Whether it was his tone or the expression on his face, Clint seemed very sincere. And there were two letters in Zhang Heng's hand as evidence. If someone else were here, even if they couldn't completely believe Clint's words, they would at least believe 70% of it. Unfortunately, the person sitting in the carriage now was Zhang Heng.
From the first time Clint appeared, Zhang Heng knew what the latter was planning. And from what Clint said just now, Zhang Heng was sure that the relationship between Commodus and his two most trusted advisors 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 get through this difficult situation so easily.
Besides, Clint's intention now was also very obvious. He wanted to rope Zhang Heng in to deal with Altrus.
In all fairness, Clint's methods were quite powerful. Through the two letters, not only did he get rid of the suspicion on him, but he also directed the blame to his political enemy, Altrus. At the same time, he also dug a pit for Zhang Heng to fall into.
However, the smile on his face did not last long. The next moment, it froze on the spot.
He saw Zhang Heng taking out a flint from his pocket and slowly lighting up the two papyri.
"Uh, what are you doing?"
"Let bygones be bygones. In my country, there is an old saying, 'it's better to squash enmity than keep it alive.' I think it makes sense," Zhang Heng said lightly.
Clint's and Zhang Heng's goals overlapped in a sense. This was also why Zhang Heng told the slave girl that there was still room for cooperation between him and Clint in the future. However, this did not mean that Zhang Heng would choose a side so quickly. In fact, Clint's intention of giving this piece of evidence to Zhang Heng was quite sinister.
If Zhang Heng couldn't hold back and handed the two letters to Commodus, it would mean that the war between him and Altrus had officially begun. Although Commodus had a good impression of him now, and he valued him a lot because of what happened in the southeast city, Zhang Heng believed that Commodus would still prefer Altrus, who had been following him all this time. With the political resources that Altrus held now, it was impossible for him to be defeated by just two letters. If this matter continued, Zhang Heng would be the one who would suffer the most in the end.
And as soon as he was put in an important position, the first thing he did was to report his colleague. Whether it was true or not, it would undoubtedly give the young emperor the impression that he liked infighting. As Commodus's advisor group, political achievements and ability were secondary. What really mattered was Commodus's attitude toward you.
His Majesty's attitude could change. Perhaps he liked you very much just a second ago, but in the next second, he would take a sharp turn for the worse because of something. There were many such cases in history. Even the most favored officials did not have a good ending.
When Commodus's impression of Zhang Heng worsened, Clint would come out and say a few good words. Maybe Zhang Heng could continue to stay by Commodus's side. However, from now on, Zhang Heng would have to obey Clint's orders, just like Pannonax.
If Zhang Heng kept the letters after getting them and did not hand them to Commodus, he would have passed the first hurdle. However, it was still not a good decision. Clint would definitely find a way to leak this matter to Altrus. After that, whether Zhang Heng was willing or not, he would become Altrus's enemy because of these two letters.
Clint had a good plan, but what he did not expect was that Zhang Heng would burn the two letters in front of him. This was a result he never expected.
"Didn't you say that the emperor is very anxious to see me? Let's not let him wait too long." Zhang Heng stepped on the last cluster of sparks with the sole of his shoe and said with a smile.
…
Indeed, Commodus had been waiting for Zhang Heng for a long time, but he had nothing better to do. As the emperor of the empire, he ruled a vast territory and tens of millions of people. This meant that Commodus would never have nothing to do, especially when he was still very young when he inherited the throne. In the face of the huge political legacy left by Aurelius, not everyone wanted to assist the young emperor wholeheartedly.
This was also why Commodus was so anxious to expand his army. He found that when he returned to Rome, the situation he faced was no easier than when he fought against the Germanic tribes on the Rhine River.
Before Zhang Heng walked into Commodus' study, he heard the young emperor's roar in the corridor. "What did Dior promise me? He told me that the Senate would take care of this matter. And this is how they deal with it? They kicked me aside when it came to paying the soldiers, and they put all the gifts on the Senate. Now, my soldiers think that their emperor doesn't care about them at all. God, because of the peace talks with the Germanic, many of the military's higher-ups want to point at my nose and curse me. And now, the Senate has given them an excuse to slit my neck while I am asleep …"
Clint and Zhang Heng knew that Commodus was angry, so they chose not to provoke him at this time. It was not until the conversation in the study came to an end that Clint reached out and knocked on the door.
Commodus's angry voice came from the inside, "Come in."
Clint pushed the door open and walked in with Zhang Heng. He then bowed and said, "Your Majesty, Zhang Heng is here."
Commodus's expression improved a little when he saw Zhang Heng. He then squeezed out a smile, "Long time no see. You never disappoint me, don't you?"
As soon as Zhang Heng stepped into the room, he saw everything inside. To his surprise, Commodus was the only one in the room. In other words, if the young emperor wasn't crazy and angry at the air alone, it meant that there was someone else in the room not long ago. That person had left the study before Commodus allowed them to enter the room.
Did he leave through the window?
Zhang Heng noticed that the window of Commodus' study was open, and the curtains were fluttering in the wind. However, Zhang Heng did not think that the person in the room left through the window. There was a small garden under the study, and when Zhang Heng came in, he saw two gardeners cutting flowers and trees.
Since Commodus chose to avoid them, he should not want to be seen by the gardeners in the garden. Therefore, Zhang Heng was more inclined to believe that there was a secret passage in Commodus' study that allowed a second person to enter and exit. Considering the suspicious character of every emperor, Commodus's trust in him could explain a lot.
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