Chapter 161

The River of Lament was split in two by ancient hills at a point several tens of li from the river mouth, the result being the broad River Heart Area; people often rumored that beautiful half-human, half-fish demons dwelled there, dragging ashore fishermen who did not return by night to breed offspring.

the result being the broad River Heart Area

The rumor was influential, often driving impulsive youths to leave home, take small boats, and wander at night in the River Heart Isle, waiting for the demon's favor.

Translation: The rumor was influential; often impulsive youths would leave home, boarding small boats to wander the River Heart Isle at night, awaiting the demons' favor.

River Heart Isle

Upon learning of the baseless rumors, the duke issued an order to prohibit their spread.

Translation: Upon hearing the illusory rumor, the Duke ordered its spread prohibited.

same as above.

In fact, those gathered there were merely homeless farmers and criminal bandits; Li Ke Bolton once served as a minor warrior in the army, stepping onto this not-large-not-small River Heart Isle to sweep out the bandits they had been pursuing.

Translation: In fact, those gathered there were merely homeless farmers and criminal bandits; Li Ke Bolton once accompanied the army as a minor warrior onto this not-large-not-small River Heart Isle, sweeping out the bandits they had been pursuing.

Li Ke Bolton minor warrior not-large-not-small

He saw no bandits on the River Heart Isle; the real bandits, as soon as their large army landed, fled by small boat through the mist toward the reeds of the southern marshes, and even the bravest warriors dared not pursue them deeply.

Translation: He saw no bandits on the River Heart Isle; the real bandits, when their great army landed, had already fled by small boat through the gray mist into the southern marshes' reeds, and even the bravest warriors dared not pursue deeply.

Most of those remaining on the River Heart Isle were disheveled farmers and farmwomen, who kept some frail goats and noisy ducks on the isle; when he led a small detachment of pursuers to retreat and then return to the River Heart Isle, these farmers and farmwomen had already been hanged by officers on the ancient oak tree, their faces all showing terror and helplessness.

Translation: Most of those left on the River Heart Isle were disheveled farmers and farmwomen, who kept some scrawny goats and noisy ducks on the isle; when he led a small detachment of pursuers to retreat and re‑land on the River Heart Isle, these farmers and farmwomen had already been hanged by officers on the ancient oak, their faces all showing terror and helplessness.

"They're actually grazing sheep on Lord Bolton's land!" Luo Jia'er Bolton turned to him, pointing at the oak tree pattern, and said, "These ignorant folk are learning from the Children of the Forest, carving human faces onto the oak trees. They think they're lords! Damn it."

Translation: "They're actually herding sheep on Duke Bolton's lands!" Luo Jia'er Bolton turned to him after seeing him, pointing at the oak's pattern and said, "These foolish folk are learning from the Children of the Forest, carving human faces onto the oak. They think they're lords! Damn it."

Lord Bolton Luo Jia'er Bolton Children of the Forest lord Damn it

(line 【8】) no note? Actually line 【8】 is Chinese sentence; we need to translate.

Translation: "He thinks himself a lord." He did not know whether these words were addressed to him; at that time he was not yet the heir, but by kinship he was naturally a member of that theory, so it was normal for Luo Jia'er to view him as an enemy.

lord

line 【9】 Chinese sentence.

Translation: He remembered those words, and also remembered the deep expression on the tree.

line 【10】 Chinese sentence.

Translation: If one does not look at the oak's leaves, it is a heart tree. Li Ke Bolton knew that many southern families, even the capital, lacking weirwood, substitute oak for the heart tree. He did not know whether this carving could likewise serve the heart tree's purpose; perhaps what works is not the tree species but the face upon it.

heart tree weirwood King's Landing many southern families even King's Landing

line 【11】 Chinese sentence.

Translation: The image carved on that oak differed little from the face on the Bolton heart tree, only appearing more sorrowful, just like the farmwomen hanged by Luo Jia'er.

line 【12】 Chinese sentence.

Translation: "Lord Bolton has not granted the River Heart Isle to anyone," Li Ke Bolton replied; they should not act without the Duke's permission, Li Ke Bolton knew the Duke valued this region, but he could not say they deserved it.

Lord Bolton Duke

line 【13】 Chinese sentence.

Translation: Luo Jia'er Bolton also knew.

line 【14】 Chinese sentence.

Translation: Luo Jia'er Bolton was the son of Viscount Lafude Bolton and also the heir of Sheephead Ridge; before the Duke established him as heir, Luo Jia'er was the person most likely to be named the Duke's heir.

Viscount Lafude Bolton Sheephead Ridge Duke Duke's heir

line 【15】 Chinese sentence.

Translation: "The River Heart Isle together with the adjacent valley originally belonged to House Lytheria, but they never imagined that the flooding River of Lament would overflow its natural embankment, pour into the valley, and bring ruin upon their house overnight."

House Lytheria River of Lament natural embankment ruin

line 【16】 Chinese sentence.

Translation: The family wiped out by the flood was the only one in the entire North; Li Ke Bolton knew this story all too well.

"Legend says the raging flood shattered the castle they built on the cliff." Li Ke Bolton recalled his own response: "Unfortunately, the flood was too great, the stone could not withstand soaking, and everything fell into the rushing waters." House Lytheria guarded the Bolton family's eastern gateway into their lands from the valley; they did not await enemies from the east, but instead faced the flood from the west.

Translation: "Legend says the flood shattered their cliff‑side castle." Li Ke Bolton recalled responding thus, "What a pity—the flood was too great, the stone could not withstand soaking, and the whole thing fell into the raging waters." House Lytheria guarded the eastern gateway into Bolton lands for the Boltons; they awaited no enemy from the east, but met the flood from the west.

