In addition to the reason why she was playful and refused to go home, Arya was able to stay in Houguan for a long time, and another important factor was that her temporary guardian, Sir Rodrik Kesor, was treated as a guest in the land gift, eating and drinking, and occasionally giving guidance on the training of recruits in Houguan Town. Life is easy and fulfilling, just like all employees who don't travel with their leaders, and of course they are not in a hurry to go home.

But no matter how comfortable he is, he won't dare to delay when his wife comes to urge. When Egg pulled Nina into the room to "talk about private matters", the guards of Winterfell were desperately chasing after their young lady in the castle of Houguan Town, and after making a mess in the inner city...... Finally, at the closed north gate, Arya was blocked with the help of local guards. Let her cry and make trouble, or pretend to be pitiful and beg, and after a night's rest, he unequivocally took her on the way back to the south.

Many people were relieved by the departure of the little troublemaker, and after that, Iger was finally able to concentrate all his energy on the construction of the land grant and the development of his own power.

......

There is a comparison to know the difference, this time Nina came to Houguan Town, and Iger stayed with her for more than a week. It is said that Xiao Bie is newlywed, and after reuniting with her, Iger deeply understands a truth: not all relationships between men and women can be called alove - hugging, kissing, loving words, grinding ears and temples, stirring and mixing and exchanging bodily fluids with a person of the opposite sex who knows the roots and is intimate without any need and estrangement, leaving marks on each other's torso...... The body and mind have reached a high degree of resonance and fit, and the taste is by no means comparable to ordinary cannons.

Nina is a smart girl who doesn't know magic, but she knows far more than the woman in the red robe: how to make her man have enough "control", how to make him really relaxed and happy.

Of course, no matter how harmonious and harmonious the life of the husband and wife is, there is still something to do. Sent to the West to borrow money and return to King's Landing to redeploy the southern part of the plan for the next step, this made Iger uneasy for anyone else in charge, and after spending a few days explaining everything in detail, he reluctantly sent his good helper away and got back on the right track with his work as the main focus.

＊＊＊

The election of commander-in-chief is not long, and at this stage, in addition to planning and construction, it is also quite important to ensure the internal stability of the corps.

Egger's henchmen stationed throughout the Wall kept passing on the latest reports: Castle Black was under the management of Jon Snow, so he didn't have to worry about it, and Sir Dennis Mellister was in charge of the defense in the Shadow Tower, focusing all his energy on establishing a "patrol on the south side of the Grand Canyon"; Carter Pike and Jon Royce, who were most uneasy, were also unmoved in the East China Sea. The former quietly carried out all the orders of the new commander-in-chief, while the latter went out to sea with the fleet every day to check the freezing situation of the section of the Great Wall into the sea.

As for the remaining dozen or so new fortresses along the Great Wall that have just been "upgraded", they are naturally in full swing under the leadership of the new commander and their respective three-nay, four-four chiefs, not to mention the mutual run-in and construction work.

After a busy time, the news came that the North had suffered a loss in the defense of the West Coast.

......

Due to the renovation of the King's Road between Castle Black and Winterfell, the smooth traffic, and the addition of countless residents to the land grant, there are business opportunities where there are people, and commercial exchanges between the North and the land grant have become quite frequent. From the mouths of the northern merchants who had come to Houguan Town to sell their goods, Egger quickly learned more details about the battle.

Robb was ambushed by Eurolen and his first defeat in the process of leading elite troops of his cronies to protect and transfer the villagers. Not only did he have several colors on his body, but most of the heirs who were sent to him as attendants by various families to show their loyalty died, and even the ice wolf Gray Wind was damaged in this battle, and it was only through the desperate efforts of his subordinates that he escaped from the battlefield...... Fortunately, the iron people did not prepare cavalry, so they were not driven out.

Among the various messy news, what "the horn of hell can scare away the war horse, destroy the courage of the soldiers, and even make people die directly", what "the crow-eyed demon possessed, invulnerable and infinitely powerful, and one person killed more than a hundred northern soldiers" and other rumors, obviously exaggerated, Iger had heard it, and he didn't take it too seriously—but among the many news, there was one that caught his attention:

After several discussions, the princes of the northern frontier had preliminarily agreed that they were determined to re-establish their naval forces on the west coast and to retaliate against the enemy.

The news also came from unofficial sources, but Iger felt reliable the moment he heard it – for the simple reason that it was logical and reasonable.

On the other hand, it is certainly not all cats and dogs who can be acolytes by Robb Stark's side, and the juniors who can be sent by each family to serve by the feudal monarch are generally the sons of the patriarch, or at least the clever people who come from the core of the family, and their lives are obviously of great care. Robb and his Icewolf are as close as brothers.

Although this defeat did not damage the vitality foundation of the north, it made the north from the feudal kings to the princes quite painful...... In this context, the news that the North intends to form a navy for-for-tat is very likely to be true!

It seemed to have nothing to do with him, but Iger was keenly aware that this was an opportunity for a land grant!

