The power of the Logistics Department looms over every newly activated fortress.

Even when Dennis Mellister was still getting the inside word from Rickard Karstark, Iger heard of another Night's Watch arriving in Icemark.

However, he didn't care about it, he didn't know that it was the Shadow Tower Commander himself, and he didn't expect that the other party would come to him so soon.

"Sir Mellister!" After a moment of surprise, a warm smile appeared on Egger's face: "Your arrival has really made Icemark City shine, I wonder if you have official business to do, or are you also curious about the living conditions of the new land-grantees, and want to come over for a visit and guidance?"

"Official business, and it has to do with you. Dennis stood quietly in the doorway and looked at the night watchman employees who were all around the room and didn't know what big plan was being discussed: "Your Excellency Chief Logistics Officer, can you talk about it privately?"

Egger had already guessed what the other party was about to talk about, and the basic etiquette and upbringing made him hold back a smug smile, and deliberately waited for three seconds before nodding and signaling his subordinates to all go out.

Egger's henchmen in this room not only knew what was going on, but they had even discussed the arrival of a messenger in the Shadow Tower a moment ago. At this time, when I saw Sir Mellister, I didn't have to think about it to know the reason why he was here—but the complaint found that it was too late, and he didn't want to be busy in vain, so he simply came to negotiate.

Although the crowd obeyed Egg's orders and left the house, many of them glanced at the old man with contempt or mockery as they passed him.

......

Dennis opened the door of the house without any fluctuation in his heart, and when the people inside were clean and the door was closed, he took a step towards the table that a group of people had gathered around during the previous meeting: "I have to say, the juniors are really not to be underestimated, I have to say something to admire your methods and means of dealing with the crisis this time." ”

"The method and means have passed the award, I just told the truth, and finally won the forgiveness of the nobles of the northern realm by sincerity. If it weren't for Arya's ventilating message and Burton's cover, he would never have passed the test so easily this time, but this kind of secret behind it is naturally impossible to tell outsiders - especially the opponent: "I wonder what Sir Mellister is visiting this time?"

Still rivals, the old knight fully understood Egger's disappearance and vigilance at the moment, and he walked towards Egger as he surveyed the furnishings of the room, close enough that he could hear each other without much effort: "This election has wasted too much time on the Night's Watch, and I'm here to end this." ”

"It's worth the time to pick the right people. Egpi asked knowingly, "I wonder how Sir Mellister is going to 'put an end to this'?"

"Negotiate a deal - you promise me a few conditions, I withdraw from the election of the Commander-in-Chief of the Night's Watch, and instruct the Night's Watch of the Shadow Tower - to vote for you. ”

"I respect you, Sir Mellister, and I am eager for your support...... But not in this way. The smile on Egger's face disappeared instantly, and he pulled down his face, and put on a resolute posture of refusal: "I prefer to go the right way, relying on my ability to fight for what I deserve, rather than through some behind-the-scenes, dirty exchange of interests." ”

If it weren't for the fact that he had already fought a few times and had a certain understanding of the young man in front of him, Dennis would have almost been ashamed of Egger's righteous and awe-inspiring appearance. Now, Dennis is clear: tonight the deal is bound to happen, and the opponent is just building and strengthening the atmosphere of the seller's market, trying to gain the upper hand from the start and bargain better.

In the case of a sure victory, he is indeed qualified to play the score.

"I'm old, Egger. Dennis shook his head with a smile, draped his coat over a hanger by the wall, and sat down in a chair without being invited: "-I don't have enough brains to have a wonderful debate with you on topics like worldview or morality...... There are no outsiders here, so allow me to take off my coat briefly. He said with a pun, followed by a startling utterance. "I believe that anything in the world can be traded, honor, chastity, loyalty, respect...... As long as there is the right time, the price is reasonable. Instead of talking about 'dirty' or 'clean' bullshit, why not listen to what I have to offer first?"

Egger could not have imagined that someone as feather-loving as Sir Mellister would be able to let himself go so far. This kind of rebellion is not to the extreme, like the villain's lines in the story, I think it's okay, but I say it......

It's really a cheerful person, and Egger can't continue acting for a while. As the other side said, there are no outsiders here, so why not tear off the disguise once in a while and have a hearty and frank negotiation?

