Chapter 133

「Your Highness, Keledi and the others can return to Winterfell tonight; should we wait for them to arrive before discussing military strategy? 」 Ser Rodrik inquired, 「Although this warrior is accustomed to silence in meetings, he has proven his reliability on the southern battlefield; he is qualified to attend the meeting. 」

「No need to wait for them. Since I returned to Winterfell, there have been too many changes; this is merely me using this opportunity to understand the situation. Ah, this is not a final decision, at most just discussing a plan. 」

Keledi will soon lead a portion of the cavalry north to aid the Wall; he doesn't have that much time to discuss strategy in Winterfell.

「Your Highness, since everyone is going to discuss military affairs, I won't participate further. The returning army has many preparations to make; I need to go arrange things! 」 the Fen steward smiled and asked Lady Mei Yi for permission to leave.

「Ah, thank you! 」 Lady Mei Yi nodded; she was relieved to entrust this matter to him.

The Fen steward rose to leave, but accidentally bumped the table corner, emitting a sharp squeak.

Sasha was jolted awake from her doze, anxiously looking around, which amused Lady Mei Yi greatly.

「Sasha, please open the door, then summon these boys: Huodenuorui, Faertegeluofuo, Moersenlinshi, Beiluntaoha, Banyang saiwen, Yase kongdun, Huolan pu er. 」 Lady Mei Yi pondered, 「Just tell them they will start learning new knowledge from today. 」

「Mm! 」 she blushed, rushing out of the library.

「Captain Hal, let Gai Ji and Rutabaga bring some more wine and fruit juice from the kitchen. 」

「Yes, Your Highness. 」 Hal Moran also felt a bit tired; being able to go out for a walk made him happy.

「Your Highness, aren't these children too young? Moreover, they cannot understand military matters and some situations; wouldn't it be inappropriate to let them listen in? 」 Mason Sevine wondered, 「Ah, I'm most worried they won't learn to keep secrets. 」

「These children are the essence of the North; some things should be learned promptly. 」 Lady Mei Yi stood, her finger touching the map, 「This is the perfect opportunity for them to understand their homeland and land. Moreover, winter has arrived; they cannot remain merely children. As for secrecy, I believe they will manage. 」

Lady Mei Yi walked out of the opened library; grey clouds blanketed the sky, and since she returned to the North she had not seen the sun. Outside, the cold wind blew in gusts, icy yet fresh.

The snow accumulated inside Winterfell had been cleared and piled up; the white snow clung to sludge, looking dirty.

The workers nearby were using tools to scrape away the mud on the ground; as the tools scraped, the hard frozen earth beneath was exposed.

Behind them, another group was pulling huge stone slabs, following a rhythm as they shouted while compacting the road; behind them, yet another group continuously laid crushed stone on the leveled road.

Next, granite stones need to be laid on top of the crushed stone.

She had endured Winterfell's muddy roads for a long time; only in the past few days, having found some free time, did she formally decide to replace all the city's roads with stone. The cost was staggering.

Some senior officials opposed this, arguing that regardless of manpower or wealth, resources should be devoted to war rather than wasted on unnecessary internal construction.

Finances are easily spoken of; she has plenty. The key is manpower.

What led her to decide was what she saw. Her hearing is excellent; each time she enters the vicinity of small animals, she can hear many idle youths and middle-aged people gathered at the winter refuge market, gambling and noisy, neither working in the pottery kilns nor doing anything else—this situation clearly shows that employment around Winterfell is insufficient. Moreover, if they are not deliberately avoiding work, it is even harder to tolerate; their presence is not merely a resource but an instability factor.

Convincing the nobles took some effort, but faced no obstruction. Lady Mei Yi's reasons were mainly two: first, spending the gold, silver, and copper coins gathered in hand can increase commoners' income, benefiting regional trade circulation; second, granite stones can be lifted onto the walls as weapons when needed.

Lady Mei Yi believed the latter reason convinced them.

She had an impression, recalling that this was the operation of some historical family.

