Mythic version of the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 7319 They've caught up!

Chapter 7319 They've caught up!

There's absolutely no doubt about the relationship between Ma Chao and Sun Ce. As the people of Hu and Jiangnan, their relationship is naturally very good, since there's practically no possibility of any conflict between them.

In addition, Ma Chao always managed to pull off some tricks whenever he met Sun Ce over the years, and the two got along very well. There were no conflicts of interest between them, so it was impossible for their relationship not to be good.

So when Tachito said he was going to run away and explained why, Ma Chao naturally thought of his buddies. No other meaning, they're all brothers!

"Go to Wu Gong's side?" Upon hearing this, Tachito lowered his head and pondered for a moment. He didn't know much about Sun Ce's situation. The reason he suggested going to Kushan to flee was because the three Emperor Maru had some communication with Tachito. Tachito still had some connections in Kushan, so going there wouldn't be much pressure. But if it were Southeast Asia, where he was unfamiliar with the place, he would be at a disadvantage when away from home!

Essentially, there is a fundamental difference between the exiles of Tacitus and Ganassis. Ganassis had powerful backers and connections; he was merely using exile as a pretext for tourism. Tacitus, on the other hand, was in genuine exile and was unlikely to return to Rome for at least three to five years.

According to Taccito's assessment, his best outcome would be five or six years later, after the Roman authorities split the province of Greater Spain into three or four, he would be quietly recalled as a senator to appease the public sentiment in the Spanish region. After all, Taccito had indeed persisted in the Spanish tax-farming zone for so many years and still had some popularity in the local area.

However, after this journey, Tachito's supporters changed completely. Previously, his roots were in Spain, and his supporters were mainly citizens and minor nobles in the Spanish region. But when he returned, his true supporters became the senators of the Senate.

In terms of authority, even if Tacitus were to return as a legionary commander, or even be given the position of governor of Spain to appease the Spanish region, the difference between now and then is vast. Essentially, the entire organization has been replaced.

However, this is a choice made out of necessity. You can't fight city hall. Unless Tachibana can now possess the fighting power of the Tenth Knight at his peak, and thoroughly crush the main force of the entire nation to prove that he truly has such power, and then divide the spoils among his subordinates, he will inevitably end up in this situation.

Therefore, although both are called exile, Tacitus's current exile is a genuine one, not just some nonsense that Ghanasis calls exile but is actually a vacation or relaxation trip.

"I advise you not to go to the Kushans. Going there and going against the Han Dynasty will not end well," Ma Chao said solemnly. The more he learned about Chen Xi, the more he realized how terrifying Chen Xi was. Out of camaraderie, Ma Chao did not want Tachitto to jump into the fire.

"I'm just looking for a place to settle us all and make a living. Since you say Kushan won't do but Wu Gong's place will, then I'll go to Wu Gong's place first." Tacito was the type to listen to advice and eat his fill. Well, mainly because he knew that Ma Chao was a good person with no ill intentions. He was the type to repay kindness tenfold. In addition, the two of them were comrades who had fought side by side on the battlefield. Tacito figured that since he had fallen to such a state, Ma Chao had no reason to fool him.

“If you’re going to Sun Bofu’s side, I’ll make the connections for you. I met Sun Bofu before, and he complained to me that the infantry and cavalry of Jiangdong are utterly trash. With your skill level, you could at least be an instructor, right?” Ma Chao was very happy to see that Tacitus had taken his words to heart. After all, it was something to be happy about when his brother agreed with him.

“However, I do have conditions, and the conditions offered by the Kushans are not bad.” Tacitus’s expression turned serious upon hearing this. He was not joking. After all, he was one of the few commanders of the Roman Eagle Legion. In the Han Dynasty, apart from the commanders of the Grand Legion, Tacitus was not afraid of any other generals.

"Don't mention your conditions. They'll settle you with tribute-grade silk, and your soldiers will be settled with top-grade silk as well," Ma Chao said nonchalantly. "The legendary silk you're holding right now was also obtained from Sun Bofu by me."

The textile industry in the south was stronger than that in the north, and the average skill level of weavers from aristocratic families in the south was also slightly higher than that in the north. This was due to factors such as sericulture and climate, but the south did have an advantage in this aspect. This is why the north of the Han dynasty mainly focused on wool and cotton spinning, because silk could not compete with the south. Whether it was Shu brocade, Jing brocade, or Yun brocade, they were all specialties of the south.

The main power of Sun Wu was in the south. It might not be good in other areas, but in the silk industry, it was number one in the world, and that's no exaggeration.

"Huh?" Tacito was dumbfounded when he heard this person. Damn, is Master Wu that powerful?

"Don't be silly. When you get there, just tell Sun Bofu that my salary is paid in silk and that I need room and board included. He will settle the bill for you." Ma Chao had a very good grasp of Tacitus's serious silk enthusiast nature. After all, he was from the Central Plains and had lived in Rome for more than ten years.

"Are you sure?" Tacito felt he needed to ask further: was there really such a high production volume of tribute-grade silk?

