Chapter 1112
Initially, Oakton was prepared to be teased, but he did not expect Hakka to explain himself. This gave him a little more confidence in today's meeting, so he smiled and said, "Even the people of Carthage almost all admit that Diónia's medical skills are the best in the entire Western Mediterranean. So, the suggestion they gave you is naturally correct. You look very healthy now!"
"Diónia is better than Carthage in many ways, not just in terms of medical skills." Hakka's tone was still calm. "But for all of you, it's best to hope that I can live a few more years, because it will be good for Carthage."
Hakka's words made Oakton feel refreshed. He seemed to feel that Hakka was expressing goodwill to Carthage.
"Please sit down, Master Oakton." Hakka pointed to the other side of the hot pool and said, "There's another reason why I asked you to meet me in the bathroom. The Turís believe that it's best to talk while soaking in a bath, because both parties are honest with each other, and there's nothing to hide."
Oakton nodded. Without any hesitation, he stepped into the pool and sat on the stone bench in the pool.
"A glass of wine? This is the best wine produced by the Orifis family of Turís. There's not much of it, and you can't usually buy it in the market. These few cans of wine were given to me by His Majesty. He said that drinking some while soaking in a bath is good for one's health … "
Oakton wanted to refuse, but after hearing what Hakka said, he changed his mind. "Then I'll have a glass."
The servant standing by the pool poured him a glass of wine.
After Oakton took it, he took a small sip and felt that it was sweet and sour. He could not help but sigh and say, "To be able to soak in comfortable water every day and drink such good wine, such a life is so comfortable! Master Hakka, I really envy you! "
Hakka said calmly, "The people of Carthage can also enjoy such a life. It's just that you are still clinging to the past and are unable to accept reality."
Hakka's words were a little vague, and Oakton could not accurately grasp what he meant. So, he asked tentatively, "You mean …"
Hakka did not answer directly. Instead, he asked, "I know that the nobles of Carthage have also developed the habit of soaking in a bath over the past ten years, but what do you think is the difference between Diónia and Carthage when it comes to bathing?"
Although he did not know why Hakka was asking this, Oakton thought about it seriously and answered, "The people of Carthage have removed the tedious steps before taking a bath. We just soak in a hot pool, then massage and shave …"
"In fact, the steps that Carthage people have removed are exactly why the people invented the bath. The people of Diónia people invented the bath. They believe that bathing is a good exercise, while Carthage people see it as." Without waiting for Okliton to respond, Hakkar scooped up another handful of water and asked, "Do you know where this water came from?"
"Do you know how this water came to be?" If he was in Carthage, Oakton would definitely say so. But here, he felt that it was not so simple, so he answered bluntly, "I don't know."
"It flowed into my house."
Hakka's answer surprised Oakton. "The city hall of Turín specially built a pool in your house?"
According to Okridon's understanding, the Dionians built high bridges to divert water from the rivers into the city. They built ponds in the important areas of the city that covered a large area, and then built sealed waterways to supply the water to the people of the city.
"It's not a pool. It's a hollow pipe as thick as the shaft of a spear made by the Ministry of Construction of Diónia in conjunction with the ironware merchants. It's connected directly to the water tower, and then buried under the ground, all the way to the kitchen of my house … His Majesty the Devers named it the water pipe. The servants don't need to go to the nearby pool to get water. They just need to turn on the switch of the water pipe, and the water will flow out naturally …" Hakka explained proudly.
Oakton was amazed, but he also realized, "This water pipe uses copper as the main material, so the cost of copper and the cost should not be a small amount, right?"
"It is indeed a large amount, but the cost is paid by the residents who apply for the installation of the water pipe, and the water fee has to be paid monthly (the water in the public pool is free). This is because the Waterway Administration has also designed a device that can calculate the water consumption of the residents. Even though the cost is not low, many people have heard of the news and applied for the installation of the water pipe. However, it has only just been put into operation, and it consumes a lot of copper, so it is only being installed in the inner city for now.
