Chapter 195: The Four Kings Struggle for Hegemony, The Bloody Battle at Bitterbridge, The Arrival of the Cold God

"Iron Bitch" Harlen stood at the prow of the ship, dressed in black breeches and a black leather cuirass, a dragonbone dagger and a battle-axe hanging at her waist, a longbow slung over her shoulder. She smelled the salt of the sea, listened to the sound of the waves beneath the hull, and gazed at the coastline drawing ever closer, a smile appearing on her face.

"We will be at Blacksmith City soon."

Jaime Codd held a mug of ale in his hand and said excitedly, "Crossing the sea, returning in triumph, the Lannisport Fleet wiped out—Iron Bitch, you have accomplished a feat that only the raiders of old could achieve."

Harlen said dismissively, "Stop with the flattery. When King Balon rebelled back then, didn't his two brothers Euron and Victarion easily destroy the Lannisport Fleet as well?"

Jaime Codd said solemnly, "Euron and Victarion led the Iron Fleet back then; you only brought thirty-some longships and accomplished the feat."

Harlen said, "It was you who brought me victory. Once we reach the shore and return to Blacksmith City, we must feast to our hearts' content with ale and beer."

The crew cheered wildly. On Harlen's *Queen*, most of the crew were ironborn. When Harlen was still the Pirate Queen in the Stepstones, these men began to follow Harlen, later following Harlen to Skagos. After Harlen began serving Eddard, these subordinates began to fight for Stark.

Eddard had originally appointed Harlen as the commander of the Wolf Castle in Blacksmith City at Sea Dragon Point. Historically, Sea Dragon Point had long been occupied by the ironborn; many of the local residents had ironborn blood, their folkways were fierce, and their customs were close to those of the Iron Islands. Harlen recruited new soldiers at Sea Dragon Point and quickly won the trust of these soldiers through her personal charisma.

Originally, Harlen was just a female pirate; it was Eddard who made Harlen a naval commander. Harlen had always boasted of being Eddard's salt wife. She was very close to every one of the Stark children—whether it was Jon, Robb, Arya, Bran, Sansa, or Rickon Stark—and Harlen looked at them all as younger brothers and sisters. Today's Harlen had practically become a part of the wolf pack.

The *Queen* began to approach the pier, and Harlen saw a snow-white direwolf on the ship.

"Ghost?" The direwolf let out an affectionate cry toward Harlen.

After the *Queen* docked, Harlen jumped onto the pier, and Ghost wagged his tail and pounced into Harlen's arms.

Jon Snow and Ygritte stood to the side, and Harlen could tell that Jon Snow's long face was pulled extra long.

Harlen said, "Jon, why did you run here?"

Jon Snow suppressed his anger, "The Wolf King appointed you as the commander of Blacksmith City; how could you abandon your post?"

Harlen said lightly, "I went to fight a war. My fleet achieved a glorious victory at Lannisport; we destroyed the Lannisport Fleet."

Jon Snow said, "I believe that was a great victory, but the problem is, did the Wolf King order you to attack?"

Harlen shook her head, "No."

Jon Snow sighed, "Harlen, you are now the commander of the West Coast Fleet and Blacksmith City, not a pirate. You must obey orders. The Wolf King's order was for you to guard Blacksmith City and protect the coastline, yet you ran so far away to fight a war."

"The Wolf King ordered me to be the Warden of the North. You attacked without authorization, without even saying a word. What if you had been defeated while leading the fleet south? What if the enemy had seized the opportunity to capture Blacksmith City?"

Jaime Codd, standing to the side, said indignantly, "Lad, where do all these 'what ifs' come from? We returned from a victorious battle; you don't reward us, and instead, you lecture us. What kind of logic is that?"

Harlen signaled for Jaime Codd to shut up. She turned to Jon, "To ensure this raid was done without anyone knowing, I didn't notify you. I flew the golden kraken banner of House Greyjoy with the goal of making the Lannisters mistakenly believe that the Iron Islands had attacked Lannisport. In this way, war would inevitably break out between the Westerlands and the Iron Islands, and the lions and the sea monsters would fight each other."

Ygritte bared her white teeth, "I think this idea of yours is absolutely brilliant. Has war broken out between the Iron Islands and the Westerlands now?"

Jon Snow gave a light huff, "Duke Tywin served as Hand of the King for decades; how could he be provoked so easily? As long as one of your men is captured by the Lannisters or the Iron Islands, your scheme will not work."

"How many men did you lose?"

Harlen said, "Three ships. If we hadn't encountered a storm on the return trip, my raid could have originally been done without losing a single ship. As it turned out, the storm blew away three longships and blew them toward the Iron Islands. If nothing goes wrong, these ships have all been captured by the Iron Fleet. The Iron Fleet is never polite when it comes to gifts sent by the Storm God."

Jon Snow frowned, "If that's the case, I estimate that Duke Tywin and King Balon both know that it was the North Coast Fleet that attacked Lannisport. The North attacking under the banner of House Greyjoy to raid Lannisport in an attempt to draw the flames of war toward the Iron Islands—surely King Balon will not be happy. He might even send the Iron Fleet to attack the North to retaliate against us."

Harlen said indifferently, "Ironborn raiders don't need a reason to plunder. The Iron Fleet and the ironborn pirates were already the greatest threat to the North's west coast to begin with. After all, the Arbor Fleet and the Royal Fleet couldn't possibly come this far to attack the North's west coast. Do you think that if you don't provoke King Balon, his Iron Fleet will let the North go?"

