Game of Thrones: Joffrey the Chosen

Earl Gails remained standing there, rambling on and on, trying his best to praise the prince's heroism.

But Joffrey had already turned his horse and passed him, riding straight into the depths of the camp.

"Your Highness?" The old man took two steps after him, then coughed violently again. "Cough cough cough... What's wrong?"

The men in red robes and the men in gold robes filed in from behind him, forming two separate lines.

The horseshoes clattered on the muddy ground with a rhythmic, dull sound.

Count Gells's soldiers quickly moved aside.

The conscripts who had been lying in the sun in the distance also scrambled to their feet.

A large group of people emerged shirtless, carrying half-eaten black bread, and discussed the scene animatedly.

"Who is that?"

"You're so stupid. With that kind of golden hair, he must be a Lannister."

"But there's a deer on the flag, where's the lion?"

"Shh! That's the royal banner; it's probably really His Highness the Prince leading us!"

Whispers quickly spread through the camp.

News of the prince's arrival quickly spread to the tents of various counts.

After riding around for a while, Joffrey became increasingly dissatisfied with the chaotic state of the camp.

The tents were pitched in haphazard clusters, entirely according to each family's wishes.

Some were near the water source, while others were hidden under the shade of trees.

Some of them brazenly blocked the middle of the road, completely obstructing what should have been a smooth passage.

Joffrey took a deep breath and swallowed back the words that were about to come out.

Perhaps noticing his expression, Barristan spurred his horse closer and whispered.

"Your Highness, there is something I need to inform you of."

"According to the law, during wartime, the armies of the feudal lords must indeed be under the unified command of the king."

"But His Majesty's orders to you are only..."

He didn't finish speaking.

The meaning is already clear.

Joffrey was ordered to lead the king and the lords to the Blood Gate, not to command them on how to fight.

There are many intricacies involved.

Broadly speaking, Joffrey was indeed the temporary commander.

On a smaller scale, he was just a guide, responsible for leading more than 10,000 people to their destination on time.

How the people below leave is the counts' own business.

Moreover, the officers of all ranks in this army had already been assigned when they assembled.

The knight led a dozen or so men from his territory to find the baron, while the baron led a hundred men he had gathered to find the earl.

The count eventually arrived here with over a thousand soldiers to report for duty.

Earl Gells only oversaw Rossby, and Lady Tanda's steward only oversaw Stokworth.

Everyone else was the same, each leading their own team.

In the end, these more than 10,000 people came into Joffrey's hands.

He could assign which earl to camp where, coordinate logistics and troop supplies, and promulgate unified marching discipline.

As long as the counts are willing to cooperate.

However, he had no authority to bypass the counts and directly command any of their knights.

Not to mention dealing with those conscripts who violated discipline.

Because each level of lord has its own authority, and every soldier is the lord's private property.

Don't mention Joffrey.

Even the king cannot cross the line at will.

In addition to the Targaryens who had dragons in their early years, they were able to use terror to force lords of all ranks to obey.

In all of Westeros's long history, only one Tywin Lannister emerged, who subdued the lords of the Westerlands with his poem "The Rains of Castamere".

But this was ultimately just Tywin's personal authority.

If it were Jaime or any other Lannister, the subordinates would still outwardly comply but inwardly defy him.

Joffrey looked at the army before him.

The soldiers in Blackwater Bay truly represent the best of the seven kingdoms.

They have the numbers of the North, the discipline of the Iron Islands, and the armor of Dorne.

Their mobilization speed rivals that of the Vale, and their pride is as high as that of the Westerlands and the Stormlands.

Their high morale and strong unity were almost on par with those of the river valleys and river bends.

"Sir," Joffrey began, "if I want them to break camp in unison, be coordinated in unison, and march in unison."

"What should we do?"

Barristan smiled. "Your Highness, don't count on them for what you're talking about."

"It is said that the Unsullied and the Golden Company of Essos can do it."

"As for our people, you just need to summon all the counts, hold a military conference, and tell them when to set off."

Joffrey remained silent.

This will indeed pull the team to the Blood Gate.

The journey could drag on for dozens of miles, and it took a long time for them to arrive.

Arriving at the same time as everyone else is a completely different thing.

The sun hung overhead, making his shadow very short.

Joffrey turned to his servant.

"Please invite the earls here; I have something to say to them."

Barristan remained silent.

The old knight had other tasks, and Joffrey knew it very well.

Unless he makes a major mistake, the captain of the Imperial Guard will not intervene.

But he will probably report all the details of his trip to Robert in the end.

An hour later, Count Gails' tent was packed with people.

"Cough cough... It is my honor to lend it to Your Highness for military meetings." The old man coughed like a broken bellows.

The lords of each household were all present in person; none of them simply sent an officer to fob them off.

This is both a good thing and a troublesome thing.

After all, they are the ones giving orders in their own territories.

"Joffrey is very grateful to all of you for coming to this alliance to work together for a common good." After everyone had arrived, Joffrey began to speak.

"Today's gathering is truly an unprecedented event for the nobles of our royal domain."

The person below immediately took over the conversation.

"Even the courts of the seven kingdoms have never gathered so many heroes and valiant men."

"If those Tully women knew we were gathered here, they would be terrified!"

"With our forces advancing, capturing Eyrie and taking Lysa will be as easy as taking candy from a baby!"

"Hahahahahahaha..."

A joyful atmosphere permeated the large tent.

Joffrey chuckled twice.

"With eight lords standing here, most of the royal territory is right beneath our feet."

However, he suddenly changed the subject.

"I'm new here today, and I have a few questions I'd like to ask you all."

"First, there's the matter of provisions and supplies. I wonder how many days' worth you gentlemen have prepared?"

"Two months." "Twenty days." "Enough to reach the Blood Gate!" "We'll take care of it ourselves, Your Highness, no need to trouble yourself."...

The responses were inconsistent.

Some were full of confidence, while others were vague.

Joffrey gestured for his servant to write it down.

"The second matter is this: have all the personnel from each family arrived?"

Everyone stopped laughing.

Earl Gails coughed twice: "All here, all here, cough cough... The entire army of Rossby is here, not a single one missing."

Everyone else glared at him.

This place is near Rossby, so he was naturally the first and most complete to arrive.

After a moment of silence, everyone's eyes fell on Earl River Lake.

The middle-aged man reluctantly stepped forward.

"Your Highness, the guards from Mugu Town have arrived, but the conscripts are still on their way."

"My son is leading them here under the stars, and they will arrive soon."

"How many days is 'soon'?" Joffrey glanced at him.

Count Lake froze for a moment.

"This...three days? Five days at most, Your Highness. Don't worry, it definitely won't cause any problems."

Joffrey nodded and didn't ask any further questions.

"This is the third thing." He pointed to the campsite outside the tent.

"I just rode around on horseback and found that there were several tents blocking the road."

"What's going on?"