The Mountain of Ice and Fire

Chapter 339: Mount Doom Mission: Meeting the Challenge!

Illyria Mooton sat in the carriage, holding her two younger brothers with her left and right hands. To the left of the carriage was her fiancé, Anguy Clegane; to the right was the family knight, Ron Mooton, Sister Evelyn, Scholar Steinbeck, and two hundred fully armed soldiers from Maidenpool behind the carriage.

Ser Gregor Clegane, her foster father, ordered his soldiers to load about five hundred carts with supplies from Maidenpool. Both ox carts and horse carts were requisitioned from the people in Maidenpool and outside the town. In addition, Ser Gregor took hundreds of warhorses from the Maidenpool stables.

Illyria had to entrust the management of Maidenpool to the family steward.

Ser Gregor led the Clegane cavalry at the forefront, with Illyria's carriage and family soldiers between the Clegane cavalry and infantry. The army set off for Harrenhal, hundreds of miles away. Along the way, Ser Gregor ordered that the unharvested crops on the Mooton lands should not be trampled.

It was the harvest season, and the people in every village were busy harvesting their crops. Although some of their carts and ox carts had been requisitioned, they were grateful to Ser Gregor.

The Mooton lands were the territory of Ser Gregor's foster daughter, Illyria, and Ser Gregor ordered his soldiers not to rob the villagers, trample the crops, rape women, or beat the villagers, which earned him the gratitude of the Mooton people.

The only drawback was that because the army could not destroy the crops, nor could they directly trample through the harvested fertile land, the army's marching speed was very slow.

*

Roose Bolton sat in the central military tent, his hands supporting his chin, like a statue. The tent was filled with northern generals. Their carefully prepared battle formation, and the carefully dug large pit in the middle of the formation, were all useless.

Ser Gregor replied that he would come to a decisive battle, but he did not come. Instead, he crossed the Bay of Crabs in the night and captured Maidenpool, the seat of House Mooton.

Maidenpool was wealthy, with a large port and trade. Ser Gregor's attack greatly exceeded Roose Bolton's expectations.

"General, do we have a spy for Ser Gregor among us?" a noble said drunkenly.

Roose Bolton didn't even blink. It seemed like he had even stopped breathing.

"Lord Bolton, Ser Gregor seems to be able to see through our military plans. He doesn't come to a decisive battle at all. What should we do?" Maege Mormont asked gloomily.

Roose Bolton glanced at Maege and continued to look at a certain spot on the table in front of him, his eyes empty.

Lord Flint said lightly, "Lord Robb crossed the Golden Tooth via a small road and entered the Westerlands. He was invincible in the Westerlands, defeating the Westerlands new army at Oxcross and killing the commander, Ser Stafford Lannister (Ser Stafford Lannister's sister, Joanna Lannister, was Tywin Lannister's wife, who had been dead for twenty-six years, and the mother of Jaime, Cersei, and Tyrion.). Edmure also repeatedly repelled Tywin Lannister at the Red Fork, firmly blocking the Westerlands army on the east bank of the Red Fork, preventing them from advancing. But we are facing a Ser Gregor, either fearing battle or being tricked by him. We must change this situation."

"Yes!" a general said, full of frustration, "All the generals who followed Lord Robb have made contributions. Even a guy like Edmure has defeated Tywin Lannister many times at the Red Fork, but we either suffer defeat or run away, or dig pits for ourselves to play with. It will be shameful to return to the North after the war."

"Lord Bolton, we can't just wait here!" another general stood up and said.

The repeatedly frustrated northerners were clearly impatient!

Roose Bolton changed his posture, leaning back in his chair. "My lords, don't you understand? There's a strategist helping Ser Gregor, and he's completely trusting that person because he's blinded by it. We're not fighting Ser Gregor now, but fighting someone we don't understand at all, and it's clear that that person knows our situation like the back of his hand."

"Hmph, an invisible person? A military strategist? Why do I feel like laughing? Lord Bolton, order an advance." Lady Maege suddenly became furious.

"Advancing is easy, but what will we do after crossing the river? Go to attack Harrenhal? Or go west? Tell me," Roose Bolton said softly.

"Attack Harrenhal!" Lady Maege said decisively.

"Can we take Harrenhal? Harrenhal has only been captured once since it was built, by the Targaryen family's dragons. The dragons entered Harrenhal from the sky," Roose Bolton said slowly.

"Then go west and attack Tywin Lannister from two sides."

"Go west? Can our two legs outrun Ser Gregor's cavalry?" Roose Bolton's pale eyes looked at Lady Maege.

"Okay, are you saying we should cut down bamboo poles here to make fishing rods, then move a bench to the banks of the Green Fork, and start fishing?" Lady Maege said angrily.