House Lytheria Bolton family lands

line 【18】 Chinese sentence.

Translation: "You're wrong," Luo Jia'er said, "I'm not talking about that. The Lytheria family's extinction left this viscounty without an heir; by kingdom law it should belong to House Stark, not the Boltons. According to Bolton family records," he emphasized those words, "when Stark folk came to inspect, they showed no interest in this flooded land, nor did they explicitly renounce it," Li Ke Bolton recalled his sneering smile, "so we are hanging these folk for the Starks!"

viscounty kingdom law House Stark Bolton family records sneering smile

line 【19】 Chinese sentence.

Translation: Li Ke Bolton only smiled in reply; the words of House Lytheria and Luo Jia'er were from long ago.

line 【20】 Chinese sentence.

Translation: Now he is the Duke's established heir; if the she‑wolf marches south to seize Twin Rivers City and kills the Duke's new lady, then the Duke will have no young legitimate son to rival him.

Duke Duke she-wolf Twin Rivers City new lady

line 【21】 Chinese sentence.

Translation: After Damonic Bolton died, in the struggle for heirship his opponents remained only a few, such as Luo Jia'er Bolton and the several bloodlines left by the great‑grandfather shared with Li Ke Bolton; of course also included were the rumors of the Duke's bastard son, but that was merely rumor.

Damonic Bolton great‑grandfather bloodlines Duke's bastard son

line 【22】 Chinese sentence.

Translation: In the rumors, that bastard was evil and vicious, even Damonic Bolton's death ascribed to his doing; but that was just rumor, in fact Li Ke Bolton guessed it was mostly Luo Jia'er's work.

line 【23】 Chinese sentence.

Translation: He had once seen Damonic Bolton; the true heir was supremely confident or arrogant, with a hint of strange innocence… he had originally thought he could serve under Damonic Bolton.

line 【24】 Chinese sentence.

Translation: Regardless, after Damonic Bolton's death a long stretch passed with the Duke never naming an heir; to observers he seemed unable to move past the grief of his legitimate son's death. When Lord Eddard was imprisoned, the young wolf raised troops, and the Duke needed to follow southward, he then seemed to finally decide on an heir.

Damonic Bolton Duke Lord Eddard young wolf Duke

line 【25】 Chinese sentence.

Translation: He was the one then formally established as heir.

line 【26】 Chinese sentence.

Translation: He felt an unprecedented fortune; despite power, kin, or blood‑near or far, he held no advantage over others, far less than Luo Jia'er, yet the Duke still chose him.

line 【27】 Chinese sentence.

Translation: "I need a tough boy," the Duke said at the celebratory banquet, having him stay behind, "a silent, inward‑looking one, like me." He recalled the Duke's voice, soothing and exceedingly rational; at one moment he felt it was actually his father: "After Damonic Bolton's death I had ample time to observe, I believe you are the best fit. To put your mind at ease, I will explain the reasons: no master, no parental schooling, you learned archery—nothing remarkable in the North, and moreover it is the savage kind, but everyone starts from savagery, and true battlefields need no grace—yet you seized the opportunity……"

Duke Damonic Bolton archery savage North

line 【28】 Chinese sentence.

Translation: "This is Ser Waymar……"

Ser Waymar

line 【29】 Chinese sentence.

Translation: "Ser Waymar also taught many others, but they did not study earnestly; perhaps for other children his lessons were too useless, whether from arrogance or ignorance—you must understand that a family's rise and fall always depends on people; I believe I need neither an arrogant nor ignorant heir, for arrogance and ignorance are the lord's great taboo."

lord

line 【30】 Chinese sentence.

Translation: He liked Ser Waymar, hoping one day to match him on the battlefield for honor; thus he was willing to seize every chance to learn, but he noticed the Duke's wording remained "savage," not the adjective he expected, and he even thought his archery was on par with any lord's heir.

lord

"There are other reasons as well. The education of parents, scholars, and other learned people is important; I know that, but your parents died when you were very young, making it impossible to have a single scholar to guide you, yet you still learned to read and spell."

Translation: "There are other reasons. The education of parents, scholars, and other learned folk is important; I know, but you lost your parents when you were tiny, and it was impossible to have a lone scholar guide you, yet you still learned to read and spell……"

scholar

line 【32】 Chinese sentence.

Translation: His reading and spelling were still low, his swordplay and military command still weak, but he did not wish to interrupt the Duke. Life's circumstances matter greatly; his learning experience relied both on his own initiative and on his surname.

Duke

line 【33】 Chinese sentence.

Translation: "A North‑bound child learning archery is simple—just need a poor horse—but to learn reading and spelling without instruction is another matter."

North

line 【34】 Chinese sentence.

Translation: "My uncle……"

line 【35】 Chinese sentence.

Translation: "I know your uncle," the Duke cut him off, "he is my distant cousin; I know him inside out, so I know he's a drunkard, he can't even control his own wife—she caused quite a ruckus, and were it not for his Bolton name I might have helped flay her—let alone managing his brother's son."

uncle distant cousin drunkard Bolton

line 【36】 Chinese sentence.

Translation: Li Ke Bolton acknowledged his uncle's lax management and also understood his aunt's folly.

uncle aunt

line 【37】 Chinese sentence.

Translation: "Learning to read and spell holds no joy, especially for a child; I don't know how you persisted. But in any case, it is rare."

line 【38】 Chinese sentence.

Translation: The Duke's praise did not make him elated; being praised always left him uneasy.

Duke

line 【39】 Chinese sentence.

