On November 8, after a long journey, the messenger from the Far East, escorted by a team of half-orc guards, finally arrived in the imperial capital, reporting a bad news: the demons had indeed launched a large-scale attack, and the enemy that had been confirmed so far had a total of two legions, including the old human rival Ling Buxu Legion and the extremely murderous and bloodthirsty Gusta Legion, with a total strength of 250,000 troops.

Unlike the Rus' Legion, which was defeated not long ago, all the soldiers who came this time were elite and strong, and the kingdom could add new troops at any time, several provinces in the east had already fallen, and the Far East was facing a test of life and death!

President Luo Minghai listened patiently to the half-orc messenger Luo Luo's report, and green smoke rose above his head.

Regardless of whether your Far East is facing the test of life and death or the test of life and death, the family is most concerned about the security of the homeland now, and the only thing that interests you is how the demon army entered the interior of the family?

"What are you talking about? The demon army has entered the family interior? The half-orc with a little back in his ears was actually Uncle Delen, the former village chief of Bulu Village, and his eyes widened: "When was the Valen Fortress taken by the demons?" No, wow, I just called over there! ”

The high-ranking officials at the meeting looked at each other, and the Far East actually knew nothing about this matter? Now, the question is back to the original point, how did the demon army come over?

In order to answer this doubt, the Rejunctor specially invited all the geography professors from Imperial Capital University to come over.

When the group of old gentlemen with as much knowledge as long as their beards entered, everyone in the command stood in awe: although no one usually understands the knowledge that these old fellows have made up, but now, it is up to them to save the country! Never before has the truth that knowledge is power been so highly demonstrated.

After a day and night of busy work on a huge map of the Far East, the experts came up with an ambiguous answer: according to the current strategic situation in the Far East, it is very likely that after the demons launched an attack on the Far East, they seized several provinces in the east and mastered several key but unknown branches of the Guqi Mountains, where or, maybe, maybe, maybe there will be a secret trail that can cross the entire Far East and the Guqi Mountains.

"According to the trend and distribution of the Guqi Mountains, there is a secret passage from the occupied provinces to the interior of the family, which is completely theoretically valid!" The old professor, who had the longest and whitest beard, and therefore the most knowledgeable and authoritative, said categorically. As for how the demons learned about this secret path and why they didn't use it before, experts analyzed that maybe it was because the demons only learned about this secret recently.

Both hands were presented with generous allowances and hard bonuses, and the group of old men were respectfully sent away, and the commanders rubbed their red eyes that had not slept all night, and found that they still had found nothing.

The experts were talking mostly nonsense, except for a young (not yet eighty) and therefore not very authoritative and knowledgeable expert who had the audacity to deduce: "Judging from the topography and the distribution of the landforms, even if such a path exists, it must be very difficult and rugged." More than a thousand miles of difficult roads, I personally think that it is very difficult to transport the Great Army over such a small road. ”

Hearing this, the command office was like a treasure: that is to say, it was only a small force of the demon clan that came over, not a million-strong army like in the last Far East War?

After getting the report, Zichuan Shenxing made a decision on the spot: "What are you hesitating about?" Attack, reclaim the province of Bit! ”

Thus, the huge gears of war began to turn.

Military orders were frequently spread from the imperial capital, and one division after another of the army marched east from the imperial capital, and at the same time, the Valen Fortress also cooperated with the troops, and 50,000 infantry outflanked the province of Bit from the right side, threatening the flank of the demon army.

The human army successfully smashed into the almost empty province of Bit, without any resistance from the demons, and the strangest thing happened: the menacing demon army reported earlier suddenly disappeared!

A human army of 150,000 was stationed in the capital of the province of Bit, and a search party was sent around the province to reconnoitre, even if it was to find a few needles that had fallen to the ground. As a result, they all reported that they had found nothing, and the surrounding provinces also reported that there was no trace of the Demon Army's entry, so the only explanation was that this group of Demon Army had escaped through the Guqi Mountains again!

All this is really ridiculous to the point of incredible, the army of the demon clan has come from thousands of miles to kill, and only made a turn in the province of Bit and ran away?

When the news came back to the imperial capital, the chief and the bigwigs in the command office looked at each other, and they couldn't believe their ears. So, that's the end of it?

Of course, it can't end there, because there is such a secret road, the eastern territory of the family has been threatened like never before, so the family has to adjust its strategic focus.

At the latest meeting of the General Office's Office and the Supervision Office, President Luo Minghai took the opportunity to propose: "The existence of such an unknown trail is a huge threat to our family's security. We must consider whether it is safe to put the family's all-conquering forces into the dragoons on the Western Front at any time when the demons may transport their large armies to our core hinterland through the trails. I would like to ask Your Highness the Commander-in-Chief and your Excellency to consider it carefully. ”

This opening statement marked the beginning of yet another factional struggle. Because the dragoon plan was proposed by Dilin and implemented by Stirling, once this plan can be successfully completed, the power and status of the two of them will definitely have a huge improvement and leap.

Among other things, once the war began, Stirling commanded the actual battle as the chief of military affairs, commanding the entire army of the family, and according to the regulations of the war, the needs of the front and the army took precedence over all other needs during the war.

Although Luo Minghai's position is higher than Sterling's, he also has to act according to the orders of the military, which he will never tolerate, so he seized every opportunity to sabotage the implementation of the dragoon plan.

