Crusader Kings: Prisoners of War.

Chapter 236 Dog-Headed Military Advisor
To be fair, Orville didn't really mind sharing some of the technology, but now he still had to make money. Let him make money with his monopoly advantage for a while, and then he would wait until the nobles could no longer bear it and forced him to disclose the technology before making it public. By the way, he could also make these businessmen bleed a lot of gold coins.

By this time, he was actually almost able to become a publishing giant or even the top figure in the publishing industry of the Roman Empire. He already had an advantage in the industry, and it was not difficult for him to continue to maintain his dominant position.

He had prepared to keep the technology secret from the very beginning. Apart from the core craftsmen who were under strict supervision, most of the rest of the people only knew one of the steps. Moreover, the production location was in Britain. The geographical isolation and the confidentiality of the process made it impossible for these businessmen to obtain Orville's papermaking technology in a short period of time.

Although there is no impenetrable wall in the world, he does not want to keep the technology as a family heirloom for a lifetime, so keeping it secret for ten or twenty years will be enough.

With this in mind, things went smoothly and did not cause much trouble in Rome. In the eyes of the merchants and nobles in Rome, Orville just made a fortune from the war in the British province and wanted to expand his business. The publishing market was so small that one more or one less person would not have a big impact.

By the time they discovered Orville's intention, it was too late. Now the new paper had been distributed and books were being made, which could bring Orville considerable profits. With more income, he could do more things. Whether it was expanding the industry or using the money to support the army, he had the right to choose independently.

However, at this stage he only intends to touch upon areas such as handicrafts and manufacturing that will not arouse too much vigilance. He is not prepared to touch upon areas such as real estate, agriculture, and strategic materials that are the focus of the Senate. Those are things that need to be considered in the next few steps and are not within the current plan.
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After night fell, inside the Flavi mansion, Tia was chatting with her sister.

Domitia said to her: "I feel like you've been a little absent-minded lately. Is it because of Orville's matter?"

After all, they were sisters, and Domitia had noticed early on that Tia's mood was not right, much lower than normal. Not only that, Tia was often in a daze, which was not the state she should be in under normal circumstances.

Upon hearing this, Tia sighed again with melancholy: "That's about right. I feel really sorry for him. I feel like I robbed him of the honor he deserves. He should be the protagonist of this triumphal ceremony, not me."

If it were a normal person, he might have accepted it with peace of mind, but Tia's sense of morality is much stronger than that of ordinary people, and he now feels very sorry for Orville.

Domitia felt helpless about her sister's thoughts: "Orville doesn't think there is anything inappropriate, so don't worry about it."

However, Tia still shook her head and insisted, "This is a matter of principle. He deserves such an honor, but I stole his honor. A person may not have many opportunities to hold a triumphal ceremony in his lifetime."

It's no wonder that Tia felt so guilty. Although Orville didn't care about it at all, for the Roman military talents, the triumph was the highest honor they could get in their lives, almost without exception.

Domitia knew that she couldn't change the other person's mind, so she simply helped out with some advice: "It's already like this, and the result can't be changed, so you should find a way to compensate him."

"You are right about that. Do you have any suggestions?" Domicia rolled her eyes and showed a malicious smile: "If you ask me, you are already 27 or 28 years old this year. It's almost time to consider your marriage. It's too late if you don't consider it now. I think you and Orville are actually quite suitable. What do you think?"

Domitia was actually joking with her sister, but there was some sincerity in her words. Although the lifespan and aging speed of this kind of practical talents in Rome would be enhanced, they were not much better than ordinary people.

She was not blind and could see that Tia was vaguely interested in Orville, and Orville was not averse to it, so she dared to make such a joke without hesitation, otherwise she would probably be scolded by Tia.

Tia didn't say anything, but her cheeks turned a little red, and she seemed to be really thinking about this matter.

Domitia was still in the mood to joke at this time, and continued to say to Tia: "I think it's not a good idea for you to hesitate like this. There is no progress between him and the Gaul (Jeanna), probably because the woman has no interest in love and has been busy paying attention to the suffering of the people.

But not everyone is like this. Didn't Orville say he was going to Egypt later? He seems to have a good relationship with the Egyptian princess. I've seen the letters between her and Orville. Although there's nothing explicit, I think the frequency of one letter a week or two is definitely not normal. You have to pay attention to that guy. "

Tia's expression instantly became more serious. After thinking for a long time, she gritted her teeth and said, "Yes, you are right. I will think about this matter carefully."

Domitia waved her hand to encourage Tia and supported her sister's pursuit of love, but at this moment she did not realize how much impact her words would have on the political situation of the empire.
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On the other side, Orville was unaware of these things. He was busy processing and summarizing the new intelligence coming from Egypt and Greece.

According to the letters sent by Cleopatra, the situation in Egypt was getting worse and worse, and it finally reached the point where both sides could not even maintain the peace in appearance. Most of Cleopatra's family were eventually driven out of Egypt, just as in history.

Cleopatra knew that the governor of Egypt and nearby military commanders had been bribed by the eunuch Perdinus with money, and they had no need to help her, so she did not apply for political asylum from the Romans. She was worried that she would be handed over to Perdinus and others and executed on the spot like her sister, so she turned to seek refuge in a farther place.

Before leaving, she also wrote a letter to Orville, saying that she was now preparing to flee to Antioch, the capital city of the Syrian province and an important city in the Roman Empire's eastern province, and there she would rely on her status as a descendant of the Diadochi and a large amount of Egyptian money to recruit supporters and an army to try to confront Berdinus.

Obviously, this plan had little chance of success, but she also respected the agreement with Orville and did not directly drag Orville or King Herod into the water.

(End of this chapter)