Chapter 546 The War of the Successors

"Caesar, Flavius ​​Luca and Flavius ​​Aetius have reached a consensus."

In the tidy hall, Valentinian was unusually calm. He sat silently in the seat in the center.

Listening to the report from Odysseus from the Senate, of course, just as Odysseus saw, Valentinian's face was full of surprise. He never thought that Luca, whom he had always regarded as an enemy, was actually a supporter of him to become Augustus of the Eastern Empire.

"Do you promise that these are all your true words?" Valentinian's voice was trembling with excitement. "I want you to swear to God that what you said is true!"

"It is absolutely true, my Caesar!" Odysseus bowed again and again to confirm the authenticity of this statement.

“Oh my god, oh my god!”

Valentinian slumped down in his seat with his eyes wide open. He simply couldn't believe what he heard.

All his previous worries and concerns were no longer a concern. Now the entire Western Roman Empire supported him, so he could go to the Eastern Roman Empire and become the real Augustus without any worries.

"Grandfather!" Valentinian raised his head to the ceiling with a grim smile, "I will continue your glory and become the only Augustus of the Roman Empire. Ah! Supreme glory! Supreme glory!"

Valentinian repeated it over and over again, laughing wildly as if there was no one else in his eyes except God.

"What are you waiting for? What are you waiting for?"

Valentinian stopped smiling and asked Odysseus in a questioning tone: "What are you waiting for? Are you waiting for those usurpers to seize my throne before you give up?"

The sudden demeanor did make Odysseus dazed for a moment, but he quickly came to his senses and looked at Valentinian, who quickly knelt down, saluted, and nodded in agreement.

The next day, the repaired edict signed by Augustus was delivered to the camp of the two captains.

This has to be said to be a jaw-dropping story. Two sergeants outside the city of Rome, each commanding half of the imperial army, chose to reconcile on the same day under the mediation of Augustus.

Aetius' army entered the city of Rome, and all the senators and nobles who had been under house arrest returned to the Senate, and the entire city of Rome seemed as if nothing had happened.

This was truly a miracle, because everyone was praying to God to prevent this war from happening, because the country's current strength could no longer allow generals with heavy troops to do whatever they wanted. Of course, at the most critical moment, Augustus "persuaded" the captain of the soldiers who were fighting with swords, allowing them to reconcile again, which became a good story among people.

The always weak Valentinian was finally no longer a puppet as people said. Now the citizens of Rome described Valentinian as a wise king, a mature guy who made a decision as wise as God.

These are all what the optimists and those who follow the crowd take for granted. They think that Augustus, whose power had been sidelined, has finally regained his lost prestige and is developing in the direction they expected.

But the only ones who really understood the ins and outs of all this were the two soldier captains, Luca and Aetius. It had to be admitted that after such a long battle, Luca and Aetius became more and more similar, and even their actions would have the shadow of the other.

This may be the change that power brings to people, but it is also because of power that the two of them become cautious. After all, it is not easy to build an empire, and it is even harder to keep it.

Three days later, a grand banquet held in the name of Augustus began in the imperial palace in Rome. Sitting in the banquet, Augustus Valentinian III had a rosy face.

He sat on a soft seat, holding a silver wine glass in his hand. In order to enhance the taste of the wine, he deliberately added a few pieces of red things into his glass, because this thing can make the wine in his glass taste sweet. In addition, the nobles around him praised and flattered him just to get what they wanted. All of this made Valentinian feel like a god. He was deeply intoxicated and obsessed with this feeling.

Licinia, Augusta, was sitting next to him. She still remembered clearly what Valentinian had done at that time, so she hated him to the core.

Such a bastard would actually have a chance to turn over. This was probably what Li Jinia could not imagine. Looking at him sitting in a superior position, with a victorious attitude, Li Jinia began to doubt whether what Lu Jia said was a lie. She wondered how such a person could be treated like this?

Valentinian shook the silver cup in his hand, his face was so deep and arrogant. He didn't even look at Licinia, his attention was all on the beautifully carved wine cup in his hand.

Valentinian turned his head and just glanced at Liginia, with a hint of disdain flashing across his face.

"I have to admit that I was unfair in humiliating you." The apology sounded so perfunctory in Valentinian's mouth. "But if you think about it again, it's not hard to see that a woman who doesn't even want to serve her husband shouldn't tolerate other women serving her husband? What's more, her husband is Augustus of the Western Roman Empire, Caesar in the eyes of the world, and will become the supreme king from Pamela in the east to the Endless Ocean in the west. Thousands of women threw themselves at me, including many noble women. They all dreamed of climbing into my bed and longed for Augustus's favor, just to become Augusta, the sacred and supreme title for women."

Valentinian spoke slowly, his eyes revealing greed. His narcissism began to make him unable to extricate himself, and his complacency made his words arrogant and domineering.

This was not an apology, but a humiliation. Licinia's blood boiled and her face turned blue with anger. She raised her head and glared at Valentinian, who was still deeply intoxicated, and retorted: "If my father were still alive, you would never dare to say such impertinent and rude words. It's a pity that my father protected you and your poor mother and son so much, and became your shield at all costs, so that you could become Augustus."

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"Times have changed, my poor wife." Valentinian sneered and lowered his head to look at Liginia who was sitting beside him, his expression full of teasing, "Look at you, you are like a wailing bitch abandoned by your master. Apart from barking to attract attention, your tiny fangs can only scare ignorant children. Shut your mouth, the viciousness in your heart does not match your appearance at all, poor woman, if your brother was not my staunch supporter, I would like to expel you from the Purple Room right now and let you spend the rest of your life in the ridicule of others."

Such humiliation was unbearable for Liginia. She bit her lips tightly, tears welling up in her eyes. She tried hard not to let the tears fall so as to maintain her pitiful dignity as Augusta in front of the nobles.

"Mr. Flavius ​​Aetius and Mr. Flavius ​​Luca are here!" the courtiers at the door shouted inside.

All the nobles stood up. Although they repeatedly flattered Augustus, they all believed that the real power holders always held weapons. Except for Valentinian, everyone knew that the real power holders were still the two captains with heavy troops.

Luca and Aetius wore purple silk togas and golden laurel wreaths on their heads. In order to show their special status, they certainly could not drop the soldier's scepter that symbolized power.

The nobles all looked at them with greetings, and watched them slowly walk to the front row seats near Augustus. Only after the two of them nodded to the nobles behind them did the nobles dare to sit down one by one.

I wrote a chapter while on night shift and then went to sleep.

(End of this chapter)