Augustus Road

After the people dispersed, the tents of the veterans at the Ares Grand Campus still stood in the wind, but Lepidus stopped again. He only carefully arranged the transportation issues at the Ostia River Port and did not go to the Grand Campus. He launched a speech to demand payment from the veterans and did not send legions outside Rome to suppress them.

On the contrary, Lepidus also extracted a considerable part of the wheat flour transported from various places and made many pastries and breads to the campus for the veterans and their families to eat. He also asked slaves to use mule carts to deliver sufficient amounts of water, and even used pottery to deliver them. On the market day before Saturnalia, Weng distributed fifty sestes as consolation money to each person. "If you want to participate in the festival celebration, then use these temporary gifts and you will be safe for the time being."

Some embarrassed soldiers felt ashamed under the influence of the cavalry commander, so they accepted the money with their families, quietly evacuated their tents and returned to Campania. "Eat, why not eat? Are you still afraid of poison?" Well, since your demands are just, you should be brave enough to do anything." On the edge of the campus, Skarwa was the first to come to the mule cart, starting from the slaves. He took the bread and water from his hands and started eating and drinking.

But secretly, Skava instructed the several legions remaining in Campania to immediately stop looting surrounding towns and villages, so as not to be caught by Lepidus in future negotiations. Before Lepidus came to the main campus, even more exciting news came. The dictator Caesar had braved the spring headwinds from Egypt and arrived at Tarentum, and was heading towards the city of Rome to prepare to resolve the mutiny. After hearing the news, some veterans did not dare to face their bald old superiors because they were afraid of giving speeches. Caesar would name them to their faces. That would really be worse than dying.

But Centurion Skava. There are also two centurions, Delos and Crusinus, and two military tribunes, Avenus and Fonteus, who still serve as the backbone and continue to fight in the great battle with more than 3,000 comrades. The school insists on seeking justice for everyone. As a result, the cavalry commander arrived at this time. This man came to the school field wearing a robe. After boarding the makeshift podium, all the veterans cheered and gathered around, ready to negotiate terms with Lepidah.

But after Lepidus came to the podium, he spoke up and said: "I thought that a real army can withstand good times as well as adversity. What's more, you who swore to the dictator on the Rubicon River will follow him to the ends of the earth. , If I remember correctly, Africa should also fall into this category.”

"We are just asking for our own allowances and benefits. How many times do we have to repeat these words before we can reach the ears of the officials." Skava was indignant. "Your demands are unreasonable!" Lepidus shouted. "When you fought in Gaul before, why didn't a mutiny break out? That's because every time you defeat the enemy, you can get the prisoners of war and slaves assigned to you by Caesar. With the gold and silver brought by the destruction of barbarian towns, everyone has made a fortune on the piles of corpses. Now that we are going to Spain and Africa, and the rewards are less, and we cannot plunder at will, you will start to fear the harsh natural environment. , just greedily asking for it endlessly, as if the whole country cannot function without you. What a shame. Most of the regular legions recruited by Caesar have rebelled, especially the tenth legion. You must know that the dictator is the mastermind. I favor you the most, to the extent that all other legions feel jealous. Don’t you fear divine punishment because you have forgotten your original oath?”

"Your Majesty the Dictator forgot it first. Our soldiers haven't asked him to fulfill the oath he swore on the Rubicon River yet!" Delo, another centurion who was on the same side as Skava, jumped up and shouted excitedly. As a result, his words inspired many voices of agreement.

Lepidus was confused by this. He had been with Caesar the whole time during the Rubicon River, but he had never seen him make any extraordinary vows.

But Delo continued to announce the so-called Caesar's Oath, "That day, I happened to be by the river, and His Excellency Caesar gave a speech in front of us. I was still a low-ranking centurion in the Thirteenth Legion, and I was at the end of the group. row, but saw Caesar take off his ring, and then all the soldiers cheered."

"When Caesar took off the ring, his original words were, 'As long as everyone can protect my honor and fight for me, even if I am asked to take off this thing and give up my current identity, I will be willing to do so.'" Later, Lepidah clearly understood Retell the content of Caesar's speech at that time.

"You're talking nonsense!" Tilo shouted, "Don't think that I don't understand His Excellency Caesar's gesture. It means that after defeating the enemy, each of us will be a knight who can wear a ring. Even if the knighthood is not granted, there will still be gifts. Four hundred thousand sesterces for each veteran.”

The cavalry commander was silent for a moment. He sometimes felt that it was extremely dangerous to lead these rude and uncultured veterans who were more interested in spreading gossip than peasant women in the market. Caesar was just using his own words during his speech. The ring was made into a prop, but was rumored to look like this by the veterans (because knights all wear gold rings). What's even more helpless is that the soldiers also believed that Caesar could do this, because they didn't understand and didn't want to understand at all. There are only about 10,000 knights in Rome, and Caesar's legions are no less than 100,000. It is extraordinary to be able to "think" to this extent. It can be called the most beautiful misunderstanding.

The cavalry commander wiped his face silently in the noise on the podium, and then said to the soldiers that the topic of the knight's ring and 400,000 sesterces (because in ancient Rome, a knight must have corresponding assets) has come to an end for the time being, and you can discuss it after Caesar himself comes to Rome, but now I must honestly announce another thing, "That is, if you stop fighting and demand pay, and ask to retire, then I can do it, because I can take the 5th, 12th, 13th, 16th and 31st legions to fight in Africa."

As soon as these words came out, like thunder, all the troublemakers fell silent: Yes, since the cavalry commander already has another five full legions, why should he recognize their demands? Now all the veteran legions, the capital to threaten Caesar, is based on the psychological foundation that "Caesar's military expedition cannot be separated from us."

"I reiterate that I can completely comply with your request for retirement now, how about it?" Lepidus repeated this sentence again on the podium.

Just when everyone was hesitant, the soldiers immediately started to stir with the sound of the horn, because they saw the dictator Caesar appear at this moment, and then everyone automatically made way and watched Caesar slowly ascend the podium.

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