Jon Snow looked at the longship fleet moored in the harbor, "Can the fleet you trained hold off the Iron Fleet?"

Harlen gave a sweet smile, "The ironborn have dominated the seas for thousands of years. I've only been in the North for a few years; how could my fleet possibly contend with the Iron Fleet?"

Jon Snow said, "That is why we should hold our ground even more. I have already ordered the lords of Flint's Finger, the Rills, and Barrowton to prepare to support the Wolf Castle by the sea. Lady Barbrey of Barrowton has just given birth to a boy, and she is eager to lead an army to defend the North!"

Harlen was a bit nervous, "Jon, you wouldn't tell the Wolf King that I sent troops to Lannisport without authorization, would you?"

Jon said, "The Lannisport Fleet was destroyed; even if we don't say anything, the Lannisters will broadcast it everywhere. My father will know about your unauthorized attack sooner or later, but it won't be from me. I am the Warden of the North, and you attacked without authorization; I have responsibility too. If the Wolf King wants to punish someone, let him punish me."

Harlen hugged Jon gratefully, "Good brother, you are truly loyal."

Jon said, "Don't act without authorization next time; we are a whole. Your warriors have returned in triumph; let us go to the great hall of Blacksmith City and celebrate the great victory with fine wine!"

From King's Port to Pyke, the longship fleet crowded the piers.

Chieftains from all over the Iron Islands gathered at Pyke to witness King Balon's coronation.

Iron Fleet Commander Victarion Greyjoy, "Knight" Harras Harlaw, "Maiden" Corl, "Cleftjaw" Dagmer, the "grim" Adrack, "Barber" Nute, and other top-tier raider pirates among the ironborn surrounded King Balon.

Only the fiercest ironborn warriors could earn the honor of guarding King Balon's coronation, for the ironborn had always revered the strong and despised the weaklings of the Green Lands.

The Iron Islands had frequent storms, the islands were surrounded by hidden reefs, lacked good harbors, were small in area, and the land was barren. In such a harsh place, a fierce race like the ironborn was bred.

In the Iron Islands, the ruling House Greyjoy was called the King's House, and other nobles were called chieftain houses. Every captain was a king on their own ship; they were unruly and pursued only strength and slaughter. The ironborn were hailed as the fiercest warriors on the sea.

They sailed longships to burn, kill, and plunder, taking women back as salt wives and men back as bondmen. Plundering everywhere was the "Old Way" that the ironborn revered, and continuing the tradition of raiding was following the Old Way.

By the sea, King Balon knelt by the ocean, and the Drowned God priest "Three-Drowned" Taf took out a waterskin and poured the seawater inside onto King Balon's gray hair. The saltwater flowed down King Balon's face, into his neck and chest.

"Great Drowned God, let your servant be reborn in the ocean as you are! Grant him the blessing of the sea, grant him the strength of rock, grant him the toughness of iron!"

"Wet-hair" Aeron placed a driftwood crown made of weirwood onto King Balon's head.

"King of Rock, King of Salt, Son of the Sea Wind, Balon, King of the Iron Islands!"

"What is dead may never die, but rises again, harder and stronger!"

A group of chieftains shouted along. King Balon completed the coronation ceremony and rose to return to Pyke.

This was the fourth king in Westeros, following King Joffrey Baratheon in King's Landing, Renly Baratheon in the Reach, and Stannis Baratheon on Dragonstone.

Westeros officially entered the era of the War of the Four Kings.

In the castle, the ugly chair that King Balon had previously was gone. In the master's seat of the great hall sat the Seastone Chair, carved in the shape of a sea monster, dark and shiny.

It is said that when the First Men first landed on the Iron Islands, the Seastone Chair was already lying on the beach of Old Wyk, and to this day, no one knows the origin of the Seastone Chair.

The great hall was filled with over five hundred chieftains from all over the Iron Islands: House Harlaw of the most populous Harlaw island, House Blacktyde from Blacktyde, the ancient and proud House Drumm of Old Wyk, the powerful House Goodbrother from the largest island of the Iron Islands, Old Wyk, the lowly bondman-descended House Codd, House Hambly, House Farwynd with their legends of skinchangers, and so on.

Life in the Iron Islands was hard; even at the King's feast, they only ate cheese, roast lamb, black bread, fish stew, and onion pie, without even spices, and the alcohol was only ale.

After eating and drinking their fill, King Balon put on the driftwood crown and sat on the Seastone Chair.

"The Iron Islands have become an independent nation. To honor the Drowned God, I will return to the Old Way! March on the North immediately."

Some chieftains let out roars, but the "Reader" Rodrik Harlaw was unimpressed. He stood up, "King Balon, why attack the North? The Wolf King Eddard has already gained the support of the Riverlands, the North, and The Vale. What is the benefit of rashly declaring war on the North?"

The "Reader" Rodrik Harlaw was the head of House Harlaw, and his territory, Harlaw, was the most densely populated island in the Iron Islands. House Harlaw was one of the most powerful houses in the Iron Islands, and he was also the uncle of Theon and Asha Greyjoy.

King Balon's face was gloomy, "The North sent the Iron Bitch Harlen to raid Lannisport under the banner of House Greyjoy; it is clearly an attempt to use the Iron Islands. I hate being used by others, therefore, I must attack the North."

