"In that war, except for the disobedient Iron Islanders, the other coalition forces fought very smoothly as planned. What was the reason? Because King Robert had a big belly but could command the entire army, and he also participated in the Battle of the Nine Copper King.
Barristan, who is experienced and familiar with the Stepstone Islands, will be the commander-in-chief!" Witte looked at everyone:
"The military plan drawn up by the two of them, from logistics to targets, from marching routes to supporting troops, and even the retreat route, was planned in advance! But this time we are all in charge of our own affairs, without a unified command."
Many people in the audience were silent. He was obviously very brave and had killed countless corpses, but this battle was just frustrating! It seems that as Witte said, everyone is in charge of their own affairs and there is no unified plan, but everyone
It has always been like this, listening to no one except his own lord.
The people of the North were dispersed by the unexpected wights. Eddard was unable to command the entire army. Young Robb had no military position and was unable to command the older generation of nobles. In addition, he had to protect the civilians, so the fight was a mess.
Except for the Aylin family, almost all the other nobles in the valley have stayed in their own territory since the Dance of the Blood Dragon. For more than a hundred years, they have been fighting the savages in the Mingyue Mountains in a small way, or they have raised flags to respond, but even a single soldier can do it.
He has never left the valley and has never participated in any major war.
This time I walked around the battlefield and didn't kill any enemy or myself.
The allied forces of the Riverlands, under the command of Edmure, advanced steadily and slowly, and did not provide support to the northerners who were fighting a bitter battle close to Chichi.
"Barlistan is so old, and we invite him out again? For Barristan, the nobles of the Riverlands recognize him.
"Maybe this is a way to prepare a wheelchair for him." The valley man also agreed.
The nobles in the audience were whispering.
"Every war must have someone who is proficient in strategy to provide unified command. King Renly is in charge of all the armies, so who should be the commander-in-chief?" Witte paused: "What do you recommend?"
"I propose Lord Edmure!"
Black Walder of the Frey family was the first to speak. At this time, he must fight for the lord, so that he can be assigned the easiest and most rewarding task.
The hall was so quiet that only the sound of wood burning in the fireplace could be heard, and everyone looked at Duke Edmure silently.
Edmure, who was sitting next to Renly, quickly answered: "I have been infected with cold recently. I have a fever, headache, and sore limbs. I can't stand the hard work. I am not suitable to be commander-in-chief!"
After saying this, Edmure immediately pretended to have a headache and supported his forehead with his hands. The eyes covered by his hands stared at Black Walder, cursing the idiot in his heart.
Edmure knew how much he weighed. It was okay to lead a small war. He could only dream about commanding the armies of the Seven Kingdoms. The supreme commander fighting the White Walkers was no joke. Victory would lead to the supreme victory.
Glory, defeat and all lives cannot be saved.
The meeting put this issue aside for the time being, and Renly planned to wait for people from other duchies to arrive at Moat Cailin before discussing the candidate for the Commander-in-Chief.
Robb told Saran roughly what the meeting was about.
"Robb, you should fight for the position of commander-in-chief of the coalition forces!" Saran
Robb shook his head: "I can't. I have never led a team of more than a hundred people. When I went to the north, they were all shapeshifters. They only followed my orders because of my strength and identity."
Bang! Saran punched Robb on the breastplate and said angrily: "I usually call you stupid because you only know those few moves in bed, but you still take it seriously!"
"Quiet down!" Robb quickly covered Saran's mouth and quickly turned around. Fortunately, people were busy packing their luggage, and only his brother Rickon looked at him with a half-smile.
"Robb, I support you!" Rickon smiled and gave Robb a thumbs up, and then Catelyn grabbed his ear and pulled him to the carriage.
Unmarried children are still children to their mothers no matter how old they are. Catelyn doesn't care whether there are many people here or not. No matter how much Rickon clamors to stay here to fight, Catelyn and Robb are determined to let him go to King's Landing.
Before stepping onto the carriage, Catelyn looked back at Robb: "Your father was less than twenty years old when he led the northern army to the battlefield!"
After speaking, Caitlin entered the carriage and closed the door.
Saran: "Caitlin is right. We are used to living a peaceful and prosperous life. Now that war is coming, you must not only lead the northerners to regain their land, but you should also use your talents to lead mankind to victory. You
It’s the Duke of the North!”