Someone once suggested, 'Change to cheaper and more abundant lead to make the water pipe.' As you know, there are a lot of lead mines in Corsica and the southern part of Iberia that Diónia has just acquired. However, His Majesty severely criticized this proposal, saying that 'when lead is dissolved in water, it is very harmful to the human body.' Now the ironware merchants are rushing to research cheaper and more durable materials to make water pipes, such as using tin as the main raw material … Because once the research is successful, they can earn a lot of profit just from the patent fees alone. Perhaps in a few years, you can see water pipes in the homes of the rich citizens of other towns in the Kingdom of Diónia … "
When Hakkar finished speaking, he saw that Okridon was listening attentively, so his expression gradually became serious. He said in a low voice, "Because of the glory of Carthage in the Western Mediterranean in the past, the people of Carthage have always been proud to think that their mother state is the best country in the Western Mediterranean, and that they have the best culture in the Western Mediterranean. Even other races are barbarians in the eyes of the people of Carthage.
I used to have this kind of pride when I was in Iberia, but after coming to Turín and staying here for more than a year, the pride in my heart has disappeared. Although Diónia is a new kingdom, it is much better than Carthage!
I believe that when you enter the estuary of the Crati River, everything you see will make you think the same. Just the city of Turín is already much stronger than Carthage, not to mention the Kingdom of Diónia. Crotone, Catanai, Rome, Syracuse … These big cities are not inferior to Carthage in terms of strength, but they are not Utica.
Although Utica is an important ally of Carthage, it may not listen to the orders of the Senate of Carthage at critical moments for its own interests. However, all the towns in the Kingdom of Diónia are under the direct jurisdiction of His Majesty the King and the Senate. When war breaks out, they can concentrate all their manpower and financial resources to fight the enemy with all their might. This is the main reason why Diónia was able to defeat Carthage in the Western Mediterranean War.
After the defeat in that war, Diónia's national strength skyrocketed day by day, while Carthage was weakened to the point that it may not even be as strong as Catanai. In such a situation of extreme disparity in strength, you are still stubbornly resisting — "
"We have no intention of fighting against Diónia at all!" Okridon was shocked and quickly defended himself. "We just want to live our own lives! But now those lowly Eastern Numibians are frequently attacking our territory. If it weren't for the peace treaty signed between Carthage and Diónia, and the fact that the Eastern Numibians are Diónia's allies, we would have gathered our army and attacked these abominable Numibian tribes long ago! "
Hakkar sneered. "You didn't fight back? No, you have already fought with the Numibians, but you suffered a defeat. "
"That was just a … small battle. We wanted to teach the Numibians a lesson and make them retreat. We didn't expect them to send so many warriors …" Okridon defended himself.
"If that's the case …" Hakkar opened his arms and held the edge of the pool. He said calmly, "I can suggest to His Majesty that you choose to ignore the Numibians when you attack them."
Okridon did not expect such an answer from Hakkar and was momentarily speechless.
Hakkar took advantage of the situation and said, "You see, I just said that the current Carthage people are unwilling to accept reality. You are an obvious example! With the current strength of the Carthage, can they defeat the Eastern Numibians? Now, the Numibians have gotten rid of their fear of the people of Carthage. Although they still have their own way of doing things, they can still reach an agreement on the matter of 'fighting against the people of Carthage'. In addition, they can now obtain better weapons and armor from Diónia … If Carthage gathers the strength of the Phoenician Alliance and goes all out in a battle, they may be able to win, but I believe that the casualties will not be small. The problem is, can Carthage still command the Phoenician cities on the Afrikaans like before? "
Okridon was about to say "yes!" But when he saw Hakkar's half-smiling face, he swallowed his words and looked slightly embarrassed. "Yes … The Phoenician Alliance is no longer as tightly united around Carthage as before the war. As time passes, anyone with a discerning eye can see that … Carthage is weakening day by day, and the Kingdom of Diónia, with its vast territory and large population, has become a powerful existence that no race or city living in the Western Mediterranean can avoid.
Especially the Phoenician cities east of the Robben Peninsula, they rarely listen to Carthage's orders. Instead, they frequently send messengers to Hadrumentum, it is said that it is to allow their merchants to more easily enter the vast market of the Kingdom of Diónia. Hadrumentum is like a poisonous needle that has been stuck in the body of the Carthage Alliance, and it has begun to unleash its destructive power … "
"Let me tell you the truth." Hakkar splashed the water on his chest and gently rubbed it. Then, he slowly immersed his body in the water. "I was the one who suggested to His Majesty, Dyvers, to 'order the Eastern Numibians to invade what little land you have left inland …'
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