"So what if the Wolf King Eddard has gained the support of the North, The Vale, and the Riverlands? Back then, when King Robert Baratheon unified the Seven Kingdoms, I still dared to declare myself king. Eddard, who has not yet worn a crown, cannot scare me at all."

"Reader" Rodrik Harlaw said: "Theon is still in the hands of the Wolf King Eddard. If the Iron Islands attack the North, the Wolf King will surely kill Theon. My sister Quellon Greyjoy has been longing for Theon's return day and night. We can first demand Theon from Eddard, and once Theon has returned to the Iron Islands, it will not be too late to attack the North."

Lady Quellon Greyjoy's relationship with King Balon had long since broken down, and she lived year-round at her maiden home, Ten Towers of House Harlaw.

King Balon said gloomily: "Eddard will not return Theon. It has been so many years; if he had wanted to return Theon, he would have done so long ago. Back then, my sons Rodrik and Maron both died at the hands of Robert Baratheon and Eddard. They think that by holding onto my only living son, Theon, they can intimidate me. I do not care. I am going to attack the North; if Eddard wants to kill Theon, then let him."

Asha Greyjoy said: "Father, if you let Theon die just like that, my mother will die of grief; she has already begun to lose her mind. The Wolf King Eddard is also seeking the support of the Iron Islands, so why must we ally with the Westerlands?"

King Balon gave a light snort, "Lord Tywin at least sent gold. Eddard hasn't given me a single copper coin; he gave a bunch of sweet words in his letter, but what use are they? How could I possibly ally with the Wolf King?"

"Reader" Rodrik said: "The west coast of the North is full of Wolf Castles and is heavily guarded. After the Lannisport Fleet of the Westerlands was destroyed by the Iron Bitch, the coastal defense of the Westerlands is vulnerable. Why don't we attack the Westerlands instead?"

"Conquer the Westerlands, and there will be all the gold you could ever want. The west coast of the North has no prosperous towns; besides turnips, pebbles, and pinecones, there is nothing. Why abandon a prosperous land and choose to attack a tough nut like the North? Don't forget, the Wolf King still has magic dragons, skinchangers, and giants."

King Balon wore a smug smile, "If I and Eddard pincer the Westerlands, the Westerlands will surely fall into my and Eddard's hands within a year. But by then, Eddard's next target will be the Iron Islands. Can you not see the Wolf King's wild ambitions?"

"Eddard's strength is too great. If the Lannister submit to Eddard, Eddard's territory will span the North, the Vale, the Riverlands, and the Westerlands. What can the Iron Islands use to resist such a powerful opponent? Therefore, joining forces with the Lannister to oppose Eddard is what serves the interests of the Iron Islands."

"Reader" Rodrik still wanted to protest, but at this moment, the Drowned God priest "Damphair" Aeron spoke up.

"The Driftwood Crown is made from the first piece of driftwood that floats to the king's homeland when he is crowned. When King Balon prepared to be crowned king, the driftwood sent by the Drowned God was a piece of weirwood."

"We in the Iron Islands rarely see weirwood; why did it have to be weirwood? Weirwood is precisely the tree worshipped by the followers of the Old Gods in the North. I believe this is the guidance sent by the Drowned God, for the ironborn to follow King Balon to conquer the North, kill those savages who worship weirwood, and let the Drowned God's wrath drown the entire North."

In the Iron Islands, the influence of the Drowned God priests even exceeds that of the noble lords; whether they are chieftains, commoners, captains, or sailors, all must respect the Drowned God priests.

As soon as "Damphair" Aeron said this, the ironborn chieftains in the hall roared in unison, "Conquer the North! Glory to the Drowned God!"

In the hall of the Kingspyre Tower at Harrenhal, the giant Xixi sat on the floor, nursing the magic dragon Eagle Eye and the koi.

The dragon egg from the Vale of Arryn hatched into a silver-white magic dragon, and Eddard named this magic dragon "Eagle Eye" because the sigil of House Arryn of the Vale is a crescent falcon.

The dragon egg found at Twin Peaks in the Riverlands hatched into a magic dragon with red, blue, and green colors, and Eddard named this magic dragon "Koi" because the Trident is rich in carp.

Eddard's first magic dragon, Winter, grew up drinking the milk of the direwolf Summer; now, the little direwolves have all grown up, and the mother wolf Summer has long since weaned them. Moreover, the mother wolf Summer, along with Shaggydog, Summer, and Ghost, remained at Winterfell and are not at Harrenhal, so the task of nursing the magic dragons was handed over to the giant Xixi.

The giant Xixi had just given birth to a little giant not long ago; she had plenty of milk and was originally the wet nurse for Sweetrobin, but now she had become the wet nurse for Koi, Eagle Eye, and seven griffins.

"I've actually become a dragon mother," Xixi laughed, "Nursing the magic dragons every day; Koi, Eagle Eye, the seven griffins, and Sweetrobin are all my sons. From now on, let's see who dares to provoke me."

Besides drinking giant milk, the magic dragons Koi, Eagle Eye, and the seven little griffins ate plenty of mutton and pork every day; Eddard hoped they would grow up quickly.

Once the magic dragons and griffins grew up, Eddard's air force would be even more powerful.

