The next morning, the courtiers, who filled the Earl's Hall, were discussing the fire that had burned down the granaries in the Riverlands, three hundred miles away, and many of them surrounded Eddard Stark to inquire about the details.
Eddard Stark's eyes were bloodshot and his face was exhausted; he hadn't slept a wink last night. "My lords," he said, "I only traveled a little over a hundred miles to the west last night before stopping. We hadn't even reached the Kneeling Lodge yet; we were still hundreds of miles from the center of the fire. At dawn, people on merchant ships and fishing boats traveling down the Red Fork River said that the fire was on the Great Plains outside Riverrun, and that the rice paddies, forests, and villages on the plains had all been burned. The exact number of casualties was unknown."
"Lord Eddard, have you sent ravens to Riverrun?" Duke Renly asked with a smile. Renly wore a blue silk robe with vertical silver stitching, which made him look elegant and noble. He spoke slowly and deliberately, seemingly unconcerned about the fire.
Renly's territory is the Stormlands, which borders the Reach, the territory of House Tyrell. The Stormlands are self-sufficient in food and have the second largest population among the Seven Kingdoms. Even if the Riverlands were burned to the ground, it wouldn't affect the food supply for the people of the Stormlands.
"I released the ravens as soon as I got back this morning!" Eddard Stark was very dissatisfied with Renly's frivolity, but his expression did not show it at all. His frozen expression made it difficult to see into his heart.
The courtiers were buzzing with discussion in the hall, while the king and queen had not yet gotten up.
Last night, the King, I don't know whose woman he was embracing again, gave another'state talk,' while Queen Cersei actually got up early, but she couldn't be bothered to deal with the courtiers in the hall. The royal courtiers and the accompanying nobles were all noisy, annoying crows.
Queen Cersei had a fight with the King last night, and the feud caused by Prince Joffrey ended perfectly with both of them losing. She couldn't be bothered with a fire, especially since it wasn't burning in the Westerlands, but in the Riverlands.
To be honest, Cersei thought the fire had burned too narrowly. It was a real shame that the fire, which started on the Riverrun, hadn't even reached Bending Knee, about a hundred miles away. It would have been even better if it had burned all the way from the Riverrun, with the strong winds of last night blowing relentlessly, burning through the forests of Nobleheart, all the way to Harrenhal and Harroway. That sight would have been far more spectacular than the fireworks at the king's coronation.
Queen Cersei sipped bacon soup, ate honey-smeared bread, salad, and various delicious snacks in the Earl's backyard, and listened to the servants' exaggerated words, which were based on hearsay, conjecture, and assumptions. Her mood improved more and more.
Meanwhile, in the hall, the Mountain, the mastermind behind the fire, watched the various gloating expressions on the faces of the courtiers and nobles, and listened to some lukewarm expressions of regret. He gained a deeper understanding of the false concern and cold estrangement among the nobles.
No one would suspect the Mountain's involvement in the fire, since he was right there. Nevertheless, the Mountain knew that accusations against him would soon arrive from Riverrun. But he wasn't worried; he could escape unscathed, for his testimony was shared not only by the many courtiers and local nobles, but also by the Prime Minister and the King.
The Mountain anticipated that the Tully family members who would come to demand an explanation would be the young, arrogant, and valiant Edmure Tully, the bearded man. While the young man was quite capable, the Mountain didn't consider him a threat; his uncle, Brynden Tully the Blackfish, was a formidable opponent. However, Brynden Tully, due to his strained relationship with his brother, Duke Horst, was no longer in Riverrun but instead served as a Bloodgate Knight in the Vale ruled by Lysa Tully.
The Riverlands have nobles and generals who are both wise and brave, but they lack a commander who can control the overall situation, unless Brynden Tully, the Blackfish, returns to Riverrun.
In the crowd, the Mountain spotted the Hound. He wore simple leather armor today, a longsword at his waist, and a cold expression. His left cheek, burned by the fire, was extremely disfigured; this was one of the Mountain's creations as a young boy.
