Game of Thrones: King of Harrenhal, starting with a blue hand stat panel

King's Road, Royal Pass, all the way north.

A gold banner with black bats fluttered in the wind as knights galloped on horseback.

Wherever the flag bearer went, everyone else scattered and hid.

Arthur returned to Harrenhal with Ser Lucas Dayne, his squire Lucas Rutter, Wiri Ward, and the entire entourage.

Today, the seven kingdoms are in a state of peace and prosperity, with no cripples or bandits on the roads, and the journey is smooth.

The harmonious scene is delightful.

However, this is not true peace, but rather a preparation for the next war.

Robert's Rebellion wasn't even over yet. Next came Greyjoy's Rebellion, and the nascent War of the Five Kings.

Now, we are exchanging a long summer and peace for the bloodiest and most brutal war to welcome the arrival of winter.

"It feels so good to be home!" Arthur said, a sword hanging from his waist.

The hilt is shaped like a bat's head, while the guard is made of two wings.

It was a gift given to him by Sir Barristan Selmy.

Arthur can leverage the power of King's Landing and make strategic moves; Harrenhal and Whitewalls are his eternal foundation.

Unless they were officials in King's Landing, most lords lived in their own fiefdoms.

The lords of Wangling and the vassal states of Donghejian and Fengbaodi are somewhat special.

King's Landing had the greatest siphon effect on them, and many lords had private residences or properties there.

On Arthur's carriage were some goods being taken back to Harrenhal.

There were also a dozen or so beautiful yew wood longbows, and a gold-hearted wood longbow gifted by the tyrant.

Arthur benefited greatly from this trip to King's Landing.

King's Landing served as a major hub for communication among feudal lords, greatly facilitating interpersonal interaction.

Power, in essence, is about increasing your friends and decreasing your enemies.

The Frey and Muton families of the Eastern Riverlands, the Lake and Thorne families of the Royal Territory—these are all families worth befriending.

Even in the West River Valley, the Brecken and Melissant families are negotiable.

The local connections in King's Landing were with Ser Barristan and Lord Commander Genos of the Gold Robes.

There was another person observing from the shadows, "Eight-Clawed Spider" Varys.

Although Varys did not appear in person, he was familiar with everything.

Spiders observe and wait over the years.

Children who are not yet grown up cannot realize their dream of stealing the sky and changing the world.

"This trip was well worth it," Sir Lucas said in a deep voice. "We not only witnessed a grand ceremony, but also gained a great deal."

"It's a pity we've obtained too few yew longbows, and we haven't yet encountered a good bow maker," Arthur said with regret.

Being a longbow maker is a skilled job, and being a master craftsman who makes longbows is an even more skilled job.

"It's all about human effort; we've already done quite well to get this much."

"Entering King's Landing, one sees the Seven Kingdoms. King's Landing is, after all, King's Landing, a dazzling illusion." Arthur spurred his horse forward.

The horses galloped forward, and Arthur sighed inwardly.

. . .

Harrenhal, Tower of the King.

Upon returning from his travels, Arthur first went into Earl Walter Hoan's room.

Pushing open the oak door with bat patterns, the room was still ridiculously large.

Arthur sat beside the Earl's desk, and the two began to talk.

Earl Walter's room contains a beautiful map of the seven kingdoms, with a focus on the Riverlands.

That's how men are; they love their territory the most.

"Ranley's still a child, and he's been promoted so directly. I don't know if Robert is being generous or just confused. Governor of Stormlands, Duke of Storm's End, in charge of taxes and subjects, and he's not even a regent yet." Earl Walter was quite shocked. "If King Robert directly governs Storm's End, the treasury's revenue will increase significantly."

After all, Robert was far too casual.

Robert was spending money quickly on one hand, and distributing land and taxes on the other; it felt like his left and right brains were fighting each other.

Earl Walter's perspective was from a tax perspective.

It is very difficult to increase taxes in the territories of the Seven Kingdoms; they all follow established practices.

All territorial taxes are levied proportionally.

The king and the great lords each took a portion, which was also the source of revenue for the great lords to oppose the king.

Just like in the Riverlands, the River An family gave Tuli money, as well as money to the royal family.

Robert could have taken all of Stormland's taxes.