The nobles of the Riverlands, the Vale, and the North together witnessed Eddard using the power of the weirwood under the Star of Blood to hatch the magic dragons and griffins. In the eyes of these nobles, Eddard was simply a god-like existence.

The more the nobles feared Eddard, the more they would comply with Eddard's orders.

Eddard ordered the Riverlands nobles to form the Three Rivers Army. With the cooperation of the Riverlands nobles, Eddard successfully reorganized the Riverlands troops around Harrenhal into the Three Rivers Army. The Three Rivers Army was paid by Eddard and was Eddard's standing army in the Riverlands. The Riverlands nobles sent their second sons and relatives to serve in the Three Rivers Army one after another.

The Three Rivers Army was loyal to Eddard himself, and Eddard appointed Riverlands nobles like Brynden Tully, Tytos Blackwood, and Jonos Bracken as commanders of the Three Rivers Army.

The wealthy Eddard spent money to purchase many river warships from the Riverlands nobles. In the future, whether it was the Winter Wolves, the Chick Eagle Army, or the Three Rivers Army, they could all use the warships to move freely along the Trident basin to transport grain, fodder, and troops. Compared to land transport, water transport costs were lower.

At the same time, Eddard invested in shipyards at Saltpans, Maidenpool, Fairmarket, Seagard, and the town of Lord Harroway, building ships vigorously and expanding the strength of the navy.

Now, the Northern East Coast Fleet and the Vale Fleet together controlled Crab Bay. On the west coast of the Riverlands, only a few warships from Seagard protected the coastal areas, and across the sea lay the Iron Islands. Fortunately, the Northern West Coast Fleet was very close to Seagard.

Eddard needed more ships for conquest and development.

Various projects were launched rapidly. Eddard ordered the Chick Eagle Army and the Three Rivers Army to build the Crossroads Castle at the Ruby Ford. In the future, this would be a crossroads, and the nearby town of Lord Harroway, Saltpans, Maidenpool, and Harrenhal all sent many laborers to build the Wolf Castle.

At the sacred site of the Old Gods, High Heart, Eddard ordered House Blackwood, House Vance, House Piper, and House Bracken to build the High Castle at High Heart. According to Eddard's design, this castle was a white stone city embedded in High Heart, surrounding the weirwood stump. Eddard believed that in time, the weirwood stump would grow back into a towering tree.

In addition, Eddard ordered Robb at Riverrun to send the Rockborn, Northern Mountain Clans, Cave Dwellers, and Night Runners of the Western Army, along with the laborers and craftsmen of the Riverlands, to Stoney Sept to repair that ancient castle.

Stoney Sept was once the castle of the famous "King of the Rivers and the Hills" and "Hammer of Justice," Tristifer IV Mudd. As the High King of the First Men of the Riverlands, Tristifer IV Mudd led the First Men to defeat the Andals' ninety-nine attacks, but died in the hundredth battle.

The castle of the former First Men king had already fallen into ruins, but the strategic position of Stoney Sept remained important. After Eddard repaired Stoney Sept, it could well protect the hinterland between the Blue Fork and the Red Fork and protect the important Riverlands town of Fairmarket.

Stoney Sept was adjacent to the Westerlands. The border between the Westerlands and the Riverlands near Stoney Sept was a stretch of mountains and ridges. Under normal circumstances, the Riverlands army could not break through from here at all, so the Westerlands' defense in this mountainous area was relatively weak.

The mountains and ridges could not stump Eddard. The Rockborn, Northern Mountain Clans warriors, Night Runners, and Cave Dwellers in his hands were all experts in mountain warfare. Among them were top wildling raiders like the wildling Jarl, the "Goat" Grig, and Erik, who had all climbed the Wall many times.

Compared to the Wall, the mountains and ridges of the Westerlands were nothing to fear. When the time was ripe, Eddard could dispatch the mountain expert legion from Stoney Sept to cross the peaks and attack the Westerlands.

Now, Lord Tywin's main force was gathered at Golden Tooth, confronting the Northern-Riverlands coalition at Riverrun. Once the northern mountains of the Westerlands were breached, Lord Tywin would have no choice but to split his forces to rescue them. By then, Eddard could defeat the Westerlands' armies one by one.

The ghost of High Heart, Jenny, came to Harrenhal and became friends with Eagle King McCain, Bear King Byars, the giant Dodo, and Xixi. She liked to live in the godswood and liked to eat fruit.

According to the hints in Jenny's dreams and the warnings sent by the Three-Eyed Crow, Eddard was certain that King's Landing had already been eroded by the undead.

Eddard very much wanted to unite the kings and lords of various places to resist the threat of the undead together, but this was not realistic.

Lord Tywin was a cold and ruthless man. With Stannis at the gates, Lord Tywin had delayed sending troops to rescue King Joffrey Baratheon in King's Landing, making it clear that he no longer cared about the life or death of Cersei, Tyrion, and Joffrey.

It was estimated that Tywin would not mind whether Joffrey died at the hands of the Others or at the hands of Stannis.

As for the Iron Islands, Eddard needed to guard against an attack on the North by the ironborn fleet.

Stannis now occupied most of the Stormlands and the Crownlands and had surrounded King's Landing. Stannis's red woman should have foreseen the threat of King's Landing. If the undead of King's Landing were to attack humanity, the first to be attacked would be Stannis's territory.

Melisandre was always boasting that Stannis was Azor Ahai reborn; let Stannis go and contend with the undead of King's Landing!