Then the two sides were sarcastic, scolding, sarcastic, and personal attacks on the topic as usual, but it was obvious that Luo Minghai had a rare upper hand this time.

Because this incident had a great impact on the family, the leaders of the neutral factions, such as Minghui and Pigu, spoke one after another, believing that it was unwise to launch a war against the Liufeng family when the security of the Eastern Front was not guaranteed.

Of course, they spoke tactfully and politely, but that's what it meant.

The atmosphere of the meeting was almost overwhelmingly in favor of Luo Minghai, and even Stirling, a staunch ally of Dilling, wavered, saying: "Consideration can be given to delaying the implementation of the Dragoon plan and waiting for the results of the investigation into the events in the province of Bit." ”

At this meeting, the attitude of the new commander, Shikawa Xiu, was very intriguing, he was known to be a close and sibling friend of Di Lin, but this time he did not speak in favor of either side.

So everyone vaguely guessed that he didn't approve of Di Lin's plan either, but he came forward to oppose it because of his bad feelings.

Di Lin was in an isolated position, his expression was indifferent, his sharp gaze swept over everyone one after another, and said: "The dragoon plan was personally decided by His Royal Highness the Commander-in-Chief, if you want to veto, it will have to be nodded by His Highness the Commander-Chief, is it too rude for you to be so eager?" ”

Everyone woke up like a dream, and when they woke up, Di Lin actually had the biggest support, that is, the bitter hatred of the chief Zichuan Shenxing against the Liufeng family. Everyone quickly turned around and said in the tone of a puppy to the owner, "His Royal Highness the Commander-in-Chief ......"

Zichuan Shenxing's face was pale, and he got up and left his seat with a "hum", leaving the leaders of the room behind to look at each other in the conference room.

As a result, the dragoon plan ran aground, but although Luo Minghai was victorious, Di Lin was still glorious despite defeat.

Leaving the chief's conference room, it was still early, the sun had just set, and the leaders present at the meeting had dispersed one after another.

Sterling offered to give him a ride back to Zichuan Xiu, but he smiled and declined - the Black Flag Army office in the imperial capital had specially prepared a carriage and coachman for him, so he didn't have to take someone else's ride.

Walking quickly to his carriage, Zi Chuanxiu suddenly stopped, and beside his carriage, a long figure stood quietly, and Di Lin stared at him.

For some reason, when he came into contact with his calm and firm eyes, Zi Chuanxiu couldn't help but panic in his heart.

"Big brother? You, are you waiting for me? ”

"Hmm." Di Lin nodded cautiously: "Ah Xiu, can you let your carriage go back first?" I want to talk to you about something. ”

Zichuan Xiu looked at him: "Okay." "Di Lin is a little strange today, although it is a sentence of discussion, the tone is an unquestionable commanding tone.

When Zi Chuanxiu was instructing the coachman, the panic continued like a wave crashing on the shore, and his feet trembled a little.

Di Lin looked at him: "Get in my car!" ”

The night was dark, the hazy street lamps, the dim roads, and the horse-drawn carriages were galloping quickly along the main roads of the imperial capital.

I don't know whether it was intentional or unintentional, the windows were hidden by the curtains, and I couldn't see the scenery outside.

The car only stopped at the city gate for a moment, and Zi Chuanxiu heard the garrison at the head of the city shouting: "The east city gate has been closed, and it will be opened at dawn!" ”

The guard sitting in front got up and replied: "Inspector General Emperor Lin has urgent business to go out of the city!" Open the door now! ”

Then, Shikawa Shu heard the "creaking" pull of the city gate, the heavy echo of the hanging board falling, and the carriage began to move again.

It was obvious that the car was out of town, because the road was bumpy next, and the carriage began to shake rhythmically, making a rhythmic crisp "clucking" sound.

There was a windproof lamp hanging in front of the carriage, the misty light seemed so weak in the boundless darkness, and the red light shone on Di Lin's cold face through the breathable small lattice window, which looked even more gloomy.

The carriage went all the way east, probably into the forest east of the imperial capital, because Zi Chuanxiu smelled the fresh smell of the trees unique to the forest, and heard the sound of cicadas, insects, and the sound of sleeping night birds being awakened by the carriage and flying their wings fluttering.

He couldn't help but open the curtains, and the first thing he saw was a huge full moon hanging over the undulating forest, and the carriage was driving on the forest path, with swarthy trees and wild grass on both sides.

From time to time, the car passed by bridges of various sizes, and many small streams and rivers glowed silvery white in the moonlight.

After walking for a long time, the two were silent, as if hypnotized by the heavy night.

Zichuan Xiu couldn't help but ask, "Where are we going?" ”

Di Lin replied calmly: "It will be there soon." ”

It was really very soon, and as he spoke, a dim light appeared in the forest in front of him, and the light of swaying figures and weapons appeared.

The carriage stopped, two armed gendarmes holding lanterns appeared at the window of the carriage, Di Lin handed the documents out of the window, the gendarmes carefully checked, and saluted: "My lord! ”

Di Lin nodded: "Hard work!" ”

The carriage began to move again, but it had not taken a few steps and had to stop again for inspection, and then it moved forward again—Zichuan Xiu counted them, and in less than half an hour's journey, they had passed through seven checkpoints.

