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(Simulator) Chapter 102: Win Over Those Who Can Be Won Over, Punish Those Who Must Be Punished
🕑 Added 2024-10-01 15:47:01 +0000 UTCA sense of panic spread through Strabo Pompey’s mind.
They’ve gone mad!
The citizens of Rome have gone mad along with that lunatic Tiberius.
The Senate will never stand idly by after what happened today.
They will never allow Tiberius to succeed.
If the senators had known about Tiberius's mad ideas earlier, they would never have allowed him to enter politics in the first place.
But—
Wait!
Strabo Pompey suddenly remembered that they were still at the election rally for the tribune.
However after this uproar, he had every reason to believe that everyone would choose Tiberius.
Because he even spotted several commoners he had previously bribed, now shouting furiously among the crowd.
...What is this?!"
Strabo Pompey, overwhelmed with emotion and unable to control himself, realized that if he tried to ask these people to help with his campaign now, they would tear him apart in an instant.
The worst had happened—there was no longer any chance of stopping Tiberius's rise.
As expected—
When the final votes of the citizen assembly were tallied, Tiberius was elected as the Roman Tribune for that term, winning by a landslide—five times the number of votes as Strabo!
Many of those who had taken bribes from him even turned against him, publicly confessing their corruption out of shame, and then joined Tiberius's camp.
The crowd was outraged when this admission mirrored the exact corruption Tiberius had exposed during his speech, triggering a fierce public reaction.
Just as the crowd's anger turned towards Strabo Pompey, ready to tear apart the shameless man, he had already foreseen the danger and fled.
From that moment, more people came to believe in Tiberius.
As they realized the depth of corruption in Rome and began to see him as the only one who could save them, so, the citizens even started voluntarily protecting him.
Meanwhile, the uproar continued to spread, and Tiberius’s speech at the central forum quickly made its way across Rome.
Even during this process, many retired soldiers helped fuel the momentum.
Before long, copies of Tiberius’s speech appeared in every corner of Rome, and more people quickly became aware of the suffocating darkness behind the Roman façade.
My god—!
How had the center of power in their sacred city, Rome, become so rotten?
More and more people were shocked by the bloody truth.
This scandal eventually reached the Senate.
Upon hearing the full account and after having people collect all the details of Tiberius’s speech, countless noblemen were outraged.
Many were so furious that they could hardly resist the urge to strangle Tiberius themselves.
As members of the ruling class, they couldn’t believe that Tiberius, one of their own, would side with the common people.
Not only was he fighting for the justice of Roman citizens, but he was also advocating for the redistribution of land for soldiers and commoners?
Did he think that by casting off his luxurious attire and becoming a tribune of the people, he could truly blend in with the commoners?
He was attempting to bring down the very class to which he belonged.
Although others hadn’t discussed class divisions in the way Tiberius had, he had fully exposed the darkness of the Roman aristocracy in his speeches, making him an outright enemy of the entire noble class.
Yet, a small number of compassionate officials chose to support Tiberius.
Although Rome had decayed to its core, it wasn’t entirely devoid of good people.
An unexpected event occurred the day after the election results.
A senator publicly voiced support for Tiberius and his cause.
This surprised Night and the others, who realized they weren’t the only ones who had long been fed up with Rome’s diseased condition.
There were other far-sighted individuals as well.
Night: "This is someone we can win over.
The division of class is far more complex than a simple split between rich and poor, or rulers and commoners.
There are multiple layers within those classes.
Those close to the upper class, or even accomplices of the ruling elite, are the vested interests who exploit the commoners—such people should be discarded immediately.
They are difficult to win over, and even if you manage to, you’ll constantly worry whether they are truly loyal, as they are prone to betraying us.
However, commoners, well-intentioned officials, retired soldiers, and even some active-duty soldiers, as well as slaves, can be recruited.
Many have already been exploited to the point of desperation.
Some are barely surviving, able to scrape by.
We must be cautious—”
At this point, Night paused to assess their situation and the state of Rome before continuing his lesson to the Gracchus brothers.
"Those who are like slaves, retired soldiers, and commoners whose families have been ruined by the nobility are our primary targets for recruitment.
They’ve been pushed to the brink and, having experienced the deepest despair, know the true face of the aristocracy.
Their determination to follow us and change everything will be stronger.
On the other hand, families who are still managing to hold on might side with us for now because of shared interests.
But if the nobility starts bribing them to speak against us, their commitment might not last.
So, while we should gather as many supporters as possible, only those we can fully trust should be allowed into the core of our movement.”
The Gracchus brothers marveled at Night’s insights, wholeheartedly agreeing with his reasoning.
His explanations were sound, calm, and wise—there was no doubt about it—
The relationship networks between the Roman classes that Night explained, along with his clear strategies for breaking the deadlock, left them feeling enlightened and more aware of the broader picture.
Night's perspective was far-sighted and exceptional, allowing him to see the essence of matters and guide them step by step toward understanding how to maneuver the situation to their greatest advantage.
Despite his deep understanding of human nature and social contradictions, he remained humble, leading them forward carefully, steadily expanding their reform movement's influence.
Even at that moment, he also warned the Gracchus brothers not to celebrate too early.
If they became too complacent now, they could lose their heads tomorrow and never see another sunrise.
Though they had gained significant support from the people, they must not let the growing chorus of voices cloud their judgment.
Even though they had recruited many retired soldiers and even some active-duty soldiers who had become restless after hearing the rumors about Rome’s situation, there was no room for carelessness.
The Senate wasn’t just sitting idle—they still had plenty of armed forces, including private militias at their disposal.
When push came to shove, there might very well be bloodshed and violent conflict.
Night, fully aware of Roman history, didn’t say much, but he knew all too well what the Roman aristocrats were capable of.
They wouldn’t hesitate to resort to assassination or even outright murder if they felt threatened.
But the time was near,
He had already begun laying traps with the Gracchi brothers, preparing to lure the Senate's old guard into the open.
It was time for these decrepit elites to finally pay the price.
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