Game of Thrones: The Black Dragon King

"I recommend the faith in the Seven Gods..." Saladin said in a startling statement.

Reid glanced at Saladin's earnest eyes, Wolf's calm expression, and the Caliph's nonchalant sip of his non-alcoholic beverage.

"I thought you would recommend a crescent moon or a cross to me..."

"Is that okay?" The three of them's eyes lit up for a moment.

Reed pursed his lips. "I've always been wary of ghosts and spirits."

"I knew it..." Wolf said with an expression that said, "I knew it."

"That's not surprising, considering you haven't unlocked the church structure yet," Saladin said, spreading his hands.

"After all, I am a person without faith..."

"No! You do! But your faith is too advanced for us to comprehend," Saladin immediately interrupted.

"..."

"I can roughly understand the reasons behind your concerns and restraint, but given the reality that 99% of the people are illiterate, limited knowledge and deliberate manipulation by those with ulterior motives can lead to uncontrollable disasters. Religion and faith, to some extent, are both a constraint and a protection." Seeing that his monarch was still wavering, Saladin continued to add fuel to the fire.

"At the same time, the beliefs of ordinary people and the poor are like farmland. If you don't plant crops, weeds blown by the wind will soon take root and sprout. Eradicating them is more tiring than farming. At least in the current situation, a religion that is officially endorsed and obeys the authorities is more beneficial than harmful."

Reid looked at Saladin in silence for a while, then sighed. "First, tell me your reasons for recommending the Seven Gods."

"Because the Seven Gods have no miracles; and they are the only religious force that approached us seeking official cooperation, of course, they are the lower-level priests."

"?!"

"The followers of Rahlor really can use fire magic; I've seen them resurrect the dead and cast prophecies of fire. The black goats of Kohor can really grant some trivial requests after enjoying sacrifices. The Old Gods really do have alien beings; in history, their prophets have even used the hammer of the sea..."

"What we need is a shackle to control the minds of the people at the bottom, not a true god."

"Well, while this may sound harsh to us, as members of the ruling class, we can only say, yes..." Saladin said somewhat helplessly. "At the same time, this is what I find strange. Logically speaking, monarchy and religion are each other's 'essential needs.' Monarchy needs the legitimacy of divine right of kings from religion, needs religion to educate the people, reduce resistance to rule, and needs the ethical and moral order brought by religion to stabilize the people under its rule. Religion, on the other hand, needs the protection and endorsement of monarchy, to provide it with land, wealth, privileges, to help spread its faith, and to suppress heresy."

"As a newly emerging monarchy that has not yet made a clear statement on matters of faith, we should be highly sought after by these religious groups, but they have shown an almost bizarre restraint in seeking official endorsement."

"Caliph, take this question with you and investigate this matter."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"Let's get back to the Seven Gods."

"Since you have chosen Princess Rhaenyra of the Iron Throne as your marriage partner, the Seven Gods faith can effectively eliminate cultural and religious differences, which will be helpful to your future confederation of seven kingdoms."

Reid leaned back in his chair, rubbing his throbbing temples with his fingertips, feeling utterly overwhelmed. "Divine authority cannot supersede royal authority."

"That's natural."

"We must ensure it is usable and controllable."

"Once the church building is unlocked, none of this will be a problem. Priests and armed priests will promote the deals you've made, and Ben will launch religious trials as needed to purge heretics."

"The old town..."

"The crescent moon has a kinship faction and a theoretical faction, the cross has four or five different shapes, and the seven gods can also have two different styles of seven-pointed stars, can't they?" Saladin said slyly.

"The authorities haven't commented; everything is a spontaneous action by grassroots groups." Reid's gaze swept over the three men, his voice hoarse with weariness. "In Meereen, slaves have the freedom to believe or not believe, the freedom to worship any god. No sect may offer sacrifices or engage in fighting in public, no human sacrifice, no extravagance in any form, no coercion or inducement of others to believe, and no temple may accept donations or alms from believers. Violators will be severely punished! Draft me a written law based on this!"

"I understand. Divine authority must be suppressed under secular authority. I'll take care of it."

After Saladin finished his report, the Caliph stepped forward.