The security is getting tighter and tighter, and there is a checkpoint where Zichuan Xiu sees that the weapons in the hands of the gendarmes are actually light combo crossbows, which can penetrate the armor of heavy cavalry at close range, and there is also a checkpoint where Zichuan Xiu sees a squadron of light cavalry, fully armed.

The inspections are becoming more and more careful, and even the identity of the Inspector General of Di Lin cannot provide them with much convenience, they not only have to see Di Lin's documents, but even the documents of the coachman, the guards, Zi Chuanxiu and others have to be checked one by one.

In the end, the carriage stopped, someone outside opened the door, Di Lin jumped down first, and Zi Chuanxiu followed.

What appeared in front of him was a huge black wall three meters high, and the wall was written in lime in large and striking letters: "Royal territory, death to those who trespass!" "Every word has a big bucket, which is shocking.

There were shadows on the walls, and I don't know how many guards were watching them vigilantly.

Zi Chuanxiu became more and more surprised: what is hidden in the depths of this dark forest?

As if guessing his thoughts, Di Lin whispered: "This forest is the fiefdom of the chief minister's private domain, and to the outside world, we say that this is the chief minister's private summer farm, and outsiders are strictly forbidden to enter and leave. But in fact, this is a secret military research office jointly run by the Military Affairs Department and the Supervision Office. ”

Zichuan Xiuying said: "A military factory? ”

"So to speak, but this military factory is different, it is a high-density factory directly controlled by the family, and it is codenamed 777 to the outside world. Security is provided by the gendarmerie unit of the Ombudsman. Even among the high-ranking officials at the commander level, there are many people who don't know about the existence of this factory - even the commander of Goshan, who is in charge of logistics and supplies, knows about the existence of 777, but she doesn't know the specific location of 777. ”

Zichuan Xiu frowned: "Then, why do you want me to know?" ”

Di Lin looked at him: "First, you have reached the level where you can know; Second, it is necessary to let you know. ”

There was a small door under the wall, Di Lin showed the guards guarding the door the certificate of the Supervision Department, and Zi Chuanxiu also showed the golden certificate of the commander, and the guard nodded very seriously: "Both adults are qualified to visit." ”

He knocked on the door with a small hammer for a few long and short sounds, and the door opened silently.

The two entered through the small door, and as soon as Shikawa Xiu stepped inside, the door immediately closed behind him again.

Inside the wall, rows of wide tiled houses were neatly arranged, and many strange-shaped huge metal tools and lathes were placed in the open air, and for a while, Zichuan Xiu could not know the purpose of these tools.

Although it was already late at night, countless lanterns hung high up, the firelight was as bright as day, people were working next to each lathe, and the small carts transporting materials were constantly shuttling, and the voices were full of people.

Several officers stood in front of him, and one of the short officers stood in front of him and saluted: "Inspector General, welcome to inspect!" ”

Di Lin returned the salute and said with a smile: "Wu Qiben, I'm here to disturb again." ”

He introduced to Zichuan Xiu: "This is Wu Qiben, the person in charge of 777. He also introduced to the officers: "This is the new commander of the Black Flag Army, Lord Shikawa Shu. ”

The officers saluted in unison: "Hello, sir!" Hats off to the grown-ups! ”

Wu Qiben frowned, and looked at Zi Chuanxiu with a suspicious gaze: "The new commander of the Black Flag Army? I remember that the commander of the Black Flag Army seems to be Lord Fang Jin, right? What happened to him? ”

Zichuan Xiu was shocked, the Black Flag military Jin died in a heroic battle in the Far East four years ago, and the family gave him the title of "Loyal Martyr", which is a major event known to the world, why didn't this flag book in front of him know anything in the past few years?

He looked at the officer in front of him, short, swarthy face, his original straight uniform was as dirty as a rag, stained with oil and sweat, and there was a strange smell of sweat acid, oil, and metal—he looked more like a factory workshop foreman than a senior officer of the family.

Di Lin glanced at Zichuan Xiu, and said lightly: "The family has another important task for the leader of Fang Jin-Commander A Xiu, show your documents to Wu Qiben." ”

Zi Chuanxiu took out his certificate, and Wu Qiben waved his hand again and again: "Don't dare, don't dare, where is there a reason to believe in the elder who can't be supervised." Commander Zichuan Xiu, it's me who is too rude. ”

The corners of Zi Chuanxiu's mouth twitched, and he smiled bitterly and said, "It's nothing." ”

"So, Inspector General and Commander Xiu came here late at night, and I don't know what instructions I have?" That Wu Qiben looked very familiar with Di Lin, and his tone of voice was very relaxed.

Di Lin looked at the busy factory and sighed, "Do you still have to work so late?" ”

"The latest instructions from above have come down, and the parts of No. 7, No. 9 and No. 10 are in a hurry, and the quantity is large, 50,000 at a time, and the deadline is urgent, and it takes two months to deliver. As a last resort, we implement three shifts, 24 hours a day, day and night, people and machines do not stop. ”

"Can there be ready-made products for Seven and Nine? I'd like to show the show commander. ”

"Of course, please come with me to the shooting range."

Wu Qiben led the way in front, followed by Zi Chuanxiu and Di Lin.

