"Octavia ......"

"No more to say, Appis, you did what you had to do, and you are not to blame."

On the sacred mountain of Capitol, Octavia, dressed in white, spoke calmly to Appis. She held the already stupid Tretus in her arms, and her eyes were full of despair.

"Octavia, maybe Tretus, he'll get better......"

Apis took a step closer, only to see Octavia's refusing look. It was a look that Appis had never seen before. It is full of bleakness and despair, as if it were an ice field in the north, filled with endless cold and snow.

"Don't bother her anymore, perhaps, just let her stay quiet, that's what she wants now."

Appis wanted to step forward, but Crane pulled him from behind and said with a heavy heart. The story of Appis and Octavia, Klein knew it from the beginning. And now, this tortuous and sad story may be coming to an end.

On the sacred mountain of Capitol, the illumination of the temple of Aphrodite was lit for the last time, and at the last glance, Apis saw Octavian's emaciated figure, kneeling before the statue of Aphrodite, praying reverently......

…………

Coming down from Capitol Hill, Apis was in a heavy mood along the way. Back home, Tertilla saw something wrong in her husband's eyes.

"Tertira, my wife, I am going to build a villa on Capitol Hill to house Octavia and her family, she really has nothing left now, Tretus is already stupid, I am afraid that he will not be better in this life. Atia is also getting old. This family is in complete decline. Today, I was on the mountain, and the sight of Octavia's desperate eyes really cut my heart. The temple of Venus is located on the hill, next to which Octavidinus is buried. I'm going to build Octavia a villa on the hill so that she can concentrate on praying there instead of going up the hill every day, and I don't think she'll ever be able to get out of it for the rest of her life. ”

At home, Appis spoke to Tertilla worriedly.

"Don't overthink it, dear. You also know about me and Octavia, and this is my last ride for her. I'm sorry she's too much. Just let this last little bit of compensation. I hope you don't get me wrong. ”

Sitting on the bench, Apis said tiredly. Fortunately, Tertira understands. She was truly a perfect wife, and although not a favorite of Appis, she was the most suitable person to live with. Tertilla acquiesced in the presence of Appis.

"I won't object, Appis. Build a villa for Octavia, comfortable and clean. This is what we should do. Even if you love her, yes, I know you once loved her. She loved you too. ”

She said with a smile as she sat on Appis' lap. There was no displeasure on his face, only the melancholy and bitterness of the years.

"That was once upon a time."

Appis sighed.

…………

In the second year after the end of the Parthian War, everything became calm, and soldiers who had achieved military merit in the war were promoted and rewarded. In order to solve the problem of emigration to conquer the land, Apis granted the land of the conquered areas to soldiers and centurions who had made military achievements in the war, encouraging them to cultivate the lands outside Italy and become Roman immigrants. At the same time, solve the dilemma of overcrowding in the capital.

Geslapalicia secured the throne of the Parthian king and became the puppet king of Apis in the East. The Senate conferred more titles on Appis, Grand Inquisitor, Consul for Life, Tribune for Life...... The republic existed in name only.

Then, surrounded by commoners and nobles, Apis, dressed in a solemn toga robe, arrived at the temple of Mars, the god of war. Extinguished the lights in front of the temple. Heralds the arrival of the Hé Píng era. Rome is about to enter a new era.

However, Appis's move also made the generals and legion commanders who had followed him for many years feel a little uneasy.

In the weeks that followed, the generals' unease was confirmed. In the Great Hall of Julius, Apis held the largest military council of Rome.

"Publius, Maximus, Klein...... You are all brothers who have fought with me for many years, and now the goal we fought for has finally been achieved, Roman hé píng. We conquered the Germanic peoples, we conquered Egypt, we conquered Parthia. Doubled the size of Rome. This is an unprecedented feat. However, with the advent of the Hé Píng era, the huge legions also became a burden for Rome. ”

At the meeting, Apis sat in the commander's seat and began with an impassioned speech. Then, he showed a fox-like cunning look. The slightly smarter generals all knew what Appis wanted to do.

"The soldiers could not afford not to fight, and if they did not fight, they would lose the meaning of their existence, and if there was no war for many years, the Roman army would inevitably decline, which gave the opportunity for foreign invasions of Rome. But we can't be at war all the time. At home, there are still many things that we need to solve. So, I intend to leave fifteen to sixteen legions, stationed in all corners of the empire, and the other legions, to be disbanded. The State grants them resettlement payments and gives them land and houses. ”

At the meeting, everyone was silent, and only Appis was heard talking eloquently.

In fact, at such a moment, no one dares to speak up. Whichever legion you want to disband, disband whichever legion you want, and tell you to surrender military power, you must surrender military power, without conditions.

"Yes, it may be surprising to you that only fifteen legions remained, almost half of the entire country's army was cut off. But don't worry, I've thought a lot about it. Fifteen legions, enough to guard the borders of the empire. Armenia and Syria also had Asia Minor, where three corps were stationed, with the Thirteenth Army being the main one. The town guards the east. Although Egypt had a large population, it was not difficult to manage, it was rich in grain, trade was also developed, the people were rich, and as long as the governor was not too tān ū, the people would not bào luàn, so only one legion was needed to garrison it. Spain was dominated by the Third Army, which was stationed in Corbado. Africa has been at ease for many years, and the Seventh Army is more than enough to cope. The Ninth Legion is stationed in Britain all year round, and I have ordered the Great Wall to be built so that it will be safe and secure for a hundred years. For the rest, the biggest trouble on the borders of the empire is still Germania. With the Elbe as a line of defense, we needed at least six legions, stationed in Germania and Gaul. From time to time, the barbarians may migrate south. They were numerous, and they would be the greatest threat to Rome for the next hundred years. ”

Appis continued in a loud voice.