Augustus Road

"This is the eternal truth in war: protect your army's flanks and rear, and try to attack the opponent's flanks and rear in a roundabout way. ∑ Apex Novel," - King Frederick the Great of Prussia

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Three days later, as expected, the First Army of Marcus and the Third Army led by Trureas, carried by the fleet originally belonging to Sicily, rushed into the port of the city of Lilibi without any resistance. The stronghold guarding the critical sea area in the triangle of Sardinia, Sicily and Africa announced a change of flag, and all the soldiers, oarsmen and citizens went to the streets and squares together. In their eyes, "Lilibi has obtained the destiny and status it deserves. To Caesar, the once liberator, now the assassinated hero, even though he is no longer alive.”

Aquila, who was in the city of Megara on the other side of the island, was immediately stunned. He was still fighting a lawsuit with Telureas regarding the supreme command, but he didn't expect that the opponent's six legions would disappear from the landing. From Sardinia to the tragic surrender at Gebra, only eight days had passed, which happened to be a market day.

Then with the fall of Lilibi, the question before Aquila became highlighted: fight, surrender, or escape.

In the camp of Port Callaris, Lepidus held a joint meeting between the legion commander and the chief centurion before sending out troops. At the meeting, many people were concerned about when to command the troops and march into Italy and the city of Rome. Completely annihilate the murderer group and Pompey's remnants, and support the war of young Caesar Octavian.

"My plan is to capture Sicily first, lest it pose a threat on the flanks. Because Aquila, the envoy here, is also a notorious traitor. If my team continues to grow, I must take some practical action. Comfort Caesar's heroic soul in heaven." Lepidus rejected everyone's proposal, seeming to have a deeper purpose.

Then Lepidus' message was sent to the city of Megara like a wind. It contained only a few lines, "The noble descendants of the Aemilius clan have prepared a gold reward equal to the weight of your head for your treachery."

Seeing this, Aquila was frightened. He understood that Lepidus was not prepared to forgive him and wanted to kill him as a warning to others. It seemed that it was more cost-effective for Teluleas to surrender. As the first surrenderer, he could save his job and life, but he was too late.

What can I use to fight against Lebida now? Within one market day, the opponent transformed. After the subordinates were compressed, there were still four full legions, plus powerful archers and cavalry auxiliaries, as well as a huge fleet. And his subordinates have already betrayed him to the point of betrayal. After thinking about it, Aquila sold off all the public and private properties in the Governor's Mansion. He recruited Sicilian mercenaries, which were a world-famous "specialty" in the Magna Graecia era, and then announced that he had liberated all slaves, armed them as his own bodyguards, and prepared to escape from the Strait of Messina to Italy.

As a result, at this time, news came that at the port of Brindisi, the Thirteenth Army and the Fifteenth Army Corps, which Lepidus had returned to service, as well as the "Isthmian Corps" formed by the Gallic and German prisoners of war who used the machine to build the isthmus, had arrived at Petnje. Under the leadership of Us, he landed. Three legions completely controlled southern Italy. He had no way to go.

The next day, Lepidus' fleet, accompanied by his own camp and the 7th and 28th legions, landed at the port of Kotaro, northeast of Megara, and approached his city.

At the same time, his newly surrendered First Army and Third Army also pressed towards Megara along the streets of South Sicily.

At this moment, Aquila had no way to go to heaven, no way to enter the earth, and the guards he recruited were useless. Less than ten miles after he wandered out of the city gate, he dispersed like birds and beasts.

Aquila, who was confused, could only ride a horse and find Lepidus' camp that stretched for several miles outside the city of Cotaro. He walked into the camp gate and announced his surrender to Lepidus.

Lepidus, who was sitting in the small square in front of the camp, ordered his followers and guards to swarm forward, pull Aquila off his horse, and then smash his saddle and bridle in front of all the soldiers, and then tore off his armor. He and his cloak were all taken off, and his head was pressed down naked in front of Li Bida.

"You have always been known for your mediocrity and incompetence in your previous campaigns in Africa. The fleet you commanded could neither guarantee the safe transportation of supplies nor dare to fight bravely against the enemy's ships. However, Caesar still recognized you, but you did not You don’t think it’s the commander-in-chief’s favor for you, but you foolishly think it’s natural. But even so, you conspired with the murderers to kill Lord Julius and committed such a horrific crime. You are still shamelessly occupying important positions and plundering soldiers and people. Today I, Lepidus, will avenge Caesar, and you are the prey." After saying that, Lepidus moved his hand back, and Habaruka took out the wooden box. , after opening it into a plate, everyone saw that there was indeed a human head made of pure gold!

Then Lepidus stepped forward and trampled Aquila's head into the soil, making him unable to speak at all. Then he announced, "I am true to my word. This golden head is to replace Aquila's real head." !”

Then, several of the retinues pulled out the gleaming axes from the bundles of sticks, and then with a flash of red light, Aquila's head was separated from the body. Lepidus kicked it with his foot, and the head rolled far away!

All the officers and soldiers shouted, and then Lepidus pointed at Aquila's head and said to the fascist followers, "Insult his body and then send it to the Senate!" Then he said to his people, "This golden head is your glory and merit. When the first and third legions arrive here, I will melt it and convert it into equivalent silver coins and reward them to all the legionaries. In addition, I will reward everyone with an additional 200 dinars of silver coins. This amount will be shared by all the towns in Sicily that funded the traitor Aquila. You should now shout slogans to thank Aquila."

Everyone laughed, but then they really shouted, "Thank you for Aquila's death."

Aquila's horrible corpse was loaded into a stone coffin, hooked up with a butcher's iron hook, and transported to Rome. Lepidus specially allocated four fast rowing boats for this purpose. At this time, Octavian had already sworn to go to war, so when the servants placed the stone coffin in the Julian Hall, and then transported Aquila's almost shattered body and the head with the mouth, nose, ears and eyes cut off to the center of the hall, almost all the senators felt that their livers were about to jump out. They covered their eyes or noses with robes, not daring to face the horrible appearance of Aquila's corpse, nor could they bear the stench of the corpse.

Casca and Spinzel, among them, recalled what Lepidus had said to them publicly when he led his guards up the Capitoline Hill, "I declare war on you, the chosen fathers of the Roman Republic!"

"Lepidus's sending of the body is a provocation and threat to the Senate!" Thinking of this, Casca couldn't help but scream, and then everyone associated with the murderer group cried. (To be continued...)