The other party sat and stood by himself, and he fell behind in his posture, and Iger showed a smile without acting skills, and also sat down: "Okay, I want to hear about it." ”

"Before you moved your troops to besiege Castle Black, you had already won more votes in the election, more than me and Carter combined, and victory was imminent. As soon as this happens, your approval rating at Castle Black will drop off a cliff...... But considering that most of those 500 votes were cast by staunch supporters of the reformers, or simply by the people you got into the Night's Watch, it is conceivable that no matter how serious the situation is, your vote will not fall to a third all at once. No matter how much Carter and I toss, you're invincible, and it's only a matter of time before you become Commander-in-Chief. ”

Egger nodded: "That's right, that's how I judged. But this is my bargaining chip, what can you offer me?"

Dennis raised his right hand and held out three fingers: "Elected months early, a loyal Shadow Tower commander, and a chance to be directly out of the way." ”

＊＊＊

"Elected months early". The meaning is self-evident - when Iger decided to take the risk of a mutiny, one of his important goals was to speed up the campaign by intimidating the still hesitant centrists with this "big move", but what he didn't expect was ...... Before a single piece of grass had been blown up, it had shaken out the big fish of Dennis Mellister. As the commander of the Shadow Tower, the second largest fortress along the Wall, Dennis's influence from switching factions is immeasurable - if he is no longer able to vote on behalf of the 236 Night's Watch of the Shadow Tower, he could even allow himself to win the election in defiance of Castle Black's lost votes.

"A loyal Shadow Tower Commander". It's understandable that even as an opponent, Iger has no doubts about Dennis Mellister's character. If he had made up his mind to support himself, he would never have made a small gesture after the fact - it did not matter whether they were close or not, as long as they carried out orders and did not disobey them, they could be considered loyal.

As for "a chance to directly avoid risk"? After thinking about it, Egla probably understood what Dennis was referring to.

＊＊＊

Egger straightened out his train of thought in a breath, and seeing that the other party looked like he hadn't finished speaking, he nodded and motioned for the other party to continue.

"I've heard the news that the loan is about to arrive in the East Sea, and I'm sure you've made arrangements for the only port of the Night's Watch at the same time as you imposed a blockade on Castle Black. ”

"That's right, although I don't often lead troops into battle, I still have at least military common sense. The operation of Castle Black and Donghaiwang was carried out on the same day, and the front and rear feet were linked, and now the personnel of the logistics department have moved into Donghaiwang and put the port under surveillance. In this candid atmosphere, Iger unceremoniously admitted: "But this is a 'grain unloading party', there are no large numbers of weapons, and the process of entering the East Sea is very peaceful, and I think that this kind of daily activity within the night watchman does not need to be reported or explained to anyone." ”

"Definitely. There was no conflict between swords and soldiers on Donghaiwang's side, even if Robb knew about it, it was impossible to ask Egger to question him again, Dennis nodded in affirmation of the other party's statement, and then changed his voice: "But Donghaiwang's loan food hasn't arrived yet, right." ”

"Well, it didn't arrive...... To be precise, I haven't received the word 'arrived' yet. ”

"It's not there yet - at least you have to be prepared. Dennis showed a light smile with obvious meaning: "If the siege of Castle Black is lifted, Carter Pike takes people back to the East China Sea directly, and then finds that there are a bunch of people who don't know you and obey your orders, guess what will happen?"

"I've arranged—"

Dennis interrupted Egger: "Yes, I'm sure you have a plan, but you should know that the perfect plan only exists in the imagination, and things don't always go 100% as expected - instead of taking the risk of another mess on the side of the East China Sea, consider another possibility." With my support, you were elected Commander-in-Chief of the Night's Watch, and at that time, whether it was for Carter to stay in Castle Black honestly, or to go directly past the defenders he ordered to cooperate with the Logistics Department to receive the loan from the Iron Vault, as a direct superior, you had a thousand ways to get rid of him. Even if he doesn't obey and still clashes with your people in Donghaiwang, when you send troops again, you will be able to quell the night watchman's civil strife in a dignified manner, and with the power you have at your disposal, there is not the slightest risk. ”

......

None of this can be understood by Dennis or Egger.

