Chapter 169
In accordance with Dany's initial design, her aim was to transform the Yunkai Plain into an expansive granary, ideally cultivating all 45 million acres of its fertile expanse.
Even if the yields proved meager, with just 200 kilograms of wheat per acre of land, harvested twice a year, the potential would amount to a staggering 9 million tons.
With a calculated grain consumption of one kilogram per person per year (accounting for meat, eggs, and dairy products converted into grain equivalents), the Yunkai Plain could sustain a population of 18 million individuals...
This notion gave Dany pause; her doubts regarding the existence of 50 million people in this world lingered. Regardless, Slaver's Bay held a mere 1.5 million inhabitants. If Queen Daenerys's ambitious plan came to fruition—even if only for a single year—it would mean that even in the direst hours of the impending Long Night, Slaver's Bay could weather the storm for a decade.
Of course, Dany was inclined to err on the side of caution, marking the Dothraki as her exclusive concern under the banner of the "Dragon Queen." With the Long Night on the horizon, she was determined to gather them under her wing.
At the very least, there were forty to fifty million souls to account for...
Volantis and Qarth... Ah, while the Allies were still engrossed in their deliberations over dragon slaughter, the Dragon Queen's thoughts revolved around the welfare of those under the Allies' dominion, striving to ensure their survival during the impending Long Night.
A responsibility she bore with unwavering determination.
More pressingly, according to the calculations of Westerosi Maesters, autumn's end had arrived, and winter was upon them. Time was a precious commodity, a dwindling resource. She had to act, to transcend, or risk perishing.
And so, with fervor and haste, Dany embarked on the colossal endeavor of relocating Meereen's burgeoning Free Folk to Yunkai. In just two short months, a staggering 100,000 souls had been transplanted, with plans for a year-long continuation.
In her meticulously crafted blueprint, the flourishing Meereen was reserved for the Ghis and her vassals. Simultaneously, she facilitated the migration of Yunkai's Ghiscari population to Meereen, Astapor, and the Free Folk's newfound settlement.
At this juncture, there existed but one Ser Chainbreaker, though she anticipated the emergence of numerous Lords in the wake of the Long Night. True nobles required fiefdoms, and she had designated lands to the north and west of Meereen as their domain.
Slaver's Bay is akin to an "inner lake," nestled within the continent of Essos, enclosed by mountain ranges on both its eastern and western flanks.
Divided by Meereen, the western land hosts two Ghiscari city-states, Yunkai and Astapor.
To the east, it abuts the Dothraki Sea, where numerous Old Valyrian city-states, fallen in the wake of the cataclysm, such as Bhorash, Tolos, and Elyria, are found.
In her grand design, the western region of Slaver's Bay, encompassing Yunkai and Astapor, falls under the jurisdiction of the Crownlands—the sovereign territory of the Queen.
Yunkai, relinquishing its abhorrent slave trade, would be transformed into a bountiful granary, cultivating extensive Free Folk farms. Astapor, conversely, would commence with the development of crafts, reserving the equally vast Worm River plains for later exploitation, a century or two hence, when the Crownlands' population began to burgeon.
The desolate eastern expanse would be governed with Meereen as its political and economic heart, under the aegis of her loyal vassals.
It stood as an equitable arrangement, for Meereen had flourished far beyond the combined prosperity of Yunkai and Astapor—especially following the conflagration that consumed the Yunkish plains
The wealth of Meereen did not solely reside in the meandering thousand-mile river and the fertile plains that stretched along its banks. It was bordered by the Dothraki prairie to the north, Slaver's Bay to the south, and a substantial river connecting Lhazar to the east—an extensive passage known as the "Khyzai Passage."
It could be argued that Meereen represented the superior land, with Yunkai and Astapor as intermediary regions, while the ancient cities to the east of Slaver's Bay constituted the inferior lands.
Daenerys, with her insightful strategy, allocated two linked intermediary lands, while her loyal vassals claimed their shares of the superior and inferior lands, forming a cohesive whole.
