The king on the Great Wall

Page 206

"Don't worry." Iger comforted me with a smile, "This trip to Golden Tooth City is not a battle, but just asking you to accompany me...to a meeting with an old friend."

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Chapter 580 Old iron, do you want to play something big?

"Seven gods, you can run faster than a dog that sees bones!"

If it was someone else who shouted this sentence in public, Egged would feel offended, but now...

"I ran fast because I missed you. The ability to offend people when you open your mouth is not unfamiliar at all, but I really relax." He smiled wryly and retorted, accepting this inappropriate metaphor, "I have to say, At least there are fewer people who dare to hold you against you for it now, do they, Master Lannister?"

In retaliation, he gave the dwarf a big hug, leaning on his arms and breastplate, until he strangled the dwarf and let his feet off the ground before letting him go.

"Huh... I take that back! Really, don't do this trick again." Tyrion rubbed his chest with one hand and panted, while begging for mercy with the other. "But you have to promise, you will have a good talk with me later, in the end How did you convince the northerners to support the Dragon Queen and rush from the Twin River City to the Golden Tooth City in just a few days?"

Tyrion's surprise was not fake. He received the declaration of conquest and a personal letter from Iger from the Twin River City more than a week ago. So he lingered in Lannisport for a few more days in his free time, and after finishing all the affairs in his hands, he went out in a carriage, and after a few days of wobbling, he arrived at the Golden Tooth City... Ben was still making a bet with his attendants that he would be here After waiting for a few days, who would have known from the defenders that the coalition forces led by Iger had arrived outside the city a day earlier than him, had already set up camp, and asked the city to send people to negotiate.

It took eight days to run from Twin River City through the entire river to the gate of the Western Territory? !

Tyrion knew that the princes in the river were very difficult to fight, but Iger's flying speed was far beyond his expectations. If the other party hadn't taken the initiative to announce the marching plan, the defenders of Golden Tooth City might have to wait for them outside the city. Only when they appear can they know that the other party has arrived.

"No problem, we have a whole day, we can chat slowly." Iger promised, "Just right, I'm also a little curious about your great achievements in establishing the first large bank in Westeros in Westeros - please come inside , President Lannister."

Most of the negotiating team was left on the outskirts of the barracks. Tyrion took two personal guards and walked towards the center of the barracks under the guidance of Iger. While distinguishing the types and numbers of flags in the coalition army, he looked at the morale and Equipment, thoughtful in his heart, he arrived at the big tent of the Chinese army in a flash.After leaving everyone at the door, only two people entered, and this started... On the surface, it seemed like a reunion of old friends, but in fact it was a secret negotiation between the queen's camp and the West Territory.

……

The two haven't seen each other for many years since they left King's Landing. Each has a lot of exciting stories to tell each other. to the topic.

"The declaration of conquest you sent is known to most nobles and officials in Lannisport. To be honest, there were still a lot of people who thought you were bluffing and intimidating people before." The dwarf said with a smile, "But when they know you After the feat of penetrating and subjugating the entire riverland in a week, I'm afraid I won't think so again. Since the queen sent you here instead of riding a dragon, she must have secretly given you a list of conditions for surrendering the western region... The two of us There is no need to hide it in between, just report it all, so that I can go back and deal with my father and uncle."

Iger also looked at Tyrion with a smile on his face, but he didn't speak directly. Instead, he sat and stared at him in silence until a few seconds later, the dwarf couldn't help scratching his numbing scalp before giving He gave an irrelevant answer: "Tyrion, do you know that the days when I worked with you in King's Landing on the Night Watchmen's bond and the industrial park were the happiest I've ever been in this strange continent of Westeros?" time."

Damn it, Tyrion put his hand on his forehead in trouble - it's been an hour of gossip, and the relationship hasn't been connected enough?Now that the Targaryen dynasty is about to be restored, and the western region is facing an unprecedented crisis, he really wants to hurry up and talk about business. How can he be interested in accompanying Iger to reminisce about the past?

"At that time, there was no pressure and worries, and I just wanted to make a name for myself. Couldn't I be happy!" Tyrion sighed sadly, "But now, I'm already a member of the Lannister Bank. The founder and president, one of Duke Tywin's arms, and you climbed to the position of commander-in-chief of the night watchman, and became the dragon queen's confidant... Everyone has careers and concerns, and everything can't go back."

