"Please come in. Sterling looked up from the pile of files.

"My lord," Qin Lu probed out of the door, "Miss Zichuan Ning asks to see you." ”

Sterling panicked. Even though he is married and has a family, he admits that he doesn't understand women. In his opinion, women are very troublesome animals. He knew what Zi Chuan Ning had come to him for—he would rather face a team of twenty demons than deal with a crying and complaining girl. He held his chin and discussed with Qin Lu in a good voice: "Can you tell Miss Ning that I'm not here?"

"It's late. Qin Road said expressionlessly: "I have already told her that you are here, and you are very free." ”

"You!" Sterling smiled wryly.

The reserve soldiers of the 73 divisions and regiments are to be transferred to active duty, the family is to increase the army strength of nearly 500,000, and these troops must be placed at assembly points and deployed in various strategic points; the wind and frost are moving in the west, the crusaders of the Liufeng family have already driven to the front line of Duolun Lake, and the troops of the 10 divisions and regiments of the Western Army are in danger of being surrounded, and the urgent documents under the command of Ming Hui are flying like snowflakes. In the military exercise on the Valen front, the exercise troops had a bloody conflict with the demon clan, twenty-one soldiers and three officers were killed in the conflict, Ling Buxu officially submitted a jǐng notice to the Zichuan family, the fire yao smell was very strong, and the second Far East war was already close at hand.

At the same time, reports from the provincial garrisons were piled up as high as a hill. In order to make their files valued, the governors of the provinces marked each envelope in red letters: "Urgent!", "100,000 urgent!", "Urgent!", "Extremely important!", "Critical!" They did not dare to omit any of them, and they repeated them one by one, and most of the reports were only: "Instructions for the transfer of such and such an officer", "Lack of 100 sets of summer clothing to apply for supplies", "The camp is flooded, please ask for instructions to transfer the station?"

Last night, I worked until 3 o'clock in the morning, got up again at 7 o'clock in the morning and continued to work, went to the governor's office at 8 o'clock to make a brief report, went to the senate at 9 o'clock to reply to the results of the handling of the incident of disturbing the people in the garrison, inspected the newly formed troops at 10 o'clock, listened to the reports of the division commanders, and could not rest at noon, and I and my subordinates were so busy that we stuck out our tongues like dogs, and now we ......

"Prepare me a cup of tea, strong. Sterling instructed the secretary who came in, and at the same time stood up and said to Qin Lu, "Let's go, let's go out together to meet Miss Ning." ”

"Miss Ning is here to inspect, and all my colleagues in the Military Affairs Department feel honored!" Standing at the door with his subordinates, Sterling greeted Zi Chuanning with a smile and bowed deeply.

Even though it was early chūn time, it was still very cold. Zi Chuan stood quietly at the door, draped in a white Shaopi coat and wrapped in a red scarf, dazzlingly beautiful. The young officers, who saw her for the first time, were intimidated by the beauty of the heir of the family and did not dare to look up. She didn't have a single retinue by her side. Seeing Sterling put on such a grand and formal guard of honor, she frowned, and then opened her face: "Master Sterling is very polite, I'm just going to take a look." Are you messing with you?" she looked at Qin Lu and the others on the side.

"Where, where. Miss Ning is here, it's our honor, please don't even invite you!" Qin Lu said with a smile.

Sterling smiled silently, and in Zi Chuanning's gaze, he saw anxiety. Both he and she understood that the visit was not a "casual look."

Although Zi Chuanning did not hold any real position, she was the first in line to inherit the family, and this status was equivalent to the head of the family, above any family official. Sterling invited Zi Chuanning into his office, and according to the official procedure, he and the other officers began to report to the heir of the family who had come to inspect.

"I wonder what aspect of the Military Service is interested in the work of the Military Service?" asked Sterling.

Zi Chuan Ning glanced at him silently, with a deep meaning in his eyes, and said with a smile: "Let's talk casually." ”

Sterling knew the meaning of this look very well: "Sterling, you guy dare to play stupid with me!"

So he smirked innocently and instructed Qin Lu: "Old Lu, report to Miss Ning about the situation on the western border, the situation over there is more important." ”

"Understood!Miss Ning, Lord Sterling, as we all know, it is the Flowing Wind family that poses the greatest threat to my family in the west. It is our family's sworn enemy! The army of the Liufeng family is divided into three systems, the Wehrmacht system, the Crusader system, and the Yuanjing Garrison Military Region. ”

"When it comes to the Flowing Wind Family, we can't help but talk about the Flowing Wind and Frost. Within the Liufeng family, Liufeng Shuang is undoubtedly the premier general and powerful minister. But people often don't know that although she was canonized by Liufeng Xishan as the honorary title of 'lifelong protector of the country', in terms of actual palace position, she is only the commander of the Xi Bing Military Region, with a jurisdiction of less than 3,000 square miles. But in fact, the Xi Bing Military Region is located in the triangle area bordering the Liufeng family and my Zichuan family and the Lin family, and it is a place where the soldiers must fight, and the Liufeng family has deployed heavy troops to defend it here. In the defensive area of the Xibing Military Region and the surrounding neighboring areas, the main force of the Crusaders and the one hundred and thirty wings of the Wehrmacht system were deployed, and since Liufeng Shuang lost ground in Yuanjing and came to the Xibing area, she has received strong support from Liufeng Road, she has been committed to strengthening the military strength of the Liufeng family, and created a new army outside the three major systems by herself - the Fengshuang Regiment. The troops she commanded included the strongest combat troops of the Liufeng family, and she was the "generalissimo of soldiers and horses" in essence of the Liufeng family. For now, she and her army pose the greatest threat to the safety of my Zichuan family, and there have been many recent indications that she has strong ambitions and ...... for my Zichuan family."

Qin Lu seized the opportunity, and said from the current form to looking forward to the future, "My brave family army will definitely defeat the shameless human scum with the surname Liufeng" Yunyun said endlessly.

Sterling observed silently: on the surface, Zi Chuanning listened very seriously, leaned forward slightly, and nodded lightly from time to time: "Oh, is that the case......", "Well, yes......" But her wandering eyes had already exposed her inner anxiety and absent-mindedness, and her white fingers grabbed the corners of her clothes and pinched them tightly.

Sterling sighed, "Why bother. ”

The report was long and smelly, and then several senior officers under the Military Affairs Department gave separate reports on the combat readiness work in various regions, which lasted for more than two hours. Seeing that it was already noon, Sterling ended the debriefing meeting with a smile: "Okay, everyone said it very well, Miss Ning, do you need to know anything else?"

"Ah," the absent-minded Zi Chuanning came back to her senses, and felt like waking up from a dream, and after hesitating, she smiled and said, "Lord Sterling, there is a situation I want to know from you. ”

Sterling said calmly, "Okay. ”

The officers next to him got up and left the office in amusement, and the last man went out the door, and the footsteps faded away.

He looked at her, but she was nervous, her eyes wandering.

Sterling coughed softly.

"Brother Stirling," Zi Chuanning finally made up his mind, and went straight to the point: "Brother Axiu, he ...... Where is he?"

Sterling hesitated, but replied: "Far East." For several years, he has been in the Far East. ”

Zichuan Ning took a step back and said, "Ahh......h

"It's not what you think. Stirling stood up and walked to the window, where the trees were already growing delicate green leaves in the garden. He turned his head, looked directly at Zi Chuanning, and said slowly: "Ah Xiu's loyalty to the family is unmatched. He was a true loyalist. ”

Zi Chuan Ning looked at him blankly.

"It all started with the siege of Pai in the year of Seven Hundred Jiǔ. ”

Stirling began to tell the story of Zichuan Xiu's experience for more than two years: he endured humiliation, disguised his surrender to the demons, and told that he was heroic, and killed Lei Hong on the spot at the demon gathering, killing and injuring countless demon generals, and the country was able to punish Jiān for rebellion, wash away the shame, and the arrogance of the demons was dealt a heavy blow. With great wisdom and bravery, he went through the ordeal of nine deaths and a lifetime, and finally escaped the clutches of the demons. But the vicious enemy was not willing to accept defeat and fabricated shameful lies to slander him, leaving him with no home to return to, and forced into exile in the Far East. But in this difficult situation, Zichuan Xiu still did not give up his loyalty and loyalty to the family, tried his courage in the Far East, trained in secret, painstakingly accumulated strength, and finally when the time was ripe, he single-handedly launched a great uprising in the Far East, dealt a heavy blow to the demons, and silently defended the eastern defense line of the Zichuan family in an unknown situation. When he returned from the Far East, he happened to encounter the assassination of Zi Chuan Ning by a mysterious assassin, and he single-handedly sniped all the opponent's masters, trying to save Zi Chuan Ning, but he was severely injured by the enemy......

Zi Chuanning listened quietly, his waist straight, and his body motionless. Although she knew that Shikawa Xiu would be fine later, she couldn't help but show a nervous look on her face when she heard Sterling recount the dangers that Zichuan Xiu had experienced. When she learned that Shikawa had been seriously injured that night to save herself, she lowered her head and tilted her eyelids so that Sterling would not see the sparkle in her eyes.

Sterling understood her mood at the moment: not only was her sweetheart not rebellious, but she was also a great hero, which made her own actions even more intolerable.

"A man, far from his relatives and friends, cut off from the news, disgraced and infamy, fought silently. Without the assistance of a single soldier of his family, with his personal efforts, he had already recovered most of the Far East's territory, which had never been done before in history! This achievement is enough to shine and shine for a thousand years! It can be said that Ah Xiu is completely worthy of the cultivation of him by Lord Yuanxing back then, worthy of Lord Ge Yingxing's high hopes for him, and worthy of——"

Sterling looked at Zichuan Ning thoughtfully: "-Miss Ning, what you once expected of him. ”

Zi Chuanning has been suppressing himself and admonishing himself to be calm. But listening to Sterling's calm and powerful statement, before I knew it, tears had come out of my eyes. She couldn't take it anymore and got up and walked eagerly around the room. As if with a high fever, her pale face was flushed, her heart was heaving, and her breathing was rapid, as if she was in great pain. Not daring to face Sterling's stern face, and because her feet could no longer support herself, she held on to the wall with both hands and stood against the wall for a long time.

