Chapter 250

Braavos – the original term is Braavos.

Bolton – the original term is Bolton.

White Harbor – the original term is White Harbor.

But now he cannot bear any responsibility. When the duke arrived at the camp, aside from his personal cavalry detachment of a few dozen men, command of the rest of the army had been completely taken away—what does that mean? How can it be his responsibility if the route from White Harbor to Hewn is not sealed? Isn't Viscount Rollo, under the duke's command, the general he calls 'as solid as a rock'? He doesn't believe the duke could make a better arrangement in that situation, sending more suitable personnel.

Rollo – the original term is Rollo.

North – the original term is the North.

Logically, this detachment is only responsible for guarding his safety and can act entirely according to his wishes, but for security he cannot stray far from the camp. Besides inspecting the various garrisons, communicating with commanders, and building rapport, he doesn't know what else he could use this small cavalry for.

Stark – the original term is Stark.

But the red‑robed monk never acts alone; he either stays under the soldiers' guard or circles around the duke himself. Moreover, he is not prepared to kill the duke together …

Faceless Men – the original term is Faceless Men.

He again feels regret for the she‑wolf. If she had the ability to rescue the two women from Hewn Castle, she ought to try to resolve the North's fundamental problems—the duke and the red‑robed monk, shouldn't she?

Hanks – the original term is Hanks.

She‑wolf, he truly wishes he had that courage—to infiltrate the enemy camp, rescue an important prisoner, and then leave a note on the bare back of a key enemy officer.

Barrenmound – the original term is Barrenmound.

As a Northerner, as a wanderer who has roamed the eastern riverbanks, if enduring Bolton's humiliation of sending the she‑wolf to the Hewn and White Harbor soldiers—feeling the shame of their right ears—counts as three, then seeing the proclamation of war inscribed on the naked back of Cathar Bolton, hung upside down, brings a shame that measures ten.

Tyrell – the original term is Tyrell.

The duke overlooked the consequences of the she‑wolf's reckless actions and completely ignored the importance of keeping this secret; he should have flayed the officers and soldiers who spread the news in the army, rather than choosing a pitiful Harren to torture for an inadvertent slip.

Florent – the original term is Florent.

Leyton

She‑wolf, he doesn't know whether the red‑robed monk can truly succeed, but if she can match or even surpass him in controlling the weather, then …

This is also the duke's mistake. He should have had the Faceless Men take not the wolf pups but the famed mother wolf, the direwolf—if the lord of Winterfell were still that underage Stark child, wouldn't that be simpler?

Kaho – original term: Kaho (possibly Kaho Castle).

The rain stopped, the dark and gray clouds drifted aside, making way for the long‑absent sunshine.

He almost feels that summer is about to return: the snow on the sunny slopes of the distant valley plains has completely melted, and the sunlight, baking and steaming, actually sends out an elegant warmth. He ought to like this sight appearing in the North.

He still remembers the most impressive summer he has ever experienced, when he and his uncle urged the farmers to work the fields and he saw weather just like this. The impression is so deep that he cannot forget it.

Hongshang – original term: Hongshang (Red Monk).

Check if any other names: the duke not. Red‑robed monk we have. Red monk we have.

Faceless

Harren

Add:

At that time, winter had just ended, spring flashed by, and then the prosperous summer arrived. The warhorses of the Dreadfort galloping everywhere called out the latest season to all the territories. People were so happy.

He still remembers how, when summer was announced, everyone felt genuine joy from the heart.

The hunters eagerly mounted their warhorses, slung bows over their shoulders, and led the youths of their families into the closed forest, enjoying the domains opened for them by the lords; those without horses likewise slipped into the deep woods to hunt whatever animals they could carry.

The lords also mobilized their family guards to enter the forest and encircle large game; their hunting variety grew richer—whether sturdy bears, graceful mountain cats, or massive elk, all were hauled out of the deep woods. That summer was the first time he had ever seen such a beautiful mountain cat, and he even daydreamed that one day he would use the mountain cat as his family crest.

How happy that time was.

After a brief spring and only a few months of gestation, the animals that had once been skin and bone regained their fat and strength, and their young began to leave their parents and act on their own. Uncle thought those animals were striving to grow their bodies as quickly as possible so they could store the energy needed for winter within themselves, and then propagate the next generation.

When the young animals left their parents, it was the time when the lords opened the forest and their lands to share the festivities with the common folk.

The men exerted all their strength to drag meat back from the forest, while the elders, women, and others without honor who ventured into the forest and fields labored to harvest the grain that had been sown in early spring.

The northerners at that time were more hospitable, willing to share food with those around them, and also…

The underage children displayed their abundant energy in summer, while grown men and women liked to show off their bravery and maturity at that time, and also enjoyed lovemaking, whether on the open rocks by the river or on the grass mats in the fields.

He did not know what the nobles did in early summer, but having grown up in the fields, he felt that summer was supremely happy.

"Summer—what a wonderful thing! Perhaps if the sun were just a bit fiercer, it would already be summer."

The North, having endured successive great battles, needed a harvest to feed so many people, and their stored grain had to withstand the repeated trials of war; as long as the war continued, food would be endlessly consumed and lost.

He regained his composure and let out a faint sigh.

His captain of the guard, Hancks, had also been relieved of duty; now he and a few scattered riders watched him from afar, looking utterly bored.