She subtly shared this vision with her generals, who not only voiced no objection but were invigorated by the prospect. After all, the higher the title, the closer their fiefdom would be to Meereen.
Now, let delve Dany's ambitious plan.
In addition to Yunkai and Astapor, Meereen itself had plunged headlong into an unprecedented era of agricultural fervor. As the new Free Folk departed Meereen in vast numbers, the Ghiscari population of Yunkai, the captive Ghiscari warriors, the condemned slave masters, and the denizens of Yunkai all migrated to Meereen.
Together, they numbered nearly 60,000 men.
During this period, Dany refrained from initiating wholesale slaughter. She did, however, pronounce a death sentence by hanging upon the Wise Masters of Yunkai, who had orchestrated the gruesome massacre of over 50,000 slaves, while the remaining Ghiscari were subjected to reeducation through labor.
The duration of their reeducation was not overly protracted, spanning only three to five years, and their servitude was limited to a decade at most.
Upon the pronouncement of these sentences, even the Ghiscari Free Folk couldn't help but cry out, "Queen's mercy."
Was this an act of kindness?
No, the Long Night was slated to arrive within the next two years, and following that, a polar night phenomenon was anticipated to persist for at least five years—wherein sunlight would be absent from the world entirely. Even if the Others were vanquished, an unrelenting winter would persist for approximately eight to ten years.
Among the 50,000 to 60,000 male prisoners, roughly 30% would undoubtedly yearn for the "Mercy of Lord Chainbreaker" in the imminent summer.
Indeed, Cleon Chainbreaker was en route to Meereen to assume the role of Acting City Lord. Under his stern governance, the Ghiscari prisoners labored vigorously to transform the Meereenese estates, which had seen the pyramids razed, into sprawling fields.
In essence, Queen Daenerys welcomed Slaver's Bay's new Free Folk with open arms and benevolent smiles, while Lord Chainbreaker spurred the Ghiscari onward with shouts and whips.
Ultimately, Queen Daenerys would reap the harvest—a granary brimming with wheat, rice, and the love of her people.
Can love not be? In comparison to Lord Chainbreaker, the Ghiscari would come to regard Her Majesty as an ardent ruler.
Now, Lord Chainbreaker possessed a measure of Ghiscari blood himself, but his loathing for slave masters and high-ranking Ghiscari—nobles, merchants, estate owners—surpassed that of most foreign to Dany's ruling.
Were it not for Her Majesty's regal authority, it's entirely plausible that this man would have subjected thousands of Ghiscari youths to castration. At one of the Queen's court meetings, Cleon had repeatedly advocated for "Blood For Blood" proposing the wholesale castration of all Ghiscari, thereby forging a new legion of Unsullied.
Subsequently, Dany discreetly dispatched Astapori emissaries to inquire into his past. The stories that emerged were diverse: some claimed Cleon was the offspring of a slave girl, born into slavery himself; others attested to Cleon's youthful good looks and whispered rumors of sordid liaisons with many Good Masters during his early days, which had resulted in unspeakable atrocities.
In any case, Ser Chainbreaker shed tears at every rendition of the revolutionary dramas crafted by Dany. His visage displayed genuine empathy for nearly every tale.
True, his character harbored imperfections—a violent disposition, a hint of lust since becoming a Ser, and even two paramours. However, his intrinsic qualities were commendable.
Cleon Chainbreaker possessed a keen sense of awareness, and his moral compass stood resolute against the institution of slavery and the slave masters. His inner spark blazed brightly, perfectly aligning with Queen Dany's aspirations and complementing what she sought to achieve but could not. He proved a steadfast comrade in every sense.
Upon completion of the population migration, Yunkai would host over 500,000 souls, while another 500,000 would accompany the Queen to cultivate the vast plains. This arrangement allowed for an equitable work schedule, with two days of labor compensated by one day of respite for each individual.
In the grand design known as the "Queen's Vision," Meereen was also assigned a vast expanse of 25 million acres of land to be cultivated.