It seemed that, in history, the young people of a certain family, to display luxury, used bronze to cast the palace's pillars; for a time, everyone condemned them for extravagant indulgence, but the patriarch not only did not blame them, but strongly supported them, because although luxurious, both bronze and timber were strategic reserves in war. Eventually, when the family faced danger and was besieged by enemies, they toppled the bronze pillars, remelted the bronze using the building's timber, and cast it into various weapons, ultimately winning the war.

Perhaps she should also, under the guise of construction, stockpile some materials within Winterfell; she herself might not need them, but who knows whether her descendants will?

Prior to this, Lady Mei Yi had already repaired the library tower; she could hear the faint vibrations of hot spring water passing through the underground and solid walls of the library tower. According to the elders, even in the harshest winter, the indoor temperature can still be maintained.

Therefore, moving the council hall here is her most satisfactory place.

Besides the library tower, she also intends to repair the ruined tower and completely demolish the first fortress, erecting a tower for education and academic research.

The first fortress is the oldest structure in Winterfell and also the most primitive stronghold, covering a large area, only slightly smaller than the godswood; building a solitary academy with supporting facilities would be more than enough. Moreover, hot springs also flow beneath the first fortress; if properly utilized and with financial support, perhaps it could attract talent from all over the realm for her.

The scholarly city is her goal.

The scholarly city has a long history; in Lady Mei Yi's understanding, anything long-established inevitably brings complexity and decay; truly ambitious and talented scholars might prefer to leave that place, choosing instead to exert their abilities in a new environment.

How should the academy be built?

Knowledge is represented by the blacksmith; perhaps the academy's gate walls on both sides could be adorned with two huge bronze blacksmith statues.

That is a distant matter.

She heard the children's shouts from afar; after taking a deep breath outside, she turned back into the library.

The children, panting heavily, ran into the library one after another, instantly changing the library's previously gentle atmosphere.

「Silence! 」 Lady Mei Yi waited until they were seated, then sternly admonished these noble youths; they immediately ceased their clamor and all turned to look at her.

「Ser Mason Sevine says you're still young and don't need to know our situation, but I say your age is already not small—only a few years shy of the age at which the young dragon lord and young wolf lord go to battle. Our battle is approaching, so it's time for you to know what we face. You no longer have much time to study, for winter has quietly arrived. Therefore, I decide that today and every day henceforth, if there is a military council, you should attend as observers as much as possible, but I have two basic requirements: first, no whispering or interjecting unless called upon; second, upon leaving the council, you may not reveal a single word of what was discussed, nor privately discuss it among yourselves. 」

Lady Mei Yi gazed at the silent youths.

「You are not yet qualified to sit in these chairs, so maintaining order inside and outside the council is your duty. Captain Hal, if anyone violates discipline, you need not seek my permission—just whip them directly. 」

「Yes, Your Highness. 」 Hal laughed, stood up, drew the whip from his waist, and lightly flicked it back and forth in his palm.

That was a thin horsewhip.

These youths looked earnestly and solemnly at Lady Mei Yi and the nobles; for them, being able to participate in such a council proves they are no longer children playing childish games.

Although these individuals are all youths, some even merely children, in reality, if any of their fathers or elder brothers encounter an accident, they must immediately step up, which requires certain ability. Even if there is no inheritance for them to carry on, merely today's format will cause them to be regarded as trusted confidants of Winterfell, who will serve it in the future; regardless of circumstance, they need to understand some basic military knowledge and operations.

At Lord Eddard's council, Robb always followed to his sides to observe and learn; the nobles knew this was a common way to cultivate heirs. Lady Mei Yi had no heir to cultivate, but letting these children participate would be a mark of favor, which every noble could see.

Rorjel Kaison and Rogef Grover both smiled silently; their children were seated here in a row.

Rutabaga and another maid, one after another, brought in the items she had requested, set them down, and then left.

「Did you all hear clearly? 」

The children all nodded in assent, not daring to speak.

That's good.

Within this city, the one who most concerns herself with their growth is likely Lady Mei Yi.

These children now spend all day causing trouble in Winterfell, lacking any uniform educational requirements and sufficient military training; it is utterly impossible to expect them to instantly become qualified officers when needed.