Ma Chao probably noticed the confusion on Tachito's face and sighed, "How should I put it? They probably account for about a third of the market for tribute-grade silk. However, they haven't been focusing on that in recent years and have started working on other things. But they definitely have reserves, and supporting you guys shouldn't be a problem."

Unfortunately, the silk industry is quite troublesome. If it's exported to Rome, the government collects it all and it goes through international trade, which has a fixed price, so you can't make much money. After all, Chen Xi has to approve the price. Currently, there are many other commodities that can make money without going through international trade and with unlimited purchases, so why bother with the silk industry, right?

Therefore, the silk weaving industry in Jiangdong has only developed so-so in recent years, but after all, it is an old tribute item and still has a heritage. It's just that it doesn't compete with Shu brocade and Jing brocade much anymore.

“There’s nothing to say. I’ll take my men to Lord Wu’s place. If you’re familiar with him, remember to write a letter of recommendation. Besides, the journey is quite long, and we’ll need your help with supplies along the way.” Tacito sighed. The reason he stopped in Midia was because feeding, watering, and providing shelter for these two thousand men wouldn’t be easy. The saying “an army marches on its stomach” is no empty phrase.

After all, Tacitus was a true exile, and the treasuries throughout the Roman Empire were unlikely to allocate provisions to him. Since Tacitus could not choose to plunder, he naturally had to think carefully about how to obtain provisions.

"No problem. You can stay here for two days. I'll gather the provisions tomorrow and send you off the day after," Ma Chao said casually.

"Then it's up to you," Tacitus said with a touch of emotion.

"We're all brothers, no need to rely on anyone. When you get there, remember to give my regards to Sun Bofu. And don't be shy when you get there, we're all brothers, eat and drink at his place, don't be polite. If you're too polite, it won't be good. That guy lives a more carefree life than me. Give him some training. I don't know what's going on over there, but the army's organization seems to be problematic." Ma Chao immediately cursed when he heard Tacito's pretentious words. Tacito wasn't like this before, what's going on now!

“Wait, I think I remember now, isn’t Wu Hou’s territory under the Zhou Emperor?” Tacito saw Ma Chao cursing and starting to pour him wine, so he didn’t hold back and drank a few cups before realizing, “Wait a minute, there seems to be a Zhou Emperor over there.”

"Emperor Zhou?" Ma Chao was stunned for a moment, and it took him a while to find a match. "Oh, you mean Zhou Gongjin? He's a buddy of mine, my brother Bo Fu's sworn brother."

Tacito almost spat out his wine, realizing for the first time the true extent of Ma Chao's status in the Han Dynasty. "You really are on friendly terms with His Majesty the Emperor!"

To reiterate, even though Zhou Yu lost a man today and was dragged to a corner by Chen Xi to copy letters tomorrow, acting like a domesticated cat, his current worldwide reputation is not just hype. He is a true figure who could be honored as an emperor by the Roman Empire.

Even Roman naval officers, upon meeting and confirming that the other party was Zhou Yu, would have to pay their respects first. He was someone who had simply wandered into Rome and was greeted with formal etiquette by the Roman Empire.

Therefore, Tacitus didn't know where Sun Ce was, but he at least knew where Zhou Yu was. Then Ma Chao just said, "He's my sworn brother, Bo Fu! We're all brothers!"

Tachito knew Ma Chao. Although Ma Chao could go crazy, he wouldn't talk nonsense about such things. So Ma Chao really did have a brother who was an emperor!

"What's wrong with you?" Ma Chao looked at Tachito, who had stopped drinking his wine and was just staring at him blankly with a strange expression. What was going on?

"Is Emperor Zhou also your brother?" Tachito asked with a deep expression.

“Yes.” Ma Chao nodded. “I’ve fought with Bo Fu several times, and it was Zhou Gongjin who pulled me away. What’s wrong? Is there a problem?”

Tacitus was puzzled but greatly shocked. After all, in the Roman Empire, only Severus was called Emperor. As for Perennis, people usually didn't call him Vice-Emperor but Judge, but he was still a true emperor. Now, to Tacitus, it was like Ma Chao was calling Perennis his brother. This was truly bizarre!

"Could you write me a letter of introduction so I can meet Emperor Zhou? Speaking of which, back in Northern Europe, it was thanks to His Majesty Emperor Huangfu that I was able to decipher the Y-type talent structure," Tacitus said with a hint of reverence.

To reiterate, the Roman legions held Huangfu Song, who had fought alongside them, in high regard. After all, when Huangfu Song realized that something was truly wrong, he shared some extremely valuable knowledge with the Roman legion commander.

Furthermore, with the talent tree from Odin's Tomb being made public, the top Roman gods had a clearer understanding of the talent tree structure. Tasito, who was truly suited to this path, relied on the Norse Wars to explore the Y-shaped talent structure despite the changing circumstances and completed the most important step.

Of course, Tachito didn't achieve the Y-shaped talent structure that combined speed and charge defense that he wanted most, but at least he has now combined the basic talent of no-start charge and charge defense that the Ninth Spanish Legion has mastered most deeply.