Stirling sighed as he opened the window, and the fresh air poured in with the smell of chūn days. There was a short drizzle before dawn, and the soil in the garden was washed by the rain, leaving traces of water everywhere, and in the garden, a large number of new shoots were rushing to bloom on the dry branches, and the rain-washed new shoots were like foam shining in the sun, full of vitality. He heard a faint sobbing sound behind him, but deliberately ignored it.

After a few minutes, the crying subsided, and Sterling turned around, walked over to Zi Chuanning, and handed the handkerchief understandingly. Zi Chuanning didn't look back and whispered, "Thank you." He took the handkerchief.

When she turned her head, she was already able to control herself, except for her eyes, which were a little wet, and she looked normal. She smiled bitterly at Sterling, "Brother Sterling, thank you for suing me for this." ”

"You're welcome, here's what you should know. Miss Ning, you-"

As if he was afraid of something, Zi Chuanning hurriedly said: "I know, Brother Sterling, you are very busy, I have delayed you a lot of time, I am really embarrassed." This is goodbye, and I will say hello to Sister Qing on my behalf. ”

Sterling nodded silently, watching Zichuan Ning walk towards the door, he suddenly said, "Miss Ning, please stay for a while." ”

Zi Chuanning's figure froze and looked back in surprise.

Sterling waved his hand a little remorsefully, but didn't know what to say. For the sake of Zichuan Xiu - and for Zi Chuanning, he just knew that he must not let Zi Chuanning leave like this. He always wants to do something for his favorite little brother to save this relationship.

"Miss Ning, in my capacity, maybe I shouldn't say it, but ...... Something...... Something...... Maybe you really should think about it?" he frowned and pondered, trying to find an appropriate way to confess his true meaning without hurting Zi Chuanning's self-esteem.

At this time, Zi Chuanning was empathetic, and she smiled: "Brother Sterling, do you want to say that Ah Xiu and I still have hope to be together?"

Zi Chuanning picked through this layer of paper, and Sterling felt very relaxed. He said, "Exactly." ”

"A Ning, you are the future head of the family, my lord, and as my retainer of the Zichuan family, there are some things I shouldn't say. But I watched you and Ah Xiu grow up, thanks to you for not giving up, and always calling me the eldest brother, then today, allow me to exceed the duty of a courtier. ”

Zi Chuanning said softly: "Brother Sterling, I have always really regarded you as a big brother since I was a child. What you want to say, I guessed a little. Are you trying to persuade me to turn around and get back together with Brother Axiu?"

"Exactly. ”

"The morning before yesterday, I had already spoken with His Excellency Ma Wei of the Senate. Zichuan Ning yù stopped talking.

Sterling eagerly asked, "How's it going?"

She smiled, as beautiful as a begonia with rain: "In the future, everyone will still be good friends." ”

It took a full half a minute for Commander Sterling to understand what that meant. He couldn't help but sigh: girls in their youth can have words comparable to diplomats without a teacher, and they are obviously ruthless breakups, but they have a way to say so beautifully: "Let's be good friends for life!" Let the man suffer a dumb loss and have to pretend to be very personable and say: I don't care, I really don't care at all, and in the end, I have to wish her eternal happiness affectionately.

For a moment, he felt his sympathy on the side of the playboy senator.

He was delighted and said, "That's good, Miss Ning, as long as you ......."

"Brother Sterling, you don't understand. Zi Chuan Ning interrupted him softly but resolutely: "The key to the problem is not here. I'm not worthy of Ah Xiu. ”

Sterling looked at her in surprise, and she smiled, poignantly and resolutely: "Really, I don't deserve him." He was so noble, so brave. For the sake of the country and mankind, he fought bloodily to defend the homeland. In the face of the motherland, in the face of God, he has a clear conscience. And what about me? Just when he risked his life to kill my Zichuan family, when he was hunted down by the demons in the most dangerous nights, when he charged into battle, braved the swords, bows and arrows of the demons, I couldn't pray for him, and I even wondered if he really surrendered to the demons!"

Stirling reassured: "It's not your fault, miss, almost everyone thought so at the time. ”

"But I'm not an 'ordinary person', I'm his...... I should be the one who knows him best! Even if everyone in the world doubts him, I should believe in him and be steadfast. What's more, Brother Sterling, and His Excellency Inspector General Di Lin—you have always believed in Ah Xiu, haven't you? and I should believe in him, believe that he will not die, believe in his loyalty, and believe in his promise to me!"

Zi Chuanning's voice gradually lowered: "But I couldn't do it. Love is a test for both parties, and I can't stand this test. It is true that my Zichuan family owes Ah Xiu something, but I owe him more than anyone else. Since I was a child, I owe him so much. How many times, he was born and died for me, but all I can repay him is sadness and pain. I am not a person worthy of his love, and he would be happier without me.

"It is often said that a broken mirror is reunited – but a broken mirror, the cracks are still there, and it is never possible to restore it to its original state. ”

Sterling looked at her, he thought of the sad back of Ah Xiu when he said goodbye, he understood Zi Chuanning's mood at the moment, the deep guilt made her unable to face him calmly, and Zi Chuan Xiu's arrogance and self-esteem made it impossible for him to turn back - the misunderstanding had been dissolved, but the estrangement still existed. Two people who miss each other still can't be together, and the emotional matter is really complicated.

The two of them had a lot on their minds to say, but they didn't know how to say it. Finally, she stood up triumphantly: "Thank you, Brother Sterling, I think, I've delayed you too much, it's time to go." ”

"A-Ning!" Sterling stopped her for the second time, "You sit down again, I have something to say." Sterling stood up and leaned over to look directly at Zi Chuanning: "Miss Ning, judging from my life experience of more than 20 years, I don't believe that there is no irreparable thing in the world. Even if there is, even if the calamity is imminent, even if the shape is sinister, as human beings, as long as we have a breath, we must do our best. I understand your mood at the moment, your relationship with Ah Xiu has encountered setbacks, and there is a misunderstanding between each other, but no matter when, you must never give up hope, you must not give up on yourself, you have the right to return to the blank, and start all over again, so what? As long as we work hard and pay sincerely, things are not irreparable!"

Sterling's tone was sonorous and powerful, and it exuded unwavering confidence. Zi Chuanning was moved when he heard this. She understands why Raheem Sterling has become the number one player. He is not usually high-profile or eye-catching, but no matter how difficult and difficult the environment, he can show a true manly bearing, and his unwavering faith is like the sun shining on the left and right, relying on the people around him, and becoming a pillar of the people's gods.

"Aning, now he's in trouble and needs your help. Would you like to?"

"I'm willing, even if I go to the soup and go to the fire!" Zi Chuanning replied immediately, and then hesitated a little: "One day in the future, when I—then, I will naturally rehabilitate Ah Xiu and restore his reputation." But now, I have no position and no power, how can I help Ah Xiu?"

"First of all, you can't announce the situation of Ah Xiu yet. Ah Xiu's reputation has not been restored yet, and if it is leaked, the Inspector General, Ah Xiu himself, and I will be very troublesome. ”

"I swear that I will never divulge what I have said here today without the consent of His Excellency Sterling. If I break this oath, I will cut me a thousand times—"

"Alright, alright. Miss Ning, there's no need to swear so strictly, as long as you agree. Sterling interrupted, laughing, "I want the future chief to swear to me that I'm not that bold yet!"

"Brother Sterling!" Zichuan Ningjiao said, stamping his feet unscathed, the delicate appearance of the daughter's family made Sterling stunned. He briefly described Zi Chuan's situation to Zi Chuan Ning: although he had won many battles in the Far East, the weakness of his logistical supply capacity limited him from further expanding his achievements. He and Di Lin had tried their best to raise supplies for him without anyone knowing, but there were always some obstacles and obstacles.

"I can handle the affairs here of the Military Affairs Department, and His Excellency Di Lin, the superintendent of the Supervision Department, can also solve it. Among the high-ranking officials of the family, the only one we have to worry about is the chief of staff, Gosangob. She is in charge of the logistics department and the administrative department, and coordinates the overall supply and financial expenses of the family army, and is the head of the family's literary palace. She is capable and clear-sighted, and last time she found something strange from the changes in the price of materials in various provinces, and finally led to the promulgation of the "Strategic Materials Prohibition Bill", which made Ah Xiu very difficult. We have to hide from the world and the sea like this for a long time, and supply Ah Xiu with all kinds of materials and supplies on a large scale, I am afraid it will be difficult to hide from her.

"The problem now is that Her Excellency Goshan is the person of the President Luo Minghai, and in her logistics system, we lack a person of sufficient weight to cooperate with us to contain and monitor her......"

At this point, Sterling narrowed his eyes and deliberately stopped talking. Zi Chuanning thought for a while before he understood his intentions: "Brother Sterling, what do you mean ......"

"I didn't mean anything. Sterling smiled kindly. As if casually, he said: "As far as I know, according to tradition, the heir to the chief must work in a specific department of the command office for a period of time before officially taking over, forging his talents, being familiar with the business and environment, and preparing for the official succession in the future." Miss Ning, you're twenty years old this year, right? ”

He got up and shook hands with Zi Chuanning and sent her out. The carriage was set for a long time before Zi Chuan Ning understood Sterling's intentions. Despite her depressed mood, she smiled dumbly. The three heroes of the Zichuan family really live up to their reputation, and none of them are good friends. Even Sterling, who is most known for his uprightness, can use trickery if the situation calls for it, if he wants to.

"It's okay. Thinking of being able to help Zi Chuanxiu's career, Zi Chuanning's heart felt a little comforted. She savored Sterling's words: "What if you return to the blank space and start all over again?

