Casterly Rock Changes Hands-A Promise Is Gold

Everyone knew that Jon was being modest; if he had insisted on attacking Casterly Rock, none of them would likely be standing here unscathed.

It's not impossible that they might even die on the battlefield.

Sandor understood that Jon giving armor to others was a way of winning them over, while giving it to him represented a sign of favor, so he happily accepted the armor.

At this moment, Jon looked at Adam was also motionless, and said, "Adam, right? You can also pick one to take with you."

"Thank you, sir." Adam quickly expressed his gratitude.

However, he felt uneasy—after all, he had killed Tywin; what would Jon do to him?

Tywin gave him the Lannister name and made him his lord; how will this young duke, known as "the second Eddard," deal with himself?

As for Jon's statement that whoever cuts off Tywin's head will receive a reward from the Sarsfield, he hardly dared to dream of it.

They would be quite satisfied to acquire a small manor and join the ranks of the nobility.

The others were also very interested in how Jon would deal with Adam. They casually marked the armor they had chosen, laughing and commenting on it, while also observing how Jon planned to handle what he had promised.

After all, in everyone's eyes, only beheading Tywin on the battlefield would be worthy of this reward, and Jon's reward recipients at that time should not have included Adam, the traitor.

Moreover, some of them actually looked down on Adam. For example, Loras believed that Adam killing Tywin with his own hands was a very dishonorable thing and would not be acceptable anywhere.

Just like Jaime, even though everyone wanted to kill the Mad King Aerys, anyone could be killed except him, the Kingsguard.

The same applies if it were Tywin; Adam shouldn't have killed Tywin either.

Everyone was curious about how Jon would treat Adam, especially since he had previously earned a high reputation for declining titles and surnames.

"Too lenient a punishment would easily ruin his image," while too harsh a punishment would be detrimental to his future rule over the Westerlands, as many of the Westerlands lords have yet to come before Jon to swear allegiance.

Jon looked at Adam and said, "Adam, now that Tywin has acknowledged you as Lannister, and this is the Hall of Heroes, let's talk about you."

Adam realized he was about to be sentenced, and instinctively held his breath, while the others also sent beams of light toward him.

"Tywin allowed his children to tarnish the royal bloodline and the honor of the Seven, and he plundered and slaughtered people in the Riverlands, but he promoted you. You shouldn't kill him, and it's not your place to kill him." Jon's voice echoed in the hall, each word clearly reaching everyone's ears.

Upon hearing Jon's verdict, Adam was utterly devastated.

However, he also knew that although he wouldn't die, he would definitely lose all his wealth and status.

The others listened to Jon's words without showing any expression for the time being. They all felt that although there was nothing seriously wrong with such a decision, it was not entirely appropriate.

Only Loras thought Jon had done a good job in this matter, while Garlan was secretly taking notes, preparing to report everything to Highgarden.

Jon continued, "Adam, do you still have family?"

"Yes, sir, I have a mother and two younger brothers at home." Adam didn't know why Jon was asking this; after all, what he had done shouldn't have affected his family.

"Like you?" Jon meant whether he was a bastard like him.

"Yes, just like me," Adam replied somewhat weakly.

"Very well, you may choose one of your two brothers to inherit the Sarsfield. I declare them to be Lannister from now on. In a while, I will send you to the Wall. You will serve the Wall for three years. If you are still alive after three years, then return to be the Earl Sarsfield."

"Yes, sir." Adam was about to resign himself to his fate when he suddenly heard Jon's next sentence. "Sir!?"

Adam looked at Jon with disbelief.

The others were also surprised: What? Can you go to the Wall and come back? The Wall is Stark territory.

But thinking about it carefully, it makes sense. Given Jon and Robb's relationship, if they really wanted to get someone off the Wall, it would be a piece of cake.

As for whether it would damage the morale of the Wall troops and the oath system, the others didn't care. In their eyes, the Wall had long become a dumping ground for bandits, thieves, and rapists.

Only the Stark sent one direct descendant there in each generation.

Adam himself was overjoyed, as this condition was undoubtedly very advantageous to him! As long as he went to the Wall and returned, he would be able to clear his name, and his family would be no worse off than others in the future!

"Thank you, sir!"

Adam knelt directly before Jon, knowing that Jon's decision was actually quite biased towards him. It was only three years; he would only be twenty-five or twenty-six when he returned, which would be no problem at all.

