Chapter 536 537. Arrival
Then, they came to a certain point on this trail. The roads here were tightly blocked by villages consisting of various shacks and tents, and in these villages lived They are all people with gray faces and dull eyes.
Not long after, they stepped over the bodies of those who were still sleeping, and barely squeezed a way out of the huddled tents.
"I have never seen so many people trapped behind the city wall before." Kassandra murmured.
“These are the so-called ‘country folk’,” Herodotus said softly.
"They are the people who have suffered the most because of Pericles' policies. After all, they have to leave their hometowns, move out of the valleys and wilderness where they originally lived, and then huddle together like beggars here. No matter how you look at it, they are suffering."< br>
Then, Kassandra noticed that those on guard behind the towering battlements on the exquisite city wall were the Athenian heavy infantry.
The appearance of these soldiers was very similar to the enemies she had faced and defeated in Megaris.
These people looked like they had no time to spare. They were giving orders and talking about the big and small things that happened in the countryside. What worries them so much?
Out of some new curiosity, Cassandra extended her perception there and heard some conversations.
"It's getting more and more uneasy outside the city. Who would have thought that there are so many Ares believers hiding in those deep caves?"
They didn't dare to raise their voices too loud, as if they were prohibited by discipline. Talk about this.
“I heard that they have bloodbathed many villages. It’s so horrific! Damn it! Is Pericles unmoved by the horrors outside the city walls? The Athenians actually have to rely on a mercenary to solve the situation outside the city walls. ?”
“That’s the [Son of the Titan], not an ordinary mercenary, please be respectful! Also, Pericles had already let those people enter the city because they were reluctant to part with their property and hid. Don’t come in!”
“It’s easy to say, give up your farmland, hunting ground and farm to become a beggar”
"Then if we don't give up these things, why don't we go out of the city to confront the Spartan heavy infantry? That's the Spartan infantry phalanx! Xerxes's army was bleeding like a river in front of them! Do you want to If your child loses his father, will your wife sleep with someone else? "
"Haha, it's like his wife won't sleep with someone else until he dies. "
Complaining. What was quickly escalating into an argument, then into a vicious personal attack, was finally suppressed by the passing of a man who was obviously a senior officer.
[Son of the Titan]? Is Lan En going to clear out Ares believers here?
Kassandra was born in a typical classical militaristic city-state like Sparta. She could not imagine that anyone would engage in private discussions in the high-pressure army.
The Athenians' defeat at Megaris was deserved.
She thought so just because Herodotus next to her was an Athenian, so in order to avoid affecting the friendship between them, she did not say anything out loud.
Herodotus led Cassandra to a large podium with ease.
Such a scene is too unfamiliar to Cassandra, who was born in Sparta.
Here, thousands of luxurious robes wrap the bodies of thousands of people, and thousands of bald heads are shining in the sun. And the owners of these bodies are raising their arms and loudly throwing critical remarks at each other.
On the podium in the center of the crowd, Pericles stayed there like a lonely boat in the sea.
"That is the person we are looking for." Herodotus said. "He is Pericles, the commander-in-chief of Athens."
Kassandra did not have the same luck as Lane, being able to directly hear Pericles' famous speaking skills.
Because when she and Herodotus arrived, there was a man with a beard who looked younger than Pericles who was chasing him and questioning him.
"How long are we going to let this liar ride on our heads? Pericles still showed his 'strengths' this time: timidity, hesitation, repeated compromises but unable to achieve satisfactory results The result. It seems that he has nothing else to do but focus on boosting the ambition of his enemies and destroying the prestige of his own family.”
It was said that he was questioning Pericles, but even a newcomer like Cassandra could see that this person was more inclined to persuade the audience and let the crowd's voice directly identify Pericles.
No, it would be better to say that it was precisely because Cassandra was a newly arrived foreigner that she could see this person's speech strategy. The local Athenians have basically been overwhelmed by emotions.
Herodotus then pointed at the person who was looking for trouble and said: "Cleon is a guy who incites trouble. This man talks about what people want to hear all day long, regardless of the explanation. Practical or not.”
“I am not defending my employer. He has experienced many debates and military battles since he entered politics. But, This is the first time he has seen an opponent like Cleon.”
"When you try to reason with him, he won't accept it. Instead, he directly stirs up the emotions of the audience. And when you want to take advantage of the emotions, this guy will turn around and use reason against you, saying how can you be unreasonable? "
Cassandra immediately felt a sense of disgust, which was a direct reflection of her upright character.
Finally, the speech ended in a commotion, during which the excited Athenians threw a rotten apple at Pericles, leaving him in a panic.
The purpose is to accuse Pericles of ignoring the farms and fields outside the city, and his policy of being weak and avoiding war in the face of the Spartans.
Cleon made a big fuss out of this.
Herodotus, acting as the intermediary, led Cassandra towards Pericles.
As they approached, Cassandra discovered that the statue-like solemn look on Pericles' face when he stood on the stage just now no longer existed; What remains is fatigue and frustration.
"Old friend?" Herodotus greeted him first, and then Pericles raised his head.
When he saw Herodotus' appearance, his expression softened a lot, as if a man had finally seen the sun after several days of rain.
“Ah, my old friend, you are back.”
Pericles asked the guards to step back, and the two embraced.
Kassandra noticed that Herodotus whispered something in his ear while hugging Pericles.
Then Pericles looked at her much softer.
It seems that Herodotus said good things about her seriously, which will make her next actions much smoother.
“Do you want to attend my banquet?”
Pericles asked politely, and Cassandra nodded and spoke according to Herodotus' previous instructions.
“I want to find a woman, my mother. This is not only my business, but also related to an organization that is very dangerous to Athens. In short, I am seeking the wisdom of your close colleagues. "
"The reception should be a private enough place for me to tell you the secret."
Pericles did not comment on this. He was the governor of Athens, with hundreds of thousands of people. Everyone in the city wanted to talk to him, to tell him how urgent his matter was and whether he could join the queue and get priority.
Herodotus on the side was observing the situation and gave his own suggestions unhurriedly.
"You are worried that inviting foreigners to the dinner will cause dissatisfaction among the Athenians. This is very likely. But we can make some preparations first."
"Kassandra can give you a few favors first. , so that others will think that she is a helper doing things for you, not a customer.”
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(End of this chapter)