Chapter 245: Eddard's New Policies, the Stepstones

After experiencing the reign of terror under Joffrey, Cersei, and the necromancer Ogbeta, the population of King's Landing plummeted; after Eddard destroyed the undead and the Lannisters in King's Landing, the city gradually emerged from the shadow of the undead and slowly regained its vitality.

Today, the population of King's Landing has reached five hundred thousand, basically recovering to pre-war levels.

The Free Brotherhood, the Golden Company, the Unsullied, the Dothraki horsemen, the Second Sons, the Stormcrows, and the Beast-Face Army, who had followed Daenerys from across the Narrow Sea to Westeros, have all settled in King's Landing, and more and more people from all over Westeros are arriving in King's Landing to make a living.

The Free Brotherhood is composed of the free folk liberated by Daenerys; these free folk were originally brought to Meereen, Yunkai, and Astapor in Slaver's Bay by slave traders from all over the world. The city-states of Slaver's Bay therefore possess craftsmanship from all corners of the globe.

Among these free folk are skilled smiths, carpenters, stonemasons, goldsmiths, silversmiths, brewers, etc., textile artisans capable of producing exquisite carpets and tapestries, and Yunkai bed slaves skilled in the eighteen positions and the thirty-six cries of spring.

Eddard placed these artisans in the Stark Estate, gave them generous treatment, and had them take charge of training apprentices. Those bed slaves from Yunkai were arranged in a brothel Eddard opened himself on Silk Street, which attracts many sailors and patrons every day.

After the unification of Westeros, the exchange of local craftsmanship became more frequent; Eddard hired ironborn smiths and shipwrights from King's Port in the Iron Islands, as the longswords and plate armor forged by the ironborn are of superior quality, and their craft in building longships is unrivaled in the world.

The longbow craftsmanship using yew wood from the Stormlands is the best, so Eddard imported a large number of fletchers from the Marches to serve in the armory of King's Landing.

In the Small Council, Eddard hired nobles from all over Westeros to serve as advisors; for example, the Great King Theon of the Iron Islands, Prince Doran of Dorne, Lord Rowan of Goldengrove, Lord Randyll Tarly of Horn Hill, Lord Alester Florent of Brightwater Keep, Bronze Yohn of the Vale, Tytos Blackwood of Raventree Hall, Lord Rickard Karstark, the Lightning Lord, and others are all advisors.

Some advisors hold only honorary titles, such as Prince Doran and the Great King Theon, and do not personally come to King's Landing to serve on the Small Council.

The advisors who actually do the work are usually Maesters; for example, Maester Farmer is the agricultural advisor, Maester Norman is the medical advisor, and Archmaester Marwyn and Maester Duosite are the magic advisors.

These people served Eddard at Winterfell long ago; Maester Farmer helped the North build the Stark Estate, Maester Norman helped Winterfell train nurses and established a medicine storehouse, Maester Duosite was responsible for compiling the stories of Old Nan of Winterfell, and Archmaester Marwyn contributed much while at Winterfell.

In the study of the moving castle, Eddard summoned Maester Farmer, Maester Norman, Archmaester Marwyn, and Maester Duosite.

Eddard sat on a sable-fur chair: "You have always been my think tank; in the future, I want to lead Westeros toward common prosperity. What suggestions do you have?"

The chubby and slovenly Maester Farmer said: "Your Majesty, I suggest that as the Stark Estate promotes itself across Westeros, it should develop characteristic agriculture based on local conditions, such as grapes grown in Dorne and the Reach, blueberries and flax grown in the North, wheat grown in the Riverlands, pumpkins in the Vale, olives in Dorne, and earthworm and leech farming in the Neck and Witch Swamp regions."

Eddard nodded: "A fantastic idea, Maester Farmer. When you were in the North, you attached great importance to seed cultivation, and it should be the same in King's Landing. From now on, require the Stark Estate to plant only carefully selected, plump seeds."

"In the future, the Stark Estate will take over the church lands across Westeros, and we must bring better harvests to the farmers."

Archmaester Marwyn was shocked: "Your Majesty, did the High Septon agree to have the church lands merged into the Stark Estate?"

