I put out his fire

On the day of the enthronement ceremony, Nero needed to dress up and meet all the congratulatory elders in the Senate.

In addition to the elders, there are also the governors and generals of each province, including the Gaul governor Lei Ke who once fought with Nero.

In a few days, he will travel around the city in a carriage and be cheered by the common people.That would be the grander scene.

Nero stepped barefoot on the woolen blanket, wool oozing from between his toes.The painter knelt on the ground and used oil paint to paint ears of wheat and oil droplets on the backs of his feet.This is the hope for agricultural prosperity.

His house slave came and reported: "Giovinus is at the door."

Jovinus was the bearded man who escorted Rhodes that day.He was Claudius' personal guard, and he had followed him from the humble tribune to the emperor for decades, and he had been with him longer than Meselina and Agrippina combined.

"Let him in." Nero nodded indifferently, "Also prepare some parchment and ink, I need to prepare a speech for the ceremony."

Jovinus came from the door, knelt down to the new emperor, and looked up at him.Nero was pale, staring at him coldly, with two shadows under his high cheekbones.At this moment, Jovinus felt that he was facing the evil spirit.

"Do you know why I called you here?" Nero looked down at the bearded kneeling on the ground.

The bearded man maintained the calmness of a soldier, and said solemnly: "I think... I am here to lead the death. It was I who escorted your personal guard and caused you to lose him."

The hands that were painting the oil paint suddenly clenched into fists, and tremblingly let go.Nero's lips trembled a few times before regaining his composure and said, "It wasn't you who caused me to lose him, but Claudius; but to be more precise, it was Munch who set the fire. More precisely, it was fate."

The beard was momentarily at a loss for words.He witnessed the whole process of Rhodes jumping off the cliff, and for the first time knew that there can be true love between men.In Rome, where promiscuity is so promiscuous that men and women are not taboo, beautiful but non-fertile homosexuals are usually just romantic relationships.

"I asked you to come here to ask you something." Nero said coldly, "Do you know where the golden sword exclusive to the guard commander is?"

Luchihu thought for a while, and said: "That sword has always been stored in the basement of the palace. It is said that a sword stained with blood can calm ghosts, especially the blood of the emperor who is as famous as a god. My master believes in these mysterious rules, but Didn't trust me, never gave me the title of Commander of the Guards."

Nero's eyes were burning, "Take it out and place it on the podium of the Senate. I want to resume the position of the commander of the Guards."

"You have every right to do so," said the bearded man, "but... this position is held by the emperor's personal guard. Have you found a new personal guard?"

Nero withdrew his oil paint hand, his face serious like a sanctuary.His cheeks turned red visible to the naked eye, and he was silent for a long time, and finally, as if calling, he said a name in a cautious tone: "Rod Fine."

The bearded man was a little confused: "It's... still him?"

"Who else is there besides him?" Nero glanced at him, "The succession ceremony will appoint a new guard commander. Rhodes is not here. I will use the golden sword as a sign of appointment."

The house slave brought parchment and ink, and pulled out a chair for the master.Nero sat down, dipped a metal engraving pen into ink, and wrote the Greek for the speech on the shaggy parchment.

He wrote neatly and devotedly, filling a page in no time.

Putting down his pen, Nero stood up facing the sun and read through the written speech.The sun shines through his pupils.

Too devoted, he habitually and instinctively gave out an innocent smile, "How is your Greek learning? Rhodes, we haven't seen each other for a long time..."

He suddenly stopped, his voice stopped abruptly, and he sat back on the chair silently.

The slaves around held their breath, and none of them dared to speak out.

……

From the senate to the house, the slaves scattered roses and nuts along the streets, and the wheels crushed the nut shells, cracking crackling all the way.

Nero held the speech script, and while repeating the speech script silently, he swayed and sat in the bumpy carriage.

This is the succession speech, the first speech an emperor must make.Agrippina sent slaves to bring messages many times, reminding him to memorize the speech script by heart, so as not to ruin the first impression of the new emperor.

"I hold Rome in my hand. Up to the endless sky, down to the bottomless earth, I am the only one who respects..."

This is the first sentence of the speech.

Several slaves in fine clothes piled up the gold bricks into a ladder shape, and Nero walked down the golden ladder, wearing a silk robe with purple stripes on a red background.

The musicians lined the sides of the Senate, and the harps played just as he stepped up the first steps.The three doors of the Senate opened one by one as he passed by.

