consensus with the Senate to go to war, Marcus Aurelius immediately spread the news, listed the Parthians' crimes, and called on the citizens of Rome to enlist.

Marcus Aurelius also issued a recruitment order to the members of the pro-war alliance and began to work on the formation of fifteen legions.

Upon learning of the impending war, the pro-war faction in Rome erupted in jubilation, contributing money and manpower to prepare for the coming conflict.

Meanwhile, the members of the Senate and other nobles were also busy with the formation of the new legion.

In no time, recruitment notices for soldiers were posted all over the streets and alleys of Rome.

For ordinary Roman citizens, neither the upper echelons' promotion of trade with the Han Dynasty nor the Parthians' blocking of the passage between the two countries had much to do with them.

Moreover, in the eyes of the Roman people, serving in the legion was not a good job. In the past, the Roman legions were mostly composed of Roman citizens, which was relatively fair and just.

However, the Roman legions of today were mostly composed of bankrupt farmers, artisans, or slaves.

Such legions basically fight for money; they fight for whoever pays them, and gradually become the private armies of generals and nobles.

Therefore, compared to the Roman people who were still able to survive, they naturally did not want to give up their current free life and become the private property of others.

For a time, both the pro-war alliance and the members of the Senate were in an awkward situation where they had no soldiers to recruit.

Inside the palace, Marcus Aurelius looked anxiously at Li Boming, whom he relied on as his strategist: "Sir, what should we do in this situation? Do you think we should ask the Celestial Master of the Taiping Sect for help?"

Although the Taiping Church had not been in Rome for very long, the expulsion of native Christianity left it without competitors. In addition, the Taiping Church's practices and doctrines were always geared towards the grassroots, which made it well-received by the Roman people.

Today, the Taiping Church, not to mention elsewhere, already has nearly 50,000 believers and 3,000 defenders in Rome alone, and this number is constantly increasing.

Marcus Aurelius believed that as soon as the Taiping Church spoke, the people would eagerly join the army.

Li Boming stroked his beard and said solemnly, "Your Majesty can ask the Taiping Sect to send out defenders to assist you in the war, but recruiting civilians is still somewhat inappropriate."

"Oh? What do you mean by that, sir?" Marcus Aurelius asked, looking puzzled.

"Your Majesty, now that you and the Senate have announced the declaration of war against Parthia, it should be soon that the news will reach Parthia."

Those Parthians will certainly not sit idly by and wait for you to lead a large army to attack them; they will definitely gather a large force to prepare for battle.

Moreover, although the legions of various provinces and the Senate have given you command, the generals who actually control those legions may not necessarily obey your orders.

In the end, you can only rely on your guards and the fifteen legions under your command.

Even if you manage to assemble fifteen legions before the war begins, how can an army composed of civilians possibly be ready for battle?

If your legions are unable to achieve merit on the battlefield, it will certainly affect your authority and be extremely detrimental to your future plans…!

Upon hearing Li Boming's words, Marcus Aurelius was taken aback: "But if we don't recruit from the common people, where should we recruit from?"

Li Boming said solemnly, "Gladiator!"

Gladiator?

"good!"

Seeing Marcus Aurelius's puzzled expression, Li Boming explained, "During my time in Rome, I discovered that many nobles used to enjoy watching gladiator matches, and many brave men became gladiators to compete in order to earn money."

These people, in terms of both physical fitness and fighting skills, far surpass ordinary civilians; with just a little training, they could form an army…!

Marcus Aurelius hesitated and said, "Sir, your suggestion is good, but those gladiators only care about money. Recruiting them will be much more expensive than recruiting ordinary people!"

Li Boming's expression hardened: "As the saying goes, everything is worth its price. What Your Majesty needs to do now is to take advantage of this time to quickly assemble fifteen combat-capable legions, and then, while fighting against Parthia, deplete the available forces of the various provinces and the Senate nobles..."

Furthermore, His Majesty has already signed a trade agreement with the Han Dynasty. Once the trade routes are open, you will be the one who benefits the most. Spending a little more money now is still worthwhile!

Upon hearing Li Boming's words, Marcus Aurelius nodded in realization: "Sir, you are right. Let's do it that way. I will immediately send people throughout Rome to recruit gladiators from all over the country!"

After discussing the follow-up matters, Li Boming also took his leave.

After leaving the palace, Li Boming did not return to his residence, but instead headed towards the Taiping Taoist temple located in the east of the city.

Before long, Li Boming arrived at the backyard of the Taoist temple and saw Zhang Bao training the Taoist guardians.

"Master Zhang, I have followed your instructions and persuaded Marcus Aurelius to recruit gladiators to form his legion...!"

"Well done, sir! You've done a great service this time!"

Upon hearing Li Boming's account, Zhang Bao, dressed in a Taoist robe, couldn't help but laugh.

"I dare not accept such a great contribution. I simply do not understand why you would help this Roman emperor? If he truly achieves his goal of controlling all of Rome through these gladiator legions, it is clearly not in the interests of the Han Dynasty!"

Faced with Zhang Bao's praise, Li Boming asked with a puzzled look.

Although his purpose in coming to Rome was to promote the teachings of the saints that he adhered to, deep down he still longed for the Han Dynasty.

Zhang Bao smiled and said, "Mr. Li, you don't know this. Those gladiators are all people who live on the edge. They will follow whoever has money."

The Roman emperor is paying them to fight now, but what if the emperor runs out of money in the future? Then will these legions have to fight for someone else?

"Hmm~, I see!!"

After listening to Zhang Bao's words, Li Boming immediately understood the key point.

Although the Han Dynasty and Rome appear to be exchanging goods and services on the surface, in reality, the Han Dynasty holds an absolute dominant position.

If the Han Dynasty and Rome become enemies in the future, the Han Dynasty can immediately impose economic sanctions on Rome. When Rome runs out of money, it will naturally be unable to command its legions. At that time, the Han Dynasty may not even need to send troops; it can simply buy Rome with money.

(This is not just the author's wishful thinking. In Rome at that time, people's pursuit of wealth could be described as a morbid obsession, which was one of the reasons why Rome continued to expand.)

Historically, Rome has had instances of military rebellions and the sale of the imperial throne to foreign powers.

It's no exaggeration to say that with enough money, you really could buy Rome...