Crusader Kings: Prisoners of War.

Chapter 147 Pen Pal
After the other party left, Orville opened the letter and read its contents.

Although he didn't have much money, Orville had spread out his business widely, from Palfussy in the east to Brittany, and he had some property in the empire to some extent.

There was no such convenient thing as the Internet or telegraph in those days, and it was definitely not practical to manage across thousands of miles of mountains and rivers, so Orville handed these tasks over to his subordinates in various places. They would report to Orville regularly, and Orville himself would also send people to patrol regularly to ensure the safety, stability and normal efficiency of his industry.

But this time the writer was not Orville's managers, but Cleopatra who was far away in Egypt. She wrote to greet Orville and explain the situation.

“Your Highness, I extend my greetings to you. I wish you success in your work in Gaul and hope you will always be victorious.

By the time you read this letter, your weapons factory in Palphi should have been successfully built. King Herod has provided us with a lot of help. The issues of land, craftsmen, and materials have all been dealt with. I believe we can achieve the results we hope for.

The situation in Egypt is rather delicate recently. Since my younger brother is too young and does not have the ability to govern the country, I am the one in power now. Logically, I should be the rightful master and ruler of Egypt, but the eunuch Berdinos wants to steal the royal power, and I cannot tolerate this happening.

Now most of Egypt's troops are in the hands of Berdinus and his allied general Achilles. The royal family does not have many soldiers except the personal guards, and these soldiers have been bribed by Berdinus. I do not have many trustworthy soldiers or generals.

The situation is not good. As I expected, a war will inevitably break out between me and Berdinus. Berdinus has bewitched my young and foolish brother, and I am afraid he will not help me. I have to rely on myself and your strength to fight the enemy.

This is a very difficult matter. I understand that the Roman Empire has no need to interfere in the internal affairs of the Kingdom of Egypt, and some people in the Roman Empire should be happy to see this happen, so I will not ask you to do anything rudely. I hope that the Olympian gods and the Egyptian goddess Isis will bless us and let us bathe in the glory of victory."

The letter was not very long due to the limitations of the medium, but it said everything that needed to be said, and there was no content in it that attempted to seduce Orville. It was just a normal explanation of the situation.

Rather than writing the second half to Orwell, it would be more accurate to say that Cleopatra was writing it to herself. It is understandable that she used this method to cheer herself up.

Later critics held the view that politics is a way of life, not a profession or a special skill. Orwell felt that this statement at least made some sense, and it was indeed the case.

In his opinion, politics can indeed put people in a highly stressful state of life, and stress can accumulate quickly. If one does not find reasonable ways to vent it, there are many examples in history that can be used as reference.

Illnesses caused by overwork, stomach problems, premature aging, mental disorders...not necessarily all caused by stress, but at least part of it is due to this problem. Orville has a clearer understanding of this matter and has always found ways to adjust the stress in his life.

He is surrounded by many friends and family members, and is not troubled by this problem. Cleopatra's situation is completely the opposite. Except for a few close confidants, the rest of the "family" and "friends" do not want to murder her. According to the course of history, Cleopatra's brother will become her enemy because of power struggles when he grows up. Then her relationship with other surviving family members is not very good. Coupled with those life experiences full of Germanic orthopedics, according to the Romans, the story of this family is very Greek, decadent and hopeless.

There were not many people she could trust and have relatively equal conversations with, and it was probably for this reason that she turned to Orville. Orville himself didn't mind being a pen pal with Cleopatra.

At least in his opinion, the character of the later "Cleopatra" was gradually developed. Cleopatra at this time was not so arrogant and domineering, and it was profitable for both parties for Orville to be friends with her.

In his reply, Orville wrote a few polite words, encouraging the other party to persevere and also gave some practical suggestions.

"The Governor of Egypt will be rotated starting from 73. The new Governor Quintus is a pragmatic but greedy man. He particularly likes spices from the East and handicrafts carved from purple stone produced in Egypt. This information should be helpful to you.

In addition, if you feel that the struggle for power between Alexander and Berdinos is too much for you, you might as well try to change your perspective and put yourself in a broader world. The Ptolemaic royal family is the last successor royal family of Alexander the Great. I think this name is still quite appealing among the Greeks. Telling your story to more people may help you gain support.

But you must be careful to select the people you seek help from, and pay attention to the level of your work. You want to take back your kingdom, not to rebel against the Roman rule. If you do too much, I cannot guarantee your safety and success. "

The former thing is definitely useful information. Orville learned about it from Vespa, and it is very accurate and absolutely no one in Egypt knows about it.

As for the latter matter, Orville's own thinking was like this. He knew very well that he would never be able to defeat those experienced senators in the Senate in Rome. Naturally, he would not waste time playing political games with them in the Senate. Instead, he would go directly to Gaul and Britain. Holding territories and soldiers in his hands were the most real things.

This experience was also useful to Cleopatra. In fact, she did exactly the same thing in another world. She first went into exile overseas to recruit troops and prepare to counterattack Egypt. However, when the battle was halfway through and the outcome had not yet been decided, Caesar came. The rest of the story is quite familiar to us, the so-called story of Cleopatra.

I don't know what Cleopatra in this world can achieve without Caesar, but Orville doesn't have any hope in her military ability. Even if fighting among Egyptians is just a fight between weaklings, it is better not to fight.

The papyrus was placed in a box and sealed, then Orville told the guards to send the letter to Egypt. If all went well, the other party would receive the news in about two or three months, which was considered fast for that era, after all, there was the support of the post station system and sea transportation.

(End of this chapter)