The Mountain of Ice and Fire

Holding it down is difficult.

But Arianne Martell didn't have Oberyn's pleasantries, nor did she have much patience: "Father, the King and I are going to Pentos, across the Narrow Sea. His Majesty is launching a conquest of Essos, and we have already conquered the Nine Free Cities. The Stepstones, Myr, Lys, Tyrosh, and even the Summer Isles will be incorporated into our Dornish territory. I need your help; are you willing to come out and assist me?"

Doran Martell's eyes lit up for a moment, then returned to their calm state.

He looked at the Mountain: "Your Majesty, how far has the Eastern Expeditionary Force advanced?"

"Qarth."

"That's a very distant eastern city from us."

"Indeed."

Doran shifted his gaze to the ceiling and sighed: "Your Majesty, in my humble opinion, I do not approve of your eastern conquest."

"Oh? Why is that?"

"Please forgive my impudence and pardon my words."

"Please speak, Prince Doran."

"I believe it is difficult to consolidate rule through force in other people's lands. Taking a city may be relatively easy, but the real challenge is the subsequent governance."

"Prince Doran, perhaps I have already found a solution to the problem you are concerned about."

Doran Martell's gaze shifted from the ceiling to the Mountain.

"Oh!" he said.

His eyes and tone were full of disbelief.

He believed it was an unsolvable problem, and no one could solve it.

Different ethnicities, different beliefs, different customs, different skin colors, languages, and cultures—to forcibly merge them together would create irreconcilable conflicts. In the end, conquering territory is easy, but ruling it and passing it down through generations is impossible. Bloodshed and conflict will always exist.

"Prince Doran, you don't believe me?"

"…Since Your Majesty has already considered this issue, perhaps you have your own way of governing…"

"Unified currency, unified common language, unified laws, unified system, and the establishment of unified schools, with all teachers appointed by the maesters of Oldtown."

"The currency is the implementation of Clegane paper money?"

"Yes."

"Unifying the common language and laws will be very difficult. The Dothraki will not attend school, nor will they learn the common tongue of Westeros. They will not respect or abide by Westerosi law. From birth until they can walk, Dothraki men learn to ride and shoot arrows, while the women learn to cook, make arrows, and raise horses. No Dothraki will go to school. If they lack food and cloth, they will go out and rob."

"Prince Doran, the next generation of children will attend school. Only those who can speak the common tongue of Westeros and do arithmetic will be qualified to become local officials. After local officials are implemented, the Dothraki will no longer have khals. I will cultivate many officials in agriculture, animal husbandry, trade, military, and politics on the Dothraki Sea. I will also build cities on the Dothraki Sea. Horses and cattle will roam freely for grazing, but the cities will no longer move."

"…I can't imagine…"

"Father, the Dothraki have sworn allegiance to His Majesty. The land assault on Qarth is being carried out by Dothraki cavalry," Arianne Martell said impatiently.

"Arianne, I don't think the war-loving Dothraki will like His Majesty's policies on agriculture and city construction in the grasslands. They cannot accept it; their blood only contains the tradition of grazing and raiding."

"Prince Doran, when Essos is unified, the Dothraki will no longer be able to rob the surrounding city-states or any country."

"Then, what will the large number of Dothraki cavalry do? How will Your Majesty accommodate them?"

"Most will learn to build cities, acquire land, develop animal husbandry, and engage in fixed-point agriculture. Some warriors will become professional cavalry, stationed in more distant eastern cities, and some will become city cavalry regiments to maintain peace and order in the grasslands."

Doran looked at the Mountain and fell silent.

He couldn't believe that the Mountain before him was such a wise man, with such a complete set of ideas. Although he didn't know how effective the implementation of these ideas would be—in fact, he thought they might not be effective at all, and that the Dothraki might resist every step of the king's plan, and the Dothraki's resistance would mean battle—nevertheless, the king's governance concept still shocked him.

The King's words exceeded all his imagination; every point was something he had never thought of before. He was well-read, knowledgeable, and politically far-sighted and precise, but the things the Mountain said were still things he had never heard.

"Your Majesty, I have always believed that taking a city is easy, but holding it is difficult. To do better than the original rulers is even more difficult. After hearing your plan for holding it, I feel my shallowness and ignorance. I never knew there could be these different methods."

"Prince Doran, your words shame me. I am just a crude man. But I think that as long as we treat the common people well enough in every place we go, there will be a solid foundation for rule, without having to cater to the interests of the nobles."

Doran Martell was a very humble and introspective person. Perhaps his years of leg illness had given his character a unique resilience and calmness.

When Oberyn was killed by the Mountain in a trial by combat, and when the nine great houses of Dorne were ambushed and annihilated by Jeyne Westerling on the border of the Crownlands, he remained calm and refused to send troops for revenge, believing that if the Dornish army left Dorne to fight outside, it would inevitably suffer a crushing defeat.

The Dornish army, losing its geographical advantage and the support of the people, would become a source without water once it went outside.

Facts proved that his judgment was accurate! But it also led to the coup in Sunspear, where he was captured and placed under house arrest in Sunspear by his heir, Arianne Martell, and Ellaria Sand.

During these years of house arrest, he thought most about the fate of Sunspear and the Iron Throne.

Currently, Arianne had made a mistake that led to a correct outcome. She had entered into a less-than-honorable marriage with His Majesty, but had thus preserved Dorne and House Martell. Faced with Arianne's ambition to become the great lord of Lys, Myr, Tyrosh, and the Summer Isles, he was internally resistant.

He only wanted House Martell to hold onto Dorne.

Lys, Myr, Tyrosh, and the Summer Isles—every place would be difficult to manage.

"Arianne, with our talents, we cannot manage Lys, Myr, Tyrosh, and the Summer Isles well. Our abilities are only good enough to govern Dorne."

"Father, why do we need to govern Lys, Myr, Tyrosh, and the Summer Isles?" Arianne said coldly.

"Oh?" Doran stared at Arianne.

"I will let the city-states of Lys and others manage themselves. I will only be responsible for collecting taxes every year, arranging for maesters to go to the cities as assistants to the governors, and arranging for the heads or heirs of the nine great houses to go to the city-states as commanders of the legions. Whoever rebels, I will kill him and his family. All those involved in the rebellion will be exterminated."

Doran Martell looked at his eldest daughter, speechless for a moment.

Arianne lost her patience: "Father, are you willing to come out and assist me in managing Dorne, Lys, Myr, Tyrosh, and the Summer Isles? If you are not willing, I will find someone else."