Chapter 65

Mei Yi would naturally not, for the sake of the so-called inheritance rights of Winterfell, drag her two underage brothers to their deaths.

Suo Luo Si's words were merely teasing: no sane person would blame and accuse others based on visions that have not yet happened, and besides, it was just a fleeting glint in the fire. Moreover, with Winterfell facing annihilation by Bo Dun and the Iron Throne allies, what benefit would killing Stark's male heir bring Mei Yi?

To cause Winterfell's allies to fall apart, or to prepare suicide after losing the war?

Everyone in this cave surely knows this principle. Except the deceased Lady Shi Xin.

Mei Yi did not want them to make their analysis and judgment based on pros and cons and rationality, not merely because there was no benefit or the benefit was insufficient, but because it was inherently immoral, and she, Mei Yi, remained the most renowned knight in the country and should be a natural moral exemplar.

Knights like Ser Gregor are exceedingly rare.

Mei Yi valued this morality. She did not wish to rule a bestial kingdom. If there is anything in this world that attracts her, it is undoubtedly her young father's foolish self-discipline—aside from fathering a bastard.

To Mei Yi, or in her view, once basic morality is trampled and wicked acts are committed, the resulting destruction will be long-lasting, the lingering poison of chaos unceasing, such as the folly of the Red Wedding.

Once the Red Wedding occurred, the Purple Wedding swiftly followed; people acted without restraint, leading to a series of degradations of identity and personality. It is said that the current Imperial Forest Iron Guard has sunk so low as to test poison for the little king.

From this, how should the Imperial Forest Iron Guard regain its loftiness in the future?

Moreover, this is a world of precedent; once some bad deed begins, it will provide great convenience for future generations to act, and by then things will naturally go from bad to worse, with no end in sight.

This is also why Mei Yi, disregarding the peril in the North, leads troops south to punish the Freys.

She wants the world to know that certain wicked deeds will bring consequences the perpetrator cannot bear. Of course, Old Walder's advanced age is also a reason; she does not want him to finish his life with the historical record of dying peacefully in bed at over ninety years old.

The swifter the punishment for evil deeds, the lesser the damage incurred.

"Tonight I will send a raven to Winterfell to issue a ban on strangers entering." Mei Yi considered the matter settled, looking at the ragged Suo Luo Si, "Once we reach Shuanhe Cheng, I will give each of you a set of armor. How many of you are there, twenty or thirty?"

"Thirty-two in total. Every one of them can fight, they are proper warriors. Unfortunately, we only have a few horses."

"We'll barely scrape together a squad." She walked ahead, following the winding road back to the surface.

Along the way the forks were almost countless, but she always knew how to take the correct path. When they emerged from the dark cavern and saw the heart tree once more, Suo Luo Si couldn't help muttering, "I only learned the various routes after walking them many times; it's pitch black—how do you remember them?"

"A feeling." "Wind." Mei Yi answered.

"I don't feel any wind."

"Suppose for now you are still a follower of the King of Light. If the King of Light represents fire, then the Old Gods represent wind. The messages in the wind are no less than those in your flames." Perhaps.

"If that's truly the case, when I follow you back to the North, I will stand on the city walls every day listening to the wind." He laughed heartily, not taking it seriously, "Let's see what news your Old Gods blow your way."

"The North is cold, Suo Luo Si." Ha Er Wen said with a smile, "If that's the case, the only news you could bring us is probably that the northern winds can freeze a person to death."

"That would be terrible. Besides armor, I hope the future queen will send us a warmer cloak. I don't dare hope for a red fox-fur cloak, for only the temple's presiding officiant may wear it, even though the eastern continent is scorching hot. As for me, a rabbit-fur cloak will do, dyed red preferably."

Dyeing, that is also a major problem.

"Don't you often say you have the King of Light's blazing flames as companions? How can you still fear the cold?"

"That's just a trick. Aside from the few priests who possess divine artifacts, most must practice endurance, apply anti-freeze ointment, and above all, control their trembling bones, honestly face the cold—shiver once and you'll get a lash, but you'll eventually learn; control your mouth, utter lies, ha ha, that's swallowing the cold into your belly and spouting nonsense about unbearable heat. Anyone who cannot do that is certainly not fit to be a priest, which is why priests select from slaves. Heh, a priest might have a pile of corpses behind him." He swayed his drunken body, casually mocking his own temple, "Perhaps La He Luo is a good god, who knows, but the temple is full of shameless scoundrels, so I've always been reluctant to approach it. Oh, I mean La He Luo. But La He Luo is at least tolerant; it still allows me to see some things in the fire."

Mei Yi was interested only in one of those, "What divine artifact can ward off the cold?"

"Isn't it the Valyrian steel sword?" He pointed at Mei Yi's scabbard, "But the temple's divine artifacts are far more than that."

"To make a sword provide warmth, you'd have to forge it into clothing. But your words have piqued my curiosity—what exactly does it do? Perhaps one day I'll go to the temple and seize them." Mei Yi smiled, thinking that almost all the good things she had acquired on this journey were spoils taken from various bandits and pirates.

Taking by force beats toiling in the fields; there's nothing wrong with that.

"If you ever decide to raid the temple, I will surely give you my full support. That bunch of scoundrels ought to have been looted long ago. Let me tell you, divine artifacts can not only resist poison, fire, and drowning, but also ward off wind and preserve youth, with countless uses you could never imagine."