The others could also see Jon's intentions: he wasn't trying to buy off Adam, but rather the Lannister ' influence in the Westerlands.

With Jon's assertion, Adam's Lannister became the only legitimate Lannister, and anyone else who wanted to cause trouble under the Lannister banner would have to go through Adam's family.

Furthermore, with Adam as an example, other lords in the Westerlands would be more inclined to surrender rather than resist.

After all, Jon could find a way to live for those who killed Tywin; they were merely vassals obeying their lord's orders, so it was hardly a big deal.

Of course, Jon's own honor would also be somewhat damaged. The most righteous thing to do would be to let Adam stay at the Wall until he dies, and then reward his family.

But since he was a feudal lord, he had to bear some stains and criticisms, and could not be as innocent as before.

However, the rewards are also substantial.

Now only Loras is dissatisfied; everyone else thinks this is the best solution.

If Robert hadn't harbored such deep hatred for Rhaegar, perhaps Eddard would have told him Jon's true parentage.

If Robert could legitimize Jon Targaryen status and grant him a fief, Jon would be the first legitimate heir to the Targaryen. Even if Daenerys had dragons, her influence wouldn't be as significant.

Although Jon currently only rules over the Westerlands, the principle is essentially the same.

"However, my lord, my family and I only need one manor. Please use the Sarsfield to reward those generals who have truly rendered meritorious service."

Jon looked at Adam, who was almost bent over to the ground in front of him, and realized that he was an extremely intelligent man.

He's ruthless, courageous, and young enough.

But his current glory rests entirely on my shoulders, and unless I drive him to his death, he is unlikely to betray me.

Since Adam's two younger brothers didn't join the army, it means they're both quite young. Jon can keep them under his wing and train them, gradually turning them into loyal followers.

Furthermore, the location of Sarsfield is also crucial; he will send people to assist in its governance and will not hand over complete lordly authority to Adam.

In fact, in the future, all the lords of the Westerlands will lose the power to act tyrannically in their own territories.

"Jon wants to centralize all legislative, judicial, and conscription powers." In his vision, the overall power structure should be a system of counties and kingdoms operating in parallel.

The next step is to finish the battle by officially recognizing Adam, the surrendered general, as the Earl of Sarsfield, as promised. This would not only boost morale but also set an example for other local lords who had not yet surrendered but were willing to do so.

What? You think what I said before doesn't count?

"No, I dare not." Adam hesitated for a moment, then immediately knelt down, raising his sword high above his head. "Thank you for your honor, my lord. My family and I will forever be loyal to you, forever loyal to the Stark of Casterly Rock."

"Rise, I accept your allegiance."

Sarsfield can essentially be considered a satellite Casterly Rock; it's too close to Casterly Rock and is at most a post station.

In peacetime, Casterly Rock and Lannisport would also have a population-draining effect on Sarsfield, so Jon wouldn't have to worry about it growing and expanding right under his nose.

Furthermore, although Jon granted Adam the Sarsfield, he also took away a large portion of the surrounding territories.

Not only Sarsfield, but he also wanted to confiscate half of the territories of other lords in the Westerlands to settle the common people and concentrate power.

His ultimate goal was to increase the number of independent farmers in the Westerlands, so that they could farm in peacetime and fight in wartime.

Jon essentially intends to bypass the lords and rule directly over the common people. He doesn't want to wait until war breaks out and have a lord who doesn't get along with him take away the army.

To others, Jon's approach was still not perfect, but it was the best possible solution.

Both the reward and the punishment were appropriate. If Adam hadn't killed Tywin, a battle would have been inevitable afterward.

They had witnessed firsthand the superior weaponry of the Casterly Rock; in a real battle, their casualties would undoubtedly be substantial.

Even those present were not immune to injury.

The group then arrived at the Golden Corridor. Adam explained that all the murals there were carved into gold.

Jon, looking at the hundreds-of-meters- Golden Corridor, ordered, "Order the craftsmen to collect all this gold, melt it down, and put it into the vault."

"Yes, sir."

Adam, now Earl, was quite satisfied and determined to deposit every last bit of gold into Jon's vault as proof of his loyalty.

After viewing the Golden Corridor, Adam stepped forward again and asked, "Sir, where should we go next? Should we check the treasury, the granary, or the armory?"