What Eddard worried about more were the other dreams Jenny had mentioned.

"A one-eyed man with a crow standing on his shoulder, one eye full of laughter, the other eye streaming blood; three sisters were tied by him to pillars by the sea, suffering the humiliation of the one-eyed man."

Eddard suspected that this one-eyed man with a crow on his shoulder was King Balon's second brother, "Crow's Eye" Euron, captain of the Silence. Every crew member on the Silence had had their tongue pulled out by Euron.

Euron had an affair with Victarion's salt wife, and King Balon was furious, exiling Euron and declaring that as long as King Balon lived, Euron was not allowed to return to the Iron Islands.

Crow's Eye Euron had long since left Westeros and gone to the East to adventure. In the continent of Essos, many ports had been left with the terrifying legends of the Silence's plundering.

It was said that Crow's Eye Euron had sorcerers on the Silence. In this era of the return of magic, if Crow's Eye returned with powerful magic, he would be far more dangerous than King Balon or the Iron Fleet Commander Victarion.

"Three sisters were tied by him to pillars by the sea, suffering the humiliation of the one-eyed man."

Regarding this prophecy, Eddard suspected it might refer to Crow's Eye intending to attack the Three Sisters.

The Three Sisters were located in the Bite and were very poor. After the Vale submitted to the direwolf, that place also became Eddard's territory.

Under normal circumstances, a pirate with even a little bit of brains would not go to the Three Sisters to rob, because that place was a pirate den itself, with no gold, silver, or valuable goods.

If Crow's Eye really wanted to plunder the Three Sisters, the only explanation seemed to be that Crow's Eye was going to search for some kind of power, just like his adventure in the Valyrian Ruins.

Poor as they were, the geographical location of the Three Sisters was critical; it was adjacent to White Harbor and the Five Fingers. If Crow's Eye occupied the Three Sisters, he could directly threaten the North and the Vale.

After thinking it over, Eddard immediately wrote to Lord Triston Sunderland of the Three Sisters and Lord Wyman of White Harbor, telling them to be careful of pirate attacks. It was estimated that the Sistermen would laugh out loud upon receiving this warning letter; after all, the Three Sisters were the home of Westeros pirates themselves.

Another of Jenny's dreams: "A beautiful young woman, hatching three magic dragons in the flames, followed by a legion of iron-blooded troops and a cavalry army with jingling whips and bells."

Eddard felt that, without a doubt, the young woman in this dream was the Dragon Mother Daenerys.

It seemed the Dragon Mother would return to Westeros with an army and magic dragons; with Daenerys being the last heir of the Targaryen family, the situation in Westeros was becoming even more of a chaotic mess.

Nowadays, Eddard's Natural Force was growing increasingly powerful; at Harrenhal, where the power of the Old Gods was strong, he could use the weirwood on the Isle of Faces in the Gods Eye to gain a view of the trees for hundreds of miles around for reconnaissance.

He could use the trees by the spring at Maidenpool to see maidens and young women bathing in the water; through an elm tree, he could see Wolf Castle at the Ruby Ford Crossroads being built; through a plane tree, he could see that the military colonies along the Trident in the Riverlands were reclaiming wasteland, using the curved plows promoted from the North to the Riverlands.

In the courtyard of Harrenhal, Catelyn, Lysa Arryn, Sansa, and Arya were watching the silkworms in the mulberry leaves together when Eddard walked before them.

Lysa Arryn's singer Marillion and the common singer Tom of Sevenstreams were tuning their harps to the side.

Tom of Sevenstreams was a Warrior singer who had joined the Three Rivers Army and become close friends with the Lightning Lord, the Red Priest Thoros of Myr, Lem, Anguy, and others. Tom of Sevenstreams was an enemy of Edmure Tully; he had once seduced a girl Edmure Tully loved, causing Edmure Tully to feel disgusted whenever he encountered a singer to this day.

Sansa, wearing a red copper-colored silk dress, said, "Father, can this kind of little bug really produce silk when it spits out thread?"

Eddard said solemnly, "Of course it can. In an ancient ballad, it was once sung like this:

Oh, the silkworm of spring, until death descends, its silk is not fully spun.

Oh, the beautiful candle, until it turns to ash, its tears are not fully shed."

Tom of Sevenstreams to the side said in surprise, "Lord Eddard, these lyrics are truly beautiful! May I ask whose work this is?"

Eddard said mysteriously, "It is the work of a singer of the First Men."

Sansa picked up a mulberry leaf and watched the silkworm crawling on it. "The ballad is sung beautifully, and the silk is practical. In the future, we can produce our own silk, and we will be able to earn more money, forge more weapons and armor, and protect our people and our home."

Catelyn held Eddard's hand. "Eddard, I never expected you to know how to raise silkworms."

Eddard said, "In the future, by raising silkworms and reeling silk, we will cultivate many formidable artisans. The Riverlands and The Vale will produce silk, while the North will produce animal hides and wool clothing; we will occupy the markets of both nobles and commoners."

During the Harrenhal lord's assembly, Eddard showed the mulberry leaves and silkworms to the lords of the Riverlands and The Vale. Now, the first sericulture manor in Harrenhal had already begun raising silkworms; in the future, Eddard intended to promote sericulture in The Vale and the Riverlands.

