Chapter 144: The Expedition

Under Eddard's painstaking management, the current Winter Town now possesses a military camp, a forge, and stables, and there is even a shipyard on the upper reaches of the White Knife not far away. Winterfell has established a complete medieval military-industrial system.

The forge master Mikken, the smith Wote, Karon, and others lead smiths and apprentices every day to craft weapons and armor; Winterfell possesses ample plate armor, chainmail, ring armor, swords, spears, bows, and arrows.

The master of horse Hullen is responsible for the breeding of fine stallions. Winterfell imports superior horses from the Rills, White Harbor, and even the Dothraki tribes across the Narrow Sea, and under Eddard's guidance, the number of warhorses is increasing.

Plow horses are important livestock for the tenant farmers of the Stark Estate, used for plowing and cultivation.

Winterfell Captain of the Guard Jory Cassel and Winterfell master-at-arms Rodrik Cassel train soldiers, cavalry, and crossbowmen together in the military camp; many Rockborn wards and apprentices from the Citadel are also among those being trained.

Outside the gates of Winterfell, the financial advisor Crowl shows Eddard the maple syrup in a glass bottle; on the glass bottle is the Ice-River Wolf Emblem of House Stark.

"Lord Eddard, maple syrup is so precious; it is a specialty of the North. Only Winterfell possesses the technology to refine maple syrup. Whether it is the Sealord of Braavos, King Robert Baratheon, the High Septon, the lords of the Reach, or the Archmaesters of the Citadel, all praise the maple syrup. Maple syrup paired with swan meat or salmon has already become a new favorite on the tables of the nobility."

"I think the pricing for maple syrup must be high. I intend to set the price of this bottle of maple syrup at sixty silver stags. What do you think?"

"This price is not appropriate," Eddard told Crowl. "I have heard that many wealthy merchants and nobles are willing to pay one gold dragon for the right to the first night of a brothel prostitute. I think a bottle of maple syrup should also be at this price."

Crowl laughed exaggeratedly, "One gold dragon for a bottle of maple syrup? Lord Eddard, isn't this price too expensive?"

Eddard said calmly: "This is a luxury item to begin with; if you can't afford it, don't buy it."

Only expensive things can attract nobles and wealthy merchants. Many nobles and wealthy merchants in King's Landing, Oldtown, and Pentos favor swan meat, larks, and quail, not because these things are particularly delicious, but simply because they are expensive. If maple syrup were priced cheaply, it would fail to incite the nobles' desire to spend money.

In the past, the goods exported from the North were only wool, timber, and animal hides. Now, Winterfell possesses fine salt, maple syrup, blueberry wine, vodka, cinnabar ink, medicine, perfume, soap, wood carvings, and glass.

The profit margins on these commodities are very high. The workshops of Winterfell can bring Eddard a large amount of silver stags and gold dragons in revenue every day. Money can allow the North to survive the winter and cope with external threats such as the Wildlings.

Maester Luwin pulled several letters from his sleeve.

"Lord Eddard, Lady Maege Mormont of Bear Island writes that many people from the Frozen Shore are using canoes and rafts to cross the Bay of Ice, attempting to land on the northern coastal areas of Bear Island. They were repelled by the warriors of Bear Island, and some of the Frozen Shore people were taken prisoner."

"The captain at Green Guard, Haihua, writes that some Wildlings attempted to cross Seal Bay using canoes, trying to land on Skane and Skagos. However, most of the Wildling boats were destroyed by the longships and fishing boats that Winterfell stationed at Eastwatch, and the Wildling army that appeared outside Eastwatch fled into the Haunted Forest."

Following Eddard's advice, the Night's Watch has held fast to the Wall and has not sallied forth. Once Eddard arrives with the Northern Army, it will be time to purge the Wildlings.

Citadel apprentice Lareza, wearing leather armor, a yew bow slung over her shoulder, and a dagger at her waist, appeared before Eddard.

"Lord Eddard, I request to fight side by side with Winterfell."

Lareza is a handsome mixed-race black boy, fourteen years old this year. He claims his father was a fisherman from Dorne and his mother was a female captain from the Summer Islands.

Theon, Domeric, Jon, and Robb often train with Lareza. Lareza's archery skills make the children admire him, and in the eyes of the maesters of Winterfell, Lareza is also extremely intelligent. The maesters generally believe that it is only a matter of time before Lareza becomes a maester.

According to Theon's description, Lareza never bathes in the Godswood and always hides from people when urinating; Theon viciously mocks Lareza as a eunuch. In fact, Eddard knows clearly that Lareza is actually a girl. Her true identity is one of the bastard daughters of the Red Viper, Prince Oberyn Martell, a Sand Snake.

