Sterling understood what she meant: the family fought with all the strength of the country, and the nominal commander of the whole army would be the commander-in-chief, but as the family's leading general, the chief of the military affairs department, he would inevitably become the actual commander-in-chief. Commanding a million-strong army to gallop on the battlefield is the lifelong dream of every outstanding soldier. This is an era of shining stars, and there is no shortage of excellent generals in this era: the treacherous and changeable Zichuan Xiu, the sharp and fierce Di Lin, the genius of the wind and frost, the cautious Yun Qianxue, the solid Ling Buxu - Sterling knows that if you compare the talents of the generals, none of the above mentioned characters are worse than him, or even more victorious, but none of them have the opportunity to lead such an army. His original intention was just to be a bakery owner, but fate and chance pushed him onto this stage that shocked the world.

He whispered: "The plan was not made by me, it was proposed by a couple of young people from the General Staff. I can't do that level of planning. ”

There was something strange in his tone, and Zi Chuanning immediately felt it: "You don't approve of this plan, then why don't you veto it within the Ministry of Military Affairs?"

"The plan itself is impeccable, the big picture and sense of strategy are very well positioned, and the steps that are progressively advanced have clear goals and are feasible. It should be said that this in itself is a very out-of-the-box battle plan, and it also took several months of painstaking planning by the General Staff, and the efforts of my subordinates cannot be wasted because of my own likes and dislikes. As for how to decide, that's a matter for the chief. ”

Stirling said sullenly: "Moreover, the actual formulator of this battle plan is Di Lin, and the General Staff has only done some work to improve the details. ”

Zi Chuanning understood that Sterling was hindering Di Lin's face and was not easy to veto, and he actually didn't think much of this battle plan. She raised her eyebrows: "Di Lin is too lenient, right? He is the head of the Supervision Department, but he meddles in the affairs of the Ministry of Military Affairs." ”

"It's not like he's meddling. The last time we had a drink together, he talked about his thoughts, and we talked. At that time, Ouyang Hongyi, Fu Qiben and Lin Qiben from the General Staff were also present, and they also joined in to discuss together, and they appreciated Di Lin's plan very much. At that time, I just talked about wine, but after a week, they came to me and told me that the General Staff was very interested in this idea and had already worked on a special project, hoping that I would agree. I couldn't say anything at that time. ”

"Are Di Lin very familiar with Ouyang Hongyi Qiben?"

"No, they don't usually have much to do with. ”

Zi Chuan Ning frowned. Although Sterling explained, she still couldn't let go. Di Lin was thoughtful and thoughtful, and based on what he knew about him, it was hard to believe that he would "unintentionally" leak such a heavy matter to a few middle-level officers who were not usually very familiar with him. There's a lot going on here. What was his idea?

"Big Brother Sterling. Zi Chuanning said slowly, his tone calm.

Stirling immediately sensed something, and said solemnly: "Your Highness Ning, please command." ”

Zi Chuanning smiled lightly and said, "Don't dare to take orders." Brother Sterling, the Military Department is the most important department of my family to control military power, and the family entrusts this department to you, which is the absolute trust in you. ”

I am honored to have placed my trust in the President, and I am determined to live up to it. ”

"Since you have been entrusted with this responsibility, Brother Sterling, you have to take on this responsibility. Military matters are under your jurisdiction, and no one from any other department can interfere in this sensitive area. You must not allow them to do so! This is a matter of principle, and there can be no ambiguity!"

Zi Chuanning thought thoughtfully: "At present, some human rights are too big. With his left hand, he grasped the judicial power and the supervisory power, and with the right hand he grasped the secret jǐng cha and the gendarmerie troops, and he held both the political power and the military power in his hands. I'm worried that if this continues, if some people are ambitious, it will be difficult to guarantee that they will not follow Yang Minghua's old path. ”

Zi Chuanning didn't explicitly name him, but Sterling heard it. He only felt a burst of heat behind him, and said solemnly: "Yes." But Wei Chen thought that His Highness might have been too worried. ”

Zi Chuanning smiled: "It's better that I think too much." But if I really say that Brother Stirling, Luo Minghai is mediocre, I don't have hope for him. At that time, you were the only one who could stop him. Brother Sterling, I know you're good friends with him, so it's hard for you, isn't it?"