Due to climate reasons, the North was not suitable for sericulture, but the Riverlands and The Vale were very suitable because the climate there was warm and the sunlight was sufficient.

There was no silk native to Westeros; the silk that nobles spent vast sums of money to purchase all came from the distant Yi Ti. The people of Westeros had no idea where silk came from; some thought it came from the hands of the fairies of Yi Ti, while others thought silk grew on a type of precious tree.

Eddard had thought there were no silkworms in Westeros until he gained the Natural Force; while absorbing the Natural Force in the Riverlands, he easily sniffed out the silkworms in the woods.

The Free Cities earned vast amounts of gold from Westeros by transporting spices and silk from the East. In the future, Eddard would develop his own silk textile industry. Without a doubt, silk would earn Eddard high profits.

The next day, Eddard left Harrenhal. He took his direwolf, the magic dragon flying wolf, the Prince of Giant Eagles Michu, Roose Bolton, Theon, and headed for Seagard. The pretext was to inspect the Seagard fleet, but in reality, Eddard was worried that the Iron Islands fleet would attack Wolf Castle on the west coast of the North.

The commander of Harrenhal was Lord Rickard Karstark, who was loyal and devoted. As for the disloyal Roose Bolton and the Iron Islands Heir Theon, Eddard would keep them by his side at all times.

Previously, the Red Viper, the Lightning Lord, the Red Priest Thoros of Myr, Baron Swann, Bronze Yohn, Lyn Corbray, and other fierce warriors had already set off for Riverrun, preparing for the war with the Westerlands.

Whether it was the enemies from the Westerlands or the Iron Islands, Eddard had already made preparations to strike.

As for the Lannisters in King's Landing, leave them to Renly Baratheon and Stannis!

At Bitterbridge, King Renly Baratheon was stationed in a camp east of Bitterbridge with an army of thirty thousand from The Reach; King Renly Baratheon feasted in a golden silk tent every day.

That night, Renly Baratheon drank golden wine, listened to the singer's ballads, and lay on a soft feather bed.

Brienne felt that Renly Baratheon was forcing a smile; the nightmare of the disastrous defeat in the Westerlands constantly haunted Renly Baratheon. Now, Renly Baratheon was about to head to the Stormlands to face his brave and battle-hardened brother Stannis.

Lord Randyll Tarly and Lord Mathis Rowan walked in. Because Duke Mace Tyrell had remained at Highgarden with the main army to guard against the Lannisters of the Westerlands, Lord Randyll Tarly and Lord Mathis Rowan had become Renly Baratheon's right-hand men in the army.

Lord Mathis Rowan cleared his throat. "Your Grace, may I ask when we shall march?"

Renly Baratheon sat up lazily and picked up a grape, putting it into his mouth.

"The Redwyne Fleet of the Arbor is likely sailing east through the Summer Sea south of Dorne at this moment. Once the Arbor Fleet reaches the Stormlands and lays siege to Storm's End, Stannis will inevitably withdraw his troops to aid Storm's End, and we can then strike at the Stormlands and win back the Stormlands and the support of the nobles."

Lord Randyll Tarly frowned. "Your Grace, Storm's End is your ancestral castle, and you know Storm's End best. It is one of the most magnificent castles in all of Westeros; even if the Arbor Fleet blockades the waters near Storm's End, the Arbor Fleet cannot shake that magnificent castle."

"It is impossible for Stannis to withdraw his troops to aid Storm's End; he must have kept plenty of reserves. Do not forget, Stannis's advantage is his navy; he holds the Royal Fleet and the fleet of the Lysene pirate Salladhor Saan."

Renly Baratheon pulled himself together. "Then according to your opinions, how should we attack?"

Mathis Rowan said, "Speed is the essence of war; I suggest Your Grace march with all haste."

Lord Randyll Tarly echoed, "Indeed, our army can march rapidly to Crossroads. Crossroads is the noble castle closest to the Stormlands on the Rose Road. It is rumored that Lord Meadows might surrender to Stannis; once our army arrives at Crossroads, Lord Meadows will remain loyal to Your Grace."

Renly Baratheon smiled. "Lord Meadows is my good friend; we often participated in tourneys together. When he was in King's Landing before, he even lived in my residence for half a year. Lord Meadows cannot betray me."

Mathis Rowan said, "Since Lord Meadows is Your Grace's friend, we should march even faster; otherwise, Your Grace's friend might be attacked by Stannis. Once we reach Crossroads, we can attack the Stormlands directly."

Lord Randyll Tarly said, "Your Grace can divide ten thousand troops for me; I will lead the troops through Cider Hall. I can enter the Stormlands from Cider Hall, burning and pillaging along the way. Once I have captured a few castles in the Stormlands, the Stormlands army under Stannis will inevitably become restless. Then Your Grace can lead the main army to strike along the Rose Road, and we will surely achieve a great victory."

Renly Baratheon shook his finger to indicate his refusal.

"Lord Randyll, from the first day I wore the crown, I swore to the gods above that I would ensure the common people live a good life. When we fight, we must protect the people well. As for things like burning and pillaging, I absolutely do not allow it. I will win the support of the nobles and commoners of the Stormlands with a heart of benevolence."

Lord Randyll Tarly said gloomily, "Your Grace, during wartime, mercy will only harm oneself. Without bloodshed and slaughter, how can one win a war?"

