Chapter 26 The Truth (Part 1)

"Many citizens had to sail for eight months on full pay to learn and practice seaman experience." - Pericles, the ancient Athenian archon

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In the battle of the mountain pass and the swamp, all the veterans that Octavian relied on were killed, Avinus was seriously injured and escaped, and two thousand new soldiers of Pansa's 42nd Legion were killed. In addition to the losses of the rest of the legions, only the 6th Legion was still intact. It can be said that Antony completely defeated "dear little friend Turinus".

Then, the 12th Legion also abandoned the newly built camp and withdrew from the mountain pass, joined the rest of Octavian's troops, and closed the camp to hold on. Fearing that it would affect morale, Callenus ordered the withdrawal of troops at night. They did not even have time to collect the bodies of their comrades during the day, and hurriedly brought the wounded and baggage down. Fortunately, Antony's casualties were also serious. In addition, Callenus had deployed a rear guard and the swamp was difficult to navigate, so there was no time to pursue.

Octavian privately visited the seriously injured Avinus in the middle of the night. He was lying on a camp bed, with a linen head wrap covering his eyes, eyebrows and forehead. Only his nostrils were exposed and he was breathing hard. Blood was flowing everywhere. Several medical soldiers and low-level priests were busy. As if he had a premonition, Avinus trembled and stretched out his hand, touching Octavian who was sitting beside the couch, and then Octavian tightly grasped his hand.

"I was also promoted by Caesar step by step. I was born in a civilian clan and followed your adoptive father when he was very young. First, I was his campaign mobilizer. Then I followed him to the province to serve as a low-level bureaucrat. Until I became his military tribune in Gaul, I was deprived of my military position by him, but I didn't hate him, because without Caesar, I would have nothing. True friends are not without quarrels, but without calculations and traps, just like the one-eyed Scavua, even if he was not killed by Pompey's army in Africa. In the end, he would not hesitate to die for Caesar, no matter when and where. So under the advice of Lepidus, I brought others to join in from the moment you, Caesar, landed on the Italian land." After saying that, Avinus began to breathe hard under the candlelight, and Octavian gently persuaded him not to speak so hastily and to ease his injuries first.

But Avinus shook his head with difficulty, his eyes could no longer see, "Young Caesar, my fatal injury is not on my head. I know it naturally after serving for so many years - the enemy's sword pierced my leg, and I could only bleed to death - no. It's not the enemy, they are all our former comrades. What made us kill each other in the mud, Young Caesar, you should go and see that miserable battlefield after dawn tomorrow, Father and Mother. It is the Senate that is harming all Caesar's party members. They keep instigating you, Antony, and Lepidus to kill each other. They are the most sinister." After the voice fell, Avinus's body became colder and colder, and the warmth of life was quickly lost. He seemed to be afraid that he would have too much to say, and he came over and clamped Octavian's arm tightly, "Promise me, promise me, Young Caesar."

"Say, say..." Octavian choked.

"Unite Caesar's party and avenge the dead dictator..." After saying this, Avinus suddenly let go and died.

People gathered around him, and Octavian looked at his body for a long time without saying a word. He sat still, then wiped the tears from his eyes, stood up, turned around, and said to Pansa, Hetius, Agrippa, Maecenas, Callenus, Angondinus and other generals standing behind him, "Did you hear Avinus's last words? Especially Pansa and Hetius, you are the consuls appointed by the Senate. Now I have decided to listen to Avinus' words and unite all the troops of my former foster father to take revenge on the murderer group, no, the entire Senate. Pansa and Hetius, I understand your duties. If you want to tie me up and offer me to the Temple of Concordia, please do so. Or you two want to take the 42nd and 43rd legions back to Rome, please do so. I believe these two legions are still willing to follow me. If the 6th and 12th legions are still unwilling to follow me, then I will take the remaining retinue with me. Go with my friends to fight Antony, or persuade him, or I would rather die. "

Everyone was silent for a while, and Pansa continued, "What Avinus said is actually what we think in our hearts. Without Caesar, we would not be where we are today. Our honors and ranks were designated by Caesar when he was alive. In our hearts, we are not grateful to the Senate at all, and we don't owe anything. If necessary, I am willing to jointly recommend you, Caesar the Younger, as the dictator with Hegius. "

Octavian nodded. He saw that everyone was highly consistent in dealing with the Senate, so he began to plan, "The nomination of the dictator should be postponed for the time being, and Antony may not be willing to shake hands with me because of his previous victory. We must win allies, but my guardians' four legions are still on the southern border of Italy, so I need a more neighboring force. "

Finally, Octavian decided to contact Decimus in Mutina by all means, asking him to put aside past personal grudges and fight Antony from within and without. Then, Octavian wrote to the surrounding vassal cities such as Liguria and Aquileia, and urged them to send troops to fight: Itasus, the chief executive of the Ligurian city-state, had two legions, and Aquileia, a fortress stronghold in northeastern Italy bordering Dacia, could also send 3,000 Latin warriors.

Because Antony's military strength was limited and he could only focus on defense, Octavian's messenger successfully delivered the secret letter to the city after several failures.

This action alerted Curio, who then found Antony in the tent and suggested that eight legions be used to defend the outer defense line of the city, and the rest of the legions should be concentrated to attack Mutina as quickly as possible: if Decimus and Octavian really joined forces, the situation would still be unfavorable to me.

"What if the Eighth Legion can't hold on?" Antony paced back and forth for two steps, and then asked.

"In the previous battle, Octavian's guards were all killed, and we even cleaned up the bodies of that group of people. That kid's courage has been broken. As far as I know, veterans such as Callenus and Angondinus are not very obedient, and Pansa and Hegius have always served as civilians beside Caesar. So as long as the Eighth Legion stays in the camp and sets up several cavalry ambushes on the main roads, Octavian will not dare to act rashly-Marco, you see, since Octavian has reached the point of joining forces with Decimus, it also shows that he has reached the end of his rope." Curio analyzed and encouraged.

After listening, Antony nodded, fist-bumped and said, "Just do as you say, time is very tight. If Lepidus's four legions come, our situation will be bad." (To be continued..)