Eddard once suspected that Lareza's appearance in Winterfell was a conspiracy by the Red Viper. Although this girl dresses as a boy, she has not committed any untoward acts. Eddard feels that Lareza is cross-dressing to pursue knowledge and dream of becoming a maester, and it just so happened that because the Citadel wanted to study the unicorns of Winterfell, she came to Winterfell along with the maesters, assistant maesters, and apprentices.

Lareza's hope to go Beyond the Wall to participate in the war against the Wildlings took Eddard by surprise.

"Lareza, you are Dornish; why do you want to participate in the conflict between the North and the Wildlings?"

Lareza smiled, revealing a set of white teeth.

"Lord Eddard, during my time in Winterfell, you and Catelyn Stark have both taken good care of me. Robb, Jon, Sansa, Arya, and little Bran are all my friends. I am willing to fight for Winterfell."

"I have always been a person who pursues challenges. I have come to Winterfell, the holy land of the King in the North, and I am already very close to the Wall, the end of the world. I request to follow the army on the expedition to experience the Wall, Beyond the Wall, and the Wildlings with my own eyes!"

Eddard agreed to Lareza's request, and subsequently, the Wildling woman Osha appeared before Eddard.

"Lord Eddard, during my time in Winterfell, the Starks treated me like family. I am willing to fight for Winterfell. I have crossed the Wall many times, and I am familiar with many places Beyond the Wall. Please, Lord Eddard, take me with you."

That day, under the gaze of Catelyn, Sansa, Arya, Bran, and little Rickon, Eddard led three thousand Winterfell cavalry and six hundred Barrowton cavalry north along the Kingsroad, with the direwolves Grey Wind and Summer scouting ahead. Thousands of Winter Town residents cheered the departure of Duke Eddard and the Northern Army.

Some Rockborn wards appeared in the ranks, such as the heir to Driftwood Hall, Baolaisen Siteren, and the heir to Abyss Keep, Joseph Crowl. In addition, there were 100 female nurses trained by Winterfell.

The Northern Army marched for more than ten days, passing through the long Stark lands, moving along Long Lake, and entering the lands of House Umber.

House Umber has always hated the Wildlings. Although Eddard did not summon the vassals of the North, Greatjon Umber still brought his son Smalljon and five hundred Umber cavalry to join the Northern Army.

"Lord Eddard, we must beat the Wildlings' asses and make them howl as they flee back into the deep mountains."

A few days later, Lord Rickard Karstark brought five hundred Karhold cavalry and caught up with the Northern Army at a distance of one day's ride from Queenscrown.

"House Karstark flows with the same blood as the Starks; the Karstarks must fight side by side with Winterfell."

With the addition of the cavalry from House Umber and House Karstark, the Northern Army exceeded four thousand men, and Eddard led the Northern Army to Queenscrown in the Gift.

Once upon a time, due to the decline of the Night's Watch, Wildling raiders scurried through the Gift like rats, abducting women and children and killing men. The people of the Gift fled to the south one after another, and Queenscrown once fell into ruins.

After Eddard reached a deep cooperation with the Night's Watch, the Gift effectively fell into the hands of Winterfell. Under Winterfell's operation, military-tilled manors sprang up like bamboo shoots after a rain in the Gift.

After the salt ban was implemented, the North strictly prohibited the sale of private salt, and hidden populations could no longer hide. Many farmers, herdsmen, and fishermen hiding in the nearby mountains and wilderness chose to migrate to Queenscrown to accept the protection of Winterfell. Today, the population of Queenscrown has exceeded ten thousand.

Eddard saw the people in the manors using the curved plows and seed drills invented by Eddard to farm the fields; potatoes, beans, berries, rapeseed, and corn all ushered in a bumper harvest, and the warehouses were piled high with oats and corn.

The person in charge of Winterfell in Queenscrown is Tomard, whom Eddard's children affectionately call "Fat Tom." Tomard deserves much of the credit for Queenscrown reaching its current scale.

Three hundred cavalry from the Queenscrown military colony joined the Northern Army, and the Northern Army continued to march toward Castle Black.

Eddard was delighted to discover that many manors and villages had sprung up in the Gift between Queenscrown and Castle Black; the Gift is fully recovering.

The population of Mole's Town outside Castle Black has also increased significantly, reaching a scale of over a thousand people. When the Northern Army passed by the famous brothel in Mole's Town, the prostitutes blew kisses one after another.

The Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, the Old Bear Mormont, Maester Aemon, First Ranger Benjen Stark, master-at-arms of Castle Black Alliser Thorne, Lord Steward Bowen Marsh, and First Builder Othell Yarwyck, among others, welcomed Eddard's arrival in the courtyard of Castle Black.

The direwolves Grey Wind and Summer gave the Night's Watch officers a big fright; the current direwolves have grown far beyond the size of wolves and can bite through a warhorse's throat in one snap.

Eddard dismounted, and the Old Bear said excitedly: "Lord Eddard, the Northern Army has finally arrived. Wildling cavalry often appear outside the Wall north of Castle Black; many times, I have wanted to lead troops to attack."

