Chapter 271
2021-01-06
Chapter 271 Difficult ChoicesThe Wall was supposed to be a protective shield against extinction The front line, but I don't know when it started, but everyone subconsciously started to treat it as a trash can, stuffing trouble after trouble into Night's Watch Legion... Robb has no ill will against the Wall defenders, but thinking back, I have to admit that this is the truth.
Suddenly discovered this, Rao Shiqiang developed a leader imposing manner, and the young North guard was also a little ashamed: "This problem does exist, but I promise that North will be the eternal solidity of Night's Watch Legion. Backing up."
Robb must be speaking the truth, but there is no shortage of truth in this world, but practical actions. In the case that the first protection of Night's Watch Legion is North, Igor can't say how grateful he is - he also expressed his thanks on behalf of Night's Watch Legion in Mandarin, and continued to stare at the other party.
......
After a few seconds of staring at each other for the second time, Robb probably knew why Igor didn't say goodbye, Robb first laughed: "It's really nothing this time, what else do you have? Is there a question to ask?"
This meeting is long overdue. For the third time, Igor was about to stand up and say goodbye, but subconsciously thought about Robb's question and realized that oneself really had questions to ask.
One self is not qualified to ask, but it does have a lot to do with Night's Watch: Will the North army assemble south again, away from The Wall, to participate in Stannis Baratheon's war to guard the oneself throne?
This is definitely a military secret, but Igor asked anyway. Anyway... with Night's Watch and North, oneself and Robb's relationship, the worst result is that he refuses to answer.
Robb's face changed a few times, and he looked at Igor oddly.
After hesitating for a few seconds, he decided to answer truthfully: "I'll tell you the truth, can you control the mouth?"
"Of course, who can I leak it to? ."
North is the backing of Night's Watch, oneself's most reliable ally in the upcoming Ice and Fire battle, and Igor has no reason to betray House Stark.
"Before returning from the south to the north, I received a secret letter from the southern end of the continent. The letter was written by Doran Prince Martell, the de facto ruler of Dorne...he gave me a proposal: if North withdraws On the battlefield, Dorne will also withdraw oneself's army." Robb replied: "At that time, I was leading the army to block the Reach army with difficulty, and North was in the clutches of the Ironmen. After thinking about it, I decided to go home and solve the invasion of the Ironmen first, and put the King Stannis was notified of this decision in advance. I have to admire that King Your Majesty resolutely gave up the wrapping of Storm's End and attacked Randyll Tarly who was confronting me after hearing this news... , all the Westeros know."
"But all the Westeros know is that you went home to deal with the Ironmen, and you've won. They don't know the secret letter from Doran Prince, let alone you. I plan to stop participating in the war." Igor pondered the matter, and suddenly realized that everything is not as simple as it seems... It seems that there is far more than oneself planning the big chess. "But it doesn't make sense. North is the home of the North, and it's a place of salvation. Even if Doran Prince doesn't make a deal with you, your army will be forced to return north sooner or later... If Dorne is determined to support the rebels, take this opportunity. It was the best time to send troops to attack King's Landing. How could they have withdrawn from the battlefield as promised? And if they planned not to participate in the war, then why did they appear to stir up trouble in the first place and offend the current legitimate king of the Seven Kingdoms for no reason? Things can be won or lost, but you can't have two boats!"
"The real reason, you go ask Prince Prince." Robb sighed. "But what I want to correct you is: I just returned north to save my family, but I haven't reached an agreement with the proposer. When I disbanded the army, my order was to release the soldiers to visit relatives and rest, and I didn't agree on a date for regrouping. What I want is to take advantage of this time to find Bran and think about what to do next."
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Igor can probably understand the predicament Robb is facing at the moment. : From a purely public perspective, North has sent troops twice for Robert and his younger brother in just two years. The time has been long enough, and the casualties have reached a certain level. The willingness of the soldiers to continue fighting and the public to continue to support the logistics is no longer high. And if you consider short-term interests - the people of the North have already gained a considerable amount of practical benefits from the victory over the Westerlands and Reach, it is time to stop the war and save your life and enjoy the spoils.
But the ruler decides the major event of the country, and can never just look at immediate interests or according to the wishes of the people. The North openly declared that the truce was minor, and its in-laws and long-term allies Riverlands and Vale were still in the war. Stannis is bound to be alone, and it's only a matter of time before he falls.
In this way, the situation is equivalent to "Robb Stark handed over the most prosperous Crownlands and King's Landing in Westeros to the hostile forces supported by Reach"... Wait for the new Iron Throne Lord Aegon Targaryen to stabilize How can it be possible to hold a huge advantage and sit back and watch the three northern regions become their own country?
The Three Rivers basin is safe to defend, and the Northern Alliance will lose its granary when the True Dragon flag is planted across the Riverlands again. Even if House Stark has Moat Cailin, and Arryn's family has Bloody Gate, they are only able to protect themselves and not be able to make a comeback. Vale can still be self-sufficient with the rich Vale of Arryn, but North can slowly multiply its population to over a million after Aegon unifies the Seven Kingdoms and does not suffer from severe reductions every winter... Not by growing food on permafrost .
It was a tough decision.
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"If I avoid the war, will the Westeros think I'm weak enough to kill my father? But if I continue to join the war, Dorne It will also be tit for tat... the balance is still in balance, and the end of the war is really far away - and worse: winter has come." Robb frowned. It is not easy to openly discuss with the North princes. Now that the truth has been told, if I don't ask about Igor's thoughts by the way, it would be a waste of risk of leaking secrets. "I've told the truth, 'Mightiest Night's Watch' Your Excellency... What advice do you have? What exactly should I do?"
"I'm afraid to give guidance on this matter... ...but a suggestion, I got one right away." Igor said: "As Duke of Winterfell, the lord of the North, when deciding whether to bring an entire faction into a war of the future, he has to consider 'Will others think I'm weak? Can you deceive'?"
"As the supreme lord of North, isn't personal image important?"
"Personal image is very important." Especially in this era of rulers, ministers and ministers ruled by people , "But even truth, to be abused without scope and condition, would be a fallacy... Are you weak or not, the princes and soldiers of the North, Riverlands and Vale, and King Stannis, who followed you for months in the war, I don't know? For you, the most important thing is these people in power from various families... Those North civilians who have neither aristocratic status nor joined the army, even if there is any misunderstanding of you, how much does it matter? As for How do the people of the other four countries think of you... to put it bluntly, it has almost no influence on you, and even if your enemy looks down on you because of this, it may be an advantage at a critical moment!"
"It sounds reasonable, so I should make a decisive decision not to go to war?"
"I didn't say that." Igor immediately denied, "My point is that when considering this matter, it should be Putting personal honor and disgrace completely aside... What we need to do now is to consider all the circumstances in a comprehensive and detailed manner, and comprehensively analyze how to choose the most beneficial to North."
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(end of this chapter)