Chapter 168 The Future of the Kingdom

"Uncle Longzel loves us very much, I know that very well." Viserys looked at his stunned brother, pulled him to sit on the bed, and closed the door. "He is a truly good man, but his last name is Vareses."

The fourteen-year-old Viserys has been following Rey to learn the way of ruling in the past few years. Although Rey is too lazy to manage things, his methods are actually much more brutal than Longzel's, but he has no chance to show them. Viserys has also learned a lot from what he has seen and heard.

The basics of the Targaryen rule in Westeros are not complicated. First and foremost, the Targaryen family has dragons. Aegon rode the Black Death to burn Harrenhal and the Hall family. King Maegor made countless nobles, civilians, and believers wail in the dragon flames. They showed the real and unmatched power to the families that have ruled this land for thousands of years. Even in the bloody dance of dragons, the Targaryen family proved that, except for young dragons, dragons that have reached a certain age and are not restrained by chains can only be killed by dragons. But the Vareses family also has dragons, and more and stronger.

The death of Daemon made the Targaryen family lose the strongest dragon rider. The head dragon of the Dragon Cave of King's Landing has now become a wild dragon without restraint. Although the Targaryen family still has five adult dragons, Dreamfire, Korax, Syrax, Sheep Thief, and Sea Smoke, they have no dragon riders.

Dragons without dragon riders can only serve as deterrence, not real "swords".

Secondly, the Targaryen family respected the local ruling habits. Aegon the Conqueror did not change the old lord system in Westeros. Before Jaehaerys ascended the throne, in the six kingdoms other than the crown, only the Tully family and the Tyrell family, who were favored by the Targaryen family, were more obedient to the royal command. It was not until Jaehaerys ascended the throne that he slowly gathered power and became a "king" in the true sense through frequent royal tours and appointments of the royal council, coupled with the widespread fear caused by Maegor's reign of terror.

King Viserys inherited the cause of Jaehaerys I. He tried to maintain the authority of the royal family. Although his stupidity led to the Dance of the Dragons, it is undeniable that during his reign, the authority of the Targaryen royal family went a step further on the foundation laid by Jaehaerys. Before swearing allegiance to his own lord, the lord must obey the crown of the Targaryen family. Jacaerys made the people realize that the Targaryen family also cared about them, so the royal power that was originally shaky due to the civil war was stabilized.

Unfortunately, what the Targaryen family could do, the Vareses family could also do. While people remember Jacaerys, they will also remember Longzel beside Jacaerys, and will never forget that Wolmithor shot down Vhagar, which ended the war that would have lasted for a long time in just a few months.

Even if Longzel had no intention of competing for the Iron Throne - anyone could see how much he hated that iron chair, and his brothers followed his lead, but what about Longzel's death? Yes, Ringol was a shrewd person, but what about his brothers? What about his children? Will any of them want to compete for this iron chair?

What should the Targaryen family do at that time? Use "blood fusion" to paralyze themselves? Don't joke. The Targaryen family will fight to the death for this iron chair. Who can guarantee that the Vareses family, which is just a bloodline, will not make trouble?

Can Aegon's descendants solve this problem? Viserys has no confidence in this.

"Can you guarantee that your descendants can rule the descendants of uncle Longzel, brother?"

Aegon looked at his brother strangely. He didn't understand why his brother said this at this juncture. It's not that he didn't know these situations. In terms of understanding the Vareses family, he knew much more than his brother.

He knew very well what kind of person Longzel was and Ringol's character, so he was relieved that at least when he was alive, the Vareses family would still be a loyal vassal of Targaryen, and he could rule the kingdom under Longzel's protection.

As for his children, they were also Samantha's children, with the blood of the Vareses family flowing in their bodies. At least when Ringol was alive, the Vareses family would not go too far.

What will happen next?

Thinking of this, Aegon shook his head: "Of course I can't guarantee it." He looked at his brother with a smile: "Do you have a way?"

"Dragons, brother, only dragons." Viserys said firmly: "The foundation of the Targaryen family's rule is dragons. We need more and stronger dragons to check and balance the descendants of our cousin Longzel. Peace is also our opportunity."

The young man analyzed calmly: "There are also allies. Although mortal allies are not worth mentioning in front of dragons, the more lords who are loyal to us, the more beneficial it will be for us. Brother, this will be a very long process."

"I know." Aegon knew that his brother was kind-hearted, but he knew better that the rise of the Vareses family was irreversible. Among the nine "kingdoms" in Westeros, the North was deeply indebted to the Vareses family during this long winter. If it weren't for Benilla's righteous action, the northern lords might have forgotten who their true king was. The Stormlands and the Reach were seriously injured, and the Three Rivers were in disarray. The powerful lords, such as the Blackwoods and the Freys, had better relations with the Vareses family. The ones worthy of the royal family's wooing were actually the Tullys of the Three Rivers, the Baratheons and lords of the Stormlands, and the Martells of Dorne. But none of them were opponents of the Vareses family. "Unless one of our descendants rides on Wormithor." Aegon shook his head helplessly: "Otherwise, you can only pray that the descendants of Uncle Longzier will regard the Iron Throne as an enemy like him."

"Brother, you can't pin all your hopes on the sharpness of your descendants."

"I know, but it's too late now." Aegon smiled. "But it's good this way. We don't interfere with Uncle Longzier's rule. The politics are handed over to the silver dragon, and the red dragon only needs to sit on the Iron Throne and safely handle the affairs of the kingdom. I think this model is not bad. If there is a tyrant like Maegor among my descendants, it will also be protected, don't you think?"

Viserys touched his head with a headache.

He knew that his brother did not give up, but trusted Longzier not to be greedy for power. In fact, he also believed this. Longzier would retire after helping Aegon stabilize his rule and continue to govern his border princedom.

But his brother's attitude did make him unhappy. If the future would continue like this, the king and heir of the Iron Throne would marry women from the Varese family, and then the patriarch or important members of the Varese family would serve as the king's hand and rule the kingdom.

That would be a more serious problem than Otto's.

But there is really no good solution now.

Only dragons.

Viserys silently apologized to Igarath in his heart. Sorry, Igarath, I'm afraid you have to separate from your beloved dragon Sarafathers.

The Targaryen family needs more dragons.

The more the better.

Only in this way will the future of the Targaryen family not be shrouded by the wingspan of the silver dragon.

Sorry, Uncle Longzel, Uncle Valar, Uncle Rey, and Little Ringol, I know you are very good to me and my brother, but I'm sorry, thank you for your care, but I am a Targaryen, and I must be responsible for the future of the Targaryen family.

Viserys secretly made up his mind.

Things are not finished yet, the three updates will start from tomorrow morning, 5, 6, and 7. We are about to start the next volume "The Advancement of the Dragons"