15. Conspiracy

[산들(류상태)]

15-1

It was just after midnight in Necomedia, the capital of the empire of Asia Minor. The light from the palace where the emperor stayed was barely driving out the thick darkness of the dreary city. The three sons of Fausta and Constantine were staying at a private house less than two kilometers far away from the palace.  

Corbulo was ambushing with the guards. The assassinators were expected to break in for sure tonight.   

There was a sign of somebody present. Though hard to recognize in such a darkness, he had a good night vision and could count the number exactly.   

One, two, three, four, five, six! The guys covered with a black mask were coming near quickly to the place. Flatting themselves against the wall and looking right and left, they jumped over the wall. Corbulo divided the ambushing soldiers into three groups. 

"Fifty in the back, besiege the residence. Just arrest any suspects. Centurion, take twenty in the front and run after the guys. Never lose anyone. The rest thirty in the front, follow me!"   

Corbulo moved quickly to the bedrooms of the princes without looking back.  

After a while, a fire occurred from a storage. The fire was raging out of control. A yelling from the guards was heard. While they were running about in confusion, the guys rushed to the bedrooms where the princes were sleeping.  

The guys drawing the gladius and dashing toward it suddenly fell to the ground all with a gasping sound. Unseen by the darkness, the first one that stopped them was a thick rope extended at the entrance of the residence. They were surrounded by the Corbulo's soldiers even before they stood up. 

The resistance didn't last long. Three all but the one who was stabbed were arrested alive. After a moment, the two who started the fire in the storage were captured and brought.  

It was two weeks ago that Corbulo was reported that a plot to kill the princes would be carried into effect. It was just ten days after he ran to Constantine and took over the Centuriata, the elite royal guards. They were strong enough to mop up the killers.  

Not until a couple of days passed did the killers confess all of the plot. The confession from the almost dying by torture made Fausta outraged. 

"We are those who were sent by Clodius."

"Why does he do this?"

Her face hardened like an ice. Corbulo, a cousin of her, tried to cajole them.

"Confess it all in front of her, and you won't be dead!"

"He said the princes would be an obstacle to Caesar in the future!"

"What? You mean Crispus?" 

Fausta yelled with a shrieking sound. She got a facial tic in anger and terror.

"Is he involved?"

Corbulo asked with an impassive look. Fausta yelled again with a ghastly look. 

"It can't be. He can't do this! You are trying to set up my son! Just tell me who did this! Tell the truth!" 

She was shedding tears of blood in desperation and fear.

"I have no idea about that."

The killers all denied it. 

'It can't be. Never! My son can't do this! This must be a plan that Clodius made by himself! She couldn't control her tears and finally wailed.  

15-2

‘Mother!'

Crispus was smiling bright. Though wearing like Caesar, he looked like a crystal-clear boy and his smile was the same kind.  

'Crispus, my dear son! My heart bleeds! I am very sad to doubt my son!' 

"Mother, you don't know me? To me, you are much more important than my becoming an emperor!'

Crispus said still with an innocent big smile on his face.  

'Of course! I know my son better than anyone else. Yes! This is what Clodius planned!' 

Fausta finally eased herself. She felt like she got out of the fear that she could lose her four sons all.

'Mother, please, do not suspect the general Clodius. He is not the kind of person who will plan it.'

Crispus said still with an innocent big smile on his face. 

'Then, who did that?'

'It....it...'

'Son, why are you silent? Who is that? Who is the one who tries to kill your brothers?'

'Ah, mother! It is such a hard thing to live as a family member of an emperor. For me, for you, and for my brothers...'

'Son, what are you talking about? Just tell me what you know.'

'Even if I tell you the truth, you won't be able to trust me.'

'No way, son! I trust my son.'

'If you don't trust me, I will be dead.'

'Don't say that, son! I will protect you at all costs!'

She clenched her teeth. 'I can't let you get hurt! My lovely son, Crispus! She loathed herself for doubting her son even for a moment. Unbearable shame overshadowed all of her body. Crispus had a sad smile.

'You doubted me. you did! You doubted me...!'

Suddenly, his face turned dark. Since he read her mind, she was surprised and got the hands together to her chest.    

'Forgive me, my son. How could I mistrust someone like you! I am sorry. I am so sorry!'

Crispus' face turned red. Tears were shedding from his eyes filled with sorrow. 

'No, Crispus! I never doubted you! I was just out of mind. Oh, Crispus, forgive me!'

