The Mountain of Ice and Fire

Two gold dragons?

Absolutely true!

Moving a log from the city gate to the main castle gate earned a reward of two gold dragons.

No one would believe such a good thing could happen in the world.

But before everyone's eyes, it was absolutely true.

Even Bull was a little stunned.

After a moment of surprise, Earl Damon burst into laughter.

He enjoyed watching the Mountain's actions, no matter how unreasonable.

Earl Gavin and Earl Leo also didn't expect the Mountain to add another gold dragon to the reward.

For these commoners, there was absolutely no need for such a display.

Jenny also didn't expect it, and the soldiers and knights, including Reynard, were a little incredulous.

One gold dragon was enough for three sergeants' monthly pay. Sergeants weren't ordinary soldiers; to qualify as a captain or centurion in the ranks, one had to be a sergeant first.

The Westerling family's soldiers' pay couldn't compare to the Mountain's Kingsguard, they were simply on different levels.

Two gold dragons were a huge sum of money for any commoner, equivalent to sixty silver stags, requiring a medium-sized money bag to hold.

People watched the gold coin roll on the ground, and whoever's feet it rolled to would instinctively step aside.

Finally, the coin fell over, leaving a large circle of empty space around it.

Reynard said, "Girl, Ser Gregor praises your courage and boldness. The Ser is personally rewarding you with a gold dragon in his own name. Pick it up, both gold dragons are yours now."

Bull glanced at Bernie, whose eyes glowed with a cat-like green light, signaling Bull to quickly pick up the gold coins.

Gold coins, two of them! Oh no, gold dragons. The front had King Robert's head, and the back had the Targaryen family's sigil: a three-headed dragon.

Bull picked up the two gold dragons.

The Mountain clapped his hands twice, so that all the commoners would look at him. Bull also looked up at him, this super-giant, who Bernie said was a demon from hell, who would rape and kill her over and over? Bull didn't believe Bernie's words. Bernie wanted her to go with him, but it was just a scare tactic.

The Mountain said, "Now, in the name of House Westerling, in the name of House Clegane, in the name of the Old Gods and the New, in the name of the Seven Gods of the South, I issue new decrees to all citizens. The first decree is the conscription order."

The whole place was silent, so quiet that it seemed everyone had stopped breathing.

Finally, it was here. The conscription order was the most rumored. Now it was confirmed. The rumors were true, Westerling really did let his son-in-law, the Mountain, come here to conscript soldiers to die for him; after the conscription order would come taxation. Whoever's man went to be a soldier, that family would have to pay money and grain, and the taxes would be increased.

This was really fucking bullshit!

Earl Damon laughed out loud with a 'ha' sound, which was very impolite and unbecoming of a nobleman. But Earl Damon didn't care.

The Mountain was not affected by Earl Damon. In his eyes, Earl Damon was just trash. Most nobles in this era were trash.

Compared to Earl Damon, the Mountain, who was several levels of civilization higher, was like an elephant, and an elephant would not argue with rabbits and foxes about height!

The Mountain was calm and composed, and said, "The conscription order adopts the principle of voluntary participation, and there will be no forced conscription. Please rest assured."

Thousands of citizens looked at each other.

Voluntary to be a soldier? This had never been heard of before. When nobles wanted to conscript soldiers, it was just a matter of a word. The citizens in the territory, no matter who they were, had to obey completely and unconditionally.

Earl Gavin, Earl Damon, Earl Leo and others were all stunned. Jenny was also very surprised, looking at the Mountain in astonishment and suspicion.

Voluntary to be a soldier?

Who would want to?

No one wanted to!

This was compulsory service, not professional soldiers. Their status was low, they had to provide their own weapons and armor, and they wouldn't even be buried if they died. If they won the battle, they would be disbanded and go home to continue farming. If they wanted to get rich in battle, they had to kill and rob, otherwise, they couldn't get rich, but they could lose their lives at any time.

The citizens had all heard the rumors that the Mountain was here to conscript them to be mercenaries to make money.

Mercenaries were very risky, facing ruthless gangs, pirates, hooligan groups and other ruthless people.

The Mountain scanned the citizens many times, and slowly said, "All those who come to be soldiers are professional soldiers. Benefit one, one person becomes a soldier, the whole family is exempt from half of the taxes; two people become soldiers, the whole family is exempt from all taxes. The Earl's land will be given to the soldier's family to plant this year, tax-free."

