When Leo and Vivia exited their father's room, he saw his sister Corinna sitting on a stone chair on the edge of the cloister, "Why don't you go to bed yet, my father and I will be leaving for an expedition soon." Leo asked, and Vivia, sensing something in her heart, kissed her husband lightly, and went to her bedroom.

"I'm looking at that mosaic on the other side, it's a hunting image, right?" Corinna's eyes didn't look at Leo, but in the direction of what she was pointing at, "Maybe how many years ago, how many years ago, in the mythical age of the Flood, men were like this, they were holding sticks and knives and forks that smelled of blood, and they were whistling to chase their prey, and when there was no prey, they devoured their companions, and there was never a woman in such a picture, and the women were all thrown at home, didn't they." ”

Leo half-squatted down and gently shook his sister's hand, "I understand what you're talking about, but my father is not at fault, it's that the situation has developed too quickly, and now all the relatives are doing everything for the Emilius family, Corinna, and you are the same." ”

"Yes, then I'm very, very honored." Corinna replied with a faint sneer, and then she stood up and left Leo's side.

Leo also felt a little depressed, and went to rest under the verandah in the antechamber, when the doorman slave suddenly stood in front of him, and told him that he had an important friend waiting for him outside.

When Leo went out, he saw Agrippa holding a torch and a cloak, and little Juba standing beside him, and the three of them hugged each other very affectionately. "Oh, tonight I'm just a messenger of adjustment. Someone is waiting for you in the tavern in front. ”

"Is it Turinus?" Leo asked blandly.

Agrippa and little Juba looked at each other. Then he nodded at Leo.

When everyone found the tavern with the sign, the young Caesar had already dispersed all the other guests, and sat alone on the table in the center, with glassware with ruddy country wine in front of him. You need a good assistant to fight a vicious enemy, and you, Agrippa, Juba the Younger, and Mecenas, all come, and we live in the same tent, as we swore before, like the three Horace brothers, and when we have conquered Athens, Thesalia, and Crete, you are all brilliant men who can command a legion, how about it? ”

"That's really nice." Leo took a sip of his drink, looked at Agrippa and little Juba with excited expressions, and then reversed the conversation. "But I'm sorry, I've decided to follow my father to Sicily. Serving as the deputy envoy there, managing the deployment of supplies and troops, I think this can also increase my knowledge and ability. ”

Seeing the other party's refusal, Young Caesar's smile was a little stiff, but he still hung on his face and continued to persuade, "There are so many legions of guardians, and all of them in the command positions are battle-hardened generals, Leo, if you want to command a brigade, I'm afraid you won't have a chance?" Think about it, and see how excited Agrippa is, for when I go to conquer Brutus, I will entrust the Forty-Third Legion directly to him, and if you come, the commander of the Eighteenth Legion, which originally belonged to Dehemoth, will be yours. ”

"I'm sorry Turinus, I don't think it's a good thing like this, we are all inexperienced young people, and it would be irresponsible for the soldiers and the cause to command a legion like this, I think it would be more appropriate for my father to build yì."

"Father's Jianyì?" Young Caesar could not bear it any longer, and with a mockery, "told you to bury your head in the warehouse, and there are slaves carrying papers, and there are mountains of clay pots and shoes, and stacks of papers, and you now think that engaging in such a despicable activity should be done by the son of a high priest, a nobleman born free in the republic?" ”

"It's nothing, my father understands these things, and he understands war." When Leo had finished speaking, he stood up and bowed to the others.

"Leo! Maybe you should follow me, maybe I won't continue to think about marriage to Corinna after I return from this expedition, people say that marriage between nobles is a wheat cake marriage, yes, it is as fragile as wheat cake, and this is still the case after a year of marriage, let alone before marriage! Young Caesar roared angrily, and Agrippa and Juba, who were next to him, still didn't understand what was going on between the two, so they both stood up a little embarrassed and toasted to friendship and love.

At this time, Young Caesar also felt that his words just now were a little excessive, he sat down painfully, covered his face and said sorry repeatedly, "I just cherish our friendship too much, I will marry Corinna after returning from the expedition, please tell her dear." ”

"I will." With that, Leo left everyone behind, stepped through the doorframe and left.

On a market day, in front of the altar of the alcove of Villa Prima, Potty, Vivia, and Corinna and all their families knelt down in front of a mural sculpture of the family god, and below it was a large serpent sculpture symbolizing fertility, praying sincerely for the men who went on the expedition.

At the same time, in front of the Temple of the God of War, Li Bida, wearing a blue cloak and holding a gilded baton, stood on the steps, in front of the burning altar, on both sides of him, were Leo, Paruma, Junisonvier, Paulus, Galius, Calenus, Sekedilius, Petneeus and other generals, all dressed in military uniforms, on the walls on both sides behind the pillars, the flag bearers of the fifteen legions, standing in a row on two sides, holding high the totem flags of each legion, eagle vultures, falcons, twins, sheep skulls, sea serpents, foals, Wild boars and so on.

And on the semi-circular assembly hall opposite, there were all the senators who had come to see them off, yes, their number was still six hundred, because Li Bida, Anthony, and Young Caesar, after consultation, each urgently promoted their men to fill it, and the blood of the Concorde Temple was changed to a batch of "fresh", this group of people who had not long ago been the sons of freemen or freed slaves, or the tribuns of the army, centurions, or even just veterans, or just knights, now all dressed in white robes with red edges, and sat under the gable with eagle sculptures, Waiting for the commander-in-chief, the high priest and archon Lebidaus, to take the oath of war against Spain.

On the holy path between the two sides, there stood a hundred and fifty captains, each holding a banner with a silver bracelet, and sixty horsemen mounted on horseback and stood in front of the other side, and a white steed on which the commander rode was tied to a pillar under the altar.

"I'm Calabis. Gao Nerlius. Aemilius. Marcus F. Lypidaus, I stand here as consul, commander-in-chief and chief priest of the republic, of the Senate and of the people. Li Bida greeted all the elders and standard-bearers and said.

"Good luck, Your Excellency!" The standard-bearer and all the patriarchs extended their right hands and saluted. (To be continued......)