Augustus Road

In the night, Lepidus' group of people passed through the main square with torches. When they stopped in front of the bronze bow, Antony took a few steps forward and kicked away a few beggars who were huddled under the pulpit. Then the tribunes stayed in place. Without moving, Basatus said to Lepidus: "With the current situation, Pompey will definitely accept the sword of the Senate, right?"

"Well, there is no need to waste any more time. Here is the Senate's 'ultimatum'." When Lepidus mentioned the word "ultimatum," most of the tribunes present began to feel uneasy. Only Anthony was completely uneasy. Unknown to everyone, this position of tribune was his first call in the political arena. He had no idea about the operation and the inside story. He just picked his teeth with a toothpick, burped, and leaned on the bow podium to look at others blankly.

The "ultimatum" of the Senate is a very special existence in the history of the Roman Republic. It is special because there is no basis for its existence in all laws, but it actually exists and has been used so far. Several people died under its "sharp blade": the Gracchi brothers in the past, and Catiline who was not too far away now.

Therefore, when Catiline was exiled and his followers were sentenced to death, it was not actually through a public trial. What killed him happened to be the "ultimatum" announced by Cicero, who mobilized the Senate, and Caesar's One of the very important reasons why he stood up for Catiline was to fight against the very illegal and extreme power of the Senate.

Only those who enjoy the "ultimatum" treatment, even in the ends of the world, are the "public enemies" of the entire republic and all those who follow him. They will all be treated equally as "national traitors".

Now. This deserted square. There are a total of eleven potential national thieves. The wind coming from the dark alleys around them is like the cry of wronged souls. They are like a lone army surrounded by boundless enemies. Now only the fearless spirit can reverse the situation.

"Don't panic, everyone below will listen to my arrangement with Curio. Are you still willing to continue to follow Caesar? I think the answer is obvious, we have no retreat. Even if some people are not determined and defect to the other camp , will there be any good endings in the future! There is a proverb in my hometown that hunters will cook their hounds to satisfy their hunger after the hares are gone. What’s more, in the current situation, even if we want to be hounds, we can’t. Yes - sooner or later, you and I will share our fate with Caesar and receive the ultimatum from the Senate. Then we will confront each other openly, or the eleven people present will become national traitors, or we will be favored by the fate of the gods and destroy the Senate. Hundreds of specially selected fathers were beaten as national traitors. Therefore, the most important thing to do now is to support Caesar in crossing the Rubicon." Lepidus' last words were even more terrifying than the "ultimatum" in Curio's mouth just now. , because the Rubicon River, this small river at the junction of Alpine Gaul and the Republic, is not only a boundary, but also a psychological red line for all Romans.

The red line that Sulla crossed at that time was the southern border of Rome, the port of Brindisi.

Now Caesar has taken the opposite path, but the nature is exactly the same. Either he becomes a national thief or he kills the national thief. Everything depends on the dice of fate.

In the firelight, Lepidus slowly raised his fist and stretched it out. After a while, Antony and Basatus were the first to collide with his fist, followed by Paulus and Angandinus, one after another, their fists joined together, Finally, it’s Coolio’s!

"I'm risking my life and fortune on this!"

Then, Antony withdrew his fist and muttered that he should leave the city immediately and lead three legions to attack Rome directly, but Lepidus stopped him, "The time is not ripe now. The final order will not be effective until Caesar issues it. You If I had told you in advance, the soldiers would have been afraid of becoming allies of the national traitors and would have dispersed. Now, Antony, your mission is to continue to hold on to the city of Rome with Curio and Basatus. The rest of the tribunes will go to Hel tonight. The house of Sius, he will arrange the manpower to send you to Arimilon. Remember, those who stay or leave will not show their true value unless they persist until the last moment. , All words and deeds must follow Curio, and you must not make your own decisions. The time to truly test you has arrived.”

"For Ambrose." The two men fist-bumped each other, and then Lepidus winked at Curio and hurried towards Prima.

In the chess and card room of Prema's villa, the little pigeon Paluma slowly put away the chess board, and then together with Domuka, helped Marcus, who was tired from playing chess just now, onto the bed. This scene was reflected in Lepida who was standing at the door. It was very familiar to him. Everything was a repeat of ten years ago. The difference was that the little pigeon had grown up. He pressed his adopted son's forehead and said, "Are you ready for the catastrophe of war that is about to happen?"

The little pigeon put the sword on his back and nodded to his adoptive father.

In the courtyard, people, horses and torches were wandering around. Oplik and Kelly were hurriedly dispatching people. But after Lepidah came out, he said to everyone, "Just prepare a mule cart. In the early morning, it's just me and Paluma." Leaving the city of Rome, you don’t need any extra followers.”

If he guessed correctly, that person was about to come to the garrison of the 10th, 12th and 13th legions at the same time to compete with him for command?

In the cold wind, lying everywhere are the gray-black rivers on the Italian land, and the frozen soil of the same color. The black wheat straw burned by the serfs is rolling uninhibitedly across the rivers together with the white frost. with fields. Lepidus, who was on the mule cart, slowly saw the gray-white intersection of the Flaminia Avenue.

Sure enough, that man also came to this fork in the road with several armed followers. After crossing a bare forest and climbing over several hills, there was the garrison camp of the three legions.

Lepidus looked at the man, and it was clear that the other party had also noticed him. The white mist sprayed from the noses of the mules and horses intertwined, "You accepted Pompey's invitation to join the other party's camp, and now you are using yourself in the province. The influence of the army came to rob these three legions?" Lepidah's legs were draped on the wheel, while the little pigeon behind him held the hilt of his sword firmly.

"Don't worry, little pigeon. Caesar's chief lieutenant, Rabinus, is not a general who would kill people indiscriminately on such occasions. I am not joking, but I think so sincerely." Lepidus turned around and said to the little pigeon with a smile.

"If you think this is the virtue of being a Roman citizen, then I think it has become a huge burden now." Rabinus, wearing a military uniform on horseback and a cockcomb helmet, said with a complicated expression, "I From the moment you say goodbye to the Arimilon camp, you have chosen your own position, which is to turn your back on Caesar." (To be continued...)