There is a kind of person in the world who does not make promises lightly, but once he does, he will do much more than expected. Raheem Sterling is undoubtedly that kind of person. Zi Chuanning's heart rekindled hope, and she thought silently: "Ah Xiu has made such great achievements in the Far East, I can't just wait. Let me see, Your Excellency Goshan, who is known as the "Thousand Years of Ice in the Command", how amazing you are with three heads and six arms!"

Standing in the doorway, watching the carriage fade away, a knowing smile appeared on Sterling's lips. Back in his office, he began to write a letter about what had happened today, and sent it to Shikawa Shu in the Far East through a secret channel. In the letter, he recorded in detail Zi Chuanning's words and deeds today. Ah Xiu is a smart person, and he will understand his intentions.

Sterling thought as he wrote: The matchmaker is the most thankless of the corners. Isn't he a little stupid? But he did it anyway. After experiencing that hopeless bitter love, he deeply understands the pain of losing his love, how many times he wandered in his dreams, but when he woke up, he only had tears in the corners of his eyes, and the people in his dreams were far away in the world.

May there be lovers in the world who will eventually become married. If possible, he hopes that Shikawa Xiu and Shikawa Ning can have a better ending than them.

"Think of me as doing something for them. May they know that what they cherish most in life is not a million possessions, let alone power and glory. "Put down the pen, open the window, and the clear blue sky stretches as far as the eye can see. Looking up at the eastern sky, Sterling stood for a long time, and the corners of his eyes were already moist.

I wish you happiness, Cardin.

※※※

In June of the year 782 of the Imperial Calendar, a rare scorching heat hit the entire Xichuan Continent. In Dìdū Castle, which usually has four seasons like chūn, the maximum temperature exceeded 36 degrees Celsius. But what is worse than the bad weather is the shape of the world. With the fall of the Far East, millions of refugees poured into the family's homeland. This group of people who have lost their land and raw materials for production are destitute, they sleep on the streets, forming huge refugee camps and slums around each city, beggars are everywhere, men in ragged clothes roam the streets, hungry, posing a great threat to the security of cities and towns, criminal cases are on the rise, and the jǐng procuratorate is exhausted.

The family's military power was defeated on both the Far East and the Western Front, but the family's economic power, the large agricultural and industrial industries, was not damaged, and their productive power remained intact. In the rare year of harvest in 782, the peasants were on the verge of starvation because of the collapse in the prices of agricultural products – a great irony: on one side the ripe grain was rotting in large swaths of the ground, while the unemployed residents were starving. Thousands of factories and workshops closed down because they could not tolerate the high prices of raw materials and their markets, thousands of workers lost their jobs and had to sleep on the streets, prices skyrocketed, and scandals continued with low-level officials who could not tolerate low salaries and openly demanded bribes.

Even the military establishment, which has always been the backbone of society, has not been spared. Due to the massive expansion of the army and the economic downturn, many young people, especially those from small landowners and small merchant families, chose to pursue a career as an officer. They learned more from the soldiers that the state of society was on the verge of disaster, and they wept bitterly every time they received a letter from home: the whole family was on the verge of starvation because their son was far away. At the same time, the officers witnessed the decay and luxury of the lives of their superiors: the nobles of good birth and great wealth. Faced with the status quo, the army is impetuous, and loyalty declines. People have lost faith, hope, and direction in their lives, and the frustration of sluggishness and erosion pervades their hearts. People don't know what to believe, what to practice, or even what to hate.

Faced with accusations of incompetence and incompetence, the Senate threatens impeachment on Tuesday and Thursday, and the Command, while incapable of finding a solution to the problem, is adept at finding scapegoats. The family command office declared: It is all the fault of the demon clan! It is the demon clan that has forcibly occupied our 23 provinces in the Far East, making it impossible for the peasants to sell their products! It is the demon clan that has forcibly occupied the iron, coal, and ore of our Far East, making it impossible for our factories to operate! It is also the invasion of the demon clan, which has led to the influx of millions of refugees into the hinterland, and the cause of social instability and the plummeting employment rate! The invasion of the Far East by the demon clan is the fundamental cause of our misfortune!

Just as a fierce wind suddenly blew away the fog, in the middle of the year 782, the blazing gale suddenly struck, and the low fog blew away, and the people found an object to vent their hatred, and the whole nation cheered in unison: "War, war!" - Inspector General Di Lin had predicted that it would take ten years for the Zichuan family to recover, and he was too conservative in his estimate. Shame is an accelerator of national growth, and in less than two years, the wounds have only just healed on the surface, the forgetful populace has immediately healed the scars and forgotten the pain, and the belligerent waves have once again swept through the family territory with fanaticism. From top to bottom, there was an uproar: "Go to war, go to war, take back the Far East, wash away our shame with the blood of the demons!" As if overnight, a consensus had been reached that from top to bottom—from the patriarchs of the family to the destitute beggars—it was generally believed that the situation could only be improved by fighting a war to return to the Far East—or whatever it was, just fighting anyway.

There are daily war declaration marches on the streets of Dìdū, ranging in number from 1,000 to 100,000 people. The marching crowd swaggered past the Governor's Mansion, the Senate Council, and the Commander's Office with various banners, and the slogans were overwhelming: "Down with the demons!", "Avenge the compatriots who died in the Far Eastern Incident!", "Revenge for the September Incident!", "Smash the Yellow Dragon, step on the Demon God Castle, and capture the Demon God Emperor alive!" The marching crowd was endless, they blocked the large and small roads, and the members of the Zhibu shouted and commanded in vain under the fierce rì, but with little success. On the contrary, the citizens of Dìdū were very tolerant of the marching activists, tolerating their scribbling on the walls of the streets and smashing the "no-pass" traffic barriers.

Due to successive military defeats, the Ministry of Military Affairs became the target of public criticism. In order to vent the burning passion in their chests, the enthusiastic cadets and the young men with excess strength regarded the Military Affairs Department as the Demon God Fortress and Stirling as the Great Demon God Emperor, besieging them for three days and two ends, chanting the slogan "The army is incompetent, humiliating the power and losing the country", they constantly threw stones, tiles, garbage, and sewage bags at the guards, and smeared the gate of the Military Affairs Office with paint. Stirling had to seconded a squadron of gendarmes from Dilling to guard the door, and when they returned, they were scarred and stained all over the place.

During a march on June 11, there were fierce clashes between the procession and the members of the order group, with fourteen people killed and more than a hundred injured.

At the same time, four reserve officers rushed into the logistics department with folded bayonets in their pockets, and they wanted to kill the chief of staff of the family, Goshan, who opposed the expansion of the army's conscription and the increase in the army's already huge military expenditures, only to be so panicked that one of them had a knife peeking out of his pocket, attracting the attention of the guards on duty. He drank them. Thinking that the incident had been revealed, the four immediately drew their knives and attacked Jǐngwei, stabbing him alive, and being subdued by the other Jǐngwei who rushed in. Four people were immediately arrested.

This extremely cruel and law-defying assault and murder case has attracted great public attention. At the public trial, after expressing his apologies to the widow of the widow who lost her husband, the murderer publicly declared: "The state of the country is worrying, the people are miserable, the national defense is weak, and the officials are becoming commonplace." He and his accomplices had no personal vendetta against the commander of Goshan and the slain member Jǐng, and their purpose was to "wake up the sleeping Motherland and ring the bell of Jǐng" to remove "the one obstacle that hindered the strength of the Motherland"!

Gothand softly spat out two words from his lips: "Idiot!"

The audience gave a standing ovation and the applause lasted for a long time. In the minds of the people, they are martyrs, fighters representing the interests of the people. Sympathy for the murderer was so high that tens of thousands of people spontaneously signed a petition asking for forgiveness, and some even sent a petition written in blood. With the final intervention of the Senate, all four officers who should have been executed for treason were sentenced to life imprisonment, and it is expected that within a few years, they will soon be released from prison. Or the old rule: anyone who commits acts of violence, if it is for the sake of national honor, should be pardoned.

The military affairs chief Si Zhilin solemnly apologized in writing to the chief of staff of Goshan and promised that he would try his best to restrain the army and never allow similar incidents to happen again. The latter unceremoniously interrupted him: "What you have to do now is not to apologize. Goshan said expressionlessly: "The development of the situation is not something that you and I can control, the next target is likely to be you, you should transfer some reliable troops to your side." Watch out, Sterling, you are the last shred of sanity in the army. If you die, we will no longer be able to stop the blind movement of the army. ”

Sterling was stunned.

※※※

June 23, 782.

The weather is very good, at two o'clock in the afternoon, the temperature is as high as 33 degrees, the sun is hot, and the road has become a white ground.

Even the hysterical slogan-shouting radicals could not endure the heat, and there was a rare calm in the streets, with people lazily enjoying the shade and shaking their fans. The colorful signboard in front of the beer shop shone under the fierce rì, and the beautiful women dressed in cool clothes walked gracefully and without squinting on the green alley, causing a whistle from the young men who were enjoying the cool. Leaning against the window of the galloping carriage, Sterling looked at the street scene with fascination, and looked at the flirtatious handsome men and women and the bright lights, which made him feel relaxed.

But when he passed a crossing, his mood was slightly ruined: two carriages were ushered in, and the carriage in front of it was hurrying fast, and the coachman shouted loudly: "Give way, give way!" The horsewhip "crackled" and the pedestrians and roadside vendors rushed to take refuge, and the calm atmosphere in the street was full of noise.

Sterling frowned, and said to Qin Lu, who was accompanying him: "Whose car is that? There are so many people on the street, how can they be so fast, why don't you care about the lack of management? ”

Qin Lu also poked his head out of the window to observe, and turned to Sterling and said, "My lord, that's someone from the Supervision Department, we can't control it." ”

"Oh?" Stirling was slightly surprised, and when he looked carefully, sure enough, the wheel of the carriage was hung with a banner of a sword and shield with a blue background and gold, indicating that there were high-ranking officers from the Inspectorate on the carriage.

He said lightly, "Got it." "It's not a taste of the boss in my heart.

