ebookpocket.com #444 - Chapter 178 Cersei's Determination
#444 - Chapter 178 Cersei's Determination
After careful selection, Liu Yuan finally settled on two cultivation methods: "Nine Yin Manual Refining Spirit Chapter" and "Yi Jin Jing". Both of these cultivation methods are peerless secrets in the martial world, capable of helping cultivators condense their minds and enhance their spiritual power, precisely what Liu Yuan currently needs.
In the days that followed, Liu Yuan devoted himself wholeheartedly to the cultivation of these two methods. He diligently comprehended their essence and strived to cultivate according to their requirements. Every breath, every movement, was a solidification of his spirit. As his cultivation progressed, Liu Yuan discovered that although the spiritual energy of heaven and earth he absorbed and converted into internal force was not much, this internal force was insignificant compared to the vast true essence within his body, like a drop of water in the ocean.
However, he could clearly feel a slight increase in his spiritual power. His originally somewhat drowsy brain became exceptionally clear, and his thinking became sharper.
He secretly rejoiced, realizing that this method was indeed effective! Although the effect was minimal, as long as he persevered, he would one day be able to completely solve the problem of insufficient spiritual power. With this thought, Liu Yuan's heart was filled with confidence.
However, cultivation is, after all, a long and arduous process, and he was well aware that he had been neglecting his practice for a long time. Therefore, returning to his peak state was not something that could be achieved overnight. But based on the feeling just now, this method had a very weak effect on the growth of spiritual power, and it was necessary to work hard with perseverance.
Therefore, he resolved to set aside a certain amount of time each day for cultivation, constantly improving his strength. At the same time, he also hoped that through this method, his spiritual power could be better exercised and enhanced. Only in this way could he truly make his cultivation path smoother.
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On the other side, Daenerys, after settling in New Harrenhal, began to focus on her pregnancy. Nevertheless, her Queen's Guard was not idle. They were divided into several groups, stationed at the front lines, keeping a close eye on the Westerlands and King's Landing, maintaining sufficient pressure at all times.
This not only effectively prevented enemy sneak attacks but also allowed them to keep track of enemy movements at any time, so as to take timely countermeasures.
Although the soldiers' tasks were arduous, their morale remained high. This was mainly due to the generous salaries and benefits Daenerys provided them. In this turbulent era, it was not easy to have a stable and well-paid job. Therefore, the soldiers were filled with gratitude towards Daenerys and were willing to serve her.
In addition, Daenerys also took a series of measures to improve the combat effectiveness of the army. She focused on the training and equipment updates of the soldiers, ensuring that they all had certain combat skills and sophisticated equipment.
Under Daenerys' leadership, the Queen's Guard gradually became a powerful military force. It is believed that in the near future, this army will become a solid backing for Daenerys to realize her great cause of domination.
Even the armed forces drawn from various families were paid by Daenerys Targaryen herself. Of course, they were happy to have money without fighting.
The Dragon Queen's reputation was well known, and the military power she possessed was very powerful, even astonishing.
First, there were the 'Winter Wolves' and 'Falcon Guard' composed of more than six thousand people, almost all of whom were elite cavalry. Their speed and impact were amazing.
Secondly, there were the 'Riverland Army' and 'Red Crab Army' mainly composed of infantry, with a total of eight thousand people. Their combat effectiveness and endurance were also considerable.
Next was the 'Fire Stag Army' led by Bran Stark. Despite experiencing many battles, it still had nearly six thousand soldiers, and its strength should not be underestimated.
Then there was the Queen's direct force, twenty-five thousand carefully selected Dothraki warriors, who were the most valiant warriors on the grassland, with amazing combat effectiveness. In addition, there were ten thousand Beast-Faced warriors, composed of the Lion-Faced heavy infantry and the Eagle-Faced crossbowmen. Their equipment was sophisticated and their training was well-organized.
The major and minor lords from all over also responded to the call and contributed eight thousand noble armed forces. Although the number was not large, their equipment and quality were very average.