Other soldiers in the distance led their warhorses in and out of the camp; the road before the camp was a mash of trampled mud and animal dung, making it difficult for foot soldiers to cross.

He thought the mud in the sunlight was better than the mud in gloomy weather, but anticipating summer was as unrealistic as hoping for no winter.

Ten years of summer have already passed; unless the Creator is capricious, it would not simply cease before winter has shown its might, and now the sunlight feels like a deliberate retribution for the abnormal snowfall of earlier times.

"Look, Red Monk, see what you have done!"

His warhorse stepped lightly on the soft earth, swiftly passing the soldiers who saluted him. They were filling the road that connected the two sides of the moat with the soil washed away by the flood; the gap was so huge that even after a day's work they had restored only a third of it.

They had better not be so formal; if the duke saw that they had completed only this portion of the earthwork, he might have them hanged, or worse.

"Your Highness?" After he met up with Hancks and the others, the latter asked.

"Failed." He sighed, not wanting to explain further, "How many more soldiers from Streamland and Barrowton have fled?"

"Today we caught six, and they have all been hanged. Lady Dustin hadn't sent many people over before; even if they all escaped, what could they do? Still, the snow has finally melted, the weather has warmed a bit, and indeed more have fled. They ought to be grateful that it was the Tyrell soldiers who caught them."

"Indeed fortunate, otherwise the red-robed monk would not let the duke waste rope."

Thinking of the Tyrells, he looked westward. The Tyrell camp seemed to be accompanied by green as well.

He could not make out the wooden posts of the hanged soldiers, but the high pole erected before the Bolton camp, aside from its banner, was bare—since the duke arrived with the red-robed monk, his achievement of filling the posts had been discarded.

"Your Highness, should we keep an eye on the movements of the Florent soldiers?" Hancks asked, leaning into the sun, languidly.

"Never mind; someone must bring Bolton's discipline back to Widow's Watch. Moreover, I hope the Light Florent can help us restrain the Florent soldiers." The duke merely wanted to burn a few responsible fellows.

He took off his cloak and laid it on the horse's back, feeling waves of warmth from the fur, and felt a little low-spirited.

"Better to bind Widow's Watch than to bind a widow. Lady Dustin has married another Florent; now all is well, yet before the battle we have lost Barrowton and Streamland."

"We have also gained Hearth Hall and Cahors." That was the lion's achievement; although the two castles are of little use, and it does not mean the Boltons fully control those two tracts of land, the captain's pessimistic tone displeased him.

"Those two cities cannot provide us with ten thousand men." The captain laughed, saying, "I've said before we should have taken Lady Dustin earlier—whether sending her to the duke's bed or matching her with Your Highness—we would not have lost such an important ally so easily."

"This is indeed an option, but Lady Dustin has never been interested in the duke; otherwise she would have long ago remarried her sister. If she had acted sooner, why would it fall to him to be the heir?"

"Qiongsi Feilte has never been our ally; he wants to inherit Barren Mound Village; the obstacle is not us, the one blocking his ambition has always been Winterfell City. Hah, the Duke will not forget to send him a congratulatory letter." No need for him to worry, nor for a squad leader to worry. "Speaking of marriage, the Duke's Fu Lei wife, I, am very worried."

He felt himself laugh out, while the knights beside him laughed even more happily.

According to an insider, the Duke's Fu Lei wife is a fat pig.

"It's something to worry about, damn it, in Twin River City, those surnamed Fu Lei haven't left a single wolf girl. I heard Winterfell City still has one left. Can the Fu Lei army use that as an excuse?"

"What encourages them to march is Winterfell's gold." The remaining people of Winterfell surnamed Shi Ta Ke are fewer than those in his army surnamed Shi Ta Ke; as for the gold, the wolf girls have most likely already transported it to White Harbor, to buy weapons, food, and winter supplies from the Bu La Fo Si people. The Duke should not forget to propose suitable terms in their negotiations.

Damn the Bu La Fo Si people! They think Bo Dun doesn't understand their collusion with the Shi Ta Ke!

"If we defeat the wolf girl, Your Highness, you must definitely keep Winterfell City." The squad leader laughed loudly, "I heard the city's hot springs are not bad; the Fu Lei people can never move that."

"What if we lose?"

"That's not bad either." He laughed, "We can run to the South to spend the winter, seek refuge with a stronger king or queen? The Duke will not let us fall to this point…… damn it, our Regent now only has one hand, but when it comes to beheading civilians, he's no worse than Mei Ka; I don't know if the outcome will be better or worse than Mei Ka."

Compared to Mei Ka, the Regent lacks a dragon, and what's more regrettable is that the dragon is in his enemy's hands.

"He just needs to be stronger than the Queen Dowager, and we just need to manage the North." Li Ao interjected at this time.

"The North? Jones Flynter across the river, we can't manage that; the Duke has already promised that as long as he leads troops to attack the Shi Ta Ke and captures Winterfell City, the west of the river will be his."

"Will he take the bait?"

"Who knows? At least the Shi Ta Ke won't let him have the west of the river."

Bolton's enemies are clearly not just the Shi Ta Ke, but whether we need to list Jones Flynte as an opponent still depends on this battle. After saying that, he flicked his reins and galloped toward the impending battlefield.