Taking advantage of the fact that there was no one around, Di Lin whispered to Zi Chuanxiu: "This factory is isolated from the world, and the things inside can't be known from the outside, and the things outside can't be passed on. Wu Qi originally came in 778, and he still doesn't know that his family has experienced the Far East War, Fang Jin's leadership and martyrdom. According to the rules, we also try not to tell them about the outside world, so that they can try to keep their work and research as normal as possible - every staff member here is a treasure of the family, a treasure worth the same amount of gold. ”

Zi Chuanxiu couldn't stop nodding, looking at the busy figures under the lights, those sleepless hard workers, he couldn't help but be in awe.

There are many ways to serve the motherland, these people have worked hard here, dedicated their youth and happy life, been isolated from the world for decades, abandoned their wives and children, and killed the enemy more generously than on the battlefield, which is also a sacrifice, a silent but no less tragic sacrifice.

Seeing that shooting range, Zichuan Xiu was startled, it was the first time he had seen such a long shooting range.

The usual shooting range is between 100 meters and 300 meters, at most 400 meters, because as far as the current technology is concerned, no bow and arrow can shoot more than 400 meters away, and even if it does, the arrow is already powerless, and it has no lethality at all.

Now, the shooting range presented in front of him is at least twice as long as the ordinary shooting range, and in the distance, the few lanterns that are the targets have only become a few bright spots, like stars in the sky, and the poor eyesight cannot see clearly.

He couldn't help muttering to himself: "I'm afraid it's not a thousand meters?" ”

"Nine hundred and thirty-five meters, to be exact!" Wu Qiben said confidently that after arriving at the shooting range, he suddenly became energetic, his face was full of red light, and his voice was confident and loud.

"So, what weapon can shoot that far? Trebuchet? ”

Wu Qiben and Di Lin glanced at each other, and Wu Qiben said respectfully: "Lord Xiu, we have also tested the new trebuchet. But we all felt that there was no room for improvement in trebuchets, that the range of 1,100 meters had reached the limit, and that it would be pointless to sacrifice accuracy and lethality for any longer - if you want to check it out, we'll show you later. Now, as instructed by the Inspector General, let's test parts seven and nine first. ”

"What's that?"

"Your Excellency, please look!"

A soldier pushes a "small cart" up - Shikawa Xiu said it is a "small car", because this strange thing he has never seen before, it looks a bit like a combo heavy crossbow used to defend the city, but it is equipped with four wheels underneath, and compared to the combo heavy crossbow, it is much smaller in size and weight, and there are many more strange small parts.

With a proud look, Wu Qiben introduced: "This is one of the secret achievements of 777, and the No. 7 part has not yet been officially named!" ”

"This ...... It's a combo crossbow, right? But with a few wheels......"

Wu Qiben opened his mouth wide and his eyes widened, as if he couldn't believe that someone was so ignorant that he couldn't see the epoch-making historical significance of his invention: "My lord, this is simply the difference between heaven and earth from a combo crossbow!" The combo crossbow can only fire seven arrows at a time, it cannot be aimed, the accuracy is quite poor, the range is less than two hundred meters, and the equipment is bulky and cannot be moved - but the No. 7 component can fire thirty-six arrows at the same time in an instant, and it can also be aimed and fired one by one, and it is equipped with a telescopic sight, which can reach more than 950 meters when firing, and the salvo range can reach 320 meters, and the armor of the heavy cavalry can be pierced within 200 meters! What's more, the No. 7 part is lightweight, and it can be pulled with a horse, which can not only be used in the defense of the city, but also can be used to equip field troops! ”

Zi Chuan Xiu was shocked, a crossbow machine with a range of nine hundred meters was simply unheard of, and he couldn't help but lose his voice: "Really? ”

"Your Excellency, please look!"

The two soldiers lay on their stomachs behind the crossbow, used a special wrench tool to shoot the crossbow, and then got up: "Report to the chief, shoot ready!" ”

Wu Qiben solemnly ordered: "The target, the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth targets, execute it immediately!" ”

The two soldiers lay back behind the crossbow machine, one eye leaned in front of the telescope, gently moving the crossbow machine, and the other was stuffy, only to hear a piercing "squeeze" sound that shook the eardrum and buzzed and hurt, and the naked eye could not see it clearly, and a bright spot in the distance was extinguished.

Without pause, the two soldiers moved on to the next target, and the sound of "swishing" continued, and the bright spots in the distance quickly disappeared one after another.

"Good!" Zi Chuanxiu and Di Lin applauded and applauded in unison.

With a reserved smile, Wu Qiben bowed slightly: "Next, please ask the two adults to review the No. 9 part!" ”

Several staff members hung lanterns about 300 meters ahead, and a soldier came up with a light crossbow - twice as long as an ordinary light crossbow, more than a meter long, Zichuan Xiu said unconfidently: "This ...... It's supposed to be a light crossbow, right? But it's huge! ”

"Exactly! My lord, this is a lightweight crossbow improved by our 777, it can be loaded with twelve arrows at a time, and it can also choose salvo and point fire, the point range can reach 300 meters, the accuracy and lethality are quite high, and it can penetrate heavy armor within 50 meters, and what is more valuable is that its operation is simple and flexible, and it only takes a day of simple training, and a soldier with medium physical strength can use a special wrench tool to wind it, fill the arrows, and aim and shoot. My lord, let us show you how to do it! ”

The crossbow-wielding soldier simply wound up and shot, and the lanterns three hundred meters away were extinguished one after another in less than fifteen seconds amid the sharp sound of the "fluttering" wind.