Finally, there were nine thousand warriors sent by the newly attached 'Free Folk'. They were brave and unafraid of death, led by Tormund, and were also a force to be reckoned with.
The above-mentioned forces alone totaled nearly seventy-five thousand people, and this was only a part of it. In addition, Daenerys still had tens of thousands of troops overseas who could support the war in Westeros at any time.
In addition, Liu Yuan had 30,000 regular garrison troops in Highgarden. The existence of this army alone made King's Landing dare not act rashly. Sitting on such a huge military force gave Daenerys enough confidence to face any enemy.
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At this time, the atmosphere in King's Landing became increasingly tense and uneasy.
Dragon Queen Daenerys Targaryen displayed her power and majesty to the entire continent of Westeros with her suffocating military strength, especially the four giant dragons soaring in the sky. People couldn't help but recall the scene when she landed with only three dragons. The current Dragon Queen seemed to be even more powerful.
In such a situation, almost no one was optimistic about the future of the Red Keep. Tommen Baratheon's character was not suitable for the heavy responsibility of being a king. In peacetime, he might be able to cope with it reluctantly; but in wartime, especially when facing such a powerful enemy, what was needed was a firm, decisive, and wise leader.
Now, Queen Margaery Tyrell had become estranged from the king due to the death of her father, Duke Mace Tyrell. Tommen himself was also in deep self-doubt. At first, he firmly believed that the church could not be confronted and should be cooperated with.
However, after Marquis Garon led his army into the city, he not only wiped out the Faith of the Seven but also brutally massacred tens of thousands of believers and clergy. He completely ignored his existence as king, burned the Great Sept of Baelor to the ground, and then left!
This made Tommen's rule shake, and his heart was full of confusion and doubt. And two months ago, Marquis Garon unhesitatingly abandoned him, the monarch, and joined the Dragon Queen's camp.
What's worse, the master of whisperers trusted by his father and brother, Varys, had always been a Targaryen family spy. Before he left, he took the opportunity to kill his father-in-law, Duke Mace Tyrell. The death of Duke Mace not only caused a split between the royal family and the Tyrell family but also brought her relationship with Queen Margaery to a freezing point.
Tommen was essentially still a child. When faced with unbearable pressure, he chose to escape! Tommen locked himself in his bedroom and did not leave.
Faced with so much betrayal and difficulty, Cersei felt extremely anxious. She realized that she could not compete with the Dragon Queen with her own strength, so she was also nervously planning. She had to find a way to protect herself and also to win more support for her son. But she didn't know what to do to salvage the situation and could only anxiously wait for the opportunity to appear.
Cersei decided to seek the support of allies. She sent envoys to the Iron Islands, trying to persuade the Greyjoy family to ally with her. However, whether these efforts would succeed was still unknown.
So, Cersei decided to use other tricks. She came to the second floor of the dungeon, which was the dungeon supervisor's room. Qyburn moved here after taking over as Master of Laws, saying it was convenient for research. The Mountain opened the door for her, but his body trembled unconsciously, as if it aroused bad memories.
Qyburn was entertaining a large group of children in the room. The Mountain's sudden intrusion startled the children, who hid behind the table. Qyburn comforted them: "Don't worry, they are all friends. This big guy is just scary to look at. Okay, remember to let me know if anything happens. Take the candy with you when you leave."
The children took the candy and carefully bypassed the Mountain and Cersei, and then hurried away. Qyburn tidied up his experimental table and saluted Cersei: "Good day, Queen Mother. Is there anything you need from me in this doghouse?"
Cersei covered her nose and mouth with a handkerchief. To be honest, the smell inside was really not good. She frowned and said somewhat displeasedly: "Lord Qyburn, the smell here is really unbearable."
Qyburn smiled helplessly and explained: "Queen Mother, this is a dungeon after all, the conditions are limited, please forgive me."
Cersei nodded and her gaze fell on Qyburn's experimental table. There wasn't even a clean seat in the room, so she didn't bother to be polite. Cersei waved her hand, indicating that he didn't need to mind, and then asked directly: "Qyburn, have you made any progress on the matter I asked you to investigate last time?"
