Look to life and customs for the true model, and from there absorb the language that is faithful to life.

- Horace (founder and founder of Roman classicism)

This night was a quiet night in the dead of night, and it was also a thrilling night; During this night, three families close to the House of Augustus suffered a devastating blow at the same time, and the House of Augustus officially broke with Marius. When Oscar had no intention of resting, the Augustan family was about to enter a period of war with Rome from now on.

Perhaps, such a war would have been kept secret for the time being for the ordinary Roman people; Even before the Augustus family officially went to war with Marius, such a war would exist in the form of a theory. However, this does not mean that there is room for détente between the House of Augustus and Marius; The House of Augustus could no longer have cooperative ties with Rome proper.

It is said that there are only eternal interests between families, and there are no eternal friends and enemies, and this is exactly the case; However, for Oscar and the Augustus, it was clear that a break with Marius would bring more benefits to the family. If the Augustans had cooperated with Marius, they would have reaped short-term benefits; But what is lost is a much more far-reaching benefit.

The Maxentius and Richards, as well as the Carters, will be so disappointed with the Augustans that they will almost certainly leave the Augustans to find another place to live; This meant that the Augustians would at least lose an extremely large fleet. The losses in other aspects are even more immeasurable, and this will even affect the development of the family for decades to come!

Even if these three families have now suffered the most complete blow from Marius, it does not mean that the influence of these three families has weakened; The Maxentius family ruled the republic on behalf of the Senate for hundreds of years, and its position in the hearts of the Roman people can be imagined, and the hidden power of their family should not be underestimated, and the role they can play is also very terrifying.

In Oscar's view, as long as the Augustan family could have a chance to counterattack Rome proper; Then, as long as Marcus stands up on behalf of the Augustan family, countless people of the Roman Republic will resolutely stand on the side of the Augustan family, which Oscar firmly believes. Because for hundreds of years, the Maxentius family represented Rome for the Romans!

As for the Richards and the Carters, although they did not have as much hidden power as the Maxentius family, they did not have much appeal in the hearts of the Roman people; However, they were still able to influence the small and powerful industrial and commercial families of Rome, which was also extremely useful to the House of Augustus.

More importantly, the two hundred years of expansion of the Richard and Carters families have allowed them to operate a trade network covering the entire Mediterranean coast while becoming the largest shipbuilders and weapons dealers in the Roman Republic; As long as the Augustan family can inherit this huge trade network, the significance to the Augustan family is immeasurable!

The House of Augustus could have used these trade relationships to establish their own family trading network; Moreover, the Augustus family's production capacity and transportation capacity are stronger than those of the Richard family and the Carters family, and the funds that can be profitable will be larger.

It is no exaggeration to say that as long as the Augustus family perfectly inherited the Richard family's maritime trading business and the Carters family's arms trafficking business; From now on, the Augustans would never again be troubled by financial crises. The family's existing ten legions can also be easily fed; There is even room to expand the army!

And if the Augustan family chooses to cooperate with Marius, they can indeed obtain considerable benefits in the short term; You can even take the opportunity to double the size of the Augustan family's population! However, it is more to give; The influence of the Maxentius family, the trading network of the Richard family, and the trading network of the Carters family will all leave the Augustusian family.

Moreover, these are far from being lost by the Augustusian family; Gabriel and Ulles, the lieutenants of the family's Fifth and Sixth Legions, would also leave the family as a result, and the final choice of Fleet Commander Gathsi and Commander of the Third Legion, Segudus, would not be guaranteed. In the end, after Marius put Rome in order, there is no doubt that he will choose to break with the House of Augustus.

Therefore, as long as Oscar is not in bad brains, it is impossible for him to accept Marius's peace talks, let alone end the war with Marius; If this war can quickly grow the Augustan family and establish a vast maritime trade network, that is what Oscar really wants.