In the Zichuanning incident on 15 February, the Supervision Office led by Di Lin made great contributions, and the arrogance of the prosecutors immediately became arrogant, and their words and deeds were arrogant. Stirling has always believed that because the army has a special mission to defend the country, it is itself the largest and strongest force group in the country, and if it loses its restraint, it will become a violent group above the whole society, and those high-ranking officers will degenerate into "military aristocrats" who transcend the law and zhèngfǔ, so the establishment of a system of supervision and military law is very necessary for the army. However, things cannot go from one extreme to the other, and the supervision system in charge of supervision has become so perverse, which is absolutely not the original intention of the state to set up the supervision system. He decided to talk to Di Lin another day and persuade him to restrain his subordinates. His eldest brother had recently defeated Luo Minghai, and he was a little carried away under the pride of Chūn.

The two carriages made a right turn at the intersection and went onto the wide Huangdu Boulevard, which ran parallel to Stirling's carriage. Sterling was wondering if this car should also go to the governor's mansion, and at this time, a sudden change occurred.

Suddenly, a strong man slanted out of the crowd dodging on the sidewalk, holding a long iron bar. Before Sterling could react, the man swooped down on the carriage in front of the Inspectorate's flag, roared, and plunged the iron rod into the fast-spinning right wheel.

"Dangchang" a loud sound, followed by the harsh sound of iron rubbing like scraping glass, the continuous crisp sound of iron crushing "Glagla", the right wheel was stuck by the iron rod, "bang" a loud sound, in the debris of the sky, the right wheel of the carriage flew out entirely, the outer skin of the right carriage was obliquely rubbed on the road, sparks splashed, but the galloping horse was still desperately pulling forward, the whole car did not stop moving forward, "squeak-" The stone embankment of the carriage rubbing against the ground made a loud and piercing sound that made people feel weak to hear.

"Bang!" There was a loud bang, and the carriage hit the steps of the roadside flower garden, and the inclined carriage overturned entirely. "Oops!" a strange cry, the coachman was thrown out of the driver's seat, fell heavily on the road in front of the car, and could not get up for a long time, not knowing whether he was alive or dead.

Several men and women with weapons rushed out of the crowd on the side of the road and rushed towards the overturned carriage. The young woman who rushed to the front held a single sword aloft and wore a light yellow coat, and shouted in a shrill voice: "Ahh The brawny man who rushed out first and jammed the wheels also pulled out a chopping axe from under his clothes, and in one fell swoop knocked the coachman who was struggling to get up to the ground.

It happened so suddenly that the pedestrians on the street widened their eyes and watched in disbelief at the scene in front of them. A female voice screamed to pierce the stunned: "Murder!" For a moment, the stunned passers-by let out all kinds of exclamations and scattered in a hurry.

The woman rushing in front was extremely fast, and in the blink of an eye, she had rushed to the overturned carriage, but there was nowhere to start: the cart had been turned over completely, and the doors were pressed underneath. She circled around the carriage and slashed the walls of the carriage with her sword in a rage, cutting cracks in the wooden planks on the outside of the carriage, revealing the dark iron plate inside.

"Get out of the way, let me come!" the brawny man with the axe pounced. He put down the axe, crouched down and grabbed the side of the carriage, exerted all his strength, and exclaimed, "Ahhh The Assassins were overjoyed, and the leading female Assassin exclaimed, "Death to Dillin!" and was about to climb through the half-open door.

Stirling's heart was shocked: This is Dilling's car?! Only then did he react, and immediately shouted: "Stop!" The coachman pulled the reins, the carriage came to a slow stop, and Stirling rushed out of the carriage, but it was too far away, and it was too late anyway.

"Wow!" a loud crunch of bowstrings rang far away, and a single male assassin screamed and covered his back with his backhand. He was hit by an arrow in the back. Sterling could see clearly that the incident had suddenly changed, and the second carriage following the overturned car could not stop the car out of habit, and rushed out of front dozens of meters before it hurriedly stopped. It was through the window of the carriage that the arrow came out. As soon as the door of the car opened, several gendarmes jumped out of the car, and the leading officer shouted: "Bold maniac, have you rebelled?"

The Assassins were stunned, and two turned to meet the gendarmes, while the rest still gathered around the car. The strong man who made the axe slashed the mutilated car door twice: "Di Lin, look where you are running now!" Before the voice fell, a cold light flashed at the car door, and a long sword pierced his right eye like lightning. The strong man screamed in pain and fell backwards.

The rest of the Assassins were horrified by the sword's might and involuntarily took a few steps back.

Without any warning, Di Lin's long figure appeared at the door of the car, with a graceful demeanor, the long sword in his hand flashing, and his gentle eyes were murderous at this moment. Aside from a slight mess in his clothes, he was unscathed. In an instant, Sterling was reassured. At the same time, he also knew the fate of the Assassins.

The gendarmes dragged the half-beaten assassins to the wagon, leaving a trail of red blood in their wake. Watching the carriage carrying the captives in the direction of the Supervision Office, Dilin turned to Stirling and said, "If you go to the Governor's Palace, we will be on the same road." Give me a ride!"

Sterling nodded, "No problem." He turned his head and discussed with Qin Lu, who gave up his place in the carriage and went outside to sit with the coachman.

After getting into the car, Di Lin stretched out comfortably and spread his feet open: "Your car is very spacious and comfortable to sit on." I'm going to order the same one another day. How much does it cost?"

Sterling smiled and didn't say anything.

"This year's weather is a bit weird, June is so hot that people are dying, I'm afraid the harvest will not be good. By the way, Sterling, Xiujia is very worried about her younger sister Li Qing, saying that she hasn't seen her for a long time, and she is very worried. ”

"Ah, what a coincidence, Kiyoya said it was time to visit you, she wanted to learn some cooking skills from her sister-in-law. ”

"Hehe, Xiujia also said that her younger sibling's knitting skills are good, and she also wants to learn - blind! Girl, just care about these things! I wondered: it's that little thing in the room all day long, why aren't they bothered? Especially my brother and sister, such an outstanding person, how can she be like an ordinary mother-in-law, and cry all day long about knitting, cooking, or something? What a pity! Sterling, you have to tell her!" Di Lin talked eloquently, not mentioning the attack he had just suffered, his spirit was calm and tidy, except for his clothes were a little messy, he didn't look like a person who had just been assassinated and escaped death.

"Who were those people just now?" Sterling couldn't help but ask.

Dilling raised his eyebrows strangely, and Sterling explained, "I mean the group of assassins just now. ”

"Who knows? A handful of ambitious rebels, a mercenary killer sent by a powerful minister with bad intentions, such as Luo Minghai, who is hostile to me, a remnant of Yang Minghua's gang of desperate remnants, a conspiracy of the family's enemies? Who knows?" said Di Lin with a smile.

Sterling shook his head slightly: "Judging from the way they act, they don't look like trained professional killers. Professional killers are meticulous about quietness, seeking success at minimal cost, demanding swiftness and efficiency, and retreating immediately if they miss a blow, and this gang - openly and forcibly attacking in broad daylight on the streets, they are too flamboyant and fanatical. ”

Di Lin smiled: "Maybe." He shifted the subject to talk about current dìdū fashion and songs—unlike Stirling's workaholic who didn't listen to anything outside the window, Dilling was a follower of the cháo stream of his time, especially pop songs and a soft spot for them. But Stirling couldn't listen to a word, but he always thought of the thrilling scene that had just happened: pools of red blood, the sound of military boots, the loud voices, and the wounded female assassin screamed heartbreakingly: "Down with Dilin!"

"Bastard, what's it called!" Several strong gendarmes forced her to the ground, and a small gendarme's powerful big hand grabbed her hair, pressed her head into the roadside sewage ditch, and pressed down hard, her face was immersed in black, stinky, and white sè foaming sewage, but every time her head struggled out of the water, she always used all her strength, hoarse, and indistinctly shouted: "Down with Dilin—— Dilin will not die, Zichuan's family will not be peaceful!" The onlookers and Sterling were all moved. This kind of momentum, which does not care about success or failure, life and death, is by no means capable of being a professional killer, but rather like a fanatical martyr of some kind of faith.

Looking at Dilling's cheerful smile, out of some intuition or a flash of inspiration, for a moment, Stirling saw the true emotion hidden under his brow-browning expression: the fleeting despair and boredom hidden in the depths of his eyes. The voice from the bottom of my heart told Sù Sterling: This is the price of the road to power. Behind the glory of the moment, he probably did not have a night to sleep peacefully. What price did he pay on the road of power? He thought of the "forget-me-not" flowers at home that had long withered but had always been cherished by him, and his heart tingled.

The sound of the car stopped abruptly, and Qin Lu knocked on the car door from the outside: "Inspector General, Lord Stirling, the Governor's Mansion has arrived!"

By the time Sterling and Dilling stepped in, the conference room had already been filled with family heavyweights. Zichuan Shenxing sat at the top of the conference table and looked at Sterling with a little doubt in his eyes: how could Sterling, who is known for his rigor and punctuality, be late?

Sterling smiled apologetically at the crowd, "I'm sorry, there was an accident on the road." ”

He sat down and looked around: led by the chief Zichuan Sanxing, the presidential leader Luo Minghai, the commander of the Praetorian Guard Pigu, the chief of staff Ge Shan, and even the commander of Minghui, who had been guarding the western frontier, and the deputy commander Lin Bing, the commander of the town guard of the Valen Fortress, and other important generals of the border area were present. And in this group of people, Sterling also saw a new face (in fact, it can't be regarded as a new face, it's a person who everyone is very hot!) Zichuan Ning is sitting upright next to the chief Zichuan Sanxing, sitting upright.

Zichuan Samxing nodded understandingly: "Everyone is here." Now it's time to get started. Urgently summon everyone over, there is something I want to hear everyone's opinions - Minghui, you tell everyone. ”

Commander Ming Hui, commander of the Western Frontier Military Region, coughed dryly: "Your Royal Highness the Commander-in-Chief, my lords, my border guard department has recently obtained a very important piece of information: the Liufeng family's main Feng Xishan's condition is dying. ”

There was a slight movement in the conference room, and Goshan, the deputy chief of staff, muttered softly, "Nonsense!"