"Lord Robb is invincible in the Westerlands," Roose Bolton said slowly, "Tywin Lannister is repeatedly defeated at the Red Fork, and there's some Brotherhood Without Banners army constantly intercepting the Westerlands' rear supply troops. How long do you think Ser Gregor can stay in Harrenhal?"

"Lord Bolton, do you mean we should continue to wait here until Ser Gregor is summoned to go west, and then we advance?"

"Yes!"

"What kind of battle is this? Lord Roose, you're less brave than a rabbit!" a general laughed loudly, "What if Tywin doesn't order Ser Gregor to abandon Harrenhal?"

"General Boswell, you can cross the river and advance at any time," Roose Bolton said lightly. He looked around at the generals, indifferent to the dissatisfied expressions on their faces. "Anyone who wants to advance, just cross the river. The river is right there!"

No one answered, and the atmosphere was suffocating.

"We currently only have two options. The first option is to cross the river and lure Ser Gregor to a decisive battle; if he doesn't accept the challenge and closes the gate, we won't be able to take Harrenhal with just a few hundred people defending it. The second option is to wait here for Tywin Lannister's final collapse."

"We're just shrinking here like turtles until the end of the war," Maege snorted contemptuously.

Roose Bolton looked at Maege and said calmly, "Although we haven't achieved any military achievements here, we won't be wiped out due to recklessness. We can't take Ser Gregor, so has Ser Gregor taken us? No, he hasn't. As long as Ser Gregor dares to come, I guarantee to everyone that this battlefield we have carefully laid out will be his death ground."

"Then why not have the army cross the river and set up such a position on the other side?" Maege said, "If Ser Gregor still doesn't come to fight, then push the team forward ten miles and set up a pit trap formation in an open area. As long as we step by step, constantly provoke, Ser Gregor will definitely not be able to hold back. The so-called invisible military strategist beside him can persuade him once, but he can't persuade him the tenth time."

*

King's Landing. Flea Bottom. Littlefinger's brothel.

"Bronn, don't come to my brothel next time," Littlefinger solemnly warned.

Bronn chuckled, glancing at the four red cloaks outside the brothel door. "Lord Baelish is so afraid of the red cloak guards, why did the Imp arrange four guards for you?"

"I naturally have my reasons for doing this," Littlefinger's cunning eyes flashed.

"Oh, let the Imp arrange four guards to monitor you, so that the Imp will think that your every move is in his palm? That way he won't be wary of you anymore?!"

"That's indeed the intention."

"Lord Baelish is brilliant."

"It's a last resort!" Littlefinger sighed, "I hate my father now."

"Oh, why do you say that?"

"He should have trained me in swordsmanship from a young age, so I wouldn't have to worry about any little bastard on the street being able to cut my throat with a knife."

"You don't have to worry now!" Bronn pointed outside the door.

"Using the Queen Mother's personal guards for a long time without paying military salaries is actually not very authentic!"

"Well, Lord Baelish's conscience and kindness have always been what I admire," Bronn's eloquence was first-rate. In his days of making a living in the world by oral skills, he could be eloquent to both nobles and bottom-level gangsters.

"Take out the things," Littlefinger said.

"What things?"

"You wouldn't come to me for no reason. Lord Ser Gregor must have given you orders."

"I'm actually just here to take care of your business, and by the way, give you a message."

"Speak!"

Bronn looked at the beauties coming and going outside the door, his eyes constantly glowing green. They didn't close the door. Littlefinger believed that closing the door would arouse the guards' vigilance, while not closing the door would reassure the guards, and he would also be reassured. Anyway, the guards couldn't hear what they were saying, so that was fine.

"Lord Ser Gregor wants to enter King's Landing. You have to think of a way to get the Imp to invite him into the city in the name of the Hand to be responsible for the battle against the Baratheon family."

Littlefinger was stunned. Ser Gregor's mission was very abrupt and extremely difficult.

Littlefinger immediately went to the wine cabinet, opened the door, took out a bottle of wine and a glass, and first let himself drink a glass of wine to calm his nerves.

"Not giving me a glass of wine?" Bronn shrugged his shoulders.

"Giving you one would make us seem close, in case someone with ulterior motives sees it?"

"Not giving me a drink will also make people with ulterior motives think we're close."

"No, you're wearing makeup, and no one can recognize you as Bronn. Not giving you wine will make people with ulterior motives think you're a low-status comedian or clown, moonboy or something."

"I'm not even worthy of getting wine?"

"I can give you good wine, but I will never drink with you here. The details need to be perfect."

"Okay, then I should go."

"Wait a minute."

Bronn stopped. "Are you going to invite me for a drink?"

