Ser Edmure Tully sang "Bessa the Tavern Girl" at the Kneeling Stable, a very vulgar song that was popular among the noble youths and among soldiers and mercenaries.
On the official road of Hongcha River, a scout came swiftly.
Before the horse even reached the gate of the Kneeling Inn, it foamed at the mouth, suddenly knelt down, and threw the flag bearer off the horse.
boom!
The horse collapsed, foaming at the mouth, its legs convulsing, kicking up a cloud of dust.
The rider was a skilled horseman; he rolled on the spot, stood up, his face and arms covered in scrapes and blood. He wasn't wearing armor or chainmail; for the sake of speed, he was dressed in light, casual clothes, his inner and outer garments soaked with sweat. He shouted loudly, "Where is Sir Edmure?"
This man came from Riverrun and was clearly a personal guard of Duke Horst Tully, as his coat and saddle were embroidered with leaping silver trout.
The soldiers on the open ground outside the kneeling platform dared not be negligent and said one after another, "The lord is singing and drinking in the hall!"
The guard's face was flushed, his hair was soaked with sweat, and the hot sweat on his face and neck was like a stream. He strode into the inn's door: "Sir Edmure, the Mountain launched a surprise attack on Riverrun last night, seized the main castle, and captured Duke Horst Tully."
Edmure Tully's smiling face suddenly hardened. He slammed his bowl on the table with a thud, spilling the wine onto the table and dripping onto the floor.
The dozen or so noblemen in the hall were stunned. The singing, the harp playing, and the courtesans' sweet chatter all came to an abrupt halt.
Edmure stared at the scout who had come to deliver the message, saying nothing, but the meaning in his eyes was clear: he simply did not believe it.
Benliu City is absolutely impossible for those thirty men from Demon Mountain to conquer. Not to mention thirty, even three thousand men wouldn't be able to break through Benliu City.
"The Duke has fallen into the hands of the Mountain, Riverrun has been occupied, and the Mountain has forced Maester Weyman to send a message to the Westerlands. The only limited information I have is that the letter demands that Duke Tywin order Earl Leo Lefford of Goldtooth in the Westerlands to lead his army to Riverrun to meet the Mountain."
Edmure's face began to contort, as if he had been punched hard.
"How is the Duke? Did the Mountain humiliate him?"
"The Mountain is very respectful to the Duke. The Duke and the nobles and knights of the city have hosted a banquet for the Mountain in the main hall of the castle. The Mountain gives you the order to arrive in Riverrun by tomorrow morning and return all his saddle, armor, sword, money and everything else to him."
Edmund breathed a deep sigh of relief that his father had not been humiliated.
Edmure led a dissolute life, but was a dutiful son. Although the Duke of Horst was not pleased with him and no matter how hard he tried, he could not gain the Duke's favor, his filial piety seemed to be in his nature.
Edmure was a dutiful son whom his father, Duke Horst, considered unfilial!
"Is that all the Mountain asked for? The return of his things?"
"He also demanded that the adults kneel down and apologize to him in front of all the nobles and knights of Riverrun!"
Edmure remained silent, but his friends noticed that he clenched his fists.
What if I don't apologize?
"...I don't know..." The guard was somewhat at a loss. He probably hadn't expected Edmure to be so fierce.
What kind of person is The Mountain? He kills without blinking an eye!
Although on the surface, the Duke, Maester Weyman, and a dozen or so nobles were enjoying a lavish banquet with the Mountain, the underlying danger far exceeded any open confrontation. A single careless word from one of the nobles serving them could be fatal!
Moreover, none of the nobles wanted to drink with the Mountain, but they had no choice. Maester Weyman, acting in the name of Duke Horst, had personally invited them from house to house with his guards. Once they entered the hall and were seated, the Mountain appeared. When they tried to leave, sorry, the doors slammed shut, guarded by dozens of the Mountain's men. These men were fierce-looking, their armor gleaming, their swords flashing. This armor and these swords were the equipment of the Duke's personal guards.
He coerced the Duke into ordering the city's nobles to a banquet, gathering all the nobles in the main castle hall. These people were not guests to drink; they were actually hostages of the Mountain.
Without a doubt, this time, The Mountain is going to do something big!
This game was a serious mistake caused by Edmure's own failure to anticipate the Mountain's abilities.
Edmure did not lose control, nor did he immediately jump onto his horse and rush towards Riverrun. His father and the nobles of the city had fallen into the hands of the Mountain. Showing weakness would be useless, for he was the Mountain.
"Sir Brynden Blackwood!"
"Your subject is here!" Brynden Blackwood immediately stood up.
"Go back to Crowtree City immediately, gather two thousand elite troops, and wait for my orders outside the gate of Rushing River City."
"Yes, Lord Edmure!" Brynden pushed aside the prostitute beside him and strode out. Soon, the rapid sound of horses' hooves rang out and faded into the distance.
Now that the Mountain has released the ravens back to the Westerlands to fetch reinforcements, we must prepare for the worst. Dealing with someone like the Mountain requires demonstrating your strength, not just kneeling and begging! Kneeling without showing any strength will only get you killed.