If it weren't for the fact that the person who spoke was Minghui, an important minister of the family who controlled the heavy army, then everyone would really be in an uproar: this is also intelligence? Even the thugs on the streets know that the current head of the Liufeng family, known as the "Liufeng Fox", has been sick since he gave Zichuan Xiu a young man a big defeat nine years ago, and he has been sick with depression and anger, and he has been pestering Mian's sickbed.

"This is really great information!" said Lin Bing, the deputy commander of the Far East, with a shallow smile, no one could figure out what this important minister of the Far East really meant.

Minghui's face flushed, and he quickly returned to normal: "I know what you adults mean. It's been almost ten years since 772, and we can get news that Liufeng Xishan is dying every day, but this time it's different, the source of the news is very reliable: Liufeng Xishan's personal physician has fled to our side. ”

Chief of Staff Gothand asked suspiciously, "Why did he do this?"

"Liufeng Xishan is doomed, and the battle within the Liufeng family is very fierce. Liu Fengbo publicly threatened: "If something happens to my father, all the members of the treatment team will be martyred for him!" and Liu Fengqing and Liu Fengming - what they think in their hearts, no one knows, but on the outside, they will also make a very indignant appearance, and they are likely to kill a few "incompetent" doctors to show their filial piety. The doctor was worried that after the death of Liufeng Xishan, he would become a victim of the political struggle. ”

Goshan nodded slightly, and then asked, "How long?"

"'Even with the best medicines, techniques and the most appropriate medical care, he would not have lived longer than five months!' – these are his exact words. Minghui's tone was quite affirmative.

"Commander Ming's news should be true. In the silence, Di Lin spoke slowly: "Unlike his source of information, I have hundreds of spies all over the territory of the Flowing Wind Clan, and they often have reports sent by them—according to the orders of the Flowing Wind Frost, the buffer zone between Xi Bing Province and Yuanjing— The Gatun Military Region had already begun to set up defenses, forbidding any armed forces to pass through Guò, 60 wings were transferred from the Eastern Front to garrison Yuanjing in combat formations, eyeing Yuanjing, Liufengqing mobilized 200,000 soldiers to build fortifications in his territory, Liufengming ignored the ban and ordered his 20,000 guards to openly enter his residence in Yuanjing, and the Yuanjing General Staff issued a curfew for a month without announcing who the enemy was—these things would never have happened if Liufeng Xishan was still alive. This proves that his condition has deteriorated to the point where he cannot control the situation. ”

The room was so quiet that the sound of breathing could be heard for a moment, and the people digested in silence the fact that the head of the Flowing Wind Family, Flowing Wind Xishan, was about to die. This person is the enemy of the Zichuan family, and has caused a huge disaster to the family, but hearing the news of his death, Sterling can't help but feel a little inexplicably gloomy: With the passing of Ge Yingxing, another important person is about to disappear from the most brilliant stars of the previous era. He had the feeling of watching history happen.

Goshan asked, "Do you know who will take over?"

"It's hard to say at the moment. Di Lin shook his head: "At present, the situation of the Liufeng family is too chaotic, the three princes have their own supporters in the army, and it is difficult to distinguish between the forces - any one has the upper hand, and the other two immediately join forces to suppress him, and then the victor fights among themselves and starts a new round of fighting." And Liufeng Xishan did not designate an heir. ”

"At this point, a dying old man who is dying, it is meaningless whether he designates it or not. Lin Bing pointed out the crux of the matter sharply: "There is only one person who decides the fate of the Liufeng family: Liufeng Shuang! No matter which heir she supports, he can immediately overwhelm the other two with absolute strength and become the new overlord of the Liufeng family!"

Di Lin agreed, and said: "But the wind and frost have not yet shown their attitude. ”

Goshan said coldly: "At such an extraordinary moment, with an ambiguous attitude, does she have the ambition to seek the supreme position?"

Everyone in the room looked at each other, and Zichuan Shenxing said slowly: "She controls nearly forty percent of the Liufeng family's jīng rui army—it's not impossible. However, in any case, the chaos of the Liufeng family has been completed, and this exchange of power will never be carried out peacefully. ”

Everyone www.biquge.info their heads in favor of His Royal Highness the Governor-General's deep knowledge.

Shikawa continued, "If we can optimistically guess that there is about to be a large-scale chaos or civil war in the Flowing Wind Family—"

Di Lin interjected and said: "The civil war of the Liufeng family is inevitable! The question is not whether it will be fought, but when it will start!"

"—Then how will our family deal with it?" Zichuan Shenxing looked at everyone with a bit of ardent expectation: "Should we take this rare opportunity to destroy the Liufeng family in one fell swoop and complete our hegemony of dominating the world?—— Sterling, what do you think?"

Sterling smiled reluctantly, and he chose to use as euphemistic as possible: "Destroying the Wandering Wind is a very large strategic goal, which must be carried out in multiple steps in a planned manner, and requires long-term calculations, planning, and preparations. The contest at the military level is the last resort, but before our army reaches the battlefield, the preparation of the family in terms of economy, organization, mobilization, logistics, finance, and in terms of these aspects......"

"You don't have to worry about these aspects!" Zichuan Shenxing was full of pride: "I just ask you, as the leading general of my family, do you have the confidence to defeat the Flowing Wind and Frost?"

Minghui, Lin Bing and other generals frowned, and Di Lin cast a sympathetic look at Sterling: this is the kind of sadness of a layman leading an insider. Sterling groaned, he was very reluctant to defeat the rise of the Purple River Sanxing, but as the representative of the military in charge of the whole situation, it was his responsibility to tell the chief the truth about the situation, although the truth was sometimes unpleasant.

"This ...... It depends on the specific circumstances of the time, Your Highness. It depends on how much the Liufeng family's army has suffered in the civil war, their morale and the level of weapons, and how our family's army has recovered—"

Sterling frowned when he saw Zichuan Shenxing, but he just didn't see it and continued: "Your Highness, I'm sorry, no one can guarantee that he will win the battle - unless he is a liar. On the battlefield, the general's job is to gather as complete and accurate information as possible, choose tactics based on it, direct the march of the army, give various combat orders to the troops - nothing more. A good general can do these things well, but he cannot guarantee victory 100 percent. The shape of the battlefield is unpredictable, and it is impossible for anyone to fully grasp it. If there is a sudden rainstorm while the cavalry is charging, or if a flash flood breaks down an important bridge and the reinforcements do not arrive in time, or if a stray arrow hits the enemy or an important person on our side - that completely changes the shape of the battlefield. ”

"This is the so-called three points of effort and seven points of providence, Your Highness. Dilling interjected at the right time, and he smiled and said, "But luckily, our Sterling Commander has always been very lucky—I haven't won a bet with him, unless I cheat." ”

A few people laughed softly, dissolving the tension a lot.

President Luo Minghai said coldly: "Commander Sterling may not have understood clearly. - The outcome of a battle may be unexpected, but in a long-term war, victory or defeat is generally determined by the balance of military power between the two sides. The Commander-in-Chief would like to ask His Excellency Stirling if there is a war, will our army be able to win?"

"With the addition of the newly recruited reserve troops and militia armaments, our army is not at a great disadvantage in terms of quantity compared with the Liufeng Army, but we have many problems: the training of the army is relatively poor; the proportion of skilled soldiers has declined significantly compared with that before 781; in terms of age structure and body, the overall quality of the soldiers is not optimistic; it will take time to produce and replenish weapons and equipment; the strategic replenishment capability is relatively weak, and the local reserve armed forces have not yet done a good job Preparation for a large-scale call-"

"Commander Sterling, can you simply answer me: Can you at all?"

Sterling glanced at him silently, and Luo Minghai's aggressive attitude disgusted him. He swallowed bitterly: "If you want to destroy the Liufeng family, you need to mobilize the whole country - the army is not ready to take on this task at the moment. ”

Luo Minghai said "um" with satisfaction, and the smug expression on his face clearly said: I knew this.

"How much time does it take?"

"The Ministry of War will do its best, but it depends on a number of external factors: economically, the family's financial investment in the army is already very large, but it is still slightly insufficient to meet the requirement that the army recover in a short time or even exceed the pre-war strength of the Far East; the Senate declares the country to be in a state of war readiness but does not authorize us to issue a national mobilization order; we have proposed to extend the length of military service and expand the scope of conscription – but none of them have been approved. ”

"The extension of military service is against me. Deputy Commander Goshan pushed the black-framed wide-rimmed glasses and said lightly: "In the case that the family has not been attacked from outside, we cannot arbitrarily extend the time of military service, this is a breach of trust to the soldiers, and it will lead to the prestige of the zhì family." In addition, when Commander Stirling mentions the expansion of conscription – you are essentially referring to the introduction of a levy of seven men in the countryside and a levy of ten men in the cities – I can make it clear: I am firmly against it!"

No one spoke, Deputy Commander Goshan took a sip of tea and continued: "Commander Stirling, in the past five years from 778, the total losses of the family army, your military affairs office should have a number, right?"

Sterling was slightly embarrassed: "There are no official statistics, but if you want, Lord Goshan, I can let people calculate ...... immediately"

"There's no need for that. Gothand said dryly, "I'll give you an approximate number." The year 778 was a year of good luck for my Zichuan family, although they suffered a defeat in the west, they won a battle in the Far East, and in a year, the number of casualties of our soldiers was about 30,000 - which can be called normal consumption. She quickly scribbled a "3" on the paper.

"At the beginning of 779, Lord Dilin was very active in the Far East, and he fought a succession of battles - but I estimate that there must have been 50,000 or 60,000 casualties, right?"

In the face of Goshan's questioning, Di Lin was expressionless and silent, so Goshan wrote the word "6" on the paper again.

