"And you, Zarro. Are you willing to change?"
“I do have a little idea,” Zarro said after a moment’s thought.
............................
Zaruo is a very ambitious person; whether in the original novel or the TV series, he's always the one causing trouble. Therefore, Lu Xuan had no doubt that he would accept his proposal. However, he hadn't expected that this guy's ambition seemed even greater than he had imagined.
Of course, not everyone shared Zarro's ambition. Most of the Thirteen were uninterested in Daenerys. This wasn't Westeros, where only Targaryens possessed silver hair. In Essos, silver-haired beauties were plentiful. The royalty and those in power didn't have a particularly strong desire for Daenerys. They were perhaps more interested in dragons.
These people, however, were more inclined to kill the dragons than to control them. As Zarro said, they didn't want to change the current situation. They didn't want to lose their wealth and status, nor did they have the desire to move up the ranks.
Two days later, Jorah left with fifty mercenaries. The round trip was expected to take a month. During this time, Lu Xuan was not idle either.
He first bought a large number of slaves at very low prices. After all, he now had the support of two wealthy men, the warlock and Zaro. Then he bought a group of children. These children were originally destined for Astapor to receive Unsullied training, but Lu Xuan bought them en route.
This is the fourth world Lu Xuan has transmigrated to. In the previous three worlds, he had led troops and fought countless battles. And all these experiences had one thing in common: Lu Xuan always led only his own troops. Even if they weren't originally his, he would make them his own.
In Essos, the mercenary model is prevalent. However, what Lu Xuan despises most is the practice of hiring outsiders to fight for him. Daenerys will show her true colors sooner or later. Therefore, Lu Xuan has begun training her in advance. Once her dragons have grown up, Lu Xuan will also field a true army.
In any case, Lu Xuan would never hire those mercenary groups to fight. He was afraid he would lose control and kill those mercenaries before the war even began.
A busy month has passed. Daenerys has finally arrived in Qarth.
On this day, she wore a pure white lion skin cloak. It was made from the pelt of a white lion that the Horse King had personally hunted for her on the Dothraki plains after their marriage.
Daenerys already possessed a remarkable air, and this unique and magnificent cloak made her appear even more regal and imposing. Even the wealthy merchants, accustomed to seeing beautiful women, were momentarily stunned. However, they quickly regained their composure.
Because of Lu Xuan's prior arrangements, Qarth's attitude towards Daenerys wasn't as resistant as depicted in the show. Although some explicitly stated they disliked her, others said it wouldn't hurt to let her in. After all, she only had less than a hundred subordinates, fifty of whom were hired by Qarth.
Dani eventually made it into the city and quickly became a VIP guest for some people.
Luxurious manor houses, exquisitely luxurious food, dozens of maids, and magnificent robes. Hot springs, fine wine, banquets—all of this filled Daenerys's life overnight. In just a few days, she began to indulge in this lifestyle.
Jorah was actually quite pleased to see Daenerys living the life of a noblewoman. If possible, he wouldn't even want her to fight for the Iron Throne. Even before the dragons hatched, he had suggested selling the eggs and living a comfortable life somewhere in Essos. But unfortunately, Daenerys believed she bore a certain responsibility and successfully hatched the dragons.
Now, Daenerys's indulgence in this pleasure worried him. He knew it was all an illusion. The people of this city didn't genuinely like her. They were only interested in her like a rare toy. The novelty would wear off for a while. Once they grew tired of her, Daenerys would revert to her true nature.
“Lu, this is not right. We should remind her.”
"Of course, as a loyal guard, you do have a duty to remind her. But what I'm saying is that if you expose her now, it's like shattering her dream. She'll be grateful to you, but she'll also hate you. Don't doubt it, any queen would feel that way."
"But this dream will eventually be shattered. She will be in great pain then."
"Then let her suffer. To be queen is to be unhappy. The crown is always heavy."
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Chapter 240 If you believe, it exists; if you don't believe, it doesn't.
Is Daenerys a good leader? Whether in the novel or in the TV series, her abilities are only average, even somewhat lacking. If it weren't for the writers' exceptional leadership, she wouldn't have survived the first season.
However, this is a fantasy world, and Daenerys's various adventures still fascinate Lu Xuan. In Lu Xuan's view, the author's various overpowered abilities, when reflected in reality, can be interpreted as Daenerys possessing a destiny. As for the TV series ending with her being killed by a scumbag...
A protagonist destined for greatness always possesses some extraordinary qualities. Daenerys may not be particularly intelligent, and her military and political skills are mediocre. However, she does have some strengths, such as her remarkably unwavering will. After experiencing so much suffering, she remains true to herself and even retains her inner kindness.
By Lu Xuan's standards, she wasn't a qualified queen. Because a king shouldn't be associated with kindness. But undeniably, he still hoped she could be a little kinder.
So when Daenerys regained consciousness and apologized to them both, Lu Xuan felt somewhat gratified. It was as if he were seeing his apprentice succeed.
“I could sense that they never truly respected me. They surrounded me, praising and complimenting me, as if they were admiring a toy.”
"Then why is this happening?" Lu Xuan did not step forward to comfort her, and even stopped Jora, who wanted to comfort her.
“Because…because I have no power. If I were the true Dragon Queen, if I had such a city, if I reclaimed the Iron Throne, then no one could treat me like this. They would truly submit to me.”
"Heh. You believe submission comes from cities, armies, or thrones?"
"Isn't that right?" Dani stared wide-eyed at Lu Xuan. After saving Lu Xuan, they had actually had very little interaction. Lu Xuan had helped her overcome various difficulties, yet maintained a distance that was neither too close nor too far. He had neither sworn allegiance to her nor been overly distant. Now it seemed this strange visitor was testing her.
Lu Xuan did not answer directly, but instead told a story.
"There are four people in a room. A nobleman, a wealthy merchant, a monk, and three people of illustrious backgrounds. The last person is a highly skilled mercenary. Each nobleman has asked the mercenary to kill the other two. Who do you think will live and who will die?"
Daenerys instinctively opened her mouth to answer, but hesitated. She realized the question wasn't as simple as she'd imagined. Nobles, wealthy merchants, and monks represented status, wealth, and faith, respectively. And all three, in a sense, were forms of power.
Lu Xuan turned around and asked Jora, who was standing to the side.
"What do you think, Sir Jorah?"
Jorah thought for a moment and then said.
“The nobles will survive.” Typical aristocratic thinking. Lu Xuan ignored him.
Daenerys remained silent. She realized that Lu Xuan was testing her. She felt that if she didn't answer well, this mysterious sage might leave her.
"I believe that everyone is capable of dying and also capable of living. Because status, wealth, and faith are all part of rights."
“Very good, at least better than Ser Jorah’s aristocratic mindset. But do you really think there are only three rights in this story?”
Daenerys fell silent again, pondered for a moment, and then suddenly realized.
"No, there is a fourth type. It is the mercenary's sword. He wields absolute force, so he also possesses a kind of power."
"You see, you're starting to understand. Actually, the people who truly hold power in this room are the mercenaries who wield swords."
“But…” Daenerys sensed something was wrong. She opened her mouth, but couldn’t quite put her finger on it. She just felt it shouldn’t be like this.
"You feel like something's not right, but you don't know how to express it?" Lu Xuan said with a smile, revealing what was on her mind.