Spellcasting Gods

"I've only been back for less than fourteen hours. How does it feel to be queen? Ruling a country full of contradictions is probably not as simple as you imagine," Zhang Cheng teased with a half-smile.

When he walked in through the main gate, he saw the chaotic scene of the imperial council meeting and realized that the woman in front of him, who had not received the proper education, was no match for those cunning old foxes.

"You saw everything?" Daenerys raised an eyebrow slightly.

Zhang Cheng shrugged and replied, "That's right! I have to say, you really failed as queen. You held the biggest trump card, but you didn't know how to use it, and a bunch of hyenas stole the rights that were rightfully yours. To be honest, I'm starting to regret putting you on the Iron Throne in the first place."

"A trump card? What trump card!" Daenerys's eyes widened instinctively as she quickly racked her brains to think of what other tricks she had up her sleeve.

"It's simple! Your trump card is the dragon!"

Take Kuro Kerbal to Casterly Rock and uproot the Lannister family. Use slaughter, destruction, and ruin to show those self-righteous nobles who they really are.

do you know?

The world is cruel by nature; all seemingly beautiful emotions such as kindness, compassion, love, and friendship are deadly poisons to a king.

To become a king, you must be prepared for a lifetime of loneliness; the only thing that will accompany you throughout your life is power.

As long as the monarchy can be consolidated, there should be no hesitation whatsoever in ordering the massacre of tens of thousands of rebels, otherwise the country will fall apart, and more civilians will once again taste the bitterness of war…

Chapter 0980 Political Lesson

What is a ruler?

Rulers use seemingly noble pretexts such as "justice," "kindness," and "freedom" to do the most cruel and ruthless things.

Especially on the continent of Westeros, where a well-established feudal system has been established, only the most powerful and ruthless nobles are qualified to sit on the Iron Throne and issue orders.

Why were the Targaryen family able to become royalty?

Was it Aegon the Conqueror's justice and kindness that moved those lords and kings?

Do not!

It's a dragon!

The dragon, possessing destructive power, instilled fear in all the nobles of the time, who obediently knelt down and chose to submit.

Robert Baratheon did not ascend to the throne for reasons of justice or kindness, but rather by killing Rhaegar at the Battle of the Trident, overthrowing the Targaryen dynasty with naked violence, and then seizing the throne.

In the subsequent Revolt of the Five Kings, each king had nobles and a massive army supporting him. Therefore, the only factor that could ultimately determine who would inherit the Iron Throne was power—power so great that it was unmatched.

In the world of A Song of Ice and Fire, the only powerful force recognized by both nobles and commoners is the king who soars through the sky—the dragon.

Almost all monarchs regarded as "wise and powerful" by the world did one thing without exception: they constantly suppressed the endless greed and desires of their noble subordinates.

……

A few minutes later, when Daenerys returned to the royal council chamber, the ministers who had been arguing immediately fell silent, their eyes revealing undisguised terror and fear.

Because she didn't return alone, but descended from the sky with Kuro Kerba and Zhang Cheng, the invisible energy field emanating from the divine dragon made even the rigorously trained knights feel breathless, not to mention those old guys whose bodies had long been emptied by wine and women.

Pfft!

Pfft!

Pfft!

Everyone present could clearly hear their own heartbeat, which was getting faster and faster. Some couldn't hold on any longer and even started bleeding from their mouths and noses, their whole bodies trembling slightly uncontrollably.

"In the name of the Queen! I now declare that the Lannister family and all its subjects are hereby stripped of all their noble titles, lands, and property, and are hereby declared traitors to the nation. Their fate is sealed: utter destruction. Tell me, who among you agrees and who disagrees?" Daenerys, perched atop her dragon, demanded from above.

The nobles, who were usually so boastful, were now like chicks with their necks caught in their throats. Not one of them dared to utter a sound, and they all lowered their heads to show their most humble and submissive side.

