"Father, I beg you, give me strength, give me courage, give me hope...... Apis was about to march south with an all-northern legion, a battle that would decide the life and death of Rome. However, I was not ready, Roman glory, that golden illusion seemed to be getting farther and farther away from me. Father, I beseech you, guide me, lead me ......"

In the dark basement of the mansion, an emaciated Octavian knelt before a statue of Caesar. Although he did not believe in the so-called Roman gods, in the face of great pressure, no matter how strong and resilient a person is, he needs relief and liberation, and spiritual sustenance has become so important, even if it is ethereal. Octavian knelt on the ground and prayed devoutly, and it was only in the dead of night that Gaius Octavian, the ruler of Rome, showed his fragile and helpless side.

For a moment, he even wanted to go back to the time when his uncle was still living. Yes, if only Caesar had given him a few more years to grow, the situation would not be the way it is now. He will have absolute control of the legion, and he will have the hearts of the people and the army. However, this is not how history develops, Caesar died too quickly and suddenly, and the burden of everything fell on the shoulders of a boy who was only seventeen years old. When Apis extended an olive branch to himself, Octavian had actually thought that this was the trick and conspiracy of the profiteer, but he did not expect Apis to grow so quickly later......

However, all the memories and hindsight are useless. This is already the case. Italy's biggest rival is not Antony, but Appis, who has stumbled all the way......

"Shall we comfort our brother, mother?"

Octavian knelt in front of the stone statue and prayed reverently, while Attia and Octavia had already noticed it, hiding behind the stone pillar, looking at Octavian's emaciated figure, stunned. Octavia whispered to her mother that although Octavian broke her heart, it was her younger brother, her own brother, and they grew up together......

"Forget it, Octavian was a strong child, and he didn't want others to see him weak, even us. Just let him be quiet for a while, it may be the only way for him to release the pressure in his heart. ”

Atia sighed sadly.

Two days later, the Roman ruler Gaius Octavius Turinus, with his elite and loyal Thirteenth Legions, as well as the Second, Fifth, and Fourteenth Legions, as well as several auxiliary legions, set out from the Roman City of Mars. The crowd of departures crowded the huge square, and the crowd was full of voices and momentum.

At the same time, in order to prevent Apis from attacking the capital Rome, Octavian left the Sixth Legion and a new legion in the city of Rome.

Then, the army marched north, approaching the northern Roman town of Perugia. This ancient Italian city, about 120 miles from Rome, became the place where Octavian focused his troops. From here to the city of Rome, there were farmland and many large estates that could produce enough agricultural produce that Octavian knew that whoever occupied the land would have the initiative on the battlefield. And Aretian, when he came back from there half a month ago, it was still silent and heavy, and it seemed that the stalemate would continue for a while, and it would not be able to attack for a while.

…………

Perugia. When the huge legions arrived in this small Roman city, the city was not even large enough to accommodate such a large number of soldiers to rest.

For this reason, Octavian had to order the expansion of new fortresses and walls on the outskirts of the ancient city, and to place the camp of the legions on the outskirts of the town. Soldiers dug waterways, fenced off fences, and built daily amenities such as cowsheds and chicken pens as if to develop the area into a new metropolis.

Since Agrippa's absence, Octavian did not dare to hand over many matters in the army to others, not because of the lack of ability of his subordinates, but because he was worried about their loyalty. In case he is betrayed and betrayed by his subordinates, like Apis. Octavian knew he could not afford such a loss.

…………

The decisive battle that would determine the fate of Rome was well prepared in the hands of both sides. Both the number of troops and the number of logistical supplies mobilized have reached an unprecedented scale.

While Octavian was in full swing laying down a fortified line to stop the menacing Northern coalition, on the southern bank of Gaul, Appis had already completed his plan to trap the Italian army in the south. A vast "legion" of slaves, freedmen, and Gallic militia was scurrying across the northern Italian coastline, and despite its best efforts to hide its whereabouts, it was spotted by enemy scout cavalry.

This behemoth army was led by the Lugdunum Councillor La Curia, who was also a staunch supporter of Appis during the previous Gallic rebellion, and at this moment, in order to train and train a new commander, Apis asked this loyal young man, led this army of cats and dogs, all the way south, in the name of supporting Crassus the Younger, to attract the attention of the enemy army.

And his real main army will board the ship in three days, pass through Sardinia, and go to the Roman port of Ostia. After the Battle of Messina, Octavian's navy had not risen, and he had to barely maintain his trade routes along the Italian coastline. Appis marched from the sea, which was almost undetectable in the early stages, and was only discovered by the Roman Capua navy when he was close to the sea. If the plan goes well, the fleet will be able to reach the port of Ostia in two weeks. At this time, the huge Gallic army led by Lacuria arrived in Aletine and formed a confrontation with Octavian.

Octavian's idea was to rely on Italy's abundant and productive farmlands and estates to fight this large army from the north, because Apis marched from Gaul and the supply line was relatively long, Octavian fought on his own soil, and the supply was smooth, and after a long time, Apis would inevitably be defeated first because of supply problems. Considering Appis's financial problems, Octavian speculated that as long as Perugia held out for more than three months, Apis would inevitably not be able to sustain it. Therefore, Octavian chose a defensive-oriented tactic instead of taking the initiative to attack and prevent the Gallic army from entering Italy. You know, Octavian had to deal with not only Apis, but also Antony, who was now only temporarily going to the East to pacify his vassal kingdoms, but sooner or later he would return. It is of course best to be able to hold this wave of Apis's attack without losing soldiers.

And Apis mastered Octavian's psychology and sent that ragtag army to the front to confront Octavian, but his real main force was transferred to the rear of the opponent...... It's like a chess game, where opponents figure out each other's psychology and study tactics......