Chapter 7095 Winning Now, Dying in the Future

Chapter 7095 Winning Now, Dying in the Future

To be fair, given Caesar's status, the fact that he didn't directly acknowledge the imperial system was already the greatest help he could offer to Rome at that time. If he had spoken out directly, the Roman Empire would already be in the process of "suppressing the rebellion." Regardless of how exaggerated the losses might be later, Caesar's actions at this stage would certainly have been enough to quell the situation.

Of course, this was only the case for now. Augustus's laws lasted for two hundred years. The Roman Empire experienced the death of the direct descendants of the Claudius family, but continued to move forward with the old system, maintaining prosperity and peace for more than two centuries.

If the monarchy were to end under such circumstances, and in a way that completely undermines the consensus reached from the monarchical era to the present day, countless patriots would undoubtedly rise up and fight the Claudius family to the very last moment.

To be honest, Chen Xi was somewhat interested in seeing Caesar step down and reshape the imperial system, bringing the Julius-Claudius family back to the stage and making them the sole emperors. However, as things stand, Caesar still tends to be rational. Perhaps it's because he died once, perhaps it's because of the two hundred years of prosperity and peace in history, or perhaps he feels that the current situation is acceptable, etc.

In short, Caesar has not yet made his move, and sits quietly in the Senate as before. If you call him "Senate Caesar," he will respond; if you call him "Dictator," he will respond in the same way. This seemingly neutral state gives Pompiñus and Sergio a great sense of security.

After all, no matter how many methods they had, how high their political skills were, or how amazing their vision was, they would still be doomed if Caesar asked them to choose the imperial system.

Ultimately, when politics can no longer be negotiated, the inevitable outcome is military action. Unfortunately, the force that chose the existing system and maintained the original consensus that the Roman Empire was the empire of Roman citizens was not enough to overturn the defiant declaration that the Roman Empire was the empire of the Claudius family!

With the power of Caesar, the power of Severus, and the pure madman Perennis who was destined to protect Rome with his own power, the Roman Empire really couldn't find any generals who could suppress these people. To put it bluntly, even if all the generals of the Roman Empire were brought out from the monarchy to the present, they would still be difficult to suppress these three guys in their current state.

So when Caesar sat arrogantly in the Senate pretending to be dead, Severus, the current true head of the Claudius family, naturally wouldn't make a point of speaking on this matter. He was already the biggest beneficiary, so whether he followed the old path or a new one made no difference to him.

Following the path of the past, he was the embodiment of the Roman dream, the first citizen of Rome, and the most valiant hero of his time, recognized and acknowledged by all Roman citizens.

Taking a new path, he was the patriarch of the Claudius family, the future Roman emperor, the emperor jointly elected by the royal family, and still the undisputed number one person in the world!
Similarly, Perennis's attitude toward this matter was to choose the means to protect Rome based on the situation. Although the imperial system was not good, if the Claudius family chose the imperial system, then as a dowry, and given that the core of the country's strength at this stage came from the Claudius family, Perennis would inevitably choose to suppress other citizens. After all, only by making such a choice could Rome's strongest power be preserved at this stage.

Indeed, Perennis is that kind of person. He never considers the future in any of his actions, because there is no predetermined future. No one knows what will happen tomorrow, but everyone can see what is happening today. So, for a realist like Perennis, the choice is always to minimize the damage to Rome, even if it is wrong!

As for the future, let's talk about it in the future. By then, maybe I'll be dead, and others will have successfully saved Rome from my corpse.

It can be said that Perennis's logic and Huangfusong's logic are completely different. The former has his own thoughts and his own absolutely consistent ideas, and he is protecting Rome with his own will.

Huangfu Song, on the other hand, is a pure bot. He simply does whatever the emperor gives him, without any independent reaction. Without instructions, he just waits to die. He's a pure NPC.

So the situation in the Roman Empire is very chaotic, but it hasn't reached the point of explosion, because the two people who hold the initiative are waiting for the other to speak!
Severus: Let's see what Caesar thinks. Anyway, I don't care right now. I won't lose whether I establish an empire or not, so I might as well wait for Caesar's thoughts.

Caesar: I am dead, and the political system left by Octavian is indeed very good. It has been operating prosperously and peacefully for more than two hundred years and is still so great now. As a dead man, I should not take the initiative to express my opinion on this issue. Let the elders, knights and citizens of this era make their own choices. This is also the greatness of mankind!

Perennis: Judging from the situation, it seems to be just a normal internal strife, nothing serious. I've seen it all before, and it's not as chaotic as the last time. Let's leave it at that. I'll step in when things really get out of hand.

None of the three powerful figures who truly controlled military power met a good end. The first two, who could decide their fates, are now waiting for the other side to speak. Under these circumstances, how should I put it, they are somewhat in cahoots.

