Chapter Fifty-Four In the face of war, let us not forget ourselves

  Who is the commander of the Northern Expedition of the Empire? The empire is still discussing it, but who else can take on the role of commander?

  I'm at a loss, the older generation of generals who can fight are dwindling rapidly. Even if they haven't left this world, many people's bodies are no longer suitable for battle, and as for the young and strong, let alone an army of 100,000, even a large-scale battle of nearly 50,000 people is very difficult to command because they have no experience. The empire has not fought a single battle with more than 30,000 troops in the past twenty years.

  In the past few days, I spent more than a day writing down all the key points about the Greeting Card Printing Factory and sales locations for Marcus. I didn't expect that cousin to understand this matter with just a glance. According to my plan, as long as we can produce samples before Christmas, then hold activities in high-end social salons. The rest of the things will be up to fate. But thinking about Wendy's wife, I think she should also be able to help. So I went to her house and found that she was not at home. The servant said she had gone to France to smuggle goods.

  Coming out of Wendi's house, I saw a group of people pointing and gesturing at something in the distance.

  What's all the fuss about near Augusta Square?

  I curiously took the attendants with me over there.

  On the Augustus Square Avenue, one after another white-haired old man is riding a horse on it. Their military uniforms are bright and shiny medals all over their chests, indicating that the old men on horseback are not only Roman nobles but also soldiers.

  The horse-drawn carriages and pedestrians on the road all gave way to one side.

  "What are they going to do?"

  "I don't know, several more nobles like them just walked by in front of us, it seems they're heading towards the Augusta Plaza."

  "Let it be."

  Rather than just guessing here, I took action and rode my horse to the middle of the main road. The eyes of several old men were initially confused before they recognized me.

  "Your Highness."

  Keeping pace with them, I asked: "Where are you all going?"

  "Augusta Square, Your Highness." A one-eyed old man with a general's epaulets replied to me, I couldn't call his name, he should be someone who rarely appears in Constantinople.

  The other four nodded slightly.

  "Why?" I asked in confusion, as Old Man usually came home every day. What exactly happened at Augusta Square today, I didn't know, but the general idea was clear. Today's Augusta Square didn't seem to be a gathering place for upper-class nobles.

  "Your Highness."

  It was still the one-eyed old man: "We are sons of Rome, war has come."

  I was taken aback.

  "Because war came, so we came."

  "But this time the army is going to the north, the icy and snowy northern region. Several elderly people have gone to the north... The rest of the words I didn't say out loud, these old men are all advanced in age, who knows if they can withstand the icy and snowy Poland."

  These old men's faces, filled with vicissitudes of life, revealed a resolute expression.

  "It is an honor for me to fight for Rome."

  "It is my honor to serve Rome"

  "I am the son of Rome."

  …….

  As I listened to these words, I couldn't help but be stunned, and waves of ripples rose in my heart. These old nobles all came with a determination to die!

  As for the reason.

  Rome needs them!

  Augusta Square, the old generals and marshals of the Empire who were still alive all came, more than a dozen people stood under the imperial double-headed eagle with spread wings in the center of the square.

  In the huge shadow, they are waiting.

  Looking at this scene, if Lao Gan Ma were still alive, I think she would also be one of them.

  Soon, Cheap Old Dad came.

  He was taken aback when he saw me.

  "Caesar!!!"

  The respectful title for cheap dad is rising and falling.

  "You, several generals, why have you all come?"

  Cheap old man, in this group of old men, all have to put down their status. I suddenly thought, if these old men were all famous generals, they would be from my grandfather's generation!

  War.

  "We old men may be getting on in years, but our minds are still sharp. I recall that generals who have passed sixty are usually excluded from the list of candidates for promotion by the military department."

  "In the face of war, Caesar, do not forget us, we are also sons of Rome."

  "Caesar, we serve Rome at all times and in every place, for the glory of Rome!"

  The cheap old man invited all these old generals into a large building on one side of the square.

  Must the commander-in-chief of the army be chosen from among these old generals?

  Standing on Augusta Square, I chose to wait.

  By noon, Old Man Bao had sent all those old men out one by one.

