Chapter 652: The North Ends with a Barren Harvest

It was a sunny afternoon.

Rhaegar walked out of the meeting hall and planned to have a good sleep.

The choice of Prime Minister will be considered later, and there is no rush.

...

The throne room.

Viserys said goodbye to the ministers and sat on the Iron Throne with great anticipation.

This iron chair still hurts the buttocks, and it is not comfortable to be a little cold.

"Grandfather, Your Majesty..."

A bunch of silver-haired children smiled happily and rushed over like young swallows returning to their nests.

The oldest was Rhaena, and the youngest was Egg, who was dragged to the ground by Visenya.

"Okay, okay, let's tell today's story."

Viserys laughed from the bottom of his heart, and the iron chair was not so hard.

A dozen healthy children, either grandsons or children of his younger brother Daemon.

In the past, I would never dare to think about it.

What kind of Prime Minister is this treatment?

If it weren't for his health getting worse day by day, and he was worried that his eldest son could not handle government affairs.

He was too lazy to even attend the royal meeting.

"You should rest for a while, Viserys."

As the story began, Alisson came in from the side of the hall.

"Wait a little longer, there's no rush."

Viserys held Visenya in one hand and Egg in the other, and ignored his wife's urging.

After so many years of hard work, it's time to enjoy it.

"You always stay a little longer."

Alison sighed helplessly, holding a blanket and draping it over her husband's legs.

She glanced at her left hand wrapped in gauze, and a small blood stain dried.

It was the wound she cut on the Iron Throne last time.

Although it didn't fester, it hadn't healed yet.

Viserys also noticed it, smiled and said nothing.

It was just a cut.

The couple stayed together, taking care of the naughty dragon cubs.

Alison was over 40 years old and was also a grandmother.

She picked up the brother and sister Jaehaerys and Jaehaera who were picking their fingers on the ground and put them next to her as close as possible.

The children of the eldest son Aegon, her purest grandchildren.

They are more popular than the grandchildren born by her daughter Helena.

"Aren't you going to the tea party?"

Viserys looked at his wife in surprise, a little disturbed by today's story.

"I'll accompany you."

Alisson lowered his eyes, and it was obvious that he had something to do.

Viserys knew it very well, put down his grandchildren, and said carefully: "What's the important matter?"

"The whole court is talking about the election of the Prime Minister."

Alisson hesitated for a moment and whispered: "My father..."

"Otto did a good job in Qohor."

Viserys interrupted immediately after hearing the conversation.

Alisson did not give up, and persuaded again: "My father is old, and it is uneasy to be far away from home."

King's Landing is no longer the King's Landing of the past.

This place does not belong to a queen mother without a backer.

If her father Otto can return to King's Landing to serve, she will be much better. ,

"Alison, this won't work."

Viserys sighed and said, "It was his own decision for Otto to make use of his remaining energy in Qohor."

There were not many ministers stationed in Essos. Qohor and the Golden Fields were all carried out by Otto and Cole, one civil and one military.

The eldest son would not agree to transfer him back.

Alison was in a daze, looking indescribably lonely.

...

Council Hall.

Knock knock knock!

Beiron was reading past memorials in the hall when there was a knock on the door.

"I'll go open the door."

Benilla stood by the bookshelf, holding a feather duster in her hand.

Stepping to the door, the girl's mature body was slender and charming.

Squeak——

The door opened, and a fat old man stood in front of it.

"Who are you?"

Benilla had never seen a stranger.

"My name is Desmond Manderly, the Crown Prince knows me."

Desmond smiled, his triangular eyes sparkling with shrewdness.

With just one glance, he stared at the young man working in the hall.

Bellon looked up and said in surprise: "Earl Desmond, when will you visit King's Landing?"

The Earl of White Harbor at the time was one of the most powerful lords in the North.

He wore a silk robe, gold and gem rings on his ten fingers, and his gray hair was combed back.

The bloated figure and smiling eyes made him look like a shrewd businessman, not a high-ranking lord.

"Your Highness, I landed at Mudgate this morning."

Desmond was very humble and bowed: "The commander of the Iron Guard said that His Majesty the King has fallen asleep, and he led me to see you."

Berlon suddenly realized and said kindly; "Please sit down, my lord."

Looking at Bernila again, he said, "Please pour a glass of wine for Lord Desmond, so that the guests who came from afar will not say that we are not entertaining them well."

"Okay." Bernila nodded and picked up the wine pot to pour wine.

The brother and sister sang in unison, all of which fell into Desmond's eyes.

Coming all the way from White Harbor by ship, they arrived at King's Landing but did not receive a grand reception. Of course, they were dissatisfied.

But since the crown prince could say this, the previous mistreatment was not important.

"Thank you for your hospitality, Your Highness."

Desmond squeezed a mercenary smile on his face, and thanked Bernila for pouring the wine: "And you, noble lady."

As he spoke, his eyes looked at him again without leaving any trace.

The eldest daughter of Prince Daemon, the heir of Tyrosh across the Strait.

Her fiancé, Prince Aemon, has passed away, and she has no engagement.

Benilla was very sensitive to prying eyes, and frowned silently: "You're welcome, Lord Desmond."

Belron glanced at her, and then looked at the smiling Earl of White Harbor.

Anyone who is familiar with Benila knows that she has begun to have a seizure.

Before he could do this, Bellon asked the purpose of his visit: "What is your business?"

When it came to business, Desmond suppressed his smile and said seriously: "Your Highness, the kingdom has won the war against the Basilisk Islands. I hope to borrow a loan from the treasury in the name of White Harbor."

Belron was even more confused: "White Harbor has always been rich."