Rebuilding the West Coast Navy is a big project, and military ports and shipyards are indispensable in the first place, while the former needs the protection of sailors and ground crews, and the latter requires a large number of workers and a safe production and assembly environment...... Iger is worried that a large number of laborers in the land have nowhere to go, and if he can convince the northern princes to hire his own men cheaply, he will not only solve the big problem at hand, but may also take the opportunity to let his people steal the manufacturing process of warships. Although there is probably no naval battle with the ghosts, the skills are not pressing, and the instinctive preference of the people of the Celestial Empire for the complete industrial system seems to be engraved in their bones, and they can't even get rid of changing worlds.

After discussing this idea with the two important henchmen of Houguan Town, Egger found that if this plan can be realized, the benefits are far more than the two points he thought of in a hurry.

＊＊＊

"Rebuild the West Coast Navy?" Humphrey Hishan, who met in King's Landing and now took over as the new Night's Watch Chief Logistics Officer after Iger was elected Commander-in-Chief, was a little surprised: "Is there any news that Lord Stark is planning to start construction there, the West Coast is completely under the control of the Iron People, and most of Bear Island is also closely watched...... White Harbor, on the east coast, this location is a big problem. ”

"Hey, sir. The mayor of Houguan Town, Yam, suddenly remembered something else that was completely unrelated: "Didn't Sir Mellister write to you the day before yesterday to build a new stronghold on the south side of the Grand Canyon for the patrols to rest, do you remember?"

Of course I do.

The Great Wall stretches east to the sea, but north to the Grand Canyon...... The reason why the builders left this gap is simple: the towering mountains and deep valleys of the Grand Canyon are as close to the Great Wall as the desperate Great Wall itself, and the main trunk of the Ruhe River at the bottom of the valley is so strong that it is impossible for a large army to cross it.

But no matter how good the location is, it only makes sense to cooperate with the defenders, so while Iger ordered Donghai to monitor the ice on the sea, he also ordered the Shadow Tower defenders to patrol the south side of the Grand Canyon as if they were on top of the Great Wall.

But all the orders that were taken for granted would soon be confronted with practical problems: the Shadow Tower was dozens of miles away from the Grand Canyon or the mouth of the Ruhe River, and the terrain was rugged and there was no way to go, and the patrol set out in the morning, made a difficult trek to the seashore and then turned around, and it was impossible to return to the fortress to rest that day, so they could only sleep in the open.

The conditions are a little tougher, but the difference between "need" and "not needing" to spend the night in the field does not seem to be much, but the preparation and threat level faced by the missionists are completely different, and if each patrol has to be like a Ranger expedition with a complete set of guys to do everything, it will cause a lot of unnecessary energy, waste of materials and the risk of non-combat attrition, and also greatly affect the efficiency and quality of patrols.

Egger himself has been out of the wall a dozen times and knows the doorway.

Therefore, Sir Mellister has officially submitted an application to him, the new commander-in-chief, to build another stronghold on the south side of the Grand Canyon near the sea as a defensive supplement, and send patrols from this new stronghold and the Shadow Tower at the same time every day, and finally arrive at each other's starting point to rest, which will not only increase the density of patrols, but also solve a bunch of problems at once, which is perfect.

There is no shortage of people to grant land, and this proposal is not embarrassing...... But what does this have to do with the North building a West Coast Navy?

Egliu was confused, and quickly understood why Yamm had brought it up.

"Your Excellency may suggest to Duke Stark that a place be provided on the seashore at the westernmost point of the Grand Canyon for a shipyard and military port to the north. Yamm quickly confirmed Egger's speculation with an explanation: "This naval base is not only north enough to avoid the detection of the Iron Fleet, but it can also be used as a supplement to the Shadow Tower's defense of the Grand Canyon to the west. We can send more garrisons in this fortress so that this army can take on the three important tasks of defending the Grand Canyon and protecting the fleet ports and shipyards on the west coast of the north - this way, the defense against the Strangers will not be delayed, and by the way, it will also make the northern princes feel that you are loyal to their business as if it were your own, and even make it logical for them to pay for everyone in this stronghold, killing one stone with one stone!"

"That's a good idea. Humphrey sighed in admiration and added, "I also have some ideas, isn't your lord planning to go south to borrow money from the princes of the north in this formation...... At present, the northern border has just suffered a defeat, and several young juniors have folded, and most of them are not easy to open. Your Excellency, you might as well be refreshed, first go to Lord Robb and offer the land, and then generously show the labor needed to build the ship and the defenders of the harbor, and we will provide it for free...... In this way, it is easier to talk when you borrow money. Now that the autumn harvest in the north has ended, there is no shortage of labor, the competitiveness of the new land-donors is insufficient, and the employment costs cannot be raised.

There is nothing wrong with brainstorming, and the suggestions of the two capable subordinates have broadened Egg's horizons, and he is already a quick thinker, and he draws inferences from these good proposals...... Inspiration flowed through.

"Very well, without further ado, arrange it for me, and set off for the south tomorrow - no matter how much I borrow, I will return as soon as possible, but in the meantime, the affairs of Crown Town and even the Night's Watch Legion will be bothered to watch for me first. ”

——

[The Night's Watch Legion plans to build a new stronghold at the mouth of the Grand Canyon, what should it be called, and the name is collected in the chapter commentary!]