I rode and slashed unparalleled in the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 1155 Rome, A Desperate Gamble

In the autumn of September, the fifth year of the Kaiyuan era, in Rome.

The news of the crushing defeat could not be concealed, and soon another emergency meeting was convened in the Senate.

Unlike the usual noisy debates, the Senate was shrouded in a heavy, oppressive silence today. The news of the fall of the Egyptian province, the annihilation of two elite legions, and the change of control of the imperial granary was like a cold front from the East, freezing all the senators' lively discussions and factional squabbles.

No one expected that their mobilization had only just begun, yet the conquerors from the Far East had already destroyed their rule in the East so swiftly.

"Egypt and Syria, these are the empire's most valuable assets in the East, territories we seized and consolidated over hundreds of years and countless wars!"

An elderly elder with a white beard stood up shakily and shouted in despair:

"The Parthians are gone, the Straits Legion and the Cyrenaica Legion have been wiped out, and the Empire's rule in the East has been uprooted. How long has it been?"

"A year? Half a year??"

"No!"

"We only learned of the Easterners' attack last month!"

His words expressed the fear in the hearts of everyone present. The Han army's advance was far faster than they had imagined, and their methods of warfare completely overturned the Romans' understanding of military affairs.

Emperor Severus sat in the main seat, his face ashen. He did not immediately rebuke the old senator for his indiscretion, for such panic was spreading throughout the Senate and indeed throughout Rome. He needed to guide this sentiment and transform it into strength.

"Fear? Yes, we should be afraid!" Severus stood up abruptly, his voice booming and powerful, instantly drowning out the whispers in the arena. "But what we should fear is not defeat itself, but the consequences of defeat—the fall of Rome! The end of civilization! Our wives and children enslaved, our temples torn down, our gods replaced by foreign devils!"

He surveyed the pale or anxious faces below the stage, his gaze as sharp as a hawk's:

"Elders! Look at our feet! This is Rome! The city founded by Romulus and Remus! The eternal city that defeated Hannibal, crushed Spartacus, made the Gauls submit, and terrified the Parthians! Our ancestors laid the foundation for all of this with their blood and steel. Are we to stand by and watch it be destroyed by barbarians from the ends of the earth?!"

"No!" From the audience, a young veteran was finally stirred up and raised his arm to shout.

"Absolutely not!" More voices began to echo.

Severus watched the change in atmosphere with satisfaction, and seizing the opportunity, he pounded his fist on the podium in front of him:
"The Easterners are powerful; they possess uncanny weapons and tactics. But don't forget who we are! We are Rome! Our greatest strength has never been any particular weapon, but our ability to learn, adapt, and ultimately surpass any opponent! Hannibal's war elephants inflicted heavy losses on us, but we ultimately defeated him at Zama! The Macedonian phalanx was once invincible, but we dismantled it with flexible legionary tactics!" "Now, it's the Easterners' turn!" Severus's voice reached its climax. "They may win a battle or two with their cunning and skill, but the ultimate victory in war belongs to the side that can endure more pain, the side that perseveres to the end! It belongs to the side with a stronger foundation and a more powerful will! This world will ultimately belong to Rome!"

The impassioned speech temporarily dispelled the pessimism in the Senate, replacing it with a resolute determination to fight to the death. Under Severus's strong push, the Senate swiftly passed a series of unprecedented wartime laws:
First, declare a state of emergency and grant Emperor Severus near-dictatorial power, allowing him to centrally manage all the empire's resources.

Second, a "Special Tax on Eastern Wars" was levied, imposed on all provinces and autonomous cities, and the wealthy senators and knights were forced to "donate" funds and supplies.

Third, issue a general mobilization order, conscripting all retired veterans and eligible citizens in Italy to urgently replenish the legion's vacancies; at the same time, relax citizenship restrictions, allowing more outstanding soldiers from provincial auxiliary forces to join the legion, and promising land and citizenship as rewards after the war.

Fourth, he ordered all western provinces, including Spain, Gaul, Britain, and Norricum, to assemble troops and transport provisions towards Italy and Illyria in preparation for the eastern expedition.

The entire Roman Empire, this war machine, after suffering heavy losses, finally began to operate at an unprecedented frenzy. Severus knew that the war with the Han army would be a long war of attrition, and he had to hold his ground and use the vast depth of the empire and its still abundant manpower and resources to drag the Han army into a quagmire of protracted warfare.

Fortunately, although their governors of Syria and Egypt were incompetent, they did not give the Han army a fleet for nothing, and the Romans still firmly held control of the Mediterranean.

Therefore, Severus was able to calmly deploy his forces, mobilizing the strength of seventeen out of the Empire's twenty-six legions. Apart from the two legions protecting the homeland, he divided the legions into two fronts: the African Front and the Asian Front.

The African Front, led by Governor-General Anulinus, consisted of five elite legions from Gaul, Spain, and Carthage, along with auxiliary forces from North Africa, totaling nearly 80,000 troops, and was sent to Cyrenaica as quickly as possible.

Their mission was to stabilize the North African front, join forces with the remnants of Flavius's army, and, relying on the strategic terrain and port advantages of the Cyrenaic Mountains, construct a strong defensive line to prevent Guan Yu's army from advancing westward and threatening Carthage and even the Italian mainland.

On the other hand, Emperor Severus personally led the main force of the empire—including twelve legions from Italy, Illyria, Germania, Pannonia, Mercia, and other places, as well as a large number of allied cavalry and auxiliary troops, with a total strength of more than 150,000 men, known as an army of 300,000—as they marched eastward in a mighty procession.

Their objective was to intercept the Han army's central force advancing from Antioch, and to join forces with General Letus's troops, who had been ordered to hold out in Asia Minor. They would then use the mountainous terrain of Asia Minor to block the main Han army, wear them down, and launch a counterattack when the opportunity arose, engaging in a strategic decisive battle with Emperor Su Yao of Han, and ultimately turning the tide of the war in the east.

"This time, we cannot afford to fail again!" Severus stood atop his chariot, gazing at the vast, seemingly endless legion whose armor and spear tips gleamed coldly in the autumn sun, and silently vowed to himself. He had learned from the lessons of the Roman generals' previous dispersal of forces and passive defense, and was determined to concentrate his overwhelming superiority, utilizing the logistical advantages of fighting on home soil and the familiar terrain to wage a hard-fought war of attrition against the Han army. He believed that the Roman legions' unwavering will and strict discipline would ultimately wear down the invaders from the distant East.

The massive Roman legions, like a moving steel forest, marched toward their designated battlefield with a do-or-die spirit.

The fate of the empire, and indeed the fate of the entire Western world, will be decided in this upcoming mega-battle.

(End of this chapter)