Chapter 81: Chapter Eighty Mei Yi Stark

When Mei Yi arrived at the hall, the guards had already surrounded Kong Qi and his five followers.

Kong Qi and a few of his subordinates knelt on one knee before him, a pile of bloody heads stacked in front of him, red blood flowing across the hall's floor in all directions, one stream already soaking the knee where Kong Qi knelt, but he seemed unaware.

Mei Yi walked up the passage cleared by the guards to the seat belonging to the Lord of Winterfell.

"Lord Kong Qi, Sir Mason thinks you're mad," Mei Yi said, "Tell me, are you really mad? If you truly are, I won't swing my sword to cut off your head." He looked like a stubborn, shaggy lion, "For mad dogs, Winterfell only uses rope, hanging."

"Your Highness, I said before, my people are yours, my sword is yours." His eyes fixed on Mei Yi, as if Mei Yi were the one who had done wrong, not him.

"My people and my sword obey my orders—I kill when I want to kill, spare when I want to spare, and my people at least know etiquette; they wouldn't pile heads in this hall."

If his killing were truly justified, he at least should be responsible for polluting this hall.

The King of the Ancient Winter Realm, the King of the North, and the Guardian of the North ruled the North from this hall. Doesn't he understand what offense means?

Would future generations from now on call this place the Skull Hall?

A dozen or so heads were arranged properly, their eyes all facing the throne, as if accusing something.

"Your Highness, they definitely deserve to die; I merely executed them ahead of you," he said stubbornly as before, "They aren't worthy of you personally beheading them."

What a mess.

At that moment, Mao Mao Gou entered from outside, the black fur on its back fully bristling; it looked, and it was even more terrifying than its other brothers.

The smell of blood attracted Mao Mao Gou's attention; it walked over to the heads, silently growling at Kong Qi kneeling on one knee. Kong Qi pressed his lips, stepped back two paces, but kept his kneeling posture.

Mao Mao Gou lowered its head and tore into the topmost head, shaking it violently; blood instantly soaked the hall, and everyone instinctively retreated.

Several of the stacked heads tumbled off, rolling outward, making Mei Yi's head ache.

When Mao Mao Gou lifted its massive head, its mouth was already full of blood, it opened its bloody maw and jagged teeth to stare at the crowd.

It only tried a bite then stopped.

Isn't everyone's face as tasty as the Faceless'?

"Why kill?" Mei Yi asked.

"They are spies sent by Rick Bolton," he said, raising his head firmly.

"These people are all spies," Sir Luo De Lik inquired, "How do you know?"

"At least these are," he revealed a grim smile, "How many people Rick Bolton has stuffed inside and outside the city, only he himself knows."

"It would be strange if Rick Bolton didn't plant people," Mei Yi paused, "Now, everyone cares about how you found out."

Kong Qi drew the sword from his waist and placed it again on the hall's stone floor. He perhaps felt this was proper.

"Before coming to Winterfell, I led the archers in service to Rick Bolton's uncle, Viscount Luo Jia Bolton." He stared at Mei Yi, his voice low and strong.

"Then could we consider you also an insider sent by Rick Bolton to Winterfell?" Mason Sewen asked.

"I serve my employer, carrying out the tasks he assigns according to his wishes." From his expression, he had no intention of admitting fault.

"Hey, he's answering that he's not Rick Bolton's insider, but rather the insider of Rick Bolton's uncle!" Luo Er Jie snapped.

Mei Yi thought that Kong Qi Kong Dun probably longed to seize the chance to leave Winterfell and escape the shameful work, which is why he repeatedly spoke against it, eager to go. Only, she didn't know what caused him to completely reverse his attitude.

But the problem facing Mei Yi is what attitude to take toward this traitorous enemy.

