The Mountain of Ice and Fire

Duke Gendry Baratheon stood in the noble ranks, watching and listening as his father dealt with Daenerys and her people. He felt his father handled it with the same ease as Gendry himself forging weapons in the smithy.

Before relinquishing the throne, Gendry truly didn't know how to handle Daenerys and her entourage. To kill or spare? To exile or imprison? He was conflicted!

And what to do with a knight of honor like Barristan? Although he had left Westeros, he had been forced to. His honor and integrity were like a torch, and the people and nobles of the Seven Kingdoms revered the fearless Barristan Selmy—but now he was a sinner leading foreigners to attack Westeros.

So how should Barristan Selmy be judged?

Should he be released because of his honor and integrity? Or killed for attacking his own people?

Gendry couldn't decide.

If he didn't care about anything and left it all to the small council, then he, the king, would truly be dispensable! And he would be even more despised by the nobles!

Watching his father effortlessly settle Daenerys and everyone under her banner, without hesitation, without consultation, without pause, and without relying on any member of the small council, Gendry felt that every judgment his father made was the best possible.

Gendry gradually realized that his father's handling of each person completely matched his own deepest intentions, as if the two had some remarkable understanding.

Even more strangely, when his father made a judgment, those reasons that had entangled Gendry and made him waver were completely crushed, becoming reasons that were not worth mentioning at all. Gendry believed that every judgment his father made was the best. This made Gendry's respect for his father even greater, and it strengthened his conviction that his abdication was the right thing to do.

The honest Gendry was sweeping away the slight discomfort caused by the change in status brought about by the abdication.

From king to Duke of Storm's End, he had made comparisons in his heart. Under Jon Connington's guidance, Gendry chose the rationality of the conflicting emotions.

But now he believed his choice was absolutely right!

He was also grateful to Jon Connington for helping him come up with the perfect way to abdicate 'in the name of the gods'.

Gendry looked at Jon Connington, and at the same time, his father was also looking at Jon Connington in the crowd.

"Jon Connington, in the name of the Seven Gods, in the name of the Old Gods, in the name of the Red God, in the name of all the gods, in the name of the King of the Andals, the Rhoynar, and the First Men, in the name of the Duke of Dragonstone, Warden of the East, Warden of the West, Warden of the North, Master of War, King of the Crab Coast, and leader of the indigenous tribes of the Mountains of the Moon, I sincerely invite you to be my Hand of the King."

Jon Connington, standing at the very back corner of the courtier ranks, was stunned!

Littlefinger Petyr Baelish, the Master of Coin, was stunned!—The position of Prime Minister had always been Littlefinger's inner desire. He had also mentioned it to the Mountain, believing that his ability was enough to be the Prime Minister of the Kingdom. In addition to his ability, he also had merit. It was he who persuaded Gendry Baratheon to give up the Iron Throne, and the words Gendry spoke during the ceremony guided by the gods were the original words he had told Gendry. The words Gendry said, 'Farmers farm, fishermen fish...' were exactly what Littlefinger had taught Gendry.

The talented and meritorious Littlefinger Petyr Baelish believed that it was only natural for him to be the Prime Minister!

In the hall, most of the courtiers and generals were stunned!

Jon Connington, the older generation knew his name well, but he was a loyalist to the Targaryen family. His pedantry and rigidity—which was actually his insistence on not killing innocent people, leading to the failure of the Battle of Stone Mill—had once been greatly ridiculed by Lord Tywin of the West.

The younger generation of courtiers and generals did not understand Jon Connington very well, nor were they clear about his deeds and abilities. For most ordinary young people, Jon Connington was an unfamiliar name.

Gendry Baratheon had a good impression of Jon Connington. He returned to reason from his surprise and was the first to applaud. But he soon realized that no one else in the hall was applauding. In the monotonous applause, no one followed suit.

Generally speaking, if one person applauds, others will follow suit.

The Mountain's generals were mainly composed of hooligans, bandits, and murderers. None of them were familiar with Jon Connington, and they were still in shock, looking at each other.

Jon Connington?

Who is this guy?

What's so great about him?

But there were still generals who unconditionally obeyed the Mountain and followed suit, but the applause was sparse and fragmented, failing to form a joyous storm.

The scene was a bit awkward!

Littlefinger Petyr Baelish said, "Your Majesty, Jon Connington..."

"Earl Jon Connington, please come forward," the Mountain directly interrupted Littlefinger's 'speech'.