"Career and concern?" Iger raised the corners of his mouth, "Tyrion, this is not like the you I know - just the founder and president of Lannister Bank, your father's arms... have already made you Are you satisfied?"

Tyrion unceremoniously gave him a blank stare—yes, he was once cynical, cynical, and playful, but that was because he was still a disability in the eyes of his father, a waste in the eyes of the world, a useless dwarf .

but now?

Family status, life value, social and professional dignity, he has everything... Wearing a pair of good shoes, how can it be as chic as when he was barefoot?

"You can laugh as you like, I will continue to live like this until I am 80 years old, drink enough wine, and find a young woman who will die on my warm bed with my life in my mouth. This life is completely regretless Already." Tyrion said carelessly, shaking his legs, "If you think this is not enough, then tell me, what else can I do?"

"Hey..." Iger didn't hide his disdain at all. After a chuckle, he straightened his face and said seriously, "It's not enough, it's not enough. Have you ever heard a saying-everyone dies twice. The first the first time, when he ceased to breathe, and the second, when his name was said for the last time. We are all mortal and cannot escape the former death, but in the latter we at least You should work towards immortality! How many people do you think will remember you as the 'Founder of Lannister Bank' for how long? We should cooperate and do something bigger!"

Strangely, Tyrion stared at Iger like he was watching a psychopath, and suddenly recalled the scene when they first met.At the time, this guy in front of him claimed to be an adventurer from "Zana" and was traveling around the world to prove that the world is a ball, from a place of incredible high technology...

At that time, didn't I also feel that he was talking nonsense, but he was tempted to eat it?

Tapping his thighs with his fingers a few times, the dwarf finally sighed helplessly: "You are such a devil, you always know how to catch people! Well, I admit that my heart is moved - what's the bigger thing, tell me Bar?"

Iger raised his right arm and waved in the air: "Build an unprecedentedly large empire, upgrade Lannister Bank to Westeros Bank and even Pan-Continental Bank... extend military and financial hegemony to every corner of the known world, Leaving my surname and first name in the content of every chronicle and history textbook in later generations... Is this considered big enough?"

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Chapter 581 Count Me In!

"Big enough, but what are you going to do with it?"

Tyrion was confused again, and although he felt that Iger was talking nonsense and whimsical ideas, his memory and experience told him that the last time he felt this way, Iger finally put the cash flow of the bond into operation. , Establishing an unprecedented night watchman industry.With the experience gained from managing and running this "company", he will be able to establish a bank belonging to the West when he returns to Lannisport... What if this time, he can really put his rhetoric into practice again? ?

"Set a small goal first, to unify Westeros for the queen." Iger stretched out a finger, and finally got the chance to throw the second bait, "You made a joke to me many years ago at Castle Black ——You said, you kind of want to take me to meet your Lao Tzu, let me tell him that choosing a dwarf as heir has so many benefits, so that he will pass Casterly Rock to you. Remember?"

Tyrion's eyes widened. "Remember, you mean..."

"That's right." Iger raised his head, "Now I probably really have a reason to let him pass on the position of head of the Lannister family to you."

"Doing great things and leaving a name in history" - is a super pie or a long-term goal drawn for Tyrion; while "Guardian of the West, the Duke's throne and Casterly Rock City" - is the reality that the other party can get right away Advantages... These two tricks are two-pronged, and there is no fear that the other party will not be tempted.

Tyrion still opened his mouth slightly in the shock of hearing the news, but the night watchman on the opposite side continued to talk without stopping.

"I tried my best to convince His Majesty to let James, who was already dressed in black, live, and allow the Lannister family to continue. But there is one thing she is determined to insist on no matter what, that is—your father, The former Prime Minister of King Aerys but finally betrayed the Targaryen family and gave the latter the final blow. Duke Tywin must step down and stay away from the center of power... and the new guardian of the west must be someone who has not participated in the robbery. war, and an innocent man who has never had Targaryen blood on his hands."

There is no doubt that Tyrion is meeting this requirement, but Iger still hasn't finished casting the bait after taking a breath.

"In addition to the status of the ruler of the Western Territory, the position of the Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Imperial Council is also waiting for you. After all, only the president of the Lannister Bank controls the amount of gold, the financial means and experience he has, and the contacts and relationships he has. ...Coupled with the noble status of the Duke of Casterly Rock City, it is enough to convince the public and quell anyone's opposition, and to sit firmly in that important chair for a long time. And the advanced technology and knowledge I have are only the huge wealth in the western region , and with the full cooperation and support of a strong and long-term chancellor of the exchequer, it is enough to turn into a real force."

