Due to the recruitment of new recruits along the way, the speed of the dishing troops was not very fast. In the middle of the Dharma Province, Di Lin learned that the demons had begun to invade the human realm on a large scale, and immediately ordered his troops to speed up, and rushed to the fortress of Valen on the ninth day of January. Lin Bing, the commander of the town guard of Valen City, heard the wind and immediately went out of the city to greet his arrival.

"The Inspector has come all the way, and it's been hard!" Outside the gate of Valen City, Deputy Commander Lin Bing welcomed Di Lin with a smile. Behind her stood several senior generals of the Far Eastern Army, all lined up to wait for the arrival of Inspector General Di Lin. Although the welcome was not very warm, it was well-mannered and of high standard, and almost all the high-ranking generals of the Far Eastern Army in the city were present. No matter how careful and picky people are, they can't find anything wrong with it.

"Where. There is Deputy Commander Laurin who is far away. Di Lin was also talking politely, while looking at the other party. Among the original three deputy commanders of the Far East Army, Lei Hong has defected, Luo Bo was dismissed because he took responsibility for the defeat at Chishuitan, and Lin Bing was left alone at this time among the three prominent Far Eastern generals under the command of the great Ge Yingxing. If you don't know, it's really hard to imagine that this plump and charming mature woman in front of you will be the top general of the Far Eastern Army.

Lin Bing was also silently looking at Inspector General Di Lin. Di Lin is still so fair-skinned, looks sven, and looks a little... The appearance can almost be described as beautiful, elegant manners, and gentle conversation, but very strange, and does not give a sissy feeling. This is a person who can easily make people feel good. Who would have thought that such an elegant and polite person would slaughter tens of thousands of civilians in one night on the night of dìdū bloodshed, and in the name of the "cold-blooded Shura King", the entire Zichuan family and even the demon clan would be famous and shivering?

The two originally knew each other, and when they served as the Red Banner in the Far Eastern Army, their boss was Lin Bing, but it may be a reason for this, and the friendship between the two has not been established beyond the scope of official duties. Now that everyone's status has reversed, Xi Rì's subordinates are already important giants in the entire Zichuan family, and they have come to supervise themselves... Lin Bing pursed his lips, feeling very complicated.

When the two met, they only exchanged pleasantries for a short time - the etiquette was thoughtful and cold. Guided by Lin Bing in front, Di Lin and his entourage entered Valen through the west gate. Di Lin walked all the way, silently looking at the majestic Valen Fortress.

In front of him was a huge stone city, the walls were fifteen meters high, and they were covered with interlocks, arrow holes, bastions, and outer forts. The door was wide open, and it was tall and large, made of iron plates. The iron-cast sluice gate had been pulled up, and outside was a wooden bridge, nearly two hundred paces, spanning the moat, with a huge drawbridge at one end. The surface of the moat is five or six meters deep from the ground, and it is difficult to measure how deep the river is. After entering the outer city gate, it was the second city wall. Only then did Di Lin discover that both the outer and inner city walls were built with huge stones, which were evenly and neatly built seamlessly.

It wasn't the first time Dillin had seen Valen, but each time he was amazed by its immense grandeur and sheness, and this time he looked very closely, knowing that the greatest castle ever built by man was about to face the most severe test of wind and rain. He was very satisfied with what he had seen along the way, and thought to himself: this place could not be taken, the outside of the city was flat, and there was no commanding height for the enemy to use. Even if the enemy captures the outlying fortifications, the defenders can still easily keep the enemy out of the walls, and the moat cannot be crossed, it is too wide to use the usual methods... Even if I were given a million soldiers, I would not attack this place. The defenders only need to destroy the outer fortifications and burn the drawbridge with one fire, so that they can be safe inside—assuming the castle's defenders are well manned and have enough arrows, of course. But how many soldiers and horses do you need to defend such a large fortress? 50,000? It is certainly not enough, considering the need to change shifts at night... If I am given 150,000 well-trained men and horses, enough food, grass and weapons, I can wipe out the entire Demon Kingdom and the Flowing Wind Family under the city wall!

