"We can't buy grain, General."

The decisive battle with Apis was imminent, but Antony was annoyed by the issue of requisitioning food. The villages around Rome refused to provide Antony with food and grass, and the convoy returned empty-handed, looking helplessly at their commander.

"Then grab it! Damn, these people, what do they want to do? The price I offered was high enough. They forced me! ”

Anthony was furious, he had heard enough of these voices of public opinion, and he had enough of it. Will Mark Anthony Jr. inherit the throne? What a ridiculous statement, but the people were willing to believe it, which made Anthony unbearable, and in a fit of rage, he ordered his soldiers' men to start plundering the nearby villages.

At this time, the Roman citizens, who were originally only disgusted with Antony, turned into outright hatred of him. The grain was plundered, the year's hard harvest was lost in an instant, and the anger caused them to turn around and join the camp of Appis......

"Citizens, I am here to thank you for your participation and support, and at the most critical moment of the Republic, you are all the pride of Rome and the representatives of the Roman spirit. However, there is unfortunate news for you, I have no money left to pay your salaries, at most half the salaries of normal legionnaires, and we can last for three months, and if we can defeat Antony and occupy Campania and Capua before then, then I may be able to compensate you for the losses you have suffered in those three months. ”

When the raided "refugees" sought refuge in Appis's camp and joined the legions, Apis rejoiced at the addition of new recruits while pretending that he was too short of resources to support the army.

"General, we are volunteering, and if we don't have enough salary, we'll pay half of our salary, as long as we can drive the beast Antony out of Rome."

The reaction of the recruits below made Apis relieved and delighted. Just a simple sentence, the salary of more than 2,000 people in three months has been saved......

"Brothers, you have always wanted a victory, a great victory, a complete victory. Now, the opportunity has come, the Northern Coalition has arrived, and the number of legions brought together from Gaul, Spain, and Pavado has reached 20,000 men, and now we have the strength and possibility to fight Antony. Including the new recruits who joined the Legion yesterday, now that you have the opportunity to go to the real battlefield, we will fight side by side to drive that exotic beast out of Rome. Get out of this sacred land! ”

After merging with Maximus's Ninth Legion and the Spanish Fifth Legion, the number of Apis's legions expanded to six, including the auxiliary legions, a total of ten official legions, with more than 50,000 men. On the Anthony side, there were about eight heavy infantry regiments and six Allied regiments, but many of them were not fully equipped, and the difference in numbers was not too large. Appis estimated that there were about 20,000 more than his own legions. However, the combat effectiveness of the Egyptian soldiers and the soldiers of the eastern countries can be imagined, so it is not necessarily impossible to win the war.

Three days later, Apis, with the largest army he had ever led, met Antony's Alexander's legion on the Great Plains on the outskirts of Rome.

The yellow sand is long, the eagle sweeps across the sky, in the ancient land of Italy, at this moment, there are nearly 100,000 troops, the phalanx is passing by in a neat pace, and the main battle lines on both sides are almost the same Roman legion heavy infantry equipped with the same equipment. All large shields and short swords, chain mail. The auxiliary legions on both sides wore clothing of different colors, the cavalrymen dressed their horses according to their own customs, and the golden eagle banner reflected dazzling light in the sun. The Great War is on the verge of breaking out.

Appis, dressed in splendid armor, rode over the three armies. Giving his final pre-war speech.

"Today we will fight for Rome, for the glory of freedom! We will crush the enemy's plots! ”

Thousands of Roman soldiers instantly let out an earth-shattering roar, and the scene was exciting. If the only romance of war is this pre-war mobilization, advancing towards the enemy's rain of arrows and artillery, even if you die on the battlefield, you will not hesitate. The hot-blooded romance of men, although it is not the same thing when it comes to real fighting.

The loud trumpet of attack finally sounded, and both Appis's Roman legions and Antony's "motley" legions began to march in orderly steps, and their distances became closer and closer, like two black waves and tides approaching each other, and finally erupted into a roar that shook the heavens and the earth.

As an overwhelming rain of javelins poured in, this magnificent Roman Civil War battle broke out.

On the dense line of Roman legionary infantry, the Latin shields were raised, and then the javelin rain struck the crowd like autumn locusts, making an outrageous sound. Many legionnaires fell in pain and bleeding from the sharp javelins piercing their bodies. The legionnaires, who were not shot or injured by the javelins, drew their swords and stood up, closing in on the enemy on the opposite side, killing them.

Soon, on this wilderness, there was a river of blood, and the sound of fighting resounded through the world.

On the right side of the battlefield was a small plateau, about thirty feet above the ground, which became the focus of contention between the two sides. Because everyone knows the importance of fighting for the commanding heights to the whole battle. To this end, Antony sent his most elite legion to occupy it. Then, Alexander's legion led by Domitius and the Gallic legion led by Klein arrived at the edge of this high ground almost simultaneously, and the two sides engaged in a bloody battle on this small uneven high ground.

Crane's helmet disappeared during the struggle, blood sticking to his hair, knotting his otherwise thinning hair into bloody scabs.

In front of him, a Roman soldier under Domitius was throwing a javelin at him, and then, the sharp-eyed and quick-witted Crane picked up a blood-stained shield on the ground, and the next second, the javelin shot straight at the edge of the big shield, and the spearhead penetrated the wooden shield, almost killing Crane. But this is not the first time Klein has encountered such a dangerous situation.

Immediately, the battle-hardened chief centurion threw away his shield and charged at the soldier who threw his javelin, and before the soldier could react, a muscular Crane leaped into the air and slashed his sword at his head. When the sword fell, the soldier didn't even have time to block it, and his face was split open by a sword, and blood splattered everywhere. Died tragically at the feet of the savage Crane.

When another infantry member of Alexander's regiment rushed up, he made a few gestures, and was also found by Crane, a thrust, the short sword pierced through the soldier's ribs, only to hear a scream of pain, the soldier grabbed Crane's shoulder, knelt down in pain, and then, by the bloodthirsty Crane's sword, cut his neck...... 10