The King's Big Stick

By the time Joffrey arrived with his men, the situation was already on the verge of getting out of control.

The people from Crab Claw Peninsula were blocking the middle of the road, shouting insults at the people from Gales.

"Where's the grain?"

"Where's the promised grain?"

"We've been walking for over ten days, hoping to get a hot meal here!"

Thousands of people shouted in a chaotic frenzy, but eventually their voices coalesced into a single sentence.

What to eat!

"What food? Who told you that!"

"Call your master out here and talk to him!" Gales's men shouted back.

The crab farmers were not afraid at all.

"The gentlemen said there would be food!"

"Who do you think you are? Let your master speak!"

"Don't give us that nonsense, we just want food!"

The two groups of people argued and drew closer together.

The pushing and shoving has begun.

The trained royal soldiers spontaneously formed ranks and drew their weapons to confront the crab people.

Looking at this disorderly group of people, a strange sense of superiority appeared in their eyes.

"We're receiving centrally allocated rations personally distributed by His Highness!" someone shouted, chin raised. "If you want more, you'll have to hand over yours first!"

The crab farmers couldn't possibly understand these rules.

They just shouted, "The master said there will be grain."

They continued to push forward without any fear.

At this moment, the gates of the Deer Horn Fortress slowly opened.

A force of several hundred men poured out and formed ranks below their own city gate.

A dozen knights bypassed the crowd and came to Joffrey's side.

The leader glanced at the crowned stag flag next to him.

Then he dismounted and knelt on one knee.

"Your Highness!" His voice was laced with suppressed anger, "These people have only just arrived and they've already ruined all the crops on my land!"

They even pulled up every single newly sprouted wheat seedling!

The knight looked up, his eyes bloodshot: "And now they dare to come here begging for food?"

Joffrey examined the emblem on his body.

The pair of golden antlers on the blue background with white fur markings belong to the Bookwell family, the lords of Antler Castle.

"I understand." Joffrey nodded.

"I will get you the justice you deserve."

The crab farmers refused to back down.

Someone in the crowd shouted at the top of their lungs, "The Targaryens used to distribute food!"

"Why did it stop posting after the person was changed?"

"Doesn't the current king care about anything?"

It's unclear who started it.

A muffled thud, followed by a scream.

The two sides immediately started fighting.

Fists, sticks, harpoons, and stones picked up from the ground flew everywhere in the crowd.

Curses, screams, and roars mingled together.

Joffrey stared coldly into the distance.

On the edge of that chaos, some people are looking this way.

Their clothes were decent enough, but they just watched from a distance, and none of them stepped forward to restrain their soldiers.

Joffrey looked away and turned his head.

"Sir Barristan."

"exist."

"Go and invite the earls to bring their troops."

Barristan's gaze lingered on his face for a moment, but he didn't ask any further questions and spurred his horse to gallop away.

Joffrey then turned to Bookwell.

"My lord, have your men advance in formation and block their retreat."

Bookwell was taken aback at first, then a glint flashed in his eyes.

Without saying a word, he mounted his horse and galloped towards his own men.

The hundreds of soldiers at Deer Horn Fortress immediately sprang into action.

Spears laid flat, shields side by side, they advanced forward in orderly steps.

The crab farmers noticed the commotion behind them and slowed down their pushing.

Some people started looking back, and a restless commotion arose in the crowd.

Joffrey then turned to the hound.

"Dog, separate them."

"Try not to kill anyone."

The hound grinned, revealing a wide smile.

With a "click," he fastened the menacing hound helmet and waved to the men in golden robes behind him.

Dozens of riders in golden robes spurred their warhorses, carrying wooden clubs covered with iron, and charged toward the densest part of the crowd.

This is no longer just an ordinary mob.

We can't hesitate any longer; we have to strike hard!

The wooden stick was swung high and smashed down on the shoulders, head, and back.

Like a sharp blade cutting through the crowd, the crowd was immediately cleaved in two.

Several of those who rushed to the front were knocked to the ground on the spot, clutching their arms and groaning in pain.

The conflict stopped in an instant.

Dozens of people were lying haphazardly on the ground, some curled up and motionless, others still struggling.

Most of them are crab farmers.

"A fight has broken out! A fight has broken out!"

Those who were still standing finally realized what was happening and raised their harpoons and sticks, trying to surround the men in golden robes.

But the hound had already led his men out before that.

Just then, the sound of horses' hooves came rolling in from behind.

River Lake was the first to arrive.

He led two hundred cavalrymen, circled around the side of the column, and stopped beside Joffrey.

The warhorses snorted, and the knights, hands on their sword hilts, awaited orders.

Joffrey gestured with his chin toward the right side of the crabmen.

Riverley waved his hand, and the two hundred riders immediately dispersed, slanting into the open space and forming a line on the right flank of the crab people.

Immediately afterwards, the Rossby family's soldiers also formed ranks.

The Stokeworths, the Harvards, and several other earls and barons whose names you might recall.

They led squads of fully armed soldiers who broke away from the marching column, spread out on both sides of the open space, and advanced forward in orderly steps.

More than two thousand people lined up in front of the crab farmers, forming a gleaming iron wall.

The sunlight shone on the armor and the tips of the spears, so bright that it was hard to open one's eyes.

The crab farmers at the front finally panicked.

Some people started backing away.

But the people behind had no idea what was happening ahead and were still pushing forward, shouting for food.

"Stop! Stop!"

A sharp voice rang out from the crowd.

Several messy flags were erected from the crab farmers' pile.

The few onlookers finally arrived, their faces covered in sweat, and waved frantically at Joffrey.

"Your Highness! They're on our side!"

"Don't do it!"

Joffrey ignored him.

He simply raised his arm and waved it forward.

"Bring those guys here."

The men in golden robes immediately rushed into the crowd.

The crab farmers scattered.

Before the people who were shouting could run away, they were pinned to the ground and dragged directly to Joffrey Ma.

"Your Highness, we are..."

"Earl? Baron?" Joffrey looked down at them from his horse.

Several people looked at each other.

Finally, a bald man raised his head.

His expression was ambiguous, a mix of fear and defiance: "I am the Earl of the Brun family of Dreadfort."

"Are these people yours?" Joffrey's voice was calm.

"Part of it is mine."

"Where were you when they came here to cause trouble?"

"Causing trouble?" The bald man's eyes widened, as if he had heard some terrible injustice. "Your Highness, how can this be called causing trouble!"

"They have come from afar to serve the king, and after being hungry for so many days, they have come just to ask for some food."

"This is considered causing trouble?"

"The army has its own rules on how to distribute rations," Joffrey said, staring intently at him.

"I sent a messenger raven to inform Lord Bookwell the day before yesterday and asked him to pass on the message to you."

"All grain and fodder are managed centrally and distributed according to regulations upon arrival."

He turned to Bookwell: "Sir, have you conveyed the message?"

Bookwell nodded immediately: "Of course I sent someone to tell them. As for whether they listened or not, I don't know."

Joffrey nodded, his gaze returning to the bald man.

"You have violated three laws."

"They allowed their troops to plunder, which caused internal strife, and then they tried to justify themselves in public."

The bald man's expression changed.

"Your Highness, we don't have..."

Joffrey didn't let him finish speaking.

He turned to Barristan, who had been standing quietly to the side.

"Jazz."

"Convene a military court immediately."