Game of Thrones: Kings in the North

Chapter 2 Winter Town
Tallow candles flickered in the maester's room, and Maester Luwin shook his head and sighed as he heard Eddard's plan.

"My lord, the wish is good, but the winter resort town will never develop into a city like White Harbor. White Harbor guards the mouth of the White Knife River, and the White Knife River goes deep into the hinterland of the North. Every day, ships bring Animal hides, wood from the wolf forest, food of all kinds, and ships from the south brought food from Highgarden, honey, gold from the West, melons and fruits from the valley, and ships from across the Narrow Sea brought spices and gems from foreign lands to White Harbor. "

"White Harbor is the mouth of the North. In winter, the residents of the winter resort town shiver around the fire, but White Harbor can rely on the advantage of an ice-free port to continue to operate. White Harbor can become the youngest city in the Seven Kingdoms, It is because of its geographical location, the wealth of the Mandalay family, and the painstaking efforts of nearly a thousand years. These are things that winter escape towns do not have."

Ed looked at the map of the north on the table, and his eyes stayed on the winter shelter town.

"I know that it is a long process to develop a small town into a city, but the first step must always be taken. When the winter resort town can attract enough residents to live in, I will bring my people and start building .”

Maester Luwin touched his necklace and said with a wry smile, "My lord, I'm afraid that your first plan will go bankrupt. Now that summer has entered its sixth year, the northern border has ushered in many harvests, and just finished one this month. , they have enough food, what reason do they have to leave their homes and come to escape the winter town?"

"The winter season is the only reason they come to escape the winter town, for thousands of years, and it will continue to be."

At dinner in the evening, Arya and Sansa sat on both sides of Ed, and Theon, Robb, Bran and Jon sat opposite, and Ed told the children the plan.

Sansa was very excited, "Dad, will there be singers when the winter town becomes lively?" Sansa has always loved songs and singers.

Arya pouted, "I don't care for singers. Dad, is there a circus performance?"

Ed smiled, "Trust me, there will be."

Robb made a grimace, "Dad, when there are more people in the winter town, we will form the capital garrison, just like the golden robes in King's Landing. At that time, Jon, Theon and I can lead the garrison and maintain the city. peace in the town."

Theon stuffed a piece of beef into his mouth, "Do you need the garrison? These country bumpkins can protect themselves. Besides, they are all very poor, and most of their daughters are ugly. Who will take their ideas?"

Jon gave Theon a disgusted look, "Winterfell should protect every citizen in the north."

Ed touched Jon's head, "After my invitation is sent out, the houses in the winter resort town will probably be full. Don't worry, Jon, we will protect these people."

Master Luwin sent ravens, and Ed sent cavalry to the nearby manors directly, inviting people from Seven City, Taurha's Torun Square City, Hornwood City and other places to escape the winter and settle in the town.

On the first day, three families came, a total of 21 people, and then the number became smaller and smaller, and on the fourth day, no one came.

Walking in the empty winter town streets, Ed was depressed.

"How could this be?"

Maester Luwin at the side said: "My lord, I have already said that unless winter is approaching, those people would rather stay at home and bask in the sun in the granary. Maybe the lord can send someone to investigate among the people."

"No, I'll go myself."

The next day, Ed put on a dirty leather armor, hid his face in the hood, pretended to be a wandering warrior, and rode away from Winterfell.

Ed came to a village. He vaguely remembered that this was Lord Seven's territory. Ed saw a middle-aged man farming.As soon as the farmer finished harvesting, he started farming.

Ed got off his horse and said, "My friend, let me ask you the way. How can I get to Bidong Town?"

A middle-aged man with unkempt brown hair and an unshaven beard looked at Ed.

"Go north on the King's Road. What do you do?"

"I'm a wandering samurai, and I want to find an errand in the town of Winterfell. I heard that the Duke of Winterfell invited his people to settle in the town of Winterfell. Maybe I can spend some money, buy a house to live in, and buy a piece of land to plant .”

The middle-aged man showed his rotten teeth, and said with a smile: "Listen to me, don't go. The winter resort town is only lively in winter, and it is summer now. Mr. Ed invites the residents to settle in the winter resort town. Most likely he wants the people to live there for free. Work for him! These noble lords make us work like cattle. I might as well stay at home and farm."

Ed frowned, "It is inevitable for the lord to expropriate the people. Isn't it the same if you stay here?"

The middle-aged man wiped off the sweat from his forehead and moved closer to Ed.

"It's still comfortable at home. Our master Seven here is a good man. He usually secretly hunts wild boars, deer or something in the woods. Master Seven turns a blind eye. If you are in the winter town, you are in the wolf Lin, try poaching? It’s next to Winterfell, and there are many people in the winter shelter town. If you are reported, you will either lose a hand, or you can only be sent to the Great Wall and put on black clothes.”

"I know a buddy from the village next door. Last winter, in the town of Winterfell, he went hunting in the wolf forest. He was caught by the soldiers of Winterfell for poaching wild boars. He begged hard, but he was still arrested. Sent to the Great Wall."

"Going to the winter resort town is nothing more than farming. I also farm at home, and I can steal some game when I have nothing to do. Here, I pay taxes to Lord Seven, and when I go to the winter resort town, I pay taxes to Duke Ed. What's the difference? There are a lot of outsiders in the winter escape town, so I won’t go there!”

Eddard sat in the study, opposite Maester Luwin.

"It seems that I have to come up with a sincere policy in order to attract my people to settle in the winter town. That's it, Maester Luwin, I want you to send a message, and you can spend 100 copper cents in the The town of Winterfell buys a house and an acre of land, and the reclaimed wasteland has the right to use it after five years of continuous cultivation. Every time there is a good harvest, Winterfell will open the wolf forest to the residents of Winterfell to hunt for one month."

Recently, the wild boars in the wolf forest are flooded, and hunting is open to the public during the harvest season. Ed feels that there is nothing to lose.

Currently, four out of five houses in the winter resort town are vacant, and most of these houses belong to Winterfell. In winter, many residents who come to the winter resort town to spend the winter will choose to rent houses, and the price is only ten times that of an ordinary hotel. One-third, leave after spring comes.

The maintenance costs of these houses are staggering, and in the winter when they are overcrowded, the rent will not be much collected.Edso sold it at a low price, attracting residents to come and settle.

Maester Luwin said with a smile: "This price, and the right to hunt during the harvest season, I believe it will attract some people to settle here."

Eddard stood up. "Maester Luwin, tell my people that when the houses are sold, there will be no vacant houses in Winterfell for those who won't come."

"Tell them that when the houses are allotted, the Winter Refuge Town will no longer accept new members. When the cold winter comes, they can only find their own way to suffer."

(End of this chapter)