Chapter 33 Running (Part 2)

The next morning, Lepidus got up very late with a sore back last night. After pushing away the goose down pillow, he put on his casual clothes and walked to the central courtyard. He saw Corinna eating alone under the careful attention of several maids. During breakfast, Leo was leaning among the flowers and plants on one side, sitting alone on a chair, reading a book, and there was not even a servant around him - once the brother and sister were together, the servants would unconsciously treat Colleen as Focus on Na and ignore him.

Potty was inspecting the kitchen and warehouse, and Lepidus walked towards his children. At this moment, Leo saw his father first and stood up in a hurry to show respect, while Corinna looked like a coquettish person who didn't care. Then, Si Yan's servants brought in many Crean disciples, and Lepidus took Leo's hand. The father and son accepted the greetings from the disciples together, and then gave a few simple words of advice. Suddenly, someone stood aside, very rashly. The emperor asked to describe the urgent matter to Lepidus. Lepidus looked at it and recognized that this was the deacon of the Claudius family. "My two mistresses, Claudia and Fulivia, have something urgent to ask for your help." "

What's going on? Lepidus ate something in a hurry and kissed Poti who had just walked over from the cloister. "Look after the children and don't let them run around in the streets of the city." Then he dressed up and went to Mattia with several people. Escorted by armed slaves, he walked towards the Palatine Hill.

As a result, in the summer restaurant in the backyard of Claudius' house, he saw a surprising uninvited guest, Marco Antony, who was immersed in the flowers, fruits and wine on the long table, and behaved peacefully and magnificently Via frowned.

"You madman!" Lepidus strode over and grabbed Anthony. Asked. "You must have secretly escaped from Brindisi. You really want to seduce this lonely young widow!" As he said, he pointed at Fulivia, who was so frightened that her face turned pale. "Then you can just Tell me, if you need money for the wedding, I can help you, but now you are ruining your future, my lord the tribune and lieutenant-general.”

"Don't accuse me. You are the same. You inherited the Lepidus family in Sardinia by marrying a widow." Anthony pushed him away. "Actually, in the eyes of everyone, the Republic is just a widow with a graceful appearance, rich assets, and easy access. Everyone wants to keep her under her feet, everyone!" Then, this majestic and burly "Hercules" moved He raised the wine vat, drank a lot, and then said to Lepidus with a sad tone, "The battle report from the front line came, my brother Gaius was captured."

Lepidah sat down calmly, as he had expected all this. Fulivia timidly stood up and served him the plate and wine glass. "Oh, what's the exact news? Is Gaius dead?"

"No, Pompey will not execute him so hastily, because he is my brother, haha. I, Antony, still have some influence after all, because after the civil war broke out, there were very few senior generals on Caesar's side, so about In Pompey's camp, we regard you and I as bald men." Antony sat down in despair, and then shouted angrily, "It was Cytellus who betrayed him, and it was Eurabella who betrayed him. After him, the former took the lead in fleeing in Dalmatia with his flanking troops. The latter's fleet gave up cover after suffering a slight setback at sea. My brother persisted to the end. He was very brave and retreated to Curikota with his soldiers. The island was surrounded by the fleets of Libo and Maximus. He and his three thousand soldiers had no way out, so they surrendered. "

"That is to say, Eurabella fled back to Brindisi with 4,000 soldiers of the 11th Legion; while Cetus fled to Salona with 2,000 land troops. Or is it Isa?" Lepidus' judgment and guess were correct, and he got Anthony's approval answer. It was because Ulabella's fleet came back that he knew the bad news.

Over there, Antony was as anxious as an ant on a hot pot, while Lepidus slowly put nuts and plums into his mouth, thinking calmly about something. After a while, he came back to the core issue: "If Caesar doesn't have it, Gaius will be the one." Do you want to negotiate with Pompeo about Sri Lanka’s safety?”

"He has no money anymore, so he has to reward the soldiers! The bald man just said that in the war, everyone has to obey the arrangement of the goddess of fate. Maybe after he wins in Greece soon, Gaius will be released. Damn it, I want it Go after Eulabella, that bastard must be seeking revenge, and if things are revealed, he will report me in front of Caesar," Anthony yelled with bloodshot eyes.

"Is that why you came back like a criminal and a coward? Marco."

"No matter what, you must save me. I didn't come back just to find you. How you helped Claudius before, how can you help me now - I am the only brother who has been in the country for a long time. In the manor, he didn't show much publicity in Rome. I have been sorry for him for a long time. You must save him, save me, and save my mother." Anthony rubbed his hair frantically and rested his elbows on the table. Stepping up and stamping his feet, this is his attitude of asking for help. Although rude and rude, it does show his true temperament.

