Author: A little white whale

After waiting for such a long time, I originally thought that by joining forces with Robb Stark and relying on the regicides and noble prisoners of the West, I could at least force Tywin back and let him leave the Riverlands.

Clay has already made a plan for him. As long as he returns to the Western Territory and puts out the Ironborn attack in the Western Territory, he will let him go.

After getting Ed Stark back, Clay no longer plans to follow the Northern Army to conquer the world.

Eddard Stark insisted on Stannis's claim that Clay didn't care and he couldn't control it.

He knew Ed Stark's stubborn attitude on this matter, so he had no intention of dissuading him.

But this is an absolute fool's errand. There are now three kings in the Seven Kingdoms, and you support the one with the weakest power. Renly has an army of 100,000, and Emperor Qiao has King's Landing and the full support of Lord Tywin.

.

As for Stannis, according to the information Clay has now received, he is still staying on Dragonstone. In other words, he did not run to Storm's End and let Melisandre kill Renly with her shadow.

This is interesting. Clay doesn't know what is stopping Stannis from doing this. It must not be some bullshit family relationship. That thing is a proper negative equity in this bet.

So, to be precise, Stannis should now be called Dragonstone and a quarter of the Narrow Sea, no more, because the place he can control is only so big.

Well now, the plan did not change quickly. Before he could take any action, Eddard Stark actually fell in the last step of breaking through the Lannister blockade.

They all ran out and were captured. Clay didn't know how to evaluate this matter.

Besides being unlucky, being unlucky...

As soon as this happened, Jaime Lannister and a group of captives from the Westerland in his hands immediately became unsavory. I had planned to use this bunch of big treasures to kill Lord Tywin and demand land and gold. That was not the case.

Basic operation?

Well, in the current situation, in order to exchange for Ed Stark, these prisoners must be given out. These are all delicious little coins. Clay's heart is bleeding when he thinks of this.

"Mother!"

Robb Stark was busy checking on his mother who had fainted, and had no time to pay attention to the stunned Northern Dukes.

So, the remaining people turned their attention to the second largest military leader besides Rob Stark in this tent, Clay Mandler.

"Lord Clay, what do you think we should do? Should we launch an attack immediately and take back Lord Ed? Our army is ready!"

Jon Amber's familiar loud voice rang out again, and he also knew very well the consequences of Eddard Stark falling into the enemy's hands, because Tywin could theoretically insist on not giving up his precious son, but Robb could

Don't you want his father?

"Lord Karstark, where is the location of your battle? Give me a specific location. My cavalry is further south. Maybe I can catch up."

Clay looked at the map of the battlefield, frowned and asked Count Karstark, whose armor was covered in blood.

Looking at the location pointed by Count Karstark, Clay sighed. It was too far and too late.

"How about it, Lord Clay, can you send troops to catch up with them?"

Everyone looked at Clay, and the meaning in their eyes was that they all had their own plans and thoughts.

Clay shook his head, knocked on the table lightly, and said helplessly:

"It's too late, that position has to be run back to the Lannister camp, but for most of the day, it takes me the same time to run back to the cavalry camp from here. In other words, before I have time to send troops, they have already returned to the camp.

"

"Then what should I do? I can't leave my father alone. I raised an army and went south just to save my father."

After ordering someone to take the unconscious Lady Catelyn down, Robb Stark roared at his father's vassals with red eyes. Fortunately, the young man's basic IQ was still there and he did not recklessly ask the entire army to attack directly.

"First of all, we have to decide whether to talk or fight. These are two different operational arrangements."

Roose Bolton's soft tone once again attracted everyone's attention. After Clay left, in the meeting here, in addition to Robb Stark who made the final decision, Roose Bolton's opinions also changed.

becomes more and more important.

The Marquis of the Dreadfort, at this point in time, because of Clay's series of glorious victories against the Lannister in the West Riverlands, Roose Bolton is now extremely loyal to Stark.

His mind is relatively clear, and the question he raised is also the key to the current situation. His meaning is very clear. If he wants to fight, there is nothing to say. Clay is now returning to the army overnight to prepare for an attack tomorrow morning.

If we want to negotiate, we have to bring the army there and just put pressure on it. After that, it depends on the two sides to negotiate. The bargaining chips in both sides' hands are about the same, so there is room for negotiation.

But Roose Bolton could only ask this question. It was not his father. The final decision was made by Robb Stark.

"Can we, using the regicides and noble captives from the West, get my father back?"

Robb Stark's body was trembling. No matter how mature he looked, after all, he was just a teenager. Faced with the situation where his father was in the hands of the enemy and his life or death was unknown, he was obviously still unprepared.

of.

"My lord, we have something to ask of Tywin, and Tywin also wants something from us. To put it bluntly, without your father in the north, the Stark family still has you to carry on the inheritance. If Tywin loses the regicide,

Who did Casterly Rock pass to? The imp?"

Roose Bolton answered Robb's question, which reassured Robb a little, but for him, he still couldn't accept the situation where his father was captured and he did nothing to save him.