"The next thing is to put down Yang Minghua's rebellion, the damage of the army and civilians - at least 40,000 people, Lord Dilin, do you have no opinion?" Goshan's tone was full of anger and mockery, everyone knew that in the bloody night of Dìdū, it was because of trying to stop Dilin's atrocities that Goshan was punished by the chief Zichuan Sanxing.

"In the rebellion in the Far East, the troops of the 25th division of Leihong mutinied, and we immediately lost 200,000 troops but increased 200,000 enemies, and in the early days of the rebellion in the Far East, aside from the damage to the civilian population, the damage of the garrison troops in the provinces was at least about 150,000;

"From August 779 to the beginning of the year 780, it was a tug-of-war between the royal army of the family and the rebels of the Far East, and although our army achieved considerable results, the casualties were estimated to be no less than seventy or eighty thousand. ”

"Further down is the sudden attack of the demons. The casualty data of this period is very confusing, many troops still exist in name, but in fact only one flag and one commander remain, and some units were initially reported to have fallen into the encirclement of the demons and were wiped out, but as a result, we saw them eating roasted sweet potatoes safe and sound in the Valen Fortress, and even the kitchen stove was brought out. — but overall, the toll was unprecedented. The losses of the people are incalculable, but the losses of the army - did they reach 400,000?"

Sterling swallowed dryly: "Three hundred and eighty-seven thousand." ”

"Okay! Finally, Lord Stirling, your feat of fighting the demons in Pai, this is easier to calculate: the zhōngyāng army had nearly 110,000 troops before the war, and less than 50,000 were able to return to Valen in the end. ”

"Now, the information is pretty much complete — for the record, it's based on the most conservative of sources, and there's a lot that I haven't noticed that may be missing. Gosan held up the white paper in his hand, and a big red number on it could be seen clearly even by a blind man: 106○○○○○○ "One million and sixty thousand! Ladies and gentlemen, one million and sixty thousand!" In the silence, only Goshan's slightly hoarse voice echoed in the conference room that seemed to be empty: "For all of you, soldiers and troops may be just numbers, but armies and soldiers cannot be created out of thin air!" Every soldier is raised by his parents, and it takes at least twenty years to raise him from a howling baby to an adult man, and the amount of social labor and material materials consumed is incalculable!

"Men in the prime of life, who should be the main force of production, have been transferred to the army in large numbers and consumed on the battlefield without any benefit, and the vast majority of the already weakened industrial productive forces have to be poured into the military industry, while the production capacity of other departments has been greatly reduced, and our entire social economy is shrinking!

"If it is to cope with the imminent crisis and cut back on food and clothing for a short time, I believe that the people can endure it. But only for the sake of a false name for world domination, we have no purpose in recklessly using force, the army has to expand the scope of conscription and extend the length of military service, and we have to impose a huge military tax on the overwhelmed people—"

Di Lin interjected: "The vast majority of the people are in favor of increasing military spending. ”

Don't think that I don't know that the dirty deeds that your Supervision Office is doing in private, and that it is extremely shameless! We are facing an economic difficulty, and the solution of economic problems can completely rely on economic means: readjusting the industrial structure, reducing or reducing taxes, reducing the control and approval of industry and commerce, adopting a proactive fiscal policy, and using various channels to increase employment. But you have taken advantage of the ignorance of the people, using foreign wars to divert internal attention and incite the despair of the people into belligerence!

"Once the war starts, the arms are connected, and the casualties are heavy, we will all become sinners! How will we explain to history? How many 106,000 young adults are left in the family? Once the people come to their senses, how long will they be able to endure?"

Not a single person spoke up. Sterling stared at the smooth table in front of him, sweat streaming down his spine. Moreover, he believed that this was not his own feeling, and everyone in the conference room was blue and blue, as if they had worn a metal mask.

Purple Kawa looked at Goshan with a cold gaze, and the latter looked up at him without fear. After a stalemate, he looked away and announced expressionlessly, "The meeting is adjourned, and everyone will rest for ten minutes." ”

Sterling looked out from the window of the lounge on the seventh floor of the Governor's Mansion, and the night was vast. The lights of Dìdū are presented in front of you, far and near, and the dense lights spread like an ocean to the sky. The stars blinked sadly over the earth, and the night mist was like smoke, hazy, and fleeting. The night breeze blew in through the open windows, bringing the air full of summer and mud into the room.

There was a familiar sound of footsteps behind him, calm and determined. The visitor didn't stop until he walked to his side. Di Lin sincerely admired: "What a beautiful night view. ”

Sterling smiled and replied, "yes, it's just that you and I don't usually pay attention." When does the meeting start?"

Di Lin shrugged his shoulders: "Luo Minghai is in the chief minister's office. ”

Sterling smiled, the ten minute break was really long, from four in the afternoon to seven in the evening, three hours had passed, and there was no notice to start again.

"Goshen has been arrested. Di Lin said flatly, as if he was talking about something that had nothing to do with him.

Sterling nodded. An hour earlier, he had seen through the window of the lounge Goshen passing through the small square at the entrance to the Governor's Palace, surrounded by a troop of gendarmes, and boarding a carriage with the sign of the Inspectorate.

"Dilin, I know Goshen has always been prejudiced against you, but ......"

"I know what you're going to say. Rest assured that she will not be subjected to any abuse and violence. Looking out the window, Di Lin said, "I'm not the kind of person who declares a personal vendetta. But she embarrassed you so much at the meeting, and you still have to protect her?"

"Regardless of her position, I admire her courage. What's more, her words are not unreasonable. ”

"Even if there are 10,000 truths, you can't say it on that occasion! Goshan is very good at doing things, but he can't be a person, and he always doesn't know how to judge the shape and atmosphere. Since the defeat in the Far East, if there is no accident, he will be crowned in the history of the future: 'Lost the Eighth Governor of the Twenty-three Provinces of the Far East, Zichuan Sanxing', how can he be willing? Finally, the Liufeng family has signs of civil strife, and of course he hopes to change his title to: 'The Eighth Chief, Zichuan Sanxing, who destroyed the Liufeng family'.

"His Royal Highness Zichuan Shenxing, the chief of the eight generations, suffered a small setback in the Far East, and after the defeat, he endured humiliation and burden, and finally destroyed the Liufeng clan, the enemy of my Zichuan family for a hundred generations, at the age of more than 60! The martyrs are in their twilight years, and their hearts are full of strength, and this is a feat that can be matched with the great achievements of His Highness Yun in creating the surname Zichuan! The incense of the Zichuan clan is extended, and there are successors! The ancestors and clans of the family should smile and admire this in the kingdom of heaven! The descendants and grandchildren of later generations will worship him so much that they will yearn for it infinitely! The rare hero of the Zichuan family, the great monarch of Zhongxing, the founder of the Zichuan Empire, long live the Zichuan Ginseng Star Majesty!"

Dillin spoke so quietly that only Stirling could hear him, who snickered as he listened.

"—Sterling, think about it, how exciting it would be if you could write such a paragraph in the family history books! At this meeting, he summoned both Minghui and Lin Bing, indicating that he had made a lot of determination. It's just that Ge Shan is not interested, and at this time she comes to talk about 'reckless military force', and even dares to scold us for adopting a 'foolish policy' -- it doesn't matter if she scolds me, but the slogans and policies of propaganda are formulated by the chief himself -- isn't that looking for his own death? You don't have to worry about her, it is not the first time that she has been dismissed and detained, Luo Minghai will protect her, and she will come out soon. ”

"I'm not worried about her......" Sterling shook his head, "I'm worried about the chief." ”

Di Lin narrowed his eyes: "I can see that you have reservations just now: can you tell me the truth, if there is a war, what do the military-the Military Affairs Department and the General Staff think have a chance of winning?"

Sterling replied with a careful word: "All of our current deployments are focused on defensive counterattacks, and it will take time to adjust the deployment of the army to suddenly turn into an active attack. ”

"The Liufeng family will not have civil strife tomorrow, and there is time for adjustment. ”

"Stormy is terrible, she's never lost a battle. ”

"People always make mistakes, and even more so a woman, then she has more reason to make mistakes. ”

"The Windswept Army's army is large and strong. ”

"And this huge army is about to be led by the three princes to fight each other—Sterling, you don't want to infect that damn Goshan, are you?"

"What about you?" asked Sterling.

Di Lin smiled lightly: "Goshan is thinking from the perspective of people's livelihood, but I am thinking about the long-term strategy of the Zichuan family. Sterling, I'll be honest with you: within five years from now, if we can't defeat the Wanderers, then we will only be doomed to be wiped out by the Wanderers. ”

"What?!"

"Isn't it strange? Think about it, before the war in the Far East, we and the Flowing Wind family had always maintained a relative equilibrium, no distinction between the upper and the lower. But after the loss of the twenty-three provinces of the Far East, the equilibrium has been broken, and as time goes on, the balance of strength will be even more unfavorable to us. The Liufeng Civil War is the last chance given to us by God, once the Liufeng family recovers from the civil war, it will not take five years for their national strength to leave us far behind! At that time, the Liufeng family will be so powerful that it is dangerous to even touch it. ”

The corners of Sterling's eyes twitched slightly, and the way Dilin considered the problem shocked him, but it sounded reasonable.

"But we've just been defeated, and we're very weak. ”

"There's still time, the army - try to be prepared for this, to regain strength. Now, we still have a chance, but if we miss this opportunity, we won't even have a chance!" Di Lin suddenly laughed: "Have you ever heard a joke? The turtle robbed the snail, and the snail ran to report the crime, saying, 'It happened too fast at that time......'"

Sterling smiled.

"Now, we are turtles, and we are going to take advantage of the civil strife to rob the snail of the Liufeng family! Although we are also scarred, as long as we take advantage of the chaos of the Liufeng family and give them a fatal blow when they are most vulnerable, this is enough!"

"What if that blow doesn't work?"