Translation: "The scholar said, to become a knight one must learn reading and spelling, more basic than learning to ride and lance," he said bashfully, "I once wanted to be a knight."

scholar

line 【40】 Chinese sentence.

Translation: That remark made the Duke laugh.

line 【41】 Chinese sentence.

Translation: "Fate is like a curve, never quite as one wishes. Compared to a knight, you are more likely to become a lord, perhaps even a great lord. Being a lord can be simple or hard," he felt the Duke pat his shoulder reassuringly, "there is much to learn—etiquette, command—and though many would outshine you there, in fact these things are of limited worth, especially when your status exceeds theirs, and besides you still have time to learn. When I depart, Ham the scholar and Muir the trainer will aid you in managing the lands; moreover, guards Hanks, Leo, and Ange will assist you, acting on your orders; if I do not return from the south, you will be head of the Bolton family and may govern the lands as you see fit." The Duke drew out his mouth into a mournful smile; Li Ke Bolton could not grasp its meaning, "I hope these talks give you a bit of confidence."

Ham the scholar Muir the trainer Hanks Leo Ange guards Bolton family head

Duke

line 【42】 Chinese sentence.

Translation: "I will," he replied, but this did not touch the Duke's deliberations. "You lack confidence—that is what worries me most, but it is not your fault, it is mine."

Duke

line 【43】 Chinese sentence.

Translation: He asked why, but the Duke stayed his question.

line 【44】 Chinese sentence.

Translation: The cold wind howled, sweeping across the plains and the River of Lament; this River Heart Isle will someday be his domain, and if all goes well, the whole North will be his.

River of Lament North

line 【45】 Chinese sentence.

Translation: In older times the River Heart Isle was a long ridge extending along the River of Lament's direction; after the harbor silted, the flow gradually overflowed the original embankment upstream, extending along the ridge's south to seize the southern valley, gradually forming a new River of Lament; the two branches reunited tens of li from the mouth, together carrying the lone mountain and converging stream waters into the icy sea.

River of Lament mouth tens of li lone mountain sea

line 【46】 Chinese sentence.

Translation: The channel is being dredged continually, but the split upper and lower courses make managing the mouth difficult.

line 【47】 Chinese sentence.

Translation: The south bank of the River of Lament is endless mudflat and marsh; no entering merchant ship will dock there, yet if port trade briskens, the south bank could become a pirates' haven.

line 【48】 Chinese sentence.

line 【49】 Chinese sentence.

Translation: He knew the Duke's plans. One was to fully restore the ancient River of Lament course, which would mean completely sealing the southern channel so the River of Lament's water would re‑enter the sea via its old bed; but after nearly a millennium of silt, to make the northern River of Lament bear the whole flow would require digging out the millennia of deposited earth—almost an impossible task; if forced, summer floods would ravage the north bank and swamp the harbor. The alternative was to move the harbor back several tens of li from the mouth, establishing a port town at the fork before the River of Lament splits; yet withdrawing would let eastern invaders land at the mouth and swiftly move inland, rendering the port useless for defense.

Duke River of Lament northern River of Lament mouth harbor

line 【49】 Chinese sentence? Actually 【258】 is line 【49】 Chinese sentence.

Translation: Perhaps ports must be built both upstream and downstream; that is the difficulty of constructing Bolton Port. But he came here today not to solve that problem, but to meet the allied forces about to land.

Bolton Port

line 【50】 Chinese sentence.

Translation: They had already erected a rough docking point at the mouth; thanks to their continual dredging, landing sea‑craft could barely tie up alongside the bank, whereas larger vessels would have to sail up the southern River of Lament before the split and come ashore on its bank.

mouth southern River of Lament

line 【51】 Chinese sentence.

Translation: The north bank's riverfront was packed with sea‑craft, their mastheads flying assorted banners, those familiar to all.

line 【52】 Chinese sentence.

Translation: Soldiers clambered over creaking planks from the uneven decks onto the muddy road, then fell into step on the heath, forming ranks according to the colored wooden tokens the guides handed out, choosing the camps already pitched for them; only Bolton troops could enforce orders.

Bolton troops

line 【53】 Chinese sentence.

Translation: The shouts of the Tyrell and Lannister troops still rang in his ears; Li Ke Bolton felt the weather not cold enough to drain their excess energy.

Tyrell Lannister Li Ke Bolton

line 【54】 Chinese sentence.

Translation: He lacked the energy to restrain that proud lot of soldiers; perhaps tonight's temperature would make them more subdued.

line 【55】 Chinese sentence.

Translation: Li Ke Bolton led nearly a thousand farmers in moving supplies, lifting the ship's cargo bit by bit onto the shore's makeshift warehouse, then hauling it farther to the camp; besides the farmers he also brought nearly a thousand soldiers to keep discipline.

line 【56】 Chinese sentence.

Translation: Managing a hundred already gave him a headache, yet now he had to coordinate food, clothing, shelter and movement for nearly ten thousand; he was glad the Duke was absent, for otherwise the Duke would surely be dissatisfied with his results, but he had done his utmost.

Duke Duke

line 【57】 Chinese sentence.

Translation: Even so, the scene bore no relation to orderly routine; the clamor and din persisted, but fortunately he had not heard the clash of arms, else he would not know how to conclude, nor did he wish to stain the weapons while receiving guests.

line 【58】 Chinese sentence.

Translation: He did not fear bloodshed; blood was the Bolton's original hue.

Bolton

line 【59】 Chinese sentence.

Translation: He could not settle every surrounding issue with blood, and some problems were truly beyond expectation.

line 【60】 Chinese sentence.

Translation: Fact often differs from expectation.