"I'm truly curious—how are these divine artifacts made?"

"You just made one yourself, didn't you?" he teased.

If this too could be considered a divine artifact.

So-called divine artifacts should be implements containing divine power, likely requiring a god or divine power as sacrifice. In this world there are many evil gods, plenty of opportunities.

Zhan De Li followed out of the cave, and over his thin undershirt he threw on a brown old sheepskin cloak, making him look like a savage.

"Ser Zhan De Li, once the affairs of the North are settled, I will sooner or later go south to mop up the remnants. The true Baratheon lineage has little left, but relative to a bastard it's still substantial; how much you can get depends on your own effort. After returning to the North, you still need to study……"

"Haha, let me tell you the worldly truth: a good surname matters more than any study." Suo Luo Si laughed, cutting off Mei Yi, "But first, you must preserve this surname! This is the poisoned gift the queen gave you!"

Mei Yi glared at Suo Luo Si disapprovingly.

"I know." He said solemnly, "Over the past ten-odd years I have endured much hardship; what you gave me is real poison, and I swallowed it willingly—not for some damned Robert Baratheon lineage or the surname of his bastard forefather, but for my humble mother who suffered to raise me. Since you were able at age twelve to defeat Ser Barristan, the Kingslayer, and the valiant Galan in the arena, crowning yourself 'Queen of Love and Beauty,' I believe you can become the future Queen of the Seven Kingdoms; I am willing to fight for you, to help you achieve your goals, and I swear by my mother's name to you."

A cool breeze swept over the hibiscus, its red branches and leaves swaying, emitting a faint rustling sound. Mei Yi now felt the face on the hibiscus was no longer awkward; it faced them directly.

"I will take it that you have sworn before the new and old gods. I also promise that in my realm there will surely be a place for you, so you will not disgrace your mother."

Having said that, Mei Yi mounted her horse, turned, and shouted at them, "Cavalry, follow me in a raid on Haijiang Cheng to see what the pirates are up to. Those without horses, make your own way to Shuanhe Cheng."

Mei Yi rode ahead, Ha Er Wen slightly behind, Suo Luo Si and Zhan De Li bringing up the rear. Scattered, there were only seven warriors, of whom four horses were those Mei Yi herself had brought.

It was evident that Zhan De Li's horsemanship was barely adequate, but the Brotherhood's members respected him, choosing to trail behind him.

"Last time, when I went south with Lord Eddard, the entire Riverlands were lush and prosperous, the commoners scattered across the fields, cutting grass and combing wheat, it was bustling; now, however, it is so desolate that looking around you see not a single person. This place has truly suffered a great disaster!" Ha Er Wen loudly said to Mei Yi beside him.

Mei Yi only wanted to laugh; Lord Eddard took the King's Road south, which could not possibly be this place, "As long as peace returns to the country, the commoners will come back."

What do you want to say, brat?

"Miss, are you really going to be Queen of the Seven Kingdoms?" he couldn't help but lower his voice and ask.

The wind whispered past beside them, Ha Er Wen certain that only the two of them could hear that sound.

"Haha, only now do I feel you are a true Northerner!" she replied, "Today I'm happy, I'll only tell you this, but you must keep it secret. It's not that I want to be queen; it's that in this world there is no one more suited than I."

"I will certainly keep this secret for you, including Lady Shi Xin. If you are to become queen, what about Bran? As for Winterfell's inheritance, you still have to come after Rickon!"

"Unite the Seven Kingdoms—why need Winterfell?" she laughed, "I have my own power; once I have united the South, as long as I name Bran as heir, the North will naturally return under my rule."

"Miss, are you not mad?"

Mei Yi slowly reined in her horse, gazing at the desolate wilds, the fields on either side mostly laid low with wheat, in some places one could faintly see wheat sprouts pushing up a hint of green. Life is boundless. As long as spring can still arrive.

"Do I look like I've gone mad?"

"Yes." He uttered that word after a long stare.

"When the conqueror Aegon, from the tower of Dragonstone, released a great flock of ravens to spread the word that the Seven Kingdoms had but one king across all of Westeros, did he not seem like a madman?"

"But he had dragons! Three dragons!"

"Harwin, if it were someone else, I would say, everything is already destined. But for you, I would say, dragons are merely insignificant power, even less than the sword in my arms." She chuckled, "I tell you, Daenerys Targaryen across the narrow sea also has three dragons; if all goes well, when her dragons grow just enough to fight, she will likely bring her Unsullied, the savage Dothraki of the plains, the shameless mercenaries of the Free Cities, and all sorts of disaffected folk to retake the continent. Would we then have to surrender to such people when she returns?"

He remained silent.

She successfully changed the subject. Why are great people great, is it because they look enough like normal people? She couldn't say these things to him.

"Have you seen the conduct of the Warrior's Sons? Do you want the whole Westerosi continent to be overrun by such scum?"

"Of course not."

"The wildlings beyond the Wall are also stirring; do you want them to enter the North and seize what belongs to our homeland?"

"Of course not."

"The Iron Islands' king Euron Greyjoy is now raiding the Seven Kingdoms; do you want the ironborn to continue pressing inland, burning, killing, and looting?"

"No."

"I tell you, the things you don't want—across the Seven Kingdoms, only I can accomplish them. So-called protecting the common folk of the world—only I can do that!"