The Mountain of Ice and Fire

Earl Geord led five thousand warriors and lined up outside the camp. He ordered the Drowned Man Emond to blow the horn, notifying the Cregan people to come and accept the surrender. The horn sounded, and the sound of horseshoes thundered from the front and rear of the camp.

In front, the heavy cavalry, led by General Jeco Locke, was arranged in a square formation, heading towards the camp.

Behind, Julie Cregan and Anguy Cregan led six hundred horse archers, coming from the direction of Cregan Village.

咻!

An arrow flew and shot off the rope on the flag, and the golden kraken flag of Euron fell down.

The Iron Islands generals all changed color.

The divine archer Anguy, with only fifty riders, had defeated Euron's vanguard. This feat shocked the newly surrendered Ironborn.

Because this arrow traveled a very long distance!

Anguy's divine archery had become famous during the Hand's Tourney two years ago, and after more than two years of war, his name was even more resounding.

General Jeco Locke and Jois Foaker led their troops, and after a while, Anguy and Julie led their cavalry.

General Jeco accepted the military command handed over by Earl Geord. He ordered Julie Cregan and Anguy to lead the horse archers on the left flank, and he and Jois led the heavy cavalry and elite cavalry on the right flank. Earl Geord's Ironborn legion was in the center, and the army marched towards Cregan Village.

Midway through the march, a flag appeared on the hill in front—a proud peacock with its tail spread on a cheese-colored background. That was the flag of House Sharlot of Silverhall. In front was a small team of Sharlot family cavalry clearing the way, and behind were ragged, bloodstained, empty-handed Ironborn prisoners whose weapons had been confiscated, hanging their heads in dejection. Behind the prisoner队伍 was Lady Sharlot's main infantry force, mainly Cregan infantry.

The Sharlot family's remaining infantry was not much. Lady Sharlot mobilized all the militia, and with the support of a thousand Cregan infantry, formed a legion ambushed near the Gold Road, ambushing three thousand of Euron's legion going to King's Landing. The ambush was very successful, killing a thousand enemies, capturing a thousand enemies, and a thousand enemies escaped.

The fleeing enemies abandoned their armor and fled in panic, just like General Mallen's legion on the Coastal Road. Once ambushed, they lost all morale. All the soldiers were terrified and fled first!

Lady Sharlot's legion and General Jeco's legion joined together. The Ironborn, whether prisoners or surrendered soldiers, all lost face, while the Cregan soldiers and Sharlot soldiers were overjoyed. Everyone happily talked about the ambush on the Gold Road last night. The surrendered Geord soldiers finally believed that all the legions that had retreated last night had encountered precise ambushes by the Westerlanders, and all had suffered a crushing defeat.

The nobles of Great Wyk looked at each other. They finally believed what Earl Geord had said: Euron had suffered the greatest defeat this time, but they didn't know if Euron himself had escaped.

Earl Geord's choice to submit to the Mountain seems to be the only correct choice!

The Ironborn have been conquered more than once or twice. Their history is in a cycle of being conquered, rebelling again, and then being conquered again and rebelling again. It is not unfamiliar for the Ironborn to kneel and submit when they see the situation is not good. Their ancestors also came this way. It's just that after each period of submission, the Ironborn, who have recovered their vitality, will stir again in their hearts.

This is a restless nation that always wants to be king and lose battle after battle!

The soldiers on Great Wyk who were worried about Euron's revenge breathed a sigh of relief. The more miserable Euron's defeat, the safer they would be in the future, and they would not have to worry about Euron's crazy revenge. If Euron died in the chaos, then they would have no worries.

From the Westerlanders' noisy conversations, they learned that Lady Jeyne had commanded this ambush. The Ironborn were all frightened. Was the Mountain's wife so resourceful and divinely assisted in battle?

After General Jeco and Lady Sharlot joined forces, the legion became larger, and the march of more than ten thousand people became slower.

The more people there are in a team, the slower the march will be! With prisoners and the Westerland army that fought at night marching together, the speed was even slower.

During the march, in the distance, a group of people emerged from the forest on their right rear. A flag fluttered in the wind. The pattern on the flag was—a golden pile on a sky blue background, with a sun hanging in the sky. This was the coat of arms of House Lefford of the Golden Tooth.

Eamon Lefford, the young lord of the Golden Tooth, under the command of Lady Jeyne, led the Westerland army and ambushed near the River Road, cutting off the Ironborn's escape route through the River Road.

They captured more than a thousand Ironborn and killed more than two thousand soldiers. More Ironborn scattered and fled. The strength of the Golden Tooth was strong, and the nobles of the eastern Westerlands obeyed Ser Eamon Lefford.