Let's be honest - it was tempting to be elected Commander-in-Chief a few months early, but that alone was not so attractive to Iger that he would take the initiative to negotiate terms with someone, for a simple reason: his focus was not on whether the legion of the Night's Watch of more than a thousand people would listen to his orders, but on the land grant of tens of thousands of inhabitants and the development of the Night's Watch industry.

And this kind of development, the position of commander-in-chief can still be carried out if it is vacant.

But the fact that the loan was still unavailable and that conservative opponents were still eyeing up ways to sabotage the good fortune of the land-grant resettlement program made him a little uneasy.

In fact, even if Dennis Mellister doesn't come to him today, and when he sends off the Northern Patrol Group, Iger will most likely take the initiative to talk to him.

The party proposing the negotiation is inherently weak, and in this regard, Mellister's visit was indeed a surprise, not a relief in disguise, but also a great help.

Egger cocked Erlang's legs and didn't pretend to think about it anymore: "Your conditions." ”

"Same three. As old as Dennis, his skin was irretrievably pale and saggy, but his arm, which was still holding up three fingers in the air, was quite steady: "1. I and Carter Pike are still the commanders of the Shadow Tower and the East Sea Lookout, and the personnel changes of the middle and high-ranking officers in the two forts must be approved by both of us; 2. No one including Jon Royce shall settle accounts with anyone and put them in order; 3. After you take office, you will inevitably have to reform, but changes to the law of land grants must be consulted with me and approved by me. ”

Although the first two conditions are a little unpleasant, except for Carter to continue to serve as the commander of Donghai Wang, the rest was originally Igger's plan - but only the third point touched his bottom line.

"The first two points, no problem, the third one, impossible. Iger said categorically, this time not pretending: "There are too many things I want to do, and there are a lot of rules I want to change." If I have to discuss everything with you, I will have to talk to you - and it will probably be through the letter rather than the face-to-face interview, back and forth, and it will be annoying. ”

The sky-high asking price is to pay back the money on the spot, since it is a transaction, it is inevitable to bargain.

"Well, maybe it's a bit excessive, so can it...... Let me take a step back and narrow down the scope of the law that needs to be discussed. Dennis wasn't surprised by Egger's reaction: "Laws that are directly related to the serious Night's Watch, the ones who have sworn it. For example, you want to change your status as a Night's Watch from Lifetime to Exitable...... How about changes like this that need to be discussed with me?"

The night watchman withdrawal mechanism is a big pie, and Iger has drawn it for many people, and it is normal for the news to leak out...... I didn't expect Dennis to come for this, Iger said to himself.

On the surface, the other side did take a step back, but in fact...... The nature of the matter remains the same. The first two conditions, he endured and passed, after all, in the final analysis, he didn't care if the night watchmen really loved and supported him: the man in black, as long as he guarded the Great Wall for me, and he didn't expect you to rebel and fight the world for me. Not to mention that Iger doesn't have that idea yet, even if he has a ...... in the future Among the night watchman industry, logistics department, and land donors, there are passionate and self-motivated people who can accompany him, and they are not bad for the three melons and two dates in the night watchman.

However, unlike the first two points, even the third condition after the concession is made, it is still a challenge to the commander-in-chief's high degree of centralization, and it will stay with Iger for a long time. That is—as long as Dennis Mellister is not dead, Iger will have to be constrained by whatever changes he wants to make to the internal laws of the Night's Watch, and God knows how long this old man will live?

Although Iger didn't mind much, he knew that once he agreed, he would be an "incomplete" commander-in-chief of the Night's Watch if he was held back by this rule.

Egger was about to say no, but his mind turned, and he decided to change the tactful way.

"Yes, but I have strings attached. He stared into Mellister's eyes and said with a smile, "If you can get more than two-thirds of the votes to win before Carter Pike leaves Castle Black, I'll agree to all three." ”

......

The herald sent to Castle Black has already set out and will arrive in two or three days. It's already dark today, and the crow can't fly anymore, and Castle Black's daily election vote starts at dawn - which means that even if Dennis Mellister makes up his mind to withdraw from the election now and fully support Egger, he won't be able to influence the outcome of tomorrow's vote.

Moreover, the Shadow Tower only has more than 200 people, although it is quite a lot, but at the moment, when there is one person and one vote, and not everyone will obey the commander's wishes, it cannot turn the situation around in an instant.

