Chương 782: Chapter 782: Envoy to Valyria
At the far end of the world, an obscure frontier officer was about to be unfortunately dispatched to the West as an envoy to discuss methods of jointly resisting the Long Night.
In the eyes of the Golden Dynasty, only the resurgent Valyrian Empire could stand shoulder to shoulder with them in this world.
Alas, the current emperor Bu Hai had his power hollowed out, his ambitions left unrealized.
He wanted to send civil and military officials from the capital as envoys to the West, but with the Long Night descending, sailing in the dark was an extremely perilous undertaking. None among the court officials were willing to go.
Left with no choice, Emperor Bu Hai could only send a missive to the Five Forts, requesting the garrison there to dispatch an officer to represent the imperial court as an envoy to the West, to exchange knowledge and establish diplomatic relations with the mighty Valyrian Empire, discussing ways to jointly combat the Long Night.
Bu Hai was not actually an incompetent emperor. The state of the nation was already in shambles when he inherited the throne, and he currently had no opportunity to showcase his talents.
When the Long Night suddenly descended, the East was still shrouded in darkness. Many people woke up to find it still dark outside and went back to sleep, only to be struck with terror upon realizing the anomaly.
However, when Emperor Bu Hai received this news, he was both shocked and delighted. He saw it as a perfect opportunity to sweep away the vassal kings and princes, restoring the authority of the imperial court.
Thus, he hoped to form an alliance with the Valyrian Empire to jointly resist the darkness.
"An imperial edict?" The innocent officer revealed a look of despair. Although the emperor's power was currently trampled upon and the nation in turmoil, an imperial edict was still not something a mere officer like him could ignore.
He was destined to soon board a fleet heading to the West. Xu Ying had already mentally prepared himself to die in a foreign land.
Given the geographical location of the Golden Dynasty, the outside world was teeming with demons and monsters, with only the Golden Dynasty at the center being a paradise on earth.
Therefore, the frontier people always maintained a high level of vigilance towards the outside world. He would rather charge alone into the Grey Waste to hunt monsters than travel to the western world.
But he had no choice, deeply aware of the important mission he shouldered. He could only steel himself and embark on this journey.
After all, this concerned the emperor's expectations and the safety of even more commoners. With the heavy responsibility of the nation on his shoulders, he had no choice but to go.
"In three days," General Jin Cheng patted the scout officer's shoulder, looking into his eyes with a rare sincerity, "a delegation will come to retrieve you."
"Old Xu, until we meet again."
On the other side, in Westeros.
The winter winds were bleak and desolate.
Before the Long Night descended, it was still the height of summer in King's Landing, with no signs of seasonal change, let alone a direct shift from summer to winter, skipping autumn entirely.
However, since the Long Night fell and the sun vanished, another lethal threat had also emerged.
Now, even the most pedantic maesters would no longer harbor doubts about the seasonal issue, because after the sun disappeared, the temperature of the entire world began to slowly decline.
Although the drop was not very rapid at first, it soon plummeted like a cliff.
Snow was now falling over King's Landing, and the Reach witnessed snowfall unseen for many years.
However, Viserys, the backbone of the empire as its emperor, was not currently in King's Landing, nor was he in Highgarden. Instead, he had ridden his giant dragon to the Wall.
The massive breach in the Wall, once collapsed when the King-Beyond-the-Wall blew the Horn of Winter, still remained.
With the current state of human construction, there was no way to plug such a huge hole. Moreover, even if it could be rebuilt, it would be of little use without the protection of magical powers, remaining a point of breach for the White Walkers' attacks.
The wonders of the Wall and many other structures around the world actually originated from an era when magic was abundant, but much of that magic had been lost. Now, atop the massive breach in the Wall, only a battlement had been built as a makeshift measure.
The other two dragonriders of the imperial family, the young queen Rhaenys and Daenerys, the Lady of Dragonstone, had also flown their respective dragons to the Wall.
Rhaenys had entrusted her son to the care of her sister Allayne, while the other princess, Daenerys, seemed to have 'put aside past grudges' and voluntarily flown to the Wall to rendezvous with Viserys and Rhaenys.
As for the remaining five dragons—Vhagar, Tyraxes, Meleys, Syrax, and Silverwing—they had been temporarily left behind due to the uncertain situation.
Vhagar and Tyraxes had received instructions from Viserys to follow their respective riders and protect their safety, as well as safeguard Highgarden.
Although the two giant dragons might not heed Allayne's commands, it was enough that their riders, Diana and Haelos, would listen to her.
Viserys certainly did not want his home to be raided while he was at the front lines.
"Your Grace." "Your Grace."
Snow continued to swirl atop the Wall. Viserys had ridden out amidst the wind and snow to patrol, then returned, brushing the snowflakes off his body. The people seated inside the room hastily stood up to pay their respects.
The current Lord Commander of the Night's Watch was still the 997th, Jeor Mormont.
Old Bear's hair was entirely white, his shaggy gray-white beard hanging down to his chest, his pair of dim yellow eyes surrounded by crow's feet.
Viserys's great-uncle Maester Aemon was also present, along with the long-unseen former Lord of Winterfell, Eddard Stark, another old acquaintance.
Lord Eddard had not remained a mere foot soldier. With his abilities, seniority, and the influence of House Stark, he now served as the Master-at-Arms of the Night's Watch, a role akin to a deputy commander.
The Night's Watch currently had a strength of several thousand men, mostly criminals exiled to the frontier in recent years. The northern forces sworn to the Night's Watch numbered around 30,000.
These were not entirely composed of northerners but had been gradually transferred and gathered in recent years through the decisions of the imperial Small Council.
The imperial leadership had never forgotten the powerful enemy waiting for them in the North. Ever since unifying Westeros, Viserys had been systematically stockpiling food in preparation for the winter, although he had not anticipated the advent of the Long Night.
However, due to the preparations made, when the Long Night descended, although the imperial Small Council was somewhat panicked, the overall situation remained within controllable limits.
"Now is not the time for despair," Viserys said. "How is the gathering of the various armies progressing?"
In the rebuilt command center of Castle Black, Viserys, the commanders and generals of the Night's Watch, Rhaenys, and Daenerys had all gathered.
Although Rhaenys and Daenerys were women, none of those present underestimated them, for they were the main force of the imperial army—they were dragonriders.
On the other side, a steward was reporting on the convergence of the various armies.
During the pre-battle meeting, everyone held their breath, not daring to speak. On the other side, Daenerys, standing to the side, slightly pursed her lips, then secretly glanced at Viserys, who was seated in the center.
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