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#370 - Chapter 104: The Enemy Arrives at the Capital (I)

The refugees who witnessed all of this were terrified. They silently left the main road, watching the marching army with fear and awe. The long period of peace had made them forget the respect they should have for power, and even that they had been able to live safely to this day because of the lord's protection. They once thought they could stay out of it and enjoy peace and tranquility, but now they realized how naive and foolish that idea was.

In this world, the strong always have absolute say and control. When faced with powerful forces, the weak can only choose to submit or flee.

As the army marched further away, the fear in the refugees' hearts gradually subsided. But they knew that this experience would be etched in their memories forever, reminding them to be vigilant and not to forget their reverence for the strong. At this moment, they were filled with regret, regretting that they had been meddling in things they shouldn't have and supporting the church.

As night deepened, the army chose to set up camp in a wide area between Rosby and King's Landing for a brief rest. Liu Yuan gathered his generals to discuss strategy, analyzing with a serious expression, "Everyone, we will arrive at King's Landing tomorrow morning. Our target is the Church of the Seven, but we must not directly rush into King's Landing, as that would cause unnecessary trouble. I will first send envoys into the city to negotiate with the Red Keep. If they refuse to let us pass, then don't blame us for being impolite!"

The generals nodded in agreement with Liu Yuan's decision and decided to send envoys to King's Landing early the next morning.

Meanwhile, inside King's Landing, the high-level officials of the Red Keep were also urgently discussing countermeasures. King Tommen, Queen Margaery, and Queen Mother Cersei all participated in the meeting. They were all keenly aware of the danger. According to scouts, the army led by Liu Yuan was powerful and not to be underestimated, especially since he could gather tens of thousands of troops so easily and was expected to approach King's Landing tomorrow.

At this time, King's Landing only had seven thousand Gold Cloaks and fifteen hundred Lannister soldiers, along with five hundred Tyrell soldiers under the command of Queen Margaery. For a time, everyone was plunged into a tense atmosphere, praying that this crisis could be resolved smoothly.

Duke Tyrell said, "I think that Marquis Garon brought his troops to King's Landing only to target the Church of the Seven. As long as we make way, we can avoid conflict. Letting them fight with the church is beneficial to us."

Queen Margaery frowned, disagreeing with this view. She said, "If we ignore them and allow them to wreak havoc in King's Landing, the city's order will be disrupted, and the people will suffer. Moreover, if Marquis Garon is really only targeting the Church of the Seven, why would he bring so many troops? This is clearly a prepared attack."

Cersei said, "We cannot be careless. Garon is known for his madness. If he has rebellious intentions, putting Garon's army into the city, no one will be able to stop him."

Hearing this, Tommen became very nervous, and Margaery squeezed his hand, saying, "My grandmother is currently leading the Tyrell family's reinforcements and will arrive soon."

After a moment of silence, Queen Mother Cersei opened her mouth and said, "In any case, we cannot sit idly by and wait for death. We must find a way to deal with this crisis. Perhaps we can send envoys to negotiate with Marquis Garon to see if we can resolve this peacefully. At the same time, we must strengthen the city's defenses, just in case."

King Tommen nodded, agreeing with his mother's opinion. He said, "Then send the Hand of the King. He has always been eloquent, and hopefully, he can persuade Marquis Garon to withdraw his troops."

Everyone's eyes focused on Kevan, making him very uncomfortable, as he had just been appointed as the Hand of the King.

Kevan took a deep breath, trying to remain calm. He said, "I am personally willing to undertake this task, but I am not familiar with Marquis Garon. Such an important matter, if there are problems in communication, I am afraid I will disappoint His Majesty and everyone's trust."

"Lord Kevan is too modest. Marquis Garon was on good terms with Tyrion and Jaime back then, he will still give you face." The voice was sharp, and it was Varys, who rarely spoke much at meetings.

Everyone echoed and applauded in support, but in this enthusiastic atmosphere, Kevan noticed several unfriendly gazes. His heart sank. Damn it! He's been set up! Kevan looked over and found that Cersei, among others, had a playful look on her face. The honor of a nobleman prevented him from backing down.

Amidst the applause, Kevan stood up, a firm expression on his face. "Since everyone trusts me so much, I will do my best and not fail my mission."

After the meeting, Kevan decided to immediately conduct an in-depth investigation into Liu Yuan's situation. He sent specialists to collect information, carefully studying Liu Yuan's personality traits, hobbies, and past behavior.

The next morning, as the sun rose, Kevan led a team of elite guards on their journey. He was determined that as long as Marquis Garon did not actively attack the Red Keep, he would not hesitate to agree to any conditions the other party proposed. After all, there was no loss for him—Casterly Rock, which he had painstakingly planned for, had fallen into Jaime's hands; and his son Lancel, whom he had high hopes for, had long been completely brainwashed by the Church of the Seven and become useless. Now, Kevan was no longer bound by traditional responsibilities and obligations and began to let himself go.

When Kevan and his party arrived at the camp in front of the Iron Gate, Commander of the Guard Jeryns and many of his subordinates had been waiting there for a long time. Last night, Jeryns had also attended that important meeting, so he was very clear about Kevan's purpose.

Kevan went straight to the point and said, "Has Garon's army arrived?"

Jeryns replied, "Not yet, but it should be soon. According to those fleeing civilians, they are less than two leagues away from King's Landing."

Before long, billowing dust rose on the avenue outside the city, and vaguely, banners could be seen fluttering. An army with strict discipline and neat military appearance was slowly approaching the city walls. These two were both seasoned generals who had fought on the battlefield for many years, so they naturally understood what they were seeing.

Kevan sighed heavily. "Ser Jeryns, order the city gates to be opened! I want to personally go and see Marquis Garon."

Jeryns quickly responded, "Yes, my Lord Hand, please be careful!"