Chapter 1004 The Final Battle of Rome

Chapter 1004: 1004 The Final Battle of Rome

The following troops, rushing desperately, finally caught up a few days later. Lu Ming handed over the prisoners to them, then rested and continued his attack.

He had his men carry dried meat and compressed biscuits; the only other supplies were water.

They also carried water filters, so he wasn’t worried about supplies later.

The Legalist disciples who had been drafted later also arrived. Besides those from before the Han Dynasty like Zhang Tang and Zhi Du, there were also Legalist disciples from the Three Kingdoms period.

They had already formulated a plan beforehand, discussing how to quickly implement enslavement and how to carry out the work.

For the Legalists, clear instructions allowed them to maximize efficiency.

The army fought at the front, while Tian Feng and Ju Shou governed from the rear.

Since there was no need to focus too much on people’s livelihoods, simply expanding the military farms and providing them with food was enough to make these natives grateful and loyal, making them easy to govern.

Now, all that was needed was to consolidate and improve the resource points on land at intervals. As for maritime transport, Lu Ming assigned Zhou Yu, who had surrendered, to the fleet.

He appointed Gan Ning as commander-in-chief, ordering him to send men to attempt a coastal voyage to Jiaozhou.

From Jiaozhou, they would continue coastal sailing to the Kushan Empire.

Once the maritime routes were established, conventional sea transport would be implemented to bring resources back.

In less than a month, Lu Ming had reached the outskirts of Rome, possessing the characteristics of a mobile army.

His army moved swiftly, the cavalry occupying locations and plundering supplies.

Using warfare to sustain themselves, they rapidly penetrated Roman territory.

Their food supplies wouldn’t last long, so a swift victory was essential.

The fully developed army, facing the Roman Republic’s forces, was unstoppable.

And witnessing Lu Ming’s undefeated record and unstoppable momentum,

Grebo was terrified.

The scenes of ruthless slaughter were a nightmare!

He collapsed, submitting to Lu Ming’s feet, not daring to entertain even the slightest thought of resistance.

"Master, Rome is just ahead. Inside lies the wealth accumulated by the Senate over the years, and a vast amphitheater. Caesar’s army selects its gladiators from there.

His Spartan legions are formidable; each one comes from the arena, truly terrifying.

But before you, Master, they are nothing but utter trash."

Grebo bowed deeply, his face full of obsequiousness.

He submitted out of fear. Either way, he was going to die; he might as well be Lu Ming’s dog—at least it would be better than before.

The imminent arrival of the massive army caused some unrest in Rome.

Faced with Lu Ming’s army, even the wrangling and buck-passing between the King and the Senate quickly sufficed, agreeing to hand over the entire army to Octavian... who in turn entrusted the army to Caesar as commander, sending his son Tiberius to assist him—essentially, to train and monitor him. Even though Caesar had suffered a defeat, he still commanded his most powerful legion, which he hadn’t taken with him last time.

Caesar rose from slavery and as a gladiator; he was a formidable warrior, the most skilled among all his legions. Now, facing a powerful enemy, he still had to lead them.

Besides the Roman army, the Ptolemaic legions of Egypt, the Eastern European Crusaders, the Russian legions (Rakshasa), and the Vikings were a veritable gathering of elites.

They had come together because of a common enemy.

The Vikings were there as mercenaries...

The Ptolemaic legions, on the other hand, were allies of Rome and had also sent troops to assist.

At this point, Lu Ming had 100,000 men, and the combined Roman forces numbered over 300,000.

Both sides arrayed their troops, forming a vast and imposing formation outside the city.

It wasn’t that Caesar didn’t want to defend the city, but rather that defending the city meant defending the wilderness; otherwise, cutting off the surrounding transportation routes would be extremely troublesome.

The daily food, drink, and sanitation needs of over 300,000 people were astronomical. Rome couldn’t afford to drag it out; it didn’t have that much time or food. Therefore, a swift victory was necessary.

If they won, they could launch a counter-offensive, burning, killing, and looting along the way, sustaining the war through warfare—this was Caesar’s strategy.

Lu Ming stood on high ground, observing the Roman army’s formation below.

At the very front were cannon fodder...

The second echelon consisted of heavy infantry, and the third echelon was Caesar’s well-built legions.

It seemed Caesar knew that the soldiers on the front lines were likely to die; they were meant to be worn down.

Moreover, even if the tens of thousands in the first echelon were wiped out, the second echelon could still weaken their forces.

Human strength is finite; large-scale, rapid-fire slaughter consumes a great deal of energy.

On the battlefield, without strength, it’s no different from waiting to die.

Caesar, a gladiator by trade, knew all too well how to kill his opponent, so his troop deployment was perfect.

Even with catapults,

his legions in the third echelon wouldn’t have any problems.

The first echelon could be sent out to disrupt the enemy’s rhythm.

Once close combat begins, death is inevitable!

On the Roman walls, not only were members of the Senate watching, but even some noblewomen had climbed the walls to watch the spectacle.

There were no nationalistic sentiments; it didn’t matter who won.

Whom they listened to.

Rome had many brothels, and many noblewomen indulged in extravagant lifestyles.

Only the elite would show disdain for such debauchery.

A blonde, blue-eyed, slender woman in a long white dress was leaning against the city wall watching the spectacle.

She was the daughter of a Senate Senate member, a woman of high status and always incredibly proud. She disdained those indulging in sensual pleasures, possessing a rare eye and shrewdness.

Originally, she married Grebo to groom him, but this ’husband’ proved inadequate, so it was time to consider a replacement.

Many slave owners were allowed to watch the fight, having sent their gladiators to participate.

They all shared one thought: they couldn’t lose; they had to win, win big!

If they won,

then they would have a chance to enter the ranks of power!

Lu Ming saw that the army was ready and ordered, "Attack!"

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The catapults were the first to move, hurling dark, explosive charges of gunpowder. Ballistae began targeting the front lines, reaping the first wave of damage. This initial bombardment weakened morale!