Inside the city of Rome, in the back chapel of the Taiping Church, Zhang Bao gazed at the distant horizon, thinking of his elder brothers, who were far away in Luoyang.
Even though he was thousands of miles away from home, Zhang Bao couldn't help but feel homesick. He didn't know if he would ever be able to return to the Han Dynasty in his lifetime.
But when he thought about his purpose in coming here and the achievements he might make in the future, he felt that it was all worthwhile.
"Master, everyone has arrived!"
Just as Zhang Bao was deep in thought, a steady voice came from behind him.
Turning his head, he saw his disciple leading several gladiators as they approached.
"Master, these four are the strongest gladiators in Rome...!"
Upon hearing his disciple's introduction, Zhang Bao immediately turned his attention back to the gladiators.
"Danu, Clay, Brand, and Mann!" The four gladiators immediately announced their names, then knelt on one knee before Zhang Bao and bowed, saying, "Greetings, Celestial Master!!"
They were all once fierce warriors who dominated the arena, but they were merely playthings in the eyes of nobles and slave owners.
After the Taiping Sect helped them gain their freedom, the four of them stayed within the sect and followed the Taoist priests to practice Taoist magic.
The Taiping Church's belief in the equality of all beings and that all are children of Taiyi was also deeply accepted by these gladiators.
"Can I trust your loyalty?"
Looking at the four gladiators kneeling on one knee, Zhang Bao asked in a deep voice.
"We are willing to give everything for Taiyi, including our own lives!!" Danu, Clay, and the other three replied without hesitation.
For them, besides dedicating everything to Taiyi and spreading Taiyi's glory, making great achievements is also what they crave most.
Zhang Bao said in a deep voice, "I hope you remember your oath today. From this day forward, forget your identity as Romans. You are merely servants of the One God!"
"yes!"
Danu, Clay, and the other three nodded in agreement without hesitation.
During this period, "Romans" was just a general term used by outsiders to refer to them.
In a broad sense, people from all the regions conquered by Rome were called Romans. However, within Rome itself, only Roman citizens were true Romans. The Spartans, Greeks, Gauls, and Germans who were conquered and captured by Rome never considered themselves Romans.
Especially those who were captured and became slave gladiators, not only felt no affection for Rome, but also harbored a trace of hatred towards it.
All they knew was that the Taiping Sect had saved them, given them freedom, and allowed them to live better lives. All they needed to do was follow Taiyi and be loyal to him.
Zhang Bao looked at Danu, who was the leader of the four, and asked, "How much money would it cost to recruit a gladiator legion?"
"In reply to the Celestial Master, if a gladiator is a free agent, the cost will not be too high; it will only cost 50,000 gold coins per year."
However, if the gladiators are kept by noble families, it will cost more money, because a ransom must be paid for them, and the price is determined by the gladiator's performance in battle.
Of course, one could also pay those nobles a sum of money to hire their gladiators!
"Fifty thousand gold coins isn't too much!"
Upon hearing Danu's answer, Zhang Bao nodded with a relaxed expression.
The value of Roman gold coins was not much different from that of the Han Dynasty; one gold coin could be exchanged for about ten taels of silver.
In Rome, a legion typically consisted of between three and five thousand combatants. With the addition of support and logistical personnel, a legion's total strength was approximately ten thousand.
A force of 10,000 men would only cost 500,000 taels of silver a year.
Compared to the military expenditure of the Han Dynasty today, a soldier's annual salary is one hundred taels of silver. In addition to various equipment and rewards, a force of ten thousand men would require at least two million taels of silver to operate each year.
Therefore, this is why Zhang Bao thought it was cheap.
Seeing Zhang Bao's appearance, Danu and the others were also taken aback.
You should know that his quote was based on the highest commission for hiring a gladiator.
An annual expenditure of 50,000 gold coins is enough to form five ordinary legions.
But in this Celestial Master's eyes, a legion composed entirely of gladiators was considered a bargain? Did he not know how powerful the gladiator legion was, or had the Han Dynasty become unimaginably wealthy?
Zhang Bao looked at Danu and the other three and said in a deep voice, "I have devised a plan to have Augustus of Rome form a gladiator legion. You can take this opportunity to answer the call, and I will put you in charge of the army as soon as possible."
After you seize power, while you preach your doctrines to the ordinary soldiers, you must also remember to win over the officers in the army and use them for your own purposes.
"You must, within three years, transform those gladiator legions into an army that outwardly obeys the Roman Emperor but is in reality loyal to the One!"
Danu respectfully replied, "Please rest assured, Celestial Master, we will do our utmost to serve Taiyi!"
Zhang Bao nodded: "Alright, I will give you 500,000 gold coins every year as operating funds!"
Besides spreading the doctrines of peace and establishing a diocese in Rome, Liu Hong also gave Zhang Bao the right to allocate funds of the Royal Merchant Guild when he left Luoyang.
With the opening of maritime trade between the Han Dynasty and Rome, various goods that are cheap in the Han Dynasty are sold to Rome at ten or even dozens of times the price. The potential profits are unimaginable. Spending 500,000 gold coins a year is just a drop in the ocean.
"Please rest assured, Celestial Master, as long as there is money, there will be absolutely no problem!"
Upon seeing that Zhang Bao was willing to offer 500,000 gold coins, Danu and the others excitedly patted their chests and assured him.
Zhang Bao waved his hand: "Alright, you may all leave. I will also arrange some people to assist you in your operation!"
"We take our leave!!"
Danu and the other three bowed respectfully and then withdrew.
After Danu and the other three left, Zhang Bao looked at his disciple beside him and asked in a deep voice, "How many men do we have under our command now?"
"In response to the Celestial Master, there are currently eight thousand defenders of the faith in Rome, three thousand of whom are in the open, and five thousand are hidden among the believers!"
The sub-districts in each province are in the initial stages of establishment, and the number of defenders of the faith is still uncertain, but the total number in all those provinces should be no less than ten thousand…”
“Not enough!” Zhang Bao waved his hand and said in a deep voice, “Send orders to the Taoist masters in each diocese to continue to expand the number of defenders of the Tao. Anyone who is a devout follower of Taiyi, even slaves or barbarians, can be recruited into the ranks of defenders of the Tao.”
"Within three years, each diocese must have a contingent of over ten thousand defenders of the faith to solidify the Taiping Church's position in Rome!"
For the fanatical Zhang Bao, the most reliable way for the Taiping Sect to gain a foothold in Rome, thousands of miles away, was to have its own team.
"Yes, Celestial Master!!"
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