Eddard said: "Yes, House Stark has repaid the debts owed to the church from the time of Robert Baratheon. In the future, the church can share in the profits from the Stark Estate. House Stark and the royal family will become the protectors and patrons of the church, and the septons and septas will be under the command of the Stark Estate, uniformly arranging agricultural production."

Because the Seven have many believers south of the Neck, monasteries and churches possess vast lands in the South; in some parts of the Reach, the Vale, and the Riverlands, the monastery lands are more extensive than those of landed knights and petty lords.

The septons and septas of the monasteries, the brothers of the Beggar Brotherhood, and the wandering barefoot septons play an important role in the lives of the common people; they not only listen to the confessions of the people and preach publicly, but some also possess medical skills to serve the common folk.

Today, Eddard possesses more than forty frost dragons, six magic dragons, the Mermaid Fleet, the Winter Wolves, the Three Rivers Army, the Chick Eagle Army, and other standing armies; in the future, Eddard will also build the Golden Wolves in the Westerlands. Furthermore, Eddard holds tactical "nuclear weapons" such as the Balrog, the Night King, and the sea dragon Naga, causing nobles and commoners everywhere to tremble under the banner of the direwolf.

The power of House Stark is unprecedentedly strong; after Eddard defeated the undead, he is akin to a god among the believers of the Seven, making this the most appropriate time to merge the church lands.

Originally, it was the King in the North, House Stark, that defeated the invading Andals of the South at the Neck and Moat Cailin, allowing the North to retain the faith of the Old Gods; many years later, in the vast North, only White Harbor, managed by the Manderly family, has any significant influence from the faith of the Seven.

The great justice displayed by Emperor Eddard has made the church and the pious submit to the banner of the direwolf, yet there are still some voices whispering that House Stark is nothing but northern savages who worship the weirwood heart trees and are not qualified to rule the southern regions of Westeros under the care of the Seven.

House Stark has merged the church estates, and in the future, the church will be in intimate harmony with House Stark; the salt and bread of the church will be provided by House Stark, and the church will sing praises for the direwolf and the Starks.

Maester Norman, with his silver-white hair, reported to Eddard.

"The Stark Academy has officially opened in King's Landing, Your Majesty. Your four hundred noble foster sons and daughters are studying at the school. The school offers courses in history, mathematics, literature, agronomy, medicine, magic, astronomy, geography, and more. In addition to noble children, we also recruit the children of commoners; some children of merchants and artisans have been sent into the Stark Academy. In the future, the Stark Academy will surely be able to surpass the Oldtown Citadel."

"Furthermore, we have also welcomed the first batch of students at Stark branch schools in Lannisport, White Harbor, Gulltown, Crossroads, Weeping Town, Stave Town, and other places."

The Oldtown Citadel expressed its welcome regarding Emperor Eddard's investment in education; however, the Archmaesters of the Conclave seem worried. After all, Maesters hold multiple roles, including managing ravens, educating noble children, treating nobles, and advising nobles. By sending Maesters to castles across Westeros, the Citadel can easily influence nobles everywhere and, at critical moments, even sway the situation.

In the future, students trained by the Stark Academy will increasingly become professional doctors, teachers, advisors, etc., replacing the status of the Citadel.

Archmaester Marwyn stroked the Valyrian steel chain around his neck, which represents that Marwyn is an authority in the field of magic research.

"Your Majesty, the Archmaesters of the Citadel must have felt the crisis. The Citadel recruits noble children as well as commoners, but within the Citadel, there has always been a voice that believes commoners' children should not be educated. This view holds that commoners' children should spend their lives facing the yellow earth and sky; teaching them to read will only nourish ambition."

"I remember a Maester discussing this with me a few days ago; he said the most typical example is the former Master of Coin, Littlefinger Petyr Baelish."

Eddard smiled: "Littlefinger Petyr Baelish has already been executed by me at the top of the Hightower in Oldtown. Littlefinger was indeed of humble origin, but he was not a commoner; his father was a petty lord of the Five Fingers. Although the territory was only a barren coastline, he was a lord nonetheless."

"Catelyn told me that back then, Lord Hoster participated in the War of the Ninepenny Kings with Littlefinger's father, and the two became friends. That is how Littlefinger became Lord Hoster's ward, growing up in the Citadel with Catelyn, Lysa, and Edmure, and learning to read and write with the Maesters in the castle."