Zi Chuanxiu screamed in surprise: "Twelve bursts, with a range of three hundred meters?" He looked at the strange weapon in disbelief and touched it carefully, his eyes full of excited smiles.

Battle-hardened, of course, knew the value of this weapon, and in general, the range of a traditional archer was a hundred to one hundred and fifty meters, and they could only shoot three or four rounds of arrows before the cavalry rushed closer.

A bow that can shoot twelve arrows in an instant, with an effective range of three hundred meters, is not a matter of doubling the lethality, but that the cavalry simply cannot get close! Moreover, the training of a skilled archer takes up to a year or two, and it also requires the limitation of talent, physique and other factors, but the requirements for a crossbow archer are much lower, only a week.

This is definitely an epoch-making weapon that can completely change the shape of warfare!

"When did this come to be?"

"It was about the middle of 778, when Wu Qi had already put forward the design concept and preliminary drawings, and the first prototype was built at the end of 779 - I only learned about this after I took over the Supervision Office."

"There is such a good thing, why didn't you take it out and use it earlier?" Zi Chuan Xiu complained.

Wu Qiben hurriedly explained: "My lord, we have already manufactured the drawings and prototypes, but the prototypes at the beginning are very immature and prone to failure. Moreover, the initial cost was too expensive, and such a modified crossbow cost millions, and it could not be mass-produced at all. The key is the core component inside, the super-strong high-calcined alloy crossbow string is too difficult to manufacture, the manufacturing process cannot be controlled, and only one or two out of almost 10,000 products are qualified. It wasn't until mid-July of this year that we found the proper process for forging this alloy, and then we significantly reduced the cost and made mass production possible. ”

"Now, how many units can you produce in a month?"

"In the past, we produced 20 units of No. 7 and 300 units of No. 9 units a month. But since August, we've added a lot of money and manpower, and now we're producing six times as much as before. Moreover, our technicians are constantly improving the way of production, and there is still room for increase in output! ”

If this weapon can be equipped in the army on a large scale, Zichuan Xiu glanced at Di Lin in surprise and saw the determination in the other party's eyes. He remembered that the time when Di Lin proposed the dragoon plan to fight against the Flowing Wind Family happened to be the beginning of September of this year, just when the breakthrough news came out of the development of this terrible weapon.

Zi Chuanxiu hesitated: "Wind and frost? ”

Di Lin said firmly: "Wind and frost! ”

He understood Di Lin's intentions, the tens of thousands of large-scale cavalry groups under the command of the wind and frost have always been the enduring nightmare of the Zichuan family, it is an invincible and terrible force, and the Zichuan family has confronted it five times, five battles and five defeats.

In the third crusade, the cavalry force of 8,000 people under the command of Flowing Wind and Frost broke the encirclement of 100,000 infantry of the Zichuan family, and the army of the Zichuan family was still defeated and fled in embarrassment even with the famous general Sterling in charge.

But with the revamped combo and light crossbows, everything will be different. Zi Chuanxiu remembered such a scene in his mind: thousands of Flowing Wind Family cavalry were surging and overwhelming, but this time, it was not a big sword and spear facing them, not a mountain of swords and a sea of swords, but a fierce rain of arrows pouring like a torrential rain!

A phalanx of crossbow machines fired in turns with a little training can kill the enemy from a distance of a thousand meters, and five hundred meters can definitely sweep them away, even the fastest war horses will not be able to break through the impact distance of three hundred meters, it will be a hellish mountain of corpses and a sea of blood!

Killing countless enemies without losing oneself is the dream of all infantry generals and the nightmare of all cavalry generals. If he could equip a large group of light crossbow fighters during the Battle of Tran, Rose's 170,000 demon soldiers would never have thought of getting close to the city wall!

Zichuan Xiu exhaled a long breath: "I'd rather give up an infantry division than equip a crossbow brigade like this!" The only weapons that could be used against this weapon were shield infantry and heavy cavalry. The end of light cavalry has come, and from today onwards, the tactics of large-scale cavalry charges can be completely withdrawn from the stage of history, and future wars are the world of long-range weapons. ”

When he spoke, his expression was melancholy, because he himself was the best expert in cavalry warfare, and his starting point in the Far East was to rely on the help of the cavalry of the 8,000 Xiuzi Battalion, and now, his own skills were almost useless.

Di Lin smiled.

At this point, after the visit, the two met with the senior management of 777 to shake hands and encourage them to work harder.

When saying goodbye to Wu Qiben, Zi Chuanxiu said with emotion: "The Chief Inspector is right, each of you is a treasure worth the same amount of gold, and your invention is worth a million troops!" Your name will be recorded in the future history of your family's exploits! ”

Hearing this, Wu Qiben was moved, and tears fell from his eyes, and after such a long period of hard work, he was finally affirmed by the upper echelons of the family, which made him have mixed feelings. He sent them all the way to the door, and the carriage was far away, and the diminutive figure could be seen waving goodbye to them in the distance.

The carriage was rushing back, and along the way, Zi Chuanxiu was immersed in shock and excitement, and he didn't even pay attention to when the carriage entered the gate of the imperial capital.

By the time he came back to his senses, there were already brightly lit central streets and young men and women strolling through the streets outside the car window.

"Let's go down and walk!"

The two walked side by side on the central street with fallen leaves, feeling the cool breeze and strong autumn mood.