"To be honest, I haven't adapted to this new identity yet." Robb usually saw that his father Eddard didn't seem to be doing much about government affairs. Why did he become the Duke of the North just for a day? The various suggestions from the nobles were like those on the ground.
His table was piled up like snow.
"I believe you!" Saran kissed Robb gently on the mouth.
Robb: "I will try to get it. But I think Master Werther is more suitable."
"Is it because of the books you read?"
There is a small private study of Robb in Winterfell, which contains not only magic books but also many war and celebrity biographies. Saran also likes to read these books when she has nothing to do, especially copies of Werther's works. In addition to magic, there are also various kinds of books.
Unbelievable experiences and war books, especially the book "Thirty-One Strategies of War" that was almost torn by Robb.
Werther did not have the ability to remember anything, and liked to put knowledge down on paper. Because he had focused on magic knowledge these years, when he found out about the Thirty-Six Stratagems when he had some free time, he only remembered one beauty trap, so he pieced it together and combined it with the world's knowledge.
The characters and events were written down, but even so, it is a rare military masterpiece in the world. Copies were only given to a few apprentices.
Saran gently stroked Robb's face like a child: "Robb, Duke Werther's thinking is wild, otherwise he wouldn't be able to create a magic system. But a person's time is limited, so he spent all his energy on magic.
For commanding war, you only have pen and paper. And you are his disciple, I believe you are better than him in this aspect."
Faced with the encouragement of his wife Saran, Robb gained confidence.
People think too highly of Werther, who can go to heaven and earth and earn a lot of money, but they also ignore a lot of things. Werther is not a perfect person, and Robb knows that Werther has made many failed products in business alone.
For example, the black thing that was given to him and can be worn on the bridge of his nose to block his eyes has always been placed at the bottom of the box. Witte said that it can block the dazzling light reflected by the ice and snow, but it has the blood of its ancestors and has lived in the ice and snow for tens of thousands of years.
Jingren has no need for this redundant and ugly product.
"Salan, don't worry, I will compete for the position of Commander-in-Chief." Robb finally no longer hesitated.
The sun was blocked and two shadows passed across the ground. Robb looked up and saw two dragons, one blue and one black, flying overhead.
"The prince and Sauron have already set off. You should also set off quickly. I have asked Sauron privately that he and the black dragon will try to take care of your carriage along the way." Separation is sad, and even though Robb is reluctant to part with his hands,
Pushed Saran away.
"You swear, you will come to the Red Keep to pick me up." Even though Saran was extremely strong, she knew that Robb's life or death was uncertain after this parting, and the tears in her eyes finally shed uncontrollably.
Robb stretched out his hand to wipe away the tears from his wife's face, and hit her forehead a little: "I swear! I will come to the Red Keep to take you back to Winterfell with victory and glory!"
The people escorting the family to King's Landing were disabled soldiers who could no longer fight. Robb watched them slowly walk south holding the direwolf flag, his eyes tightly fixed on the carriage surrounded by soldiers in the center. The carriage turned a small hill.
, Robb climbed onto the city wall and continued to watch until his sight was blocked by the fog and could no longer be seen.
"Robb, the king wants you to go to the conference room." Arya came to him quietly.
Robb did not agree but asked Arya: "Where were you when you just sent your mother away?"
Arya's face was expressionless, and a thin stabbing sword kept spinning in her hand: "I didn't like the feeling when we were parting, so I kept standing on the wall watching you."
~~~
Never in thousands of years have so many people set foot in the Zeneck area at the same time. When the Northerners heading south walked along the King's Road to the east of the Twins, they met the Western troops heading north.
After hearing that Eddard had died and the Duke of the North was now Robb, William, the acting lord of Casterly Rock, and his wife Rosamund invited Caitlin, Saran and some northern noble families to a gathering in the military tent.
When the crazy Duke James of the West heard that Saran was coming, he shaved off his long beard for the first time in several years, groomed his face and dressed neatly to attend the party.
A simple dinner was held in the military tent. William asked Caitlin beside him about the war in the Gulf of Cailin. Rosamund and Saran sat together and chatted very happily. Not only were they both fair-skinned and beautiful, they were blond.
Beautiful women, even their looks are similar.
James, who was sitting on the main seat, kept looking at Saran. One moment he was smiling and taking a sip of wine, and the next moment he was crying with tears and snot all over his face. The attendant behind him tried to wipe his face with a handkerchief, but James pushed him away.
The nobles of the Western Region were not surprised by his condition except that he shaved his beard.
