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#153 - Chapter 39: Strategy for the Outer Great Wall (I)

Currently, the Lord Commander of the Night's Watch is Jeor Mormont, while his predecessor, Lord Commander Heras Kogar, unfortunately passed away last winter due to illness.

Jeor Mormont, with his background as the former Lord of Bear Island and commander of Longship Hall, won the support of the Night's Watch members from the Northern regions, thus defeating Dennis Mallister, who had served as the commander of the Shadow Tower for twenty-three years, and successfully became the new Lord Commander.

Maester Aemon's appearance is very similar to the character in the television series; he has pale skin, hair, and greyish-white eyes, and his face is covered with deep wrinkles. Although he is over ninety years old, his physical condition is still astonishing.

Walking into the dining hall, Liu Yuan saw Mormont sitting at the head of a long table, with Maester Aemon sitting beside him. They were talking, but when Liu Yuan entered, they stopped and turned their attention to him.

"Welcome, Ser Galon, we have been waiting for you," Mormont said, his voice deep and powerful.

Liu Yuan nodded, thanked Jeor Mormont, walked to the table, and found a seat. The following meeting seemed somewhat monotonous and dull. Jeor Mormont tried his best to instill the glory and responsibility of the Night's Watch into Liu Yuan, but Liu Yuan didn't have much interest in it and just made a few polite remarks.

In contrast, Liu Yuan preferred to communicate with Maester Aemon. Although the old man was blind, he possessed extraordinary wisdom and insight. Due to the limitations of his identity, he had been trapped at the Wall for decades. Their conversations covered various fields such as history, culture, and philosophy, and Liu Yuan benefited greatly.

As time passed, Lord Commander Jeor found it increasingly difficult to participate in their conversations. The topics discussed by Liu Yuan and Maester Aemon made him feel confused and unfamiliar. Eventually, he decided to give up and prepared to leave. Just then, Liu Yuan made his request.

"Lord Commander Jeor, I heard that the Night's Watch is facing some difficulties recently, so I would like to express a small token of my appreciation. Please accept it. At the same time, I also hope to have the opportunity to climb the Wall and personally experience this great structure," Liu Yuan said softly as he placed a leather satchel on the table.

"Alright, I will speak with Ser Colyn; he will take you to the Wall," Lord Commander Jeor said hesitantly, then reached for the leather bag on the table, but he underestimated its weight and accidentally dropped it on the ground, causing the golden dragons inside to scatter all over. This made the atmosphere somewhat awkward, as he couldn't possibly bend down to pick up the golden dragons in front of a guest.

Seeing this, Liu Yuan very tactfully said, "Since you have other matters to attend to, I will go find Ser Colyn now. Maester Aemon, if I have the opportunity in the future, I will definitely visit you again." After saying this, he bowed to both of them and bid farewell.

Lord Commander Jeor smiled and nodded in response, while Maester Aemon waved his hand, indicating that he understood. Then, Liu Yuan turned and left the room, leaving the floor full of golden dragons for Lord Commander Jeor to deal with.

After leaving the Lord Commander's room, Liu Yuan found Ser Colyn and informed him that he wanted to visit the Wall. Ser Colyn readily agreed and led him to the winch basket at the foot of the Wall.

"Creak!" "Creak!" As the winch tightened, the basket began to slowly rise. Liu Yuan's vision gradually widened, and he could even see the distant Crownlands and the advancing convoy. According to Ser Colyn, this basket has been operating safely for over a hundred years. When the basket finally reached the top of the Wall, a biting cold wind rushed towards them, making them feel an icy chill. The Wall stood about six hundred feet high, which translates to more than one hundred and eighty meters in modern units, like a huge white wall, standing on the border of the North.

Several soldiers responsible for the winch were moving their bodies, as they had put in a lot of effort to pull the cable up. Liu Yuan then took out the roasted chicken and strong liquor he had prepared earlier and warmly invited the soldiers on duty to enjoy them together.

While these seven black-clad soldiers were feasting, Liu Yuan began to carefully observe the Wall. The top of the Wall was very wide, about seventeen meters across, but it had now been divided into compartments by the Night's Watch using logs and gravel, with bonfires burning day and night to resist the cold.

According to myths, ancient spells were woven inside the Wall during its construction to strengthen its structure and prevent the passage of mystical creatures, such as the terrifying Others. From the Frostfangs to the Shivering Sea, the Night's Watch established nineteen castles to guard the Wall, which stretched for one hundred leagues (three hundred miles). These castles were distributed along the Wall, each with its own characteristics and functions, forming an impregnable line of defense. From west to east, they are Westwatch-by-the-Bridge, Shadow Tower, Sentinel Stand, Greyguard, Stone Door, Snowgate, Icecrag, Fort Night, Deep Lake Home, Queensgate, Castle Black, Oakenshield, Woodsend, Sable Hall, Icemarks, Long Barrow, The Torches, Greenguard, Eastwatch-by-the-Sea.

However, in historical records, they never simultaneously occupied more than seventeen fortresses. In the most recent three hundred years, due to various reasons, the number of the Night's Watch has drastically decreased, leading to the abandonment of most of the castles. During the tenure of the previous Lord Commander Kogar, the manpower of the Night's Watch was severely insufficient, barely able to maintain the normal operation of six fortresses. Therefore, Lord Commander Kogar made a difficult decision: to seal Deep Lake Home and Oakenshield, and transfer all the personnel stationed there to strengthen the defenses of the other four fortresses and increase patrols. In this way, although the burden on the Night's Watch was reduced, loopholes appeared in the Wall's defense system.

The Wall itself does not have any true gates, only narrow tunnels for passage. These tunnels are usually blocked by several layers of huge iron gates, each secured by heavy chains. When a castle is abandoned or faces danger, these tunnels are completely blocked to prevent enemy invasion. The method of blocking is often to fill the entire tunnel with ice, snow, and gravel, making it an insurmountable obstacle.

While traversing the Wall, Jon noticed that the height of the Wall was not uniform, with some places even twice as high as the peaks on either side. The top of the Wall was wide and flat, capable of accommodating more than a dozen people walking side by side. On the south side of the Wall, there was a bunker every league, while on the north side, there were endless forests.