Taking a step back, shouldn’t the loan go to Iron Bank in Bluffs?

Those who are closer to the water get the better, and there is a lot of trade between White Harbor and Bluffs.

"What you don't know is that White Harbor and the North have their own difficulties."

Desmond's expression darkened as he recounted the story one by one: "You are the Dragon King born in the south, and you just happened to catch up with the ten-year long summer. Perhaps you have never even seen winter."

Bellon frowned, suspicious of things he didn't understand.

Desmond continued: "It is summer in King's Landing, but winter has already arrived in the north, and heavy snow has covered the crops."

"how so?"

Benila stood aside holding a wine bottle and made a surprised sound.

The northern border should also have a long summer.

Desmond seemed to have guessed the girl's thoughts, and said with a hint of panic: "You don't know something. The spring in the north is still very warm, and heavy snow suddenly fell."

"Duke Cregan inspected the Northern Territory and once said that he was afraid that the entire Northern Territory would lose its harvest this year."

The Mandalay family was not native to the North, but they were descendants of the original ancestors.

Having been based in the north for thousands of years, they have long been in awe of the severe cold.

Belron was stunned for a moment, looking for the Northern Memorial in the past six months.

As expected, there was no news from any noble family, as if the North was isolated from the world.

"Is it really winter in the North?"

Belron's heart sank and he couldn't help but feel distressed.

He knew the prophecy of Aegon the Conqueror's "A Song of Ice and Fire" and knew about the existence of the White Walkers outside the Great Wall.

My father was eager to capture the golden fields of the Essos continent for the sake of the family's future.

"Your Highness, I know that borrowing money from the treasury is unreasonable, but Bai Gang really has no other choice."

Desmond said helplessly: "The Iron Bank refused to lend, and the port of White Harbor will be frozen. I can only prepare in advance before the real winter comes."

Hearing this, Bellon was silent for a moment.

The reason why the Iron Bank does not accept loans is simple. During every war, White Harbor and Seagull Town are the main forces resisting the Bluffs.

Now that the Basilisk Islands were breached, the Bluffs lost a potential ally.

Of course, they are unwilling to help the enemy tide over difficulties.

Just as he was thinking about it, he put a hand on his shoulder and gently massaged it twice.

Belron raised his head and met Benila's eyes.

Benila did not interfere with his judgment, but encouraged him with her eyes.

Belron's heart warmed up and his thoughts gradually became clearer: "Lord Desmond, I'm sorry for what happened in the north."

"I hope the royal family can lend a helping hand."

Desmond refused to listen to polite words and only wanted the rewards of loyalty to the royal family.

"Please remain calm for a moment."

Bellon was not in a hurry, and said thoughtfully: "A wise man should not worry about the lack of power but the inequality. Natural disasters in the north will affect all the noble fiefdoms."

"What do you mean?"

Desmond was a little anxious.

"I can't make the decision."

Bellon dismissed it with one sentence, and then reassured him: "I will discuss with my father to securely reinforce the northern border."

His words are well-founded and contain the skill of pretending to be confused.

Desmond is a famous old fox, how could he not understand what the crown prince meant.

His face suddenly darkened, and he stood up to say goodbye: "Then I will stay in the hotel until the king summons me."

After saying that, he nodded kindly to Benila and walked out of the door angrily.

"You offended him."

Benila poured herself a glass of wine and leaned on the table with her butt raised.

Now that people are gone, I can finally stop pretending.

Belron snorted and said dissatisfied: "He offended me."

Borrowing money is a matter of affection, not borrowing is a duty.

There is no reason to fail to borrow money and lose face.

Old Town, the largest of the five major ports, must be loyal to the royal family. Why is the humble White Harbor so arrogant?

"Think clearly, White Harbor's support represents half of the North."

Benila took a sip of sweet wine and reminded her old-fashionedly.

"Are you much older than me?"

Bell tilted his head, feeling unhappy.

"Uh-huh~" Benila shrugged, her eyes unable to conceal her concern.

Belron pinched his nose and held his chin with one hand.

The hall fell into silence.

…

At night.

Rhaegar had just woken up, and the sudden news seemed like the sky was falling.

"Is it snowing in the North?"

Before I could feel sleepy, I immediately became energetic.

Belron nodded like a chicken pecking at rice: "I sent someone to send a message to Duke Cregen Raven of Winterfell to inquire about the matter in detail."

"Well, that's pragmatic."

Lei Jia gathered up his messy silver-gold hair and said with a headache: "The ten-year summer is coming to an end. I don't know how big the backlash will be."

I have such a headache that I get a migraine while sleeping.

It hurt even more when I heard the bad news.

"Father, how should we deal with this?"

Bellon looked serious.

"The north is no better than the south. It's a stubborn land that's stuck in its own ways."

Rhaegar's thoughts were spinning, and for the sake of safety he said: "Send someone to the north to cooperate with Cregen to thoroughly investigate the situation."

Desmond is a shrewd businessman who speaks a mixture of truth and lies.

Seeing is believing.

"Who to send?"

Belron's eyes lit up.

Seeing this, Rhaegar swallowed back the word "Aegon" that was on his lips and asked, "Do you want to go?"

The eldest son is also a good choice, allowing people in the north to see the sincerity of the royal family.

The key point is that Aegon is too unreliable.

"I can."

Bellon smiled.

He was almost tired of staying in King's Landing, and Uragas was doing nothing in Blackwater Bay all day long.

"You can't do it alone, you have to find someone to accompany you."

Rhaegar's eyes flashed, warning him of his second son's misfortune.

Belron blinked and suddenly said: "How about Benila coming with me?"