In the east, Earl Odd's ambush was also a great victory. They captured more than a thousand soldiers and killed nearly two thousand soldiers. Mallen Vymark led more than a thousand soldiers and escaped into the deeper primeval forest.

In the northeast, Lady Farman and Ser Follard Prester of Feastfires led the Westerland army, including the Lannister soldiers of Casterly Rock, and ambushed on the Ring Road north of Casterly Rock. They cut off the Ironborn's attempt to escape to the sea through the eastern fishing village. At dawn, they ambushed a legion of five thousand people. They won more with less. The Ironborn were already frightened birds, and they scattered and fled as soon as they heard shouts. Lady Farman and Ser Follard led their troops to cover up and kill, and won a great victory, beheading more than a thousand and surrendering nearly a thousand. Countless Ironborn fell and were injured.

Lady Farman and Ser Follard escorted nearly a thousand prisoners to Lannisport to meet with the Mountain, so when the generals on the other sides returned to Cregan Village in triumph, only Lady Farman's army was missing.

The powerful and invincible Euron's army suffered an incredible defeat in the Westerlands.

There are still many shortcomings for naval soldiers to fight on land with the army. The biggest shortcoming is that they don't have true cavalry. The widest territory for pirates to fight is the melee on the deck of warships, deciding the winner by personal bravery; while land warfare emphasizes team formation.

Heavy cavalry against naval warriors who don't wear iron armor and have disorganized formations is a one-sided massacre!

*

King's Landing, Tower of the Hand. Study.

Hand of the King Kevan looked at the raven letter in his hand and couldn't make a sound, his face turning blue and white.

Euron suffered a crushing defeat!

The letter came from Lannisport and was sent by the Drowned Man High Priest Baelon before his suicide. Baelon was a blind High Priest, but his assistants were not. The loyal Drowned Men disciples wrote letters and released all the ravens.

After Baelon committed suicide, all the Drowned Men warriors around him chose to follow. Their only regret was that they did not die in the sea.

The best place for Drowned Men to return is the sea!

Kevan sat in the study for a long time, motionless. The maids stood outside the door, not daring to disturb him. The food in the restaurant had cooled down, and the chef took it into the kitchen and steamed it in a pot.

Knock, knock, knock!

There was a knock on the door. Kevan's deep voice: "What's the matter?"

"Lord Hand, there is a raven letter."

"Bring it in."

The maester came in, holding a roll of parchment in his hand. There was no wax seal on the parchment.

Kevan took the letter, and the maester bowed slightly and exited.

Kevan unfolded the letter. It was a letter from Euron. He had broken through and was on his way to King's Landing.

This letter was written in a scrawled manner and had no wax seal. These details revealed many ominous details, at least indicating that Euron had lost his composure.

Euron's fleet was so powerful that it could rival the Iron Kings of the Old Ways. Kevan had thought that the Mountain was doomed this time...

He and Euron were secretly allied, and Earl Odd knew the inside story, but no one else knew. However, when Martyn was beheaded and sacrificed to the flag by Earl Odd, Kevan knew that the Mountain understood his plan.

Why was the Mountain able to understand his secret?

Maybe Earl Odd revealed it, maybe the Mountain became the second Bloodraven, a skinchanger who had not revealed his abilities, maybe Jeyne Westerling learned some mysterious secrets from the witch, whose prophetic abilities were once valued by Duke Tywin. The Duke's failure to massacre Cregan Village and the leakage of news leading to the Mountain's rebellion was precisely because the witch had 'foresight'.

Regardless of how the Mountain knew about Kevan's conspiracy, Kevan knew that the next person the Mountain would deal with would definitely be him.

Compared to his brother Tywin, Kevan was inferior to Tywin in many ways. Kevan could not compare with Duke Tywin in his control of the Westerlands and the loyalty of the army. The Mountain's strength was now stronger than before, and the Lannister's strength was weaker than before. In contrast, Kevan felt uneasy in his heart.

How to deal with the Mountain?

Kevan felt the crisis was coming.

Kill Euron to please the Mountain? Gather the strength of the Crownlands, Stormlands, and Reach to deal with the Mountain?

Kevan felt a burst of pain in his head!

Euron said in the letter that the Ironborn's most powerful fleet was intact, attacking the Reach, looting countless grains, and weakening the strength of the Reachmen. The Iron Islands still had strong strength and were ready to be dispatched by Hand Kevan at any time.

Euron hoped to go to war with the Mountain again, and he needed the help of Lord Kevan. Euron clearly stated that his navy was no match for the Cregan people on land. But if he could fight the Mountain at sea, Euron guaranteed to annihilate the Mountain's army.