The streetlights were long, shining golden light on their epaulettes and armbands, the silver-white trim on their military trousers, the high-end long leather boots made of chrome-tanned leather, the flowing dark blue trench coat and the Venus epaulettes on their shoulders, these were two tall and handsome young commanders, with extraordinary bearing.

They aroused the admiration and attention of passers-by, and from time to time young women stood in place in a daze, as if in a dream, looking at their dashing backs and refusing to leave.

But they didn't see that the mood of the two senior officers was not as radiant as they seemed.

Di Lin's face was melancholy, revealing a heavy and resolute feeling.

A cool breeze blew, he tightened the collar of his trench coat, and said casually: "The wind is blowing, autumn is about to pass, and winter is coming." ”

He turned his head: "Ah Xiu, why did I let you see those things—you should know, right?" ”

Zi Chuanxiu really couldn't understand: "Could it be that these new weapons should be equipped in my troops first?" ”

"That's one of the reasons, but the main reason is that I want to strengthen your confidence - we are really prepared to do our best to eradicate the weather, not only in terms of strategic advantage, but also on the specific level of tactics, we are also fully sure of her, and the effort is incalculable. By the time of the transition between this winter and next spring, those new types of weapons will be ready for actual combat. ”

"You can win a battle with this unexpected weapon, but you don't necessarily win the whole war. Seeing us adopt this weapon, sooner or later the enemy will follow. ”

"It's enough to win a crucial battle, as long as you destroy Flowing Wind Frost and her elite army, the Flowing Wind family will lose their sharp teeth and claws, and we will slaughter it." Di Lin sighed: "You're right, the advantage of technology can't be maintained forever, but I'm confident that for at least a year, the Flowing Wind Family will not be able to research a weapon of the same power." For a year, the big picture was decided. ”

Zi Chuanxiu's heart was empty, and he said carefully: "Do you blame me for not supporting you at the meeting just now?" But now is really not the time to implement the dragoon plan, I think what Sterling said also makes sense, and it is more prudent to wait and see how the situation is before making a decision. ”

After listening to him, Di Lin whispered, "Ah Xiu, do you really believe that the demon clan will break in from some mysterious path?" ”

"Ah, that's what everyone says, so many experts and professors say the same......"

"Oh, is that what everybody says?" There was a bit of sarcasm in Di Lin's tone: "So our Ah Xiu Commander believes it? Is the person who says this kind of thing really my good brother, the King of Light who single-handedly defeated the Far East? ”

Zi Chuanxiu frowned: "Big brother, what do you want to say?" ”

"Since the death of Liufeng Xishan, the Liufeng family has been in a state of division, and it is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to eliminate them. If we sit here and wait until they have a strong political figure, such as Liufeng Shuang or Liufeng Sen, who comes out and integrates the forces, then it will be very difficult for us to start. The continental war will continue. Don't believe what Goshen yells, those pacifists don't understand, as long as two opposing political entities with huge armed forces exist, war is inevitable. Fighting now can win us peace for at least 300 years, once and for all. Long pain is better than short pain, although there is more bleeding for a while, but this is the only way to end the three-hundred-year division. If we miss this opportunity, we are sinners—against our families, against our people, and against our children and grandchildren. ”

"Big brother, I know all this."

"Since you understand, then why did you seduce the demon army into the customs and obstruct the implementation of the dragoon plan?"

Even if there was a sudden thunderbolt in the sky, it was impossible for Zichuan Xiu to be even more shocked, he suddenly raised his head and shouted, "Big brother! You ......"

"Don't tell me you don't know, don't tell me you didn't do it, that's an insult to my intelligence." Di Lin said calmly, his steps were not chaotic at all.

"First, at five o'clock in the morning on the 15th of October, the captain of your guard, Guray, hurried out of the imperial capital on horseback, and headed east through the six provinces of Dakai, Enron, Cannes, and Shidiwe, and he had been in a sleepless journey for eight days, and arrived at the fortress of Valen in five days, and on the twentieth of October he entered the Far East through the fortress and disappeared from our view, and I see no reason for him to be in such a hurry, except for the messenger who delivered the urgent order. About 10 days later, on November 1, the events in the province of Bit took place.

"Second: When I used to transport strategic materials for you into the Far East, I found out that your secret passage exit was in the mountains within the territory of Bit, and now the area where the demon soldiers first appeared was also Bit. I don't believe that there is such a coincidence, there are two passages in the territory of Bit Province that do not interfere with each other, and a large number of demon armies pass through the Far East of the mountain range without knowing at all! ”

"So, are you suspicious of me, Inspector General?" Zichuan Xiuqiang calmed down and said indifferently.

Di Lin shook his head: "It's not just doubt, I'm convinced." The appearance and departure of the demon soldiers were so sudden, the whole incident came too unnaturally, and the taste of artificial director was too heavy - and only you, the King of Light in the Far East, have the ability and conditions to direct such a farce. Ah Xiu, your methods are so clumsy, I smell the conspiracy thousands of kilometers away. ”

"Ha, ha, ha!" Zichuan Xiu sneered a few times, and laughed dryly: "You accuse me of colluding with the demon army to enter the customs - then, Inspector General, may I ask me as the leader of the family, what reason do I have for doing this?" ”

"That's what I'm starting to baffle me about." Di Lin said unhurriedly, turning a direction under his feet, and Zi Chuanxiu had to follow his steps: "On the surface, you didn't get any benefits from this bit province incident, the only one who got benefits was Luo Minghai, at first I even wondered if he was the director of this farce - but obviously not." He doesn't have that condition, let alone the courage, to let tens of thousands of demon army enter the family interior to demonstrate, which requires a whimsical courage and creativity, and those who can come up with this method are either geniuses or madmen.