Renly Baratheon stood up. "Then I would rather win the war with dignity. Actually, I have thought about it; why don't we wait until the Lannisters of King's Landing counterattack Stannis before we strike into the Stormlands? That would be best. Cersei and the Imp have hidden quite a few mercenaries and Lannister household guards in King's Landing; Cersei will certainly not sit still and wait for death, don't you agree?"

At this moment, Ser Loras walked in. "Lord Meadows of Crossroads has sent one thousand cavalry, and the Green Apple Fossoway and Red Apple Fossoway have sent two thousand cavalry, totaling three thousand men."

Renly Baratheon said triumphantly to Lord Randyll and Lord Mathis, "You two were just doubting Lord Meadows's loyalty; look, he has already sent soldiers over."

Renly Baratheon turned to Loras. "Treat these soldiers well; let them eat their fill and sleep well."

The Fossoway family and the Meadows family of Crossroads had secretly defected to Stannis, and these three thousand troops were Stannis's inside men. The Red Woman Melisandre's face was hidden under her hood, mingling among the soldiers of Crossroads; in addition, fierce warriors like Guyard Morrigen, Justin Massey, and Richard Horpe all appeared in this force.

When the entire camp fell into a deep sleep, the soldiers of Crossroads and the Fossoway family began to set fires. Melisandre scattered a handful of fire, and a patch of tents instantly caught fire.

Stannis led ten thousand elite cavalry, cutting into Renly Baratheon's camp along the Rose Road as if slicing through cheese.

Battle cries erupted everywhere. The soldiers of the Fossoway family and the Meadows family occupied Bitterbridge. These soldiers were all equipped with crossbows or heavy crossbows. Because Renly Baratheon's camp was east of Bitterbridge, many soldiers were shot dead by volleys of arrows, blocking the bridgehead, and the soldiers behind trampled over one another.

Loras and Brienne charged left and right but were unable to reach the bridgehead. Fortunately, there was a small boat under the bridge. Brienne untied the cable, helped Renly Baratheon onto the boat, and Loras drew his sword and followed.

Some of Renly Baratheon's household guards and attendants scrambled to get on the boat. The small boat could not carry so many people; Loras swung his sword and killed seven soldiers, and only then did Brienne row the boat away from the shore, heading toward the opposite bank. Renly Baratheon watched these household guards and attendants who served him every day die under Loras's sword, his face streaming with tears.

Renly Baratheon's army was collapsing. After Renly Baratheon, Loras, and Brienne escaped to the opposite bank, Loras and Brienne immediately led the soldiers of Baron Caswell of Bitterbridge to attack the Fossoway family and Meadows family soldiers on the bridge, while Lord Randyll Tarly led a troop of cavalry to attack the enemies on Bitterbridge from the front.

After being caught in a pincer attack, the Fossoway family soldiers and Meadows family soldiers on the bridge instantly lost their courage; they were either hacked to death by the cavalry or slaughtered by the furious Loras and Brienne leading their soldiers. Fresh blood stained the ancient bridge, and the surrounding river was filled with corpses.

Although Renly Baratheon's army recaptured Bitterbridge, the camp to the east was already in total ruin, all provisions and baggage had been seized by Stannis, and countless nobles and knights of The Reach were taken prisoner.

That night, Renly Baratheon experienced the bitterness of Bitterbridge; he had lost completely and utterly.

King's Landing, Red Keep, Throne Room, Cersei sat on the Iron Throne, with candlelight flickering all around.

Ever since the Death Storm and Rhaegar Targaryen arrived at Cersei's court, Cersei had forbidden the lighting of torches in the Throne Room, opting instead to light only two rows of Incense Candles each time; thus, the vast Throne Room appeared dark and eerie.

Tyrion and Pycelle stood in the shadow of the Iron Throne, and Tyrion felt a bit cold.

It was clearly still Summer, so why was it so cold? At this moment, Tyrion noticed the Death Storm and Rhaegar Targaryen guarding the two sides of the Iron Throne's staircase; there was actually a thin layer of frost beneath their feet.

Cersei's emerald eyes, for a fleeting moment, took on an eerie azure hue, though fortunately, they returned to emerald green shortly after.

"Varys has run off?"

Tyrion cleared his throat. "Varys went to the streets to gather information and never returned; perhaps he met with misfortune, or perhaps he truly ran away."

Grand Maester Pycelle stroked his snow-white beard. "I have had enough of that posturing eunuch. Your Grace, Varys is not to be trusted."

Cersei said disdainfully, "Whether Varys is dead or alive, I do not care. In any case, now that I have Ogbeta, I no longer need him. I intend to appoint Ogbeta as Master of Whisperers."

Pycelle's eyes widened. "Your Grace, Ogbeta comes from Beyond the Wall; this man is a godless Wildling. How can he take a seat at the Small Council?"

Tyrion thought viciously, "Pycelle, you old fool, you were complaining about Varys just a moment ago, and now that a necromancer has been shoved onto you, do you realize the benefits of a eunuch?"

The necromancer Ogbeta, hunched over and holding a Skull Scepter, walked into the Throne Room and gave Grand Maester Pycelle a mocking smile.

"Grand Maester Pycelle, you say I am godless? How can that be? I am a devout servant of the Great Other."

Grand Maester Pycelle began to feel afraid. "In King's Landing, the gods that people worship are the Seven."

