The Hu Noi pursued them all the way and captured twelve Roman ships. In addition to the five warships captured by the Qin army at Cape Andrea, seventeen warships in the Roman fleet were captured by the Qin fleet.

In terms of other results, as many as seven warships sank and became lost due to water seepage, leakage or improper maneuvering by the sailors.

This heavy fruit of victory made the Qin army overjoyed. Although Lei was killed by the fleet and almost completely annihilated, there was not much depression on the face of this Jianghuai hero. One for one was enough.

Trading two means earning one. If eight battleships can be exchanged for the destruction of the Roman fleet, it is worth it.

Chao Cuo counted the spoils with excitement on his face. He felt sincerely happy to be able to contribute in a naval battle that could be recorded in the history of the Qin Dynasty. This was not only because his name would be reported to Li Yuan, but also because this was the battle of the Qin Dynasty.

A comprehensive contest with the most powerful opponent in the West.

In terms of strength.

This time the Great Qin Navy defeated the strong with the weak, and defeated the many with the small. No matter what the strategy was, after this great victory, the situation in the Mediterranean Sea will change, and those who are waiting and watching will turn to the Qin State.

A look of awe.

Compared with the excitement of the generals, Gan Yong was very calm. He seemed to have expected the outcome of this battle. The person he admired most at this time was the Shenwu Emperor Li Yuan.

What does it mean to be strategizing while winning a decisive victory thousands of miles away? Like Li Yuan, he laid out many clues early on, whether it was a couch crossbow, a repeating machine crossbow, or the Military Intelligence Department's infiltration into the Greek Peninsula.

The war machine of Great Qin is running smoothly.

The spider builds a web and traps the prey in the web step by step. However, before the last bite, the prey is still complacent about the little advantage it has obtained. Such a person is the real god of war.

Military reports reporting the victory have been sent out.

Gan Yong is proud and gratified. Today, he can finally use his achievements to prove his talents and comfort his father Gan Houbo's heroic spirit in heaven.

"Father, have you seen it? Have you heard the cry of the Qin soldiers? Before the White Horse Crossing, you and your ancestors saved a hero with your life and blood, thus laying the foundation for the birth of a powerful dynasty. Now, it has grown strong

It grew and became the most powerful country in the world."

——.

The stars rise and fall.

One shines brightly, and the other dims again.

The Qin navy and the Roman fleet encountered each other near the island of Kitti, and the largest and most fierce naval battle in the history of Mediterranean naval warfare broke out. Both sides invested an astonishing number of more than ninety main battleships, not including various types of warships.

Auxiliary supply ships, lifeboats, observation ships, etc.

For the Carthaginians, Egyptians, Greeks and even the Jews on the Mediterranean coast, the shadow of the great Roman fleet has been hanging over them for more than a hundred years. During these hundred years, although some people who were not willing to be exploited rose up to resist,

But the result was the same: they were suppressed by the Romans.

Therefore, when the news of the defeat of the Romans spread, the major forces who heard it were dumbfounded and could not close their mouths in shock. They really could not imagine how the Qin fleet, which had only been established for less than two years, could be able to

Defeat a glorious fleet with a history of more than 300 years.

Battle for supremacy at sea.

It’s not children’s play. It’s not the small battles on land that rely on key points to hold on. The result of every naval battle indicates a possibility: the maritime hegemony in the Mediterranean is about to change hands.

The Carthaginians cheered, as the Roman fleet ceased to exist. Along the entire northern African coast, Carthaginian merchant ships would be able to freely pass through the Strait of Gibraltar and earn huge trade profits. The same goes for the Egyptians. Alexander

In the port, the big businessmen in the city hired sailors and oarsmen. They were all excitedly drinking cheap drinks in the tavern, shouting at their familiar and unfamiliar companions, preparing to go to sea again——.

In Athens, Saidi glanced back at the closed dilapidated tavern with nostalgia. After completing the task assigned by Qin Qingqing, in order to protect Saidi's safety, Menghu decided to kill Saidi and his family.

Sent to the East, in a new and strange country, this ordinary Greek will have a new beginning.

——.

The cool late summer breeze of the Aegean Sea.

Blowing from distant Siberia, from east to west, from north to south, this wind belt accompanied the retreating Roman fleet all the way west. They were staggering towards the Roman mainland with their bodies full of pain.

The death of Crassus.

The hearts of the Romans were hammered hard again. Although Crassus did not show much ability when fighting the Qin army, in the hearts of the Roman naval officers, he was experienced and commanded this fleet.

The commander of twenty years was an excellent soldier.

Crassus's body was not easy to preserve due to the heat and had been cremated. However, the other Roman soldiers who died in the battle did not have this luck. They were thrown directly into the sea and became delicacies for marine creatures.

The wind on the Adriatic Sea was as hot as when the Romans went out to conquer the country. If there was any difference, it was that the number of Roman warships returning had changed.

Apennine Peninsula.

Port of Naples.

On September 10th, the return of the Grand Fleet was finally ushered in. The three dilapidated warships that finally arrived at the port were the entire Roman Grand Fleet.

The main force of the fleet consisted of more than fifty triremes and single-remesers. Only the poor three ships were lucky enough to escape, while nearly 1,500 elite soldiers, who symbolized the glory and strength of Rome, may have returned.

Dahai, or captured by the Qin army, only a few hundred people were lucky enough to escape.