"Okay, that's it, let's talk first, and then fight if we can't reach an agreement. But there is a problem. If my cavalry unit appears near the Lannister Hall, it will lose the surprise of the attack, and the Lannister will have

Prepared.”

Clay must clearly explain the stakes. It is impossible for his cavalry not to appear tomorrow. Originally, Robb Stark only had 10,000 men. After the previous battle, he had always adopted a defensive strategy.

Now, let him lead 10,000 people to the gate of Duke Tywin's 20,000 army. If Clay were Tywin, he would eat all your 10,000 people and why bother talking to you?

go?

Clay's cavalry must appear on the flanks of Tywin's camp at the right time, giving him enough of a threat to make him stop being petty.

However, this way there is no longer the suddenness of the cavalry. If a battle really breaks out, it will be a real charge into battle. Needless to say, the casualties will be very heavy.

But there's nothing you can do about it. When things get to this point, it's impossible for you to show no sign from the North. Moreover, you hold my son and I hold your father, but the two sides don't talk to each other. That's what they've seen.

Ghost.

After seeing Robb Stark hesitate for a moment, he still nodded. Clay didn't waste any time and led people straight to the stables. He would immediately return to the cavalry camp overnight to prepare for tomorrow's action.

Although there is talk, it must be based on fighting, because if it is not based on fighting, the preparations will not be sufficient. In that case, Lord Tywin's lion's jaws will bite off the necks of the northern princes.

…

Clay worked hard and led his men through the starry night, returning to his cavalry group before dawn. Earl Glover, who had stayed behind, rushed over with a surprised look on his face.

If his calculations were correct, Clay would have gone to Lord Robert's place for a face-to-face meeting and returned immediately. Didn't he agree to meet and discuss the next attack plan in detail?

Even if something happened, he wouldn't be in such a hurry. Clay spent almost all his time on horseback this day. What happened?

"Sir, what are you doing?"

Earl Glover asked. He was sleeping when he was suddenly woken up by the guards and told him that Clay had come back overnight. He didn't know why.

"Lord Glover, please go down and prepare. Tomorrow morning, the whole army will be prepared. Early tomorrow morning, we will march to the Lannister Camp."

What? A war is about to begin? Mr. Clay went back to discuss the next plan, but it won’t be so soon, right? In this short time, can you make it clear?

Seeing the confusion on his face, Clay understood what he was thinking and could only explain in a low voice:

"Lord Eddard Stark has fallen into the hands of the Lannister. We must prepare for war. War is for better negotiations. My lord, do you understand?"

…

In the Western Camp, Tywin Lannister felt that he really needed to go to the cathedral in King's Landing to pray sincerely.

Otherwise, it is not enough to explain this incredible luck. He was in the middle of an attack by two armies in the north, and his son and a lot of vassals were all prisoners of others.

The news that Lannisport was burned by the Ironborn also reached here. It can be said that the Westerlands is only one step away from surrendering in an undignified manner.

However, as Tywin Lannister saw the face of the unconscious prisoner, he realized that the unfavorable situation between himself and the West had now turned around.

"Ed Stark's life must be saved, at least he must not die until we have negotiated terms with his wolf cubs and handed him over to the northerners!"

Duke Tywin gave his half-empty army doctor a death order. Whether Eddard Stark died or not had nothing to do with them, but he must not die in the military camp in the West.

If during the negotiation, he brings the body of Ed Stark, then the people of the North will truly fight to the death with him.

From the current stage, the Western Territory urgently needs to stop the war and lick its wounds to regain its strength.

First, his son was attacked by a northern boy named Clay Manderly in a surprise attack on the battlefield of Riverrun. More than 10,000 elite troops were killed, and he became a prisoner of the enemy.

After that, the brothers Stannis and Renly each put on a heavy crown. It can be said that no one in the Seven Kingdoms except the Iron Throne and the Westerland recognized Joffrey's throne.

of legality.

In this unfavorable situation, how could the experienced Tywin think of fighting these direwolves in the north?

In fact, in Duke Tywin's mind, the Northern Territory is the party that should least be his enemy, because as long as other interfering factors are eliminated and broken apart, there is no irreconcilable conflict between the Northern Territory and the Western Territory.

.

As long as Eddard Stark gives up his stubborn support for Stannis Baratheon's claim to the throne, the West and the North can immediately put down their swords and make peace.

There is no crown on any Stark's head in the North. The mountains are high and the emperor is far away, so they don't care about things in the south. Moreover, after the pirates of the Iron Islands chose to plunder Lannisport, they had no worries.

Already.

Even if Lord Tywin calculated and defeated the Northern army through a series of means, so what? The Northerners retreated to the north of the Neck and closed the gate of Moat Cailin. The Lannister army could only

Looking at the city, I sighed.

The Andals have done something that has not been done for thousands of years, and Tywin Lannister is not so arrogant that he thinks he can attack Moat Cailin head-on.
To be continued...