Sterling said without hesitation: "One qiē for the sake of the family." However, I still have to say that Your Highness has been overly concerned. At present, the Inspector General is faithful to his duties and his loyalty is impeccable. That night, if he hadn't arrived, you and Ah Xiu would have been in danger, Miss Ning. ”

"I know, so I owe him a favor. Zi Chuanning said slowly, his expression was confused: "Among the three of you, I treat you as my eldest brother, and the relationship between Ah Xiu and me goes without saying." He is a brother to you, and it stands to reason that I should get along with him. It's just that I don't know why, I just don't like him, and I hate it when I see his arrogant sissy look. ”

Sterling smiled: "Miss Ning, maybe it's because you don't have much contact with him, right? He has a cold appearance, and people who don't know him really think he is very arrogant." But in fact, he is a man with a lot of blood and principles. ...... when fighting in the Far East"

"You know, he led the men and horses to Pai to rescue you, right?" Zi Chuanning smiled: "Brother Sterling, you have told this story a hundred times!--So, Brother Sterling, what do you think of this plan itself, what are the faults and loopholes?"

"Your Highness Ning, the battle plan is codenamed 'Dragoon', and it is still secret, and only a few commanders know about it now. "The plan itself is flawless, frighteningly perfect – but that's its biggest flaw," Sterling muses. It even lists the advance itinerary and period of each regiment-level unit, and there is no room for any bullet or change, and the coordination and connection between the two frontal groups and the assault group in the north and south is quite high, and the various units participating in the battle must complete their tasks according to the plan without delay, otherwise it will be difficult for the follow-up troops to advance the operation. ”

"And in my experience over the years, no matter how well prepared you are, there are always some unexpected surprises that come your way," Sterling said. Under this kind of plan with no room for flexibility and preparation, if it is okay, once there is any delay and the South Group fails to take the Blue City, the assault group will become a lone army, and if the first wind and frost counterattack will ......"

He felt unlucky, so he stopped talking. Zi Chuanning looked at him: "The assault group has 400,000 troops, including 50,000 cavalry troops, and the total number of troops in the Liufeng and Shuang Department is 380,000, and it has to deal with the fierce offensive of our army's north and south groups, I don't think that Liufeng Shuang still has the strength to take action against our assault group." ”

"You can't imagine a storm with an average army. Sterling succinctly said: "The sharpness of her attacks is rare. The commander of the assault group had a very difficult task and needed a commander with a high degree of flexibility and commanding talent. But among the current family generals, I can't find such a person! It would be nice if Ah Xiu was still here, he was the most suitable person to take on this task. ”

At the mention of Zi Chuan Xiu's name, Zi Chuan Ning's expression became very melancholy: "Is there any news of him recently?"

"Nope. Recently, all news from the Far East has stopped. ”

Zi Chuanning raised his head suddenly: "Could it be ......?"

"No, I don't. Stirling muttered: "The Far Eastern coalition forces have won successive battles, and the shape is very good. Even if something happens, Shirakawa and Roger will notify me. I guess there may be something wrong with the route of contact. ”

Zi Chuanning frowned slightly: "But this suddenly cut off the news...... I don't think that's a good sign. Before his sudden disappearance, he had not been heard from for a long time, and then suddenly the news of his defection came. I was really scared. ”

What neither Sterling nor Zi Chuanning expected was that because of the civil strife and the crushing defeat in the Red River Bay War, the Allied Intelligence Headquarters in Kearney, the capital of the Far East, had been paralyzed, and the intelligence exchanges between the Far East and the family mainland had also been interrupted.