This is far too slow. Moreover, Winterfell's capacity to provide education is truly scarce.

Since Ser Rodrik assumed the post of Winterfell's defense commander, the role of the city's drillmaster has fallen to Hu Ban, the drillmaster from Sevencity, alone; but one person cannot train so many children, nor can he conduct military training for them, especially military theory.

In general education, Winterfell is even more dismal; typically, scholars only educate the lord's children within Winterfell, while others cannot enjoy this service.

Worse still, Winterfell now has not a single scholar.

Lady Mei Yi herself is stretched thin; it is utterly impossible for her to personally teach these children to read and recognize diagrams. This is also why she urgently wishes for Brother Chael to help her build a civil servant team.

「Bolton's forces in the south have not yet landed in the North; their overall military plan remains unclear, but the families supporting Bolton are already quite evident, located in the southwest and east of the North. The southwest mainly consists of Wildgrave Village, Streamland, and the Fingers of the Forresters; having retained as much strength as possible when the young wolf lord marched south, they can provide Bolton with considerable support. 」 When everyone moved the map from the table to the wall, Brother Chael faced the crowd, actually introducing this group of children, 「His supporters in the east are mainly the Locks, the Longs, and the Forresters of the Widow's Watch, etc., eastern coastal families. 」

Everyone remained silent.

According to our estimates, Bolton and his allies could mobilize over forty thousand troops this winter, roughly split between the east and west banks of the White Knife River, with cavalry possibly exceeding ten thousand. Bolton's forces are currently lying low in their territory, likely waiting for their lord to land—once Roose Bolton safely sets foot on northern soil, I think they will launch an attack before deep winter arrives—based on unreliable intelligence, Bolton's landing is imminent.

Everyone stared intently at the large map hanging high; from it, the area supporting the Dreadfort is simply too large.

Mei has not actually visited the various families, big and small, of the North, so she cannot grasp the true size of their territories; however, based solely on what this map depicts, the Streamlands and the Barren Barrow alone are already larger than Winterfell combined with all clearly supportive regions.

Precisely because she has not actually visited, she cannot judge the true situation or the size of their lands.

The scale of the map is obviously unreliable as well.

A map is just a map. Lord Eddard once said that the true lay of the land is far more complex than any map.

In some respects, she is not a fit lord; a proper lord knows his holdings inside and out.

Our general mobilization order will be issued the day after tomorrow; combined with the support of our allies and your houses, we expect to raise nearly twenty thousand soldiers, with cavalry possibly reaching six thousand, and infantry and archers together totaling twelve thousand. If Lord Manderly can provide additional support, we can expect even more.

Forty thousand versus twenty thousand—that's basically the situation.

"Your Highness, now the enemy outnumbers us, I think our winning strategy lies in defense; if defense works, we can use the North's winter to wear down the enemy. Bolton's army still has six thousand southern troops; they likely cannot handle fighting in the North, and as long as we hold our defense, those southerners will surely collapse on their own." Luo Erjie interjected, and after no one spoke, he picked up a wooden stick, walked to the map, and gestured, saying, "I believe our key defensive points are the 'three tiers' and the 'five points'." He looked at everyone, confirming they had heard him, "The so-called three tiers: first tier is the passage from Winterfell, Seagard, to White Harbor; second tier is the Long Lake and White Knife River defense line; third tier is the Last River and Shadowforest defense line. As long as the three-tier line holds, Hearthfire City and Karhold will be safe, and we can bottle Bolton up east of the White Knife River."

The three tiers and five points, hearing this made Mei Yi frown directly; this clearly shows that in her absence, these senior officials favor this strategic choice.

The so-called five points refer to the five most important locations we must defend along the White Knife River. One of these five points is the five fords of the White Knife River, namely Knight's Ford, White Wolf Ford, Shady Ford, Grey Wolf Ford, and Wind and Snow Ford; as long as these five fords hold, Bolton's army cannot advance west of the White Knife River. As of today, we have already built camps at the five fords and their vicinity, and only a small force is needed to jointly defend them.

The senior officials nodded repeatedly, and Mei Yi remained noncommittal. Building camps at the river crossings was a strategy she had already decided on when she left Winterfell.

