Augustus Road

"No country in the world has so many thieves and robbers as England." - An Italian envoy in the 14th century

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After handing over the tablet, the high priest became expressionless. He gently flicked away his tears with his long fingers and told the navigator, "Weight up anchor and set sail. We will go to the next island to replenish fresh water. After resting, we will return tomorrow." Continue to Cyrene.”

With the sound of drums and oars, the fleet left Malta. Turinus continued to stand there, watching them leave in a daze. After a long time, he slowly returned to the stone house where he lived, full of people. Looking shocked, he then began to write a letter to his mother, describing the "big event" he saw today in a ramble, and he began to analyze the situation and said:

"As you all know, my former guardian, now the ruler of the republic, may I call him thus, long live the House of Aemilius (Turinus was already afraid, and every one of his letters would begin with this) - —Mother, I am thinking about the future war situation in Greece. The information I got through various limited means is that the high priest sent only about three legions to southern Africa and Libya. So where will he choose to attack Brutus? What? I think it will be in the Peloponnese, because his military strength is limited and it is a narrow place, so he can use a small amount of troops to fight the enemy, while Leo will bring most of the main force across the sea. , joined with Agrippa's army, bulldozed the Athens and Euboea areas in the front, and cooperated with the Kingdom of Pontus to attack and destroy Eulabella. "

But the letters of Turinus. Now in the city of Rome. Like a ripple in stagnant water. It will have no effect or reaction. Time dragged on in this way, and it was not until a month later that the city of Athens learned of Lepidus' movements in Cyrene.

After Brutus hurriedly discussed with Cassius, he changed his deployment. He deployed the four main legions horizontally, near Corinth, relying on the mountain passes. To prevent Lepidus from landing in the Peloponnese, all the intelligence now clearly points to this point, "I will surround Lepidus' legions in the narrow Arcadia plain and annihilate them!" This is what Brutus and Karkas said. Siyo’s thoughts.

Then Cassius went back again. He led a legion and quickly took advantage of the spring currents to return to the city of Rhodes in a ship to lead an attack on the city of Camelot.

On the other hand, Eurabella also led a legion and began to encroach on the Lydian plain area, preparing to destroy the spring plowing of the towns on the Lepidean side.

but. Soon, Sabo's army in Fort Lepidus made rapid movements - Adiana brought the newly formed "Model Legion" and the hired Cappadocia cavalry. After stationing at Tactun, a traffic thoroughfare, she was eyeing the areas of Bithynia and Ephesus. Then she placed another "Ubert Legion" on Achilles's fleet and transported it to Lepidus Castle, where it competed with Sabo's The sixteenth, twenty-eighth and forty-eighth legions (Saab's newly recruited legions in Macedonia and Thrace) met.

"Forty-eight legions stayed at Fort Lepidus, and the remaining two legions followed me on the expedition." Sabo led the two elite legions and continued to use the Achilles fleet as a vehicle to raid the Aegean Sea sandwiched between Greece and Asia Minor. Powerful maritime states such as Lesbos, Chios, and Samos immediately surrendered. Then, Sabo dispatched various brigades and ships to garrison on these islands, which was equivalent to cutting off the connection between Brutus and Eulabella's subordinates.

At this time, in Cyrenaica after the arrival of spring, farmers were slashing and burning on the vast fertile land. Green smoke was everywhere. The new country of five cities had now become a hub of trade. Brundim Weaving workshops are lined up in the new city. Rhino horns, ivory, and amethyst are sold in neat shops. Tax collectors wearing round hats are walking around the streets and government offices carrying money bags. More and more people are walking in the streets and government offices. People gave up their nomadic life and settled here, hoping to realize their "Brundim Dream." At the city gates and docks, camel caravans and merchant ships were transporting goods to places such as Greece, Italy, and Egypt.

On the grand campus outside the new city, the Skylark Legion, the Twelve Legion, and the Seventh Legion were standing densely among them, accepting inspections from the high priest and his deputy, General Galius. However, next to them, there were two full-scale soldiers. These legions all wore Greek-style copper breastplates, held round shields and broad-bladed swords, and light infantry carried sharp spears - yes, they were all the two soldiers sent by Adiana earlier. Lepidus did not ask them to go to the Spanish battlefield, but stayed in Brundim to rest and standby, just to prepare for the current expedition.

Now, Lepidus also armed these Pontic legions with the war horses raised by Tobias, asked them to use new training tactics, and gave them generous salaries, so that these two legions could act as pioneers for themselves with peace of mind.

"Very good, all of them are of great use, but before I officially go on the expedition, I still have something to do." Lepidus, who was sitting under the pergola, said happily, and then he asked the Medjet Guards to follow him. , quickly headed to the border area of ​​Egypt.

There, in a temple dedicated to Serapis, Lepidus sent an invitation to Cleopatra.

The tone of the invitation was extremely enthusiastic, saying that he wanted to pay a visit to Caesar's youngest son Caesarion and the child's mother. "Now that Turinus has been exiled, Caesarion should have his own share of this empire. I am ready to build a palace for you and your son in Brundium, Cyrene, and after destroying Brutus, I plan to give you Crete, Cyprus and parts of Libya."

The letter was carried by a light cavalry messenger and took only two days and three nights to reach the Pharaoh's palace in Alexandria. There, Cleopatra, sitting on a lion-leg chair and wearing a sari robe, read Lepidus' letter. In front of her feet, a maid combing her hair was lying on the ground for Caesarion to ride on.

"Nonsense, Lepidus is a poisonous scorpion and viper. Every word he says needs to be carefully judged. I don't even believe the letters in his heart." Cleopatra sneered and quickly threw the tablet into the crocodile pool. At this time, the chief of the palace guards, Diotusus, saw this scene and silently asked the servants to use the hook to grab the tablet that the crocodiles were tossing and biting.

"Diotusus, you presumptuous bastard, what the Pharaoh abandoned is abandoned!" Cleopatra angrily scolded the chief of the palace guards.

But Diotusus had no expression at all. He just bowed to the female Pharaoh to express his so-called "apology", then stood aside again with his hands folded. (To be continued...)