Now we need to output each line with 【N】 prefix and translation on same line.

===TITLE=== Chapter Sixty‑Nine: Heir of the Dreadfort

Chapter Sixty‑Nine: Heir of the Dreadfort

Chapter Sixty‑Nine: Heir of the Dreadfort

Now

Rumors were very influential; often impulsive young people would leave home, boarding small boats to drift on the River Heart Isle at night, waiting for the demons' favor.

After the Duke heard the illusory rumors, he ordered their spread to be prohibited.

In fact, what gathered there were merely some homeless farmers and criminal bandits; Rick Bolton had once joined the army as a minor warrior, landing on this not-too-large River Heart Isle to sweep out the bandits they had been pursuing.

He saw no bandits on the River Heart Isle; the real bandits had already fled southward in small boats through the gray mist into the reeds of the swamp when their great army landed ashore, and even the bravest warriors dared not pursue them deeply.

Most of those left on the River Heart Isle were disheveled farmers and farmwomen, who kept some scrawny goats and noisy ducks on the isle; when the small detachment he led retreated and then re‑landed on the River Heart Isle, these farmers and farmwomen had already been hanged by the officers on the ancient oak, their faces all showing terror and helplessness.

"They're actually herding sheep on Lord Bolton's land!" Rogar Bolton turned to him after seeing him, pointing at the oak's pattern and said, "These fools are learning from the Children of the Forest, carving human faces onto the oak. They think they're lords! Damn it."

"He thinks he's a lord." He didn't know whether that remark was aimed at him; at that time he wasn't the heir, but by kinship he was naturally a member of that theory, so it was normal for Rogar to view him as an enemy.

He remembered those words, and also remembered the deep expression on the tree.

If you ignore the oak's leaves, it is essentially a heart tree. Rick Bolton knew that many southern families, even the capital, lacking weirwood, substitute oak for the heart tree. He didn't know whether this carving could serve the same function as a heart tree; perhaps what mattered was not the tree species but the face upon it.

The image carved on that oak differed little from the face on the Bolton heart tree, only appearing more sorrowful, just like the farmwomen hanged by Rogar.

"Lord Bolton hasn't granted the River Heart Isle to anyone," Rick Bolton replied; they shouldn't act without the Duke's permission. Rick Bolton knew the Duke valued this region, but he couldn't bring himself to say they deserved it.

Rogar Bolton knew that as well.

Rogar Bolton was the son of Viscount Lafud Bolton and also the heir of Sheephead Hill; before the Duke established him as heir, Rogar was the person most likely to be named the Duke's heir.

"The River Heart Isle and the adjoining valley originally belonged to House Ryswell, but they never imagined that the floodwaters of the Weeping River would overflow the natural levee and pour into the valley, bringing ruin upon their house overnight."

The family wiped out by the flood was the only one in the entire North, and Rick Bolton knew this story all too well.

"Legend says the flood swept away their castle built on the cliff." Rick Bolton recalled saying that, "Unfortunately, the flood was too great; the rock could not withstand soaking, and the whole thing fell into the raging waters." House Ryswell guarded the eastern entrance to the Bolton lands from the valley for House Bolton, but they awaited no enemy from the east, only the flood from the west.

"You're wrong," Rogar said, "I'm not talking about those. The ruin of House Ryswell left this viscounty without an heir; by kingdom law it should belong to the Starks, not the Boltons. According to Bolton family records," he emphasized those words, "after the Starks sent people to inspect, they showed no interest in this flooded land, nor did they explicitly renounce it." Rick Bolton remembered the sneer on his face, "So we're hanging these people for the Starks!"

Rick Bolton could only smile; the words of House Ryswell and Rogar were things of long ago.

Now he is the heir confirmed by the Duke; if the she‑wolf marches south to seize Twin Rivers City and kills the Duke's new wife, then the Duke will have no young legitimate son to compete with him.

After Domelic Bolton died, the contenders for the heirship were few: Rogar Bolton and others who shared Rick Bolton's bloodline through a few lines left by their common great‑grandfather, and of course the rumored illegitimate son of the Duke, though that was only a rumor.

In the rumors, that bastard was evil and vicious, even Domelic's death ascribed to his doing; but that was merely rumor, and Rick Bolton suspected it was actually Rogar's work.

He had once seen Domelic; the true heir was overconfident or arrogant, with a strange innocence… he had originally thought he could serve under Domelic.

Regardless, for a long time after Domelic's death the Duke did not name an heir; to observers he seemed unable to move past the grief of his legitimate son's death. When Lord Eddard was imprisoned, the Young Wolf raised his army, and the Duke needed to follow southward, it was then that he appeared to finally decide on an heir.

He was the one formally confirmed as heir at that time.

He felt an unprecedented fortune; despite lacking advantage in power, kin, or blood‑closeness compared to others—far less than Rogar—the Duke still chose him.

"I need a tough boy," the Duke said at the celebratory banquet, having singled him out, "a silent and restrained one, like me." He remembered the Duke's voice, soothing and extremely rational; at one moment he felt it was actually his father's: "After Domelic's death I had ample time to observe, and I believe you are the most suitable choice. To reassure you, I will explain the reasons: without a master or parental education, you learned archery—which in the North is not particularly impressive, and moreover it is the barbaric kind, but everyone starts from barbarism, and true battlefields do not require elegance—yet you still seized the opportunity……"

"This is Sir Weiyang……"

"Sir Weiyang also taught many others, but they didn't study seriously; perhaps for other children his lessons were too useless, which is either their arrogance or their ignorance. You must understand that the rise and fall of a house always depends on people; I believe I do not need an arrogant or ignorant heir, for arrogance and ignorance are the lord's great taboos."

