The Mountain of Ice and Fire

The atmosphere in the study was oppressive, like an iron plate pressing down on one's chest!

Loras Tyrell was much more mature than the flowery youth of two years ago, and he didn't suggest I lead the vanguard with valor: "Lord Hand, the Mountain is fierce and cannot be fought head-on. We can only feign agreement to his demands, lure him into the city to talk, and then ambush him with knights."

Kevan Lannister was expressionless, his face cold and hard: "The Mountain won't enter the city alone, Ser Loras."

"A guard squad can't save the Mountain."

"Nor will it be just a guard squad."

"If it's not just a guard squad entering the city, we have a reason to refuse him entry."

"Then how should we defend ourselves?"

Although the nonsense was useless, it eased the heavy atmosphere in the study.

The person Kevan really wanted to ask wasn't Loras, but Qyburn.

He was convinced that Qyburn was the Mountain's man!

From Qyburn's words and actions, he could deduce some useful information about the Mountain.

"Grand Maester, your previous suggestion was wrong. If we hadn't killed Euron's men, we would now have a force to resist the Mountain."

All eyes turned to Qyburn, and Mace Tyrell's gaze was full of reproach.

Qyburn coughed softly: "My lords, leaving Euron's men alive would only further enrage the Mountain. Lord Tyrell, if Randyll Tarly hadn't confronted the Mountain head-on, the battle wouldn't have happened. Ser Harys Haigh said that the Mountain warned Lord Randyll Tarly at least four times along the way, and Randyll's order to cut down the Mountain's banner inevitably angered him."

"Are you excusing the crimes committed by the Mountain?" Mace said sharply.

"Not excusing!" Qyburn said slowly, with his usual amiable smile on his face. "Lord Mace, if we want to deal with the Mountain, we need to understand his character."

"What kind of person is the Mountain?" Kevan asked hoarsely. He knew Qyburn's key information was coming. Any further suggestions from Qyburn about the Mountain needed to be considered in reverse.

Qyburn said: "My lords, everyone thinks the Mountain is a savage, bloodthirsty, fierce, cruel, ruthless, and tyrannical villain, but many people are unwilling to consider a question: why are so many fanatics and villains willing to follow him and work for him?"

Everyone looked at Qyburn with complex expressions, and they all disagreed in their hearts.

"I know you all think my view of the Mountain is ridiculous, but I still want to say, the Mountain is actually a reasonable person!"

Kevan, Mace, Bronn, Loras, and Harys all looked at Qyburn, no one spoke, and the study was filled with heavy breathing.

The Mountain is a reasonable person?!

For decades in the Seven Kingdoms, this was the first time someone had evaluated the Mountain like this. The Mountain—the Seven Kingdoms' worst villain, the universally recognized Seven Kingdoms' worst villain—when did he become a reasonable person?!

"Qyburn, since you think the Mountain is a reasonable person, then how do we repel the enemy?" Kevan said coldly.

"Reason with him!" Qyburn said as a matter of course.

To deal with hooligans, of course, you have to use hooligan tactics. To deal with reasonable people, of course, you have to really reason with them!

You can spray, spray as much as you want, until you are convinced!—I, the Mountain, only convince people with reason!

"The Mountain won't reason!" Mace said sarcastically.

"The Mountain may disdain to reason with us, but there is one person whose words he has to listen to."

"Who?" Mace sneered.

"King Tommen Baratheon the First."

As soon as these words came out, Kevan's heart stirred. He was very wary of Qyburn, but like last time, Qyburn's words made him feel that it was the best strategy.

One of the Mountain's slogans for attacking King's Landing: forever loyal to Tommen Baratheon the First.

As for the Mountain's other slogan, Kevan chose to ignore it.

"The Mountain won't listen to King Tommen; the only one who can restrain the Mountain is Cersei," Mace said, as if deliberately opposing Qyburn.

"Lord Duke is right, but Tommen can buy time before the Mountain attacks the city. If Tommen I goes to the city wall to defend the city, who dares to attack the city? The Mountain would absolutely not dare to attack the city, and the Mountain, who dares not attack the city, would be left with only one choice—negotiation."

Kevan was moved by Qyburn's words, but Qyburn was the Mountain's man, and Qyburn would not do anything that would benefit Kevan.

But Kevan suddenly realized: he actually had a hard time choosing.

Why did Qyburn's suggestions always seem to be the best?

In King's Landing, without the main force of Randyll Tarly defending it, it would be difficult to stop the Mountain. The Mountain also had many roots in King's Landing. Varys's little birds, Velaryon's naval warriors—these were just the obvious forces. Secretly, he didn't know how many King's Landing nobles were close to the Mountain.