Iger stretched out his right arm, crossed the table between the two, and handed his fist to the dwarf.

"How about it, brother, do you want to join or not?"

He was clearly here to discuss the terms of submission, so why would he be drawn into a group to do big things out of nowhere?

Tyrion grimaced.

He first understood: Although Iger was asking, he didn't intend to accept the answer of rejection at all.

Then it is to be soberly aware that with so many rewards and benefits, the price you have to pay or the tasks to be completed may be huge and difficult to an appalling level.

This little night watchman who had to be rescued by himself before he could leave the Great Wall, has only been gone for a few years, and has grown to such a powerful and powerful today that even Tyrion Lannister is in awe and even a little afraid ! ?

This is obviously a pit.

However, after making a small achievement and hearing Iger's saying that "people die twice", Tyrion couldn't resist the temptation to jump into the pit and do something big with him!

"You bastard..." Gritting his teeth, the dwarf tried his best to stretch out a short arm, clenched his fist and touched the opponent: "Count me in!"

Iger felt the strength and determination from the other party's fist, and showed a bright smile. After a long time, he restrained his expression and became serious again. He reached out and took out a document from a pile of documents on the table, using a serious tone : "Great, now we can start talking about this—not that big of a problem, but one that has to be resolved quickly."

……

After a long while, Tyrion was faced with unimaginably harsh conditions, and finally understood why Iger had to ask him to agree to join the group before he was willing to talk about business.

If it hadn't been for talking about "big ideals" and "ultimate goals" first... this kind of romantic thing that has nothing but arouses his curiosity and interest, he would probably immediately stand up and leave after hearing the two conditions. went.

The first is that Tywin Lannister, the current Duke of Casterly Rock... voluntarily put on black clothes to join the Night Watchman, thus leaving the center of power and vacating the position of ruler of the Westland.

This request was too much, but considering that the former was indeed indirectly stained with the blood of countless members of the Targaryen family, it was understandable.

But the second clause is: relocate all the core staff and gold of Lannister Bank to King’s Landing, put them under the jurisdiction of the royal family, and at the same time implement the gold control that Tyrion is very familiar with—only this time the Western Territory has become the controlled party , all gold mining, smelting and casting are all subject to the supervision and control of the central government.

If the former one is just to change the power within the Lannister family, then the latter one is killing them: the western border needs borders but no borders, population but no population, grain production but no grain production...why is it here? Occupy a place among the Seven Kingdoms or even rank among the best?

Isn't it just because of being rich?

Tywin managed to hold all the princes in the territory softly in his hands, and collected all the wealth in the western region to concentrate his efforts on doing things. How much painstaking effort did it take to rebuild this war-torn land and let it recover some improvement, the dragon The queen wants to pick the ready-made fruits and take away all his decades of achievements and hard work?

If you really agree to this condition, you will hand over the management of the huge amount of wealth in the Western Territory to the Iron Throne—to put it bluntly, in case something similar to the mad king happens in the future, the Western Territory can't hold back and decides to go with the Iron Throne Breaking up and turning their faces, the Lannister family will not even be able to show the strength to rebel and overturn the table, just like a dog on a chain!

"It's impossible." Tyrion said decisively, "I'm indeed not what I used to be, and it's true that I have a huge voice in the family... But after all, I'm just a son. My old and strong father still has the right to say nothing The authority of the Western Territory is headed by him, my uncle Kevan ranks second, and I, who is in charge of the bank, rank third at most... And he, as everyone knows, Duke Tywin is a person who always puts the interests of the family first People, it is negotiable to ask him to give up his position for the continuation of the surname Lannister, but how can I convince him that it is for the benefit of the family to transport all the gold from the West to King’s Landing for storage? Even I don’t Believe it!"

"It's not for the interests of the Lannister family." Iger shrugged, admitting the indisputable fact, "I don't even expect Duke Tywin to agree, but right now—the future Duke Tyrion is not sitting right now. In front of me? You agree after you take over, can your father go all the way from the Great Wall to prevent this from becoming a reality? The move of the bank and a large amount of gold is not something urgent."

