Casting spells

I don't know why, the pirates who have always hated each other are united together like never before. Even if they suffer huge losses, they have no intention of retreating or surrendering.

It was precisely because the battle was so fierce that the fleet commander of the Hightower family did not notice at all that the Ironborn fleet had just passed under his nose.

In a few hours at most, that is, at sunset, Victarion will arrive near the Old Town and launch an unprecedented sneak attack.

In this attack, the long-established Hightower family will be uprooted and permanently withdraw from the stage of history, and the school city will be completely destroyed. Except for a very small amount of knowledge and records related to magic, all the rest will be destroyed. was burned.

Of course, the Iron Islands fleet, as a pawn, will be wiped out by a single one afterwards. Outsiders will only know that the Iron Islands ransacked Old Town and killed all members of the Hightower family...

Chapter 199 Wedding

At night, a grand wedding banquet was being held in the Red Castle. Almost all the nobles in King's Landing came to the scene to give gifts and blessings to the newlyweds.

Especially the Tyrell family, who was one of the marriage parties, not only paid all the expenses of the whole process out of their own pockets, but also provided a dowry that made countless people jealous, a fully armed army with more than 3000 people.

Of course, this army is not directly descended from Highgarden, most of them are free riders and mercenaries captured in the Battle of the Blackwater River, and because they abandoned their former employer Stannis Baratheon without much resistance , Loyalty is also very questionable, but no matter what, the army is an army after all, and veterans who have experienced countless wars and killings are always much better than recruits.

What's more, although the war in the Seven Kingdoms has temporarily ended, anyone who is not a fool can feel the turbulent undercurrent hidden under the plain surface.

Leaving aside the secret confrontation between Lannister and Tyrell for power and profit, just Stannis Baratheon, who intends to make a comeback, hangs over the Iron Throne like a cloud of cloud.

Coupled with the ambiguous Donne in the south and the ambitious Bolton family in the north, it can be said that although the Seven Kingdoms have once again been united in name, they have only entered a truce period. Every family that thinks they have the power to compete for supreme power, They are all actively preparing for the war, preparing for the start of the next round of war.

Due to the lack of a powerful and terrifying destructive deterrent like the Targaryen family's dominating dragon, the cost of war has been reduced a lot, and the rebelliousness and ambition in the nobles' bones have also been completely stimulated.

At this time, whoever has more troops will have more political chips.

Staring at the eyes full of various desires in front of the table, Zhang Cheng, the protagonist of the banquet, couldn't help sighing in a low voice: "No wonder some people say that desire is the driving force behind human progress, and it is also the original sin that leads to self-destruction. Look at these poor fellows, they don't know that while they are busy killing each other, a truly terrible enemy is about to cross the Great Wall and bring cold and death to this continent..."

"My lord, what are you mumbling about?" Ai Luo, who was sitting on the chair next to her, blinked her eyes and asked curiously.

As another protagonist of the banquet, she was wearing a white dress with a hollow pattern today. Through the translucent tulle, she could even see the seductive skin underneath.

"Ah, it's nothing, I'm just looking forward to the exciting moment after the banquet." Zhang Cheng smiled and took the girl's hand and kissed the back of her hand.

Ai Luo, who had been taught about men and women by the "Queen of Thorns" for a long time, immediately realized what the so-called "exciting moment" meant, and a flush of redness quickly appeared on her face. She bit her lower lip lightly, showing a shy look. And a little eager.

Just when Zhang Cheng was about to continue flirting with his new wife, Tyrion suddenly came up to him, raised his glass and said in a drunken tone: "Congratulations, dear friend, I wish you a happy life after marriage. At least your A wife will do her duty, and my wife will only make me lose face and be a laughing stock in the eyes of others."

"Hehe, are we friends again?" Zhang Cheng asked meaningfully.

"We've always been friends. Sorry, I apologize for my rudeness last time. You're right, I was never a Lannister, I wasn't, I'm not, I never will be, and what's even more ridiculous is I also look forward to proving myself to my father through grades, what a stupid idea." Tyrion laughed at himself in a sarcastic tone.

Undoubtedly, after another fierce quarrel and conflict, he was completely disappointed with Tywin and the entire family, and the dissatisfaction and resentment in his heart also accumulated to the limit.

Just as Zhang Cheng expected, the little devil in front of him only needs a suitable inducement to do insane things, such as killing his own father.

Although he doesn't know whether this situation is the result of the careful planning of the two conspiracy masters, or some kind of coincidence, but in any case, it is more beneficial for him to die than to live, so he will not easily interfere , but also to fuel the flames.

"I'm glad you can clearly realize this. Tell me, what are you going to do next?" Zhang Cheng tentatively put on a casual look.

"Me? What else can I do? Continue to hang around with the title of Chancellor of the Exchequer bestowed on me by the great father. At least he hasn't taken away my surname, has he?" After finishing speaking, the little devil raised his glass and drank it down. The whole person staggered and joined the ranks of the group of vulgar nobles who were touching the maid.

Looking at his bleak back, Zhang Cheng muttered to himself in a voice only he could hear: "Stop breaking out in silence, and die in silence. Tyrion Lannister, I hope the next time we meet won't be an enemy. Besides, that news should almost reach King's Landing..."

I haven't finished talking yet!