※※※

After settling Di Lin's entourage, Lin Bing invited Di Lin to the headquarters of the fortress for a detailed discussion, which was located in a castle overlooking the entire fortress. For the last time Di Lin secretly helped Luo Bo get out of trouble, Lin Bing solemnly thanked Di Lin. Di Lin just took a few modest strokes of etiquette and immediately got to the point.

He asked Lin Bing bluntly: "Where has the demon clan arrived? How many soldiers and horses are there? Is the strength of our army greatly damaged? If it is besieged again, can Valen withstand it?"

To the first question, Lin Bing replied: "Sorry, we don't know yet." ”

To the second question, Lin Bing replied: "Sorry, we don't know." ”

To the third question, Lin Bing replied: "Sorry, we still don't know." ”

Di Lin frowned, quickly suppressed his anger, and said calmly: "As the commander of the fortress of Valen and the head of the Far Eastern Army, don't you feel a bit derelict in your duty to give such an answer?"

Lin Bing stood up and bowed respectfully to apologize, and then explained the reason: "This attack of the demon clan came very suddenly, our command system and contact system have been disrupted, and we have lost contact with the various legions on the front line. Now we have sent a large group of scouts out, hoping to get more accurate information. ”

Di Lin nodded in understanding.

"As for the question of whether we can withstand it - my lord, we are now preparing for war with all our might, repairing the walls that were damaged in the last great battle, and preparing war supplies, but it will take time. Forgive me for saying that if the demons can arrive within a week and attack the city with all their might, it will be very difficult for us to hold it. ”

Di Lin was surprised and asked, "Why? Isn't Valen the strongest fortress on the continent?" Combined with what he had seen just now, he really couldn't believe Lin Bing's words.

"Your Excellency, what you saw just now was the western wall. It was almost never attacked, it was always intact. But the defense in the east is very poor, and in the past hundred years, it has been repeatedly attacked by large-scale attacks by demons, and the damage has been very serious. In particular, the last time the rebels gathered millions of people to besiege them, they had already caused a lot of damage. In the east, several walls of more than 100 meters long have almost been completely destroyed, and there are large gaps. Even the rest of the part is also very fragile, shaky yù fall. ”

Di Lin was shocked: "Why didn't you say this kind of thing earlier?"

"My lord, we said it a long time ago. When the elder brother was alive, he kept applying to Dìdū to rebuild the wall of Valen, hoping to send migrant workers and materials over, but Yang Minghua deliberately opposed him and pressed him to do so. Later, Yang Minghua fell, and we applied directly to His Excellency Luo Minghai, but he said: Now the resource budget of the command office is tight, and it can only give priority to the supply of troops fighting on the front line. This was put on hold until this year, and His Excellency Luo Minghai finally agreed to give us some budget, but at this time, the senate meeting was held again, and the senate did not pass the expenditure. The patriarchs said that who doesn't know that Valen is an indestructible fortress for thousands of years, and where to rebuild it, it is clear that this group of guys in your Far East is falsely reporting danger and trying to take advantage of the opportunity to get stuck in oil and water. ”

Di Lin scolded hatefully: "Foolish!" and asked, "What now?"

"Well, since I heard the news that the demons have begun to attack, Dìdū has suddenly become generous to us. However, the transfer of materials and personnel and the progress of the construction project will take time, and it will take us at least two weeks to achieve the minimum process. Moreover, to defend such a large castle, we only have more than 30,000 troops on our hands, which is not enough. ”

Di Lin listened very carefully and said: "According to the combat regulations, in special critical times, military judges can command troops beyond their authority. Before I came, the chief told me that there were 50,000 people's troops in Kosi Province who were undergoing intensive training. I have sent a warrant to the governor of the province to come urgently, and I think they will be there in the next two days. In addition, I was accompanied by more than 40,000 gendarmes, who would have gone into battle if necessary. -- Deputy Commander Lin, I am here to supervise the war in name, but in fact I am here to help you do a good job in logistics support, and I will not interfere in the specific operational command matters, so I will leave it all to you. If there are any other difficulties, please feel free to say and I will do my best. ”

