Chapter 1086
"Licinius Stolo …" Crotocatax was familiar with the name because he was now the Registrar of Rome. From time to time, Stolo would come to the Registrar's office to retrieve files or submit a citizen's criminal record. Crotocatax and Crotocatax had many opportunities to interact with each other. He knew that Stolo was impartial and rarely made mistakes in court affairs. He was very popular with the people of Rome. Of course, it was also because he was a citizen of Rome.
Cloto Catax had always believed that as one of the few capable and proactive citizens of Rome's Diónia, Stolo would have a bright future ahead of him.
"Is she here to plead for Stolo?" After years of training, Cloto Catax was no longer as naive as he was when he first started doing things. He immediately knew the reason for Stolo's visit.
"Yes. Stolo was asked to go to the Registrar's office for investigation. Cornia was very worried about it, so she came crying to me. 'Her husband has always worked for the kingdom. He has never colluded with the former nobles of Rome to rebel …' She begged me to speak for her husband, and I agreed," Dido said calmly.
"Are you close to Stolo's wife?"
"She has attended a few of my banquets. We got to know each other after a while. How should I put it … She's not exactly a traditional Rome woman. She has a little bit of a noble lady in Rome," Dido said in a serious tone.
Ever since she married Crotocatax, Dido had been living with him in Rome. But when she was about to give birth, Cristoya strongly requested that Dido come to Turií to give birth. Thus, Dido stayed in Turií for a while and witnessed her mother-in-law organizing a few Turií noble ladies' parties. After she returned to Rome, she followed suit. Due to her special identity as a prince's wife, many noble ladies from Rome would attend her banquets, including the wife of the governor of Rome, the Asistes. Moreover, Dido was good with money and power. Thus, her banquets gradually became famous in Rome.
Cloto Catax did not stop her because it would help him expand his influence in Rome and meet the requirements of the Devers.
"Recently, the Turií's Inspection Office has arrested a group of rebels who tried to assassinate father at the Greek Scholar Conference. Most of them are former Rome nobles. Stolo's identity is special, so he must have had dealings with them in the past. It's normal for him to be investigated. But according to my understanding of him, he's a smart man. He won't be involved in such a stupid conspiracy. Besides, father used to admire him … I believe it's just a routine investigation. He'll be home soon. Maybe he's already having dinner at home, "Crotocatax said confidently while eating the codfish.
"I thought so too, so I simply agreed to it. After all, we don't need to do anything to gain their gratitude," Dido blinked her bright eyes.
"Oh you." Cloto Catax pretended to shake his head helplessly. He picked up another piece of fried codfish. Just as he brought it to his mouth, he thought of something and put it down again. Then he said seriously, "Even a person like Cornia from Rome feels uneasy about this arrest. I'm afraid the other former nobles and citizens of Rome will be even more worried. I'm worried that this will cause instability in the Kingdom!"
"I think father must have considered this problem when he made this decision, and has the corresponding measures to deal with it. Don't worry!" Dido said this not to comfort her. Ever since she joined the Kingdom of Diónia, she deeply felt that the strength of Diónia today was inseparable from her father-in-law. He was a man with great political wisdom and treated her very well. During the time when she lived in Turií, not only did he care about her, but whenever Cristoya criticized him, he would come forward and speak up for her …
After Margo's death, she found the shadow of her father in another person.
Cloto Catax agreed with his wife's words. He finished a piece of codfish with relief. Suddenly, he remembered something and said softly, "Today, I received a letter from father. In the letter, he asked me to tell you that the Kingdom wants to transfer the governor of Sicily, Hakkar, back to Turií."
"Ah!" Ever since she experienced the betrayal of Carthage and the death of her father, Dido thought that she could face everything calmly. But when she heard the news, she still felt a little flustered.
Cloto Catax saw through his wife's thoughts. He gently squeezed her hand on the dining table and said with a smile, "Father doesn't want to idle Hakkar. He wants to invite him to Turií to be the rotating president of the Senate."
Dido was stunned for a moment and then asked, "Which of the five rotating presidents has a vacancy?"
"It's a seat that Father specially created for him in the Senate. It's clear how much Father values him!"
