Game of Thrones: Kings in the North

Chapter 75 Negotiating with the Night Watchman
The Night Watch Corps has continued to decline for hundreds of years. The Night Watch Corps is unable to support the maintenance costs of the Great Wall and the major fortresses. The nineteen castles and fortresses along the Great Wall have been abandoned one after another. Only Castle Black and Eastwatch along the coast of Seal Bay, The Shadow Tower guarding the west end of the Great Wall is still struggling.

The Stark family of Winterfell and the nobles of the North are the biggest sponsors of the Night Watch.After all, the White Walkers guarded by the Great Wall have not shown up for 8000 years, and the only real threat the Night Watch Corps has to deal with is the wildlings.

The wildlings were poorly equipped and disciplined. Their raids severely damaged the land grant, the Umber family, and the villages in the mountain clan territory. Many villages were burned and looted, and many women and children were abducted by the wildlings every year.

However, even if the historical king beyond the Great Wall led an army of savages and broke through the Great Wall, it would be difficult for them to pose a threat to the strong castle in the north.

Apart from being able to threaten the north, the wildlings can't threaten the area south of the Neck at all. Because of this, many nobles in the south don't care about the Wall and the Night's Watch. The Stark family and nobles in the north need to rely on The Night's Watch kept the wildlings out of the Great Wall, so the Stark family and the nobles of the North became the biggest supporters of the Night's Watch.

Lord Bear, Commander-in-Chief of the Night Watch Corps, Bachelor Aemon, Benjen Stark and other high-ranking officials of the Night Watch, entertained Ed and his followers with food and banquets. After the banquet, the tableware and wine glasses were removed, and Old Bear Cleared his throat.

"Duke Ed, you must have seen that the Night Watch Corps is too poor. Castle Black has been in disrepair for a long time, and the equipment of the Night Watch is outdated. Now this summer is about to enter its seventh year, but no matter how long the summer is, there will be an end That day. When winter comes, the life of the Night Watch will only become more difficult. We hope that Winterfell can provide some money to the Night Watch.”

"Money is not a problem." Ed waved his hand, and Jon handed over a map of the Great Wall. Looking from the East Sea, Castle Black stretches all the way to the Shadow Tower, and the nineteen fortresses and additional land can be seen at a glance.

"Commander Mormont, the Night Watchmen need to be revived, and donations can only solve temporary problems. The cold winter has always been a problem that plagues the North, so I have a food reserve plan. If the Night Watchmen join in, they can fight with the North. Winter."

Elder Xiong frowned, "Food reserve plan? Lord Ed, we night watchmen have no money to invest." Elder Xiong felt that the food reserve plan would cost money, so he immediately called Ed poor.

"Don't worry, you don't even need to spend a single coin." Ed pointed to Greenguard, Long Night Fort and West Bridge on the map to look at the three forts, "Just look at Greenguard, Long Night Fort, and West Bridge to see these three forts." Let the abandoned fortress be used by Winterfell."

The senior officials of the Night Watch looked at each other, and Chief of Staff Bowen Marsh smiled awkwardly, "Lord Ed, the Wall of Impassable is the property of the Night Watch, and if you want to expropriate it, I'm afraid it won't work!"

Alliser Thorne, the resolute and mean Castle Black coach, said: "Winterfell set up a military camp in Houcrown Town, and the tax allocated to our Night Watchmen is so little, Lord Eddard still wants to expropriate the deserted castle of our Night Watchmen? Is this trying to pluck the wool to death?"

Ed said: "These castles have been abandoned for hundreds of years. After Winterfell is requisitioned, troops will be stationed in these castles. These are soldiers from Winterfell, not the night watchmen, but we can help the night watchmen. Guard the Great Wall. After these castles are garrisoned, they will farm in the land grant south of the Great Wall, and the proceeds will be shared with the night watchmen."