……

If speaking of the previous conversation, both parties were still talking about the future and negotiating conditions as friends, then this sentence finally tore a small corner of that beautiful appearance, revealing the cold reality inside.

Igger was a friend of his Tyrion, but hardly a friend of the Lannister family!

"Hey, just imagining my dear father reunited with Jaime, Joffrey—three generations on the Great Wall makes me laugh out loud."

Tyrion's heart sank as he pulled out a wisecrack with a forced smile.

Iger wanted him—to hide the latter condition from Tywin first, and then implement it by himself after he agreed to put on black clothes and make way!

If you do this, if you really do what he said, during your tenure as Chancellor of the Exchequer, you will assist the Queen and Iger to establish an unprecedentedly large empire, extend military and financial hegemony to every corner of the known world, and let "provide Leon Lannister" remains in the content of every chronicle and history textbook of later generations... That's a good thing.

But what if he doesn't succeed in the end?

The one who led the Lannister family to give up all their wealth and stretched out their necks to let the queen put on the chain, I am afraid that his name will be engraved on the pillar of shame forever, and will be regarded as an example of stupidity and cowardice by all generations.

It was literally putting him on fire!

Feeling the non-existent heat from his back, the City Lord of Casterly Rock and the Guardian of the Western Territory, who were extremely attractive just now, suddenly became less fragrant at this moment.

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Chapter 582 Bigger than a fist?

"Egger, you really make it difficult for me." Tyrion was extremely troubled, "Father agreed that I came to negotiate with you because you and I are close, and it is most hopeful that we can negotiate a suitable price that is acceptable to both parties. Come on. But now that the queen is putting forward such a harsh condition, isn’t it forcing the western border to choose another road? There are three thousand defenders in Golden Tooth City, and Lannisport has already mobilized more than ten thousand elite troops. On Oxford, my cousin Steve The 3 new troops trained by the Jazz have also taken shape, and they are ready to go to the battlefield at any time. Including the mercenaries and free riders who can be recruited... an army of [-] people can be gathered in the western region! This force is to hold the red dragon high Whether the flag fights for the Queen or against her, it all depends on what we can talk about today!"

Tyrion didn't want to say such words with obvious prestige, but the fact is: because of the fact that it has maintained neutrality for several years, the Western Region is indeed the one that retains most of the strength among the Seven Kingdoms, and it has full bargaining chips and qualifications to compete with any One party negotiates.It is the conditions listed by Iger. At first glance, people who don't know may think that the Queen's army has broken through Lannisport and surrounded Casterly Rock City... and forced the Lannister family into a corner.

In desperation, he had no choice but to show his muscles to pave the way for the next bargaining.

"Western Realm can bear for the Iron Throne the debt owed by Robert Baratheon's iron treasury, all." Tyrion directly threw out the bargaining price that Tywin gave him, "If Her Majesty the Queen is not satisfied, you can take it out again The loan of [-] golden dragons helped her stabilize her financial situation at the beginning of her reign..."

Iger raised his hand, interrupting Tyrion.

He also didn't want to make this conversation between friends too explosive, but...politics is impersonal.

The Western Territory can indeed hold [-] troops, which is not worth the slightest amount of water, and with Tywin's sophisticated calculations, it is impossible to say that even the dragon hunting crossbows have been deployed on a large scale in the army... Such a strong strength undoubtedly gave Lannister Confidence and ambition, if he doesn't show his strength to dampen his spirit, and wants to talk about it with a single mouth, it will only make Tyrion feel that he has no regard for his past friendship, and wants to rely on his feelings to kill him.

"It's a little stuffy in the tent, come with me for a walk. I happen to have something new to show you."

Is this Tan Beng about to drive away?

Tyrion frowned, but seeing that Iger's expression didn't look angry, he jumped off the chair and followed Iger to the tent.

They headed in the direction of the west wall of the temporary camp.

"Who is the commander-in-chief of the Golden Tooth City at the moment?"

"My uncle Kevan."

As Kevan's No. [-] figure in the Western Territory, it is of course not his turn to sit in a mere frontier fortress. Tywin's subtext for putting a big man of this level on the front line is actually: the Western Territory is ready for war. If there is no agreement, the two armies of Lannisport and Oxford will rush to this place... Enter the river from here, and follow the road to King's Landing King Qin, of course, King Qin Stannis.