"Absolutely not!"

"Then do you have a message for me to bring to Lord Ser Gregor?"

"I can't get the Imp to take the initiative to invite Lord Ser Gregor into the city and be responsible for military affairs. Renly has received the support of the Tyrell family's 100,000 troops, and Stannis has not only hired a large number of mercenaries, but even used pirates. Lord Ser Gregor should avoid this battle. His manpower is only three thousand, which can't stand the toss."

"You still don't understand our lord," Bronn sat down, his tone frivolous, "When our lord was in Clegane, he spent a lot of effort and energy, and it took him more than half a year to get 1,800 soldiers; after entering Harrenhal for a month, he got more than 600 soldiers, all veterans; after the Battle of the Green Fork, he got 1,100 soldiers, all fierce mountain people; now the total strength has exceeded 4,000 people, of which the cavalry is already more than 1,000."

"No, no, no, as far as I know, the lord's cavalry is at most eight hundred people."

"In the last few days, the lord has added two hundred horse archers, and they are all veterans."

"Which town did the lord attack?" Littlefinger's eyebrows turned, and countless names of castles near Harrenhal flew through his mind. "Did the lord attack Maidenpool, hundreds of miles away? The Mooton family's Maidenpool is a piece of fat!"

Bronn answered irrelevantly: "Lord Petyr, you calculate, if Lord Ser Gregor enters King's Landing to command the army and fights a big battle with the Baratheons, will his strength decrease or increase?"

"If the lord is defeated, then there will be no soldiers left, and even he himself will have concerns about his life."

"If the lord doesn't have the certainty of victory, do you think he would let you think of a way to let him enter the city in advance?"

Littlefinger was silent.

Bronn stood up and left without greeting Littlefinger.

"Wait a minute!"

"Have a message?" Bronn looked back at Littlefinger.

"Lord Ser Gregor's problem is very tricky. If he himself writes to the king, he will have a greater chance of entering the city."

"He wants you to think of a way to get the king to order him to enter the city before he will come. He said you will think of a good way, you are a smart bad guy, and you will definitely think of a good way."

"The king and the Queen Mother are fine, but the Imp is not easy to fool. Now the Imp is the Hand, handling all the kingdom's affairs, and that guy has always been prejudiced against me."

It was clearly him who framed the Imp and almost killed the Imp! But Littlefinger believed that the Imp was prejudiced against him and was unfair to him in many things, targeting him.

"Yes, the lord also said this, the Imp is not easy to fool. The lord wants me to remind you, think about what the Imp lacks most and wants most."

"If he fools the Imp, Tywin Lannister will also be a problem. What if the Imp sends a raven letter to Tywin Lannister? I heard that Tywin Lannister was defeated by Edmure at the Red Fork, and Robb attacked the Westerlands, capturing cities and lands, with great and small battles, and was invincible. Even Stafford Lannister has been beheaded by him, and the Westerlands is already in chaos, with many people fleeing into the Reach and King's Landing."

"Lord Petyr, you know the situation, and Lord Ser Gregor must know it very well. I won't say much, but I will remind you that if Lord Ser Gregor enters the city as he wishes, wins a great victory, stabilizes the situation, and helps the Lannisters defend the Red Keep, do you think Tywin Lannister will think there is anything wrong with it? He will only reward the Imp's wisdom and the meritorious Lord Ser Gregor."

It must be said that it is a real waste of talent for Bronn not to do intelligence work and diplomatic忽悠work.

Littlefinger and the Imp are both people who are not easy to fool, but every word of Bronn's is on point, saying that Littlefinger can't refute it.

The task is issued, Littlefinger, will you do it or not?

Of course, you have to do it!

Ser Gregor's mission, unless Ser Gregor himself takes it back.

"So, what does the Imp currently lack most, and what does he want most?" Littlefinger savored Bronn's reminder. He knew that these were Ser Gregor's words, and Bronn was just repeating them.

"Lord Ser Gregor told me to tell you that if you find it difficult, then the Imp has two problems, one is food, and the other is the city's security."

"I have already solved the food problem, and the Hound has also solved the security problem."

There are two more sentences in the Lord's letter that I didn't tell you. The first is: 'If there are difficulties, you must face them; if there are no difficulties, create difficulties and face them.' This is called 'meeting difficulties head-on'.

Little Finger was a man of what caliber? He immediately understood what to do. With this kind of schemer, you can't even give a hint; one hint and they immediately understand everything.

"What's the second sentence?" Little Finger's opinion of Demon Mountain was becoming more and more... from forced submission to astonished admiration. He vaguely felt that Demon Mountain's brain seemed to be as developed as his muscles.

"Please refer to the first sentence."

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