Astya's heads were hung on stakes in the market outside the city, and his dead eyes looked at the bustling civilians below, occasionally glancing at them, and the road in and out of the castle became congested, and a large number of chariots and people passed through it.

Golden ears of wheat on a red background, the flag embroidered with a golden eagle on the top is in the wind, the cavalry runs, holding high and going out of the city, the knight with a red mane and iron helmet, rushing in front of a soldier, the horn in his hand is also blowing at the same time, the flag belonging to the Roman Empire and the emperor has completed the handover, a large number of soldiers have walked out of the military tent, gathered under the emperor's banner, formed countless phalanxes, and extended to the distance that is difficult to see......

As the emperor's temporary residence in the city of Constantine, a large number of officials and nobles carried official business on the official road outside the castle, the news of the war in the east had already come, the invasion of the Cylius had swept away the three legions, and the ministers, generals, and nobles who marched with the emperor more or less felt the urgency of the crisis, and came and went to the palace, at this time the military meeting had already opened in the main hall hall, and the administrative officials carrying official documents quietly passed from both sides.

Excluding the three legions killed in the eastern battlefield, there were twenty-three of the more than forty legion commanders in Rome, sitting upright, looking at the first old man named Septimius Severus with serious eyes, and spoke majestically.

"....... Commodus and his successor Pertinax were killed one after another, I had the opportunity to sit on it, reunite Rome in civil strife, conquer the valley of the Euphrates, take Ctesiphon, the western capital of Parthia, and bring Namenia into the arms of Rome......

Severus was fifty-six years old, and there was already a lot of gray hair in his short hair, but his back to the crowd was still strong and straight, and he stood like a mountain opposite everyone: "Without an opponent, the strong will die of depression, and when I heard that the Serius, Kushan, and Parthia were attacking Rome, I could not sleep happily for two nights, but Gaius and Ulus and Minougel who were stationed at Ctesiphon disappointed me, and they disgraced the face of the Roman warriors and disgraced the proud eagles. ”

In the solemn atmosphere, the old emperor thought about something, turned around, and dragged his white robe past everyone's sight.

"...... this way, a momentary defeat can give you a warning of danger, and it can also make the enemies of Rome feel blindly confident." In a majestic voice, he walked to the huge stitched map, looked at the dense arrow markings on it, and looked at it for a while: "The news that has come these days is that our enemies are very good at confusing and using cavalry, so Gaieus and their death is worthwhile. ”

"Your Majesty, the news says that the Celeus have a lot of cavalry." Someone stood up.

The emperor in front of the map waved his hand and asked him to sit down, for this urgent question did hover in the hearts of the generals, including Severus, he frowned, but did not seem urgent, and looked at the map in a low voice: "...... It's a lot, so we have to cripple them in a war. ”

After the words fell, the hall was quiet for a long time.

Severus slowly raised his finger and pressed it on the arrow mark on the map, marking one by one: "...... The armies of the provinces of Egypt, Gaul, Africa, and Iber.......ia were stationed in their positions and could not move, especially in Egypt, to prevent the cavalry of the Selius from cutting through in a roundabout way, and beware of Alexandria being taken by them. ”

The old man turned his head to look at the people with serious faces below, and smiled: "Don't be nervous, it's just a small change, now the Celelius are also facing two problems, to the west into the Anatolian region, or to go through the Jewish region, this is a very difficult choice, and it will also be an opportunity for us to counterattack." ”

“…… I'm giving instructions now, and I'm listening! The 1st to 3rd Parthian legions attacked northeast of Anatolia towards Celeus; The 7th Arab Army marched southeast to the Assyrian provinces, and the 15th and 8th Army Corps were put on standby in eastern Anatolia ......."

The war that affected the whole of the West was decided in this not majestic palace hall, in a few orders from the emperor, and the majestic words contained thousands, if not countless bones.

………

The various legion commanders with the emperor's will then left, Severus went back to the apse, at this time there were not many people, his face became pale, the skin under his hair was secreted with dense sweat, on the other side of the field of vision, a blonde boy sat on a blanket, looking at the sky outside, he heard footsteps, he turned around and saw the old man coming, and said in a childish voice: "...... Are you here to kill me? ”

"Why do you think that?" The old man took off his white robe and sat down next to the child.

Dimatt blinked his black eyes and turned his head: "What my mother said, either you are blackmailed or killed, there is no other choice. ”

Severus smiled slightly, the wrinkles at the corners of his mouth wrinkled even more, and he reached out to stroke the child's golden hair: "I am the emperor of Rome, and I am also a proud warrior, I will never swing a butcher's knife at a child who has no power to fight back, that is an insult to us, your father should be like this." ”

"Have you seen my father, then?"

"No, but I can feel it, feel the great power from your father's hands, and easily destroy everything in Rome." The old man changed his usual majesty, and his tone became calm: "Intelligence said that your father is very young, and the young one makes me jealous, and this mentality is very bad. ”

Dimat's delicate little face wrinkled: "Then you will soon start a war with my father, my mother said, my father is very powerful, you can't win." ”

"Hahaha-"

Laughter suddenly rushed out of the old man's mouth, looking at the villain in front of him, he was not angry, but reached out to hold the weak shoulder, and said something that Dimat didn't understand: "...... I fought all my life, from the hottest place to Britain, and then I turned and fought to the east, and all the enemies died at my feet, and I watched them die, and there was no more opponent in front of me, but I felt lonely...... Sometimes, I wonder how good it would have been to live in the days of Caesar and Pompeii, but unfortunately people can't go back, they can only grow old little by little, be praised by others, and finally die on the warm bed, buried under the cold soil, but now, differently, I see your father, and I see the invincible picture of the army from the East Cyrius. ”

In the voice of the words, the old man's gray hair was trembling with excitement, it was a kind of mentality of longing for the enemy.

The setting sun shone in through the windowsill, and the rickety's back slowly straightened, and then the whole person stood up, walked past the boy, and stood on the terrace, looking at the red light that was falling.

“.…… A life with an opponent is desirable. He said.

Outside the city, the sound of trumpets sounded again.