"If Littlefinger had not become a ward of Riverrun, he might have become an illiterate petty lord and spent his life that way. Ambitionists like Littlefinger are, after all, only individual cases and cannot represent the commoner class."

Maester Norman said: "Your Majesty, we have perfected the sewers of King's Landing and dug many sweet-water wells in the city; the sanitary conditions of King's Landing have improved significantly, and the smell is much better."

Eddard said: "The population of King's Landing is still too large. In the future, after Wolf Castle near King's Landing is built, I will relocate a portion of the residents to the new city."

To guard King's Landing, Eddard's Winter Wolves and the Royal Fleet are stationed at Crab Isle of House Celtigar, Driftmark of House Velaryon, Dragonstone of House Targaryen, Sharp Point of House Bar Emmon, Sweetport Sound of House Sunglass, Duskendale of House Rykker, and other places, and Wolf Castle is being built at the mouth of the Wendwater, where the Blackwater River meets the Golden Road.

Archmaester Marwyn said: "Your Majesty, you easily hatched five magic dragons in the godswood of the moving castle. These magic dragons are the pride of Westeros!"

With the help of the Three-Eyed Crow and the Children of the Forest, dragon eggs were discovered all over Westeros. The dragon egg found on Fair Isle in the Westerlands was named 'Fairy'. Previously, the eunuch Varys suggested naming the magic dragon hatched from the Westerlands egg 'Lion', a name clearly harboring ill intent, as it reminds people of House Lannister.

Tyrion, Gillian, and others strongly opposed it, and in the end, Eddard named this red magic dragon 'Fairy' to commemorate Fair Isle, the place where the dragon egg was discovered.

The amber-colored magic dragon hatched from the dragon egg discovered in the Rainwood of the Stormlands was named 'Windwhisperer' by Eddard.

The cyan magic dragon hatched from the dragon egg discovered at Bitterbridge in the Reach was named 'Greenhand' to commemorate the legendary hero of the Reach during the Age of Heroes, the famous Garth Greenhand.

The silver-white magic dragon hatched from the dragon egg found on Great Wyk in the Iron Islands was named 'Iron Egg' by Eddard, because the egg was discovered in the territory of the ironborn.

The lava-colored magic dragon hatched from the dragon egg discovered in the desert of Dorne was named 'Sun' by Eddard.

Added to the Northern magic dragon 'Winter Wolf', the Riverlands magic dragon 'Koi', and the Vale magic dragon 'Eagle Eye', the seven kingdoms and eight regions of Westeros all possess their own magic dragons, and all these magic dragons have one dragonrider: Emperor Eddard.

Archmaester Marwyn said: "Your Majesty, since King's Landing possesses so many magic dragons, why not reopen the Dragonpit on Rhaenys Hill and let the magic dragons live in the Dragonpit?"

Eddard said: "I possess the moving castle, which is enough to house these magic dragons. No matter how large the space of the Dragonpit is, it will eventually inhibit the growth of the magic dragons. I feel that letting the magic dragons live in the moving castle is the most appropriate."

Moreover, when the magic dragons grow up, they can pull the moving castle through the sky like horses pulling a carriage. In fact, the moving castle can fly on its own; having the magic dragons pull it is just to increase the prestige and intimidate the people on the ground.

After the Maesters left, Daenerys, Jon Targaryen, Robb, and others followed Emperor Eddard to the Painted Table room.

Daenerys, Robb, and Jon looked at Westeros and the continent of Essos on the painted table in wonder.

Robb said: "Back then, Aegon the Conqueror possessed the painted table of Westeros, and he conquered Westeros except for Dorne. As powerful as Aegon the Conqueror was, he was unable to build an empire that spanned both sides of the Narrow Sea."

Eddard said: "What we are going to do today is to build an unprecedented great empire. I have had enough of the cheese-mongers of Pentos, had enough of the slave ships of Tyrosh, Myr, and Lys, and had enough of the maritime hegemony of the Sealord of Braavos. It is time to let the banner of the direwolf fly on the other side of the Narrow Sea."