However, it must be said that Severus was genuinely indifferent to this matter, purely depending on Caesar's opinion. However, Caesar was caught in an extremely conflicted state. He did indeed support the imperial system, and if he hadn't died that time, he would definitely have stood up, spoken out, and started a war.

But Caesar knew in his heart that he had already died once, and more than two hundred years had passed. Even if he were to fight for the throne, it would be meaningless to him. So he did not speak up and just waited for the declaration of the top figure of this era.

However, as we all know now, Severus certainly has no intention of taking the initiative. He has already obtained everything he could, so whether he speaks up or not is irrelevant. Why not shut up and pursue another posthumous title?
After all, Severus was Julius Claudius, crowned by Caesar, and was somewhat distant from the other Claudius families, so Severus could actually accept Pompiñus killing the other Claudius.

"Wait, I think I understand what you mean." Cookie looked at Chen Xi with some surprise. He seemed to understand a lot of things as he listened to Chen Xi's explanation.

"Just understand what I'm saying, and don't talk about it carelessly. This is a profile of the top figures in Rome that we had professionals do. Normally, we can't tell anyone else, but as you know, if you want to know something, as long as you don't tell anyone, it's fine." Chen Xi waved his hand and said, "In short, the situation in Rome is big, but it's far from being fatal. Although it's possible that the consensus could collapse, the top group, as it stands, is currently in a spiral, and this spiral is actually unfavorable to the Claudius family."

"So, nominally Pompiñus and Sergio are leading the suppression of the Claudius family's ideology and maintaining the original Roman consensus, but in reality, Emperor Severus is also on this side?" Cookie said, sounding somewhat confused but greatly shocked.

“That’s not the case. It’s just that Emperor Severus wouldn’t take the side of the Claudius family’s eternal lineage unless necessary,” Chen Xi shook his head and said. “He himself is the embodiment of the Roman dream, so he wouldn’t actively lean towards the imperial system unless Caesar spoke up. For him, success or failure doesn’t really matter. But you should also understand that as long as a system can operate smoothly, those who are in charge of that system are not very willing to touch it.”

Cookie nodded; he understood the situation too.

"Emperor Severus actually plays this role. He ascended the throne based on the existing consensus. For him, the existing consensus is something he can accept on his own. So, without external forces pushing him, he will not actively change the consensus. And what level of external forces could push Emperor Severus?" Chen Xi asked Qu Qi with a smile.

"It's Caesar the Dictator!" Cookie immediately understood the logic.

“Yes, no one else can push Emperor Severus to do it. Only Caesar can. Others can do it and get Emperor Severus to agree, but they can’t get Emperor Severus to agree to do it on his own initiative,” Chen Xi said with a smile. “Those who crown emperors have always had special privileges, even if it is itself an act of usurpation.”

Upon hearing this, Cookie's expression calmed down considerably; he had fully understood the current situation in Rome.

"So, in other words, the Roman Empire will eventually return to stability, and the new ideas emerging within the Claudius family will be dismantled, right?" Cookie recalled what her student Anaus had written to her, and asked Chen Xi with a hint of probing.

To be honest, it's only Cookie who could do this. If anyone else directly asked Chen Xi for the answer and asked him to help solve this kind of problem, it would be really unrealistic.

"Do you want the truth or a lie?" Chen Xi asked Cookie very seriously.

“Of course it’s the truth.” Cookie looked at Chen Xi with a puzzled expression.

“The truth is, the other current ideology of the Claudius family will definitely be dismantled,” Chen Xi said with a slight sigh. Cookie’s expression darkened upon hearing this.

"Although this kind of thinking will definitely be suppressed in this era, and Pompiñus and Sergio will definitely win, the future does not belong to them." Chen Xi said this with an extremely solemn expression.

If young people and the elderly have completely different ideas, then young people will definitely be suppressed. And while the older generation still holds political power and control the bureaucratic system, they will definitely lose, and lose badly, perhaps even to the point that the entire younger generation is divided and bought off.

But time will prove that, in the absence of immortality, the final victor will inevitably perish physically, thus eliminating the former.

Pompianus and Sergio's victory was inevitable, but their defeat was also inevitable. Even if they defeated the opposition within the Claudius family, even if they split and suppressed those people, allowing some of the younger members who stood against them to inherit their ideas and positions and pass on their thoughts, their eventual defeat would still be inevitable.

"The biggest problem facing the Claudius family now is no longer a matter of ideology, but a divide between the older and younger generations. With most of the younger generation choosing the imperial system, what the older generation chooses is no longer important." Chen Xi looked at Cookie, his eyes somewhat empty, yet reflecting an unspeakable future.

