The Mountain of Ice and Fire

Chapter 422: It Blew Up (Seeking Subscriptions)

Red Fork River, Riverrun. South Gate.

The remains of Duke Hoster Tully lay on a small boat filled with branches of pine, sentinel trees, oak, and other trees, with the branches soaked in kerosene, and the boat itself filled with asphalt.

Seven men stood in knee-deep water, receiving the small boat from the shore. They gently placed the boat into the river and guarded it, symbolizing the blessings of the Seven Gods. These seven men were: King Robb Stark, to whom the Duke had sworn fealty, and his six Riverlands vassals—Earl Bracken, Earl Blackwood, Earl Vance, Earl Mallister, Ser Marq Piper, and "Lame" Lothar Frey.

As the friar chanted, the seven men worked together, pushing the small boat into the rolling red river.

The shore was filled with the great nobles and knights of the North, and the great nobles and knights of the Riverlands were also gathered here.

Among them, a burly knight mixed among the knights of White Harbor remained motionless. His face was made up, and no one noticed him among the hundreds of knights and lords. He was Eddard Stark, the Duke of the North. After Winterfell was occupied by his ward Theon Greyjoy, he decided to believe Varys' relayed words from the mysterious man: go north, the Others are coming.

When Varys was coerced by someone to rescue Eddard, Eddard accepted many conditions from the mysterious man, but refused to believe the man's 'White Walker prophecy', until Winterfell was occupied, the western coastline of the North was plundered by the Ironborn, and castles along the line fell one after another. The mysterious man's 'prophecies' came true one by one, and he finally believed that what the 'mysterious man' said was true.

Eddard Stark, who decided to go north, did not claim the throne after the death of King Stannis Baratheon. The North needed someone to stay and guard Winterfell, and the best candidate was Robb Stark, who had grown rapidly in military struggles. When the generals of the North believed that the situation was over after the death of Stannis Baratheon and refused to serve any southerners as king, Eddard Stark still did not show up, and he acquiesced to Robb Stark ascending the throne.

Last night, Eddard had said goodbye to his father-in-law, Hoster Tully.

In the last moments of the old man's life, Eddard Stark and his wife Catelyn Tully held the old man's hand together, accompanying him through his final moments.

In the year 299 of Aegon's Conquest, Hoster Tully, Duke of the Riverlands, passed away while begging his daughter Lysa Tully for forgiveness, at the age of 64.

At the time of his death, the Duke's daughter Lysa Tully did not come.

In the year 279 of Aegon's Conquest, the thirteen-year-old daughter Lysa Tully lost her virginity to her foster brother Petyr Baelish, also known as Littlefinger, and became pregnant. Duke Hoster Tully forced his daughter to drink pennyroyal, which had an abortive effect. He always felt guilty for this, and until his death, he hoped to obtain Lysa Tully's forgiveness.

His son Edmure Tully and daughter Catelyn Tully sent many ravens from Riverrun to Lysa, hoping that she could return to see her father before his death. Even Robb Stark, as king, specially postponed his marriage with the Frey family to attend his grandfather Hoster Tully's funeral, but Lysa still did not come, and did not even send back a single raven.

Hoster Tully died in the year 299 of Aegon's Conquest with guilt and regret. Edmure Tully inherited his title as Duke in order.

The Duke's remains floated down the river on a small boat, which was a unique funeral custom in the Riverlands. The Duke was covered with a flag, and the pattern on the flag was the Tully family's sigil, the trout.

A rocket whistled out, accurately hitting the Duke's small boat, igniting the kerosene and asphalt. With a bang, the entire boat burst into flames.

At the same time, a raven croaked, flew over the Red Fork River, and flew into Riverrun, landing on the window of the Maester's Tower.

Eddard Stark's heart skipped a beat: "Raven mail, is it another special letter from that mysterious man?"

Eddard Stark was in the army, and this secret was known to his relatives in addition to the lords and knights of White Harbor: Edmure Tully, Catelyn Tully, and Brynden "Blackfish" Tully. Eddard Stark kept his promise with the 'mysterious man', and would not reveal his identity until he reached the Wall.

"Caw!" A raven's cry rang out, startling the crowd standing on the riverbank. Another raven flew into Riverrun and landed on the window of the Maester's Tower.

Two ravens delivering letters in a row, obviously, something happened! One of the raven letters was specifically for Eddard Stark.

*

After the funeral, the generals who returned to the main hall of Riverrun heard King Robb Stark announce the news from a raven letter: Duke Tywin of the Westerlands ordered the massacre of all the common people in the territory of Clegane's Keep, killing all men, women, old and young, and not even sparing all the livestock and horses. The methods were cruel and vicious, violating the laws of nature. The executioners were Daven Lannister and his three thousand soldiers from Lannisport.