"The King is magnanimous; he loves his brother," Arthur said calmly. "There is the King's decree, and the lords of the seven kingdoms as witnesses. This matter is settled."

"Alright, let's not think about it for now. Renly is still young. Even if Cersei and Stannis are unwilling, they wouldn't dare to complain to the king. Besides, even Jon Arryn and Tywin Lannister can't sway the king's mind," Earl Walter pondered.

"Have Sir Barristan and the Kingslayer seen you, Arthur?" Earl Walter asked again.

"Yes," Arthur nodded. "Both of them were extremely kind to me; Ser Barristan gave me a longsword, and Ser Jaime gave me a longbow."

"Jaime, the Kingslayer. I remember it was at Harrenhal that King Aerys appointed him Kingsguard, and your great-uncle helped him up. Luckily Tywin wasn't there, or he would have argued with the king on the spot and turned against him. Even after the Kingslayer incident at King's Landing, he didn't resign from the White Knights." Earl Walter slowly revealed. "That's how it is. He's always been like that; even someone as domineering as Tywin couldn't control him. Even considering the past, it's best to keep some distance from him."

Tywin was such a proud, even petty person.

The Mad King kept provoking him, no wonder Tywin came at the last minute.

"I understand," Arthur nodded.

"And then there are family business matters," Arthur continued. "Harrenhal's business is booming in King's Landing. To ensure business success, it's essential to make friends. I've cultivated a relationship with Lord Commander Genos of the Gold Robes."

"But is Genos reliable? What if he leaves? We'll have to buy off a new one," Earl Walter added doubtfully.

"Friends based on mutual benefit are reliable for now. And I don't think he'll fall during the king's reign," Arthur said simply.

"It's difficult to go down, alright then." Earl Walter laughed heartily. "That suits the King's style, doesn't it?"

Earl Walter also figured out the crux of the matter.

King Robert loved laughter, money, flatterers, warriors, and anyone who made him feel comfortable.

Robert was very fickle when it came to women.

In politics, however, the emphasis is mostly on inaction and stagnation.

This is the same set of ministers; they'll be the same people until they die.

Compared to the fickle mad king, they are like two extremes.

"Very well, you handle these matters. Sweet corn, carrots. This money will be the new foundation of the family. Last time Robert and Arryn made their move, we suffered a huge loss," Earl Walter said with satisfaction. "Some of those golden dragons will be used for savings, and a small portion will be used to train the clan's soldiers and repair the castle. Peace is not permanent."

"I brought back some yew longbows," Arthur added finally. "When the Seven Kingdoms go to war, the Riverlands bleed."

"Robert calls himself a hero, but a hero is not a good ruler," Earl Walter mused.

The instability of the seven kingdoms was a sign that many people could see.

The lion and the rose are not easy to talk to, yet they are the strongest.

But when it will start and how long the chaos will last are all guesses.

After all, Robert and Jon Arrynway were still pulling things along, creating a harmonious scene.

Earl Walter looked at Arthur, the flames of the past still burning in his heart.

"Every Earl of Harrenhal has dreamed of surpassing the Tully family and becoming the true King of the Riverlands. They tried, but always ended in failure. I became close to Rhaegar for that very reason, but Rhaegar was utterly defeated. Now, the hope of the family rests on your shoulders, Arthur."

"You have great faith in me. But I cannot bring prosperity to He'an; I must destroy it," Arthur said dramatically, which was also true.

"Power is a gamble. If we hadn't attacked Rostan at the last minute and then sided with King Mecca, we'd still be lowly knights," Earl Walter said through gritted teeth, looking at Arthur. "If you like power, then go for it."

Arthur looked at his grandfather and nodded.

In this land of four battlegrounds, they were destined to engage in bloody warfare no matter what.

Even if they surrender, Tywin's beastmen will still burn the city and the fields.

Harrenhal is not a river crossing or a coastal city, so you can stay far away from it.

"Chaos lies hidden behind peace. And I am determined to prepare for both possibilities." Arthur already had a plan in mind.

We must take advantage of the situation, developing our capabilities on one hand and strengthening our forces on the other.

What will the world be like in the future? The answer is quite simple.

When the Deer King died, the seven kingdoms were divided.