Chapter 552: Chapter 420 Caesar’s Choice
Although Pompey was already old, as a Roman general who had won countless victories and enjoyed three triumphs, he knew clearly in his heart: even if he had won a victory at Dyrrachium, the combat quality of his hastily assembled army was no match for the Caesar soldiers who had fought in Gaul for years. The only advantage was the cavalry, but now that advantage had been broken by Caesar’s stratagem. With Caesar’s capability, he was bound to expand the results of his victory. The failure of this battle was inevitable!
If only he had been more resolute and ignored the multiple requests of Domitius, Metellus, and others, and continued with the original strategy... Despondent, Pompey returned directly to the camp, sat in the Central Army Tent, closed his eyes, and prayed silently, holding on to a sliver of hope that an officer might suddenly burst in excitedly to tell him: Great Pompey, Caesar’s army has retreated!...
But such a scene did not occur. Instead, his confidants rushed in panic to tell him: The entire army is in rout!
Pompey awoke as if from a slumber. He immediately gathered his family, confidants, and staff, abandoning those Roman Elders who had followed him here, as well as the soldiers who had fought alongside him for over half a year, and secretly fled the camp.
In his heart, those Elders were ignorant and incompetent, only dragging him down, and those soldiers were lacking in fighting spirit and experience, entirely no match for Caesar’s army... He sought to flee to a prosperous place free from their influence, to regroup and seek a comeback.
Caesar’s army pursued the fleeing enemy soldiers and successfully took over Pompey’s camp.
Soon, Caesar issued orders, asking the soldiers to spare the lives of their compatriots as much as possible, but to show no mercy to any auxiliary troops that dared to resist.
Clearly, this was to demonstrate Caesar’s magnanimity and benevolence to Pompey’s officers and soldiers, and it was a special treatment only for compatriots.
Thus, aside from most of Pompey’s army’s Elders and officers who fled, batches of soldiers knelt and surrendered.
Caesar achieved the final victory in this battle.
Pompey, who Caesar once looked up to, courted, and pursued with all his might, was finally completely defeated at his hands, bringing Caesar unprecedented satisfaction.
Escorted by guards, he strode toward the already captured Pompey camp.
Halfway there, he suddenly stopped, surveying the plain littered with bodies. He looked down and used his boot to pry up a clump of earth, which was stained crimson with blood.
His expression became somewhat complex, and he sighed, saying, "Too many Roman citizens died in this war!"
Little Sula comforted beside him, saying, "Caesar, you need not be sad. Had it not been for the relentless pressure from Pompey and Cato’s group, this war would not have broken out! Fortunately, all was in Jupiter’s eyes; He knew right from wrong, hence punished the wrongdoers and granted victory to us!"
"Indeed, Jupiter protected us!" Caesar said with deep emotion as he gazed at the soldiers cleaning the battlefield. "Certainly, if not for the wholehearted support of my soldiers, today’s failure might have been mine!"
At that, he recalled something and suddenly turned back: "Go tell Anthony to quickly clean up the remains of Crastinus and other brave warriors (a retired Chief Centurion of the 10th Legion, who first rallied comrades to fight bravely for Caesar before the decisive battle). Soon, I will assemble the whole army to posthumously award them honors!"
"Ah, awarding medals to the dead?! There is no precedent for this!" Little Sula exclaimed.
"Now there is!" Caesar responded sternly and earnestly.
Little Sula wisely kept silent immediately. With Pompey now defeated and Caesar’s power more consolidated, even though he was a veteran Elder and had sided with Caesar early on, he was like a subordinate, fearing to upset the most powerful man in Rome.
Caesar entered Pompey’s camp and saw the luxurious tents in the center that housed the Elders, and the various markers within the camp prepared for celebrating victory, and couldn’t help but laugh heartily: "War is a cruel affair — it’s either you die or I survive, yet these people treat it as child’s play. No wonder they failed!"
Everyone voiced agreement.
Caesar walked into the Central Army Tent, suddenly becoming silent, just pacing inside with hands clasped behind. Finally, he sat in the main seat where Pompey had sat, gently tapping the wooden table before him. His once sharp eyes no longer focused, becoming settled somewhere instead, the lines of his face relaxing and revealing glimpses of pleasantness...
The attendants did not dare to disturb him, all quietly standing until Anthony stormed in.
Immersed in joy, Caesar came back to his senses, his eyes deep as serene pools, staring directly at Anthony.