Ogbeta used his Skull Scepter to point at Cersei on the Iron Throne. "The Queen Regent has already forsaken the Seven and become a follower of the Great Other."

Tyrion was not surprised at all; King's Landing was turning into a city of the Undead. Cersei was surrounded by either the Death Storm, Rhaegar Targaryen, or necromancers like Ogbeta.

Cersei stepped down from the Iron Throne. "To please the Great Other, I have decided to destroy the statues of the Seven in the Red Keep's royal sept."

Tyrion very much wanted to say something, but upon seeing the Death Storm and Rhaegar Targaryen nearby, he kept his mouth shut.

If the dead still served Cersei, and if he angered the Great Other, Cersei surely wouldn't mind turning him into a dead dwarf; once he, Tyrion, was reborn, he would likely become a court Fool.

Grand Maester Pycelle said excitedly, "Your Grace, this is an offense to the gods in heaven! If the High Septon learns of your making such a mad act, what would the Church think? What would those knights who devoutly believe in the Seven think?"

Ogbeta extended his Skull Scepter toward Pycelle. "Grand Maester, are you a man of the Citadel, or a man of the Church? Since you are so devout, I suggest you sacrifice yourself for the Seven, how about that?"

Pycelle was so frightened he broke into a cold sweat. "Your Grace, Ogbeta actually dares to threaten an old man like me."

Cersei smiled. "Pycelle, I have had enough of your suggestions. If you don't want to die, then shut your mouth and be quiet."

Cersei turned to Tyrion. "What is your opinion?"

Tyrion revealed his sweetest smile. "I fully support Queen Cersei's decision."

Cersei, Tyrion, and Grand Maester Pycelle followed Ogbeta to the royal sept; Tyrion had thought Cersei would burn the statues of the Seven, but he did not expect the Death Storm to smash them with an Ice Hammer.

Tyrion said to Ogbeta, "Why not just burn them with a fire?"

Ogbeta said gloomily, "Burning statues is a trick of the Red Priestess and Red Priests; only followers of R'hllor do that. We followers of the Great Other use an Ice Hammer to smash them."

Under the blows of the Ice Hammer, the Seven were all shattered and broken.

Ogbeta said, "Tyrion, you have a good brain. The Great Other needs your wisdom. Are you interested in becoming a servant of the Great Other?"

Tyrion smiled nervously. "I fear I do not know much about the Great Other."

Ogbeta said, "You only need to know that the Great Other is the most powerful god in this world, and that is enough. Tyrion, I know you like to find whores and want beautiful women; why not?"

"As long as you become a follower of the Great Other, Aegon's sister-queen, Maegor's dark bride, Jaehaerys I Targaryen's whore princess, the three sisters of Baelor the Blessed's Maidenvault, Aegon IV's nine beautiful mistresses, or even the most beautiful courtesan in the history of Braavos, the most beautiful famous prostitute in a Lys brothel, the most beautiful Bed Slave of Yunkai, or the most beautiful priestess of love from the Summer Islands, could all be your bed toys."

To be able to share a bed with the most beautiful women in history, but then thinking that these all belonged to ghosts of the past, beneath the beautiful appearance were cold bodies.

Moreover, a wizard's promises were mostly lies; Tyrion lost interest instantly. He feigned piety, "I have decided that, to honor the Great Other, I shall remain celibate."

In the courtyard, a group of septas knelt on the ground weeping. Subsequently, Ogbeta ordered the Death Storm and Rhaegar Targaryen to take a squad of Black Cloaks—the Gold Cloaks reorganized by Cersei, all of whom were followers of the Great Other. This group headed to the Godswood to fell the trees of the Godswood with Ice Axes.

Tyrion, under the protection of the Mercenary Bronn, returned to the Tower of the Hand.

Bronn lowered his voice, "People are all saying that the Death Storm is a wight, and that the Lys singer is Rhaegar Targaryen reborn. Is that so?"

Tyrion said gloomily, "Even you have heard of it."

Bronn said, "I don't like the Red Keep; I feel that the Red Keep these days is about the same as a graveyard."

The wall of the fireplace suddenly opened, and Varys walked out from a secret passage.

"Tyrion, hurry and come with me! The Small Council is left with only you and the aged Pycelle; if you continue to stay in the Red Keep, you will turn into a corpse sooner or later."

Tyrion said, "The necromancer Ogbeta invited me to serve the Great Other, and I refused."

Varys said helplessly, "You can refuse, and then he can stab you to death. The dead do not refuse; just look at our Rhaegar Targaryen and Robert Baratheon. Cersei's undead court still needs a Hand of the King. Cersei does not love you; you and I both know very well that she loves her twin brother, not her dwarf brother."

"Continuing to stay in King's Landing is a dead end; your gold chain will turn into a skull chain sooner or later."

Tyrion said, "If I escape the Red Keep, where can I go?"

Varys lowered his voice, "I have found some knights and brothers of the Beggar Brotherhood who devoutly believe in the Seven at Visenya's Hill. We can try to save King's Landing and the Seven Kingdoms from Cersei's hands."

"Just you and me, the dwarf and the eunuch."

Thanks to Youhai, Sword Art Online Little Army, 20171212083553286, He Fei, A Person's Loneliness, Lin'an Farmer, Soul Swallowing Big Brother, Moonlit Night Listening to Snow Blowing, for the monthly tickets sent. Thank you for the support!

(End of this chapter)