Under such circumstances, the city of Marcelia still sent an envoy to Liguria, presumably to inquire about the reality of Li Pida's army, but judging from their rebellious tone, they did not come to negotiate peace at all.

The meeting took place in Genoa, and Li Bida had no hope that Massella would surrender, rather than saying that he was negotiating peace with Massella, it was better to say that he was deliberately showing his position and showing it to the Ligurian Chamber of Commerce and the city-state, so the stronger the attitude of Massella's envoys, the more he could gain greater benefits from Liguria.

On the pulpit in front of the city hall, Li Bida, who was holding a mask and wearing the chief executive's robe, constantly set off the shouts and shouts of the onlookers of Ligurian businessmen under the fierce question and answer with the envoy group of the opposing party.

"Let me ask you, does the city-state of Marcellia promise that the entire state as a whole will be Pompey's Creon?" This is Li Bida's first question.

After a moment's hesitation, they collectively confessed, "Ever since General Pompey exterminated the pirates of the seas, our city-state has sworn to be as loyal to him as Creon has served his patron. ”

As a result, this immediately aroused the disgruntled boos of the citizens of Liguria, and Li Bida continued to ask, "Soon, after the end of the war at Brindisi, Caesar will command a large army to take the city of Daoer and go to Spain to fight Pompey's army, will you open the gates for Caesar and make way for Caesar?" ”

Once again, the emissaries of Massella collectively replied unequivocally, "No, but in principle we are not on either side in the civil war of the Republic, whether it is Pompey or Caesar, we are only in a crisis, and we do not know which one the whole country should listen to." Thus the resolution of the Council of Elders was once again elevated to the supreme power, and after careful deliberation the fifteen nobles concluded. We must defend ourselves by force. ”

"What. Fifteen nobles? But isn't there 600 of you in the Council of Elders? Or are these nobles inextricably linked to Pompey and the escaped Senate, and Pompey deliberately handed over the island of Salus to you after the pirates were conquered, serving as a warehouse and barn, probably because of these petty profits, you are willing to act as Pompey's lackeys, why do you say it so noblely? Li Bida asked loudly.

"Liars. Dirty liars, philistine guys. The citizens of Liguria began to make gestures of disdain and displeasure to the envoys of the hostile city, with great fanfare. Seeing that the order present had been fully mobilized, Li Bida took the opportunity to stretch out his hand to the people of the entire Liguria, and asked in a loud voice, "Respect and courage of the Ligurians, you are the most proficient in business in the Republic, and you are all speaking and signing with great sound. Again, if I ask you now. In the war between Pompey and Caesar, who will you support, and how will you answer? ”

"Even if it is the last Ace, we are willing to support Caesar's cause, whether it is money, manpower or access, we are willing to provide Caesar and Caesar's army for free!" The Ligurian Chamber of Commerce was the first to start, and then the people all shouted as if they had taken an oath, and sure enough, they felt that they had just spoken this word, and they felt much more proud than the pretentiousness of the envoys of the city of Massella just now, and the enthusiasm of the whole scene reached its peak.

In this frenzied atmosphere, the envoys of Masseria were panicked, for fear that the Caesarist administrator on the pulpit would tear them to pieces and sacrifice them directly at the stroke of his hand, but Lybida only needed a clear answer, "This is an ultimatum on behalf of the Republic, and Massella must be here, and promise me, the administrator of Sardinia, Liberta, to hand over all the ships available for war in the city-state at once, and make way for our legions, and handed over the keys to the city gates, and gave up the fortifications to finance and support the counterinsurgency of Caesar, the consul of the Republic. Then, when this war is over, you will be able to regain your identity as an ancient free city, and if you choose to take up arms against us, then I will answer you personally - that is, Marseillicus will be my name. ”

Marseillicus, the implication is that Lipida will trample Massella into pieces and ruins because of the same as Scipio did with the city of Carthage, and then enjoy the triumphal ceremony in Rome with the glory of this conquest, and the envoys who were greatly insulted were all so angry that they turned pale and threw down the "ball belt" on their bodies (the original wool bundle used for the sacrifice of the gods in Greece and Rome, which can be tied to clothes or foreheads), and Li Bida also put on the mask, and the whole scene could no longer be contained, That is, the war of his legions against Marcellia broke out!

Soon the front line of Libida, the sixteenth legion, was the first to reach the opposite bank of Massalia, a port town called Yar, and immediately anchored the fleet there, and then the fifteenth legion and the local Ligurian legion, escorting pack horses and baggage, set up camp in Axia, and soon after, the young soldiers of the sixth legion arrived with a large amount of timber, bricks, and fuel—and Libida liked to call the new legion to do these things, just like Caesar, and thought that in this laborious work, The team can do their best to cultivate the spirit of hardship and hard work, and the idea of collaborative obedience.

Later, at the port of Yar, the first joint meeting on the war was convened, at which the centurion, who was the scout, made it clear that "the city of Massella has rebelled, and when they came to negotiate peace with us, they collected all the timber, iron nails, and ropes, including grain from all parts of the city, and hoarded them in the storehouses of the city, and began to make warships in the docks of the fortress in the city, and it is said that Dumijus, the brother-in-law of Cato the Younger, had suddenly made a detour into the city by boat, and was elected Supreme Commander by the Massellans. ”

"What about little Cato?" Li Bida asked.

The centurions shook their heads, saying they didn't know.

"How is the organization of the opposing team?"

"The city was mostly defended by the Civic Army of Masseria, who possessed the vital towers and docks, and the Albisis were the barbarians who lived in the forests and mountains north of Masseria. The city is said to have hired nearly 10,000 Albyssi warriors to resist us on its own. ”

"Albissi?" Li Bida turned his head and asked the Alveni nobleman Vicintoli who was present, "How are their tactics?" ”

"They are one of the few people who are very good at fighting on both land and water, and I don't know if you understand what I mean, that is, they can use cavalry on the battlefield and fight with warships in canoes, which is why Marcelia is willing to ally with them." Viccintoli was very excited to say that he was looking forward to weighing the details of Li Bida and his army as a combatant and a spectator. (To be continued......)