"Anthony is coming, eight legions, fifty thousand men. This time it was still a mix of a large number of Eastern Alliance forces and his main army. ”

The calm days did not last long, and the news came again that Anthony had led his army to the east. For this reason, Appis once again convened an emergency military council in Rome, in fact, this incident was not unexpected, Antony's strength was huge, and the defeat on the Italian battlefield was nothing to him, it was at most a vanguard force. And fleeing to Greece and regrouping is only a matter of time. Even, in Appis's prediction, Anthony's expedition was already very slow, with an interval of more than half a year. I guess something is wrong with Greece or Egypt.

Meeting in Rome Julius. The Senate was held in the Senate, the building was splendid and magnificent, and gave the Senate its name, but in fact it had little to do with the Senate, it was the place where Appis held private meetings, and the people who attended the meetings were also some of Appis's close friends and subordinates, but the decisions made after the meeting were issued by the Senate.

"The number of people, the size of the legion is not unexpected, but how is he going to cross the ocean (the Adriatic)? Don't tell me, he, like us, built a huge naval fleet in less than half a year. Or he still has ships in Alexandria. ”

Publius scoffed with contempt.

"No, he doesn't need to build a navy at all, he goes by land. Antony's march was from Macedonia, through Illyria (present-day Slovenia and Croatia), and into northern Italy. ”

Appis replied calmly.

"But it was a place of barbarians, who were as cruel and savage as the Gauls. Primitive and backward. ”

The commander of the Sixth Legion, Publius, asked in confusion.

"Yes, but the barbarians there are still in awe of Rome, and I reckon that Anthony will not encounter any resistance or attack when he passes through there, but on the contrary, he will ask the local tribes to provide him with soldiers. There was no unified form of tribes in this region, as in pre-conquest Gaul, which was distributed in the forests and steppes. ”

"So, your plan? Appis? ”

Maximus was quick to ask.

"It's very simple, every time Anthony sets out, he takes a large number of legions and soldiers with him, and we don't go head-to-head with him, otherwise the consumption will be too great. Even so, the entire Western world has fallen under our rule, but the wealth and resources of the East, as well as its population, are still dominant. My idea was that, in the face of Antony's menacing attack, I would lead four legions from Rome, through Padua, into Illyria, and hold back Antony's army. Maximus, and my brother Crassus the Younger, with four corps, crossed the ocean, landed in Greece, and occupied Antony's rear towns. Especially those towns where food and supplies are concentrated and transited, which provide a constant supply of food and grass for Anthony's army, and if they are captured, Anthony will be in a passive position. I'm only responsible for pestering and hindering, and the key to true victory lies with you. ”

As in all previous meetings, Apis sat in the "chair," explained the situation, listened to opinions, and then issued orders.

After the meeting, walking out of the big room, Apis couldn't help but feel excited again. Like an epic history of struggle, now, set sail again. On the horizon, a fiery remnant sun was setting over the Palatine mountains, staining the sky blood-red......

Three days later, the Roman Gallic Legions, Germanic Legions, Spanish Legions, and Iculian Legions set out from the capital city of Rome for Padua, an important city in northern Italy. There, is the border defense line of northern Italy. If nothing else, a month and a half later, this huge army led by himself will meet Antony's army of 50,000 in the Illyrian region of northern Macedonia. At that time, it will be another bitter battle and a vicious fight.

And the navy led by Crassus the Younger may reach Greece sooner. Because it's a straight-line distance, you don't have to go far. But in this era when there is no compass and no coal power, there are many accidents when sailing purely by natural wind, human oars, and the experience of sailors, and a random gust of wind can blow you away from your destination, or even far from your destination.

…………

"Anthony, I must return to Alexandria, for a plague has struck our city, and the Governor cannot cope with such a situation. I have to go back and resolve the contradictions there. ”

In Skopje, on the eve of the departure of Antony's army, Cleopatra informed her husband that she had to leave Greece and return to Egypt. Such news made Anthony very unhappy. It's a bit like the husband is fighting bloody battles on the front line, but the wife is back to her hometown to enjoy it comfortably. Although there was a plague in Egypt, it is a fact.

But Antony still didn't like Cleopatra to go back, first, he didn't have a beauty around him, and he felt uncomfortable. Despite his middle-aged age, Anthony's emotional attachment is still like that of a child. Cleopatra has him by his side and can make him feel at ease. Second, although there have been many years of alliances, lovers, and even husband and wife relationships, Antony still does not have absolute peace of mind about Cleopatra, he knows the queen's ambitions, and no one knows if he will make some small moves when he returns.

"But my dear wife, I am about to go to the front again, and if you return to Egypt, I am afraid that we will not be able to see each other for half a year or a year. Also, I need you to mobilize logistical supplies for me in Greece. You're an expert at that. No one can do it better than you. ”

Putting his arms around Cleopatra, Antony said softly. The queen has been giving birth for more than half a year, and her figure has recovered almost the same as before, which makes Anthony have fun and desire again. But Antony's behavior made Cleopatra a little disgusted.

"Anthony, you must know that I want to be with you too, but the plague in Egypt is no small matter. Besides, I haven't been back to Egypt for two years since I went to Brindisi with you, and I've been back to Alexandria. It's a dangerous thing to do. It is easy to lust for too long to let power go unchecked, and we have been away from Alexandria for so long that we know nothing about the situation there, and we only rely on the news from the officials to get the so-called information. It's not safe, Anthony. ”

"Also, the East is not absolutely safe anymore. The Parthians had always been eyeing the east, eager to one day return to Syria and even conquer Asia Minor and Egypt. It's not safe for us to be away from the east for so long. It is easy for Parthia to hallucinate that they have a chance. Anthony, now that we are on the Western Front, we are going to fight against Appis, and in the East, there can be no more trouble. ”

Cleopatra pushed Antony's "xian pig hand" away and said with a displeased face.