"Three years ago, I received news that Robert was bringing his family to Winterfell as guests. I brought my lute (classical guitar) and a pack of Silver Deer. I climbed the ice wall near the carriage tower, crossed the new land, and traveled ten kilometers to the south to buy a horse.
I didn't enter Winterfell directly. Stark's guards knew every villager in the vicinity. I rode another 600 kilometers to the south and found Robert's Great Wheel Palace.
Freelance riders and mercenary knights often gathered around the royal family, hoping to serve them.
I was better than them. I could play the lute and sing, and I was proficient in all the obscene tunes inside and outside the Great Wall.
Bards were more easily accepted. Thus, I successfully joined the royal family and had the opportunity to understand the ruler of the Seven Kingdoms … Sigh, if drinking and sleeping with women were the standard of a king's ability, then Robert was definitely qualified to call himself the 'Eternal Emperor'. "
"You're imitating 'Bard' Bell." Danny had a strange expression.
Thinking of Bell's deeds, she regretted it.
Although Shadow Binders were mysterious, they were much less impressive than Bards. Back in Volantis, at the Black Tower Banquet, she should have turned into a Bard and performed for the guests. She couldn't sing "Kastme's Rain," but she could play "Ambush on All Sides" or "Victory."
As she played, the Megalosaurus wreaked havoc on the audience. That feeling, that grandeur …
What a pity!
More than a thousand years ago, 'Bard' Bell was famous both inside and outside the Great Wall for his bravery and talent in poetry. Even the King of the North, Brandon Stark, had heard of him.
However, Brandon despised him and called him 'Coward' Bell.
In order to take revenge and prove his ability, Bell climbed the Great Wall alone and went south along the King's Road to Winterfell. As a singer, he was received by Stark.
Brandon was deeply moved by his skills and asked him what he wanted as a reward. Then, Bell asked for a flower — the most beautiful flower in Winterfell's garden.
Brandon agreed to let him pick a winter rose in the garden.
But the next morning, Bell and the Duke's only daughter disappeared together. Only a Winter Snow Rose was left on the bed with a small bloodstain …
The Long family had 'Mad Blood' while the daughter of the Wolf family had the 'Running Wolf Blood' gene. Leanna was not the only Stark who had eloped with a wild man.
"I didn't dare to steal Lord Stark's daughter," Mansred explained with a bitter smile. "At that time, I had already guessed the enemies that the freedmen would face when they went south. Bunyan Stark, the Ranger Captain of the Great Wall; Eide Stark, Duke of the Northern Region; and Theon, Robert Byra, King of the Seven Kingdoms.
At that banquet, I observed these three anticipated enemies at the same time.
Bunyan and Eide deserved their reputation, which made me vigilant. Robert, on the other hand, was a fatso who drank too much. At that time, I heaved a sigh of relief, thinking that I could fight ten fatties like him.
But the situation of the Seven Kingdoms was unpredictable. Bunyan was captured by the Other Ghosts, Eide was beheaded, and Robert was killed by a wild boar …
In the end, the ones who defeated me were Jon Snow, whom I had always ignored, and Targaryen, whom I had never thought of. "
"Mansred, and the Magna." Danny stood up and left her seat for the first time. She came to the center of the circular hall, where the nearest savage was less than five meters away from her.
"In the negotiation meeting, you and I can put forward our terms. Now, I will explain to you my …"
After a pause, she said, "My 'Three-Way Lease Terms'!"
If she said the terms of surrender directly, the savages would most likely explode. It was better to say it in a more tactful way.
"First, let's clarify which 'three parties' are."
"Without a doubt, the freedmen and the Night Watchers each count as one party. The other party has me and Targaryen, but not only Targaryen.
A straightforward person does not resort to insinuations. The person sitting on the Iron Throne now is not me.
Winter is coming, and the Other Ghosts are wreaking havoc beyond the Great Wall. I cannot add to the natural disaster. Before the next summer, I will definitely not challenge the position of ruler of the Seven Kingdoms.
This will inevitably cause the composition of the third party outside of the Night Watchers and the freedmen to be extremely complicated.
Today, I am the only representative of the third party. Perhaps tomorrow there will be Theon Byra, Bolton the day after that, and even Lannister the day after that.
In this regard, I promise you that Targaryen will not interfere with the dealings between the freedmen, the Night Watchers, and the other lords of the Seven Kingdoms.
In this three-way meeting, the third party only represents Targaryen, and Targaryen will resolutely fulfill his obligations. "
Finally, Danny looked around and asked everyone, "Do you understand?"
"Understood." Jon, Sir Mallister, and Sir Glendon nodded in response.
"Understood." Tormond nodded as well.
"Mm."
"I understand."
The savage leaders also expressed their opinions.
Mansred frowned and said, "I don't know the contents of your 'Three-Way Lease Treaty,' but what if the other vassals interfere with our agreement with you?"
"This will require the other party of the three, the Night Watchers, to step in." Danny pointed at the three Night Watchers representatives. "They don't need to use force to uphold our treaty, but they need to step in and judge whether the vassals' interference is reasonable.
For example, there is a clause in the Three-Way Treaty that allows the freedmen to farm new land given by the Night Watchers.
At my request, the Night Watchers reluctantly agreed. However, when the vassals of the Seven Kingdoms arrive, they will likely raise different opinions.
If the Night Watchers are pressured to agree with the decision of the vassals of the Seven Kingdoms, Targaryen and the freedmen can only admit defeat.