"Astapo and Yunkai are becoming increasingly active. They have joined forces with the remnants of old Giscali to form an allied army called the 'Giscali Defenders Alliance,' which claims to number 50,000. They are currently gathering on Yunkai's border, vowing to raze Meereen and reclaim their 'property.' Not only that, they have also sent a large number of spies to infiltrate Meereen. Recently, there have been frequent cases of arson, theft, and murder in the city. Some people have even incited riots in the slave quarters, saying that we outsiders are going to drag Meereen into an abyss of no return."

He paused, then added, "Furthermore, regarding those former slave owners who surrendered, before you left you assigned them to lower-level positions as clerks and managers. Their performance over the past month can be divided into three categories."

Reed nodded slightly, signaling him to continue.

"Most people are still quite law-abiding," Harry said, unfolding the parchment. His voice was calm and even. "They complete their tasks step by step every day, but they are just going through the motions. They drift through life aimlessly, their former arrogance gone, and they have no hope for the future. They are just walking corpses."

"A small number of people harbor resentment and have never truly submitted." The Caliph's tone suddenly turned cold: "We have captured several individuals who were in contact with the Astapor envoys. They took advantage of their positions as administrators to secretly pass on intelligence about the city's defenses to the allied forces outside the city, and even secretly funded the Harpy's Sons' raids, intending to overthrow our rule from within and without."

"And then there's another group, quite unexpected," the Caliph's tone softened slightly, a hint of approval on his face. "They are ambitious, diligent, and have even made some tangible contributions to Meereen. For example, your old friend Sizdala, using his old connections, persuaded smugglers from several free trading cities to secretly transport a batch of seeds and medicinal herbs to us. He also reorganized the warehouses in the west of the city, cleared up the chaotic accounts, and proposed a way to exchange salt, copper, and iron tools for livestock and manpower from the surrounding centaur tribes, solving our immediate crisis. Pardala is even more interesting; his coppersmith workshop came up with a strange idea of ​​covering the bottom of ships with copper sheets, which is said to effectively reduce ship maintenance costs and increase speed by about 20%."

Reid stopped tapping, a hint of contemplation flashing in his eyes.

"Those who are law-abiding but muddle-headed, set up assessment rules for them. If they don't improve within six months, they will be dismissed from their posts, demoted to commoners, and forced to work alongside ordinary people. As for the Sizidala and Pardala..."

Reid pondered for a moment and said, "Promote these two, put Sizdala in charge of... special procurement channels; let Pardala manage a few more copper workshops, and give him a shipyard to work on; raise their salaries significantly, and tell them that as long as they are truly working for Meereen, I will not hesitate to reward them."

"Those who collude with foreign enemies... haven't they noticed your surveillance yet?"

Upon hearing this, the Caliph's eyes flashed with a sharp light. He stroked his beard and slowly said, "I did not alert them. Instead, I laid out my own network and dug deep into the clues. We are gradually figuring out which city-state they are colluding with, and how many spies they have planted in Meereen."

"The Sea Serpent's supplies haven't arrived yet. Saladin, you're in charge of blocking the news and creating the illusion of food shortages in the city. At the same time, transfer a large quantity of food from Kaiser. Caliph, you're in charge of leaking this information to those people. Wolf secretly dispatches troops to cooperate with you. You know what to do?"

"Cast a long line to catch a big fish." The Caliph revealed a sinister smile.

"The big fish I want most is to mobilize the Giscali coalition and create an opportunity for a decisive battle. If you can do it, I'll reward you handsomely. If you can't, it doesn't matter, but you must at least guarantee to wipe out those hostile forces that have infiltrated our territory!"

Last to step forward was Wolf, a typical military commander with a weathered face, bearing the unique fortitude and toughness of a soldier.

"Currently, over three thousand wounded soldiers have returned to their units within the city, and the city walls' fortifications have been reinforced. Meanwhile, in response to the recent frequent attacks, I have deployed ten cavalry squads as rapid response units… These are the specific measures currently being taken to deal with the counterinsurgency."