Grand Maester Pycelle rushed in from the door suddenly, and shouted out of breath, "No...it's not good! Your Majesty! Lord Tywin! Lord Mace! A raven brought terrible news! The fleet launched a surprise attack on the old town at sunset yesterday. It captured most of the city in just three hours. At present, the Hightower family is relying on the towering tower and the castle to carry out the final resistance. They hope to get the Iron Throne right away. Rescue."

"What?!" Joffrey stood up abruptly, with an expression of disbelief on his face.

Not only him, every nobleman present had the same reaction. No one wanted to believe that the Ironborn were capable of capturing Old Town, especially the Hightower family commanded a huge fleet that was not inferior to the Iron Islands.

In contrast, Tywin, who has excellent military qualities, is much more stable. After a moment of shock, he immediately asked loudly: "How did the fleet of the Iron Islands pass through the Shield Islands? What about the fleet and army of the Hightower family? Also, who commands the fleet of the Iron Islands?"

Anyone who knows anything about the geography of Westeros knows that if you want to attack Highgarden and Oldtown, you must go through the Shield Islands.

Just like its name, the Shield Islands are like a shield, firmly protecting the coastline of the bay area.

If anyone wants to attack the Reach from the sea, then the Shield Islands must be destroyed and occupied.

But usually before the Shield Islands fell, the Tyrells of Highgarden and the Hightowers of Oldtown would arrive with reinforcements to crush the invaders' plans.

Grand Maester Pycelle undoubtedly understood this, and explained with a wry smile: "My lord, according to the description in the appeal letter, first a group of pirates of unknown origin attacked the Shield Islands, and the Hightower family sent a fleet to fight them. The fleet should have sneaked around at this time. In addition, the letter also mentioned that when the ironborn attacked, a small group of guards guarding the city gate mutinied, and they opened the city gate, causing Two consecutive city walls fell instantly..."

Chapter 200 Active

"You mean, this attack was a planned and organized conspiracy?" Tywin keenly sensed something was wrong, subconsciously frowned.

Anyone who knows a little bit about the residents of the Iron Islands understands that the Ironborn are never good at intrigue, let alone spend time and energy on tricks of betrayal.

They are a group of outright thugs who only like to plunder and kill through naked violence in order to obtain the wealth and women they want.

But now, they have successfully fooled the Hightower family, launched an attack on the oldest and most prosperous port city in Westeros, and succeeded, no matter how you think about it, it is incredible.

To be exact, every thinking noble present could not help but think that there must be a huge conspiracy hidden behind the whole truth.

Suddenly, many people turned their attention to Metz, Duke of Highgarden, and his mother "Queen of Thorns" Olenna.

After all, no matter what, the Tyrell family is the lord of the Reach area. Old Town was attacked. They must stand up to protect their dignity, status and honor, otherwise other lords will no longer obey the Tyrell family. leadership.

For a great aristocrat under the feudal system in the Middle Ages, being questioned and rejected by his vassals is almost the most terrifying situation. It means that when a war breaks out, there is no reinforcements and he can only rely entirely on his own. strength.

Just imagine, to what extent will the power of a great noble who loses the support of his vassals be weakened?

Taking the most affluent River Bend area as an example, if the Tyrell family conducts a thorough and comprehensive mobilization, they can recruit an army with a total number of more than 10, of which their own soldiers are at most about [-].

In other words, the remaining 60.00% are all composed of noble lords, large and small.

Losing the support of these families means losing more than half of its troops. If the risk of rebellion is taken into account, the number of troops that can be mobilized at will will not exceed 1 at most.

It can be said that the occupation of Oldtown by the Iron Islands fleet was not only an unprecedented robbery, but also shook the weak foundation of the Tyrell family's rule in the Reach area.

If they lose their dominance in the Reach, they will no longer be able to compete with Lannister for supreme power. They can only retreat obediently and go back to recuperate and wait for the next opportunity.

As the leader of the Tyrell family, Olenna naturally couldn't tolerate such a result, and immediately said to her son: "Mace! Your Duke of Highgarden! Guardian of the Reach! No matter what the ironmen want to do, You are obliged to drive them out of Oldtown. Take all the soldiers and sail south immediately to rescue the Hightower family before the castle and tower fall, and help them restore their legal rule."

"It's my duty! My lord." Mace put one hand on his chest and bowed, followed by winking at the second son at the banquet, then turned around and was about to walk outside.

Maybe it was because he realized the seriousness of the situation, or maybe he felt that he could take this opportunity to change his image and lose the annoying nickname "inflatable fish". In short, he did not hesitate at all, and really planned to set sail overnight to rescue Old Town.

As for Tai Wen, who flashed a mocking expression on his face, he didn't mean to stop him at all, and was even ready to watch the other party's joke.

Because in his eyes, no matter whether Mace's trip succeeds or fails, the Tyrell family will lose control of the River Bend area, and will no longer be able to compete with him for the power and influence in King's Landing.

Just when "Charging Fish" and "Brave Garland" were about to walk out of the door, Zhang Cheng, who was always wearing a playful smile, stood up suddenly, and shouted at their backs: "Please stay, Duke."

"Huh?" Mace immediately slumped when he heard the words, turned around and said in a forcedly calm tone: "Dear Mason, enjoy your wedding night. Don't worry, I won't let those robbers in the river bend." The area is rampant, and it won't be long before you hear about them being driven away."