Crusader Kings: Prisoners of War.

Chapter 307 Ephesus
The empire handed over naval defense to some city-states. For example, Rhodes was an important naval provider in the eastern part of the empire. After all, it was quite troublesome to let a nation with an agricultural civilization at heart develop a navy. So while the Romans were building up their navy bit by bit, they also entrusted the Greeks, Phoenicians and other nations to be responsible for the navy, just like what the Persians had done before.

However, many of the financiers behind these fleets are indeed members of the Senate. After all, they are wealthy and rely on their power to move freely within the empire. It is of course easy for them to invest or support anywhere they want.

However, in this era, the boundary between sailors and pirates may not be so clear. Many sailors are even triple talents in the military, business, and banditry. If someone is guiding them from behind, it is very likely that they will change their careers and become robbers.

Cleopatra's words were meant to remind Orville to think carefully and confirm whether the attack was intentional. Obviously, she did not fully trust the review of her subordinates.

Orville comforted him, "If the people in the Senate want to harm us, they won't use such low-level means. The people in the Senate know that I have many brave guys under my command. For such small-scale assassinations, we should use talented people. This kind of petty fighting is useless except for arousing our vigilance. This pirate can't even pass the guard level.

If you still feel uneasy, you can check some of your subordinates. They may not be from the Senate. It is also possible that they are motivated by money. Stupid people always have stupid ideas, such as letting pirates rob regular troops. Maybe they saw that your guard force is not strong enough, so they leaked the news to the pirates. "

In fact, Orville felt that this was difficult. There was no navigation or satellite phones in that era. Even if the news was leaked, it would be difficult to find it on the sea. It might be possible near the port, but the problem was that it was not the case now.

"I also know that coincidence is more likely, but sometimes you have to think about the problem and make sure it is not a coincidence, especially for such sensitive and life-threatening matters. I will investigate a little later and let you know if I have an answer. If not, just think of it as a woman's suspicion and understand me."

Cleopatra herself understood it clearly and spoke plainly.

"I understand that. By the way, are we still going to stop at Antioch?"

Cleopatra shook her head and refused: "No need, I have done everything I should do during my exile in Antioch, there is no point in coming here again, let my men do it for me after a while.

I would like to ask you if it is necessary for us to stay in Ephesus for a day or two. My sister seems to be under house arrest in this city."

"How do you know this?" Orville was surprised.

He did not repeatedly request confidentiality, but the person in charge of this matter was Trajan, who was unlikely to leak the information, and Orville did not know where the other party got the information from.

Cleopatra explained: "I'm telling you this because I hope you'll be more careful. There's a little problem with your transport fleet. They will be tempted by money. I bribed a transport ship captain and got some information from him. Combined with my guess, judging from your expression, I think I've told you a pretty good answer."

Orville could be blamed for this. His fleet expanded too fast. In order to recruit enough sailors and captains, he inevitably compromised on quality, including using high salaries to lure some people to change jobs. These people were good at their jobs, but they often couldn't resist the temptation of money. But after all, they were just a group of merchant captains. Orville didn't have high requirements for them. As long as the business and missions could be completed, it would be fine. If he really had to rely on them, it would be more appropriate to rely on warships, at least the loyalty of the members would be guaranteed.

Trajan and Orville handled military affairs, and he left the business affairs to his personal accountant, so he had little contact with business matters.

Trajan thought that Pliny the Elder's navy was not reliable and might leak secrets, and that Orville's "own fleet" was more reliable, so he applied to Orville and used Orville's own transport fleet to send people. Orville didn't think too much at the time and agreed in a daze.

"Thank you for your reminder. I will pay attention to this matter in the future." It won't be a major purge, but the captain who leaked the information will definitely be caught and made an example of as a warning to others. No one wants their subordinates to collude with others.

Cleopatra quietly handed Orville a piece of papyrus with several names written on it: "Find them, check carefully, and you will find a surprise."

"Thanks in advance." Orville was not dissatisfied with her. This was considered as helping him to eliminate risks proactively. He would pay attention to the rectification after he returned.

Of course, having said that, he still had to be careful. No one knew whether Cleopatra had finished her words or whether she had planted spies in his system. At least he should take this into consideration in the future.

He continued, "If time permits, I think it would be best for you to stay in Ephesus for a day or two, giving you some time to catch up with your sister. I also have to handle some business, which shouldn't take up much time."

Ephesus is not a big city in the 21st century, but in the 1st century it was one of the largest cities in the Roman Empire and the seat of the governor's office of the province of Asia (Asia Minor, also known as Anatolia). It is said that its population at that time was around , which was certainly not inferior to most Greek cities.

Generally, economically developed places tend to have more developed cultures, and this place is no exception. Ephesus was one of the centers of faith for Greek polytheism. It houses the Temple of Artemis, one of the seven wonders of the world. It later became the core area of ​​Christian faith, and several major discussions about religious beliefs have broken out here.

It can be said that at this moment, Ephesus is one of the top five to eight major cities in the Roman Empire in terms of size and comprehensive strength. It is a good place to negotiate business. Orwell originally had some business here, so he chose to send Cleopatra's sister Arsinoe here. This place can make the Greeks feel familiar, but it is not completely out of his control, and it is not as eye-catching as some cities. It is a suitable place after comprehensive consideration.

He was a bit busy before and had neither energy nor money to do it. Now that he has freed up his hands, he is ready to expand again. It is a good opportunity for him to come here in person and take care of things here.

"As you wish, we will not stay in Cyprus. We will go directly to Rhodes for some supplies and leave for Ephesus on the same day." Cleopatra explained to Orville, and later she did so in her orders to her naval soldiers.

(End of this chapter)