Elder Xiong shrugged, "Lord Ed, the land grant is the property of the Night Watchman. I have no objection to building a manor in Winterfell, but they should pay taxes directly to Castle Black."

Ed smiled, "Lord Mormont, I'm afraid you forgot that the Great Wall of Impassable was built by Brandon the Builder, and the land gift was originally called Brandon's Gift, and these were originally from Winterfell." Land. As for the new land, King Renrui and Queen Alysanne persuaded Winterfell to donate the land, but now that the Targaryen dynasty has perished, the land gifted by Stark can of course be taken back."

"Of course, don't worry, I don't really want to take back the gifted land. My purpose is to cooperate with the Night Watchman. You have opened up three castles for Winterfell to use, increased your own taxes, and in winter, you can get the rewards from Winterfell." food supplies."

In winter, the price of food and food will rise even in many parts of the south, especially in the north.Stark has always asked the northern vassals to use half of the autumn harvest as a winter reserve.In winter, it is difficult for the night watchman to get help from the northern nobles, and their life is even more difficult.

Now that they heard that food supplies could be obtained in winter, these high-ranking night watchmen felt that they had heard it wrong.Old Xiong touched his ears, "Lord Ed, are you kidding me? Is it a good thing that you can still send food to the night watchmen in winter?"

Ed pointed to Seal Bay and Shivering Sea to the east of East Sea Watch, "This time I conquered Skagos Island, let me see Seal Bay, which is full of fat fish and lobsters. In the land of rock species, I have seized dozens of ironman longships. The ship is being built in White Harbor. The Braavos shipbuilder Marlin will build a big ship. The ironman captain will build a longship for me. In the future, the fishing boats in Winterfell will be in Seal Bay and Shiver Sea fishing, these seafood will be transported to Fort Greenguard next to East Sea Watch for storage.”

Food storage is a problem. The Great Wall is covered with thick ice. Castle Black, Shadow Tower and Eastwatch, which are still in use, have cold storage rooms.After Ed has requisitioned Fort Greenguard, Westbridge Watch and Long Night Fort, he will also build a cold room under the Great Wall for storage.In Ed's plan, there are not only seafood, but also ham, venison, pork, etc. produced in the winter resort town.

Elder Bear, Benyan Stark, and Chief Bursar Bowen Marsh all smiled, and Bowen Marsh said: "Every winter, the Night Watchmen rely heavily on the fishing boats of Eastwatch. We plan to go fishing. However, there are too few people in Donghaiwatch, and the boats are struggling to deal with sea smugglers and slave traders, and there are no manpower and boats to fish."

Ed placed his hand on Eastwatch on the map, "Winterfell can send ships to defend Eastwatch together in the future. In this case, those businessmen can only obediently pay taxes and increase the income of the night watchmen."

Ed's hand paddled to Bear Island and passed over Ice Bay, "Commander Mormont, you are from Bear Island, and you know that Ice Bay is also a fertile fishing ground."

Old Xiong sighed, "Unfortunately, there are too many ironmen pirates, fishermen can't fish with peace of mind."

Damn ironborn pirates again, only bullying the weak north at sea.

"I believe that the ironborn pirates will be wiped out. I have discussed with your sister, Countess Maggie Mormont, and the mountain clans along the coast. Ice Bay will also fish in the future, and some seafood will be stored in the west. Bridge Watch. I will also build a fort on the Skull Bridge to guard the mouth of the Milky River through the Grand Canyon, so it will be difficult for the wildlings to cross the Grand Canyon and invade the kingdom."

"If I have money in the future, I will help the night watchmen to restart every fortress, and the black knights on the Great Wall will be restored to their former glory."

Maester Aemon was in admiration, "Lord Ed, no matter whether your plan is realized or not, you have taken the Night Watchman into consideration after all. You are the only noble in the Seven Kingdoms who takes the Night Watchman seriously, Winterfell The only hope for the Night's Watch in winter."

(End of this chapter)