Chapter 573
"No one has seen him since the start of the rebellion. According to the analysis of my spies, he is probably imprisoned by Harolis, "Hipparinus said.
"Damned Harolis! I should have beheaded him long ago and hung his body on the city wall as a warning to those with evil intentions! This time, I will kill his entire family and find the priests of the temple to curse his soul to sink in the River Styx forever! " Dionysius cursed loudly to vent the anger and frustration in his heart. Without Philistos, it was like cutting off one of his arms, making many of his plans impossible to carry out. Because he had quietly returned to Syracuse, he did not plan to appear in public to avoid being blamed by the people. Many things could only be carried out by Philistos. Now that Philistos was not here, who could he rely on?!
"Harolis is just outside, and he controls tens of thousands of troops. Defeat him and kill him if you have the ability! What's the use of shouting here! "Hipparinus said coldly. Among these people, he was the only one who dared to embarrass Dionysius. Philistos would sometimes criticize him, but never as harsh and unpleasant as Hipparinus. This was because he was not only Dionysius's father-in-law, but also Dionysius's staunch supporter. During Dionysius's most difficult time, it was he who used all his wealth to support Dionysius's election campaign and bribed a large number of citizens for him, allowing him to be elected as the general of the army in Syracuse, leading the citizens against Carthage's army, and embarking on the path of a dictator.
Dionysius glared at Hipparinus, his chest rising and falling rapidly as if he would pour out his anger at any time. Calidemus was so frightened that he took a few steps back. But in the end, Dionysius held back. He snorted heavily, turned his eyes to Mejicolis, and asked in a low voice, "How is the defense of Ortygia?"
"Sir, the rebels once attacked the walls of the isthmus, but suffered heavy casualties and failed to take the top of the wall. They did not attack here again, but instead built a new wall at the exit of the isthmus, hoping to block us out of the city."
"Have you tried to attack the isthmus with troops?"
Mejicolis said nothing and turned to Hipparinus.
"I was the one who told the Mejicolis mercenaries not to attack!" "The situation was very dangerous and chaotic. I had to ensure the safety of Ortygia Island first!" Hipparinus said without hesitation.
This time, Dionysius did not get angry. After a moment of silence, he said loudly, "Well … Lord Hipparinus, you did the right thing! Mejicolis, thank you and the mercenaries for your hard work in defending Ortygia Island so that we still have a place to live! "
"My lord, guarding Ortygia Island is the duty of us mercenaries!"
"Is Masias alive or dead?" Dionysius asked about the whereabouts of another capable assistant.
"According to the news from the spies, he led the defeated soldiers and fled to the villages built by the former mercenaries outside the city. But Harolis did not give him a chance to rest and immediately sent tens of thousands of troops to attack the former mercenaries and their families on that land. Masias was no match for them and led his men to retreat to the western mountains," Hipparinus said expressionlessly.
"As long as he is not dead …" Dionysius could not think about contacting Masias for the time being. His thoughts turned to another question. "What about our fleet?"
"The sailors at the port were involved in the rebellion. They imprisoned Palonisus and took the warships for themselves. They even joined forces with the rebels in Harolis to defeat the thousand mercenaries guarding the city gate. They were also responsible for clearing out the mercenaries outside the city … but these sailors and the rebels in the city had some quarrels."
"What quarrels?" Dionysius's heart skipped a beat.
"According to the reports from the spies, it was said that the sailors at the port wanted to obtain all the land of the former mercenaries and wanted more political rights. But they were opposed by Harolis …"
Dionysius noted this down and asked another question that concerned him the most. "Where is the Diónia army now?"
"They went to Taunis and helped the rebels to take control of the city. I think they went north after that. Now that all the passages between Syracuse and the north have been sealed, there is no way to know the situation there in detail, "Hipparinus said.
The people of Diónia were quite cautious! Dionysius became anxious when he thought of this. After all, he had left tens of thousands of people from Syracuse in Syracuse to block the main forces of Diónia. If he could not recapture Syracuse before the people of Diónia solved the problem in Syracuse, he would be in danger once the main forces of Diónia crossed the sea!