He admired Sir Weiyang, hoping one day to be like him and earn honor on the battlefield; therefore he was willing to grasp every chance to learn, but he noticed that the Duke's wording remained "barbaric," not the adjective he expected, and he even thought his horsemanship was on par with that of any lord's heir.

"There are other reasons. The education of parents, scholars, and other learned people is important; I know, but you lost your parents when you were young, and it was impossible to have a lone scholar guide you, yet you still learned to read and spell……"

His reading and spelling skills were still low, his swordsmanship and military‑command ability still weak, but he did not want to interrupt the Duke. Life's circumstances matter greatly; his learning experience relied both on his own initiative and equally on his surname.

"For a northern child to learn archery, that's simple—just need a poor horse—but to learn reading and spelling without any instruction, that is different."

"My uncle……"

"I know your uncle," the Duke interrupted, "he is my distant cousin; I know him inside out, so I know he's a drunkard who can't even control his own wife—she caused quite a scandal, and if it weren't for his Bolton name I might have helped him flay her skin—let alone managing his brother's son."

Rick Bolton admitted his uncle's management was lax, and he understood his aunt's foolishness.

"Learning to read and spell is utterly joyless, especially for a child; I don't know how you managed to persist. But in any case, it is rare."

The Duke's praise failed to make him elated; being praised always made him uneasy.

"The scholar said, to become a knight, learning to read and spell is the most basic thing, more important than learning to ride and lance." He said bashfully, "I once wanted to be a knight."

That remark made the Duke laugh.

"Fate is like a curve, never going as one wishes. Compared to a knight, you are more likely to become a lord, or perhaps a great lord. Being a lord can be simple or hard," he felt the Duke pat his shoulder reassuringly, "there is much to learn—etiquette, command; in this regard many would outshine you, but in fact these things have limited value, especially when your status exceeds theirs, and moreover you still have time to learn. After I depart, Scholar Ham and Master Murray will assist you in managing the estate; moreover, guards Hanks, Leo, and Ang will also help you, acting on your orders. If I do not return from the south, you will be the head of House Bolton, and you may govern the lands as you wish." The Duke drew out the corners of his mouth, showing a desolate smile; Rick Bolton could not fathom what it meant, "I hope these talks will give you a bit more confidence."

"I will," he replied, but this did not touch the Duke's concerns. "You lack confidence—that is what worries me most, but it is not your fault; it is mine."

He asked why, but the Duke stretched out his hand to stop his question.

The cold wind howled, sweeping past the plains and the Weeping River; this River Heart Isle will someday be his domain, and if all goes well, the entire North will be his.

In older times the River Heart Isle was a long ridge extending along the direction of the Weeping River; after the harbor was blocked, the flow gradually crossed the original levee upstream, extended along the southern slope of the ridge, seized the southern grain passage, and gradually formed a new Weeping River; the two Weeping Rivers reunited dozens of li from the estuary, together carrying the waters of Lonely Mountain and the converging streams into the cold sea.

The channel is still being dredged, but the upper and lower branches of the split flow make managing the estuary difficult.

The south bank of the Weeping River is an endless expanse of tidal flats and marsh wetlands; no entering merchant ship will dock there, and once port trade becomes frequent, the south bank could become a pirates' paradise.

He knew the Duke's plans. One was to fully restore the ancient Weeping River course, which would mean completely sealing off the southern channel so that the Weeping River's waters would re‑enter the sea along the ancient route; but after nearly a millennium of siltation, making the northern Weeping River bear the whole river's flow would require digging out the millennia of deposited earth—a nearly impossible task; if forced, summer floods would surely ravage the north bank and inundate the harbor. The other was to move the harbor back dozens of li from the estuary, establishing a port town at the point before the Weeping River splits; however, retreating would allow eastern invaders to land at the estuary and then swiftly move inland, rendering the port useless for defense.

Perhaps ports would need to be built simultaneously upstream and downstream; that is the difficulty in constructing Bolton Harbor. But today he came here not to solve that problem, but to meet the allied forces about to land.

They had already erected a rough docking harbor at the estuary; thanks to their continual dredging, landing sea‑boats could barely moor alongside the bank, whereas larger sea‑boats would have to sail up the southern Weeping River and land on the riverbank before the split.

Along the north bank the river was already crowded with sea‑boats, their mastheads flying various flags—those familiar to everyone.

Soldiers trod the creaking planks from the uneven ship decks onto the muddy road, then marched out onto the wilderness, keeping step in rhythm; according to the colored wooden tokens handed over by the guiding soldiers, they chose the camps already prepared for them. Only Bolton's troops could enforce orders without fail.

The shouts and clamor of the Tyrell and Lannister armies still rang in his ears; Rick Bolton thought the weather wasn't cold enough to drain their excess energy.

He lacked the energy to restrain this proud lot of soldiers; perhaps tonight's temperature would make them a bit more subdued.

Rick Bolton led nearly a thousand farmers in hauling supplies, lifting the cargo from the ships bit by bit onto the temporary warehouse erected on the shore, then moving it farther to the camp; besides the farmers, he also brought nearly a thousand soldiers to maintain discipline.

Managing a hundred people already gave him a headache, yet now he had to coordinate food, clothing, shelter, and movement for nearly ten thousand; he was glad the Duke was absent, for otherwise the Duke would surely be dissatisfied with his efforts, but regardless he had exerted himself to the utmost.

Even so, everything before him bore no relation to orderly order; the clamor and din never ceased, and fortunately he had not heard the clash of weapons, for otherwise he would not know how to end it, nor did he wish to see weapons stained with blood while receiving guests.

