Rome, inside the royal palace.

Squads of fully armed Imperial Guard soldiers patrolled the palace, their sharp eyes scanning every corner.

The sound of the armor plates colliding constantly reminded people of the extraordinary nature of this day.

In front of Augustus's palace in Rome, guards stood every five steps, forming a dense cordon of soldiers.

Inside his palace, Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius lay pale-faced on his bed.

Roman Prince Commodus, Taiping Heavenly Master Zhang Bao, and Confucian scholar Li Boming, who was revered as the Imperial Tutor, all stood solemnly by the bedside.

Marcus Aurelius lay on the bed, his eyes slightly open, staring at the ceiling above him, a hint of resentment in his gaze.

This was a crucial period for the implementation of imperial rule, and the Senate was suppressed to the point of being unable to rise up under his military and economic pressure.

Marcus Aurelius firmly believed that in just two more years, he could transform Rome into a monarchical state like the Han Dynasty and then smoothly pass the throne to his son.

Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned, and I happened to fall seriously ill at this time.

Turning his head to look at Commodus by the bedside, Marcus Aurelius couldn't help but sigh.

He didn't know whether his son could truly secure Augustus's position and bring the throne of the Roman emperor into the family.

He knew he wouldn't last more than a few days, and he had to make arrangements for everything before he died.

"Father, is there anything you want to say?"

Meeting Marcus Aurelius's gaze, Commodus quickly moved closer to the bedside and asked in a low voice.

Marcus Aurelius's mouth opened slightly, and he mumbled a single word: medicine...

At this point, he was clearly no longer able to utter a complete sentence.

Upon hearing this, Kang Maode turned and glanced at Zhang Bao beside him.

Zhang Bao understood and waved to the side. A doctor dressed in a Taoist robe came to Marcus Aurelius with a bowl of herbal medicine.

Zhang Bao stepped forward and whispered to Marcus Aurelius, "Your Majesty, this medicine is too potent. If you take it, although you may recover temporarily, I'm afraid you won't make it through the night!"

Marcus Aurelius nodded with difficulty, his gaze fixed on the bowl of medicine.

Upon seeing this, the physician immediately handed the medicine to a palace maid standing nearby.

The palace maid took the medicine and then served it to Marcus Aurelius.

After about half an incense stick's time, Marcus Aurelius's originally pale cheeks gained a touch of rosiness. Clearly, this was due to the medicine, which forced him into a state of final respite.

Marcus Aurelius took a deep breath and turned to Commodus: "My son, come here..."

"Father!"

Seeing this, Kang Maode quickly joined in.

Marcus Aurelius asked, "Is everything arranged at the palace?"

Kang Maode: "Father, rest assured, I have already transferred my personal guards into the palace, and everything is under control!"

The personal guards that Commodus mentioned were all the brave warriors who had accompanied him on his mission to the Han Dynasty. They were loyal and only obeyed his orders, making them much more reliable than the so-called Imperial Guard.

"And... what about outside?" Marcus Aurelius asked again.

"Outside?"

Kang Maode was slightly taken aback, looking at his father with some confusion.

Seeing this, Marcus Aurelius shook his head and then ordered, "Go and invite Penis here yourself!"

As he spoke, Marcus Aurelius also emphasized the word "please".

Pennis was a confidant of Marcus Aurelius and was appointed as the adjutant of the Praetorian Guard, assisting him in commanding fifteen Praetorian Guard legions, making him extremely powerful.

"Yes, Father!"

Commodus knew the importance of Penis, so he agreed and quickly walked out of the palace.

After Commodus left, Marcus Aurelius turned to look at Li Boming and Zhang Bao.

"Gentlemen, after I leave, I hope you will give my son your full support and ensure that he sits firmly on the throne."

I will leave a will stipulating that when my son becomes Emperor of Rome, he shall make Confucianism the official doctrine of Rome, and the Taiping Religion the state religion of Rome…”

"Please rest assured, Your Majesty, Prince Kang Maode is a humble man who has always shown us great respect and is very close to the Han Dynasty. We will do our utmost to support him, both in public and private matters!"

Upon hearing Marcus Aurelius's promise, Li Boming and Zhang Bao immediately agreed with joy on their faces.

After seeing the two men express their opinions, Marcus Aurelius nodded in relief.

With the support of the Confucian school and the Taiping Religion, he figured his son would be able to secure the throne.

Today, Confucianism and the Taiping Religion have been established in Rome for many years, and their powerful assimilative force has penetrated deep into the Roman people.

Taking Confucianism as an example, although its ideology of respecting the king was not initially welcomed by the nobility, its various rituals and hierarchical ideas were admired by all the nobles.

Moreover, in Confucianism, the so-called "respect for the king" is merely a mythologizing of the king, and does not refer to any particular person.

This king could be Augustus, or someone else, depending entirely on how it is portrayed.

Therefore, thanks to Marcus Aurelius's tireless promotion over the years and the constant support of a group of nobles, Confucianism had become a compulsory subject for the upper class of Rome.

Any nobleman who is ignorant of Confucius, etiquette, and the Analects will be looked down upon by others.

As for the Taiping Religion, after Christianity in the Roman Empire was condemned as heresy, the Taiping Religion, relying on its complete theological system and its unique pragmatic ideas, was deeply admired by the general public.

Over the course of six or seven years, the number of priests in the various dioceses of Rome had reached no less than 100,000, and the number of believers who worshipped the One and the various gods under the One was at least tens of millions.

These priests and believers, from nobles and soldiers to commoners and even slaves, all joined and became members of Taiyi's ranks.

Therefore, the Confucian school and the Taiping Religion have become a powerful force that cannot be ignored.

Just then, Penis, the adjutant of the Royal Guard, followed Commodus into the palace.

Marcus Aurelius looked at Li Boming and Zhang Bao, "Gentlemen, I have something to say to my son and Pennis alone!"

"We'll take our leave!"

Upon seeing this, Li Boming and Zhang Bao bowed respectfully and turned to walk outside.

As Zhang Bao passed by Pennis, he glanced at him unintentionally.

Sensing Zhang Bao's gaze, Penis nodded imperceptibly.

Upon seeing this, Zhang Bao immediately withdrew his gaze, a slight smile playing on his lips, and then left the palace.

After Zhang Bao and Li Boming left, Marcus Aurelius turned to look at Pennis.

"How many years have you been with me?"

“Your Majesty, I have been following you for fifteen years!” Penis replied.

"Fifteen years, time really flies!"

Upon hearing Marcus Aurelius's lament, Pennis simply stood there with his head down, offering no reply.

When did you join the Taiping Cult?