She was embarrassed and blabbered. 

'You've changed since you bore the brothers! No matter what people around me said, I trusted you! But... Mother! What do I have to do now?'

He wailed with an eruption of despair.

'Ah, my son! what do I do? I was insane, I was!' She kept beating her breast.

Crispus suddenly stopped crying and stood up. There was a murderous look in his eyes. He started to cry again. Blood came out of the eyes. All of his face was filled with the blood. 

'Aargh...!'

Stopping crying and shouting like crazy, he drew the gladius. 

'Everything's done! You and I can't help but to die!'

Crispus swang the gladius.

'No, Crispus!'

Fausta saw her body divided into half and fall over to the ground. Something got out of her falling body. One, two, three! 

'Such a jerk! How could you kill your mom who raised you! Can't forgive you, Die!'

The three jumped on Crispus right away. They bit him like a demon.

'No, you can't do that! If you do that, I can't die with my eyes closed! Please, don't do this!' 

Fausta cried desperately but realized her words couldn't be conveyed to her sons. Three sons were ripping off Crispus body. 

"Aargh, No, No!"

Fausta woke up. It was a dark night. She was completely wet with sweat. Something that made her heart ache came out of her deep inside. Her shoulders heaved as she sobbed. 

15-3

A bustling sound was getting near and near. It was just before the dawn broke but still dark. Corbulo felt someone calling his name.  

"I have to report to the general!"

"He is still in bed!"

It was a talk between an officer and a guard.

"What's up there?"

Feeling something serious happen, Corbulo shouted to the outside.

"The killers are all gone!"

"What?"

He sprang up. The guards who saw him in his underwear quickly lowered their head deep.

"Tell me what happened!"

"On the way to my shift change, I discovered that all guards had been killed and the killers gone!" 

Corbulo rushed to the princes' bedroom. Its guard was perfect and nothing happened. They were still sleeping without knowing anything.

A while later, Fausta came running to hear that. 

"Corbulo, what is going on? How could the killers disappear..."

"This is not a simple matter. Some kind of plot and power must be behind..."

"Crispus has nothing to do with this!"

Fausta with tears in her eyes talked about what nobody asked. She wanted to get Crispus away from the case, even though he got involved.  

"Your Highness, be yourself! You have to be reasonable at the time like this!"

Corbulo glared at her. His eyes looked fierce.

“Corbulo, I know him. He isn't the one who did such a thing. You too know him. You know how decent he is..." 

Fausta slurred the end of her sentences shedding large drops of tears.

"Everything will depend on its investigation. It has already turned out that Clodius himself planned it. Other than that, we have now nothing to beg the question. So be strong!"  

She dropped her eyes. Corbulo turned back and was striding away. She yelled.  

"Corbulo, what are you going to do?"

Corbulo stopped and replied without even looking back.

"I can't handle this by myself. I have to report it to the emperor."

"No, you can't. Not yet!"

"A stitch in time can save nine. You, stay away from this matter!"

He turned back quickly and said icily. She plopped down onto the ground.

'How pathetic!' He stopped and glanced at her. 'Delaying it can make things worse!' He sighed. The words of Constantine were echoing in his ears.

15-4

"Is it Clodius himself that set it up?"

Constantine reported by Corbulo asked with an impassive look.

"The killers have confessed."

"The killers have confessed... any other evidence other than that?"

"Not yet. Those in higher positions must get involved."

"I guess so. Do you know Clodius well?"

"Yes, I do. He is the right hand man of you and a soldier who has deep affection and trust to Caesar Crispus." 

"Do you think Clodius planned such a thing out of affection and fidelity to Caesar?"

"It hasn't proved yet whether he did it himself out of fidelity or he was ordered." 

"You're saying Caesar is likely to get involved?" 

"It's just a possibility. Like the sudden fire and the intrusion of the killers, the murderous attempt to the three princes and the arrest of them and their confession, those things were all seen." 

"Nothing you mentioned provide any clear proof that Clodius as well as Caesar got involved in the case. Come again once you find out clear evidence. If you don't, you don't need to. I'll investigate it on my own. Stay alert around the princes' residence until the whole story is revealed!"

Constantine ordered it to Corbulo with a grim face.

Corbulo turned to his sister who had helplessly fallen to the ground and made her stand up. She was fish about the gills.    

"Corbulo!"

Fausta burst into tears hurling herself into him. 