Qyburn nodded and said rather helplessly: "Reporting to the Queen Mother, after consulting the classics and the investigation of the 'little birds', we found the cellars where the wildfire was stored. The scale is beyond imagination, but..."
Hearing this, Cersei's eyes lit up and she said in surprise: "That's great, but what are the difficulties?"
Qyburn: "Unfortunately, Your Majesty, someone beat us to it. When my people were investigating, they found that the cellars had been emptied, and it was not long ago."
Cersei's face suddenly darkened. She widened her eyes and said in disbelief: "What! Emptied! Who did it?" The massive amount of wildfire hidden under King's Landing was the only chance she could think of to make a comeback. If she lost this wildfire, she would fall into despair.
Qyburn: "It was Marquis Garon. On the day he wiped out the Faith of the Seven, the 'little birds' saw his army blocking the entrances and exits of those cellars. Since then, no one has approached these places."
"Bastard! This robber...@#@#****!@..." Cersei slapped the items on the table away, spewing venom.
Qyburn looked at the glass beakers and couldn't help but feel a pang of pain in his heart. These instruments were not cheap. They were all obtained by him with painstaking effort from Grand Maester Pycelle. Seeing that Cersei had vented almost enough, he carefully stepped forward to comfort her: "Your Majesty, please calm down! I once asked the Alchemist's Guild, and the wise Hallyne said that if they put all their efforts into production, they could produce a maximum of twenty jars of wildfire per week. However, all of this is based on ensuring a sufficient supply of raw materials, but given the current situation in King's Landing, it is difficult to meet this requirement."
Hearing this, Cersei's face became even more gloomy. She waved her hand impatiently, signaling Qyburn to continue. So, Qyburn continued with some hesitation: "Your Majesty, there is another bad news... Several major mercenary groups in Essos have rejected our employment request. They are unwilling to be enemies with the Sun and Moon Legion, and they doubt whether we can afford the high rewards. In addition, the Iron Bank has clearly refused to provide any loans to the Iron Throne, and is urging us to repay the money as soon as possible. It is said that they themselves are in great trouble! It seems that the vault was stolen and a large sum of money was lost."
Cersei's face was so gloomy that water seemed to drip from it. She clenched her teeth tightly and squeezed out a sentence from between her teeth: "These greedy guys! In that case, tell them that the Iron Throne will delay repayment of the loan."
Qyburn frowned slightly and hesitated for a moment before saying: "There is some good news though. Euron Greyjoy of the Iron Islands sent back a message that he agreed to the alliance proposal. The Iron Fleet is ready to set off at any time, and he is confident of breaking the blockade fleet of Dragonstone. However..."
Cersei stared at Qyburn with sharp eyes and asked: "However what? Speak quickly!"
Qyburn took a deep breath and mustered up the courage to say: "Euron of the Iron Islands has made a rather excessive request..."
A flash of anger flashed in Cersei's eyes and she said coldly: "An excessive request? Tell me about it."
Qyburn hesitated and said: "Euron of the Iron Islands has proposed a marriage alliance with you. He said that as long as you agree to marry him, Euron will lead the invincible Iron Fleet and 30,000 Ironborn warriors to fight for you!"
Hearing this news, Cersei suppressed the anger in her heart and slowly sat down. Her fingers kept tapping on the table, making crisp sounds. She secretly calculated in her heart that the situation in front of her was becoming more and more difficult, but she would never give up the power in her hands easily. She knew very well that she had fallen into a desperate situation. If she lost her power, a tragic end would await her. She must protect Tommen's throne, because only in this way could she ensure that she had supreme power. To this end, she could use any means, even at the cost of sacrificing everything.
At this moment, Cersei's eyes were unusually cold, full of determination and decisiveness. She said firmly: "Tell Euron that as long as he can defeat Daenerys' fleet and break the blockade of Dragonstone on the Gullet, I will fulfill his request."