"Brother Stirling, you say that I capture a man's heart, but where is my heart? After walking silently for a while, Zi Chuanning looked up at Sterling and said, "Brother Sterling, there is a question that I have always hidden in my heart. But I don't have much else to say to but you. ”

"Say it. ”

"Ah Xiu, did he really love me?"

Sterling was stunned: "What stupid thing are you talking about? Of course he loves you! On that terrible night, he sacrificed his life to cover you and fought until the last moment, if it wasn't for his beloved girl, who could do it?"

"That night, Ah Xiu was not the only one who risked his life to protect me. The captain of the guard who died in the line of duty, and the more than a hundred guards under him, do they all love me?"

Sterling was momentarily speechless, grabbing his hair: "That's different...... Not comparable at all. As for the difference, he couldn't say.

"He didn't tell me about the assassination of Lei Hong and the invasion of the demon camp, and after settling down in the Far East and being separated for three years, he didn't even send me a letter, and I didn't even know whether he was alive or dead; when he came back, he saw me and His Excellency Ma Wei, and he didn't blink an eye and said, 'I wish you happiness.'" And I always remember my seventeen-year-old birth three years ago, and that night he advised me to find a new friend, Brother Stirling, who did the same to Sister Cardin back then?"

Zi Chuan Ning smiled, and the indescribable poignancy in his smile: "There are many types of feelings: obligation, reward, gratitude, kindness, and duty, and the expressions of these feelings may be confused with love, and even I often can't figure it out." I gradually felt that Ah Xiu regarded me as his little sister, and he was good to me, because I was the daughter of Zichuan Yuanxing, and my father was his benefactor, and that's it. ”

Sterling looked at her quietly, Zi Chuanning had matured a lot, and the general comfort could no longer coax her like a rì. He casually took out a cigarette, and Zi Chuanning struck a match for him cooperatively.

"Brother Sterling, why are you smoking?"

Sterling replied casually: "When you are annoyed, don't tell Li Qing." Only then did he react: "You...... How do you have matches?"

Zichuan Ning smiled, also took out a cigarette, and lit it elegantly: "Smoke when you're annoying, don't tell my uncle." ”

Sterling smiled dumbly, he leisurely exhaled a smoke ring and said slowly, "You're thinking too much." I don't know much about what you're saying. But I know Ah Xiu, his feelings for you are sincere, and you shouldn't doubt him. There are many ways for men to express their love, and it is extremely difficult to say it, and those who talk about the word 'love' all day long are suspicious. ”

He looked directly at Zi Chuanning: "A-Ning, you should believe him." ”

Zi Chuanning lowered her head and was silent, unable to see the expression on her face. After a while, when she raised her head, she already had a bright smile on her face: "Brother Sterling, thank you!"

"Today is your birth, and you shouldn't think about these unhappy things. Sterling said casually, "Let's go back, it's not good for the host to leave so many guests there." ”

"Hmm. Zi Chuan Ning obediently walked back to Sterling. Before he walked back to the venue, a tall officer hurriedly greeted him: "Lord Stirling, there is an urgent notice from the Ministry of Military Affairs, and an urgent messenger has come from Valen!"

Two years ago, when the demon army came like a torrent and tsunami, the Valen Fortress was the last level to stop the demons, and it was the focus of attention of the entire human race. Now it is the front line of confrontation with the demons, and it is the important place related to the fate of the family, and every move there still affects the heart of the entire human world. Suddenly, everyone's eyes were attracted, and the audience was silent.

In full view of everyone, Sterling walked up quickly and gently took the letter from the officer's hand. He glanced at it, and his expression changed drastically.

"Miss Ning, I'm sorry, I have to retire immediately. If there is an emergency, I have to ask the chief to see the chief immediately. ”

"I'm going with you. Zi Chuanning said without hesitation, and Sterling remembered that Zi Chuanning was still the assistant to the general director. She turned to explain a few words to the guests, and hurriedly slipped a military coat over her dress to catch up with Stirling. The two got into Stirling's carriage, and before they could sit down, Zi Chuanning hurriedly asked, "What happened to Valen?