"At the same time, in order to prepare for a possible large-scale siege by the Giscali coalition, I have deployed defensive measures, including digging two trenches outside the city walls, burying spikes in the trenches, and setting up catapults and crossbow positions behind the trenches and on the city walls. Cavalry is deployed on the outskirts of the city. Once the main enemy force approaches, we will first use long-range firepower to wear down their morale. When their formation is in disarray, the cavalry will launch a surprise attack from the flanks, forming a pincer movement with the defenders on the city walls..."

"Well done," Reed praised.

Wolf gritted his teeth, his voice tinged with suppressed anger: "Your Highness, I have something to say to you."

"Speak," Reed looked up at him.

Wolf's booming voice echoed throughout the council chamber: "We've only held Meereen for less than a month, our rule is far from secure, morale is low, and supplies are scarce. And yet you intend to allocate five thousand troops to support the Sea Serpents, and even send additional forces to harass the disputed territory—this is far too risky!"

"Your Highness, we are surrounded by powerful enemies. We should hold our ground in Meereen and recuperate, rather than embark on a costly expedition. Moreover, the disputed lands are 600 leagues away from Meereen, with over a dozen city-states in between whose stances are unclear. Our supply lines are long and fragile—all of these pose risks." He stepped forward, his gaze fixed intently on Reid. "If you give the order, I will fight to the death for you, but I must ensure you understand and carefully consider these risks and consequences!"

Reed turned around, his gaze landing on Wolf. "Wolf, you understand military affairs, but you don't understand politics."

He paused, his voice growing heavier: "The Sea Serpents are our only ally across the Narrow Sea. Without them, we will lose trade, and Meereen will be utterly trapped in Slaver's Bay. This barren salt flats cannot support our 1.2 to 1.3 million inhabitants. The Contested Lands are even more crucial; their land is arable, and a thriving agriculture and local handicrafts will create a virtuous cycle of economic activity. Moreover, the Contested Lands are our springboard to Westeros."

"But~" Wolf wanted to argue.

"I know what you're worried about." Reed raised his hand to interrupt him. "I'm not leaving anytime soon. The Caliph's actions will likely lead to a major battle between us and the Giscali coalition before I embark on my westward expedition. Also, the newly formed 10,000-strong army from Caesar City is about to arrive in Meereen. The troops supporting the Sea Serpents and the westward expedition will not weaken Meereen's defenses."

Upon hearing this, Wolf's furrowed brows relaxed slightly. He straightened his back abruptly, the clanking of his armor producing a dull thud: "Since Your Highness has made this arrangement, I shall obey!"

"My ambition extends beyond Meereen to the entire world. While our current approach may indeed contradict geostrategic principles, it is, in the long run, the only way I can conceive of to break this deadlock. I need your concerted efforts to help me identify and address any shortcomings, refine our plans, and ensure logistical support. After all, no one is more loyal and reliable than you!"

"We are all in this together! We are all in this together! My lord!" the three said in unison.

When the meeting ended, Saladin led several clerks into the hall, each carrying a thick stack of documents, the weight of which made their arms tremble slightly.

They piled the documents on the table in front of Reed with a dull thud.

Reed glanced at the pile of documents that could easily bury him, and his brows furrowed instantly. "What is all this? I just flew back from the Narrow Sea, haven't even had a hot meal, and now I'm going to be buried under this pile of documents?"

Saladin bowed with a wry smile, his tone tinged with tactful earnestness: "Your Highness, please calm your anger. These are all backlogged important matters—the trial documents for the basic framework of criminal law, the construction plan for water conservancy facilities, the blueprints for the construction of municipal water canals, the allocation list of stored goods in the city, and the assessment details for those who surrender to slave owners... all await your approval before they can be put into action."

Saladin paused, lowering his voice slightly: "I know you are focused on the battlefield and abhor paperwork, but these documents should ideally be completed before you lead your troops out, at least providing a general direction so that lower-ranking officials can refine the details. Otherwise, once you leave with your troops, these matters will be left unattended, and the city's governance will quickly descend into chaos."

Reed's complaint caught in his throat, finally turning into a helpless sigh. He reached for the top document, his fingertips tracing the rough parchment, his gaze falling on the dense handwriting. The determination in his eyes finally gave way to a heavy sense of helplessness.

Saladin's eyes gleamed with triumph: this should keep his restless and warlike prince occupied for several days.