The Mountain killed Stannis in the Battle of the Blackwater, offending the Stormlands' noble forces, but winning the hearts of the Crownlands' nobles.

King's Landing was in the Crownlands!

"King Tommen cannot take risks," Lord Mace said decisively. "In the chaos of battle, there will inevitably be stray arrows!"

"We will protect His Majesty the King," Kevan said. He decided to let King Tommen stand on the city wall with him. In this way, the Mountain's opposition to him would be opposition to the King, and his name would not be right nor his words proper...

The King and the Hand personally guarding the city would ignite the morale of the entire city's soldiers, but there was one thing: King Tommen and Queen Margaery were preparing to go to the Kingswood to welcome Cersei. If Queen Margaery and the Tyrell family opposed it...

Calculating the time, it would take at least fifteen days for the Mountain's main force to reach King's Landing. The Mountain couldn't take King's Landing with just a thousand riders.

As long as King Tommen came forward, he could stop the Mountain, delay the time, and send a raven to Cersei to rush to King's Landing as soon as possible, which could avert a disaster in King's Landing.

Kevan had no confidence in Cersei's reaction, but he had confidence in Jaime Lannister. Jaime usually took things as they came and had no ambitions, but he would go all out when a crisis came.

However, could there be another trap in Qyburn's proposal?

Kevan decided that after this crisis passed, he must find an excuse to eliminate Qyburn. This person had extremely strategic intelligence and was loyal to the Mountain. He must not be left alive.

*

The Kingswood.

Cersei's palanquin moved slowly, inside were Cersei and her daughter Princess Myrcella Baratheon, as well as Osha Meadowsweet, who looked exactly like the princess.

Four Kingsguard knights guarded the left and right, and the four Kingsguard knights were Jaime Lannister, Ser Arys Oakheart, Balon Swann, and Osmund Kettleblack.

Behind the palanquin, three hundred-man cavalry squads brought up the rear.

In front, three hundred-man cavalry squads cleared the way.

Cersei's entourage numbered over a thousand people, five hundred red-cloaked guards, and the remaining five hundred were made up of court maesters, grooms, cooks, maids, wandering singers, and others.

The leading general clearing the way was a swarthy and sturdy knight: Bronn of the Blackwater. Beside him was a weathered young soldier: Podrick Payne, formerly Tyrion's personal attendant.

Bronn's expression was calm and his eyes were sharp; Podrick was honest and his expression was dull.

A raven fluttered its wings and flew over, landing on the shoulder of the grand maester of the Queen Mother's entourage. The court maester did not dare to neglect it and hurried forward with the letter to see the Queen Mother's supervisor: Oswell Kettleblack.

"Your Grace, a letter from King's Landing!" Accompanied by Jaime, Oswell reported to Queen Mother Cersei.

Cersei did not lift the curtain, and her voice came out: "Give it to Ser Jaime!"

"As you command, Your Grace."

The supervisor handed the letter to Jaime.

Jaime crushed the wax seal, unfolded the letter, and his expression changed slightly.

Arys Oakheart noticed Jaime's strangeness: "Ser, what happened?"

"The Mountain killed Randyll Tarly," Jaime's breathing became rapid. "Randyll's cavalry was completely wiped out."

"The Mountain is attacking the city?" Arys said in surprise.

Judging from the time he received the news, this was too fast.

"Two days' ride from King's Landing, the Mountain intercepted Randyll's cavalry returning to King's Landing to defend it. The two sides fought, and the Mountain slaughtered Randyll's cavalry."

"How many against how many?"

"One thousand against three thousand."

Arys was speechless!

Randyll's cavalry were all veterans, and the Mountain's army had only been established for more than two years. Cavalry was even more difficult to train in a short period of time.

The Mountain's cavalry was so powerful?!

Randyll's cavalry, the elite force of the Reach, was as old as the Tyrell family.

And Randyll was even more of a famous general in the Seven Kingdoms. During the War of the Usurper, he was the only general who defeated the combined forces of Robert, Eddard, and Arryn.

Arys couldn't believe that the Mountain dared to kill Randyll Tarly.

*

The team continued to move forward, and Jaime lifted the curtain of Cersei's palanquin: "Your Grace, the Mountain ambushed General Randyll Tarly's cavalry two days' ride from King's Landing. Lord Randyll and his heir Ser Dickon were both killed."

Jaime's voice was low and his expression was solemn!

Cersei opened her mouth wide and couldn't close it.

Myrcella and Rosamund, the two little beauties, were equally surprised.