Four Kingsguard stood in a line, guarding the 'throne' that had no king. The Mountain, looking at these four renowned white-robed Kingsguard, thought they were a joke. Ser Barristan Selmy, the fearless, was not only skilled in martial arts and loyal, but also a member of the King's Council—the only minister in the Council who could raise any question or object to anyone, and possessed the privilege of immunity from punishment.
But this guy's political acumen is barely that of a three-year-old. Unless someone whispers in his ear telling him who the loyal ministers and who the treacherous ministers are, he can't distinguish between them and will pledge allegiance to both!
As for Manden Moor, the Iron Guard, he was brooding, ruthless, and taciturn; no one knew what he was thinking. But all it took was a beautiful young virgin, or Queen Cersei opening her legs slightly, to bring him to his knees. In the original timeline of this world, during the future Battle of the Blackwater, this man would slay Tyrion Lannister, leaving Tyrion with a lifelong badge of honor on his face—the Scar.
Maryn Trant, needless to say, is a complete idiot with no sense of chivalry and will be Prince Joffrey's main henchman in his future abuse of Sansa.
Ser Jaime Lannister, the most handsome swordsman on the far left, is also incredibly skilled. Well, he's obsessed with his sister, and as for his manhood, he does all of it between Cersei's legs.
The Mountain's gaze shifted behind the throne, where the Royal Inspector Ilyn Payne stood staring, his eyes unfocused. The man looked terrifying, and everyone feared him, but the Mountain considered him a walking corpse, finding no pleasure in life other than killing.
Finally, after a long while, the obese king appeared looking refreshed. The courtiers and nobles quickly made way for him, and the four royal guards protecting the throne also stepped aside to make way for the king to take his seat.
King Robert seemed to be in good spirits, as if yesterday's unpleasantness had never happened.
"What happened?" The king accepted the golden cup that Lancel Lannister, the sommelier, had respectfully handed him. The cup was filled with wine that could numb his mind and body.
The King was quite perceptive; he could sense what might have happened as soon as he walked in.
The Mountain thought that if being a king required clocking in and out, King Robert's monthly salary would be supplemented.
"Last night, a great fire broke out on the Flowing Plains, burning down countless fields, forests, and villages," Eddard Stark said.
"Oh?!" The king was clearly taken aback. "Have the ravens from Riverrun arrived? How many people have died?"
As fate would have it, Scholar Lucius appeared hastily at the gate, holding a wax-sealed letter in his hand.
"Your Majesty, we have just received a letter from the Raven of Riverrun." Maester Lucius handed the letter to Ser Barristan Selmy the Fearless. The letter was received by the Kingsguard Captain and then forwarded.
The four Kingsguard are the king's defensive line. If they were in the throne room of King's Landing, they would be the seven brothers, lined up in a row on the steps of the Iron Throne.
Robert took the letter, opened it, read it, and looked at the Mountain, the tallest, most imposing, and fiercest figure in the crowd.
The Mountain looked back at His Majesty the King. Needless to say, the Mountain already knew the contents of the letter: the Tully family of Riverrun accused him of arson.
The fire was indeed set off by Demon Mountain, but he didn't light it himself, that's all!
"The Mountain, Ser Edmure Tully is leading a thousand Riverlands warriors in his hunt for you," Robert said. "Many saw you during last night's fire."
Why did the arsonist have to impersonate the Mountain? Couldn't he have impersonated anyone else? Isn't that just creating a loophole?
Yes, this is what happens when you leave a vulnerability to attract hatred!
To stir up trouble in the seven kingdoms and create a situation where one is hypocritical and pretends to be virtuous, one must first arouse hatred and get others excited!
The Thirty-Six Stratagems and other military classics of Chinese culture, such as Sun Tzu's Art of War, Sun Bin's Art of War, Wu Zi, Six Secret Teachings, Wei Liao Zi, Sima Fa, Tai Bai Yin Jing, Hu Qian Jing, Ji Xiao Xin Shu, Lian Bing Shi Ji, and Zhen Fa Dao Jie, etc., although I only read a little bit during my university years, purely as extracurricular entertainment, I firmly believe that using some of these basics to deal with these bumpkins from a semi-pastoral, semi-agricultural civilization is no problem!