Earl Gavin's head exploded with a bang. He looked at the Mountain and found that the Mountain's face was shaking and he couldn't see clearly. Earl Gavin couldn't hear what the Mountain was saying at all. He quickly reached out to hold the railing to steady himself.

Lady Sybil, who heard this in the hall, was immediately stunned. Her face was full of disbelief, and she suspected that she had heard it wrong.

Earl Gavin and Earl Leo both suspected that they had heard it wrong. What joke was the Mountain playing? Had this guy's brain broken!

Except for the Mountain himself, everyone thought they had heard it wrong, including the thousands of citizens.

Two people become soldiers, the whole family is exempt from taxes. And it wasn't that damn compulsory service, but professional soldiers.

Professional soldiers were the best job that most citizens were willing to do in peacetime - because they didn't have to spend money on food, clothing, housing and transportation, and they also had a good monthly salary to give to their families. Moreover, they had status and honor. Being a professional soldier in the Earl's family made their families superior and respected in the village.

The Mountain looked at the thousands of people in the audience and said in a deep voice, "The new decree that I, the Mountain, issued on behalf of House Westerling is issued in the name of House Westerling and House Clegane, as well as the Old Gods and the New, so every word of the new decree I said is true."

A warm wind blew through the square. The weather in June was very comfortable. July would be so hot that people couldn't stand it. Milk spoilage and the growth of deadly bacteria started in July, often sweeping the country and even causing plagues.

It's just that these people didn't know that it was caused by milk not being scientifically disinfected. They thought it was the punishment of the Stranger among the Seven Gods.

Lady Sybil was the first to wake up from the shock. She immediately rushed out of the hall to the Mountain's side to stop him from talking nonsense. However, the crazy knight behind the Mountain suddenly stood up, walked into the hall, with a twitching, neurotic smile on his face, his eyes staring at her like hooks.

Lady Sybil immediately stopped, and a feeling of anger - fear - rose in her heart.

"In the second year, the tax will be calculated based on the harvest of the first year. If someone in the family is a soldier, you will only be charged 20% of the total grain harvest of your family as tax," the Mountain continued.

Twenty percent?

Nobles collect 30% to 50% of the grain tax from their citizens. Especially fertile land, with good harvests, would have 50% of the grain collected as tax. The nobles and the citizens would split it half and half.

A tax of 20% of the total harvest was very, very low.

The Mountain must be crazy.

However, he wouldn't be the Mountain if he wasn't crazy!

Earl Damon understood this and smiled slightly, but he was ecstatic in his heart.

Without him taking revenge, House Westerling and House Clegane would soon be ruined by the Mountain himself.

You must know that this is not wartime, and the Mountain can issue and modify it today.

In wartime, there would be emergency grain requisition orders, nationwide in the Westerlands, issued by Duke Tywin, and local nobles would have some discretion. The 20% tax issued by the Mountain was naturally only for peacetime, and there was no war now. In wartime, 50% to 80% of the citizens' total grain harvest would be turned over to the army.

The Mountain wanted to abolish the decree he had just issued, unless he had the excuse of war. But now it was peacetime, there was no war at all, hahaha, hahahaha!

Earl Damon felt extremely happy.

Except for a few people, most people felt extremely happy. In the large school field below the main castle, thousands of citizens felt even happier.

The Mountain was here to bring good news to everyone on behalf of House Westerling, not disaster!

But it wasn't over yet!

When Earl Gavin was unable to breathe and was about to suffocate, the Mountain announced another decree that collapsed Earl Gavin and Jenny: "Citizens, if milk disease breaks out this year, and all the milk has to be poured into the ditch, don't pour it. Casterly Rock will purchase it at one-third of the normal price, giving priority to the milk of the soldiers' families; then purchase the milk of other citizens' families at one-quarter of the price. House Westerling will be committed to ensuring the livelihood of its citizens. If the citizens in the territory suffer losses, Casterly Rock and Clegane's Keep will bear it together."

This decree was too crazy. Once the hot July milk disease made the milk undrinkable, all the milk squeezed from the dairy cows raised by House Westerling itself would have to be poured out!