In other words, the Tacitus had completely transformed into heavy cavalry, possessing both defense and impenetrability, as they could charge without even needing to start. From a certain perspective, the Ninth Spanish Legion had successfully seized the rogue position that once belonged to the Peacock Legion after the upheaval, becoming the new version of the rogue.

After the Swiftness talent was upgraded to Divine Speed, the Ninth Eagle Legion of Tachitto truly integrated cavalry, assault cavalry, and heavy cavalry into one.

From a certain perspective, the three ups and downs and the three times becoming three talents were not without benefits for Tachitto. At the very least, his understanding of talent and power was truly superior to that of most legion commanders of this era.

"No problem. Just don't call him the emperor when you get there. He's still a buddy." Ma Chao didn't stand on ceremony and took full responsibility. There was nothing more to say. It was just a matter of meeting Zhou Yu. Actually, he didn't need a letter of introduction. In Ma Chao's mind, as long as he could find Sun Ce, he would definitely meet Zhou Yu.

With Ma Chao's assurance, Tachito's original worries dissipated considerably. He was mentally prepared to settle in Sun Ce's territory for five years, and as for the matters in Rome, he would put them aside for now.

"By the way, do you want me to bring your wife, children, and elderly mother over as well?" Ma Chao asked as if he had just remembered something, after drinking a few more cups and eating some hearty dishes with Tacitus.

“No need yet. The Roman Empire hasn’t reached that point. But if anything unexpected happens, remember to let me know. Spain is, after all, my old stronghold. I’ve been based there for decades, even if you only count the time I was a legionary commander, it’s been more than ten years. I still have some influence there,” Tachito said very seriously.

To reiterate, Tachitto still believed that the Roman Empire wouldn't harm his family. After all, Severus was still alive; would they really wipe out Tachitto's entire family for some so-called benefit? Tachitto's choice to go into exile was already a step back; if the Roman Senate wanted to go any further, then he shouldn't be surprised if he overturned the table.

Even if Taccito's power wasn't enough to overturn Rome's chessboard, the saying "the rabbit mourns the fox's death" is not a joke. Back when Pertinax was in power, whether he was purging others or others were purging him after his death, no one ever went so far as to harm his family. After all, everyone has a sense of right and wrong, and you can't just disregard everything and wipe out an entire family for the sake of so-called interests.

Once this precedent is set, those who follow may not necessarily bypass the person who did it!

Even if the Roman Empire did not have the saying "He who started this will surely have no descendants," the way Caesar was defeated and how those who defeated Caesar were defeated were all vividly remembered. Therefore, unless Severus really wanted to be Commodus, Tachitto and his men did not need to worry about their families.

"That's good. If you're moving your family over there later, remember to let me know, and I'll help you with that too," Ma Chao said casually.

“No, no, I will return to the Roman Empire,” Tachito said earnestly. He was well aware of his current situation and knew that this persecution would eventually end. After all, the Senate needed a way out and someone to stabilize Spain, and he was the most suitable person for that.

Ultimately, in this matter, Tacitus chose to yield to the Senate and to the interests of the Roman Empire, rather than to protect the interests of so-called Greater Spain. Therefore, if the Senate were to look for a governor of Spain in the future, Tacitus would be the most suitable candidate.

It's not suitable now because Spain is too big and the interests are too broad. But in the future, things that should be directly administered will be directly administered, things that should be divided will be divided, and things that should be separated will be separated. With Tácito back, he can "win back" some benefits for the locals. Coupled with his popularity over the past decade, Spanish citizens, who have been thoroughly worn down and understand what it means to be powerless against the powerful, will inevitably accept Tácito. After all, Tácito did nothing wrong, and Spanish citizens did live quite well while he was in power. People always need to find some reasons.

Even if by then there are elites among the Spanish citizens who recognize that Tacitus is actually a lackey of the Senate, what is the point?

As the saying goes, you can't fight city hall!

"It's really hard to say," Ma Chao said, stroking his chin. He knew very well how overpowered Sun Ce was. He was a magical ruler who could attract people with troops to surrender to him just by walking down the street. If someone like Tachito followed Sun Ce, he might become Sun Ce's comrade-in-arms in the long run.

“Governor…” Just as Ma Chao and Tacitus were drinking themselves into a stupor, Uberto, the camp commander who was accompanying them at the banquet, went out for a while and then quickly sent a telepathic message to Ma Chao when he returned.

"What's wrong?" Ma Chao looked at Uberto with some doubt. "Gannis has brought his elite troops to Media, saying he wants to see the commander of the Tacitus Legion and you."

Upon hearing this, the two were taken aback. They quickly snapped out of their daze, and Tachito's expression turned rather grim.

“Tachito, some things can’t be avoided. Come with me to see Ganis.” Ma Chao wasn’t the brightest, but his beastly intuition was no joke.

What could Ganis, as the camp commander of the loyal Claudius Legion, possibly do in Media at this time? Even if he were to be informed that the treasurer had died, would he need to come?

Those who have votes, please cast your votes! It's almost the 20th!