Alternatively, I will provide an alternative, or I will compensate with gold royals, or we will break up and the treaty will be annulled.
If the interference of the vassals is unreasonable, for example, there is another clause in the Three-Way Treaty. If the freedmen are hired by the Night Watchers, I will compensate the freedmen with food and gold.
If the vassals want to rob you of your food and gold, and the Night Watchers decide that their actions are unreasonable, there is no need for the freedmen to step in. I will help you deal with them and use my force to ensure that the treaty is enforced. "
"This … The right to speak is in the hands of the Night Watchers. What if they deliberately take sides?" Tormond frowned.
Danny said firmly, "I believe in the wisdom and honor of the Night Watchers."
Jon (Resolute): Your Majesty, for these words of yours, I am willing to be a Night Watcher for the rest of my life, with no regrets!
Mallister (Quietly wiping away the tears at the corner of his eyes): Only the wise can see through the wisdom of others, and only those who value honor can appreciate the honor of others. Your Majesty has great wisdom and a noble heart!
Glendon (Clenching his fist): Even if I am dressed in black, I still want to say — I am willing to die for Your Majesty!
"But we don't believe it!" the savage shouted.
"You must believe it. Trust is the basis of cooperation. Not only must you trust the Night Watchers, but the Night Watchers should also trust you. Everyone must understand one thing: we have a common enemy: Winter and the Other Ghosts. If we don't work together, it will be difficult for any one of us to overcome this difficulty. "
Mansred pondered for a moment and said, "Explain the Tripartite Lease Treaty first."
"Well, let's reach a consensus first. The freedmen are short of food, right? "
"With the food reserves now, we can't even last until winter comes," Mansred said.
"The North doesn't even have enough food for themselves, right?"
"Even with the food reserves at the end of summer, it will be difficult for the North to survive more than two years of winter. This time …" Mallister shook his head worriedly. "The winter is likely to last for more than five years. Without relief, I'm afraid that 70% of the population will starve to death."
"The Night Watchers also don't have enough food, right?"
"If the number of people doesn't increase, the food reserves now can last for two years."
Danny concluded. "So, the North can't feed themselves, and they can't help the Night Watchers. Providing food for the hundreds of thousands of freedmen beyond the Great Wall is even more wishful thinking. We have to find another way out, right? "
The savages and the Night Watchers nodded.
"What way out?" the leader of the freedmen asked anxiously.
"People live when they move, and trees die when they move. The North can't feed these people, so we have to find a richer and warmer place, right?"
"That makes sense!" The savages all agreed. "The North is too barren. If we can invade …"
Danny's mouth twitched. She clapped her hands and interrupted them. "Well, since everyone agrees with this conclusion, we have the basis to sign the Tripartite Lease Treaty."
As she spoke, she looked at the sky at a forty-five-degree angle and revealed a compassionate expression. She sighed softly and said, "Barbarians are also human beings. They all have parents, wives, and children. I really can't bear to see you break up your families in the cold winter and the harassment of deviant ghosts.
So, the first clause of the treaty is that Targaryen will rent a number of ships to the freedmen. Travel expenses, food, seeds, farmland …
I'll be responsible for moving the hundred thousand freedmen to the Great Plains of Ursos, where the people are stupid and rich, and where there are no Night Watchers or fearsome iron knights.
With the food, seeds, livestock, and vast farmland I'll rent, you can farm, graze, and spend the winter in peace.
In the meantime, I'll guarantee your freedom of religion, personal safety, and the sanctity of your property.
At the same time, you'll have to abide by my Codex. After all, you're in a foreign land and have to adapt to the new environment!
Of course, when the winter is over, I'll arrange for ships to send those who want to go back to the Great Wall. You can take the food, wealth, and children you've accumulated over the winter, and live happily as freedmen beyond the Great Wall.
At that time, you can completely abandon the Codex and return to your former customs. "
"That good?" Tormond asked cautiously.
"Targaryen, your word is as good as a mountain!" Danny said flatly.
Magna of the Thearn clan frowned. "It's not that I don't believe you, but you're paying too much, aren't you? You're only giving us benefits, but you're not benefiting at all. This kind of agreement is very unsettling! "
"Sigh, I've always wanted to do good, but …" Danny shook her head in distress and said reluctantly, "How about this? I have some enemies on the continent of Ursos. They're all slave traders who specialize in enslaving the freedmen. They're the natural enemies of all the freedmen in the world.
You can rent me a group of brave and fearless freedmen who can fight for the sake of promoting the freedom of the freedmen, for the sake of justice. How about that? "
Thearn Magna let out a long sigh and smacked his lips. "It's still a little unsettling …"
Danny gritted her teeth and said reluctantly, "Give me a portion of the food you grow, just twenty percent! As a freedman, how's that in return? "
"I'm relieved," Thearn Magna nodded and said reluctantly.
"She needs our food. She seems trustworthy," the leader of the Hardfoot people whispered to the leader of the Seashores.
"Yes, benevolence, righteousness, and morality can all be deceived. Only profit is eternal!" Tormond expressed his opinion wisely.
Mance had already thought of surrendering to the Dragon Queen after the 'verbal battle'. Even though he saw through the Queen's scheme, he did not say anything with a straight face. He even felt a little relieved deep down. He did not have to spend any more effort to persuade them.
Barristan and the others' faces were contorted. They held their breath and watched the Queen's performance.
"Then the second one."
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