He did not fear bloodshed, for blood is the original color of the Boltons.

He could not solve every surrounding problem with blood, and some issues were truly beyond expectation.

Fact often differs from expectation.

line (the long paragraph) Chinese sentence.

Breakdown:

line Chinese sentence.

He did not expect that the soldiers who first landed in the North would mostly be from the Lion and Rose families,

line Chinese sentence.

so he temporarily switched the camp near the port originally prepared for the Frey and Bolton families to the Rose and Lion families,

line Chinese sentence.

but the soldiers forgot to take down the Frey flag,

line Chinese sentence.

this made the officers of Tyrell and Lannister, as well as the Frey soldiers who had begun clearing the site, very dissatisfied.

line Chinese sentence.

A minor incident caused the unhappy officers to curse him.

Now produce English, faithful, not padded.

Let's craft:

"He had not anticipated that the soldiers who first landed in the North would mostly be from the Lion and Rose houses; therefore, he temporarily reassigned the camp near the port originally prepared for the Frey and Bolton houses to the Rose and Lion houses, but the soldiers forgot to take down the Frey banner, which greatly displeased the Tyrell and Lannister officers and the Frey soldiers who had begun clearing the site. This small incident made the unhappy officers curse him."

line Chinese sentence.

Seems faithful.

Now output "【61】 He had not anticipated that the soldiers who first landed in the North would mostly be from the Lion and Rose houses; therefore, he temporarily reassigned the camp near the port originally prepared for the Frey and Bolton houses to the Rose and Lion houses, but the soldiers forgot to take down the Frey banner, which greatly displeased the Tyrell and Lannister officers and the Frey soldiers who had begun clearing the site. This small incident made the unhappy officers curse him."

Make sure it's one line.

Proceed similarly for each.

note: Check if any added words:... (English). So note is English, no Chinese? It contains English only. So we need to output it as is? But it has no Chinese, so we can output the same English.

Bolton Tyrell Lannister

Lion Rose Frey Bolton Tyrell Lannister

Now continue.

line Chinese sentence.

Translation:

"Perhaps he should apologize for this, but as the duke's heir he would never show weakness by bowing to any of them; moreover, he felt it was an unintentional mistake and had already made ample amends afterward."

Check faithfulness.

Perhaps he should apologize for this

but as the duke's heir he would never show weakness by bowing to any of them

moreover, he felt it was an unintentional mistake and had already made ample amends afterward.

Now output.

line Chinese sentence.

"The problems that arose in the camp were merely a trivial matter."

The problems that arose in the camp were merely a trivial matter.

line Chinese sentence.

Translation:

"They erected a simple cargo-lifting crane on the temporary port, but obviously due to some technical issues, the crane toppled while lifting supplies, crashing heavily into the ships moored ashore; a few unlucky Lannisters did not die on the northern land but instead perished on the expedition ship."

line Chinese sentence.

line Chinese sentence.

Translation:

"Commander George Marlborough furiously arrested the farmers operating the crane, stripped them naked, brought them before him, and demanded that he impose punishment."

line Chinese sentence.

line Chinese sentence.

Translation:

"George Marlborough had the typical blond hair of a westerner, making him look like a legendary knight from tales, but his angry expression shattered that image."

line Chinese sentence.

line Chinese sentence.

Translation:

"\"What punishment do you require, sir? \" Rick Bolton asked."

line Chinese sentence.

line Chinese sentence.

Translation:

"Clarifying responsibility is an important duty of a leader; the crane's collapse was obviously due to multiple causes, and these operators were the most innocent among them, but George Marlborough could not possibly know which craftsmen had built the crane."

line Chinese sentence.

line Chinese sentence.

Translation:

"\"Hang, behead, or crush to death, \" he snarled, \"or use the Bolton method, flaying. \""

line Chinese sentence.

"The North has already banned flaying." He knows the difference between a mistake and an accident; excessive punishment is completely unnecessary, "and I believe, Sir, that you would absolutely not enjoy such screams."

Translation:

"\"The North has already banned flaying. \" He knew the difference between mistake and accident, and excessive punishment was entirely unnecessary; \"moreover, I believe you, sir, would absolutely not like those screams. \""

line Chinese sentence.

line Chinese sentence.

Translation:

"The North had indeed banned flaying, but some Boltons did not object and would secretly uphold the family tradition; he had seen it before, but he did not like it at all."

line Chinese sentence.

line Chinese sentence.

Translation:

"He ultimately settled the discontent with money, leaving the farmers grateful and tearful."

line Chinese sentence.

line Chinese sentence.

"He should be thanking the farmers."

line Chinese sentence.

line Chinese sentence.

Translation:

"Without these farmers, he could not have built ten major camps in a few months for the landing army; each of the two main landing points had five camps, respectively for the four main armies and the supplies they had brought back."

line Chinese sentence.

line Chinese sentence.

Translation:

"At the harbor mouth, the Frey and Bolton camps were nearer the port, while the Tyrell and Lannister camps were farther away; although they have since been swapped, the central supply depot camp remains unchanged, its four corners pointing toward the four army camps to continuously supply the troops."

line Chinese sentence.

line Chinese sentence.

Translation:

"Although just a temporary camp, its construction was far from simple; at least Rick Bolton had never imagined that a temporary camp for a ten-thousand-strong army could be so vast, he thought that even on horseback it would take half a day to ride around it, and moreover, the camp had to be built so elaborately."

line Chinese sentence.

line Chinese sentence.