Cookie was silent for a moment, then instantly understood what Chen Xi meant. All her previous confusion vanished in an instant, and she couldn't help but smile wryly and nod.

"The one who wins first doesn't truly win; the one who wins last is the real winner." Chen Xi's gaze sharpened as she looked at Qu Qi, saying with a hint of helplessness.

"The Roman Empire may only need a year or two to win this battle, but next time, the young people who have been defeated and become more determined in the face of setbacks will be defeated by those who changed their allegiance to the older generation and seized power through shortcuts. The surrender faction cannot defeat those who have marched hard through setbacks!" Chen Xi's expression was extremely solemn at this moment. "Especially since Pompiñus and Sergio cannot kill those young people."

The most important reason why Chen Xi was certain that the Roman Empire would have to fight again sooner or later was that Pompiannis and Sergio were both elites of the Claudius family, while those who opposed them, apart from their mentally challenged peers, were all young elites who had learned other things.

These people may not be able to defeat Pompiñus and his group in terms of ability or experience, but once Pompiñus and his group win, can they really kill these elites who belong to their own family? These are all young people, and they are the hope of their families.

Even if Pompiannis and Sergio recognized the Roman Empire as Rome for its citizens, didn't they still want to expand their own families?
Killing one's own most elite younger generation is by no means an act of strengthening the family, and even if it's for the sake of balance, it's not a way to achieve balance.

Therefore, even without thinking, Chen Xi knew the final outcome: it would be to use disobedience as an excuse to suppress him, just like the actions of the Xun family elders, led by Xun Shuang, when faced with the already insane Xun You. Did they really want to kill this young man who was only twenty years old but could compete with them, who was definitely the most elite of this era and symbolized the pinnacle of the family?
What a joke! Of course, we should give him a few punches, make him admit his mistake, kneel in the ancestral hall, and then have the clan elders come out to play the good cop. Just accept reality like that. After all, everyone is smart. Even if Xun You can see that his great-uncle is playing the good cop and is already kneeling in the ancestral hall, and the concubine still can't enter the door, if he is given a chance to lower his head and the family agrees, can he continue to grit his teeth and insist?

No, after all, the family didn't ask you to die, they just asked you to admit a mistake. You're so smart, you'll definitely back down, right? And as long as you back down, the family will give you everything they're owed. Moreover, you've shown amazing intelligence in this game, so the family will entrust you with even more important responsibilities in the future!
Of course, he can forget about becoming the head of the family, but he will definitely have important responsibilities!
Everyone knows Xun You's final actions; he truly bowed his head. He married A Wu, who theoretically should never have entered the family, and his family indeed entrusted him with important responsibilities. He even started his career as a Gentleman Attendant at the Palace Gate and worked for the General. It can be said that he gave them everything he could.

Conversely, what did Xun You do in the end? He didn't care about the Xun family. In the first year after the clan elder died, he separated from Xun Yu. Although he called him uncle, he would never delay when it was time to separate the family. He would seize the opportunity and separate!
Submit? What a joke! When I could have killed you, I didn't retaliate because I was showing you old fogies some respect back then. Now that you old fogies are in your graves, do you think your peers sitting in your positions have the right to order me around?
I'll force you all to your deaths!

To be fair, Chen Xi thought Xun You's handling of the situation was relatively lenient, since Xun Yu did not persecute Xun You back then. But in the case of the Claudius family, with such a large and powerful family, the power that the younger generation who surrendered to Pompiñus and Sergio could obtain would be extremely exaggerated. In that case, what about the one who persisted until the end and was defeated?

If you get killed, that's fine, but what if you don't die?
If he doesn't die, he will only become stronger, more terrifying, and more importantly, after the older generation dies, he will inevitably overturn this era. The mere surrenderers are not worthy to ride on my head. They should die. It can be said that this is the inevitable future.

“When I learned that the young people of the Roman Empire were choosing the Claudius family as their successor, I basically understood that the old Roman system had come to an end.” Chen Xi sighed softly. “The future of the older generation is not called the future, it is called a dream. All the preparations they made before they died are meaningless to the living, because the initiative of the living can always produce things that you can’t predict.”

“The dead can’t fight the living, especially politicians,” Cookie said with a wry smile.

“Yes, politics is something that the dead leave behind, which are just interpretations of scriptures or distorted classics.” Chen Xi said helplessly, “To be honest, in the current situation in the Roman Empire, if Pompiannis and others don’t take the initiative to fight and let the younger generation fight on their own, and they lose and are attacked by the citizens, then the Claudius family paying some blood would be a proper solution to the problem. But if the older generation of the Claudius family suppresses the younger generation, then they are really courting death.”

I dared not say anything and stayed in bed.