It's worth noting that in the civil war that broke out not long ago, almost all the guys with integrity and a sense of honor were killed. The ones who remained were mostly people who were good at changing their tune depending on the situation, and they wouldn't jump out and ask for their own death.

Who knows if the enormous dragon will open its mouth and spew out scorching dragon breath the next moment?

Watching this amusing scene unfold, Zhang Cheng couldn't help but burst into laughter, adding sarcastically, "My dear, do you see? This is the true face of the nobility! To deal with them, you don't need to reason with them, but to hold your sword tightly in your hand."

"What should I have done if someone had stood up to object?" Daenerys asked curiously, turning around.

"It's simple! Categorize that man and his family as Lannisters, then eradicate them all, regardless of age or gender. Remember, nothing strengthens memory more than bloodshed, ensuring that no noble dares to easily rebel. In fact, your father, Aerys II, did a good job in this regard. Although he was slightly mentally unstable, almost everyone feared him. His only regret was that he didn't have a dragon, which is why he was defeated by the usurper Robert." Zhang Cheng explained, feigning nonchalance.

Undoubtedly, he was taking the opportunity to instill his dark ideas into this queen, who had no governing experience, and trying to see if he could mold her into a qualified tyrant.

That's right!

tyrant!

A monarch who rules the country through sheer power and iron-fisted methods!

"Damn it! Who are you? How dare you bewitch His Majesty!" An elderly man who looked to be in his seventies or eighties finally couldn't help but stand up and shout loudly.

He simply couldn't believe how great the threat to all the nobles would be if the Queen actually did that.

No one likes a powerful king who holds the power of life and death!

This is why, historically, capable monarchs have consistently received low evaluations, while those mediocre individuals who did virtually nothing and delegated the task of governing the country to their ministers often received extremely high praise.

“Me?” Zhang Cheng jumped off the dragon’s back, calmly approached the old man, and replied meaningfully, “My name is Mason Aspen, Lord of the Reach, Duke of Highgarden, and rightful husband of Queen Daenerys. Now tell me, how do you want to die, old man?”

"Mason?!" The old man's pupils suddenly contracted, and he immediately took several steps back.

“Dear Oberyn, could you do me a small favor?” Zhang Cheng ignored the old man’s panicked reaction and turned his gaze directly to “Red Viper”.

“Of course, it is my honor.” Oberon placed one hand on his chest and bowed very solemnly.

As one of the participants in the entire plan, he knew better than anyone else how terrifying this seemingly harmless young man was, even capable of being worth tens of thousands of well-equipped soldiers.

Moreover, he was Dorne's representative in King's Landing and knew which side to take at this time.

"Thank you! Please uproot this old man and his entire family! Tomorrow morning, I want to see their corpses displayed on the city wall." Zhang Cheng gave the order without any politeness.

Make an example of him!

Often, the simplest and most direct approach yields the best results.

As for launching a rebellion, or resorting to petty tricks like poisoning or assassination, he didn't care at all. He even had a faint expectation that someone would step forward so he could pass the time.

Until Warren confirms that there is no danger in this world and reveals the key to the fourth seal and its location, he must stay here obediently.

"Understood! Please rest assured, there's no need to wait until tomorrow morning; I can get this sorted out before sunset today."

The words had barely left his mouth!

Oberyn Martell suddenly drew his sword and stabbed the old man in the heart from behind. He then grabbed the old man by the leg and dragged him away, leaving a trail of bright red blood on the ground...

Chapter 0981 Siege

Some say that power is the art of vying for dominance.

A wise ruler will exploit the conflicts and discord among his subjects to quietly seize control of power and establish his supreme position in handling state affairs.

Unfortunately, wise rulers are a tiny minority, especially when decisions are made based on blood relations. Most rulers are already considered mediocre if they can be considered so.

Therefore, in general, seizing power is often accompanied by internal strife and bloodshed, and very few monarchs are able to reclaim their rights without bloodshed.