"If you were to attack rashly, you would fall right into Mance Rayder's trap," Eddard told the Old Bear. "With the strength of the Night's Watch alone, even if you defeated the Wildlings, the Night's Watch would inevitably suffer heavy losses. The Northern Army will fight side by side with the Night's Watch."

The master-at-arms of Castle Black, Alliser Thorne, has always been known for his sharp tongue. He chuckled: "Lord Stark, the Northern Army? How come I only see the banners of House Stark, House Umber, and House Karstark? Are there only these few noble houses in the North? By my estimation, these cavalrymen do not exceed three thousand."

"I estimate the number of Northern cavalry to be four thousand," Bowen Marsh, who has always been good at arithmetic, gave a more accurate answer.

Bowen Marsh turned to Eddard and said politely: "Lord Eddard, I mean no offense, but I am worried that the Wildling army numbers in the tens of thousands. Can the North really defeat the Wildlings by sending only a few thousand cavalry?"

Eddard smiled: "May I ask how many cavalry the Wildlings have? How many soldiers equipped with armor? Rest assured, since I have come, victory is surely within my grasp."

The smith Donal Noye is not a member of the leadership of the Night's Watch. He has a bull-like neck and a barrel-like belly, is unshaven, and is missing an arm. As a crippled smith, Donal Noye enjoys high prestige among the brothers of the Night's Watch; this is because he was once the smith for House Baratheon of Storm's End.

Even the famous warhammer that King Robert used to kill Prince Rhaegar came from Donal Noye's hand. Furthermore, Donal Noye possesses deep friendships with King Robert, the Master of Laws Renly Baratheon, and the Master of Ships Stannis Baratheon.

Although Donal Noye is not a noble, his friends are either kings or dukes. Such a person naturally has a say in front of the Night's Watch officers.

Donal Noye said gruffly: "Duke Eddard has brought an army to reinforce Castle Black, and you are still being picky? Besides the North, who else cares about the Night's Watch? Thorne, if you think the Northern reinforcements are too few, go fight them yourself, damn you!"

Alliser Thorne shook his head in embarrassment, and the other high-ranking officers of the Night's Watch chose to remain silent. Benjen said: "We should immediately convene a war council, let the Northern brothers eat, and let their warhorses be fed."

Lord Steward Bowen Marsh led the Stewards to settle the North cavalry into the fortresses of Castle Black, and the empty fortresses were instantly filled with Warriors, becoming exceptionally lively.

In the Great Hall of Castle Black, the Old Bear, Eddard, Benjen, and Maester Aemon held a war council together; the officers of Castle Black, Earl Greatjon Umber of the North, and Earl Rickard Karstark were in attendance.

Mugs of ale were placed on the table, and Eddard downed his ale in one gulp.

"Lord Mormont, where is the Wildling army encamped?"

The Old Bear shook his head helplessly, "If we sent out Rangers as normal, I could grasp the enemy's precise movements, but following Lord Eddard's suggestion, we have long since ceased Ranger patrols and only send soldiers to patrol atop the Wall."

If they had patrolled as normal, the Rangers would certainly have suffered heavy losses; the Rangers would either have been killed by the Wildlings or died in attacks by the Others. It was just that the Night's Watch legion of today had not yet realized the threat of the Others.

Maester Aemon spoke up: "Fortunately, the Night's Watch brothers at Eastwatch, the Shadow Tower, and Castle Black are able to capture some Wildling Raiders crossing the Wall from time to time; we have interrogated them and learned some of their whereabouts. Mance Rayder's Wildling army is currently mainly dispersed across the Frostfangs, the Haunted Forest, the Frozen Shore, and the area around Hardhome."

Maester Aemon's Steward Chett brought over a map of Beyond the Wall. Eddard gazed at the map—Hardhome was located at Storr's Horn in the east, and the Frozen Shore faced Bear Island across the sea—and frowned, saying: "Maester Aemon, do you mean that the Wildlings are spread all over Beyond the Wall?"

Ranger Thoren Smallwood gave a cold snort and said disdainfully: "Lord Eddard, this is just intelligence interrogated from Wildling captives; who knows if these bastards are lying? Wildlings are born liars and thieves; they have no sense of honor to speak of. Even when such people fall into the hands of the Night's Watch, they might still be telling lies until they die."

Benjen Stark said: "I personally interrogated some Wildlings, and some are still locked in the dungeons. I believe the Wildlings are not lying. The Wildling army is bringing their families, driving cattle and sheep, and carrying large amounts of daily supplies and grain. The Wildling army is actually a coalition composed of multiple settlements. Mance has dispersed them in different places Beyond the Wall, waiting for the opportunity to break through from multiple points along the Wall; this is a very cunning strategy."

Thanks to "Changbai VeluMe" for the monthly ticket, thank you for the support!

(End of this chapter)