"Not really. Stirling looked at the green trees that quickly swept through the car window: "Lin Bing reported that a large army from the Far East has appeared on the east side of the Valen Fortress, and they have formed a siege around the fortress. ”

Zi Chuanning took a breath and muttered, "Ah Xiu, are you crazy?"

On September 11, 782, under the command of the King of Light, an army of 300,000 troops from the Far East moved westward and suddenly surrounded the fortress of Valen. The reappearance of beacon smoke in the Far East shocked dìdū.

Seeing the carriage leave the manor in a hurry, Zichuan Xiu suppressed his urge to go up and reveal his identity. He turned around in a daze, and the melodious music kept coming from the manor behind him, but his mood was in stark contrast to the cheerful music, and he had already stepped on the road of no return.

He hadn't taken a few steps before he suddenly stopped: under the streetlamp, among the reddened maple trees, a long figure stood silently. Di Lin was watching him calmly, his eyes as bright as autumn water. The autumn leaves in the sky slowly fall from the handsome man's side, and it is a picturesque scenery. Shikawa Xiu stopped, at a loss. When he met Di Lin here, he was unprepared.

Di Lin walked over slowly and smiled, "Welcome back, Lord Xiuchuan." ”

For a moment, Zichuan Xiu was relieved. He smiled: "Did you wait for me here on purpose, or did you happen to bump into it?"

"If I say by chance, do you believe it? You know, for a wanted traitor like you, the eyes of justice are everywhere. ”

Shikawa Xiu smiled, "I don't know when the intelligence department of the prosecutor's office changed its name to 'Eyes of Justice'. ”

Di Lin laughed, and suddenly smiled: "Brother, you have taken a risky move!"

"I had to. Zi Chuanxiu looked at the bright moonlit sky: "If you don't show your strength, no one will take me seriously." They killed me on the spot without giving me a chance to speak! But now hundreds of thousands of troops are waiting at Valen Pass, and the commander-in-chief will weigh me even if he wants to kill me. ”

"Then you came back this time, is there anything wrong?"

Zi Chuan Xiu smiled: "I am fortunate not to be dishonored, our army has recovered the entire territory of the Far East." ”

His faint tone revealed an indescribable confidence. Di Lin turned his head suddenly, looking at him as if he didn't know him, and it took a long time before he spoke: "I knew you would succeed, but I never expected you to be so fast! From the last time I came back to now, it's only been more than half a year, right? Congratulations!"

Zi Chuanxiu smiled weakly, thinking that congratulations, Far East was about to be baked as a pancake by the Demon God Emperor.

"And what are you going to do next?"

"As a determined and loyal family warrior, my next step is of course to resolutely lead the Far East to rejoin the arms of the family, hoping that our benevolent chief will be magnanimous in accepting our lost children. ”

Di Lin laughed, laughing so hard that his stomach hurt. He straightened up: "No kidding. You are now the prince of the Far East, the overlord of the heavy army, the founding king of the Far East. The so-called rather than the head of the chicken, not the tail of the ox. How can you still submit to the Governor when he treated you like this, and issued a wanted warrant all over the world to ask for your head? If you remember my old relationship with Sterling, and sign a non-aggression or alliance pact with him, he should be glad!"

Zi Chuanxiu smiled awkwardly, and thought to himself: The king of the Far East, the first king in the history of the Far East, is probably the shortest-lived king. After the Southwest Legion returned to China to participate in the war, the situation in the kingdom immediately took a sharp turn. Every day there was an endless stream of messengers between the Far East and Ghana, and countless Tatar emissaries lobbied around him so much that they were almost crying blood, and Ross urged himself to send troops to support them every day.

Of course, the Duke of the Tatars will not say directly: we are dying, come and save our lives. He just said in a tone that tempted Zichuan Xiu to share the spoils: "Our army is less than a hundred kilometers away from the Divine Castle, and victory is like in the palm of your hand! King of Light, send troops to help me, and I will make you the Marquis of Far East and accept you as a righteous son in the future!"

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