The senators were woken up from their sleep and rushed to the senate to hold a meeting to discuss countermeasures.

In the morning, however, another scout hurried back to Rome with worse news: "The army of Dionysis has been found to have marched east from the city of Ostia along the Tiber!" ”

"Discover that Dionia's army is moving rapidly eastward from Ravenium!"

There is no doubt that Dionia's army was clearly coming towards the city of Rome! The luck in the hearts of the patriarchs was crushed, and they all felt nervous.

"How many of the oncoming Dionian troops are there?" The interlocutor was Publius. Cominelius. Scipio, who was the father of Milucius, was also known to the populace as "Scipio the Great".

Milusius had been appointed as an emissary by the Senate and had already set out for Helniki to deliver the order to Kamilus. His retiring position as prefect of the city guard was appointed by his father by the Senate, not because the position was hereditary, but because Scipio the Great was a veteran of great war, having served as the lieutenant cavalry chief of the general Camillus during the Roman conquest of Victoria some 20 years earlier. At the current critical moment of the great enemy, it is natural to need experienced veterans to take charge.

"Because the Dioonians sent cavalry to roam around the army, the scouts could not get close to observe, but judging from their experience, the two armies together may have four to fifty thousand men."

This figure made many patriarchs gasp and exclaimed: "So many enemies! And we only have 3,000 soldiers in the city! Rome City ...... The city of Rome—"

"There are more than 3,000 soldiers in the city of Rome, plus the citizens mobilized last night, it is already more than 10,000!" Ambustus said loudly, trying to dispel the uneasiness in the hearts of his colleagues.

"But they're all old people and children!"

"Shut up!" Portitus roared: "At this time, Roman citizens only have those who have died in battle and those who are still fighting, and there is no distinction between old people and children!" ”

Speaking of this, he tore off his clothes, exposed his thin right hand, raised it, clenched it into a fist, and said: "I propose to recruit citizens over 65 years old and teenagers over 13 years old as auxiliaries to participate in the defense of the city, and I will be the first to sign up!" ”

"How can this be! The 60-year-old man can't even hold a shield—" Apuleius was about to object, but Portitus glared at him angrily, and Apulius stopped speaking in obsessiveness.

Portitus glanced at Marugenensis beside him, suppressed the anger in his heart, exhaled lightly, and said in a deep voice: "It has been more than 100 miles from here to the city of Philentirum, and the road is not easy to walk, the messenger is riding at full speed, it will take at least half a day to reach the Roman camp, and the army will return to Rome, no matter how fast it will take two days, you still have to let Camillus spend a day to attack the city of Ferentirum, then you tell me, how many days will it take Camillus to lead the army to return?!" ”

"Four days! It will take four days at the earliest! Ambustus took the opportunity to reply loudly: "Judging from the current situation, the Dionicians have done their best to attack the city of Rome, and now you have seen the situation in the city, can Rome resist the attack of the Dioonians and hold out until Camillus returns with his army?!" Even if we can defend the city, how many dead and wounded will we have to pay for the defending force composed of old men and teenagers?! Not long after Milucius left, the messenger was quick to catch up, so I propose that the proposal given to Camilus be cancelled and that he lead his army back to Rome at once! ”

There was a moment of silence in the Senate, after all, everyone here knew that if Camillus led the army back, and then had to fight against the Dionian army, it would inevitably be impossible to attack Helniki for a period of time, which would revive the already desperate Helnikians and make Rome's hard work for more than a month come to naught.

At this time, the old senator Lucritius stood up and said emotionally: "If the land is gone, you can get it again, but Rome is gone, but everything is over!" I don't want to see the city of Rome ravaged by foreigners again! ”

His words evoked the painful memories of the patriarchs, and many people were moved and shouted: "Agreed! Agree to let Camillus return at once, defend Rome, and repel the enemy! ”

In the midst of this cry, Marugineensis looked at Scipio in silence, and Scipio shook his head slightly at him, although Marugineensis did not echo or object, he remained silent.

At this time, Apulius stood up and said, "Ambustus, didn't you go last night to inform our allies to send reinforcements?" Why didn't you see any movement? ”

"I sent messengers to Gabi, to Tuström, to Rabikum, to Pendum...... Their reply was, 'Their young citizens had answered the call of Rome a month earlier and followed Kamilus to Helniki, and now there were no reinforcements to send.' ’”

"So...... Prenister, Bonne, Tibur...... Have you asked all these city-states? Apleius asked again.