The Mountain and Randyll were both famous names in the Seven Kingdoms. One was the Seven Kingdoms' worst villain, and the other was a famous general in the Seven Kingdoms. Both noble women had received a good education since childhood and knew the famous people and nobles of the Seven Kingdoms like the back of their hands.

Cersei was not too touched by Randyll's death. She couldn't believe that both sides were marching so fast and that the Mountain could detour in front of Randyll to intercept and ambush him.

"The Mountain killed Randyll? Why?" Cersei couldn't figure it out.

"Randyll was returning to King's Landing to defend it," Jaime said succinctly.

Cersei choked!

Randyll was killed by the Mountain on his way back to defend it?

Was the Mountain declaring war on Kevan and Tyrell?

"The Mountain is unwilling to reconcile. What should we do?"

"Your Grace, the Kingsguard should rush to the rescue when the royal family is in trouble. I implore Your Grace to allow me to lead my men to King's Landing overnight."

"Can you stop the Mountain?" Cersei said with a resentful tone. She didn't like Jaime leaving her. With Jaime here, her heart was very at ease, and she had a very fulfilling sleep at night.

"Your Grace, I need to talk to the Mountain."

"Are you confident?"

"I have known the Mountain for more than thirty years, Your Grace." Jaime didn't say he was confident. He hadn't seen the Mountain for a long time and could only try his best to stop the Mountain. He couldn't promise any results.

*

The Vale. The Vale of Arryn. The Eyrie.

In the Moon Door Hall of the Eyrie, the Vale nobles crowded below the high throne.

Petyr Baelish sat next to Lysa Tully, and his self-designed mockingbird coat of arms glittered, made of pure gold.

Petyr wore a well-fitting dress, and the dress tailored to fit the lines of his body made him look very elegant. He maintained a noble false smile, and his demeanor was like that of the master of the Eyrie. This made the Vale nobles very disgusted.

The Vale nobles gathered, and most of the male nobles among them had desperately pursued Lysa Tully. Lysa Tully was surprisingly obese, her skin as white as milk, without a trace of blood. The skin on her face and body was loose, and the fat on her neck hung down in layers, making it unbearable to look at.

In her arms, curled up her only son, Robert Arryn. The child was very thin, but his eyes were particularly large, as bright as lake water. One of his hands was in his mother's arms, and the other hand was gently held and kneaded by Petyr Baelish. The child enjoyed it very much and trusted Petyr. Besides his mother, the person he trusted the most was Petyr. Petyr only needed to say a few words in a soft voice to make Robert Arryn giggle.

Petyr's arrival shattered the nobles' beautiful wish to marry Lysa Tully, which was the root cause of the nobles' hatred of Petyr.

"Madam!" the maester said softly.

Lysa Tully nodded with a smile on her face. Today, she was announcing her engagement to Duke Petyr Baelish. Since Petyr came to the Eyrie, the two had lived together. Before announcing the engagement, there was also a delightful message to announce first.

"My lords, we received news yesterday that the Mountain killed Randyll Tarly two days' ride outside of King's Landing, and Randyll's cavalry was completely wiped out," the maester announced in a singing voice.

Wow!

The Vale nobles in the hall suddenly exploded!

Everyone was very surprised and talked a lot. Many people felt happy.

The Mountain once blocked the entrance to the Bloody Gate of the Vale and extorted a large sum of money and food. The Vale people were happy to know that the Mountain had provoked the Tyrell family again this time. On the Mountain's list of enemies, congratulations to the Mountain for having a new member. One day, the Mountain would kill himself.

*

The North. Wintertown. Training grounds.

Robb Stark drew his bow and nocked an arrow, pulled the longbow to its full extent, and with a flick of his hand, the sharp arrow flew out and hit the bullseye.

A guard hurried into the training ground and handed a letter to Robb. Robb unfolded it, glanced at it, and was immediately stunned.

Robb handed the bow and arrow to a guard and said to the master-at-arms, Rodrik: "Ser, the Mountain killed Lord Randyll Tarly in the Crownlands, and his heir, Dickon Tarly, was also killed by him. He defeated Randyll's half-moon formation with a wedge formation, using fewer troops than the enemy. Randyll's cavalry was completely wiped out."

In the training ground, the captain of the guard and the master-at-arms and other knights were all shocked!

The Mountain, a mere warrior, could actually kill Randyll Tarly, which was really unbelievable.

"Pass down the order, three days later, the Northern Legion of Wintertown will head south, led by Greatjon as the vanguard, to recover the Riverlands and advance into King's Landing."

Although it was a bluff, Robb did not explain it to his generals.

Soon, a raven flew out of the maester's tower in Wintertown, and the raven headed north, flying towards the Wall.

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