What came next?
Daenerys was the Queen of Westeros and the first Empress of the Targaryen Empire. As the supreme leader and helmsman of her faction, she should have considered this question and arrived at the answer herself. But the truth was that her detailed plans for the future of her forces had largely extended only as far as unifying the Seven Kingdoms. Everything beyond that, such as breaking the wheel of history and liberating all mankind, had been little more than empty slogans and labels before she met Aegor.
Since losing her former advisors, Petyr and Varys, and being left with only Aegor to support the entire Small Council, she had practically been pulled along by the man before her.
It might have seemed as though Daenerys was simply sitting in King's Landing and enjoying the fruits of others' labor. In reality, she had to govern the entire realm, deal with the lords from across Westeros who had gathered in King's Landing after the great war, and coordinate and support Aegor's wars against the Reach, Volantis, and Braavos from behind the scenes. She had been sailing ceaselessly aboard Aegor's warship. Even with capable men like Tyrion steadying the vessel and sharing the burden, both Daenerys and the realm beneath her feet were exhausted in body and spirit.
At the moment, she truly had neither the energy nor the ideas to consider a question like "what comes next?"
Perhaps realizing that her question was somewhat inappropriate, she hesitated for a moment before adding something to make the subject sound less broad, so that it would not seem as though she were asking Aegor what he would do if he were king.
"Hmm, I mainly mean... when and how should the two major undertakings you directed, the tax exemption and the religious revolution, as well as the war against the slave masters, come to an end?"
"Hmm, I will answer the latter question first. It is simpler." Aegor was very pleased that Daenerys had taken the initiative to ask. It was far more natural than forcing his thoughts and ideas upon her. "The answer is that the war is already over. Regardless of how the remaining Free Cities respond, our armies will launch no further attacks within the next half year, before the next harvest and sowing are completed."
It was not that they would not, but that they could not. Since they intended to bring these cities under their rule, the plundering of Volantis and Braavos had been carried out with considerable restraint. The spoils consisted mainly of gold, silver, and valuables, with few materials useful for production or daily life. Money was wonderful, but it could not be transformed into gunpowder, cannonballs, and provisions at the press of a button. Westeros's capacity for war had been temporarily exhausted and urgently needed time to recover. No matter how strong their determination might be, they could not defy reality.
"Of the nine great Free Cities, we have already taken three. If the Free Cities are compared to a pair of hands, both thumbs have now been cut off. I carried out a thorough purge of the ruling classes in Lys, Volantis, and Braavos precisely to make examples of them for the remaining six cities. The message is clear: only surrender offers any hope of survival, while stubborn resistance leads only to death. None of the remaining six cities possesses enough strength or prestige to form another alliance. At the very least, Pentos, Tyrosh, and Myr will certainly surrender at once, since only the Narrow Sea separates them from Westeros and they could be attacked at any time. Only Lorath, Norvos, and Qohor, one far away in the Shivering Sea and two deep inland, may believe themselves safe because we cannot easily reach them. They might choose to remain hostile or demand further concessions from us."
"My proposal concerning the remaining six great cities is this: for the three within our immediate reach, we will force them to emancipate their slaves, disarm, and accept governors and garrisons under our direct rule. As for the other three, which lie farther away, we can relax our demands and grant them broad autonomy, provided they begin reforms to emancipate their slaves and nominally recognize themselves as part of the Targaryen Empire."
"What if they refuse?"
"What they choose to do is not important at all!" Aegor laughed heartily. "We need peace now because the Reach, Lys, Volantis, and Braavos alone will take the Empire eight or ten years to fully absorb. In fact, had the slave masters not insisted on forming an alliance and throwing themselves into the conflict, we should have stopped fighting after taking the Reach, sat down to negotiate, and drawn matters out. The advantage in size, government, and technology is entirely on our side, and time favors the Empire. No matter what the remaining slave masters think or do, they cannot escape the reckoning that awaits them in the not-too-distant future. Those six cities are reserves the Empire can draw upon whenever needed. In the future, should the Empire face internal conflicts or the need for expansion that must be redirected, resolved, or vented, it need only choose one of them, find a pretext, and act. The only difference their surrender will make is whether they eventually face judgment as rebels within the Empire or as enemies beyond its borders."