In Iger's expectations, things are likely to turn out like this: the news of Dennis's withdrawal from the election reached Castle Black, and then the next day the Shadow Tower also voted for him, allowing him to still have an absolute advantage despite losing a large number of votes in Castle Black...... In this situation, the night watchmen, who had changed their minds earlier, began to vote for themselves again...... Voting is once a day, and it will take five or six days at the earliest for the election to be known.

And by then, Carter Pike had definitely left Castle Black long ago.

This proviso is an almost impossible task, and since it is almost impossible to accomplish, it is equivalent to not agreeing to the third transaction.

Conversely, if Dennis Mellister's influence over the Night's Watch is so great that he can turn the tide in an instant, what about making him a "deputy commander-in-chief"?

......

"Okay, I agree. Unexpectedly, Dennis agreed without even blinking an eyelid, "So, we're supplied?"

"Deal. "Accidents are accidents, Iger doesn't plan to take back his words, and it feels quite pleasant to be a gentleman who is difficult to chase once in a while. "I'm just a little curious, why did you add to the deal that you had such a bad relationship with Carter Pike that you would keep him as commander of the East Sea Lookout?"

"You haven't managed a castle yourself, and you'll never understand: a fortress commander is more than just a superior to the soldiers. We are parents, both fathers and mothers, not only to ensure that we correctly direct our brothers not to let them die for no reason, but also to take care of their diet, daily life and daily life. Dennis Melister said with a smile: "You don't know the temper of that guy Bowen Marcy, he must have died poor in his last life, and he was strict with materials. The supplies he gave to the Shadow Tower and the East China Sea were rationed on a per capita basis, only to ensure that we would be able to perform our duties and not be frozen to death or starved to death, and if we wanted the brothers to have a good meal of meat, drink, and new clothes, it was all up to the commander's own ability. Carter Pike used the occasional merchant ship that docked at Tokai Wang to do business for the benefit of the brethren, and I did this by dealing with the hill people, a few well-connected nobles, and even savages......"

He paused, as if remembering some good memories, and a smile appeared on the corner of his mouth: "The two of us have been commanders for longer than the old man Mormont has been commander-in-chief! It is no exaggeration to say that we have feelings with most of the fortress soldiers, this bond may not be as exaggerated as death, but it is definitely stronger than you think, and it is taboo to change generals in battle, let alone the fortress commander!"

Iger nodded thoughtfully: "I understand......"

"You understand the best, that's right, you have the right to transfer personnel when you become commander-in-chief. But remember, the night watchman is not an ordinary service soldier, the lowest soldiers, mostly criminals and hooligans abandoned by the Seven Kingdoms, in the ghost place of the Great Wall, relying on a little ethereal sense of honor to keep warm, never wait for the day when they can retire and retire. Even if you put on a qualified candidate, or even go to the East China Sea to watch it yourself, you will never be able to make those people do the same in the short term as they did when they were under Carter Pike - we can't and shouldn't take such a senseless risk in the face of the threat of ghosts and dead people. ”

After thinking about it, Dennis still added: "I hate that Carter Pike is not pretending, after the end of this war of life and death, who you want to replace as the commander of the East Sea Wang, I will raise my hands in favor." ”

Iger couldn't find the problem in Dennis's words, and he had reason to believe that, at least at this point, the old guy was really thinking about the defenders of the Wall.

"Okay, then let's let this stinky old thing enjoy being a commander for a while. ”

......

The negotiations were successfully concluded, and Iger had a discussion with him about the follow-up matters, and the changes he would make to the Night's Watch law as soon as he took office were negotiated, and then they agreed to talk about the follow-up matters later.

The deal was reached, and the two packed up their flying posture and expressions and said goodbye to each other.

Before Dennis could leave the room, Iger suddenly remembered something and stopped him: "Sir Mellister, I declared in public last time at Castle Black that you and Carter Pike are both incompetent people. You must understand that this is an expedient measure, not a sincere one, in the exigencies of the situation, and now I would like to retract these remarks, you are certainly one of the noblest and most admirable people I have ever met, and please forgive me for the offense. ”

The old knight looked back and smiled a little tiredly: "You will probably be the last commander-in-chief to whom I will be allegiated, and I try to convince myself that you will do a better job than me, don't let me down." ”

——