Translation:

"This is only a small part of the construction after the upheaval; more construction surrounds the banks of the White Blade River and the outskirts of Terror Fort."

line Chinese sentence.

line Chinese sentence.

Translation:

"The surrounding bunkers were erected to prevent cavalry from charging straight in; now they are empty and silent, he had inspected them, each as quiet as stone statues growing from the land; perhaps after a period of time they will become as bustling as the port before him."

line Chinese sentence.

line Chinese sentence.

Translation:

"In this makeshift port that has been built up, the sounds of voices and neighing horses never cease; since its destruction, this might be the first time. He could not immediately say whether this was good or bad. A military port had best not be so noisy, and the Stark army had best not launch a surprise attack at this time."

line Chinese sentence.

line Chinese sentence.

"Probably not."

Check: Single word. Good.

line Chinese sentence.

Translation:

"\"Lannister and Tyrell are no better than that! \" Deputy Captain Leo followed at his side, his gaze calm as he watched the disordered troops of the two houses marching listlessly across the plain; in contrast, the few soldiers of House Rollo bearing black-bottom knife flags stepped in unison, their bugle calls ringing loud, and Deputy Captain Leo evidently was comparing the two houses' troops with the Rollo soldiers."

line Chinese sentence.

line Chinese sentence.

Translation:

"\"The Rollo soldiers are returning home, so their morale is naturally different. \" Like other Bolton soldiers, they had been away from the North for nearly two years; if they set foot on this land without a shred of enthusiasm, Rick Bolton would suspect they were not true northerners."

line Chinese sentence.

line Chinese sentence.

Translation:

"\"In my view, it's because they know what flaying is. \" Leo sat on his warhorse, gazing out to sea, waiting for the huge ship named \"Golden Hill\" to enter port."

line Chinese sentence.

line Chinese sentence.

Translation:

"The harbor mouth could barely clear a space large enough for such a huge ship to dock; if the information is correct, the ship's passengers would be the chief officers of Tyrell and Lannister, but in fact, to avoid mishaps, the army's commanding officers never travel on the same vessel. As early as yesterday, Sir Marces Rowan and Sir George Marlborough had already arrived and landed, but Sir Marces Rowan himself carried an attitude of utter contempt for everything around him, making him extremely hard to approach, and he had not prepared to welcome the incoming captain, Sir Gawain Tyrell; therefore, when welcoming today, Rick Bolton also did not inform him of this."

line Chinese sentence.

line Chinese sentence.

Translation:

"Receiving important allies is the heir's duty; in fact, he would rather assign this task to Coach Murray and Captain Hanx, while he himself takes the remaining officers and guards to inspect the defenses along the White Blade River."

line Chinese sentence.

line Chinese sentence.

Translation:

"Before all armies mustered, defense was their primary strategy; even knowing that the she-wolf had led the Stark main cavalry south—which was actually a good opportunity—besides him, no Bolton family scholar, officer, or close relative agreed to change strategy from defense to active offense. They feared it was merely a trick of the she-wolf; in fact, during the southern march, the she-wolf had already shattered part of the allied forces of Dustin and Bolton retreating from Callyn Bay, and no one knew at that time whether the she-wolf's aim was to go south rather than cross the river to sweep Bolton's lands or to press and threaten Mandler."

line Chinese sentence.

line Chinese sentence.

Translation:

"While waiting for news, they lost the chance to attack; the defenses on the west bank of the White Blade River gradually went up, and then came word that the she-wolf had captured Twin River City, seized Sea Border City, and destroyed the Lannister-Riverlands alliance at the foot of Flowing City; these reports created a strange atmosphere among the lords and nobles who supported Bolton."

line Chinese sentence.

line Chinese sentence.

Translation:

"He felt that regardless of the reason, they ought to take action to boost morale and unite the allies."

line Chinese sentence.

line Chinese sentence.

Translation:

"He again proposed leading troops to sneak-attack the western river crossing fort of the White Blade River, hoping to plant a foothold as far west as possible on the river's bank, but the reply he got from the council was merely \"Stark will not allow a foothold on the west bank of the White Blade River, and no one is willing to be a foothold there. \""

line Chinese sentence.

line Chinese sentence.

Translation:

"It was not that no one was willing to be a foothold, but that no one truly regarded him as the duke's heir, and he realized this."

line Chinese sentence.

line Chinese sentence.

Translation:

"Without the councilors' endorsement, he could not move a single soldier; Bolton's troops belong to the duke himself, to his subordinate officers and the vast lords. If he were the duke's legitimate son, perhaps the situation would be different, but pondering that is meaningless."

line Chinese sentence.

line Chinese sentence.

Translation:

"\"If we attacked Winterfell, the soldiers would be a bit excited, for that would mean fighting for the she-wolf's wealth; but assaulting a western coastal defense fort and establishing it as a target for Stark would naturally yield no motivation. Moreover, the duke has already decided on policy, so there's no need to risk censure. \" Captain Hanx also did not support him, \"You are the duke's appointed heir; you need not deliberately prove anything—if you want the duke to like you, just carry out his orders. \""

line Chinese sentence.

line Chinese sentence.

Translation:

"He understood the reasoning, but did not agree. Are the duke's affairs and the duke's aims not his own affairs and aims?"

line Chinese sentence.

line Chinese sentence.

Translation:

"He had been waiting at the coast for that ship for three days; three days later, the \"Golden Hill\" slowly appeared from the open sea, and only when he saw the four different flags flying high above it did Rick Bolton become certain that the party he was to receive had arrived."

line Chinese sentence.

line Chinese sentence.