"Luo Minghai is a person who follows the rules, he doesn't have this kind of creativity. The only person who dares to do this, and who has the conditions and strength to do so, is you. The entry of the demon army into the customs and threatening the eastern territory of the family will inevitably lead to the grounding of the dragoon plan. Since there is an unknown path from the Far East that can enter the interior of the family, the family will definitely refocus on the strategic security of the Far East, and in order to ensure the safety of the family's homeland, it is necessary to make every effort to protect the Far East - to keep the Far East from the hands of the demons, this is your purpose, right? ”

Zi Chuan Xiu finally collapsed completely, Di Lin was too terrible, the sharp language was like a sharp bayonet, ruthlessly picking off all his defenses, he could only defend weakly: "It's just your guess......"

"The next sentence you have to say: 'You have no proof.'" - Isn't it? Ridiculously, that's what every prisoner whose conspiracy has been uncovered says so. ”

Zi Chuanxiu was silent, he knew that what he was in front of him was not an ordinary person, and many times, the words of Inspector General Di Lin were evidence.

Di Lin lowered his head thoughtfully, as if looking for something on the dim ground of the street lamp, and finally he raised his head with a long sigh, stared at Zi Chuanxiu, and his voice was as low as a whisper: "A large number of demon troops poured into the interior of the family, in this incident, a total of more than 500 people were killed by the demon army, and nearly 1,000 soldiers and civilians were killed and injured in the process of escaping, most of them were old and young women and children, and their bodies are still discarded on the side of the road, no one is buried."

"For this incident, the family mobilized 500,000 troops to deal with the situation, costing 830 million worth of money and grain and grass, in addition, this incident caused great panic in the eastern part of the family, creating thousands of square kilometers of no-man's land, millions of residents were displaced, and the ripe crops that were about to be harvested were not harvested and rotted in the ground.

"The six southeastern provinces are also the same grass and trees, the wind is loud, the factory is suspended, the school is closed, and the indirect economic losses cannot be calculated now, and the conservative estimate will not be less than 10 billion. Even more frightening is the displacement of millions of people, who live on the streets without food and clothing, and many of whom are likely to end up as thieves and hooligans. Winter is coming, and countless people will die of cold and starvation.

"In addition, the panic has also caused great harm to the imperial capital, the society is about to collapse, fires, criminal cases are frequent, there are nearly 100 people who committed suicide because of despair alone, all kinds of evil religions have been popular, people's hearts have collapsed, social turmoil, even if the demon army really hits the imperial capital, it will not cause greater harm. Ah Xiu, I know, you are here to save the Far East, but this time, you are wrong. ”

Zi Chuanxiu closed his eyes, and the tragedy of that scene seemed to appear in front of him, the city under the iron hooves of the demon army, the innocent people who died, the burning city, the woman who fled on the road with children and burdens on her back - feeling that there was a bottomless black hole in front of him, Zi Chuanxiu's whole body was trembling - Di Lin said it too lightly, this is not a mistake, this is a crime! Blood debts for thousands of lives, tens of billions of economic losses, if the matter is exposed, any jury will not hesitate to sentence itself to death a thousand times!

"Ah Xiu, the truth can't be known forever, what I can perceive, Sterling, Zichuan Shenxing, and Luo Minghai are not stupid people, and they can be discovered sooner or later. The reason why Sterling hasn't noticed it now is because he believes in you so much that he didn't think about it at all, and he didn't dare to think about it. The only thing I don't understand is, how did you mobilize the demon army to your advantage? ”

This problem is very easy to solve, Zichuan Xiu thought, getting his own order, Lu Di, who had been idle and bored, screamed excitedly.

He gathered a few thousand outlaws from the surrendered demon captives, Shirakawa issued them weapons, and then crossed the mountains through the secret passage into the weakly defended province of Bit, where the human world was weakly defended, and swaggered around the outskirts of the province.

Zichuan Xiu had given them strict orders strictly to clash with human armed forces, strictly prohibit the killing of human civilians, and strictly prohibit crossing the boundary of a hundred miles west of the mountain range - but it was clear that the panic of the human race had fueled Lu Di's courage, and those murderous and bloodthirsty demon soldiers were too difficult to control, and although Zichuan Xiu had strictly ordered them, they still caused more than 500 casualties.

But fortunately, before the army of the Zichuan family came, Lu Di ran away with his tail between his legs, this is a huge adventure for his own life, as long as a demon soldier is captured, his conspiracy will be exposed, but in the end, the matter is still revealed.

Zi Chuanxiu raised his head and looked at Di Lin without evasion: "So, what is the purpose of these words, big brother?" If you want to find out the truth of the incident, I admit that I did it, and if you want to catch the murderer, you can take people now! ”

"Arrest?" Di Lin sneered: "If you arrest someone, I don't need to be so bitter with you, a team of gendarmes is enough." I'm giving you a chance to save! Ah Xiu, listen, if we miss this opportunity, we will forever lose the opportunity to conquer the Flowing Wind Family and dominate the continent. Once the Liufeng family can successfully tide over this crisis, we will again face the embarrassment of fighting on two fronts, and the 300 years of war and tragedy on the mainland will continue to be staged and will never end. You still have time to come forward and report to the Commander-in-Chief that a secret path has been discovered, and the threat from the Eastern Front is lifted. You, me, and Sterling, just like before, the three of us are fighting side by side, moving forward together, who in the world can stop us? We will definitely be able to grasp the wind and frost alive, take Yuanjing, unify the continent, and the great cause of the ages will be created in our hands! ”

He grabbed Shikawa Xiu's shoulder, his eyes full of earnest pleas.