Oscar stood quietly on the deck alone, thinking about the family's next strategic deployment, and the distant sky began to slowly reveal a hint of fish belly white; The night is finally over, and a new day is finally coming. Perhaps, yesterday was the end of an era belonging to the Maxentius family; And today, it will be the rise of a new family of Augustus!

When Oscar was still imagining the bright future of the Augustan family, Prisca woke up from a nightmare and went to the deck alone to breathe, but happened to see Oscar standing on the deck; Prisca had dreamed of the tragic death of her father and eldest brother in a dream just now, and she couldn't hold back the pain in her heart after seeing Oscar, so she threw herself into Oscar's arms again and cried loudly.

Prisca was already extremely haggard today, and her two eyes were very red and swollen; Oscar looked at Prisca, who was still crying in his arms, and his heart was also distressed and uncomfortable. Coupled with the fact that there was still a cool breeze on the deck in the early morning, Oscar did not continue to stay on the deck; Instead, he picked up Prisca and went straight back to his room.

After arriving in the room, Oscar put Prisca on his bed again, and while covering Prisca with the quilt, he said, "You wait for me here first, and I'll go get you some hot water towel to compress your eyes." Prisca grabbed Oscar's hand and pleaded with tears in her eyes: "Oscar, don't leave me, okay?" ”

Oscar didn't say anything more, just smiled and shook his head and gently lowered Prisca's hands; Oscar leaned over and kissed Prisca on the forehead as he put Prisca's hands back on the covers before walking out of the room. After getting some hot water and towels, Oscar went back to his room; Looking at Prisca who was looking at him, Oscar also sighed helplessly.

Oscar first placed the basin and towel on the table, then soaked the towel in hot water and wrung it out; Later, he went to Prisca's bedside and put the towel on Prisca's eyes. Looking at Prisca's still sad face, Oscar did not leave Prisca; Instead, after making the towel, he put his hand into the quilt, held Priska's hand tightly, and comforted:

"Prisca, you know what? In my eyes, you have always been a strong girl; Although you were born into the Maxentius family and never had the opportunity to prove your strength to the world, I believe that you are strong in your bones. I know that yesterday's events hit you too hard; You lost your father and brother in just one day.

But have you thought about it, Prisca has you? There are many people who are actually more sad and more painful than you. Our mother, who is in her fifties this year; But after enjoying a lifetime of comfort, she lost her husband and son in one day, what kind of torture was such a blow to her?

and Marcian's sister-in-law, who also lost her husband; Even more pitiful is the young Rantulus and Papillia, who is now in Sardinia, one is only eight years old this year and the other is only five years old. However, they have lost their father today; Perhaps, they still don't understand what it means, but you and I don't understand either?

Second Brother Mar was lucky to survive, but like you, he was also in pain; Even now that he is starting to regain his strength, he still has the responsibility of reviving the Maxentius family, and he simply does not have the time and energy to take care of his own family. Licinia's second sister-in-law, she is, after all, a woman who married into the Maxentius family; They are not particularly close to their mother.

At this moment, the only person in the Maxentius family who can stand up and take care of their family and care for their family is you, Prisca; Know that no matter what you lost yesterday, you still have me by your side. From now on, I will never leave you again, nor will I let you leave me; I will be your strongest backing and most solid dependence.

However, the mother, the sister-in-law, the Lonturus, and Papillia were the ones who lost the most important people in their lives; They can only remember those people in their memories for the rest of their lives, shouldn't you stand up and become their support at this time? Prisca, no matter what happens; You see, you will always have me, and they are only you. ”

Oscar's words of comfort were not brilliant, but they also relieved the pain in Prisca's heart a lot; It's not because Prisca feels that she should take on the burden of taking care of her family, but because Prisca feels Oscar's presence, and she knows that she is not alone, but has Oscar by her side.

Perhaps, for a woman, the presence of her parents and relatives is crucial; But the appearance of another man in her life will undoubtedly replace her parents and family as the most important and trustworthy person in her life. It suddenly occurred to Prisca that perhaps she was not so unlucky; Because I still have an Oscar. (To be continued.) )