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#225 - Chapter 35: Night of Chaos (Part 4)

Accompanying the fire that rose with the spring, the flames illuminated half the night sky. Many Qartheen residents were fortunate enough to witness the towering pillar of fire today.

Liu Yuan waved his hand, and a powerful gust of wind dispersed the thick black smoke that drifted over. He murmured, "Just as I thought! Zaro, that fat black fellow, is indeed plotting against the other magnates. He hired all the free mercenaries in the city at a high price, strengthening himself while weakening others. He'll host a gathering, assassinate the Twelve Magnates, and with no leaders, he'll swallow their wealth and industries, rapidly bolstering his own power. Once he has enough leverage, he'll negotiate terms with the royals in the inner city. Tsk, can't underestimate these people."

Qarth's political system is quite interesting. The immense profits from monopolizing East-West trade have caused the merchant class's power to swell dramatically, even to the point of influencing royal succession. Later, a wise monarch came up with a good solution: relinquishing power and establishing a system similar to a constitutional monarchy, granting the merchant guilds governance over the middle and outer cities. The Ancient Guild of Spicers and the Tourmaline Brotherhood both ruled for a time. After the rise of the Thirteen Magnates, the administrative power gradually fell into their hands, forming an institution akin to a city council. Both sides possess sufficient power to check each other.

In the middle city, teams of mercenaries charged into the wealthy district's mansions, engaging in fierce battles with the guards of the residences. After Zaro arrived at the barracks and killed some officers who refused to join him, promising large rewards, he finally gained control of the two thousand middle city defense force. He now controls nearly twelve thousand troops. Zaro sent another thousand to suppress the wealthy merchants' armed forces, while he led the remaining troops to approach the inner city.

Near the Gates of the Gods, the 3,000 men sent earlier were confronting the royal army. Many bodies lay scattered on the open ground in front, indicating that conflicts had already broken out, but the situation seemed stable for now.

The royals all reside in the inner city, responsible for Qarth's defense, including commanding the powerful warships. The inner city is garrisoned by a field army of about six thousand, Qartheen warriors clad in bronze scale armor, wearing long-snouted helmets adorned with copper teeth and long black feathers. Half of them are armored camel cavalry, the true regular army of Qarth, and they also have the royal family's direct army, a palace guard of over a thousand.

At the first sign of unrest in the middle city, the royal family dispatched troops. A mere three hundred soldiers were ambushed by a group of mercenaries as soon as they exited the Gates of the Gods, with only a few dozen escaping back.

Unacceptable! Qarth's regular army was beaten back in their own city by a band of mercenaries. The commanding general immediately mobilized another two thousand men, with five hundred armored camel cavalry leading the way. The mercenaries piled obstacles outside the Gates of the Gods and set them ablaze, but they still couldn't break through. After a fierce battle, both sides suffered hundreds of casualties, resulting in a stalemate.

After Zaro led reinforcements to arrive, the strength of the two sides was nearly equal. Both he and the royal family were hesitant to act rashly, as military force was the guarantee of power, and neither wanted to suffer losses easily.

It must be said that standing high offers a broad view; Liu Yuan could even see the movements near the Gates of the Gods. He sighed softly, "Centuries of comfortable living have turned these royals into good-for-nothings." Faced with such a rebellion, there should be no hesitation; they should suppress it with all their might. Otherwise, the loss of royal authority will embolden the enemy, who will take every inch given.

Liu Yuan took out a small paper tube and gently pulled it. "Bang, bang, bang!" A series of red and green fireworks shot into the sky. The gates of the Day and Night Trading Company's residence and the surrounding shops swung open, and teams of warriors clad in black heavy armor marched out. A full six full-strength infantry battalions, with their spears held diagonally and gleaming with a chilling light, moved in orderly steps. Led by the trading company's personnel, these heavy-armored warriors headed straight for the Thirteen Magnates' residences. Whenever they encountered looters along the way, they would simply chop them down.

Inside the opulent residence of the Copper Magnate, a large number of mercenaries poured in, killing anyone they saw and looting anything of value. The guards of the residence desperately resisted, but they were too few in number and were beaten back steadily.

At this moment, a large number of soldiers poured in, their entire bodies shrouded in black heavy armor. Without a word, they directly attacked the mercenaries. These soldiers were not only well-equipped but also incredibly powerful.

"Puchi, puchi!" Under the thrust of the spears, mercenaries fell to the ground in droves. Any mercenaries who desperately charged forward were crushed to death by the huge shields.

These soldiers were like cold-blooded killing machines, and soon the mercenaries collapsed. They turned to flee, but the area was already surrounded, and they were quickly driven out from the other courtyards and rooms.

These soldiers had no intention of leaving anyone alive; even those who surrendered could not escape a blade. Such brutal methods frightened the guards of the residence so much that they threw down their weapons and squatted down with their heads in their hands. The soldiers walked up, poked them with their spears, and said, "Go squat over there, don't get in the way here." Then, with one hand, they lifted a gilded ivory statue from behind them and carried it on their shoulders.

Daenerys, protected by her guards, returned to the residence and happened to see the teams of soldiers departing. Jorah Mormont looked serious; he had seen the world and knew that these soldiers were well-equipped and disciplined. If he had fifty thousand such soldiers, he would be confident in sweeping across the entire Westeros.

The six surviving magnates, with only a few guards, also came over. Hektor exclaimed, "I've long heard that the Day and Night Legion is the number one mercenary group in Essos, and now that I've seen them, they truly live up to their reputation!"

Daenerys asked Belwas, "Are these all Khalon's troops?"

Belwas said, "Khaleesi, these are the heavy armored infantry of the Northern Legion, a unit specializing in urban warfare."

Hektor said, "Respected Khaleesi, could you please send someone to escort us home? I'm worried that Zaro's men will steal the wealth in our homes."

Daenerys looked at Belwas, who said, "Alright! Khaleesi, I'll go ask for you." He went to the residence, and Shawn came back with him a moment later.

Shawn said, "Sorry, Khaleesi was busy with work earlier. It's best for the magnates not to leave; their residences have already been occupied. Our people have already rushed to support them. After we clear out the enemy, you can go back."

The Magnates (⋟﹏⋞) Home gone! Money gone!