Chapter 857: Goodbye Commodus
Regardless of the tone or the expression on his face, Clint appeared very sincere. And Zhang Heng had two in his hand as evidence. If another person talked to Clint, that person might trust 70% of what he said, even if they couldn’t believe him entirely. Unfortunately, the person sitting in the carriage was Zhang Heng.
When Clint showed up for the first time, Zhang Heng had already known what his plan was. And from what Clint said just now, Zhang Heng now confirmed that Clint and Altrus were the emperor’s right and left hands. Both his most important consultants, their relations.h.i.+p was not as harmonious as it seemed on the surface. Otherwise, even if they had common interests, Clint might not be willing to help Zhang Heng overcome his difficulties.
As of now, Clint’s current intention was very obvious to Zhang Heng. He hoped that Zhang Heng could work with him to deal with Altrus.
In all fairness, Clint did come up with a solid plan. Not only did he attempt to get rid of Zhang Heng’s suspicion towards him via the two letters, but he even directed the attention to his political enemy, Altrus. At the same time, he managed to set up a trap for Zhang Heng.
The smile on his face did not last long, though, and his expressions became frozen in the next moment.
It was because he saw Zhang Heng taking out two flint stones from his pocket before slowly lighting the two papyrus.
“Uh, what are you doing?”
“Let the past be the past. There is an old saying in my country. One should solve the conflict but not worsen it. I think it makes perfect sense here,” Zhang Heng said lightly.
Clint’s goals overlapped Zhang Heng’s goals in a sense, which was why Zhang Heng had told the slave girl he might work with Clint in the future. However, this did not mean that Zhang Heng would pick a side so soon. It was no doubt that Clint carried sinister intent when he handed the letters to Zhang Heng.
If Zhang Heng could not hold back and handed the two letters to Commodus, it would mean that a war between him and Altrus would spark off immediately. Although Commodus had a good impression of him and contributed a lot to the stability in the southeast city, Zhang Heng believed that Commodus would still take Altrus’ side, the latter of whom he had worked side-by-side with for a long time. Besides, the political resources Altrus possessed would never allow him to be destroyed by two mere letters. If this matter continued, the person who would suffer the most, in the end, would be Zhang Heng.
Besides, if the first thing Zhang Heng did after entering the palace was to report to his colleague, this would undoubtedly give Commodus the impression that he was the disagreeable kind. It did not matter whether the matter was fabricated. As an advisor of Commodus, his political achievements and capability were not as crucial as Commodus’s att.i.tude towards him.
And the emperor’s att.i.tude towards a person could change anytime. Maybe he liked you a lot when he first met you, but the next second, something insignificant could have him treat you differently. Such a thing was ubiquitous in history. Few people that the emperor valued ended up well.
When Commodus’s impression of Zhang Heng deteriorated, Clint would step forward to say a few good things about Zhang Heng. Then, perhaps, Zhang Heng could continue staying by Commodus’s side. However, that would mean Zhang Heng would need to obey Clint’s order to stay alive, just like Pannonax.
And if Zhang Heng had kept the letters he received from Clint and chose not to hand them to Commodus, it meant he pa.s.sed the first level. However, this was still not a good decision because Clint would definitely find a way to expose Zhang Heng to Altrus. If that happened, Zhang Heng would become Altrus’ enemy because of these two letters.
It was undeniable that Clint’s plan was almost perfect, but he did not expect Zhang Heng to burn the two letters in front of him.
“Didn’t you say that the emperor is waiting anxiously to meet me? Better not let him wait too long.” Zhang Heng stepped on the burning letters, killing off the last flames, and smiled.
…
Commodus had indeed waited for Zhang Heng for a long time, but he did not just sit there and do nothing. As the emperor of the empire, he ruled over a vast territory with a population of millions. This also meant something for Commodus to do, especially since he inherited the throne when he was still very young. Facing the huge political legacy left by Aurelius, not everyone wanted to a.s.sist the young emperor wholeheartedly.
This was also the reason why Commodus was so anxious to expand his manpower. When he returned to Rome, he found out the situation he faced here was no easier than when he fought the Germanic tribes at the River Rhine’s bank.
Before Zhang Heng walked into Commodus’s study, he heard the young emperor’s roar in the corridor, “What did Dior promise me again?! He told me that the Senate would handle this matter, but is that how they handled it? They did not include me when they talked about rewarding the soldiers. After that, they told everyone that the Senate was the one rewarding those soldiers. What now?! My soldiers think that their emperor doesn’t value them at all! My G.o.d! When I made peace with the Germanic, many senior officers in the military criticized me. And now the Senate has given them an excuse to slit my throat while I am asleep…”
Clint and Zhang Heng knew that Commodus was furious. Hence, they chose not to talk to him at this time. It was not until the conversation in the study was over that Clint reached out and knocked on the door.
They could hear Commodus’s angry reply from inside. “Come in!”
Clint pushed the door, walked in with Zhang Heng, bowed, and said, “Your Majesty, Zhang Heng is here.”
Commodus’s mood improved a little after seeing Zhang Heng. He then squeezed out a smile and said, “Long time no see. You never fail to disappoint, don’t you?”
When Zhang Heng stepped into the study, he took a quick glance at the entire room. To his surprise, Commodus was the only person there. In other words, if the emperor was sane and wasn’t venting his anger at the air, it meant another person must’ve been in the room not too long ago. And that person had left the study only after Clint’s knock on the door.
Did the person leave through the window?
Zhang Heng noticed that the study’s windows were open, and the wind was blowing at the curtains. He, however, did not think that the individual had left through the windows since there was a small garden right outside. Before entering the study, Zhang Heng saw two gardeners cutting flowers and trees.
Since the other party chose to avoid them, he would not want the gardeners to spot him. Therefore, Zhang Heng deducted that there had to be a secret pa.s.sage somewhere in this study. It allowed the second person in the room to come and go freely. Considering how cautious every emperor was, the person that talked to the emperor just now had obviously gained the emperor’s full trust.