At least with Daenerys Targaryen's intelligence and political acumen, she simply couldn't have accomplished such a complex plan that was beyond her capabilities.

Therefore, Zhang Cheng taught her in one lesson how to use violence and intimidation to make those disobedient nobles learn humility and obedience.

With the bodies of the Chancellor of the Exchequer and his entire family displayed on the city walls, the King's Council passed a resolution with unprecedented speed to send troops to punish the Lannisters for refusing to submit to King's Landing.

In less than two days, the Queen had amassed an army of over 50,000, marching in a mighty force toward Casterly Rock. Along the way, nobles led their private armies to join them. By the time they reached a point 20 kilometers outside Casterly Rock, the Queen's army still numbered an astonishing 100,000, including 15,000 cavalry and over 800 knights, all clad in sturdy armor from head to toe.

Of course, none of these are the most despairing things for the enemy!

What drove the Lannister family and its vassals to despair the most was the enormous figure that constantly hovered in the sky, the unkillable dragon—Kuro Kerbal.

“Look at those poor fellows, they’ve fallen into panic and despair. I guarantee that as soon as the war starts, more than half of them will turn tail and run away.” Oberyn put down his nautical monoculars, his tone revealing undisguised contempt.

It's important to understand how glorious the Lannister family was during Tywin Lannister's lifetime. They not only possessed a formidable army but also defeated almost all their rivals, coming within a hair's breadth of complete control of the Iron Throne.

But now?

All that's left is a bunch of idiots clinging to their so-called family pride and glory!

Of course, it's also possible that fear prevented them from surrendering.

After all, half the continent’s inhabitants know what the Lannisters did to the Targaryen family in order to please Robert; it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to describe it as ruthless.

God knows if they would be met with a massacre if they surrendered.

Often, the reason why losers are unwilling to surrender even when they know they have failed is precisely this.

"When can we launch an attack?" Daenerys squinted at the distance, deliberately putting on a cold expression.

After several days of trying, she gradually discovered that whenever she put on a stern face, those previously unruly ministers would become extra cautious, and their eyes would show more respect and fear.

no doubt!

This means that the dominant power has changed!

"Don't rush! Remember, this isn't a war, but a public execution. Our goal is to let everyone see for themselves what happens to those who rebel. So killing and destruction aren't the whole purpose; what we really need to do is to instill fear deep into everyone's heart," Zhang Cheng explained meaningfully, stroking his chin.

"Oh? What are you planning to do?" Oberon asked, slightly curious.

"It's simple! First, create panic, making the residents of Casterly Rock realize that it is not as impregnable as they imagine..."

As he spoke, Zhang Cheng raised his arm and shot a blinding red light into the sky.

next second...

The giant dragon, which had been circling in the sky, suddenly swooped down, opened its blood-red maw, and spewed deadly dragon breath along the city wall.

Thousands of soldiers who were on high alert were burned to ashes, and even the city walls built of hard rock melted into molten lava.

fortunately!

Kuro Kerba showed no intention of continuing the attack on the other walls and fortresses. After destroying one wall, he immediately climbed back up to hundreds of meters in the air.

In less than fifteen seconds, it made the nobles and commoners of Casterly Rock realize that the city was simply not defensible.

After a brief silence, the soldiers under Daenerys' command erupted in cheers. Some, with their adrenaline surging, even rode their warhorses to the foot of the city walls, roaring triumphantly and venting their excitement.

For an army, nothing boosts morale more than an easy victory.

In addition, Casterly Rock is the stronghold of House Lannister, and its wealth far surpasses that of most towns. There are even rumors that the vaults beneath the castle are filled with gold mined from the mines.

In short, as long as you seize the opportunity once, you'll be set for life.

In Westeros, armies are not fundamentally different from bandits, and many ruthless individuals have even begun to secretly plot a massacre of a city.