Saran, whose younger brother has completely forgotten what happened when he was a child, talks and laughs with the young people in the Western Region as the heir of the Farman family on Fairy Island.
When the Bloody Gum in Casterly Rock spread to Winterfell, Saran and Robb took a boat back to Fairy Isle to visit their relatives after giving birth to their child. By the way, they visited Jaime in the name of visiting the Duke of the West. At that time, Jaime's madness was gone.
Now it was serious. He shaved once before the reception banquet. Saran said something about how beautiful he looked at that time, and James kept her words in mind.
The dinner was coming to an end, and not much wine was distributed during the march. The nobles said goodbye one after another and returned to their camps.
William and Rosamund have already known their relationship from various signs. William has legally become the first heir of the Western Territory. Even if James has biological children, the current succession order will be behind William and will not affect the pattern of the Western Territory.
.
Rosamund made a gesture to William, and the two of them first helped Caitlin, who was slightly drunk, back to the camp, leaving Saran and James alone.
"Mi~~Sa~la!" He hadn't spoken for an unknown amount of time, and James's voice was hoarse like a white ghost.
"No, my name is Saran, Saran from the Farman family on Fairy Island!" Saran
After hearing this, James' face instantly turned pale, his hands kept shaking, and the wine glass dropped on the table.
Saran immediately thought that James was not clear-headed at this time and could not understand what she meant, so he immediately explained: "You know our relationship and I know it, James, keep this secret forever in your heart!"
Saran is now the Duchess of the North and the biological mother of Robb, the heir to the North. Robb is about to compete for the position of Commander-in-Chief of the Allied Forces. Even with the acquiescence of Renly and Werther, once his identity is accidentally revealed by Jaime,
, that will also create an irreversible situation.
"Salan! Saran!" James looked up at the empty tent roof with a smile on his face. He remembered the scene when he sent Saran off to get married.
~~~
The two walls of Kalin Bay Fortress are already filled with tents of nobles. Outside the city, the tents of knights and soldiers are roughly gathered together according to color, some are gold, some are red, and more are white and cheap.
A simple wooden watchtower was erected on each mound. The soldiers on duty did not need to detect the enemy's situation. Their only job was to spread the military information from the fortress throughout the endless military camp with horns.
William came to the Fortress of Cailin Bay, and after meeting the king and other nobles, he immediately found his friend Harry Bracken, who had fought alongside him.
"Have you heard? The king is going to choose a commander-in-chief to command the Seven Kingdoms." Harry asked William.
The two wore armor and walked slowly through the corridors of the military camp at night, with the escorting knights walking behind them carrying the flags of their respective families.
"I thought Duke Werther would be the obvious candidate, but he was the first to propose this resolution and the first to withdraw from the race!" William felt very sorry to hear this from the king.
Harry: "Duke Werther is not interested in this. What about you, do you want to compete for this position? If you want, I will persuade the nobles of the Riverlands to support you!"
"Me?" William shook his head.
"You defeated many vampire armies outside the Twins back then. We riverlanders will never forget this sentiment!" Harry said that he wanted to support William. He came to this conclusion after asking many people in private.
"It was just a cavalry detachment with less than 500 people in total. I have never commanded a large-scale war since then. I know my abilities very well." William knew the situation very well. This was a very heavy position that required tremendous pressure.
Harry kept persuading: "Based on Barristan's precedent, we have analyzed that starting from the Kingsguard, none of this batch of candidates has war experience. After that, there are several Dukes, and Werther and Edmure have already
Withdraw from the race, Robb. Apart from his uncle Edmure the Reacher, whom he doesn't know very well, who else can you think of competing with you?"
William is still thinking.
Harry: "The Duke of the Stormlands is a prince, and he was sent back to King's Landing by the king. Denys Arryn has been hiding in the ravine all day, and I don't think anyone will be willing to listen to his command. Stannis must command the navy on the ship, and he
Even if he can give up the Iron Throne, I don't think he will force himself for a false name. Inflatable fish from the south, have you ever heard of him holding a sword?"
William: "You have left out one person, Nymeria of Dorne. She should be the only one among us who leads an army to participate in the war."
"She? That's even more impossible." Harry laughed and waved his hands.
"Why?" William was very surprised, and Harry's tone seemed very certain.
Harry explained: "Dorne's vanguard arrived in Cailin Bay by boat before you. They couldn't adapt to this damn weather in a short period of time. Now they are all sick and lying in bed and can't get up."