"Then the war will last for a long time. We have no way out, we can only fight with all our might, exhaust the last bit of potential: send the last man from the age of sixteen to sixty into battle, forge the last spoon into a steel knife, burn the last acre of rice fields, and tear down the last house for bunker - I believe that the Flowing Wind family will not be much better than us. ”

Stirling shuddered, and the prospect that Dilling described sent chills to him. He said heavily: "The Zichuan family is gone, and the Liufeng family is also dying. In this way, what will be left in the ruins of our two families, Zichuan and Liufeng? Humans are so cannibalistic that in the end, they only cheapen the demons. ”

"Isn't that great? It's been two hundred years since the split, and it's been two hundred years since the fight and rest, and it's time for an ending. Di Lin jokingly said, "Perhaps, a new unified empire is about to be born from the ruins!"

"But is it really necessary for us to hit this way?"

It is not that we want this to be so, but that facts and forms compel us to do so – and we have to fight too! The zeal and belligerence of the people must find a cathartic point, otherwise their dissatisfaction with external aggression and economic catastrophe will turn into resentment against the incompetence and inaction of the family authorities, that is, us, and threaten the regime. Moreover, it would be a foolish waste for the leaders of the clan to allow such a fanatical warlike god and passion, such a united national will, to allow them to vent without a goal and let them pour out this heat on meaningless marches and demonstrations. This kind of fanatical belligerence of the people will lead the senators into a state—"

"In this state, the Senate will agree to any crazy mention we propose, even if it is to start a war against the Wind and the Demon Clan at the same time, even if it is to triple this year's tax!"

"It's been raised, Sterling, it's been raised, and we don't even need to open our mouths. Looking at the stunned Sterling, Di Lin smiled: "The senate has spontaneously mentioned this morning that this year's taxes will be doubled for the newly increased military spending. They are now discussing the issue of giving the Commander-in-Chief the right to declare war - Sterling, your news is outdated—— and it is precisely for this reason that the Commander-in-Chief urgently summoned us to this meeting. The last obstacle to the anti-war is Goshen, well, you saw her fate as well. ”

Sterling groaned weakly, "God, is this damn weather burning everyone down?"

"Hehe, to put it mildly, the spontaneous frenzy in which the people are now plunged into is exactly what many rulers have dreamed of, what a good citizen, shouting vigorously: 'Fight! Fight! We will fight!' Our task is to channel this belligerent energy with a war—" His smile narrowed and turned stern: "Sterling, didn't you propose to expand the scope of the emblem last month without the consent of the Senate?

"Even approval is a process, at least a week. ”

"You can do something else until you get approval! I have a way to avoid the Senate. But when you expand the army, you also get a piece of the pie: the military police disciplined force under the Ombudsman Office will also expand by 200,000 men. ”

Sterling was surprised: "Oh, let's hear it. ”

"Come up with your ears!"

Diling whispered in Stirling's ear for a while, and Stirling clapped his hands: "Oops, why didn't I think of that?"

"But," he stared at Di Lin, "such a good idea, why didn't you bring it up at the meeting?"

"Hehe, Sterling, military affairs are under your jurisdiction, how can I interfere? If I mention it, Luo Minghai will come out to oppose it, and it is up to you to mention this proposal, it is a logical matter, and no one has anything to say. ”

There was a slight knock on the door of the waiting room, and both of them stopped. A tall, beautifully dressed Praetorian Officer appeared at the door: "Inspector General, Lord Commander, the meeting is about to begin, please come down." ”

When the family members gathered in the conference room again, it was nearly eight o'clock in the evening. Most of the people were already tired in their eyes, but the eldest of the members of the meeting, Zichuan Shenxing, was Jīng, who raised his voice to greet everyone: "Come in, sit down!"

Goshen's place was vacant, and looking at the empty chair, no one expressed surprise or inquiry, as if the place was empty in the first place. After all, there are very few people who can have a seat in this room, and there are very few people who don't know how to advance and retreat like Goshen.

"The meeting went on - I forgot to introduce it just now, this should be familiar to everyone, my niece Zi Chuanning. ”

Zichuan Ning Tingting got up and bowed to the important ministers, with a shallow smile on her face. Everyone smiled kindly at their future monarch.

It was the first time that Aning had participated in the family's decision-making meeting. Zichuan Shenxing's face was a little emotional: "Hehe, the little girl has finally grown up and knows that she is worried about the family." A-Ning is very capable, but lacks experience and needs to forge chains. I think about it, she will not be in a real position for the time being, but will serve as an assistant to the general director, and intern in various departments and departments - what do you think?"

If Goshen is here, he may find out the bottom line: Assistant to the Chief? What kind of official position is this? Is the rank of the Red Banner or the Deputy Commander? How much permission is there? But if she is not there, who would do such a thing to kill the scenery.

"Miss Ning came out to share the family's worries, that's the best thing!" Minghui, the commander of the border guards, smiled very kindly: "Another pillar of my family is about to grow up! Welcome Miss to the border guards to inspect and guide!"

Everyone secretly scolded Minghui: Slippery head! This guy knows in his heart, how noble he is as the heir of the Zichuan Ning family, Zichuan Shenxing will never let her go to the front line of the western border where war may break out at any time, so he can say beautiful things with confidence, and he will benefit without expense.

Lin Bing, the deputy commander of the Far East, also smiled and said: "I met Miss Ning two years ago, when she was still a little girl. In the blink of an eye, hehe, it has become so beautiful! On behalf of all the Far Eastern soldiers, I welcome Miss Ning to come to Valen for inspection!" Her situation is the same as Minghui's, and she is not too worried that Zichuan Ning will really go to Valen.

The others also said some words of praise: "Miss Ning is naturally smart, and her future is definitely immeasurable!"

"Miss only needs to forge the chain a little for two years, hehe, my Zichuan family also has a 'flowing wind and frost'!"

"With the bloodline of Lord Yuanxing, growing up under the cultivation of Lord Samxing, it must be good!"

Di Lin stammered and said, "Welcome Miss Ning to the Supervision Department for inspection." It's just that compared to Lin Bing and Minghui, his tone is much more reluctant. Sterling smiled, he understood what was going on, he understood what Di Lin was worried about, and he would not want such a special person with the identity of the future chief to work under him, and he had to serve her carefully every day, and if he was careful, he would offend the future chief, so what future was there? What's more, the Command Office and the Supervision Office, which department did not have unsightly means and tricks? If Zi Chuanning saw all this, not to mention the future, as long as she ran back and made a small report to her uncle:" Uncle Samxing, the Supervision Department has a small treasury, they are very rich!"

"Uncle Shenxing, Di Lin's office is very luxuriously decorated, Yan zhòng is over the standard! Where did he get his money?"

"Uncle Sanxing, today Deputy Commander Vega came to see Di Lin, the two of them sneakily closed the door and talked for half an hour, and they didn't leave a record of the conversation, I don't know what tricks to do?—— didn't it mean that the officials of the supervision system are not allowed to make friends with administrative officials in private?"

That alone was enough to give Dilin a headache.

Fortunately, Zichuan Shenxing immediately relieved his worries: "I have discussed with A-Ning before, it is not suitable for girls to go to the army with knives and guns, I plan to let her go to the civilian logistics department and administrative office to learn something first-uh, Luo Minghai, A-Ning will be your subordinate in the future, if she does something wrong, you just criticize her!"

Zichuan got up and saluted Luo Minghai: "Lord President, please advise me in the future!"

Luo Minghai got up and returned the salute, and said with a forced smile: "Please advise." Miss Ning Bingxue is smart, and we have another pillar of talent in the command office!"

Seeing Luo Minghai's embarrassment, Di Lin couldn't help but laugh out loud: With this future chief as his subordinate, Luo Minghai's rìzi will be difficult in the future. It's just that...... Di Lin frowned: The Logistics Department coordinated the financial and material supplies of the family army, and the Administration Department was not only the management center of the family's civilian officials, but also governed the powerful department of the Dìdū Ruling Department. Both departments are key departments of the family, and have always been under the personal control of the chief of staff. It's just that the current chief of staff, Ge Shan, is in the prison of the Supervision Department, and when there is a vacuum in the power of the two departments, Zi Chuanning, a strong person, will inevitably control the overall situation. Although she does not have a formal position, her position is absolutely significant.

Ge Shan had just been arrested and lost power, and Zi Chuan Ning immediately took her place-is it an unintentional coincidence, or is it a deliberate arrangement by this girl?

Looking at the pair of beautiful eyes that were hidden by the long eyelashes that trembled slightly, Di Lin found that compared to the naïve and naughty nature of a little girl, Zi Chuanning, who was now rì, showed a calmness that did not match his age. She has always kept a low profile, not many words, but every sentence is very measured, decent and generous, her eyes are wandering, from this to that, there is always a smile on her face, which makes people wonder. In the future, Zi Chuanning will officially become one of those heavyweight political figures who hold the fate of the world in his hands.

After Zi Chuanning's introduction came to an end, the next step was to listen to the reports of the defense chiefs in charge of the two fronts, east and west.

Lin Bing, the commander of the town guard of the Valen Fortress, reported to the chief and the command: In the front of Valen, the state of the demons is very calm. The southwestern battalion of the demons had abandoned the first line of positions close to the Valen Fortress, and the combat troops had retreated from the front line where the trenches and fortresses had been set up, and they had also stopped the provocative patrols that were very close to the perimeter of the Valen Fortress. The number of demon troops on the front line has been greatly reduced, and the human reconnaissance force can even cross the border and go deep for nearly ten kilometers without encountering a single demon soldier, and even if they do, the attitude of the demon soldiers is much softer than before, and they often use the way of verbal jǐng to drive the human out of the country instead of fighting, as if their commander is also consciously avoiding friction and battle with the human army.

There are rumors - note that they are only unverified rumors - there has been a large-scale rebellion in the Far East of the Demon Kingdom, and the combat units on the front line of the Demon Race have been transferred back to suppress it, and there are also rumors that there has been an internal strife between the Demon Imperial Families in the Demon Kingdom, and the Demon God Emperor has been forced to step down. It is estimated that in the near future, in the next six months, the demons will not launch a large-scale offensive against the human world.