If measured by Stannis's standard, they would first hang him, then reward him for eliminating internal threats; if following the Stark family's consistent practice—actually her young father Lord Eddard Stark—they would thank him for rooting out spies, then exile him for dishonor due to breaking his oath; if it were Robb that lad, he would likely scold Kong Qi for acting unilaterally, killing without his judgment, then send him and his men to the Black Castle to eat snow.

Robb that silly lad, the two uncles of the Count of Kahoe City have so far been indifferent to Winterfell; as for this outcome, it's unclear how much responsibility he should bear. Hopefully Harryonka Stark can be smoothly exchanged back.

"I took the money, accepting Viscount Luo Jia Bolton's employ," he looked at Mei Yi, "I follow my employer's wishes, but I recall swearing an oath in this hall in the name of my ancestors; Your Highness, you are the one I am loyal to."

"I also remember your oath. I am puzzled," Mei Yi stepped down from the seat, Mao Mao Gou rose with her, looking down on the crowd, "You serve Rick Bolton's uncle Viscount Luo Jia Bolton; I don't believe Rick Bolton would give you a list of other insiders."

"Your Highness, if Viscount Luo Jia Bolton knows how to send people to infiltrate Winterfell, I believe Rick Bolton wouldn't forget either." Kong Qi lifted his face, gazing at Mei Yi, "After leaving that hall that day, I went to patrol the surroundings."

Mei Yi felt Kong Qi Kong Dun might not be as reckless as he seemed. If he had directly voiced his suspicion, even if Mei Yi caught an insider, she would no longer trust him. As for why he did such an unusual thing in this hall, perhaps he was trying to put pressure on her.

"Get up at once! Lord Kong Qi Kong Dun," Mei Yi walked left and right of the throne, "Tell me about these people you killed. If the killing was justified, perhaps I'll spare you; but if there were innocents, I will certainly hang you."

Upon hearing this, he stood, and the soldiers kneeling behind him likewise rose one by one.

The guards surrounding them also sheathed their swords.

"Your Highness, that way you couldn't hang me. These before you," he pointed to the heads on the ground, "all deserve to die; they are all Bolton household guards, yet they claim to be fishermen from the Whiteblade River." He suddenly laughed, "I've lived by the Whiteblade River since childhood; if they were fishermen, I could smell them from afar! Your Highness, your management of the pottery kiln is too lax—they only gave a false résumé, and you took them in."

"You killed them all; now whatever you say, there's no counter-evidence." Sir Mason said.

"Your Highness, I deliberately spared the leader's life; you only need to apply a bit of his master's flaying method, and you'll know everything." He gave a grim smile.

"Lord Kong Qi, if they are all Bolton men and you have killed no innocents, I will pardon your overreach. If you lie, don't blame me for hanging you." Mei Yi gazed at the chaotic hall floor, "Sir Luo De Lik, you interrogate that leader."

"Yes, Your Highness."

Mei Yi descended the steps and approached Kong Qi Kong Dun. He was at least half a head taller than Mei Yi, his build larger by half.

Seeing Mei Yi approach, he straightened his back even more.

"Lord Kong Qi, this is my father's hall; I don't want filthy blood to pollute it. Since these you brought, you shall clean it up," Mei Yi pressed the hilt of her passionate sword against his chest, "If I enter the hall again and still smell blood, I will hang you on the city wall as a target for Bolton."

She had no interest in the domain's petitions or in adjudicating cases.

The domain is so vast that if every trifle required the lord's personal attention, it would be too time-consuming and laborious.

Should judges and other officials be appointed, stationed in various places to circuit‑try cases and maintain security? And legislate—what civil code, criminal code?

All this requires sufficient talent, and talent needs education; education, in turn, needs plenty of books, enough……paper, how is paper made? Resin?

She admitted she had never paid attention to these.

After leaving the hall with Mao Mao Gou, she walked alone into the snow and ice.

Outside the city, the chimney of the pottery kiln continued to spew white smoke upward.