However, the recent call to action by Queen Daenerys summoned the New Free Folk to Yunkai, and Ser Chainbreaker could joyfully accommodate approximately 200,000 Ghiscari Free Folk, in addition to nearly 100,000 Ghiscari labor prisoners (consisting of the 60,000 from Yunkai and the 40,000 to 50,000 sentenced within Meereen itself).
Beside Meereen and Yunkai, which comprised her homeland, Astapor too featured prominently in the Queen's ambitious scheme—15 million acres of farmland and 10 million acres of pastureland were earmarked for this mission.
At first glance, this may appear a daunting task, but in the preceding six months, Dany had overseen the reclamation of a staggering 7 million acres in Astapor.
Following the Battle of White Poplar Slope, where Queen Daenerys had liberated a cohort of 70,000 to 80,000 prime-age slaves, she had orchestrated the return of 30,000 militiamen from Astapor, each laden with ample cattle and packhorses.
The newly reclaimed 8 million acres were slated for the cultivation of textile cash crops, including flax and cotton. Astapor had seen the relocation of a majority of Slaver's Bay's skilled artisans—encompassing not only weavers but also blacksmiths, masons, potters, and more.
The remaining 10 million acres of pastureland fell under the jurisdiction of Dany's Khalasar. Both Yunkai and Meereen had seen their populations swell with recruits. Young Kas, previously numbering a mere hundred, had burgeoned into a substantial Khalasar boasting 20,000 warriors. Queen Daenerys herself commanded nearly 4,000 screamers—emerging as a formidable presence in the Great Grass Sea.
This way, even if the "Queen's Vision" is only marginally complete, Slaver's Bay will not have to be afraid of the impending Long Night.
However, Dany was no fool. Though she had crafted a meticulous plan, she had never harbored illusions of achieving a perfect completion.
Beneath the brilliant afternoon sun, outside the city of Yunkai, atop a ridge.
"Gurgle…" Dany, clad in slightly oversized training armor, took a hearty swig from a jug resembling a wooden stake, then exhaled deeply. She spoke, "Cease the sparring, take a respite."
Barristan, similarly attired in training gear, removed his helmet and set aside his as-yet-untouched blunted sword. He picked up a water flask, sipped from it, and on the other side of the ridge, he remarked, "In the past month or so, Your Majesty's swordsmanship has improved very quickly! My you are even on par with Prince Rhaegar when he was your age."
Queen Dany had been leading the charge in advocating the daily cry of "Winter is Coming; All Must Till the Land." Every morning, she shouldered a hoe and led tens of thousands of farmers to the fields.
Though she did not personally delve into the soil, she devoted herself to honing her swordsmanship, laying aside the hoe, and focusing solely on perfecting her martial skills...
It was little wonder that her combat abilities had seen a sharp rise in recent times.
"No need to flatter me," Dany replied with a light laugh.
Rhaegar's reputation as a Knight on par with Ser Arthur Dayne may have faded with time, but he was unquestionably a formidable Knight in his own right.
"Indeed, after nearly a month of battlefield training, Your Majesty has embodied the essence of swordsmanship! I've noticed that Your Majesty has been making rapid strides recently, with speed and strength nearly a third greater than three months ago!"
Barristan carefully assessed Dany once more, noting that Her Majesty's stature had grown to an imposing 5'8".
Her body was tall and lithe, her shoulders were sculpted, her waist possessed a trim elegance, and her limbs were both slender and robust. It was a different form of beauty compared to the time he had first encountered her in Qarth—youthful and vigorous, yet without the imposing presence that came with a "majestic" physique.
It's the talent of Your Majesty, and more fundamentally, the Targaryen bloodline, thought the aging Knight, sighing inwardly.
Dany herself also sensed that her strength had been surging at an astonishing rate in recent times, advancing even faster than during her six months of intensive training in Astapor. She couldn't quite discern whether this was due to her physical development or the concentrated spiritual energies coursing within her.