The generals were stunned!

Massacring civilians was something that the Northerners never did when they swept through the Westerlands, which violated the laws of heaven. Not to mention killing civilians, even enemies, as long as they knelt down and surrendered, the Northerners would not easily kill them.

What's more, there were old people, women and children among those civilians.

In the Knight's Oath, there is a special clause: do not kill the innocent indiscriminately, do not kill the elderly, women and children among the common people. This is the bottom line of a knight, and also the bottom line of morality.

The first to stand up and curse was Greatjon Umber, the number one fierce general in the North...

…………

King's Landing, Tower of the Hand.

A raven flew into the Maester's chamber and landed on the table in front of the maester. Grand Maester Pycelle grabbed a handful of corn kernels and let the raven peck happily, then took off the letter from the raven's leg, unfolded it, and his face changed after a glance. It was a letter denouncing Prime Minister Tywin for ordering the massacre of civilians in the Clegane territory. The words were extremely sharp and vicious, causing anger and resentment after reading, and filling people with hostility and hatred towards the Prime Minister, with the urge to pick up a knife and fight against evil...

A very clever and highly inflammatory letter, but the person who sent the letter sent it to the wrong place. Fortunately, it was sent to the Tower of the Hand. If it had been sent to other people, and the news spread out, the consequences...

Grand Maester Pycelle couldn't sit still. The time of this raven letter was wrong. Calculating the time of Tywin's secret massacre order sent out in the middle of the night, Daven should have just raised his butcher knife at this time, but this letter appeared in advance...

Maester Pycelle broke out in a cold sweat... Who could foresee the future... A witch...

Grand Maester Pycelle immediately got up and went to the Throne Room to find Duke Tywin. The Duke did not listen to the dissuasion of Earl Kevan and the euphemistic expressions of the maester. He moved against the people on Clegane's territory without killing the Mountain first. He believed that as long as he left Maester Qyburn to send a peace letter to the Mountain, he could stabilize the Mountain, but he seriously underestimated the ability of the witch. Even if the witch was dead, she could still stir up trouble...

Caw!

In the sky, a raven's cry came!

Pycelle's heart jumped. Since the witch sent out the first letter, she would definitely not send only one, or a letter sent to the wrong place...

Caw!

Another raven appeared.

Maester Pycelle stopped. He watched as a raven flew into Maegor's Holdfast and a raven flew into the Maester's Tower.

Caw, caw, caw!

Several ravens appeared over the Red Keep, flying into the Maidenvault, the White Sword Tower, and the Sept, respectively!

Cold sweat dripped down Maester Pycelle's neck. Under normal circumstances, ravens would only choose three places to land: the Maester's Tower, Maegor's Holdfast, and the Tower of the Hand.

But this time, the ravens were blooming everywhere!

The Mountain, who led his troops to raid Dragonstone in the middle of the night, had successfully captured Dragonstone. The military exploits report had been sent to King's Landing. The news spread, and the Westerlands army, the Reach army, the garrison, and the Crownlands army were all excited. The people of King's Landing were also excited by the victory news. They hoped that the war would end soon so that their difficult lives could end. The people in the streets and alleys were all delighted, and the Mountain's military and political prestige was once again enhanced...

The Mountain's victory report made King Joffrey and Queen Mother Cersei very happy. King Joffrey went to the Throne Room for a meeting today for the first time, just to discuss how to commend the Mountain's outstanding military exploits...

The night when the Mountain confronted Duke Tywin in King Joffrey's bedroom in Maegor's Holdfast, he frankly said that he was loyal to His Majesty the King and not to the Lannisters, which made Queen Mother Cersei very gratified. She hoped that there would be generals who could loyally serve Joffrey. Joffrey needed someone to support him. Although he was still young, he was the king... And Father... Did he want to usurp the throne...

Cersei suddenly felt a chill in her heart. She was afraid. She suddenly thought that someone who could send the letter into her hands would definitely be able to send it into the Mountain's hands. The Mountain captured Dragonstone, defeated the remnants of Stannis's forces guarding Dragonstone, and made new military exploits. His morale was high. If he learned that Father had secretly massacred the people in his territory, what would the Mountain do? Who could stop the Mountain...

"Your Majesty, do you... do you need a cup of hot water?" The maid saw that the Queen Mother's face was so ugly and terrible.

Cersei was startled, and only then did she see in the mirror that her face was so ugly, as if she had just recovered from a serious illness, or as if she was about to faint. She calmed her mind and leaned on the table: "Go and call Maester Qyburn... and... and... um, go and find Tyrion Lannister too, be quick!"