She previously thought it wrong to use little birds to spy on private private affairs, but Kong Qi Kong Dun gave her a lesson.

Although Mei Yi forbids outsiders from freely entering and leaving Winterfell, if Bolton truly approached and slaughtered the surrounding residents en masse, would she really not open the gates to let those residents take refuge inside?

I've heard the Duke of Blood Ravens has a thousand and one eyes, closely watching the Seven Kingdoms, gathering all kinds of intelligence to thwart each rebellion; perhaps I should learn that too.

Just a little time each day suffices to monitor the movements inside and outside the city.

The crows of Lin Dong City obey my command, the eagles of the sky submit to my will, and even the rats in the caves can gather the most hidden secrets for me.

In an instant, she threw herself onto a passing crow.

If Melisandre could give her the face of that Faceless Man, her shape-shifting ability could be much greater……

"Are you Bran's sister?" a clear female voice pulled her back to reality.

The girl wore the winter clothes that Arya had left behind, and in an instant Meiyi thought Arya was right before her.

"I am Meiyi Stark." Meiyi looked at the girl, who was very pretty, her eyes lively and full of wildness. She had returned to Winterfell for several days, yet this was the first time she had seen this girl from Skagos, "What's your name, Sasha Stark?"

"Um, yes. Is Bran dead? He asked me the motto of my House Stark, saying that was the task the maester gave him. Since then we haven't spoken at all. I don't want him to die."

"He's already dead." "What is the motto of House Stark?"

"To regard death as returning."

"I heard your father and the other servants were killed by the wildlings?"

"Yes, maybe the red carp isn't, I don't know. The maester and I said, the red carp was killed by the murderer who killed Rickon, is that right?"

"Not bad." Meiyi said.

"Have you taken revenge for him?" Sasha asked.

Meiyi nodded, "I will also avenge your father."

"Those who killed my father are dead. He should have gone home with Uncle Wildcat. I also want to go home." She felt a bit embarrassed, "Can you take me home? I know you are now the she-wolf of Winterfell."

"Sasha, we have received news from Skagos that House Stark has been driven out by the Claw."

"What does that mean?"

"The Warm Springs has been occupied by the Claw family."

"Can you help me take it back?"

"Yes, but it will take some time."

"How long will it take?" she asked.

"Perhaps we must wait until you grow to my size."

"I heard from the maester that I needed to declare my allegiance to Bran; now can I pledge allegiance to you? I have already memorized the oath of fealty as the maester taught, but unfortunately I never got the chance to say it to Little Wolf before he died."

"Of course you can pledge allegiance to me." Meiyi gave a bitter smile, "I heard from Hodor and the child of the Forest that you are also very skilled at archery."

"Yes, I killed two wildlings with arrows in the forest beside the King's Road." She laughed, "But with the help of a little unicorn."

"That's more impressive than I was. When I was your age, I had never killed anyone, nor had I ventured that far from home." Meiyi felt the chat with Sasha had gone on long enough, "Sasha, do you still remember the oath? You can begin now."

She immediately knelt on one knee; her small stature made her look even smaller when she knelt: "I, Sasha of House Stark of the Warm Springs, hereby swear, swear allegiance to Lady Meiyi Stark of Winterfell, to love what she loves, to hate what she hates, from this day until death."

"I, Meiyi Stark of Winterfell, accept your fealty. Please rise, Viscountess of the Warm Springs of Skagos." Meiyi watched her rise happily, "I now have two attendants by my side: one called Hodor, the other called George; there is another you haven't seen, who will soon return to Winterfell. You know, I have always lacked a smart girl skilled in archery by my side."

"Is it me?" she asked.

Meiyi smiled and nodded, "You will be by my side until we take Skagos."

"Until I grow to your size."

Meiyi nodded.

"Why must it take so long?"

"Sasha, do you know my family's motto? That is the answer."

She shook her head, "I don't know, what is it?"

"Winter is coming. (Winterising)"