Translation:

"Such a reception duty ought to fall to the heir, yet it is also what he is worst at. He had tried to shirk it onto the scholar, but the scholar explained the reasoning to him and encouraged him with courage, which really demoralized him."

line Chinese sentence.

line Chinese sentence.

Translation:

"He felt that the heir's responsibility to receive guests should only apply when the lord himself is present; if the lord is absent, then as heir he should wait in the castle for visitors and assign other noble persons to handle reception, such as Viscount Bolton of Ye Creek. Unfortunately, by the time he realized this, he had already left the castle, and he absolutely did not want to return for that reason just to argue with the scholar."

line Chinese sentence.

line Chinese sentence.

Translation:

"As the great ship drew nearer, he grew somewhat nervous. What should he say to them?"

line Chinese sentence.

line Chinese sentence.

Translation:

"Should he introduce them to the beautiful scenery of the North?"

line Chinese sentence.

line Chinese sentence.

Translation:

"Everywhere were ruined walls and strange giant trees; the desolate, bleak atmosphere might drift across the strait to Braavos; he scanned his surroundings with his eyes."

line Chinese sentence.

line Chinese sentence.

Translation:

"Would they like the massive stone foundations? Perhaps they could see through them the ancient grandeur of Bolton Harbor. Alas, withered, hard bramblewood sprouted from the thick foundation cracks, swaying everywhere in the cold wind. Ruins are ruins after all!"

line Chinese sentence.

line Chinese sentence.

Translation:

"Rubble lay scattered on the ground, fallen black weeds rotted underfoot, mixed with a bit of lingering snow; perhaps in summer they will regain vigor and sprout anew from the stone crevices, but now……"

line Chinese sentence.

line Chinese sentence.

Translation:

"If the landing guests lived in the city, they would surely feel its roughness; if they lived in the countryside, they would surely feel its decay."

line Chinese sentence.

line Chinese sentence.

Translation:

"He truly wished for a heavy snowfall at this moment to cover every wound in sight, so that guests would only need to see the North's snow drifting and bone‑chilling cold. Aside from a light snow that had fallen a while ago, there had been no other snow. Temperatures grew steadily colder, and the white crows that herald winter's arrival had already flown over the castle, carrying the ridiculous reports the southern scholars had tallied."

line Chinese sentence.

line Chinese sentence.

Translation:

"Southern news grew increasingly scarce; occasionally what was heard was merely a string of bad tidings, some of which he was still unsure whether he could reveal to the officers about to be received."

line Chinese sentence.

line Chinese sentence.

Translation:

"From Twin River City to the assassination of Duke Taywin, even to the downfall of important allies, with the House Reyne of the Streamlands wiped out, everything seemed to happen unnoticed, while his council continued to tightly guard the cage Bolton had set for them, and it grew ever tighter."

line Chinese sentence.

line Chinese sentence.

"That too was his cage."

Check: Simple.

line Chinese sentence.

Translation:

"Soldiers on the shore kept signaling with flags; the huge ship, amid cheers, gradually drew toward the quay, the oarsmen bare‑to‑the‑waist, singing in unison as they swept the oars, letting the vessel draw near."

line Chinese sentence.

line Chinese sentence.

Translation:

"Rick Bolton looked up; four large banners snapped on the ship's prow. The highest was the royal war banner of the Stag house, half depicting a crowned stag, half a man‑standing roaring lion, the banner large enough for a bedsheet, flying high."

line Chinese sentence.

line Chinese sentence.

Translation:

"Below them, arranged side by side in a row, were the banners of three families."

line Chinese sentence.

line Chinese sentence.

Translation:

"\"The flayers' banner is level with the other two dukes' banners, \" Deputy Captain Leo murmured with a smile, \"we have done quite a bit for this day. \""

"The flayers' banner is level with the other two dukes' banners," Deputy Captain Leo murmured with a smile, "we have done quite a bit for this day."

line Chinese sentence.

Translation:

"Rick Bolton did not bother with him; after the huge ship steadied, he glanced back and extended his hand."

line Chinese sentence.

This has been drilled countless times.

"This had been drilled countless times."

Check: Simple.

line Chinese sentence.

Translation:

"Four servants lifted the carpet together; two held it, the red carpet rolled down the slight slope at an even pace, its final edge just touching the sea."

line Chinese sentence.

Rick Bordon dismounted, waiting on the red carpet, two attendants had already led the sturdy horses waiting at the end of the red carpet.

At that moment the war horn sounded, and he felt the mournful, low horn blast penetrate his body, radiating toward the vast ocean, then spreading across the port like ruins.

At that moment, the hundreds of soldiers following behind began to sing the military song together, welcoming the landing allies.

"Our ancestors once sold everything, just to regain the spear;

"Our predecessors once abandoned everything, just to don sturdy armor.

"They held spears, waist-blades, wore sturdy armor, and waved shields,

"They slew the savage madmen, beheaded the arrogant bandit chieftain;

Their steps were firm, their pace steady,

They trod over merciless ice and snow, they trod over enemies' corpses,

They were so brave, so fearless.

Our ancestors once sold everything, set foot on foreign lands, and labored to clear the manor;

Our forebears once abandoned everything, boarded the raging waves, and strove to regain gold and silver.

They gripped bows and arrows, stood on crossbow beds, braved the waves, and slapped the huge surges,

They captured vile bandits and tore apart ruthless outlaws;

Their steps were light, their pace agile,

They passed through deep valleys, they crossed the wolves' dense forest,

They were so great, they were so glorious."

He swept his gaze over everything before him again, feeling that the former dilapidation and coarseness were gone, as if it were an ancient battlefield over which grandeur and boundless fervor had once rolled; his heart surged, and he almost wanted to let out a long whistle.