Mythical Three Kingdoms

”If we follow the parliamentary procedure, His Majesty will definitely find out.” Giuseppe slowly stated the reason.

”This is illegal.” Papinian looked at Giuseppe calmly and said.

”We have privileges beyond those of citizens, for Rome!” Giuseppe looked at Papinian and said.

”If we do this, we won’t have them in the future.” Papinian remained silent for a long time.

”Without them, we are still Roman citizens.” Giuseppe was clearly prepared.

Papinian was well aware of the current situation in the Roman Eastern Province; the annihilation of the Thirteen Roses Legion was enough to show the strength of the opposing side, but illegal is illegal!

”You have a solution, the safety of the Eastern Province is in your hands; you choose.” Giuseppe looked at Papinian indifferently.

While Papinian hesitated about whether to commit an illegal act, his slave informed him that Caracalla had come to visit. Papinian’s eyes immediately showed a glimmer of light.

”I may not be able to help you, but someone else can.” Papinian immediately said to Giuseppe, then took him to meet Caracalla.

”Your Excellency Chief Justice, I am here to deliver the statistics after the new legal reform.” Caracalla, although slightly arrogant in his eyes, showed obvious respect upon seeing what Papinian and Giuseppe were wearing.

”It just so happens that I have something to inform you of. This is Guardian Giuseppe from the Eastern Province; he has matters to notify you of.” Papinian introduced Caracalla with a slightly somber expression.

Giuseppe did not hide much, recounting all the previous events to Caracalla. Like Papinian, he was also extremely shocked.

”Are you asking me to deploy troops?” After the inquiry, Caracalla remained silent for a while and then spoke.

Papinian did not speak. As the Chief Justice, asking others to do something illegal was inappropriate from any angle, but under such circumstances, it was better to acquiesce.

After all, Caracalla is Severus’s eldest son. If other people doing such things might be risky, Caracalla doing it is both risky and a huge opportunity. After all, Caracalla knew that his father certainly wanted his son to succeed him, but whether he could do it would depend on his son’s achievements.

The complex issue was whether this counted as an achievement or as illegal, which was very important.

However, Caracalla did not hesitate for too long and chose to agree with Papinian’s proposal because he knew he didn’t have his father’s excellent war talent or strategic talent for the long term. Since Papinian could say such a thing, the Eastern Province would be quite dangerous if no one rescued it.

Additionally, the Eastern Province is the old domain of Ganasis, a staunch supporter of Severus. Even Caracalla, if foolish, knew that if he indeed saved the Eastern Province using illegal means, he would surely gain Ganasis’s goodwill.

This gave him a significant advantage, so Caracalla, though aware that it was illegal, chose to deploy troops.

At present, Rome does not lack soldiers. Although there are only twenty million orthodox Romans, and half of them became disabled due to lead consumption, the remaining Romans evolved as a result and became stronger.

Moreover, the first thing Severus did upon coming to power was increase the soldiers’ wages. Originally, the annual pay for a lower-ranking soldier was about 250 Denarii, which was relatively low.

In the impression of food prices at that time, one Denarius was roughly equivalent to 130 RMB, approximately an annual income of 32,000.

However, in the Roman military service model where Romans equipped themselves with battle armor and weapons, few purely served for a livelihood. More were those who came equipped for battles and returned to their lives after the fight.

So 250 Denarii, though not much, was not too little. However, Severus immediately increased the soldiers’ pay to about 1500 Denarii, equivalent to an annual salary of 200,000 today.

Instantly, the number of people joining the military skyrocketed. Historically, during the Severus period, the Roman regular army, known as the Eagle Banner Legion, reached 33 legions, with a standing force of 300,000.

As for how to pay so many people and ensure the country’s stability, Severus had a straightforward method: fight, fight fiercely, regardless of who the enemy is, kill them all, and plunder.

If they won, needless to say, both land and mineral resources, or other things, could be converted into money and given to soldiers. If they lost, with no men left, there would be no need to pay.

If they included the plundering of the Parthian Capital City, looting all the most prosperous cities in Parthia for income, the military pay for 33 fully staffed Eagle Banner Legions, although enormous, was acceptable for the ever-winning Severus. After all, only strong power allows you to plunder and grow wildly.

In short, before Severus died, he led the strongest legion from the Roman Monarchy, Roman Republic, and Roman Empire System periods and subdued all dissatisfied enemies around him.

Before Severus died, he instructed his eldest son, Caracalla, ”You and your brother must get along harmoniously, not make the soldiers suffer, allow them to receive due rewards, give them glory and money, and do not mind other people.”

However, in the same year Severus died, Caracalla and his brother Gaeta inherited the throne simultaneously, and Caracalla spent a year killing his brother. Then he issued a decree granting Roman citizenship to everyone in the country, and he was killed.

Without thinking about expanding territories and looting externally, he even targeted his supporters; being killed was unsurprising, and afterwards commenced Rome’s Dark Third Century, the most interesting period in history, where 26 emperors died in fifty years, and only one died of illness.

In short, all these are rather distant matters. Now, thanks to Severus’s policies, there are many citizens in Rome who want to become professional soldiers. After all, Severus was not joking regarding the treatment of soldiers: if he said 1500 Denarii, it was 1500 Denarii, and they were paid.

Therefore, now, Rome’s recruitment requirements are increasingly demanding because everyone thinks being a soldier is not bad. Previously, it was for honor; now, it’s not just honor, but also a source of income.

After all, although Roman citizens were rich, an excellent craftsman earning 1000 Denarii a year was good. So now, too many people want to be soldiers, not just Roman citizens, even some like the Teutonic and Anglo, who run over here wanting to enlist.

Because Severus did not specify that one must be a citizen, there are outstanding candidates everywhere in Rome City wanting to join the military.