The beautiful female slave sprinkled gold powder and flower petals in the air, and the smell of perfume hit the face.His eyelashes were dusted with gold, and the music and cheers were overwhelming like an uncontrolled torrent.All the hustle and bustle of the world of suffering is concentrated here, just like a distilled spirit hardened from thin milk.

Nero's neck was straight, and he took the scepter from the guards. All the nobles attended and stood up to applaud the new emperor.

The sword stood on the podium in the middle.The blade is like a row of blunt teeth.

"I want you to help me get the golden sword of the guard officer, and then destroy it." Rhode's words rang in his ears.

Nero suddenly fell into a trance.

In a trance, he saw the beautifully dressed mother, Lei Ke, Octavia, seniors with fake smiles...these real people who appeared in his life were floating like ghosts at this moment.All the sounds disappeared, and it was like a mime in front of my eyes.He has a sense of alienation from the outside world.

The memory goes back to that night at the manor.When he rushed towards Rhodes excitedly, Rhodes muffled, closed his eyes, and fell directly back into his arms.

At that time, my Rhodes didn't want to live anymore.

When Nero thought of this, there was a sharp pain in his heart, as if a hole had been cut in the heart, and blood gushed out.

Unknowingly walked to the front of the podium.The servant following behind reminded him: "It's time for you to give a speech, Master..."

The warm applause and applause came from all directions like endless weeds growing on the courtyard wall.

Nero reached out and touched the hilt of the sword, the corners of his eyes were red.Because of the mist in his eyes, he trembled when he saw everything.

In front of the podium, he choked up, and he said an inexplicable sentence: "I have nothing..."

Fortunately, the choked words were drowned in the surrounding noise.

The servant who was following him was sweating from fright, and quickly tugged on his sleeve, reminding him: "Master, this is the succession ceremony..."

Nero held the hilt of the sword, facing the mime-like scene in front of him, swallowing the soreness in his throat.

"I hold Rome in my hand. Up to the endless sky, down to the bottomless earth, I am alone..." He paused here, his throat was sore, and the corner of his speech was wrinkled by him.

Nero, who exhausted his power and dignity in the world because of the loss of his lover, realized at this moment that all living beings are suffering.

……

After the ceremony, the first thing Nero did was to go to the dungeon to deal with Anthony.

The criminals in the dungeon have committed serious crimes and the conditions are the worst.But Nero insisted on coming and killing Antony himself.

The dungeon was stuffy and damp, and the moss-covered walls oozed sticky droplets like some monster's saliva running along the walls.

Several guards laid straw mats in the corridor of the dungeon. Nero creaked and stepped on the dry grass, and the grassy-smelling water droplets from the top of the wall dripped into the gold-dusted hair and shawls.

Iron-soled military boots stood in front of a small wooden window.Nero pressed his staff against the wooden window.

There was a violent movement inside, "Brother! My brother has come to save me..." Anthony screamed in the prison, his fist hitting the wooden board of the cage with a thud.

"Open the cage," said Nero, looking at the shaking boards.

Two prison officers unlocked the chain with a key and dragged Anthony, who could only lie down, out of the prison.

A pungent stench came out.Anthony's skin was festered, blue pustules covered his face, his clothes soaked in the filth for a long time were torn, and his feet to calves were black.His appearance was horrible.The prison officers and guards on the side all shrunk their necks, and some covered their noses.

"Brother..." Anthony grinned, showing a row of black and yellow teeth, "I've been waiting for you for too long..."

Nero said with a cold face and no expression, "Your brother won't come."

Anthony felt something was wrong, opened his eyes wide to look at people, and said blankly: "Who are you..."

Nero didn't answer him, and continued to say: "Your elder brother Menci, because of arson, killed more than 200 people, and also implicated the virgin Julia, who is about to be buried alive because of her help in arson."

"Arson...Julia...buried alive..." Anthony listened intermittently, unable to react for a while.

"The most important thing is," Nero's tone suddenly became ruthless, "he is equivalent to forcing me away..."

The word Rhodes was forced down.He didn't think maggot Anthony deserved to hear the name.

Anthony was unconscious, his dirty head was shaking from side to side, and he hummed, "Menxi...brother...you came to save me...I'm so hungry...so cold..."

The corners of Nero's mouth twitched, his face indifferent, watching Anthony, who was mentally abnormal, rolling on the ground.

"Flow molten iron down his throat," he ordered, "so he won't complain about being cold and hungry."

The prison officer who received the order couldn't help but shudder.

The author has something to say: Rhodes is going to play