The second point is the defensive position of Karhold and Hearthfire City, namely along the Last River; this river has few fords, only two: Giant's Ford and Pride of Sun Ford. I believe the Karstarks and Umbers understand the importance of these two locations. If they fall, I fear that with the forces of Karhold and Hearthfire City, they would be unable to stop Bolton's advance, and being far away, we cannot provide timely reinforcement. The third point is Torhen's Square and the Barren Graves on the road from there to Winterfell; this location is a key point to block the stream and the Barren Graves advancing on Winterfell. The fourth point is WolfsHow Town on the King's Road; as long as it holds, the west of Winterfell is secure. The fifth point is Karstark Bay, which may face a sneak attack by the Flints; if breached, we worry that the Iron Throne and the Vale's enemy troops could pass through Karstark Bay, marching north to aid Bolton. After all, there have been reports that Bolton received strong support from Littlefinger in Seagull Town.

Luo Erjie put away the wooden stick and looked at everyone.

Fortunately, all the aforementioned defensive points have already been reinforced and are under our control. If we defend properly, even if Bolton adds another forty thousand troops, they can only sigh in frustration.

No one spoke.

If Bolton really has that many troops, I would worry for Bolton. As long as the winter lasts more than a year, I think they themselves will collapse." Luo Delike took over the conversation, speaking confidently.

If Seagull Town has already given Bolton support, how long can their supplies last?

I don't know, but I do know that Winterfell's provisions and supplies are enough to last one to two years, and if White Harbor's supplies can flow continuously, the Braavosi can provide food and furs according to the discussed plan, allowing us to last even longer.

Lord Luo Erjie, Sir Luo Delike, and all senior officials, I heard from the woman in red that Bolton has already used blood magic; of course, I don't know if it's true, but if the situation with Lord Brandon and Young Master Rickon occurs again, how can we ensure that under these means we can still defend these places? If any point is accidentally lost, what backup preparations do we have?" Monk Chai asked loudly, "Lord Kongqi Kongdun has captured many traitors in Winterfell for us; how can we ensure that there are no enemy spies in our key defensive positions?"

What if, what if, how can there be so many 'ifs'? This is already the best defensive measure." Luo Erjie raised his voice, "Of course we must constantly root out spies and continually strengthen defenses, or, are we supposed to follow Lord Kongqi's opinion and cross the White Knife River to attack the Dreadfort?"

Mei Yi fell silent, pondering; defense is a neither-hasty-nor-leisurely strategy, with nothing outstanding, and combined with the geography of the North, no obvious loopholes can be seen. But will the enemy give them a chance and attack according to the anticipated rhythm?

We cannot, just because of insufficient troops, initially assume that we should adopt passive defense.

Attacking the Dreadfort is certainly out of the question, sir." Monk Chai said with a smile, "According to what you said, the Vale has already provided material support to Bolton; how could they not be able to hold out for a year or even longer? Given Bolton's personality, perhaps they have stored enough provisions to feed an army for five years. How can we defeat an enemy with five years of supplies through defense alone? If after a year the winter ends, under defensive conditions, how are we to do spring planting and summer harvest?"

My lords, exactly how long the winter will last cannot be determined, nor when the next heavy snow will fall," and whether the enemy will use blood magic, when, and on whom is also unpredictable. "So, if we merely defend passively, we may miss the chance to win, and once the situation changes, defensive gaps may appear; but if we merely attack, heh, everyone has seen that we lack troops, and it is also possible that we have even fewer supplies."

Your Highness, what is your opinion?

I don't know." Mei Yi dug up dusty memories in her mind, "But in short, no matter what method is adopted, the purpose of war is victory, and the means and conditions for victory must be reliable; we cannot pin our hopes on things we cannot control, such as the weather, such as winter."

Your Highness, what is your strategy?" Sir Mason Seawen asked.

Mei Yi glared at him; what strategy does she have now?

If there is a strategy, the strategy is to be proactive and exceed the enemy's expectations. Our forces are in a weak position, but our troop composition is relatively simple, making command more convenient." Plus full visibility, "this is our advantage."