"Okay, okay. Your top priority now is to take my letter, go back to Brindisi, confess your guilt to Dictado, and resume your dedicated service to his army. I have estimated that he will punish you. It's unlikely, because Baldy is currently in employment." Lepidus patted Anthony's shoulder and said with relief, "I will actively take action regarding Gaius."

At this time, Claudia came out very well and put her hand on Lepidus' shoulder casually, "Don't worry, General Lepidus is very familiar with Brutus and Cassius from the republican side."

"Don't be stupid." Lepidus blocked the former mistress back unceremoniously, but Claudia still retained an awkward smile. She now has no power, lost her younger brother, and the appearance she relied on the most before has begun to age. , I really have no pride, I can only listen to the other party's scolding, "You are urging Gaius to die early. Because of the death of little Cato, we only have hatred. Now if Brutus is here If you give him a sword in front of me, he will stab me to death without hesitation, but I can think of a way for Pompey's younger son."

"You mean Sextus?" Everyone present didn't believe their ears.

But Lepidus kept his word, and he quickly sent an urgent letter to Sextus via the route of the Chamber of Commerce, "Since in the Spanish battlefield, as the victors, we did not have any difficulty in Pompey's surrender, then for Gaius I also ask for your mediation with the three thousand soldiers of our side who surrendered at Curicota."

In the harbor of Dixhagen, when Lepidus' letter arrived, the captured Caesar soldiers were lining up on the beach in panic, accepting the verdict of the victors. Gebinus, Libo, and especially Libo were extremely angry. Byblos, the reason why he was so angry was not only because of the ridicule and exclusion he suffered when he and Caesar were joint consuls (Byblos was a miserable man, he was also the same when Caesar was the road governor, and he was the same when Caesar was the alderman). Yes, he was the same when Caesar was consul, but he was always like a lonely shadow, suppressed by Caesar's glory), and because Caesar and Lepidus were not included in the list of "chief national thieves" announced by Caesar and Lepidus after entering the city of Rome. His name is better than Bruce!

There is nothing more irritating than being ignored by your enemy.

"Kill all these soldiers and officers and sacrifice them to the God of War and the God of Poseidon. Cut off their hands and heads and hang them on the mast and rigging to intimidate those who dare to serve Caesar." This is Byblos's plan. suggestion.

Next to him, Sextus laughed after reading Lepidus' letter, and began to say that it was interesting, and he had never seen such a shameless requester. Then he raised his hand and said, "Tell these people to surrender, they are afraid." Some of them are just guys recruited from Gaul who were bewitched by Caesar, and are no different from mercenaries. As for Antony’s brother Gaius, he is also under house arrest, so don’t make it too difficult.”

"What!" Byblos protested with disbelief.

"It's nothing but. Caesar previously captured the officers and soldiers in Corfinium, Brindisi, and Spain, including me and my father-in-law, but he politely sent them back without persecution. Since he is a defender of the Republic, , there is no need to lag behind the enemy morally and tell the truth." Sextus said that although Pompey's youngest son's words are not a mandatory order, in the republican military system, everyone knows the true truth. Pompey, Scipio and Sextus were the only ones who kept their word. They were all members of the same family. This was a "family" army, because Pompey only trusted his relatives and old subordinates, and he ignored those senior senators who pointed fingers, including Including Cato the Younger, his level of disgust was no less than that of Caesar. Although Pompey provided these senators with no less expenses during his exile than they did when they were in Rome, Pompey still deliberately treated the senators All his children and relatives were sent to Lesbos Island, which was actually equivalent to taking hostages in disguise.

In this way, in the end, Libo and Gebinus did not kill the soldiers, but asked the surrendering soldiers to swear allegiance. Surprisingly, the centurions from Italy all surrendered to Pompey happily. On the other hand, many people from Gaul refused to betray Caesar, but were beheaded.

"The team has grown again!" Sextus said to his father-in-law very proudly, "We will soon be able to compete with that guy named Lepidus. My next suggestion is that Byblos must not relax, the fleet Regular patrols and killings must be carried out, because Caesar's main force may cross over at any time to continue attacking the coastal cities; and General Lelias, with two Macedonian legions, split up to capture Olikoum, Isa and Salona. In this way, we will not only If you can hold on to yourself, you can also threaten northern Italy - the war will soon expand. "

At this time, on the rugged coastline of the Peloponnese, a shabby ship docked. A short and fat man jumped off the gangway and fell into the sea. After a while, he was soaked and wrapped in a cloak. , staggered forward with a pale face, "I, Rabinus, want to solve my own confusion in this land in this tragic civil war."

(End of Volume 7) (To be continued...)