"A rebellion is liable to occur near. Like Caesar Julius was killed by Brutus, his right hand man! The emperor must not trust his men nearby too much!"   

Corbulo said patting her on the back.

"He trusts Clodius. But he is not the kind of man."

Fausta added with still crying voice.

‘Clodius, such a cruel and cunning man!' Fausta knew well that he did a great job and would be willing to give up on his life for Constantine. But that was exactly what she was scared of. She thought he wouldn't hesitate to kill her if that was for the emperor. The fidelity held true for Crispus as well after he was appointed Caesar. She was sure that he made the plot on his own and that he tried to kill the princes to earn the power from the naive Crispus and use it. 'He is sure to do it!' Fausta felt more than sure of it.  

"Corbulo, you can't just let him do that! He will kill all of my four sons."

"Your Highness, four sons? One of them may have planned it to remove the other three." 

Corbulo pushed her a little away and said with a pitiful look all over his face.

'Ah, Corbulo!' She could say nothing just looking vacantly at him getting away.

"Mother, you are here."

Startled by someone's presence, she just turned. He was Crispus.  

"How could you be here.... Oh, my son...!"

Fausta threw herself into his chest. Tears were falling down uncontrollably. He patted her on the back. 'Time flies! Now you are holding me in your arms like this!'

Crispus couldn't understand. Clodius couldn't have done that without a talk with him. 'Somebody set a trap! Without a through investigation, many innocent people will die!' When Crispus heard of it, he was going to see Clodius but he changed the mind and came to see his mom first.  

Fausta studied his face slowly. Lofty and sturdy Caesar, 28, was looking down at her with a still smile. She touched his cheeks with shaking hands. Crispus kissed her forehead lightly. 'How pathetic!'

"Crispus, my dear son!"

She threw herself in his arms again crying.

"Mother!"

The two hugged for a while without a word. Neither of them could say the next words. 

Corbulo was watching the stepmother and her son with a suspicious look who were only eleven years apart. She had refused to have a sex with the emperor and her attitude toward the 28-year-old stepson was far more than that of just a mother.    

"Here you are!"

Upon Corbulo's appearance, Fausta was astonished and pushed him away. She was in tears. Crispus felt bashful and turned away awkwardly.    

"Long time no see, General!"

"Yes, Your Highness! The love between mother and son touches my heart!"

While Corbulo lowered his head, his words had a sting. 

"You must doubt me and Clodius!"  

Crispus thought Corbulo might be at the center of the incident.

"She insists on your innocence. But there seem to be several questions on Clodius' having planned it on his own."  

"Don't be suspicious of him. He is far from doing that!"

"Then, you are the one? Who on earth did it other than Clodius and you? How baffling!" 

Corbulo was bluntly interrogating Caesar. Crispus felt that he and Clodius was completely set up.

"Are you suspicious of me, mother?"

Crispus asked his mother crying with her face covered with hands.

"No way! I know you! You are the last one to do it!"

Fausta said firmly shaking her head. 

"I trust Clodius like you trust me. There must be a setup. Please trust me and Clodius until I find out the truth!"

Crispus glared at Corbulo. Corbulo didn't avoid such eyes.  

15-5

There was no way out to escape. There were several witnesses and unproved rumors were here and there. The confession of the assassins that Clodius had planned it increasingly condensed into a certainty and the chance of Caesar being woven into it was on people's lips. Corbulo, who had been at the scene, was believed to have the key to the incident.    

'I'll see Corbulo first!' Clodius wore the armor, raising up the gladius carefully and looking at it slowly. 'When it comes to the crunch, I'll die for Caesar!'   

When Clodius appeared at the place, the guards treated him like a criminal.   

"Hey, why am I here alone if I am the criminal? Report to Corbulo immediately!"  

The guards stepped back by the rage. He strode into Corbulo's office. passing through them.  

Corbulo came out of his office by the report and met him in the middle.

"Good to see you, general Clodius!"

Corbulo formally welcomed him.

"Your soldiers are supposed to learn how to act first!"

Clodius complained. 

"I am sorry about that. But you have to understand them if you know what happened these days."

Smiling insidiously, Corbulo asked the soldiers to leave. As soon as they sat, Clodius talked first.  

"I believe you know Caesar and I have nothing to do with the incident."

"I hope so, but things aren't like that..."

Clodius replied with a laugh. 