Kevan closed his eyes and imagined himself as his brother Tywin. If Tywin were sitting here, what would he do?

Tywin would definitely find a way to kill the Mountain, spare no effort.

Kevan needed an army, needed allies, needed hostages!

He thought of the two people the Mountain had left in King's Landing: Master of Whisperers Ser Berne Cregan; Master of Ships Waggener Gower.

Kevan thought of a person who could face the Mountain head-on on land: Randyll Tarly!

He needed the help of House Tyrell of the Reach, and the two sides needed to become true allies.

Kevan decided to do two things. The first thing was to order Euron to stop attacking House Tyrell. The Ironborn's most powerful Iron Fleet must immediately withdraw from the Reach; second, to let King Tommen marry Margaery as soon as possible.

Marriage, the most stable alliance between nobles.

Kevan opened his eyes, his eyes calm, faintly resembling Duke Tywin.

"Come here!" Kevan shouted.

The maid came in, bowing and looking at her toes.

"Give me hot water to wash my face, and tell the chef to bring the food to the table."

"Yes, Lord Hand." The maid bowed and retreated.

Kevan stood up and realized that his legs were already sore and numb. He looked outside the narrow window and found that it was already afternoon. He had been sitting in the study, unknowingly from morning to afternoon.

He stood up, propped his hands on the table, and only after the numbness in his legs subsided did he feel hungry.

"Come here!"

The captain of the guard pushed the door open and came in: "Lord Hand..."

"Go and invite Duke Tyrell to the Tower of the Hand. I have something to discuss with him."

"Yes, my lord."

"Send scouts to the Gold Road to announce that Euron Greyjoy, the independent King of the Iron Islands, has come to surrender and submit to King Tommen, and secretly bring him to the Tower of the Hand, being careful not to let Berne's little birds see him."

"Yes, my lord."

*

The Reach, the city of House Tyrell—Highgarden.

Inside Highgarden's three walls, there were soldiers in shining armor everywhere, white walls, pointed towers, the ancient weirwood tree in the main castle courtyard, and blooming flowers and green grass everywhere. Outside the city, the Mander River flowed.

It was this great river that runs through the Reach that has recently brought unrest to the Reach. The Iron Islands' most powerful Iron Fleet occupied the Shield Islands at the mouth of the Mander River, defeated the small fleet at the mouth of the river, advanced eastward along the Mander River, and looted wantonly on both sides of the river.

The mad Ironborn fleet had threatened Highgarden.

Highgarden was on the edge of the Mander River. A few days ago, the Iron Fleet's scout ships came to the outside of Highgarden, and the golden kraken flag fluttered in the wind.

Acting Lord Willas Tyrell issued an order, and the nobles of the Reach came to Highgarden with their men and horses and stationed in the city. The Ironborn were very cunning, not attacking Highgarden, but looting small villages along the river and harassing small nobles. They lived on the ships at night, and returned to the ships in time after looting. Willas gathered the fleets up and down the Mander River, but was defeated miserably by Victarion.

On the river, the Reachmen were no match for Victarion.

Willas held a small meeting with the Highgarden Steward, Highgarden Master-at-Arms, and Captain of the Guard. They decided to ask for help from House Redwyne of the Arbor and let House Redwyne send a fleet to intercept the Iron Fleet.

House Redwyne's fleet was very powerful and had always been no less powerful than the Ironborn.

Before sending the raven, Willas Tyrell decided to see someone first: Dowager Queen Cersei Lannister.

Cersei inspected the south, meeting with the nobles of various places along the way, eating, comforting, and listening to the petitions of the people. This southern tour increased Cersei's affinity and made the people feel that the Dowager Queen was approachable and not as unattainable as rumored.

Cersei's southern tour did effectively enhance the glory of House Tyrell, improved her image, and the Dowager Queen's importance to House Tyrell made the people more loyal to House Tyrell, and the vassals also felt more dignified.

Cersei originally wanted to return early, but because the Iron Fleet suddenly appeared on the Mander River, beating the Reachmen without a fight, Cersei decided to stay a few more days to see how Willas Tyrell would repel the enemy.

Although the Ironborn had won a great victory, they were mostly on the sea and in the rivers. The main force of the Iron Fleet did not dare to go ashore rashly and fight a major battle with the Reach's main land army, and the Reach's army had also been assembled, and tens of thousands of elite soldiers were concentrated in Highgarden, preparing to give the Iron Fleet a fatal blow.

Cersei stood at the highest tower of the main castle, overlooking Highgarden. It was an unbelievably beautiful city, filled with the fragrance of flowers. From the walls, the fields stretched out like an endless green carpet, adorned with dazzling clusters of flowers, a sight of breathtaking beauty.

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