Chapter 303
2021-01-06
Chapter 303 Land Grant Change (Part 2)Castle Black's senior management insisted not to use martial power, The Eastwatch delegation of 20 or 30 people could not support it alone. Conservative officers eventually agreed to try: send a credible oral message to make sure Robb Stark knew what was going on in Wall. Relying on external force to deal with a logistics officer that Night's Watch has completely out of control.
The plan is clear and easy to implement, but the implementation is not smooth.
On the ground, the Queenscrown army that blocked the Castle Black mission refused to communicate and negotiate. It was an iron-faced posture that only carried out the order and ignored the rest: whether it had Night's Watch status or not, whether it was from Eastwatch or not.
, whoever supports the Lord Commander campaign - must not leave Castle Black. And those who tried to leave Castle Black or deliver the letter from the top of the Wall were soon stopped by the Mountain clan Warrior of Queensgate and Sable Hall shortly after departure.
The besieged, once again experienced the opponent's exhaustive tactics.
So they turned their hopes on the timing, hoping that the cold and hunger brought by the increasing snow would eventually drive the mountain clansmen outside the city back. However, the situation changed again in the afternoon: the second and third batches of hundreds of people, including men and women, rushed to pull the goods in the direction of Queenscrown, and they started work as soon as they arrived. After some in a frenzy, tents and fences were erected in the ruins of the original Mole's Town, and a simple military camp was built - it was still dark, and smoke was already rising from it!
…
So far, the number of land-grant troops outside Castle Black has exceeded the entire Night's Watch Legion, and the combatants, logistics support, and system are complete, and it seems that no need for any External support can also operate independently. The conservative officers saw this on the fence. Although they didn't say much, they were already beating drums in their hearts, and the most regretful of them was the Chief Service Officer - Bowen Marsh.
He began to vaguely realize that the current situation was caused by the resource consumption war started by oneself after the accidental death of Commander Mormont, intending to bring down the land grant resettlement plan.
At his behest, Castle Black strictly controls food supplies, but now he can only guard a warehouse full of people, surrounded by people but unable to do anything. And what about Queenscrown? Relying on the support of the Night's Watch industry to support 80% of the living people of the land grant, every day all is struggling to fill the empty warehouse. It seems battered and exhausted, but it has unconsciously controlled the whole land grant and became a Here not just in name only, but also in reality dominance.
Bowen doesn't think oneself has done anything wrong, but he has to admit that in this war of attrition, oneself failed to achieve its strategic goals.
What's worse than the feeling of losing: an opponent who doesn't break down, gets stronger.
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"When the gang appeared outside the city in the morning, we didn't respond decisively when our footing was unsteady, and we were doomed to be at a disadvantage. Now it's too late to say anything. Now! Next, we can either count on Eastwatch and Shadow Tower to relay us the news of the Flying Crow, or we can only stay here and wait for a change.”
“Unstable? It's easy to say." Immediately someone said sarcastically: "When the gang of people outside the city's footing was unstable, we didn't even wear clothes. I'm glad they didn't take the opportunity to launch a fierce attack!"
… …
After various attempts to send someone to deliver the message failed, a second meeting was held in Castle Black. But apart from some insignificant arguments, no one could make any more constructive comments.
It's not that they didn't have an idea, but at this moment, they really couldn't do anything:
Although the Night's Watches, who knew that outside the wall was not a mortal enemy, still carried out their orders and prepared to defend, but when they understood that this was purely After a high-level wrestling, the mind has relaxed for the most part; and Castle Black has only one gate, barricades outside the fence and the blockade of several overlapping shifts, making it possible to sneak out of the encirclement. Infinitely small; as for the bigger and bigger, the snow that has already piled up on the field to cover the calf has killed off sneak attack, breakout... any theoretical possibility of military operations.
"What's the use of talking about the past? We have to figure out a way now, we can't continue to let the mountain folks outside the walls trap us!" Yohn Royce was Runestone count, Vale's number two figure. As an aristocrat who has been in charge of affairs, he knows more about the emotions of the public than most of the people present: "It is a good thing not to bleed, but as time goes by, if we never respond or fight back, brothers. It will gradually change from anger and dissatisfaction to adapting to the status quo, and countless pairs of eyes are staring at this place. Once everyone finds out that we can't do anything about Igor, we unconsciously accept that 'he is the boss in the land grant'. Once you have a concept, it's too late!"
"Could it be that everyone understands that he is the boss, and that is the reason why Igor did this?" Osail glanced at the Chief Instructor Andrew Ser in confusion, meaning Pointingly, he said: "But, with the votes of the recruits, isn't he about to win the election? Isn't it worth the loss by causing trouble at this juncture?"