  I couldn't see anything useful from his serious expression on his face in this desert inn.

  "Your Highness."

  An old man with a head of white hair and thick sideburns that connected to his mustache made me feel very serious, I was dazed for a moment before suddenly realizing it was an acquaintance!

  "His Excellency, Duke of Old Brindlemark!" I bowed respectfully, not expecting this heavyweight figure to emerge from the ranks of the elderly!

  "Waiting for someone here?" The old man with a big white beard smiled with narrowed eyes.

  "No."

  "Wasting time isn't something the Roman imperial family should do. But it seems Your Highness has a lot of free time." The old man with the big white beard said seriously, "Can you accompany me for a walk?"

  "It's my honor."

  Duke of Oldenburg, a rather unfamiliar name. If I hadn't suddenly seen that this old man with a big white beard had a few similarities in appearance to Maurice, I would have almost forgotten that he was Maurice's grandfather!

  Sviatoslav Brin'gas, that was the name of Maurice's grandfather. Compared to old man Zha who messed with the yellow flower girl on the street, Old Duke Brin'gas was very kind and a good royal. He didn't plunder or embezzle, but just mentioning his name would make people tremble with fear, not exactly someone you'd want to be friends with.

  The first time I saw Maurice's grandfather was when he came from Aleppo, Anatolia to see his grandson Maurice, bringing many rewards for us to eat and drink.

  What a wonderful person!

  Then, the good impression about Maurice's grandfather ended there.

  In the sweltering heat of the Dog Days, he called us over to eat what Romans call "Reinhardt's Great Hot Pot", which was actually just hot pot.

  It's already unbearable to eat hot pot on a sweltering day, but thinking about the things he added into the hot pot makes my stomach ache.

  Pepper!

  Peppers of the New World, Indian peppers, red ones, green ones, fresh ones, dried ones!

  What's even more miserable is that he eats extremely salty food, and his favorite thing to do is to throw pickled salted fish and caviar into a pot with chili peppers to make a soup base!

  Is that thing edible?

  Maurice, who was a bit out of his mind at the time, took a bite, and a piece of white, flower-like raw lamb's meat fell into the pot. Next, Maurice picked it up and put it in his mouth, and so, on that day, I saw Maurice cry for the first time.

  Then we also cried.

  This old man handed over a bowl-sized high-concentration distilled liquor to each of us, the spicy distilled liquor was like being stirred into our throats with a wolf-toothed stick, and we were so tearful.

  The old man is even more miserable. In fact, the old man with hemorrhoids has a fatal weakness that he is said to be most afraid of his grandfather Maurice. After a drink, he will definitely lose half his life the next day.

  Then we lot of people gave birth to Sebald's hemorrhoids, which replaced the word Achilles' heel.

  When people get drunk, they all become crazy, and Svyatoslav is no exception. When he gets drunk, he likes to fight the most, and his favorite thing to do is to challenge others to a duel. That's not a big deal, but the loser has to drink another bowl of the soup that this old man uses as a hot pot base.

  When I lived with the old man in Shabolovo, Duke Boulanger would take us hunting every two or three months. But after we left Shabolovo and went to military school, Maurice told me that he had moved to an ancient monastery in the mountains of Anatolia.

  The old Duke of Whitebeard walked on the road and suddenly mentioned: "I heard that the old scoundrel is dead."

  "Yes."

  The old man called Da Bai Hu Zi "dead face", while Da Bai Hu Zi called him "old rascal".

  "When he died, Maurice wrote me a letter saying that only you attended his funeral. I'm considered his friend, take me to see him, can I, Your Highness."

  Looking at the face that was just as old as the old man's, I had no reason to refuse the request of Duke Brinagas. Because in front of the old man's stinky mouth, there were few people who could bear it, and Morris' grandfather was one of them.

  It had been several months since I last went to sweep the tomb, so I suggested bringing Alexander and others. The old Duke of Brinagas did not refuse. After more than an hour, everyone gathered at the city gate.