Lin Bing said happily: "Lord Di Lin, you really understand the righteousness, I thank you on behalf of all the officers and men of the Far East Army!" It stands to reason that the military judge who supervises the war should only deal with matters of military discipline, but Di Lin's rank is too much higher than his own, and if he asks him for the command of the troops, what can he do? To give it or not to give it? The question of the first army and the second commander has always been a taboo for soldiers.

She continued: "Your Excellency, please rest assured! Our difficulties are temporary, as long as we survive this week, when the city wall is repaired, it is estimated that reinforcements from Dìdū will also arrive!"

Di Lin nodded, but thought in his heart: "I don't have anything to worry about, the person who should be worried is yourself." If something goes wrong with Valen, I'll be the first to take your head! The soldiers are very fast, and if Di Lin assumes that he is the commander of the demon race, it is impossible to let go of this golden opportunity.

In fact, before he came, Di Lin did have the idea of seizing the right to seize the military power and the command of the fortress, but now that the shape is so sinister, such a dangerous burden is left to Your Excellency Lin Bing, you can pick it yourself, and I will not accompany Grandpa Di Lin. Besides, now that the demons outside are eyeing each other, it would be silly if there were any more entanglements and chaos inside the fortress. Although Di Lin wants to seize power, he is not an ignorant person.

※※※

In the next few days, the flow of people who fled from the front line poured into Valen, bringing all kinds of bad news: the demons poured millions of troops to fight, all the rebels in the Far East took refuge in the demons, Fang Jin died in battle, more than 100,000 civilian troops were all annihilated, the Black Flag Army collapsed, and the commander Minghui disappeared,...

Di Lin was particularly concerned about the news of the two units, the Zhōngyāng Army Regiment and the Xiuzi Battalion, but no one could tell him the exact whereabouts of the two armies. Someone had seen a large force of the Zhōngyāng army marching eastward on the Far Eastern Highway, and the destination was "either Tussauds or Deya, but who can manage so much!" As for the Xiuzi battalion, no one had seen their whereabouts at all. A soldier unequivocally claimed that he had seen the soldiers and horses of the Xiuzi battalion in the ranks of the rebels in the Far East, saying that the Xiuzi battalion had all defected to the demons. Di Lin immediately gave him a slap and told him to get out.

A week passed, and the large army of demons did not appear under Valen as quickly as expected. Di Lin and Lin Bing were puzzled by this, but they were really happy: with two weeks to prepare, the Valen Fortress would be so strong that it would be very dangerous for the enemy to even touch it.

Valen Fortress is the most important fortress of the Zichuan family - and also the human - against the demons, and it must not be missed. Dìdū understood this, too, and the king's orders were frequently issued, and the princes' armies and local garrisons were mobilized from the farthest frontier cities, especially in the provinces around Valen, who knew that if Valen was broken, they would be the first to bear the brunt of the ravages of the brutal demon legions, and even spared no effort to send even the Crusaders and the Old Man's Choir.

Within a week, nearly 200,000 human troops had gathered in Valen, including armed garrisons and noble private armies from all over the country that had come to reinforce them, as well as soldiers who had retreated from the front line, and new troops were still coming. In his capacity as a judge of the general army (the supervising officer was a military judge in wartime), he ordered that all officers and men who had been defeated from the Far Eastern front, regardless of the unit to which they originally belonged, should be reorganized in Valen. Those who dare to continue to take a step back to the west will be killed!

Although the two did not get along very well, Lin Bing was really grateful for Di Lin's arrival: at that time, almost all military law officers had a tendency to interfere with the command of the troops. They often abuse their authority and dictate to commanders in specific operational commands. However, Di Lin, the largest military judge leader, knew his duties very well and never exceeded his authority. With him, the military judges in the Far Eastern Army were much quieter and obediently silent.