In his youth, Caesar was known for his free-spirited and dashing nature, but through nearly a decade of military campaigns, during which he annihilated many Gaul Tribes, he now bore a heavy aura of majesty and ferocity, even wordlessly observing could evoke chills in people’s hearts.
Therefore, Anthony hurriedly explained: "Caesar, the remains of Crastinus and several hundred brave warriors have long been collected! In addition, while cleaning the battlefield, the soldiers also found the body of Domitius."
To the death of this enemy, Caesar remained calm, not even blinking, simply saying indifferently: "Didn’t expect him to die fighting in the end, stronger in this aspect than Pompey, like a Roman Elder."
"Moreover... we also captured Brutus!" Anthony emphasized with gravity.
Caesar’s heart trembled, and he quickly asked, "Which Brutus?"
"Sevilla’s son."
"Is he hurt?!"
"He didn’t suffer a scratch, I’ve already arranged for the soldiers to take good care of him."
"Well done!" Caesar unusually praised.
His atypical reaction stemmed from having affairs with many married women in Rome throughout his life, usually not lasting long, except for one—Sevilla. His affair with her had spanned decades and continued to this day, due to affection for the loved one’s family, he was also very fond of Sevilla’s only son, Brutus.
Of course, another deeper reason was involved; he had been involved with Sevilla at a very young age, and Brutus’s appearance did not resemble his biological father but was rather a bit like Caesar, so rumors of "Brutus being Caesar’s illegitimate child" were rampant in Rome, and Caesar was somewhat doubtful of it himself.
Caesar had only one daughter, married to Pompey; she miscarried and died. With no offspring, Caesar naturally cherished Brutus greatly, even though he sided with Pompey against him in this civil war, that affection diminished not in the slightest.
Caesar realized his faux pas in front of his subordinates, but he didn’t care; indeed, he decided to visit Brutus after handling military affairs, using this victory to persuade the misguided child influenced by Cato to turn back.
At this moment, a guard rushed in from outside the tent: "Governor, urgent message from Ravenna!"
Caesar looked at the urgent markings on the letter presented by the guard and was slightly moved. He took the letter, broke the seal, and unfolded it, quickly frowning.
"Caesar, what happened?!" In the tent, only the much-used Anthony dared to ask at this moment.
Caesar, his expression solemn, slowly said: "While we were engaged in a decisive battle with Pompey, the Nix Kingdom invaded our Northern Italy province and has already surrounded Aquileia."
This statement caused an uproar in the tent.
"The Nix Kingdom? Is it that Nix Barbarians tribe in the eastern mountains of the Northern Italy province?!" Anthony asked loudly, having been beside Caesar for a long time, knowing some of the situation.
"Yes, indeed, it is the Nix Kingdom that annihilated the Pannonians, the Boyi people, occupying more than half of the Danube Plain." Caesar coldly responded.
"It seems the Nix Barbarians do not wish to live, daring to offend us now; we should immediately send troops back, not only to defeat them and ensure the safety of the Northern Italy province but to wipe out this barbarian tribe completely!" Calvinus said fiercely.
"I think this Nix Barbarians probably allied with Pompey, thus attacking the Northern Italy province at this time, trying to disrupt our offensive against Pompey." Little Sula reminded.
"It’s very possible." Caesar nodded indifferently, not voicing his other suspicion—that the Nix people had already discerned his intent and were preemptively acting on this opportunity.
"Caesar, the letter says the invading Nix Barbarians number in the tens of thousands, most of them armored, and their weapons seem quite good... I think the current force stationed in the northern three provinces only includes three legions, maintaining order in the Gaul region. Trebonius might not have enough troops to repel this Nix barbarian army, he needs ample reinforcement!"
After reading the urgent letter Caesar passed over, Anthony also loudly recommended: "Caesar, many of our soldiers are from the Northern Italy province; if they learn their homeland is invaded by Barbarians, there could be a disturbance in the troops’ morale! Now that Pompey is utterly beaten, his army has all fallen into our hands, we can absolutely spare most of the army to swiftly return to the Northern Italy province and quickly obliterate the Nix barbarians!"
"We cannot do that!" Little Sula immediately opposed: "Though Pompey suffered a severe blow in this major battle, his influence remains high in these eastern provinces. Additionally, he maintains close relations with several eastern kingdoms and city-states, ready to receive their support and quickly raise another army, hence we cannot lower our guard against Pompey; we must lead the army in pursuit!
As for the Northern Italy province... a small portion of reinforcement could be dispatched, allowing them to return more quickly. Given our Roman soldiers’ combat prowess, I believe even if outnumbered by the Nix Barbarians, they can easily defeat them."