"By all circumstances, I am totally set up. I think it is of no use to insist on my innocence. I'd like to find a solution. What should I do?" 

"Even if I can't reveal the truth, I'd like to remove any dangerous factors at least."

Corbulo continued after a pause. 

"I can't allow the empress and young princes to be in such a perilous situation. If you are innocent, Caesar is the one. So take good care of them from now on and I ask you to cooperate with me on the investigation issue of Caesar." 

'Such a jerk, it's you! You planned it all.' Clodius had a bitter smile. 

"Okay, I will. I have no reason to work with him if he did it. I need to choose a right path for the future of the Empire."

"Thank you for saying so."

Corbulo had a smile of satisfaction. 'You too want to live, don't you?' 

"What are you going to do to Caesar?"

"Clodius asked. 'You've made a big mistake if you want to remove Caesar! You should have deceived me to the end!' He had a weird smile.  

"I'll visit with a fact-finding group."

Corbulo thought of Clodius's smile as a compromise. 

"I don't think you did such a thing yourself. Perhaps Caesar did that to kill the three princes and become the next emperor."

"Any evidence to prove that?"

Clodius also pretended to smile. 

"All things are saying that! You said you didn't. Then, who is going to be the one? The emperor ordered me to report every piece of it. I'll report soon you have nothing to do with this." 

"Such a jerk!"

Clodius got up and drew the gladius in the blink of an eye. 

"Report to the emperor! I planned it all by myself! Caesar has nothing to do with this! If you are still a general of Rome, do not betray your conscience!"

The gladius entered Corbulo's belly. He fell down with a thud. Clodius cleaned the sword with the curtain slowly and put it back into the sheathe. Walking slowly out of the office as if nothing had happened, he rode the horse. The guards just saw him riding the horse with an outraged face.    

The letter from Clodius arrived at Chrispus five days after Corbulo was stabbed. 

'Dear Caesar Chrispus! I am so sure that Corbulo planned it all. But, unfortunately, there seems to be no one to listen to us. He is a relative of the young princes and has a strong desire for the power. Please, watch out for him!' 

15-6

“Clodius is the last person to do that! Doubting is not a good attitude to show to such an old friend as willing to be at the risk of his life for you!"   

Crispus had never been emotional like that before his father.

"Should I think that it was you, then?"

Constantine asked his son, Caesar, with a hardened face like a stone buddha. Crispus couldn't say anything and was just staring at him with a blank look.  

Hearing Corbulo stabbed by Clodius, Constantine ran to him right away. Corbulo struggled to push himself up from the bed and greeted the emperor with his whole chest part bandaged.

"Stay in there, you don't have to get up."

"You told me to come to you when I had an evident clue. I am sorry I should've come to you first. Anyway, I've gotten a confession from Clodius. My miserable look is the evidence." 

"What did he say?"

"He said he had done alone. But I didn't believe in him. So I asked him if he was trying to take the guilt upon himself for Caesar and at the very moment he just stabbed me with rage."  

By the time the emperor was reported, Corbulo was severely bleeding and  hovering between life and death. Since Clodius was closeted with Corbulo, only much after Clodius got out of the scene did Corbulo's man find him mourning grasping his belly.   

"Both you and Clodius are innocent? Who is the one, then? Who is he? Explain to my satisfaction!" 

"I don't have a clear evidence, but..."

Crispus stopped saying and shut his mouth. 

"Go ahead! Who do you think he is?"

"No, I can't say it just on a guess."

"You are hiding many like your mom thing..."

"Mother? What are you talking about... It's..." 

"I have heard of you and your mom."

"Father, what are you saying?"

Crispus shouted in spite of himself. He thought a huge conspiration had been driving him and Clodius toward destruction and was now trying to get his mother woven into it.  

Crispus was unexpectedly invited by a man three days after he talked with the emperor. On his hand lay the emperor's letter showing his performing an official duty.

"You are said to have tried to remove the young princes for the purpose of getting rid of any future troubles. They also say that Clodius is nothing but its tool."

The man from the emperor said. He was actually Civilis, a commander of the royal guard. He looked so cold-hearted and was secretly investigating upon the emperor's order.   

"Make a through investigation of Crispus, Clodius, Corbulo and the empress. There must be the one who planned it among the four. If necessary, I will entrust you with full power for arrest, detention, interrogation and so on. You just pick up ten among your men who you can trust and turn in the list. Other than them, you are never allowed to talk about this. It is mandatory that you report every ten days."  