Daenerys looked across the Narrow Sea, her gaze moving back and forth between Braavos, Pentos, Lys, and Tyrosh.

"These are the cities where I once lived in exile, Your Majesty. Where do you intend to start the conquest?"

Eddard's hand rested on the Stepstones next to Dorne and the Stormlands.

"Starting from here, I will incorporate the Stepstones into the territory of Westeros."

Jon stroked the stubble on his chin.

"Your Grace, the Stepstones have always been a nest for pirates from Tyrosh, Myr, and Lys. That place is closely tied to the Three Daughters city-states; if we march into the Stepstones, the Three Daughters will absolutely not stand by and watch."

Eddard said: "However, Myr, Tyrosh, and Lys have been at war for years in the Stepstones and the Disputed Lands. In fact, the Archon of Tyrosh has just allied with the Magister of Myr to fight against Lys, and a new round of war is breaking out in the Disputed Lands."

"Recently, the pirate King of the Narrow Sea, Aurane Waters, and King Osmund have been expanding their influence in the Stepstones. If we join forces with Tyrosh, Myr, and Lys to clear out the pirates, the Three Daughters will certainly not mind our military actions in Westeros."

Robb asked curiously, "Who are the King of the Narrow Sea and King Osmund?"

Eddard said: "The King of the Narrow Sea is Aurane Waters, who briefly served on Cersei's Small Council. This man is the bastard brother of Lord Velaryon. During the Undead's rule over King's Landing, Aurane Waters took the opportunity to steal Cersei's wealth and flee. As for King Osmund, he is the mercenary who once served under Cersei, Osmund Kettleblack."

"Osmund's two brothers both died in King's Landing, but Osmund fled to the Stepstones. They collaborated with the Ironborn pirate Jota to occupy several islands in the Stepstones. The King of the Narrow Sea occupies the Torture Abyss, King Osmund occupies Wail Island, and King Joth occupies Kidney Island. The largest island, Bloodstone, is jointly occupied by the old Lysene pirate Salladhor Saan and several pirates from Tyrosh and Myr."

Jon frowned.

"Is this Salladhor Saan the same pirate who once served Stannis?"

Eddard nodded, "It is him."

Robb said: "Varys should know the background of these pirates like the back of his hand; why not let him attend the meeting?"

Eddard said: "Robb, a ruler must learn to appoint people based on their merits. Varys cannot be trusted. He claims to be a Myrish man, was a slave in Lys, and started as a thief in Pentos. Without a doubt, Varys has many friends and perhaps even relatives across the Narrow Sea. Who knows if he might secretly pass on information?"

"We know of the Magister of Pentos, Illyrio. In the future, I will be away fighting for a long time, and you will rule Westeros. You must learn to perceive human nature and learn more from Jon Connington, Alester Florent, Mathis Rowan, and others; you will improve a great deal." These old foxes would help Robb grow.

Jon said: "We possess Death Knights, Magic Dragons, Frost Dragons, and the Mermaid Fleet; the pirates of the Stepstones are simply no match for us."

Eddard said: "Jon, when playing against an enemy, the greatest taboo is to reveal your full strength right at the start, because then you will become an opponent everyone is wary of, and more people will become your enemies. Back during the War of the Five Kings, the reason I delayed putting on the crown was because wearing the crown makes enemies notice your ambition and adds unnecessary hostility toward yourself."

"If we bring out our Magic Dragons, Frost Dragons, and the Mermaid Fleet right away, then the Sealord of Braavos, the Archon of Tyrosh, the Archons of Volantis, the Khals on the Dothraki Sea, the Astapor Good Masters in Slaver's Bay, the Yunkai Wise Masters, the Meereen Great Masters, the Qarth Tourmaline Brotherhood, the Pureborn, and the Spice Guild will all notice the threat from Westeros."

"When Westeros becomes too powerful, Essos will unite to oppose Westeros. By then, the warlocks of the House of the Undying in Qarth, the Sorrowful Men, the wizards and witches of Asshai, the Faceless Men of Braavos, the Sealord's fleet, and the Moon Singers will all unite. The Dosh Khaleen Crone and the Dothraki Khal armies will all oppose us. In this era of the return of Qi, the power of Eastern sorcerers has greatly increased and cannot be underestimated."

