Chapter 718 Settlement (Part 2)

Looking at Andrew's silence, Luga felt that this was nothing strange. He had enough patience to watch Andrew's dullness.

Luca was so unhurried, sitting on the half-lying bed with a wine glass in his hand, shaking the glass in his right hand. He looked so relaxed and at ease, which was so out of place with the nervous expression on Andrew's face opposite him.

"Marenius!"

Luca called out softly, and Malenius understood immediately. Perhaps the smell of the head of Cecilius in the box was not suitable for the current scene. At least the existence of a rotten head, both in appearance and smell, was unacceptable to a noble man who was tasting wine.

“Crack!”

With a crisp sound, the open box emitting a foul smell was closed, leaving Andrew, who was still in shock, staring at the ugly box in front of him with wide eyes in horror.

"Why?" Luka asked in confusion, "How could a veteran general with many battles and achievements be frightened by an insignificant head?"

Seeing that Andrew did not respond, he must have lowered his head and was thinking hard about how to continue the sentence. However, Luca did not intend to give him any chance to think at this time.

Luca held up the wine glass, and Marenius stepped forward and picked up the wine jug to fill Luca's glass. Then Luca held the wine glass and stretched his hand in front of Andrew, without any words, just gestures.

Andrew naturally understood what Luca meant. He slowly raised his glass and clinked it with Luca.

"This is a victory, my friend!" Luca held the cup to his lips, but he did not open his mouth to drink. Instead, he pointed at the box with his little finger from the hand holding the cup and said to Andrew, "Look, am I stupid?"

"I don't understand what you mean, Caesar!" Andrew frowned and looked at Luca in confusion.

"Don't you think I was a fool? Andrew, my old friend, I made a big mistake, but I suddenly came to my senses."

"I still don't understand, Caesar."

"Oh, you should understand, my friend!" Luca chuckled, then shook his head and drank the wine in the glass.

Andrew didn't say anything. Obviously, he was playing dumb. It was no wonder. After all, at this critical moment, on the table in front of him were the heads of his political friends, even if they were former friends. If it were anyone else, I'm afraid they would not fail to think about self-protection.

Yes, Andrew insisted that playing dumb was the only way to protect himself, and he actually acted in that way.

"Think about it carefully, my friend!" Luca sighed and placed the silver wine glass in his hand on the table, deliberately making a "dang" sound to attract Andrew's attention. "We cherished our lives at the beginning and were reluctant to harm others, but what happened? The mutual sympathy between the nobles led to endless wars. Where there are fights, there will be casualties. In the end, you still won this game at the cost of your life, but too many outsiders who should not be involved in this matter paid a painful price for it. From this point of view, winning and losing are no longer important. When a person stands up in a pool of blood, everyone is a loser."

"War is just." Andrew hesitated for a moment, then continued hesitantly, "War fought on behalf of Rome and its people is always just, at least for Rome. Just like the war we fought on the Chalones Plain, in Britannia, and Iberia, all of which were fought for Rome. We have made great achievements and are loved by the people of Rome and blessed by God."

"It's just that I have received such an honor and God's love, not because of you, my friend." Luca said with a smile, and gestured to Marenius. Marenius stepped forward and filled Luca's glass and Andrew's glass.

"That's true, that's true!" Andrew paused. He probably didn't expect Luca to say that. It was the first time that such conceited words came out of Luca's mouth.

"So, the word 'jealousy' is still very unsatisfactory." Luca smiled, but the smile was so cold, and there was another meaning lurking in it. Andrew couldn't tell what it was.

Andrew had a bad feeling, but he couldn't say it out loud. He just felt very cold, almost chilling. What surprised him even more was that this feeling was brought by Luca, who was sitting next to him with a smile on his face.

"But now, according to one person's guidance, I suddenly understand a lot, at least how to become an outstanding Augustus. I believe I was not qualified before." Luca continued while tidying up his quilt, "I feel much better now than before. I used to be just an officer obsessed with military affairs. Even when I became a sergeant, my life was still closely centered around war. But now I am Augustus, and war is no longer synonymous with me. My current mission is to ensure that the people of Rome, whether nobles or civilians, can get the stable life they want. Moreover, if you want stability, you must eliminate war. You should also understand, my friend, that the best way to eliminate war is to set up a line of defense against the enemies outside. So I arranged for the Thracian Field Army to build a line of defense on the Rhine River and advance step by step to further eliminate the harassment of the Huns."

"As for internal affairs." Lu Jia changed the subject, turned around and looked straight at Andrew, "I now realize that, militarily, a war started by thousands of people can be quelled politically by killing one or two people. I instantly realized that I should do the same. After all, the price of thousands of deaths is too high!"

“Bang!”

The silver cup slipped from Andrew's hand and hit the hard stone table. The wine in it spilled on Andrew's pants, and the rest fell to the ground with the silver cup.

Andrew sat in his seat as if petrified. He seemed to feel the atmosphere around him suddenly become cold, and everyone around him stared at him closely. He seemed to have become the focus of everyone present. Poor guy, he seemed to understand something from this, and had to understand something.

"I understand, Caesar."

Andrew pursed his lips tightly, rested his open left elbow on the stone table, clenched his five trembling fingers tightly, and held them together with all his strength, so hard that his knuckles cracked.

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Andrew seemed to want to hold on to something. He put his left hand to his mouth and squeezed it tightly, then suddenly let go.

"I know, I know, Caesar!" Andrew kept repeating. He sighed, then laughed, his smile full of helplessness.

"As for Quinta and Gloria," Andrew said of his family. "They are all innocent and should not be punished."

"I understand!" Luca replied coldly.

"Then let me bear the punishment for betrayal!" Andrew took a deep breath, as if he had made sufficient preparations in his mind.

"Okay! Okay!" Luca restrained the smile he had been hiding for a long time. His face was full of disappointment. He kept nodding his head. "So, Andrew, there are too many people in the palace who want to kill you. They may be inside the palace, outside the wall, or even around you and me. Their eyes are as cold as the snow on Hadrian's Wall, and they are as agile as your youth, fast and deadly. They are ready to fight at any time, just waiting for my order, and they will swing their swords to kill you without hesitation, and offer them to me like this head to please me."

Andrew didn't say anything. Beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, dripping onto the table.

"I'm ready!" Andrew said, then stood up and walked to the opposite side of Luca, slowly knelt down, and faced Luca. "I'm ready! Caesar, I'm ready!"

"But I don't want to kill you just like that, Andrew!" Luca waved his hand in boredom. Such words really surprised Andrew. Luca continued, "I have killed too many people, leaving too few people behind. Especially those who are close to me are even more precious. I forgive you, Andrew. Go, the farther the better!"

(End of this chapter)