Along the way from Kiti to the Apennine Peninsula, countless bitter tears were shed by Roman naval soldiers. This arduous experience would later be written into the annals of Roman history - and was named: The Great Escape from Kiti.

——.

The Roman fleet was destroyed!

Crassus was defeated and died of septicemia during the retreat. The naval officers who had made countless contributions to the prosperity of the Roman Republic disappeared into the waves of the blue sea. The whole city of Rome was full of manuscripts, the sorrowful cries of the free people, and the cries of the great slave owners.

Sighs and memories of the past by the old senators in the Senate filled this different summer.

In the city of Rome.

In front of the Senate, the leaves of the olive trees turned green and yellow, yellow and green again. The scenery at the alternation of summer and autumn was originally the most beautiful, and the breasts of the slave girls of different skin colors who served in the Senate

Fat buttocks are a sight to behold in the eyes of the high-ranking elders.

But now, the eighteen senators of the Roman Republic who represented different interests no longer had this thought. Since Scipio came to power, the Romans had cheered and felt that the time had come for the expansion of Great Rome. But then, the most powerful force from the east

The appearance of their opponents made them feel pressure they had never experienced before.

Inside the meeting hall.

Fabian, the former consul who has been dismissed, has a sad face, with a few sparse white hairs on his head and wrinkles on his forehead, which all declare the former consul's current poor mental state. The death of Crassus,

Fabian lost his last pillar of support, and it is conceivable that in order to shirk his responsibility, Scipio would put all the blame on Crassus. Anyway, it is impossible for a dead man to defend himself.

Silence enveloped the Senate, and Scipio, who was sitting in a prominent position in the center, looked unhappy. The entire fleet was wiped out. This was something he did not expect. The Qin people actually built an army in a short period of time that could compete with the centuries-old Rome.

What happened between the fleets and the fleets competing against each other? The Romans were puzzled.

"Grand Consul. We must fight back. We must show the Qin people's shame. If you don't know, where is the honor of Great Rome? Our interests will also be seriously damaged——!"

"The grand fleet is gone. We still have a large number of merchant ships and enough experienced sailors. As long as we organize them, we can quickly rebuild a fleet."

The senators were all talking and discussing. As big slave owners, they were most concerned about whether their own interests would be harmed. Once the Romans lost their maritime power, they would still be in northern Africa and the Iberian Peninsula.

The slave trade along the Atlantic Ocean will be affected.

Scipio looked at the group of elites in front of him coldly. His eyes were bloodshot. Crassus was dead, and he had to find a scapegoat to replace him. Otherwise, he would not be able to secure his position as consul.

, Fortunately, Crassus is not his person.

"Dear Speaker, what do you think about the failure of the Grand Fleet this time?" Scipio raised his chin slightly and pointed the target of his attack at one person in the seat: the former consul Fabian, the master of Crassus, naturally.

The best scapegoat.

"Ah, what did the consul say?" Fabian had been sitting blankly on the round chair for a long time. His age did not allow him to think hard for a long time, and the death of Crassus, a close confidant, made the old man extremely sad.

.

"The Grand Fleet failed and General Crassus died in battle. Don't you want to say something? No one knows the Grand Fleet better than you?" Scipio asked lightly.

"Crasus, he died, he, he died not to be regretted. This time, if he hadn't commanded randomly and fallen into the trap of the Easterners, how could the grand fleet have failed? The first thing we have to do now is to rebuild a new fleet.

To compete with those monkeys in the East, for this goal, I, Fabian, am willing to hand over the two merchant fleets of my family to His Excellency the Consul." Fabian said as he stood up unsteadily.

Under the pressure of Scipio's words, Fabian had to retreat continuously. In order to evade accountability, all he can do now is to give up the interests belonging to his family. The only question is whether the price of the two merchant fleets can satisfy Scipio.

Fabian is not sure yet about Ah's appetite.

After taking control of the army, Scipio had long wanted to take the Roman fleet into his hands, but due to the existence of Crassus and the support of Fabian behind him, he has been unable to do so. Now, although the elite fleet of the Roman Empire has

No longer exists, but as long as he can squeeze out the belongings of these old men in the Senate one by one, Scipio believes that in a year, he will be able to build a new Roman fleet under his command.

"Sir, the Speaker is indeed patriotic. With the dedication of a senator like you, our new fleet of Great Rome will definitely stand up again and drive the Easterners back to where they belong. However, compared to the devils in the East, ours

There are many things that need to be summed up in a failure. What makes me most angry is,

Regarding the intelligence on the Qin State, why are there so many mistakes, and why are the military orders so often treated negatively? Is there someone secretly obstructing the situation? I hope the Senate will investigate carefully. If there is still no evidence after a month,

If there is any result, please ask someone else to be the consul."

Scipio's voice suddenly became sharp, and his eyes exuded the light of fighting. His self-confidence surged again in the face of the concessions of his political opponents. This time, he directly used the provocation method. Fabian, the old man,

His opponent, who still occupies the position of Speaker, refuses to completely retire, which he will never tolerate.

Fabian opened his mouth wide, his heart beat violently for a few times, and suddenly stopped. Faced with Scipio's accusations of ulterior motives, he wanted to refute, but was unable to do so. At this moment, the old consul finally admitted that he

It's really old and useless. (To be continued...)
Chapter completed!