Zi Chuanxiu's heart trembled, he stepped back and broke free of Di Lin's hand, turned his head to avoid his gaze: "So, the family just watched tens of millions of Far Easterners become slaves of the demon clan in vain and did not lend a hand?" ”

Di Lin was stunned for a moment, and Zi Chuanxiu said to himself: "Big brother, I have my position, you also have your position, and now, just like you, I have also embarked on a road of no return, and the Far East is my life and road - unless you kill me, I will never stop." Of course, you can expose me, or you can arrest me on the spot, in that case, it's not a big deal, I'm just dead! ”

Di Lin looked at Zi Chuanxiu steadily, gradually let go of his hand, and took a step back.

His eyes slowly changed, cold and firm, and his voice became cold: "I didn't expect you to have such a firm consciousness." Ah Xiu, now I am the only one who knows this secret, and now there is no one around, and your martial arts are above me-"

In an instant, Zi Chuanxiu felt a strong killing intent.

Out of conditioned reflex, he jumped away like lightning, grabbed the hilt of the knife with his backhand, and almost at the same moment, Di Lin's long sword was already half unsheathed: "Why don't you try to kill me?" ”

It was one o'clock in the morning, and the dim street lamps shone on the dark and remote alleys, and the night was deep, and the silence around was terrible, and there was no one far or near. The two of them stood in relative silence, you looked at me, I looked at you, and their pupils were shrinking little by little.

The air was as solemn as substance, and a qualitative and intangible murderous aura filled the narrow space, and the whistling wind swept between the two of them, and the sharp hiss made people's eardrums ache.

Di Lin's voice was as low as a whisper: "Try it? Kill me, and you'll keep your secret! ”

Zi Chuanxiu's whole person suddenly twitched, and he let go of the hand holding the knife decadently: "Big brother, I can't kill you." I can't make a move on you at all, and if you do it, you can kill me in less than ten moves. For a moment, the murderous aura condensed around him suddenly dissipated.

"Ah Xiu, you disappointed me so much, how can someone who does big things be such a mother-in-law?" Di Lin was furious, he wanted to say something, and finally violently returned the sword to its sheath, made a loud "ding" sound, and strode away.

"You're doing it yourself!"

The autumn wind was bleak, looking at his back and slowly leaving, but Zi Chuanxiu was unable to keep up. Between myself and this back, a huge chasm has emerged.

Compared to the quarrel on the night of the bloodshed in the imperial capital four years ago, this split is more serious.

Four years ago, Shikawa Shu was confident that he was right, but this time, he can only say that he has no choice.

For Di Lin's strange behavior, Zichuan Xiu can understand his contradictory mood. He can't be ruthless, the only way is to kill him first, then, in order to protect himself, he can completely abandon all his worries and feelings!

The corners of Zi Chuanxiu's eyes gradually moistened, big brother, you can't make a move on me, how can I be ruthless to you? You once said, "Ah Xiu, I can kill all the people in the world, but I can't be ruthless to you and Sterling." "The words are still in my ears, but have you and I reached the point where you have to live or die?

In the future, when you get into trouble, who will clean up the mess for yourself?

When you are confused, who will guide you in the maze?

When I cried out loud, whose shoulder did I lean on?

The world has all kinds of complicated evaluations of Di Lin, and for later generations, he is the most inscrutable person in the Golden Age.

He was known for his cruelty, but he cared for his friends wholeheartedly; He was thoughtful and thoughtful, but he often had the kind of crazy behavior that made a desperate bet; He was an invincible military commander, a rare great strategist with a long-term vision, and an evergreen in the political arena. He was noble and proud, but he often did not believe in his word and went back on his word. He is ambitious, but he has always been able to act in the interests of his family, and everything he does does is indeed in the best interests of the family.

To the world, this is a role full of contradictions, but for Zichuan Xiu, who is his brother, the image of Di Lin is very simple, he plays the role of both father and brother, and he has always grown up under Di Lin's wing.

If Zi Chuanning is the support of his faith, Di Lin is the sustenance of his courage. At those most critical moments, the thought of Di Lin fighting side by side with him behind him filled me with indomitable courage; In those most difficult and arduous moments when Pai was besieged, thinking of the smile on the corner of Di Lin's mouth, I was full of confidence that I would persevere, Di Lin would never leave me alone!

From Di Lin, you can feel the warm blood and liver of a man, a noble, personal friend, a brother who lives and dies together, Di Lin is the kind of person who can give his life without hesitation.

The narrow alleys, the dim street lamps, Zi Chuanxiu shrank little by little, and collapsed weakly.

He leaned against the filthy wall and sobbed silently, despite his well-struck uniform. After Zi Chuanning, he lost another person with the most important meaning in his life.

Today, eight years later, Riwaki's smiling girlfriend has become a mother, and she has experienced countless vicissitudes.