The king on the Great Wall

Page 209

Who would have thought that although the abacus was crackling, it was not as good as man's calculation. Rhaegar was defeated and died at the Trident River, and King's Landing was stabbed in the back by old Tywin. The Targaryen family was wiped out in minutes, and the old master was gone. It seems to be good news, but the new Robert, who seems to be confused, is actually shrewd. As soon as he sat on the Iron Throne, he took over the chain of the Targaryen family's dog and tied the river bend tightly by his feet.

Finally, Cersei's scandal broke out and the position of queen was vacated, but even a young and beautiful girl like Margaery ran over to recommend herself to the pillow, but she kept hitting the wall... and then she became Robert Clay and Renly in a daze. The evil star, the murderer who poisoned Ed Stark, and the thorn in Stannis's side after he dealt with it quickly, can be described as extremely disgraced and embarrassed.

When young Aegon Targaryen raised the Targaryen banner from Stormlands Landing, the Tyrells thought they had finally seen their day.

As soon as anyone wanted to send an envoy to contact him, the queen candidate of Little Aegon's dream turned out to be his aunt Daenerys; even the position of prime minister had already been assigned to Jon Clinton, a loyal and hard-working minister.

The Tyrell family, which is not short of money and land, can't get the power center they want most, and little Aegon is also full of confidence in the marriage with Daenerys and refuses to try his best to win over. The two sides are negotiating on the price of the alliance. It was not going well all the time, and this was the fundamental reason why Riverbend supported little Aegon on the surface, but actually did not join forces with the Golden Legion and camped together.

When the little prince finally got the chance to meet Daenerys and recognize his relatives, the news came that "not only was he refused to recognize his blood, but the dragon was shocked"... ordinary spectators like Nina just felt that it was a pity However, Margaery Tyrell was very happy in her heart!

These bloody gangsters!

Live it!

Daenerys does not recognize Aegon Targaryen's identity, so the marriage between the two dragons is naturally impossible to talk about. The current situation is: Stannis' defeat is a foregone conclusion, and the two Targaryens, Prince Aegon lacks a queen, and Daenerys has just died as a Prime Minister - whichever the Reach supports is bound to win.The Tyrell family has endured the wall for more than 300 years, and finally waited for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The wheel of history has finally rolled to the half circle of the rose pattern!

-

Chapter 589 Proof of Loyalty

When Margaery came back to look for Iger this time, she didn't choose to side with the Queen, but the exact opposite.

Aegon Targaryen has sent envoys to propose marriage to the Riverbend. The headquarters of the two sides are only a few miles apart, so it is convenient and quick to bargain.After a brief negotiation, Mace Tyrell has agreed to the marriage, and began to happily pretend to be a relative of the royal family and start preparing for the wartime wedding, and canceled the original arrangement to visit Daenerys.

For her father's unstyled and eager behavior, Margaery actually hated iron and steel a little bit.

It's not because she opposed the marriage. On the contrary, Margaery knew that it was indeed a more favorable choice to side with Aegon. The reason is very simple: since Daenerys refuses to marry Prince Aegon, it is obvious If they don't want to be inferior to their husband's family, most of the men in the Tyrell family are useless.And in the case of refusing to use marriage as an alliance condition, the queen is almost... no, it is completely impossible to get any bargaining chips that are enough to impress the Tyrell family.

What made her angry was not the decision made by her father, but the weakness and shortsightedness of her father who agreed to the marriage proposal without any attempt to fight for the greater good.

As a bride-to-be who is about to be promoted to queen, Margaery actually made this trip without telling the family members, leaving a message to explain without authorization.

Of course she didn't want to run away from marriage or elope with someone, but wanted to come and shop around... no, two.

Looking at what was in the pot while holding what was in the bowl, it was naturally ugly, but that was little Aegon's own fault.

As early as two years ago, when this unknown prince suddenly landed in Westeros and swept the storm land pre-emptively, the Tyrell family had already proposed a marriage plan when Varys quietly came to discuss the alliance.At that time, the Reach was ready to send an army to send the little prince to the Iron Throne, and Margaery also aspired to become the wife of the second generation of conqueror who was smarter than Visenya, virtuous and gentle as the "Queen of Good". , the mother of the world, leaving a strong stroke of her own in the history books.

So full of sincerity, who would have thought that the other party's eyes were higher than the top, and he had to wait for another woman from the Dragon family to return, and then turned around and chose the Tyrell family after being rejected by her.

What kind of woman can calmly accept this kind of humiliation of nakedly treating herself as a spare?

Margaret can.

For the rise of House Tyrell and the good of the Reach, she could swallow shame a thousand times greater than this without changing her face.

However, it must not be unconditional!

Prince Aegon would still have the support of the Reach and the queen he wanted - even wise and virtuous, but as compensation for the mental humiliation he inflicted on his wife earlier, he came back after a tour , you should pay more to get the original marriage.

This is not asking for prices, nor is it nonsense, but arguing with reason.