The Mountain is incredibly ferocious, but he also fears death. The struggle at the Kneeling Staircase, where Edmure forced him to discard his sword and armor, proved this!
Edmure was well aware that the Mountain now controlled everything, but he didn't want to lose without even a chance to fight back. He desperately needed manpower if the Mountain showed any weakness. Gathering manpower wasn't about launching a full-scale war, but rather about avoiding the foolish situation of needing more manpower than having enough.
Next, Edmure calmly gave the order, and a dozen noble sons went home to gather their family's elite troops. He also sent his trusted men to notify the nobles near Riverrun to bring their troops and gather outside Riverrun. If Count Leo Lefred of Goldtooth arrived with his army, he would find that the lords of the Riverlands were all waiting for his arrival.
Edmure had no idea how things would turn out, nor did he know what fate awaited him. All he could do for now was make the preparations he deemed necessary.
As for reporting to His Majesty the King of Harloweville for assistance, he believed that he should at least speak with the Mountain before deciding whether to ask the King for intervention.
After Edmure had made all the arrangements, he mounted his horse and rode off with his cavalry. His infantry went ahead of him and his cavalry.
*
The next morning.
The main hall of Riverrun.
Above the main hall is a suspended second level, creating a staggered effect. On this level sits the Duke in a high seat, overlooking the entire hall. A rope runs from the high seat to the servants' quarters, with a bell hanging from the end of the rope.
The rope and bells are a new design that came into use after the Duke fell ill!
Edmure Tully entered the hall and saw his father, Duke Horst, seated on the second floor. Beside the Duke stood Maester Weyman, and four other armored warriors with their hands on their sword hilts.
Although the four warriors were wearing the armor of the Duke's guards, they had four very fierce and unfamiliar faces.
The Mountain stood in the center of the hall, dressed in a long, filthy robe. He was too tall for any clothes or armor suitable for him in Riverrun. However, he had found a weapon: two extremely heavy iron hammers, each weighing at least a hundred pounds. These hammers were decorative weapons used for festivals; ordinary people couldn't even lift them, let alone wield them.
The Mountain stood on the first level, wielding two terrifying iron hammers. His shoulders, head, and neck were already above the ground level of the second level, and he didn't appear much shorter than his father, who was sitting on the second level.
The hall, originally a conference room, had now been turned into a banquet hall. Edmure glanced around and saw that all the nobles of the city were sitting at the conference table, with all sorts of food piled up in front of them, including bread, roast meat, various fruits, wines, and beers. But no one seemed to have much of an appetite.
Behind these nobles stood more than twenty brothers of the Mountain. These men were well-armored, with swords hanging at their waists. Their fierce eyes were like nails to people, making Edmure feel as if they were a group of wild beasts that would pounce and bite at any moment!
"Sir Edmure, you're back!" the Mountain shouted.
The Mountain's voice was extremely fierce, and its sudden outburst echoed throughout the hall.
The nobles and Edmure in the hall paled in shock.
The nobles turned pale because they were afraid; Edmure turned pale because he was afraid that his father, Duke Horst, would not be able to bear it.
Edmure felt a pang of pain in his heart when he saw his father being held hostage by four ruthless Clegane bandits.
My father is ill!
My father was able to hold on because he drank large amounts of poppy flower milk and dream wine!
Thinking of this, Edmure felt a sharp pain in his heart!
He worried that his father wouldn't be able to withstand the ordeal on Demon Mountain, and what if he didn't catch his breath... How would he be any different from a murderer of his own father... He was the one who caused all of this.
Edmund dared not even think about it!
Upon seeing his father, all the elaborate arguments Edmund had prepared on the way vanished. He was so concerned that he couldn't think of a single one.
"Mountain, release my father, name your terms!" Edmure heard his own voice say.
"Very well, Sir Edmure, I want a thousand fine warhorses!" the Mountain said calmly. He lowered the two enormous iron hammers in his hands, which landed on the floor of the hall with a loud bang.
Edmure's face immediately contorted.
The nobles from the Riverlands in the hall were all terrified!
The Mountain said, "Sir Edmure, it's not that I'm greedy for your warhorse. I have my reasons, I have no choice. My lord, Lord Tywin, has ordered me to train five hundred Clegane cavalry, but Lord Tywin doesn't provide any pay. And his orders are death for disobedience. Five hundred cavalry, two horses each, that's exactly one thousand horses, am I right?"
"Alright, I'll give you a thousand fine horses, but you have to release my father first. He's sick and needs to rest."
"Don't worry, Scholar Weyman has already taken care of the Duke's health, and I've also had a very in-depth conversation with him. The Duke now knows that I'm a person who only talks about reason."
"snort!"
"Lord Edmure, these thousand horses must be equipped with a thousand sets of good saddles, horseshoes, and reins, and you must first deliver the horses across the Red Fork River to the Clegane cavalry."
"Crigan cavalry?"
"Yes, last night I asked Maester Weyman to send a second raven to Lord Tywin, instructing him to inform my Clegane cavalry to come quickly to the Red Fork ferry on the west bank to collect a thousand warhorses. My cavalry will thank you once they receive the horses, Sir, I assure you of that!"
Edmure is still too young. Judging from his eagerness, these thousand warhorses are just an appetizer for the Mountain.