Even though the second child of the Lu family was quite mean to the West Territory, at least he didn't intend to kill the Lannister family.

Tyrion hoped that a wise man like Igger could understand the meaning of this.

"great."

Iger showed a relaxed expression, said a word without thinking, and continued to lead the way.

The war between you and me is about to break out, what's the good thing?

Tyrion was on the verge of asking, but finally held back.Followed by a group of guards, the two climbed up to the west wall of the barracks, which was actually a wooden shelf behind a thin wall, and looked towards the direction of the west.

Although the winter is not over yet, the climate in the riverlands is warmer after all. Even the snow-covered wilderness is not as white as the northern border, but bare land mixed with scattered mottled spots. .The road that was run over by the carts and horses was like a thick black line, stretching from the foot to the far away... Golden Tooth City that looked like a small toy from this distance.

The temperature here is actually ten degrees higher than that in Winterfell, but due to the higher air humidity, the body feels colder instead.Standing on a high place and being blown by the wind, Tyrion shivered.

"Where is the new thing?"

"there."

Following Iger's pointing, Tyrion saw a boulder dozens of meters away.

Stone is not a rare thing in the western region where there are many mines, and it can be seen everywhere around the Golden Tooth City located among the mountains, but this one is a little "outstanding": it is in the shape of a vertical column, about fifty feet high, Slightly tilted, there is a snow cap like a hat on the top, and the whole is an ordinary brown, like a half-cut rotten wood inserted into the earth by the gods.

It is a very ordinary big stone, but people who often walk this road will have a little impression of it because it stands next to the Hejian Avenue. Anyone who leaves the western region and enters the Hejian will inevitably see it when passing here. It, and Tyrion is no exception... When he was a child, he even had a whim, planning to smooth the side of the stone facing the riverland and carve something like "Welcome to the West", but unfortunately after asking The master sculptor later learned that the texture of this stone is brittle and hard, which is not suitable for this kind of construction. If it is not necessary to make it hard, it will require a lot of manpower and material resources. It can be done, but it must be paid for.

After all, the cost of engraving on it exceeded his pocket money for a month, enough for him to go to the best women's hospital in King's Landing dozens of times, so Tyrion had no choice but to give up.

"A rock, what's wrong?"

Iger didn't answer, but nodded to the soldier next to him: "Let's get started."

A soldier raised his bugle, blew it once, and waved his hand in the direction of the boulder.

Only then did Tyrion realize that there were people under the boulder, and after hearing the sound of the trumpet, he stood up from the shelter and began to walk around and do some trivial work that could not be seen clearly. At the same time, the soldiers on both sides put down their weapons , raised the big shield, and protected the front and upper heads of the two big figures.

???

The dwarf was confused and was about to ask a question, but the staff under the boulder in the distance started running frantically away from the spot and hid behind another big boulder more than ten meters away.

More than ten seconds later, the base of the boulder close to the ground suddenly flashed a few times, and the loud bang was heard a little later than the light, and the whole earth began to vibrate.

Iger arrived outside the Golden Tooth City yesterday, and he had already started to make relevant preparations when he set up camp. He ordered to find a huge rock between the coalition camp and the Golden Tooth City to ensure that both sides could see it, and then ordered the engineers to take the guys to dig a hole at the bottom, and Explosive packs were buried in the dug holes and lead wires were laid, and an arrangement similar to "blasting and demolition" was carried out, just to make a blockbuster today, so that people in the western border can see: how much their force is compared to the power held by Iger Ridiculous and vulnerable.

Artillery can also accomplish this task, but the cannon body has a service life after all, and it is not good for him to bombard the Golden Tooth City without declaring war just to show off his force. has become the best alternative.

Directional blasting is a profound technology. Iger doesn’t know it himself, and he doesn’t have relevant talents under his command. His solution to this is: win by quantity, use enough gunpowder to ensure that this performance can achieve the effect of shocking people in the West .

"Boom rumble..."

Limited to the lack of high-end technology such as electric detonation, the result of purely relying on lead wire ignition is that the several explosion points buried at the bottom of the boulder did not explode at the same time as expected, but scattered and irregularly scattered within two to three seconds. , The resulting loud noise was not only transmitted directly to the ears of the viewers, but also echoed back and forth on the cliffs on both sides of the Golden Tooth City, and finally merged into a continuous effect like rolling thunder.