In the bitter winter of February, Imperial Year 779, the war in the Far East took another turn. Just as Di Lin's army had tightly surrounded Gemara and Yun Qianxue's 200,000 Demon Race troops amid ice and snow, new enemies emerged from deep within the Demon Kingdom. Kalan, the Demon Race's second prince, led 200,000 Imperial Guard troops to reinforce Yun Qianxue. After several probing engagements, Di Lin realized that these opponents were unlike any he had faced before. The Demon Race's elite Imperial Guard far surpassed ordinary troops in morale, combat strength, and loyalty. Fearing an attack from both Yun Qianxue and Kalan, compounded by the human army's poor suitability for winter warfare and increasingly difficult supply procurement, Di Lin made a swift decision and ordered a retreat.
Because Di Lin's retreat was conducted in perfect order, with his army's morale at its peak—"those advancing did not falter, those covering the rear knew no fear"—there was not a single weakness to exploit. Thus, neither Kalan nor Yun Qianxue dared launch a rash attack. Rather than a "pursuit," it was more like an "escort" as they followed Di Lin's forces to the Hengchuan line. Both sides then returned to their original positions, bringing an end to the half-year military campaign later known as the "First Grand Expedition."
In this battle, the Zichuan Family lost more than 51,300 soldiers killed and 116,000 wounded. Of the dead, over 30,000 were nonhuman soldiers forcibly conscripted by Di Lin, while more than 80,000 of the wounded were also of nonhuman races.
The Demon Race army, meanwhile, suffered 273,000 dead and 288,000 wounded. Of those killed, 156,000 were slaughtered after surrendering. Yet these were merely military losses.
According to Tang Chuan, a later military historian of the Zichuan Family: "During Red Guard Captain Di Lin's First Grand Expedition, five major Demon Race cities were bloodily purged and burned, along with seventy-two towns and over two hundred villages. As many as 1.8 million Demon Race and other nonhuman civilians died at the hands of the Di Lin Legion, either directly through mass slaughter, or indirectly after their winter food and cold-weather supplies were seized, leaving them to starve or freeze to death." Later, scholars often criticized Tang Chuan's account as overly conservative and insufficiently objective—after all, Tang Chuan himself was paid by the Zichuan Family and was suspected of whitewashing Di Lin, a predecessor of the family.
The entire western frontier of the Demon Race was brutally "cleansed on tour" by Di Lin with sword and fire. It would take a century to recover. The hatred that the Demon Race and other nonhuman peoples bore toward humanity reached an unprecedented depth. Even after the Zichuan Family later took control of the entire Far East and vigorously implemented benevolent rule, that bone-deep hatred could not be erased. Only when Zichuan Xiu, later known as the King of Light, returned to the Far East did exchanges between the various races and humanity begin anew...
At the time, some praised Di Lin as the family's "new God of War," its foremost general since Yalimei, with achievements towering over all others. Others cursed him as a "cold-blooded madman," a "butcher," the "King of Killers"...
Di Lin himself remained unmoved. He returned to the Far East Army headquarters in Valen, where he received orders promoting him one rank to Deputy Commander, along with a medal for military merit.
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On March 11, Imperial Year 779, President Commander Yang Minghua submitted a proposal to Zichuan Canxing, Commander-in-Chief, on behalf of the Commanders' Office: "In view of Deputy Commander Di Lin and his subordinates' long campaigns, great achievements, arduous service, and physical and mental exhaustion, the family should reward those who have rendered meritorious service. I propose that Deputy Commander Di Lin be transferred back to the Imperial Capital to receive commendation and rest. The 50,000 meritorious soldiers under his command should also return with him to be honored."
On March 12, Commander-in-Chief Zichuan Canxing gave a brief written reply: "Approved."
On March 19, having received the orders, Di Lin departed Valen Fortress with 50,000 "meritorious soldiers" from the Far East, marching in grand procession toward the Imperial Capital.
Inside a secret chamber of the Commanders' Office, Yang Minghua slowly drained a glass of wine and said to Luobo Minghai with great satisfaction, "Once Di Lin returns... you will be the new President Commander."
Glancing at Lei Xun, commander of the Central Army, who looked somewhat jealous, Yang Minghua reassured him, "Don't be impatient. After me, the Commander-in-Chief's position will be yours."
Luobo Minghai merely nodded coldly. "Thank you, sir, for your patronage!"
Lei Xun said gratefully to Yang Minghua, "With such generous favor from you, sir, how could this subordinate ever repay it? Still, I believe it would be enough for us to carry out the operation. There is no need to wait for Di Lin to return! That brat is far too arrogant and difficult to command..."
Yang Minghua laughed heartily. "Lei Xun, you're jealous. I have my reasons for bringing Di Lin back, so don't overthink it. He is still very useful to me... Hahaha..."
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Inside the Commander-in-Chief's Mansion, Zichuan Canxing spoke dryly to Sterling. "Yang Minghua has summoned Di Lin back. He is about to make his move."
Sterling asked in confusion, "There is one thing this subordinate does not understand, and I hope you can enlighten me. Within the Imperial Capital, Yang Minghua controls Lei Xun's Central Army. His strength far exceeds ours, and he holds an absolute advantage. Why would he go out of his way to bring Di Lin's troops back? There is simply no need."
Zichuan Canxing smiled. "Sterling, what date is it today?"
Sterling did not understand what Zichuan Canxing meant, but he answered honestly, "March 20, Tuesday."
"Next Monday is the family's annual conference for officers of Red Guard Captain rank and above. Nearly every senior officer will attend—including Ge Yingxing. He, too, must return to the Imperial Capital."
"Sir, do you mean Yang Minghua summoned Di Lin back to deal with Ge Yingxing?"
"Exactly! Ge Yingxing will return with his 6,000 guards, but Di Lin has 50,000 men. A ten-to-one advantage—more than enough to put Ge Yingxing to death."
"Yang Minghua is being so bold. Is he not afraid that the Far East Army will rebel?"
"By then, Ge Yingxing will already be dead, and Yang Minghua will have nothing to fear. Even if Ge Yingxing's subordinates, Luo Bo and Lin Bing, object—well, Di Lin, the murderer, is a Far East Army general, and every man carrying out the deed will be a Far East Army soldier. Yang Minghua can claim it was internal strife within the Far East Army and had nothing to do with him. At worst, he can hand Di Lin over to placate Ge Yingxing's subordinates' fury. What an exquisitely thorough plan!"
Sterling smiled. "He is too clever for his own good!"
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At Zichuan Ning's home, Zichuan Ning said to Zichuan Xiu, "Brother, I heard Di Lin is bringing 50,000 troops back! What are you looking for?"
"Oh, the bill for the furniture damaged in our last duel. Di Lin was obviously supposed to pay for it, so how did it end up pinned on me? It's so expensive—over seven thousand, plus half a year's interest...
"Ning, do you think we should calculate the interest at the official rate or the black-market rate?... For the sake of our many years of friendship, I won't charge compound interest on top of interest..."
"But even compound interest wouldn't bankrupt him, right? I heard he's been a corrupt official in the Far East, stripping the land bare—he's squeezed those poor Demon Race people until every last one of them wants to cry..."
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