"His purpose is not important! I only I know, with this guy's meticulous character that never leaves any loopholes in his work, I'm afraid that there will be corresponding actions against Eastwatch and Shadow Tower." Yohn Royce saw that several top executives did not speak, and regardless of oneself's low rank, he continued to speak . "We must fight back as soon as possible, and if we want speed, we can only rely on oneself! After thinking about it for a long time, I found a guy who was in the blind spot of everyone's thinking, and that kid definitely didn't expect it - even if he thought about it, he couldn't prevent it. The way to live, you can send a message!"
"oh?"
"Tell me."
Yohn waved his hand and quickly revealed the answer: " Igor blocked the two roads inside the wall and the top of the wall, but there is a huge world outside the wall, why do we turn a blind eye?"
......
The huge world outside the wall ? Send a letter through the north wall? After a short silence, several Ranger Captains sneered.
"I thought you had a good idea all of a sudden, but this is it." A Castle Black Ranger officer snorted disdainfully, "Why do you think we should block the tunnel out of the wall? God? God knows how many dead people and Others are in the Haunted Forest right now, just waiting for us to die!"
"Beyond the wall is dangerous now, I don't doubt that." Yohn Royce insisted: " Stop patrolling outside walls, close tunnels...all measures are to reduce losses. But all the reports I've seen with Others claim that they are intelligent beings, and their thinking abilities are by no means inferior to humans...such a creature , would you really wait for the 'people to die' to appear on the edge of Haunted Forest, knowing that we won't get out of the wall?"
"Are you sure you want to speculate on the monster's thoughts and put your life on the This kind of inference? God knows they are just lying in ambush on the edge of Haunted Forest? The living will get restless if they can't wait for the target, and the dead are not bad!"
"Mance Rayder only brought 30,000 The wildling surrendered, and thousands of people choose not to believe him. This gang is running away beyond the wall, if I were Others, I would take my dead army, and grab all these people who have nowhere to run Come out and strengthen oneself, and then wait until the time is right! What does the report say? - As winter comes, they are getting stronger and closer to the Wall."
"I don't care what you think." A Castle Black Ranger Captain shrugged: "Anyway, don't want us to send someone out of the wall to be a Suicide Squad, I'd rather be hanged by martial law than go out to die in vain, If you die, you have to come back in another way."
Yohn ignored the opponents, but continued to look around the other Night's Watch officers in the room: "Neither Igor nor Others would have thought we would be here. It's time to send someone out of the wall... Send one or two people down with a hanging basket, go west along the foot of Wall, bypass the mountain people at Queensgate, cross the blockade and let the sentinel on top of Wall pull us up, if you are faster , not even spending the night outside the Wall. It's dangerous...yes, but if I guess right, it's probably not as mortal as we intuitively think!"
"Then if all the The fortress has Igor's order to stop anyone who comes out of Castle Black?"
"Then they will only choose to seize, not refuse. Jue pull people on the Wall. If that kid really even considers this impossible situation, then I admit it! "
"I object." "Ossel Arwick directly expressed oneself's opinion, "I will not sit idly by while this kind of plan that puts some brothers at unnecessary risk is passed, in order to decide who will be the next Lord Commander and whether the land-grant resettlement plan will be passed." Time to move on, Wall does have enough drama... but it's just a difference in philosophy—"
"I came up with the idea, and I took the lead. Yohn Royce interrupted the chatter of the Chief Craftsman, "I'll ask for volunteers to accompany me, and if not, I'll go alone." Sir Cotter, do you approve of my action? "
Cotter didn't expect this man to work so hard, and stared at him for a while before slowly opening his mouth: "We all know the feud between you and Igor, Yohn, but. not worth it. You managed to get the message to Robb, he also impossible to kill Igor, but if you guess wrong and never come back, he'll just laugh so hard afterward. "
I didn't say no, Yohn Royce was firm: "I understand the risk and decided to take it." Igor West uses various means to drive us into a corner step by step. If he doesn't fight back with some extraordinary tricks, he will treat us as fools who are easy to bully! "
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In Castle Black, a small group of conservatives is planning an incredible adventure as a counter-attack against Igor's sudden attack. The Night's Watch harbour at the east end is immersed in a happy and peaceful atmosphere at the moment.
The conflict and competition among the high-level people is a matter of the great characters, and the brothers at the bottom will not vote for Different people regard each other as enemies - especially when one party is the first to show affection.
Night's Watch actually controls, and is also the first land-grant settlement that can be called a town: Queenscrown's The logistics officer led the employees of the Night's Watch industry to come to the army again after a few months, and brought in a truckload of various meats and several large barrels of fine wine, claiming that this was a reward for the Eastwatch brothers for sticking to the Wall.
Watching Wall's days is really boring. Catching up with this kind of good thing, and the Commander just happened to be away, this dinner party suddenly turned into a carnival: there were people pushing the wall on and off the ice wall, in and out of the hall, everywhere. Cups and cups, gorge oneself; Night's Watch and the staff of the logistics department cross shoulders, call each other brothers, and brag about their experience; the drunk leans against the corner, humming a vulgar and ambiguous tune, although There is no musical instrument accompaniment, but there is no rhythm.