Not only that, but when Lin Bing needed it, Di Lin did what he said and was very cooperative. For example, although there are as many as 200,000 troops concentrated in the current Valen fortress, most of these troops are the personal soldiers of local nobles and princes. The coordination of these forces is really annoying. The aristocratic commanders were over-the-top, the military discipline of the troops was lax, and the panicked soldiers were idle in the city, often doing things like stealing chickens and dogs, drinking too much, and fighting in groups. Lin Bing went to persuade those commanders to strictly discipline their subordinates, but they didn't take Lin Bing, the deputy commander, in their eyes at all: "What's the matter? Lao Tzu is here to reinforce you and help you, do you still want to order me?"

What's even more troublesome is that these fledgling aristocratic commanders are all arrogant, thinking that they are the reincarnation of Zichuan Yun or Camus, and they have proposed to Lin Bing all kinds of good mentions that are enough to "kill millions of demons overnight". Lin Bing couldn't laugh when he heard it, and said to them: "The demon clan will not be able to fight for a long time when it dispatches a million troops. As long as we hold the fort, we win. ”

However, the young and vigorous and meritorious aristocratic commanders did not listen to it at all, and one by one they went their own way, and they all went their own way, and they all went to implement their "brilliant plan". The good army has made them disheartened and torn apart.

Lin Bing had no choice but to tell Sù Dilin about the situation and ask him for help.

Di Lin didn't say anything, but summoned the group of noble officers that day, and said that the Inspector General was going to lecture them. Everyone waited for five or six hours in the cold wind howling on the school grounds, but Di Lin did not show up. It wasn't until the sun was about to go down that he Shi Shiran walked out with his fur coat and said, "Disband!"

The next day, the aristocratic officers ate the northwest wind on the cold school grounds, and Dilin ate the northwest roast duck in a house with a stove.

On the third day it snowed heavily, and a dozen noble-blooded men shivered like leaves in fox fur coats. Because the weather was too cold, Di Lin was too lazy to go out, and after dark, he sloppily sent a herald over to say to the group of "popsicles": "Lord Di Lin asked you to disband." ”

The aristocratic officers complained bitterly, and some protested, saying that this was a deliberate attempt to inflict corporal punishment and an insult to their aristocratic dignity.

Di Lin sneered: "Does anyone have an opinion on the order? Stand up and let Lao Tzu take a look." He said as he slowly picked his teeth, the chicken soup was too greasy.

No one dared to stand up and show "Lao Tzu". Those proud noble commanders could not buy the account of Lin Bing, the deputy commander, but they could not ignore the weight of the supreme leader of the entire Zichuan family's monitoring system. He is not only the highest-ranking official here, but also the highest military judge with the right to decide on wars. And everyone knows that the nickname of this Shura King is not for nothing. This bloodthirsty guy killed tens of thousands of people on the night of the bloody dìdū alone - in dìdū, where adults still use the name of Dilin to scare the crying children - and countless high-ranking officials have died at his hands, and it is not a piece of cake to add a few heads now.

Within a few days, the aristocratic officers couldn't stand it anymore and came up with various reasons to ask for leave:

"I'm sick!"

"My dad is sick!"

"My wife gave birth!"

"My kitten is born!"...

His Excellency the Inspector General smiled and approved their leave, but, "You can go, your troops can stay!" Lin Bing reassigned officers to command their troops, unifying the command of the troops. A few days later, reinforcements from Dìdū arrived, as did the food, grass and weapons, and a large number of civilian troops and routs were re-transformed into strong troops under the rule of the Iron Bowl of Dilin... Seeing that with his own efforts, the Valen Fortress became stronger little by little, but Di Lin still didn't feel the slightest relief: seeing that the strikers of the demon clan were about to appear under Valen City, there was no Sterling and Zichuan Xiu among the retreating troops. He was so anxious about it that he could not sleep at night.

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