Chapter 411: Plan Success and Temporary Departure
Beyond Egger's expectations, the look of heartache and anger on the Queen's face flickered for only an instant before vanishing into nothingness as she regained her composure.
In that brief moment, Daenerys had indeed fallen back into a state of mild emotional instability. However, with the noble mission and ideal of breaking the wheel of history laid out before her—and with the world's first comrade who truly understood her and seemed capable of helping her achieve her goals sitting across the table—she did not want to lose her poise in such a setting.
"I understand. The Reach cannot become my loyal and reliable foundation. Their initiative to surrender is merely a hope that I will quickly help them deal with Stannis, allowing them to return to their original state where no one can control them and everyone must buy grain from them." She nodded, articulating the point Egger wanted to convey. "But since they haven't dropped the mask of civility with House Targaryen on the surface, and they possess both men and grain, why shouldn't I play along for now? Once I have utilized their strength to unify the Seven Kingdoms and have taken a moment to recover, I can find ways to counteract and weaken them."
Daenerys's thinking was correct—countless rulers throughout history had chosen this exact path: win the empire first, then deal with the meritorious subjects.
After all, no matter how advanced one's governing philosophy or how grand the blueprints for reform brewing in one's mind, there must be a place to implement them... If the war itself isn't won, wouldn't it all become a joke of armchair strategizing?
Given her previous temperament, she likely wouldn't have considered the issue with such caution—after all, she had three dragons; she could simply burn her way through!
But after landing, the defense system Stannis built at King's Landing and the appearance of the dragon-hunting scorpions had significantly dampened her somewhat excessive arrogance and self-confidence... making her realize the fact that the era of the dragon's invincibility had passed. Following in the footsteps of her Conqueror ancestor was unlikely.
Logically, this was a good thing. Who wouldn't want the monarch they serve to be more rational and calm?
However, Egger was actually feeling quite troubled: although Daenerys was right, this path was not the one that best suited his interests. With the ultimate weapon of gunpowder at his disposal, he had the confidence to be invincible on the physical battlefield, breaking the deadlock with brute force and bypassing all detours.
Yet, while hot weapons had a powerful crushing effect on cold weapons, his brain had no anatomical difference from the ancients of this world. He did not feel at all that simply by having attended classes on ideology, philosophy, and history, and having read a few popular science books on psychology, he—a new player born as an engineer—could toy with all the old nobility of the world in the palm of his hand.
Political struggle was far more complex than a chemical reaction.
Winning them over first and then liquidating them after the war sounded easy, but execution required highly sophisticated means... This was not his specialty. It is easier to dodge an open spear than a hidden arrow. Rather than haphazardly adding a bunch of people to the camp and engaging in a wave of shadow-fighting to seize the fruits of victory after the open struggle ended, it was better to plan from the beginning: don't pull in too many interest groups, and be the biggest—and only—meritorious contributor yourself.
Unfortunately, hot weaponry was his trump card, and he didn't want to reveal it too early, even to Daenerys. Although his instinct strongly urged him to tell the Queen, "Rest assured, I have a massive weapon called artillery that can help Your Majesty steamroll the Seven Kingdoms—just sleep with me and I'll give it to you"... Egger suppressed this thought and proceeded according to the original plan.
Without exposing his trump card, what arguments and methods should he use to insist that Daenerys's correct line of thought was, in fact, wrong?
"Your Majesty's idea is not without merit, but it is not the best strategy. The reasons must be analyzed from both objective and subjective directions. Let me summarize before detailing: First, strike while the iron is hot—strike while he is weak. Second, the 'Principle of Inflicting Damage All at Once'."
"Continue, I am listening." Daenerys nodded—she liked hearing Egger explain these strange new concepts. Whether it was Littlefinger or Varys, they were more about getting it done for her or telling her what to do than explaining the principles. The Lord Commander before her, however, was using the most accessible language to truly help her become a better ruler.
"The logic of the first point is simple. The Reach that Your Majesty faces now has just experienced four wars: 'marching to the Vale with King Robert,' 'supporting Renly's claim,' 'resisting Stannis's retaliation,' and 'supporting Young Aegon against the Crownlands and Northern forces.' Although the ratio of military casualties is smaller than the other six kingdoms, the resource consumption is real. Objectively, it is in its weakest and most powerless state in centuries. Your Majesty's wish to rest and then act against them is a good idea, but it overlooks one thing: for the Reach, which occupies the most fertile and densely populated plains of the Seven Kingdoms, a single breath of respite will allow it to recover more strength through 'rest' than the Crownlands, Riverlands, and Stormlands you occupy combined!"