"Yes, Your Highness! I will do my best to reveal everything without any trouble."

If it were normal, it would be difficult for him to talk with Caesar like that. But now he was just one of the suspects for the critical crime to undermine the backbone of the Empire. 

"If it isn't what you did, you have to get out of there by actively explaining."  

Civilis talked to Crispus with polite but decisive tone. The words sounded businesslike but the feeling of regret could be read from his look.  

"I swear to God. I have nothing to do with this! Are you working on Corbulo as well?"

"Yes, I am. I think I might get some hints only after I finish looking into you, Clodius, Corbulo and the empress. And it might be a very rude question, but I need to ask one more thing. What is the relationship between you and the empress?" 

'Corbulo!' Crispus groaned. It was when he met his mother. She cried so much in his arms and stroked his face and hair, when he kissed her forehead hugging her.  He was reminded of Corbulo' suspicious look. 'He saw it! Mother also could be in danger!' The inescapable fetters of the plot were increasingly tightening him up.     

15-7

“Caesar has nothing to do with this incident, Your Highness!"

This was the first saying by Clodius who had been dragged to Constantine with his body all tied up. Civilis who transferred him was looking down at him with an impassive look.

"You, get out."

"Yes, Your Highness!"

After looking at him lower his head a little and go out, Constantine untied Clodius and said.  

"You really love Crispus!"

Clodius bit his tongue. He thought he had caused such misunderstanding with inappropriate words.

"I know Crispus isn't the one who planned such a thing. Rather, he is too greedless. So did you try to kill other young princes to make him a king?"

Constantine asked with a warm look like treating a child. Unlike the tough sayings, Clodius knew the emperor still trusted him. 'No tricks work to him! I need to be totally honest to find the truth!' Clodius bit his lips. 

"Unfortunately, you don't have good people around you, Your Highness."

"Like you said, near the very top of power are there not so many good people. One or two is enough. I have only Hosius and Clodius."

Constantine was telling the truth. 'Clodius, you are no less than Crispus to me! You are like my son!' Constantine was smiling lightly. 

"You already know Caesar and I have nothing to do with that!"

"I really do. This was planned by Corbulo. His plan was to remove you and Caesar first. He is foxy. He only cares about his own interest. But, unluckily, you have been set up. 

"It's a relieve that Caesar was cleared of the charge."

Clodius sighed deep. He couldn't control himself and stabbed the man who was doing his official duties. Now he became an attempted murderer. But the emperor  

penetrated even his mind that he would leave himself holding the bag just in case.

Constantine slowly opened his mouth looking at his man he had long cherished.  

"It doesn't matter who is the suspect, Clodius. Something like this can happen anytime. So it's important to root it out."

"What do you mean by that?"

Clodius felt a new problem just starting.  

"Let me ask you a question. Which do you choose between Rome and me, if you have to do only one?"

"Your Highness, I have dedicated myself to Rome and you in my entire life. If you had done any harm to Rome, I would have never been with you!"

"Thank you for saying so. But, if I did something wrong to Rome, you would have to leave me and select Rome."

Constantine held his hands and Clodius was just staring at him.

"Crispus has an excellent talent in military stuff and attractive characters. That's why his army has been invincible."

'Ah, Your Highness!' Clodius could finally get to the very heart of the matter. What he was afraid of the most had become a reality.  

"The point is that Crispus is not political. Only with good personalities and virtue is he not able to lead the Empire in this difficult time. If he does care about the future of the Empire, he has to show hard-edged and powerful leadership. If he did so, I would be willing to let him take my place. But Rome is totally different from what it was two hundred years ago. Crispus may be good for a king in the piping times of peace, but not in a turbulent period."

"What do you do to Caesar?"

His heart was broken at the thought of Clodius.

"Crispus isn't good for an emperor. Nor he can step out. There are so many leaders in his army that respect him and are willing to sacrifice their life for him. I can't allow it to happen." 

Clodius knelt before him. 

"Even so, will you abandon him? Please, give it a second thought, your Highness!" 

He begged like crying.

"Look, Clodius! You too are shaking like this. That doesn't guarantee the peaceful future of the Empire. Choose one. Crispus? or Rome?"

Constantine glared at him and forced his reply with coldness.

"I am not so sure about that! But if I have to, I will follow you! He lowered his head. Thick tears were falling down and wetting the floor.