"What about the cities on the south coast? Did you ask for help from them? " Dionysius asked anxiously. This was the place where he was most likely to get reinforcements, and also where his hope lay.
"When the cities of Syracuse, Catanai, Leontini, and Taunis were in chaos, the cities on the south coast were also in turmoil. Master Caledmus risked his life to ask for help from Gela, Agrigento … but was rejected," Hipparinus said.
"Master, these cities all said, 'In order to help Master attack Greece, they have sent many soldiers. In order to repel the people of Diónia who landed in Sicily, they sent many young and strong citizens, but most of them have not returned. Now that the people in the cities are in turmoil and the political situation is unstable, it is impossible for them to send more reinforcements, '"Caledmus said helplessly.
"Even Kamalina refused to send troops?!"
Facing Dionysius's murderous gaze, Caledmus nodded shakily. "Y-yes …"
"Damn it!" Dionysius cursed. It was understandable if it was other cities, but the tyrant of Kamalina was his brother, Leptin, whom he had personally supported. How could he turn a blind eye to the chaos in Syracuse? Did this idiot think that he would be fine after I fell?!
Dionysius was angry at his shortsightedness, but he felt a sense of powerlessness in his heart. All of Syracuse had rebelled. He had lost many of the public militia and the support of the sailors. Even the allies ignored his demands. Could these two thousand mercenaries recapture his former throne of power?
Dionysius was at a loss. He felt like a big fish stranded on the beach. He had the strength but could not exert it, and was in danger of drying up and dying at any time.
At this moment, Calidemus suddenly asked, "My Lord, how is the army going on the expedition to Greece?"
Dionysius widened his eyes and looked straight at him.
Everyone around knew very well that Dionysius had become a deserter, so they did not mention it rationally. But Caledmus mentioned the most taboo thing for Dionysius.
"I … I … I mean, if the army in Greece can return, we can recapture … recapture …" Under Dionysius's cold gaze, Caledmus's teeth were chattering.
"What you said makes sense." Dionysius was expressionless. His tone was calm. "In that case, I will send you to Syracuse to negotiate with the new king of Diónia. I authorize you to agree to any request he makes. As long as you can bring the soldiers back safely as soon as possible, you'd better leave now!"
"Ah! Me?! Now?! Caledmus was so frightened that he could not speak properly. To evade the patrol of the rebel warships in Syracuse, break through the blockade of the Dionysian fleet, and reach Syracuse … this was a life-threatening task!
But Dionysius did not allow him to say anything. He had Mejicolis and the guards carry him to Captain Lactinus.
Although Dionysius did not think that the shrewd king of Diónia would make such a mistake, he still had a glimmer of hope in his heart. After all, there were thousands of elite mercenary soldiers in Syracuse. As long as they could return, he could easily recapture Syracuse!
"I've been on the ship for two days. I'm a little tired. I'm going to rest for a while. Regarding my return, make sure to keep it a secret." Dionysius covered his head with one hand and warned the people around him tiredly. "Not only to keep it a secret from the rebels in the city, but also from Ortygia Island. The rebels have captured most of the officials in the city hall. Their families on the island are worried!"
"Have a good rest. Tomaki and the kids need you to comfort them too. They've been scared out of their wits these past few days!" Hipparinus sighed.
Dionysius turned around and looked at Phoebidas who had been silent. "Come with me. I have something to discuss with you."
"Okay!" Phoebidas answered straightforwardly.
On the way to the palace, Dionysius said frankly, "Now you know the situation in Syracuse, and even the whole of Sicily. To be honest, the situation this time is more dangerous than the last time. The rebels in the city are likely to be colluding with the people of Diónia. Otherwise, the entire East Coast of Sicily would not be rioting on the same day, and it happened at the most critical moment. What do you think? "
"Very likely." Phoebidas squeezed out a sentence with an indifferent expression.
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