"The second principle is slightly more complex, mainly involving subjective factors: people's endurance for repeated harm has its limits. When you counter-attack Westeros to rebuild the True Dragon Dynasty, whether it be your friends, enemies, or onlookers—even if they don't support it—no one will feel Your Majesty is making a fuss out of nothing. After all, everyone has the right to revenge and to reclaim what was originally theirs. No matter how much domestic ruin or family separation the process causes, people will only sigh and say, 'Alas, this is war; casualties are inevitable'." Egger stared at Daenerys for a moment, and seeing she was listening, he continued: "But what if—after finally reclaiming the Seven Kingdoms and resting for two years—you force a new war because you attempt to swallow the Reach into the Greater Crownlands? Do you think the people of the Seven Kingdoms will feel the Reach's 'rebellion' is despicable, or will they think you are fickle and ungrateful, complaining, 'This damned Queen, why won't she just let everyone live in peace for a while'?"
"The core of the 'Principle of Inflicting Damage All at Once' lies here: by counter-attacking the Seven Kingdoms in the role of a Conqueror, the commoners and nobles already have a psychological expectation of the destruction you will cause. No matter how much damage you do to their interests during the conquest, the conquered will only feel you are powerful and invincible, possessing a certain tolerance for their injuries and finding it hard to harbor thoughts of revenge. But if you conquer them once and then immediately demand a Great Unification, and then follow that with a Great Reform... even the most peaceful person will become enraged. When that time comes, you will find that the people of the Seven Kingdoms do not look forward to the beautiful world you promised after breaking the wheel; instead, they will swarm to resist you as the new 'Mad Queen'!"
...
When favorability reaches a certain level, slight offenses are often completely ignored. Daenerys was not provoked by the title 'Mad Queen'; instead, she pondered Egger's ideas with a solemn face and finally agreed—he had a point.
"Very well, I will not enter an alliance with the Reach, even a temporary one. However, the envoys they sent are likely already waiting for me at my camp outside King's Landing. I can't just stupidly run over and say to them: 'I plan to annex the Reach to build a Greater Crownlands; don't bother helping me, go home and wash your necks for the executioner'? Strong as my Unsullied and Free Folk legions are, they cannot withstand being attacked from both front and back."
"This is exactly why I previously requested that you not reveal this plan to anyone—Lords Petyr Baelish and Varys may have no ulterior motives toward you, but they ultimately represent the interests of the old nobility. If you discuss 'breaking the wheel' with them, being opposed and mocked is secondary; the real fear is that word will leak out, causing the people of the Reach to become your enemies prematurely. My suggestion is: hide the true plan first. Instead, propose harsh conditions—such as limiting noble privileges or increasing taxes. Strike the right balance: don't refuse the alliance, but make the Reach so indignant that they refuse to support your attack on King's Landing, without being pushed so far that they attack you directly... Wait until the Night's Watch has dealt with the White Walkers and marches south to fight for you. After reclaiming the throne, then announce your true intentions and, in one fell swoop, sweep these old nobles into the dustbin of history!"
"I promise Your Majesty, how to win the war is not something you need to worry about. Just leave it to me!"
...
Silence returned to the room. After a long period of quiet and steady eye contact, the young Queen's solemn expression gradually transformed into one of understanding and relaxation.
Although she didn't know how the Night's Watch, with at most a few tens of thousands of people, could have the confidence to win against the Reach with its population of ten million, the legendary life story and confident demeanor of the Lord Commander before her, for some reason, made Daenerys willing to risk believing him.
"You have considered everything; I have no more questions," Daenerys said easily. "The reason I was in such a hurry to have you clear my doubts today is—I have to return south. As you said, I must state my position to the envoys of the Reach."
...
"Hmm?" Egger was greatly surprised. "The envoys of the Reach? Let them wait. Would House Tyrell actually dare to declare war on you just because you were late in receiving them?"
"Stating a position to the Reach is not the only reason I must leave, Lord Commander. You should have noticed: I have waited in this tower for three days." Daenerys's expression was soft and gentle, but her tone was quite serious. "I don't mean to complain or grumble, but in the south, my Unsullied and Free Folk legions are still fighting for me on the front lines, and the envoys of various lords are waiting to negotiate with me... With all the factions gathered at King's Landing, I cannot continue to waste time here regardless. I must re-clarify my policies and attitudes toward each land, and even if only by appearing in the sky on my dragon, deter the enemy and stabilize the army's morale."