Ming Hui, the commander of the border guards, smiled: "My situation is strikingly similar to His Excellency Lin Bing. He reported that on the western border, some of the Crusader's Jīng forces had moved westward, and that the fighting forces of the Liufeng clan had ceased their regular provocative activities, and that there was calm and that large-scale fighting on the border was unlikely.

"That's good news. The family is getting stronger day by day, and our enemies are already afraid! Well, we have to make them even more afraid! Everyone should pay attention to the fact that the time has come for a strategic turn! The family has gotten rid of the passive state of being threatened, but we must not take it lightly——"

Shikawa concluded: "The strengthening of the army is always our immediate issue at all times, and Sterling, as the head of military affairs in the Command, must take responsibility for this. ”

"Your Highness the Commander-General, my lords, there are two mentions in the Military Affairs Department. Sterling calmly raised his hand.

"Oh? ”

"The Council of Elders has been reluctant to approve the implementation of the national conscription decree for fear that excessive military expansion will affect front-line production—for this reason, I mention, the army will focus the next conscription on the exiled refugees in the Far East. ”

As soon as this remark came out, the audience was shocked. Lin Bing looked at Sterling with wide eyes and muttered, "Wonderful!"

Minghui patted his head: "Why can't I think of it?"

During the war in the Far East, millions of human inhabitants of the Far East lost their homes and went into exile in their family provinces west of the Valen Fortress, where they lost their jobs and land, and were displaced and wandered from place to place. Wherever this large group of refugees visited, it caused a great hidden danger to the local social order, and all the provinces were extremely troubled by this. In order to settle these refugees, the civil affairs department of the Zichuan family spends hundreds of millions of dollars every month to distribute subsidies and food to them.

"The conscription of middle-aged men from the refugees in exile has the following advantages: First, it is to avoid the control of the senate. Refugees do not have a household registration or land in the local zhèngfǔ, and they are unemployed - since they do not have a household registration, they do not have zài in terms of paper work. The expropriation of them, which does not count as the transfer of labor from the front line of production, will not arouse the opposition of the senate.

"2. Reduce the burden and expenses of the family civil affairs system. Theoretically, a soldier in the army can support a family of three with a salary. If we assume that even 400,000 out of 5 million refugees join the army, then the problem of food and clothing for 1.2 million people is solved.

"Third, it is also good for enhancing the combat effectiveness of the army. The refugees who lost their land, homes and relatives in the war in the Far East have no more concern and nostalgia, and they have the deepest hatred for the demons - in my experience, an army composed of such people, with a little training and guidance, will easily become the kind of fearless and daring army—— I wonder what His Royal Highness the Commander-in-Chief wants?"

"Okay! Okay!" Zichuan Shenxing's eyes lit up when he heard this, and he said in a loud voice: "This is a good idea! Sterling, you're careful!"

Sterling bowed his head in modesty, and when he looked up, he gave Dilling a slight glance of thanks, and the latter looked down at the report casually.

Luo Minghai poured cold water on the side: "Although Commander Sterling's idea is good, but to recruit a large number of refugees, form an army, and train - I am afraid that it will not be effective in a year and a half, right? But the civil strife of the Liufeng family is just around the corner, and I am afraid that the distant water will not be able to save the near fire!"

Sterling smiled, "Yes." His Royal Highness the Commander-in-Chief, the President and the Lord, and the Second Minister: It's not that my Zichuan family doesn't have an army, but the army is not in our hands. ”

"In whose hands?"

"In the hands of the senators! While the military affairs department was troubled by the lack of troops, the nobles had a large number of private armies in their hands, and they were self-respecting. For example—"

Stirling spread out a piece of paper in his hand, which was the secret report that Dilling had given him just now:" The Count Ducho, the senate representative of the province of Locsinwe, raised more than 30,000 private troops in his fiefdom, the Baron Fraser of Dama, who represented the Senate of Dama, had more than 16,000 troops, the Senate of Singa of Count Yulan had 27,000 troops, and the Count of Mavi of Valin (the name seemed familiar to him) had four mercenary divisions, a total of 23,000 mercenaries: the Senate of Liga, the representative of the Consulate of the wealthy merchant Zuba, had 11,000 men......"

Di Lin's report was long and detailed, and a total of 43 veteran nobles privately formed an army in the name of the escort team, the self-defense regiment, the township security joint defense team, and the city security regiment, with a total strength of nearly 600,000 troops.

No one spoke, and everyone watched as Sterling slowly folded the paper and put it in his pocket, feeling like he was sitting in a crater. The relationship between the current chief Zichuan Senxing and the Senate has always been the most sensitive of the sensitive, and now, Sterling has touched this line of highest pressure.

The chief looked at Sterling and asked, "Is the information accurate?"

Sterling didn't look at anyone: "It's almost certain." The proposal of the Military Affairs Department is that these private armies will be incorporated into the regular army and placed under the unified command of the Family Military Affairs Office. "This is an anti-general against Zichuan Sanxing. If he pretends to be deaf and dumb about this report, then don't mention anything to everyone about 'fighting for the world and defeating the flowing wind', the Senate will always be a test that must be faced, and now it depends on whether the chief has courage or not.

"As far as I know," Di Lin said slowly, "In the agreement reached between His Royal Highness Zichuan Xing, the second chief of the second generation, and the nobles, it is clearly stipulated that the nobles' private soldiers cannot exceed three thousand, which is an iron law written into the bill of the Senate. There is no doubt that the above noble senators have broken the law. ”

No one said anything, everyone was looking at the chief. Feeling countless eyes on his face, Zichuan Shenxing's expression gradually became stiff, the muscles on his face tensed, and the fists in his hands clenched: "Inspector General Di Lin, I order you to seek treason-"

"Wait a minute!"

To everyone's surprise, the person who spoke out turned out to be the newly appointed "assistant to the chief" Zi Chuanning. She hurriedly said, "Uncle—oh, no, Your Highness the Chief, and my lords, I'm sorry, but before you make a decision, can you let me say a few words?"

"Ah, Aning. Seeing that the person who spoke out was his own niece, Zichuan Shenxing's expression softened: "What do you have to say?"

"Yes. Your Highness the Governor, my lords, as the Inspector General said, the nobles whose names were just mentioned have violated the law. However, the decree that the nobles should not accumulate more than 3,000 troops was promulgated in the era of the second generation of the chief, nearly two hundred years ago, and many people have forgotten it. In Pingrì, everyone is used to this. - Even I, if the Inspector General hadn't mentioned it, I wouldn't have remembered that there was such a rule. They don't necessarily have a rebellious heart. Therefore, I implore His Royal Highness the Commander-in-Chief to give the above nobles who have made mistakes a chance, as long as they hand over their military power and cooperate with the Military Affairs Department to do a good job of reorganization, they will not be held accountable for this, showing the family's tolerant mind. ”

As she spoke, she glanced at Zichuan Shenxing, who immediately understood what she meant, and said "um, um" in her mouth, as if she was thinking about whether to show the "tolerant heart of the family" to the group of nobles who had made mistakes.

Di Lin's eyes showed admiration, and he deliberately asked, "What if they refuse to hand over their military power?"

"They should be willing. Otherwise, we will refer the matter to the Council of Elders for a decision. ”

"But these nobles themselves are members of the Senate......"

"Forty-three nobles are a tiny fraction of the nearly five thousand senators, and I am sure that this will not prevent the senate from making a correct ruling. After all, the facts and the law are very clear. And under the current form, it is even more impossible for the senators to shield them. If they refused to surrender their military power, the nobles would immediately become the target of public criticism.

"It is easier for people to accept that the Ministry of Military Affairs will give the necessary compensation to those nobles, or change the term 'requisitioned army' to 'purchase and transfer troops'.

"The OIOS takes care to gather relevant evidence and materials so that we can clearly testify at the Council of Leaders.

"Order the regular garrisons of the provinces to put them on alert, and keep a close watch on the private armies, so as to create momentum and pressure, and also to prevent people from taking risks and committing great rebellions.

"The Ministry of Military Affairs has made the necessary preparations for this matter and insisted on making breakthroughs in key points in the negotiations on reorganization. Everyone has a herd mentality, and as long as one of them agrees, the rest of the people will think, 'Even so-and-so nobles agree, what else can I support?' Then the rest of the negotiations will be easier to settle. ”

Zichuan Ning talked eloquently, and everyone looked at her with wide eyes as if they didn't know each other. In the blink of an eye, she had already proposed a series of steps to peacefully seize the military power of the nobility, and there were priorities, threats (the garrisons of the provinces monitored the whole army, and made it clear that if they did not obey the reorganization, they would take action), and also gave the way (those who obeyed the reorganization, they would be given appropriate economic compensation), and they were both encouraged.

Di Lin smiled and bowed slightly: "Miss Ning is thoughtful, and the lower officials are very impressed." ”

Di Lin was telling the truth. He knows the stakes of this matter best: if he really arrests those senators and nobles according to the decision made by Zichuan Shenxing in anger just now, it will completely anger the senators, and it is not possible that before the Liufeng family has a full-scale civil war, Zichuan's civil war will break out first. Zi Chuan Ning mentioned that he would hand over the matter to the Senate for trial first, which was regarded as giving the Senate face, and also used the power of the Senate to suppress those nobles who were sitting on private soldiers - even if they did not accept the ruling of the Senate, the enemy that the family had to deal with was only forty-three nobles and not the entire Senate, and there was much less resistance. The whole process is interlocking, proper, and practical, even for the most seasoned veterans. No one expected that the future heir of this family would be such a capable and wise member of the political family.

Di Lin gently poked Sterling's arm: "How is it?"

Sterling whispered: "It's very remarkable! Seeing things very quickly, adapting quickly, and with a little forging the chain, it is very likely that he will not lose to the two highnesses Yuanxing and Sanxing!"

"yes. Di Lin sighed softly. There was one sentence he couldn't help but say: "That's why I'm worried!"

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