Chapter 601: Chapter 601: Public Resentment Boiling Over
Among the row of the highest nobles of the Seven Kingdoms, some sat upright, some looked playful, some crossed their legs casually, and some seemed lost in thought.
At the far edge sat Prince Quentyn Martell of Dorne, the youngest and not normally qualified to attend, but he was here representing his father, thus sitting at the far edge of the governor's row, next to his sister Queen Arianne Martell.
Prince of Dorne had a youthful face, continuously looking around, he wore a sand-yellow robe characteristic of Dorne, without any medals, only the sun emblem on his shoulder.
Doran Prince of Dorne indeed couldn't come to King's Landing due to his health; he hadn't left Water Gardens for many years.
Thus, he always sent his eldest son Quentyn to stay in King's Landing, firstly perhaps to help his sister somewhat, and secondly to solidify Dorne's position after the establishment of the new dynasty.
Facing Robert's puzzled eyes, Edd sitting on the platform had a slightly uncomfortable expression on his face. The Northerner moistened his dry lips, then lowered his head, not meeting the eyes of his good friend.
Being imprisoned in the dungeons of the Red Keep, Robert was almost ignorant of the outside world. His son Joffrey and daughter Myrcella didn't mention these things when they visited him the day before yesterday.
Robert thought Edd had died, or donned black and left King's Landing.
However, he never expected Edd to have the qualification to sit on the trial bench to witness his own trial? Isn't this a naked betrayal?
They had agreed to die together as good brothers, but unexpectedly, Edd chickened out secretly.
Robert's gaze was somewhat angry and also puzzled, but he didn't accuse, after all, the relationship between the two was like brothers, not real brothers but just like real brothers.
Both were foster sons growing up in the Vale, boasting and joking together in their youth, and after growing up, they did a grand thing together, overthrowing the great kingdom that ruled Westeros for nearly three hundred years.
So the relationship between the two was very good, and Robert would be happy for Edd to get a chance to live on. Of course, being happy for him didn't mean forgiving the betrayal.
Robert's gaze was like a knife, making Edd lower his head and remain silent.
He chose to kneel and plead guilty for the sake of his wife and children, but Robert wouldn't do so.
Edd's path was not for everyone to walk, his personal credibility was a guarantee, Robert, even if he knelt and pleaded guilty, he would not have a way to live, just like his father-in-law Tywin Lannister, the way to survive had been blocked, why lose face at the last moment of life? Might as well go to the seventh hell happily.
Robert was very clear about his positioning. He knew that he was a bastard in this life, enjoyed glory and wealth when alive, and should be punished in the seventh hell after death.
"Kneel!"
The voice of the Unsullied soldier escorting Robert was cold, wanting to force the former king to kneel, but Viserys waved his hand to stop them.
"Forget it."
"A king should not be insulted."
Actually, if you put aside the so-called family hatred, Viserys didn't hate Robert, even if the latter wanted to kill him very much. Maybe it was based on the goodwill from the previous life towards this hearty, straightforward fat man, Robert was very affable, very good at turning enemies into friends.
The joining of the Targaryen army to the human alliance and many Seven Kingdoms nobles to fight against the White Walkers was partly due to Robert's sincerity and Viserys' trust.
In fact, if the war of the human alliance against the White Walkers had not broken out after it ended, Robert didn't fall from his horse due to an arrow and fall into a coma, and the military power didn't fall into the hands of his father-in-law Tywin, perhaps the two armies wouldn't have turned against each other so quickly, and the civil war wouldn't have broken out instantly.
At that time, Robert wanted to negotiate with Viserys, discuss the possibility of the Targaryen army not attacking Westeros, but establishing a huge empire on the Essos continent instead.
After all, the Essos continent is vast, populous, and economically developed, there is no need to stubbornly fight for the Iron Throne.
However, Robert was shot in the chest by Lyanna Stark, military power fell into the hands of his father-in-law Tywin, and all the basis and slight possibility for negotiation were gone.
Tywin knew that once the Targaryen family gained power, they would not spare him, so he had to drag more people into the water to save the Lannister family. If only he resisted alone, it would be hard to support.
Tywin controlled the power of the human alliance and launched an attack on the Targaryen army, even using a huge crossbow to sneak attack and injure Balerion, successfully infuriating Viserys.
Then the human civil war broke out, the angry black dragon burned down Twin River City, destroyed the alliance's resistance, and eventually, this civil war swept every inch of the Seven Kingdoms, took nearly two years to complete the unification of the Seven Kingdoms.
"Humph—"
However, Robert didn't seem to appreciate Viserys' kindness. His hands and feet were still chained and stood in place, snorting coldly.
Actually, the trial of Robert was very simple, without the need for other accusers, just the fact that he was the leader of the rebel army and usurped the Iron Throne was enough to sentence him to death.
But the Minister of Justice was very competent, listed a long string of charges for Robert, and brought many witnesses to accuse King Robert.
Even many charges Viserys had never heard of, such as slaughtering civilians, robbing finance, forcibly taking civilian women, persecuting nobles, etc., but the most eye-catching one was Robert's squandering of the state treasury to the extreme.
Former Minister of Finance Petyr Baelish personally attended the trial to testify, Robert squandered the treasury to satisfy his own extreme material desires, so that the state could hardly operate, the economy was withered, and the living standards of the people were significantly reduced compared to the period of Mad King Aerys II.
It's funny that the Mad King, who was hated by all the Seven Kingdoms nobles, didn't cause great damage to the civilians, but the leader of the 'justice' side caused the most damage to the people.
"Termites!"
"Vampire!"
"Fat Pig King!"
If the prostitution king just now was just the people making noise, with the trial reaching now, it ignited the anger of the people.
Ordinary citizens of King's Landing don't understand the so-called 'economics', don't know why their living standards have gone downhill, but they can understand numbers and do simple addition and subtraction.
Millions of gold dragons are numbers they dare not even think of, but all were squandered by King Robert alone.
Especially when Petyr Baelish said it was the king's squandering that lowered their living standards, it made them even angrier. The scene was suddenly noisy, and public resentment was soaring.
The frightened Joffrey and Myrcella, who had the qualification to attend and sat in the front row, turned pale and looked terrified.
They never thought that their father was so unpopular among the people.
Their mother Cersei hurriedly hugged the two children to comfort their emotions, then stood up.
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