The Mountain's voice was naturally gifted, and he could 'defeat' Littlefinger's voice with a casual utterance without raising his volume.

Jon Connington walked out from the very back of the courtier ranks, wearing an old scholar's robe and holding a book that looked thicker than a brick.

"Your Majesty..." Jon Connington said, "I'm afraid..."

"Three months!" the Mountain said arbitrarily, "I cannot force you to be my Prime Minister, but please give me three months."

"Three months?" Jon Connington was stunned again.

"Yes, three months. After three months, I will give you absolute freedom. You can return to Griffin's Roost to be your own Earl, or you can continue to stay and be the Prime Minister, or choose to be a historian, or choose to be a wandering poet on the other side of the Narrow Sea, it's all up to you, but please give me three months."

"Your Majesty..."

"Three months, you can't refuse!" The Mountain interrupted Jon again, "Can! Not! Refuse!" The Mountain said in a deep voice, sitting on the Iron Throne. His tyrannical, domineering, rude, and arbitrary nature was on full display.

The reasonable, wise, and restrained Mountain who spoke of reason and acted with restraint was completely gone. The brutal and vicious Mountain returned again, right on the Iron Throne. His gaze at Jon was full of threat.

"Okay, Your Majesty, I promise you, I will be Prime Minister for three months!" Jon Connington said.

The Mountain smiled!

His face, which had been full of barbarity and ferocity, suddenly bloomed, turning into a gentle and kind smile, a big smile: "Good, it's settled then."

"But I refuse to lead troops to fight," Jon followed up with this condition.

"I will not let you lead troops to fight. Your military talent cannot compare to mine," the Mountain's smile disappeared, and he said very seriously.

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

The Mountain looked at the small council: "Prime Minister Jon, please stand in your rightful place."

Jon Connington looked at the small council. He saw hostility, indifference, vigilance, suspicion, welcome, kindness... and other different gazes.

Jon walked to the ranks of the small council. The council members moved their positions, giving up the second most honorable position. The first most honorable position was Jeyne Westerling. Although she was the Master of Laws, a lower position than the Prime Minister, she had another identity: Her Majesty the Queen.

When members of the royal family held meetings in the throne room, they usually sat in a special position on the king's right, but Jeyne Westerling insisted on being with the small council as the Master of Laws. Since she chose to stand with the small council, the first most honorable position naturally belonged to her.

"Someone, bring a chair up here, put a soft cushion on it, and place it next to my Iron Throne," the Mountain said lightly.

Today was his first day sitting on the Iron Throne, and the Mountain had many things to deal with on this day to stabilize the government. On the first day of this new company's opening, the most important thing was naturally the personnel arrangements for the managers and supervisors of each department, so that the most suitable people could sit in the positions that best suited their abilities.

Those problems that seemed棘手 to others would not pose any difficulty for the Mountain at all.

He had a principle today: I have the final say, no discussion on disagreements! This was the most efficient approach! All of his decisions today had been carefully considered. As for whether the courtiers and generals could understand, that didn't matter. He had started the company himself, and he would be most concerned, most dedicated, and most hardworking, and would do his best to take the most suitable measures for the company's development. Time would prove everything.

A large chair was brought up and placed next to the Iron Throne, with a soft cushion placed on it.

"Queen Jeyne Westerling, please sit," the Mountain said to his wife Jeyne in the small council.

Jeyne Westerling was a little surprised. That chair was not the King's right-hand honorable position, but sat on equal footing with the King.

This was a symbol, and also a supreme power.

As if in an instant, a warm current flowed through Jeyne's heart, which was the excitement in her heart.

She looked at the noble ranks, and her eyes met Arianne Martell's.

Arianne's expression was calm, but her heart was still stirred by unspeakable waves.

Jeyne Westerling was the Mountain's wife, and Arianne Martell was already clear about this fact and had no extravagant hopes. But the Mountain arranged a position of equal footing with Jeyne Westerling next to the Iron Throne, which no other king had ever done before. This still stung Arianne Martell's heart fiercely.

The Mountain's emphasis on Jeyne caused Princess Arianne Martell's heart to ache and turn sour. But she quickly made a decision that made her feel much more comfortable: as long as she kept the Mountain by her side for more time, she would actually win against Jeyne Westerling.

Jeyne walked out, and the Kingsguard, who were lined up to protect the King, separated in the middle. Jeyne walked up the steps, step by step. The Mountain had already gotten up and walked down two steps, reaching out his giant hand to Jeyne.