The wall blocks the cold wind, and the temperature from the festive crowd and the heating charcoal fire creates a pocket heat island in the small coastal fortress, as if even the snow Pushed back to beyond the wall. The aroma of the wine mixed with the fat and spice from the cooking of the meat created a pleasant smell.
…
It's been a long time since the Lord Commander campaign started. It's just a little too much right now.
Ian Immet doesn't drink much, he's Eastwatch's Ranger Captain, Cotter Pyke's number one thug. The boss took Yohn · Royce entire group to Castle Black to run for election, and he was left as temporary Eastwatch commander.
He doesn't have the prestige to make brothers not drink, eat meat or brag But he knew that the more the brothers in the fort were immersed in the party and the feast, the more someone had to stay awake - keep an eye on Wall's defenses, lest Others or still The unsurrendered beyond the wall wildlings attacked, breaking through This key fortress caused a catastrophe.
The sentry on the top of the wall also drank some wine. At the moment, they are gathering together with rosy faces and talking nonsense. Although they have some bad attitudes, they have not deserted after all... Wall's tallness is guarded. The army brings a very high fault tolerance rate: as long as the sentinels do not sleep, it is completely impossible that the outrageous situation of "the enemy has climbed up and has not been noticed" occurs.
I told him to patrol and stood on the top of the wall to look at the Haunted Forest. Immet went down the stairs and returned to the ground, and then entered the sentry tower next to the wall, to the brothers guarding the ground part of the fortress. He also gave a reminder, and only left with confidence after confirming that there were no major flaws in the defense.
As he passed the hall, he was confronted by Eastwatch's Maester Harmune.
The "mouthpiece" of the fortress is nothing like Maester should be: he's chubby and drunk after drinking all day, and now he's holding a cup in his hand, his face is red, and he can't even walk. Stagger.
"Harmune." Immet has long been accustomed to his appearance, and suppressed his disgust sighed: "Did any Raven fly there today."
"Hmm... "Harmune opened his eyes dazedly, shaking his head as if trying to get rid of the alcohol in his head: "It looks like a letter from Castle Black has arrived."
"Then why don't you report the content?"
"Well...I was taking the letter off Raven's lap, and as soon as I put it back in the cage, the brothers from Queenscrown arrived. I just put things down and came to help...move things— —Hiccup —"
"It's a bar move!" Immet frowned in disgust, "I know you love wine as one's life, everyone just doesn't bother to talk about you, but you are Maester of Eastwatch after all, Can you do your job first and then drink it? Raven from Castle Black, if there is an emergency order, can you be held responsible? Where's the letter?"
"Hiccup —Understood, pay attention next time." If the critic was Cotter Pyke, Harmune might still take it seriously, but the acting conductor... is also pointing fingers at Maester? He shrugged nonchalantly, and continued walking down the hall with the glass in his hand: "The letter... either under Raven's cage, or on my desk, you... oneself go and find it."
Shaking his head angrily, Immet suppressed the urge to beat the guy and hurried to Maester's hut. After some tossing, I found the note that was sent from Castle Black today, still in a roll. Opened the flat, and began to read word by word under the dim rays of light.
Immett's reading ability is average. It took him a while to read the entire contents of the letter and understand what happened. After he swallowed, he knew that the major event was not good.
Castle Black was besieged, and Cotter Pyke was trapped and could not escape, so he warned Eastwatch through this letter: Beware of any outsiders - especially the actions of the Night's Watch logistics department.
No one is allowed to enter the fortress without order!
Maester, who should have notified everyone of this news in time, left the crow's nest excitedly at the moment when the "Labour Army" team from Queenscrown arrived, to carry meat and wine, and participate in the subsequent dinner, He drank until he was very drunk, and did not pass on the news to the brothers!
Oneself walks on thin ice to perform its duties, guarding against Others and wildlings, not knowing that the threat will eventually come from the black clothed "oneself". Eastwatch, which should have been on alert and closed to the outside world immediately after getting the news, just because of the negligence of an alcoholic, did not hesitate to let in dozens of logistics soldiers and mountain clansmen. If they are malicious, then This fortress has already fallen to the ground at this moment.
He slapped the letter on the table, grabbed the sword, and rushed out of Maester's hut - only a few dozen people got in, while Eastwatch has more than a hundred soldiers, as long as the opponent attacks Gather enough reliable brothers first, and they still have a chance to regain control of the fortress!
But the scene in front of him made him drop his hand: under the background sound of the noisy dinner, the door of Eastwatch has been opened. The guards stood by the door with Queenscrown logistics officer hehe haha, just like this, watching a few empty carts pulled by oxen or horses, as well as dozens or hundreds of mountain clans, filed in from the door and squeezed into the mill. The defenseless port fortress.
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(end of this chapter)