He could even approach things this way!
Daenerys marveled inwardly, silently committed his words to memory, and eagerly asked, "That settles our external enemies. What about internal affairs?"
"Everything within the realm revolves around a single purpose, securing Your Grace's rule. Thus, all these measures are really part of the same undertaking." Aegor emphasized his words with a heavier tone. "Our temporary tax exemption is meant to win over the common people. Winning over the common people temporarily severs their ties to the nobility, while the wealth seized from the lords during the process of weakening them, in turn, funds the tax exemption. It is a complete cycle. Before that wealth can no longer sustain the policy, we must take effective control of the entire Reach's administration, judiciary, and military. I began the religious revolution at the same time only because the available period seemed rather generous, and using it to accomplish only one thing would have been wasteful."
"If you ask when it should end, my answer is very simple. It can end once the task is complete and the objective has been achieved. As for weakening local powers, the task will be considered complete once the census and household registration of the newly expanded Crownlands have been carried out and an administrative system loyal to Your Grace has been largely established. The religious revolution, however, is somewhat different. We intend to absorb the Faith of the Seven and merge it into a new religion. The advantage is that this will cause less bloodshed and destruction. The disadvantage is that we can never entirely eliminate the old faith's influence. There is no clear event or moment that will tell us the religious revolution is complete. In theory, the longer we continue suppressing the Faith's power, the greater the effect. But restraining the Faith of the Seven is only a means and a process, not the ultimate goal. Therefore, I suggest deciding when to end the religious revolution according to the progress of extending royal authority into the countryside."
"The specific method is this. Once Your Grace's rule in King's Landing is largely secure, summon the leading septons from every region to gather in the capital under the authority of the High Septon. Hold a grand religious council in the Great Sept of Baelor and announce that the Seven have delivered a divine revelation and the 'Scripture of Truth,' choosing Your Grace as their representative in the mortal world. At the same time, observe the reactions and attitudes of those present. After more than ten months of confiscations, humiliation, suppression, and political struggle, I believe most of the septons should have learned their lesson. Those willing to obediently accept the merger of the Faith of the Seven and the Red faith will be publicly pardoned by Your Grace, incorporated into the new faith at their former ranks, and sent back to their original posts. As for those who remain stubborn and obstinate, simply charge them with some offense involving property or religion, then exile them beyond the Wall to reclaim new land. The North belongs to the Old Gods, and the Faith of the Seven has neither influence nor foundations there. Once they are sent north, no matter how bitterly they resent us, they will be unable to cause any trouble."
Daenerys's eyes shifted as she carefully considered Aegor's comprehensive plan, finding his reasoning clearer and smoother than ever before.
This was no longer merely policy advice. It was a complete and foolproof set of instructions.
"Very clear! By the Lord of Light, I can hardly imagine how this tangled mess could have been resolved without you." Daenerys let out a long sigh of relief and leaned back naturally into the lounge chair, making no attempt to conceal the sudden easing of her mind. She raised her beautiful eyes and met Aegor's gaze, her expression filled with trust, reliance, and appreciation. Then she changed her tone. "Let us discuss something lighter and more pleasant. You have handled so many matters and fought so many battles beautifully, winning decisive victories each time. It is difficult to say how much pressure you have taken from my shoulders. You have rendered me greater service than anyone, yet you never ask for anything. No matter what reward I imagine giving you, it never seems sufficient. There are no outsiders here, so there is no need to be shy. What do you want? Do not be afraid to say it. Whatever you desire, I will give it to you."
(To be continued.)