*

Atop Rhaenys's Hill stood a vast, empty structure: the Dragonpit. It was where the Targaryen family once kept their dragons. The Dragonpit was immense; the width of just one of its bronze doors could accommodate twenty-eight warhorses abreast with room to spare.

Since the dragons died out centuries ago, the Dragonpit had become a vacant space. Now, nearly twenty thousand Westerlands soldiers were stationed there.

In one of the army camps, there were two thousand warriors, the legion of House Westerling of the Crag in the Westerlands. Earl Gawen Westerling was the supreme commander of this legion, and his wife's brother, Ser Rolph Spicer, known as Heavyfoot, was the legion's deputy commander.

Gawen and Rolph were having lunch and drinking in the general's tent when the tent curtain was lifted and a very clever wild child slipped in—before the Dragonpit was occupied by the Westerlands army, it was a gathering place for vagrants, beggars, and wild children in King's Landing—after the army occupied it, some homeless wild children and vagrants still appeared here from time to time. They were used to treating the Dragonpit as their home.

The Westerlands army was used to it too! Many soldiers gave the leftover food and wine to the vagrants and wild children huddled in a corner.

Rolph, who was burly, had a broken nose and a short beard, and looked quite brave, was about to scold when the child grinned and threw a scroll of paper on the table: "Sorry to bother you, my lords!" The child was as nimble as a mouse, lifted the corner of the tent and slipped out.

"What?" Rolph said, picking up the scroll of paper and throwing it on the ground.

Gawen Westerling was not angry, but picked it up and unfolded it, his face suddenly changed!

"What's wrong?" Rolph asked with a mouthful of food.

"Duke Tywin killed all the people in the Mountain's territory," Gawen murmured.

"What?" Rolph stood up abruptly, reached out and grabbed the scroll of paper. His eyes scanned the scroll of paper, "Damn it, Tywin old man, he's going to kill them all!"

"The Mountain's merits are too great?" Gawen murmured, "Why would this happen?"

"I guess they will definitely come to us? Could it be about the gold coin factory in Castamere!"

"What gold coin factory?"

"The Mountain asked Foulmouth and Raynald to secretly open a gold coin factory in Castamere to mint coins. The gold mine is the original gold mine in Castamere."

Gawen was stunned and couldn't believe it! He only knew that his family was getting richer and did not lack money, but he did not know there was such a thing.

"Does Sybell know?"

Sybell Spicer, Earl Gawen's wife.

"We all know!"

"I'm the only one who doesn't know?!" Earl Gawen couldn't believe it.

"You know now!"

"Then... then... what should we do?"

"What else can we do? Tywin old man also mints coins privately. There is civil strife in the Seven Kingdoms, so what's wrong with everyone minting some coins? He is going to kill them all and show no mercy, so let's rebel!"

Footsteps sounded outside the door, many footsteps, messy. A guard's voice respectfully said: "Ser Addam, Earl Gawen is having dinner, please allow me to report it."

"No need!" Addam Marbrand's voice said.

Rolph and Gawen exchanged glances, put away the note, and sat down to eat.

Addam lifted the curtain and came in, followed by eight gold cloaks.

"Earl Gawen, the Prime Minister has important matters to discuss."

"Okay, General, go first. I'll go to the Tower of the Hand after I finish eating."

“I’m very sorry, Earl, but the situation is urgent. The Prime Minister requests your presence immediately.”

Gavin laughed heartily. “What could be so urgent? Can't we sit down for a drink, Commander Adam?”

“I would love to have a drink with the Earl, but this matter is indeed urgent.”

“Oh? What is it, then?”

“The Earl will know once he arrives. I am not at liberty to ask about the specifics, nor would I dare to say.”

“Oh, very well!” Gavin stood up, discarding his—chopsticks—the latest fashion among the nobles of King's Landing. “Let's go!”

Adam stepped aside, allowing Gavin to walk ahead. Rolfe rose to see them off, when suddenly, a flash of steel! A small knife was pressed against Adam's neck. Rolfe smiled and said, “Adam, you think eight men are enough to take away Earl Gavin?”

Clang!

The eight gold cloaks drew their longswords, restraining Earl Gavin.

Clang, clang, clang!

The Westerling family's guards drew their swords, surrounding the eight gold cloaks.

Rolfe, with his left arm around Adam's neck and a knife pointed at his back, laughed. “Adam, tell your dogs to drop their swords, or you’ll all die!”

*

ps: An extra chapter will be released this afternoon. Seeking subscriptions; if you're reading this elsewhere, please subscribe on Qidian. I can't keep working hard and getting unlucky. Magic Mountain is a niche novel, and recommendations for new authors are scarce, so I'm asking for full subscription support. This month, I've already updated 213179 characters, making me the most diligent updater in the A Song of Ice and Fire category on Qidian.

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