Cloto Catax had heard from his wife that after most of the Magonid family members had moved to Iberia, Margo and Hasdrubal had been fighting outside all year round. At home, it was Dido and Hakkar who had spent the most time together, especially during the war in the Western Mediterranean. The two of them had to worry about the safety of their loved ones and stabilize the situation in the territory. They had to comfort and support each other. Although they were only cousins, they were better than real siblings, so their relationship was very good. Thus, he continued to comfort his wife and said, "Besides, Hakkar's health has always been poor. The matters in the southern region of Iberia are so heavy. Transferring him back to Turií will be good for his health. Besides, he will also be closer to us. Chris is already more than two years old, but he still hasn't seen his uncle! … "
After being comforted by Crotocatax, Dido relaxed a little. But she seemed to ask casually, "Who will be the new governor of Sicily?"
"Father didn't say in the letter." Cloto Catax thought for a moment, then said with a serious face, "I think Father will definitely send a very capable senator to take over. In the past year, the Iberian territory has been frequently attacked by the indigenous people, which has a lot to do with the inaction of the local officials. It needs to be properly rectified. We don't want to see the area that your father spent 10 years to conquer finally become a paradise for the indigenous people!"
Dido was silent for a moment, then relaxed her brows and said softly, "Clotho, you are right. Since the southern region of Iberia has become the territory of the Kingdom of Diónia, then it should be reassured to let the Kingdom govern it … Do you still need a bowl of soup? "
"I'm already full." Cloto Catax put the knife and fork on the table, and the servants hurried over to clean up.
"Clotho," Dido asked softly again, "When can we return to Turií?"
"This … still needs to be decided by Father …" Cloto Catax's desire to go home was not very strong, mainly because he was freer here. His efforts were recognized by many people, which gave him a sense of accomplishment. So he thought for a moment and said, "Father left me here in the hope that through my efforts, the people here will recognize the Kingdom of Diónia more and support our royal family. I haven't done enough. Maybe I need to stay here for a few more years … I'm only a resident of Rome now. Maybe when I become the governor of Rome, I won't be far from going home."
… …
As Cloto Catax said, the news of "a group of former nobles of Rome being arrested" spread throughout the kingdom, and it did make some citizens of Rome in the Kingdom of Diónia nervous, but they soon received the news that Sextus had become the head of the legion.
Then, an even bigger news shocked them: the rotating president, Lucius, resigned from the post of governor of Turií and was replaced by Manlius Pubrius, a former great noble of Rome and now a senator of Diónia.
Turií was the center of the kingdom, and its governor was far more important and powerful than other towns in the kingdom. It must be a senator trusted by the King of Devers. And this new news strongly proved that the arrest this time was not to purge the former nobles of Rome, but it was indeed these people who were plotting a rebellion. The King of Devers still trusted and was willing to put the former noble citizens of Rome in an important position.
"Pubrius becoming the governor of Turií" was also a major event in the political arena of the kingdom. Pubrius, who had always kept a low profile and had never been a governor before, was suddenly nominated by the outgoing Lucius. This not only surprised many senators, but at the same time, he was also strongly opposed by them. But with the full support of the Devers, he finally sat in this important position.
Even though the dust had settled, the senators still had a lot of criticism about it, but soon their attention was attracted by another major event: the death of the finance minister, Merses.
Since the founding of Dionia, Mercies had always held the authority over the finances of the kingdom. Even though many elders had quarreled with him over the issue of money, they had to admit that it was precisely under his strict and shrewd management that the kingdom's finances did not collapse despite several life-and-death and costly wars. Instead, the kingdom managed to hold on and become as powerful as it was today.
Of course, they were not worried that Merses' death would cause chaos in the kingdom's financial management. In fact, his successor had long been revealed. During the period when he was ill and bedridden, Archipedes received his recommendation and the support of the king. He did a good job as the acting finance minister, and many people thought that he would officially take over this important position.
In the few days that Merses' body was resting, the King of Devers and his wife, the five rotating presidents, various ministers, senators, officials of various levels of the kingdom, and even many Turií citizens went to pay their respects. There was a long queue in front of the mansion that he lived in every day. When Merses was alive, he was not as popular as he was now.
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