Chapter 569 Augustus
The palace in Ravenna still looked the same as before, but it looked even more desolate after Valentinian, in a rage, expelled a large number of courtiers.
Valentinian probably thought he was the most unlucky wretch in the world. Before he could even get comfortable in Ravenna, he was shocked to hear that Luca had ascended the throne in Constantinople.
It was obvious that he was facing yet another deception. Especially when he had not yet calmed down under the walls of Dyrrachium, those things that originally belonged to him were snatched away by that "thief" and "liar" at an astonishing speed in an instant.
He didn't even have time to react, which was indeed something he should be thankful for. Fortunately, Flavius Luca only gave him time to be surprised, which was better than letting him watch helplessly as the things he had always dreamed of were taken away bit by bit.
However, the battle reports from the front were like the sound of war drums that disturbed him. Every letter in the letters was like dense arrows shot at him by Luca's legions, turning him into an invisible porcupine that others could not see but he could see clearly.
Valentinian sat on the throne in a daze, afraid that the world before him was no longer the one he was familiar with. He sat alone on the messy ground, desolate, peaceful, and quiet, so quiet that he could even hear the faint beating of his heart, proving that he was still alive.
Looking at the overturned fruit plate, scattered clothes, and the oil lamp that fell on the ground, the last flame gradually went out. At this time, there was no light in the hall. Valentinian opened his eyes and saw darkness and nothingness. He sighed in his heart that it was good that it was like this. The darkness, the excellent curtain, covered up the chaos caused by him, which was in line with the saying that out of sight, out of mind.
He drove away the courtiers and scared away the maids, which indeed gave him some peace. But why did such loneliness and darkness make him even more miserable? The pain that he had suppressed by venting surged into his heart again. Like an army that would not give up, it attacked his fragile defense line again and again until it collapsed.
Valentinian held the left side of his face and tilted his head, tears streaming down the corners of his eyes, flowing through his fingers and wetting his palms.
Perhaps at this moment, he finally calmed down. It is hard to imagine if he recalled his past romantic and suave self, would he be furious? Fortunately, he understood some truths and at least held back his tears and did not shed them in front of the world. He tried his best to save his dignity as Augustus, which had long been a laughing stock. After all, except for verbal dignity, he had nothing left.
In his right hand he tightly grasped a piece of gorgeously framed parchment, which was a special item from the Purple Room. It had lifelike patterns painted on it, which was pleasing to the eye. However, the contents inside were like a sharp knife, piercing through the former beauty and tenderness, leaving him unrecognizable.
Yes, his wife, Augusta Liginia, chose to divorce him.
He didn't understand who Li Jiniya was benefiting from doing this, and he also wanted to know the answer to this matter. No matter how stupid he was, even if he was a mentally retarded child, he should feel uncomfortable abandoning his wife who had lived with him day and night.
Should he try to save this political marriage? He didn't do it. I'm afraid he didn't even think about it. Maybe the pain made him numb, or maybe he knew that all this was just his own fault and he deserved the result. So he felt relieved.
"Caesar..."
There was a call from outside the door, the voice was dull, mixed with doubt and full of courage. He must have seen the temper of this willful Augustus, so he was not sure what would happen if he reported to him after he got angry.
This call continued for three times before Valentinian woke up from his wandering dream. He sighed softly and looked up at the darkness in front of him. The call came from the front door.
"Come in, my faithful and brave servant!"
Valentinian finally remembered his duties; at least he was not completely useless.
“Squeak…”
The door was pushed open, and the light from outside brought a glimmer of brightness to this small chaos, and everything became clear.
"Oh my god, oh my god."
The courtier was stunned when he saw the chaos before him. At the end of the light, which was also the end of the chaos, Valentinian was sitting on it, squinting at him.
It was rare for Valentinian to be so calm. After much thought, the courtier finally mustered up the courage to hold a parchment scroll in both hands, tiptoe around the mess and come before Valentinian.
He held the book in his hands and handed it to Valentinian carefully. He was trembling the whole time. Who could know why he was so nervous? "Light a fire for me." Valentinian said softly, "You know, even Augustus can't read in such a dim room."
"As you wish, Caesar."
The courtier did not dare to hesitate. He quickly picked up the fallen oil lamp, refilled it with oil and lit it, and moved closer to Valentinian. The weak light was just enough for reading. Valentinian was wondering who sent this parchment scroll and how it could be so long, while slowly opening the parchment scroll.
"How greedy..."
In the darkness, Valentinian's dry laughter was heard. He held the parchment scroll in his hands and smiled helplessly through the firelight.
"What is it, Caesar..."
The latest novel is published first on Liu9shuba!
The courtier had never seen Valentinian like this before, and was very curious. He couldn't help but say something extra.
"My sister, she must not have felt our love, so she is resentful..." Valentinian sighed helplessly, and then asked: "Does Lord Aetius know about this?"
"Why do you ask?"
"He is the sergeant after all. Such an important matter still needs him to discuss it together. Give me...ha, I can't decide anything. You can't force a young eagle to catch rabbits for you."
"He already knew about this, so he wanted to ask Caesar what you think, after all, Augustus is you..."
"What a loyal and reliable bastard." Valentinian sneered. "If he could be as loyal and reliable as he is now, then I would not have missed out on Constantinople. Forget it, let's not talk about this matter anymore. Looking back on the past will only make me fall into a nightmare and unable to extricate myself. Summon Aetius to Ravenna. I want to discuss this matter with him personally."
The courtier bowed and pushed it down, unable to help but heave a sigh of relief, fortunately Valentinian did not want to lose his temper at the beginning, thus saving himself from a beating.
After experiencing this storm, perhaps Valentinian recognized his fate, and perhaps he understood a lot of truths at this moment, but whether he chose to continue to fight against the fate he was unwilling to accept or give up resistance and go with the flow, only this ill-fated Augustus knew everything.
(End of this chapter)