Jon, Daenerys, and Robb, having heard Eddard's analysis, all deeply agreed.

Robb said: "Your Grace, are we only sending the Royal Fleet to clear out the pirates in the Stepstones? If so, I fear it will be difficult to completely eradicate the pirate forces."

Eddard said: "The Royal Fleet will find it difficult, but with the support of the Mermaid Fleet, the Iron Fleet, the shrimp soldiers and crab generals, the Sea Snake Corlys, and Alyn of Hull, all of whom are experts in naval warfare, and with Robert the Death Storm, Rhaegar Targaryen, Khal Drogo, and the Death Knight Mountain, we can wreak havoc after landing. Such True Dragons are enough to conquer the Stepstones."

"Tyrosh, Myr, and Lys were all developed from outposts of the Valyrian Empire; they all remember the might of the Magic Dragons. As long as we do not send out the Magic Dragons, the Three Daughters city-states will not be alerted to the threat of Westeros. They will continue to slaughter each other in the Disputed Lands, playing their game of thrones."

Robb looked at the Myr Sea, the Disputed Lands, the island of Lys, and the island of Tyrosh on the map table.

"This is a fertile and wealthy land. Lys, Tyrosh, and Myr rely heavily on mercenary companies and have poor combat effectiveness. After annexing the Stepstones, taking the opportunity to conquer large swaths of land in Lys, Tyrosh, and Myr should not be difficult."

Eddard said: "But once we occupy any one of Lys, Tyrosh, or Myr, they will certainly call on Volantis for help. Volantis has always considered itself the eldest daughter of Valyria. They may not get along with the Three Daughters city-states on a daily basis, but Volantis will certainly not sit idly by."

"We must find a way to contain Volantis. No other city-state has this capability, but the Dothraki cavalry on the Dothraki Sea, once they arrive at the city gates, would make even Volantis feel troubled."

Eddard turned to Daenerys.

"Daenerys, you were once a Khaleesi of the Great Grass Sea. Khal Drogo once possessed as many as one hundred thousand followers on the Dothraki Sea and was the most powerful tribe in the Dothraki Sea. Khal Drogo knows many Khals. Originally, sending Khal Drogo would have been the best choice, but Khal Drogo is now a Death Knight. The barrier between life and death, the separation of yin and yang, makes it impossible for Khal Drogo to serve as an envoy."

"Do you have any candidates among your subordinates who can win us the friendship of one or two Dothraki Khals?"

Daenerys said: "As long as the price is right and the gifts are generous, winning the friendship of a Khal is not difficult. Rakharo can serve as an envoy; he is not only my Bloodrider but also my Ko. I think Jeke Khal, Jumo Khal, Jaqo Khal, and Nunda Khal could all be considered for recruitment."

Eddard smiled, "Good! Then send Rakharo to the other side of the Narrow Sea."

The Dothraki tribes are nomadic; even if Rakharo has a clear goal, he may not be able to find the tribes in the vast Great Grass Sea, so the envoy must set off early.

The next day, in the study, Eddard summoned the Onion Knight, Ser Davos Seaworth.

The Onion Knight can be called the most excellent smuggler in the Seven Kingdoms; he is familiar with the fishing villages and ports of Westeros, and naturally, he is also very familiar with lawless places like the Stepstones.

"Onion Knight, I hear your friend, the old Lysene pirate Salladhor Saan, has gone back to his old trade in the Stepstones?"

The Onion Knight nodded, "Your Grace, when Salladhor Saan is not working as a mercenary, he often hangs around the Stepstones."

Eddard said: "Ask your friend if he is interested in cooperating with us to fight the other pirate kings?"

The Onion Knight frowned, "Your Grace, back during the War of the Five Kings, Salladhor Saan served Stannis, and it was I who brought him in. However, because Stannis eventually knelt and submitted to Your Grace, Salladhor Saan's mercenary pay was not fully settled. Salladhor Saan is still complaining to me about it!"

Eddard said: "You can tell your friend Salladhor Saan that cooperating with the Westerosi royal family has many benefits; he can share in the wealth we seize from destroying the pirates." Otherwise, he will only be destroyed along with the other pirates.

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(End of chapter)