  The small coastal town where the old man was buried was half a day's journey from Kuleli Military High School in Constantinople, and from Kuleli Military High School to Constantinople, it would take more than half a day if you ride slowly. So as soon as we left the city gate, we galloped wildly on the highway.

  Riding a horse is not like driving a car. I galloped along the road, and after returning to the old man's burial churchyard, it was already evening. At a nearby inn, I dismounted my horse, exhausted.

  We let the guards and attendants lead the horses to rest and feed in the stable, and then we all went together to the grave of Lao Ren Zha.

  It's hard to imagine that someone as upright and self-disciplined as the old Duke of Brinagas, who doesn't indulge in whoring or gambling, would have a friend like Old Man Zha.

  He stood quietly in the dark night, looking at the epitaph on the old man's grave.

  I am both fortunate and unfortunate. I was lucky enough to participate in that great war many decades ago, but unfortunately, I didn't live to see the arrival of the next great war. Yes, I've smelled that familiar smell again, but this time, sorry, my motherland, please forgive me for leaving you before the war did.

  "Now, war has come, you old scoundrel... were you also afraid?" Duke Old Brinkas leaned against the monument, his eyes gazing complexly at the sky. "You lived for Rome until your seventy-second year, how many more years can I live for Rome?"

  "The old duke requests your condolences on his change of circumstances." Alexander comforted.

  "Sorrow? No, Your Highness, I have no sorrow. He spent most of his life fighting for Rome and died as he should. But you, you who were taught by him, the imperial family, the nobles, you make me anxious! Even this old scoundrel couldn't forget it before his death!"

  The words of Duke Blücher left me speechless; what is there for us to worry about?

  "Grandfather, rest assured, we'll take care of Rome's future. We'll fight for Rome's glory!" Maurice jumped out.

  "The glory of Rome?" Duke Old Brinagas sneered, "From the day you left military school to now, who among you has been following the daily training regulations of military school?!"

  The words of Duke Bulbringas struck heavily on my chest, and under his piercing gaze, I looked away because I had not done so.

  "What if we all die, who will defend the glory of Rome? Today, I met many former comrades-in-arms on August Square, they are all thinking like me, willing to go to war. We all know that this battle with Russia is one we cannot afford to lose! If we lose, the entire empire will be left behind at the starting line! One loss and the tragic scene of 40 years ago will reappear! We can't afford to lose! Rome can't afford to lose!!"

  "By the gods, Duke Brinagas, though we are young and inexperienced, we will fight to the death for Rome's glory!" Valens exclaimed.

  "You still don't understand what the glory of Rome is! Without having participated in war, you will never understand what the glory of Rome is! And a war isn't won by just shouting out loud slogans! If there were such wars, they wouldn't be wars!"

  "Rome was at war from the day it was founded. The Roman army in classical times was a conquering army, we conquered all known civilized territories, after Augustus, the Roman army was a defensive army, we fought against the barbarian hordes on the borders of the empire! At first, wherever the eagle flag flew, it was invincible, but as time went on, the Roman army became more and more defeated! Defeated to the point where I am ashamed to mention that once great Roman army! Entire legions were annihilated, some cowards even surrendered to the barbarians, emperors were captured, humiliated by the Persians, all this! Until 1206!"

  1206, this number makes me jump, everyone knows what happened then.

  "Constantinople has fallen! If it weren't for the great Emperor Rheinstein descending from heaven, reviving Rome, rebuilding and redefining the Roman legions, this world would not have a Rome!"

  What Lord Birlings said is right, in a certain sense, Rome had already perished before the Fourth Crusade, even if the rotten trunk was still there, but the spirit of Rome had long been extinguished. It was my predecessor who miraculously made this dying country reborn once again.

  "The army of Rome is the backbone of Rome, since 1206, anyone who wants to trample on the dignity of Rome must first step over the corpses of imperial soldiers! Other nobles, how they indulge in luxury and idle away their time, I don't care, but you, you people we have placed our hopes on, it's not allowed!"

  "We started gathering you from a young age and training you in the classical Spartan way left behind by Emperor Rheinhardt, what for? So that you can lead the Romans, once again, and let out the roar of the Roman Empire's army on European soil! Not to have you idle around all day!"