Augustus Road

Then, Lepidus looked at Brutus and left in a hurry. The other party was obviously puffing up his cheeks and wanted to rush up to argue with him, but he didn't know what to say. Should he blame him? What is there to blame? Lepidus is just in a different camp from himself. He has never done anything to harm himself. His uncle was killed by the rioting citizens of Masseria during the siege. Who can he blame?

"Marcus Brutus, you are a rational nobleman and a philosopher. There is no need to complain about the world. Instead, you should put aside emotional disputes and continue to move towards rational goals. Remember, you are not Catiline who does whatever it takes, nor Cicero who speaks big words." Brutus kept mumbling in his heart to restrain himself until a hand was placed on his shoulder. Looking back, it happened to be his uncle Caesar next door.

"How are you doing recently? Are you still resentful that I deprived you of your public office? After all, Cassius has already taken office." The two seemed to be unable to return to the previous atmosphere. Brutus lowered his head and followed the dictator. Then he found two couches facing each other and sat down to talk.

Sevilla made a few gestures, and the slaves and servants went to greet other guests. Only one person went over and turned the bronze lamp between the two couches to the brightest level. "No resentment, of course I know my own weight, so I'd better take it slowly according to my qualifications. After all, I just want to do something beneficial to the state and my own cultivation, and I don't need to think about quick success and instant benefits." Brutus said self-deprecatingly.

But Caesar said, "Go exercise!"

This surprised Brutus a little, but Caesar continued. "Cassio is going to Lusitania. I'll give him the task of recruiting a legion. That is the fourth legion. As for financial matters, you had a lot of experience when you were a staff member for Cato the Younger, so I think it's more appropriate for you to be the provincial treasurer."

"I was not nominated by the Centuriate Council. This is not in line with the tradition of the Republic." Brutus said this stubbornly.

Caesar laughed, as if he was talking to an ignorant child, "My dictator was not nominated at all. During the Punic Wars, the Senate did not have the power to organize and command the army or appoint military generals. Times are changing, situations are changing, and people have to change with them, right? Brutus, my child, if you still want to become stronger and want to gain glory, you have to be down-to-earth. I asked you to go home before because I wanted to calm down for a while. So go, child. Working in the wheat fields will always pay off." At this time, leaning against the colonnade. Mother Seville, watching the two men talking, saw that the faces of her two beloved men gradually relaxed from the original stiffness, and she also smiled with relief.

In the following days, Caesar and Lepidus pursued the word "fast" as much as possible. Caesar nominated Basatus, who was born in Spain, and another aristocratic of the Senate, Popilius, as consuls, which was considered to be in response to Eulabella's previous request and ended his term as dictator, but he still did not give up military power. On the contrary, he assigned most of his elite staff and confidants to the "Wartime Provincial Executive Council". These people served as civil and military officials of the Republic and also handled provincial affairs - civil officials were responsible for dispatching tax-farming knights, and military tribunes were responsible for recruiting and training soldiers in other non-wartime provinces.

On March 12, when the new consul began to issue decrees, Caesar announced that all fleets and land forces would be stationed at the port of Brindisi and all ports in Sicily, waiting for an order, and then all would rush to Africa.

This time, Caesar's plan was to avoid a decisive battle with Pompey in Utica, because Pompey could get strong support from King Juba at any time. Instead, he first sent Hitius and Cassius to try to cross the sea to send a legion to Mauritania, and mobilized the local king to attack King Juba's backyard to contain him; he and Lepidus led the main force to land in Leptis, which had been consolidated, to clear the Labinus army in front of them, and then slowly approached Utica to seize the opportunity for a decisive battle!

The former governor of Sicily, Curio, is still missing, but Caesar can't care so much, and directly put this province under his account and put it into operation.

As for Lepidus, he temporarily dropped the title of cavalry commander and changed it to "Chief of the Wartime Provincial Administrative Council", a very long name.

But the strangest thing happened:

When Caesar and the chief of the administrative council led the guards out of Rome and passed through Campania, the group of veterans of the Tenth Legion, about 3,000 people, gathered automatically, led by Scavo, and followed behind Caesar's mount, not far away.

After walking for a while, Caesar stopped his horse, and the group of the Tenth Legion also stopped, about a furlong away, and many of them turned their backs and did not make eye contact with Caesar. But when Caesar drove his mount forward, this group of big soldiers ran behind him in an orderly manner.

"Hey, don't you say anything to them?" Lepidus reminded Caesar next to him.

"The fact that I didn't drive them away is very telling." Caesar said casually.

"But it's better to say something to the Tenth Legion!" Lepidus, who was leaning on the saddle, suggested.

Finally, at the border of Campania, when the other legions of Capua arrived, Caesar stopped and drove his horse to the front of the Tenth Legion. All the people were carrying tools and luggage in a marching posture, but they had no weapons or armor. When they saw the leader riding a horse, Scavo took the lead and turned around, and the others stood there in shame, saying nothing.

"The former dictator gave a speech!" Lepidus said this next to him, and everyone stood up immediately.

Caesar pulled the reins and walked back and forth twice, then said briefly, "The Tenth Legion will not go to Brindisi for the time being, but will wait for new soldiers in Naples, and then cross the sea to Leptis in the second wave to meet me with the full main force."

Then, amid the thunderous cheers of the Tenth Legion, Caesar and Lepidus turned their horses and left in a cloud of dust. The Tenth Legion re-formed its column and followed closely behind them.

"Dear Lepidus, have you received the tablet signed by Scavua and other leaders last time?" When they arrived at the camp in Brindisi, Caesar took off his cloak and sword in the tent and asked Lepidus.

"Yes, I have read all the terms and conditions, and I am actively planning and preparing them." Lepidus asked Matthias to bring the leather box and handed the tablet to Caesar.

After reading it for a while, Caesar hummed and returned it to Lepidus, then sat down and said in a relaxed tone, "After crossing the sea, we will deal with the five leaders!"