Roman Slave Owner

"Have the slaves been bought back?"

Li Wei glanced at it and asked.

"I bought it back. I ran all over the market and only found two deaf-mute people. It cost a total of 20 dinars. In addition, I have bought all the things you asked me to buy."

Julia said.

"here you go."

Levi said, "Let them come with me."

As he walked, he recalled how to make white sugar from beets.

As a writer, sugar making is simply an essential skill.

Cut the beets into shreds and soak them in water to fully immerse the sugar molecules in the water to obtain sugary water.

Then add excess Ca(OH)2 to the sugar water to melt the non-sugar molecules in a strong alkaline environment and enhance the stability of the sucrose molecules.

The excess CO2 and Ca(OH)2 are passed through twice in a row to react, resulting in Ca(CO3) precipitation.

Calcium carbonate will have a strong adsorption effect on non-sugar molecules, and they will precipitate together, which is a very simple chemical reaction equation.

What he got was relatively pure sugar water. Recalling the sugar making method, Li Wei walked back with two slaves impatiently.

***

***

"What did you say? The master released more than a dozen gladiators and made them free slaves. And he asked them to become family guards, with a monthly salary of 10 dinars?"

After hearing the words of the family guard captain Geta, Yulia covered her mouth in surprise.

Geta was a powerful Roman citizen. In 102 BC, nearly a million Germanic barbarians invaded south with the old and the young, and the number of Germanic men who could only pretend to be 300,000. During that battle, Geta served as the The high-ranking centurion participated in that battle and made no small contribution.

But he was also injured in that war, and was later hired by Li Wei's parents to become the head of the family guard.

"You didn't persuade him?"

Yulia couldn't help but blamed.

"I tried to persuade him, but he didn't listen."

Geta was also helpless.

"What can I do? I must stop him."

Julia said.

The documents for freeing the slaves have not yet been handed over to the officials, and now there is still a chance to repent.

Thinking of this, she and Geta walked towards the backyard together.

"Baoqian, the Patriarch ordered that no one can go there."

But it didn't take long before they were stopped by two guards.

"Can't even me and Geta?"

Yulia said that she was Li Wei's personal slave, basically acting as a housekeeper.

"The head of the family specifically named you and said that force can be used if necessary."

A guard said shyly.

One is their head, and the other is the woman closest to the head of the family.

If it wasn't for Li Wei's order, they really wouldn't dare to stop him.

"This is how to do."

Geta couldn't help but said.

He already understood Li Wei's determination, and looked at the numerous guard posts behind him, and there were even some gladiators who had just been freed inside, and he knew that Li Wei would never allow them to pass.

"Wait, I'll send someone to stop those documents first."

Julia said.

Geta nodded, so he waited here.

They waited for a long time, and it wasn't until dark that Li Wei came out excitedly, holding an amphorae in his hand, and Geta and Yulia rushed up to meet him.

"What are you doing here?"

Levi asked.

"I heard you set those gladiators free?"

Yulia said a little frantically.

What happened to the master, could he be fooled by Dio?

Li Wei smiled slightly, "Let's not talk about this first, you will pay for this."

Li Wei took out some crystal clear white sugar from the jar.

"what is this?"

Geta asked.

"Our new source of income."

Levi said.

Yulia and Geta were taken aback, new source of income?

Yulia reached out and took a handful of white sugar, put it in her mouth and ate it, and soon a pure sweetness bloomed on the tip of her tongue.

Rome at this time had no sweets, no sugar cane.

Only a few sources of sweetness, such as honey, can be obtained, and even then, their sweetness cannot be compared with white sugar.

"how do you feel?"

Levi asked.

"good to eat."

Julia said in surprise.

She has never felt such pure sweetness, it is a taste that makes people happy, like a synonym for sweetness.

Geta also grabbed a handful and put it in his mouth, and nodded after tasting it.

"It's really good stuff."

"How much do you think this thing can sell for?"

Levi asked.

Yulia thought for a while and said, "I think at least 5 dinars a pound."

One Roman pound is about 335.9 grams, but Geta couldn't believe that this thing is so valuable?

"It's too little, at least 30 dinars."

Li Wei said with a smile.

Geta couldn't help but gasp, a pound of silver is only 84 dinars, this thing is almost comparable to silver.

"Is it too expensive?"

Julia said.

"There are rich people in this world, but you don't understand the world of rich people."

Levi said.

The upper class in Rome has long been extravagant, and it would be shameful for nobles to invite people to a banquet to serve a whole chicken. They should only serve the most delicious and valuable parts of the chicken, and other parts should not appear in the banquet.

Moreover, it would be embarrassing for the guests to eat all the dishes once. They should try their best to have as many dishes as possible. They will try their best to be extravagant and wasteful.

The reason why the Gracchi brothers wanted to carry out reforms was because the gap between the rich and the poor was getting bigger and bigger, the nobles and knights were getting richer and richer, but the poor had no place to stand, and this poverty had reached the point where it affected the life and death of Rome.

Li Wei was engaged in a unique business, and his goods were not only supplied to Rome, but also to Egypt, Gaul, Pontus, Parthian Empire and even the distant Great Yuezhi.

Thinking about how huge the market is, he doesn't have to worry about not being able to sell the sugar.

"Now you understand why I did this."

Levi said.

Both Yulia and Geta suddenly realized, but can they really be sold at such an expensive price?

They doubt it.

"Then shall we continue to train gladiators?"

Geta asked.

"Of course there is training, and we need to buy more gladiator slaves."

Levi said.

In the next few decades, the whole of Rome will be in troubled times, and the stronger the force in hand, the better.

Gladiators are very powerful, as can be seen from the Spartak uprising.

"This formula must be kept secret."

Julia said.

"This is my responsibility."

Li Wei said with a smile.

It's not that he doesn't believe them, the less people know about this kind of thing, the better.

It's not that there is a saying that you must never test people's hearts, and Li Wei deeply agrees with this.

Yulia's face changed slightly, but she didn't say anything.

"Tomorrow you continue to purchase those materials. Remember that the materials will also be kept secret in the future. Only you will know, and you have to mix them with other things to buy. In addition, send people to Nora, Pompeii and Naples to see if they can purchase some deaf-mute slave."

Levi said.

Yulia nodded. It seems that white sugar is made from beets and quicklime.

But how can quicklime make sugar? It is obviously a mineral!

Geta looked aggrieved, is he the kind of person who leaks secrets? But nothing was said.