As if fearing Egger might misunderstand, she continued: "It's not that I think dealing with the White Walkers is unimportant, but I must know exactly when this battle of Ice and Fire will occur to continue waiting. How about this, Egger—either you find a way to determine the enemy's location and I lead the three dragons to strike proactively with the Night's Watch for a quick resolution, or allow me to return south to handle some urgent matters and then come back to continue the wait. What do you think?"
A proactive strike? The scene from the TV show where the Queen angrily loses a dragon was still vivid in his mind. Without the protection of the Wall's magical barrier, the White Walkers, soaked in the power of the Great Other beyond the Wall, were creatures ferocious enough to slay dragons. Egger would rather not have the three dragons helping him than temporarily change the established strategy and drag tons of wildfire and dragonsteel bombs north... to fight the enemy on their home turf.
"I thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty, but the policy of the Night's Watch is set and will not be changed at the last minute... I also remind the Queen, if you truly consider the three dragons as your children, do not fly them over the Wall under any circumstances. Even standing atop the ice wall, I was nearly pierced by a White Walker's ice spear." Instinct made Egger wish the Dragon Queen wouldn't leave, but since he had no standing to stop her, he could only choose not to plead with her to stay: "As I emphasized before, you are a guest in Queenscrown and are free to act. Our agreement did not include sitting here waiting for the great war to arrive... But if you fly back south, and the White Walkers attack in the interim, how shall I notify you to return to the fight?"
"You don't need to worry about that. Moqorro's ships brought messenger ravens. There is a cage each for—Dragonstone, the Claw Isle, Duskendale, and Rosby. Should a situation arise, release all the ravens; at least one will get the message to my hand." Daenerys replied calmly, clearly having thought of the answer long ago. "This is also why I waited until the ships arrived before saying goodbye to you... I promise the Lord Commander, as long as I receive news of the White Walkers' attack, no matter when, no matter where, no matter what I am doing, I will immediately mount my dragon and rush to the Wall at top speed to fulfill our pact."
With things said to this extent, what further objection could Egger have? He could only express his gratitude for the Queen's sincere promise. He then stood to personally lead the way, guiding the guards to escort the Queen to the open area in Queenscrown closest to the small lake in the center of town, and stayed with her... until the black dragon landed with a whistling wind.
Likely sensing his mother's favor toward the man in black, Drogon didn't even snort at Egger this time. Daenerys elegantly ascended the flesh ladder provided by the black dragon, gripped the saddle, and after nodding to Egger, who had stepped back to stand at a distance, she galloped into the sky with a dash of style. She joined the other two dragons already circling in the air and flew southward without hesitation.
...
The Queen had come suddenly and left in a hurry. Watching Daenerys and the dragons quickly recede and gradually become three small black dots against the sky, Egger couldn't help but feel a sense of loss at losing such a powerful reinforcement... fortunately, it was only a sense of loss. The Night's Watch had prepared everything for their responsibility in the battle. Morale would not drop significantly nor would they panic just because the dragons were absent. As the Lord Commander in chief, what was on his mind now was instead another matter following the destruction of the White Walkers:
If the White Walkers truly attacked while Daenerys was back south handling worldly affairs, and the Night's Watch solved the trouble alone, what would become of the agreement reached previously?
Clearly, it would either be voided and Egger would seek another springboard, or it would have to be renegotiated. After all, Egger's previous promise—that as long as the Queen helped deal with the White Walkers, the Night's Watch would fight for her—was built on the premise that the help of three dragons would reduce the casualties and resource consumption of the Gift's soldiers and civilians. If Daenerys missed that war but still wanted to bring home a steamroller like the Night's Watch to help her flatten the Seven Kingdoms, she would clearly have to pay a... much higher price.
Standing by the dragon's landing field and blowing in the cold wind for a good while, Egger still hadn't clarified his thoughts. He shook his head and led the group of guards back toward the inner keep of Queenscrown.
What Egger didn't know was that watching Daenerys depart, besides the soldiers and civilians of Queenscrown where he stood, dozens of miles to the north beyond the Wall, high in the heavens, there was a shapeless but truly existing eye firmly locked onto the existence of the three magical dragons. Only after confirming they had all flown south out of its range of perception did it suddenly dissipate in a violent burst of energy, turning into an invisible magical signal, scattering in all directions toward every corner of heaven and earth.
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