Ambustus was a little angry, as a respected senator was asked in such a tone, he felt a kind of humiliation, and immediately said angrily: "Unless you are not a Roman, you should not know how far these city-states are from Rome, our messenger arrived there, I am afraid it is already late at night, and the senate of any city-state will not deal with political affairs at that time, even if we are Romans, it will make people laugh!" ”

Apleius smiled awkwardly and muttered, "Look, it's all Camilus'...... blame," but he didn't dare to ask any more questions.

"Before the arrival of the Dionians, should we inform the people of the villages outside the city to evacuate to the city, so as to ensure their safety and strengthen our defenses." Abinius suggested.

At this time, Marugineensis spoke: "It's better not to do this!" The young and middle-aged citizens of the whole Roman region went either to Helnicki or to the west to Antium, Villitre, and Satnikum, and the villages outside the city were left with either old men, women, children, and slaves, who would not help the defense of the city, but would add to the chaos...... Belch...... And also...... Uh......"

Scipio the Great hurriedly said: "There are many inhabitants outside the city, and as soon as they get the news, they will rush into the city in panic, and I am afraid that they will not be able to let them all enter the city for two or three hours, but the gates of the city will always be open, and you must know that now the Dionian army is speeding up its march, and it is likely that it will arrive here in two hours...... At that time, it will be a catastrophe for both the city of Rome and the people gathered at the gates! I suggest that the cavalry be sent at once, and that the people of the villages outside the city be informed of the evacuation of the people of the villages outside the city of Gabby or Preniste with their provisions, and that they return with them when Camillus has returned with his army. ”

Portitus looked at Maruginesis and did not object, but made a rare agreement with him.

Not only him, but most of the senators agreed, although they all lived in the city, they all owned a lot of land outside the city, so they also had their own mansions, even villas, and of course their own families and clansmen lived there, and letting them evacuate Rome was also a safe way to spread the risk and preserve the family, and the senators knew each other.

"At the same time as informing Camillus to return to Rome with his army, we must also send messengers to inform Paulus, Mejus, and Pantius that they should regroup their troops as soon as possible and lead the soldiers back to Rome! In addition, Turström, Tibble, Preniste...... When these Latin allies still have to send messengers to ask them for reinforcements, even if only a few soldiers come, it will also help us defend the city of Rome. When Scipio the Great said this, his eyes were fixed on Ambustus.

This time, Ambustus did not speak out against it.

"Don't forget our colonial city of Viai, and the Etruscan allies on the north bank of the Tiber River, and we should call for help from them at once! Although they had previously sent reinforcements to the war against the Helnihians, they should have more than the Latin allies to do. Portitus reminded loudly.

"Dear Portitus, you are right!" Scipio the Great's tactful response was much more skilful than that of Apuleius: "But then we must keep the vertebral bridge over the Tiber, and we must also send a heavy garrison to defend it." ”

"Could it be that my family could defend that bridge with a few hundred people back then, and now we have tens of thousands of soldiers, but we don't dare to defend it and can only destroy it?!" Ambustus sensed Scipio's intentions and immediately questioned aloud.

A hundred years ago, the entire clan of the Fibius clan went out to defend the Roman vertebral bridge to resist the attack of the Uighurs, and finally almost wiped out, which became a painful memory that the Fibius clan could not forget, but also became the capital for them to boast to the Roman people, as the patriarch of the current Fibius clan, how could Ambustus allow this bridge to be easily destroyed.

"Of course we have to defend the bridge! However, the two wooden bridges on Tiberina must be destroyed, and the people of the island must be withdrawn to Rome! Seeing that Scipio the Great was hesitant, Marugenesis immediately expressed his opinion in order not to cause a gap between the clans of Cornelius and the clan of Febius, and he felt that it was enough to defend one bridge with the strength of the present city of Rome, and that it would take enough troops to defend two bridges.

Ambustus agrees.

After that, the discussion went much more smoothly, and the Senate quickly reached a number of resolutions, and moved quickly. They began to mobilize the entire city, encouraging them to resist the Onian attack and hold out until the army of Camillus returned, so as to avoid the sack of Rome.

Note: The Fibius clan, some also translated as "Fabian", came from this clan of the Fabian consul who used delaying tactics to save Rome during Hannibal's war with Rome.