As a naturally weak woman, she has to let her future husband know that she is not easy to bully before she gets married. With this record of Ma Wei as a comparison, her docile femininity and reasonableness after marriage are of value, so that she will not be considered a Only those who are weak in nature can be appreciated and respected!

Blindly being a good person will not end well!

This truth is so obvious, but Margaret's soft-eared and good-looking father couldn't see through it. Instead, he firmly forbade her to go back on her word and increase the price temporarily.The unreasonable daughter had no choice but to go out in person to earn the honor and political benefits for herself and the Tyrell family!

In order to achieve her goal, she came up with a simple strategy: enter the enemy camp alone, use Little Aegon's marriage request to force the Queen to ask for a high price, and then use Iger's condition feedback to Little Aegon to put pressure on him, forcing him to make a decision. Greater concessions.

The Tyrell family, on the basis of the original price of the "Queen's seat", must at least get a seat in the imperial court as spiritual compensation!

***

"Miss Margaret, I haven't seen you for many years. You are still so outstanding and radiant." Iger, who was approached by the unexpected guest, did not show any impatience, but immediately entered the state quite gentlemanly, "Busy with chores during the day , the hospitality is not good, please allow me to invite you to dinner as an apology."

"Master Iger is serious. It is my great honor to dine with a hero like you."

Iger turned around, told Nina, the snapping turtle and others that their original dinner arrangements had changed, and sent them away temporarily.Then, under the guidance of the restaurant staff, they came to a table against the wall and sat down, and ordered the guards to occupy the three sides of the tables and chairs around the partition to create a suitable environment for the dialogue between the two.

Now that everyone is here, it would be better to have a showdown and send her away earlier, so that Myrcella will not have to rack her brains to find time in her tight schedule.

"My lord commander, you and I are old acquaintances, so I won't talk too much nonsense. The queen ordered you to represent her in negotiations with the southern border. Now, as an envoy from the Reach, I will formally ask——whether your majesty has any arrangements for my marriage?" ? If not, would a Tyrell boy be considered?"

Even though she was completely inclined to become little Aegon's queen in her heart, Margaery still had to ask this question.

She is also a relative of the emperor, and also injects the blood of the Tyrell family into the inheritance of the royal family. She can still distinguish whether it is more important to have a king or a queen in the family tree.

Although it is unlikely, what if Daenerys is really just unwilling to marry a Targaryen with a dubious identity, and has little resistance to marrying the Tyrell family?

Then... even if Loras is allowed to enter the royal family, the child will be named Targaryen in the future, and this marriage will not lose its place.

Although she has dreamed of being a queen since she was a child, if Daenerys really intends to marry the Tyrell family, she is still willing to sacrifice herself to send Loras to the Iron Throne, and she will take a back seat as her brother's right-hand man.

At that time, the elder brother of the Tyrell brothers and sisters will be the king, and my younger sister will find a powerful figure like Iger to marry. Although the personal influence will be inferior to that of "being the queen", the overall power and status of the family But it will reach the top in an instant—the three-headed dragon in the Targaryen coat of arms probably has a rose in its mouth!

But Iger's answer was unexpectedly concise: "No, His Majesty has no idea of ​​marriage in the short term."

(Forget about marrying the queen!)

Ok?

Suspicion flashed in Margaery's heart.

Strange, even if you want to give a negative reply, you should use a slightly more tactful and friendly way to organize the language to decline, so as to give a powerful potential ally like Hewan some room for imagination and wavering thoughts, right?

Forget it, anyway, she didn't place much hope on this matter, so naturally she won't be disappointed when she got the bad news, she pursed her lips and nodded, and Little Rose turned the discussion to the main topic: "It's a pity, I don't know what Your Majesty is for Hewan. Allegiance intention, what arrangements and plans have you made?"

(I have the goods here, how much does the queen plan to pay for it?)

"The Tyrell family should have already received the declarations issued by Your Majesty and me. As the only remaining Targaryen in the world, Her Majesty the Queen is the undisputed legal monarch of the Seven Kingdoms. Shouldn't the Reach be loyal to her? Come to arrange and plan?" Iger watched the maids in the restaurant bring the food and wine, without even looking at Little Rose, "I would like to ask Miss Margery, when the Reach is going to hand over the army Command, so that I can formulate a formal attack plan on King's Landing?"

(It was originally the queen's thing, but you still want to sell it? A joke!)

The suspicion that had been suppressed surged up again, and Margaery frowned.

"My lord commander, you can just tell the false king Stannis about such meaningless words. How can they be used among friends like us!"

(I'm asking you seriously, don't be kidding!)

"Yes, I apologize." Iger watched the maid who brought the food leave, picked up the knife and fork, first cut a piece of steaming, fat and juicy steak and put it into his mouth, and continued to speak inarticulately while chewing, "Then let me tell you what the Queen thinks... Your Majesty was forced to live in exile on the other side of the Narrow Sea when he was born, so he is not very familiar with the nobles of the Seven Kingdoms, and naturally has doubts about the loyalty of the princes. She hopes—— You can act to prove the loyalty of the Reach to House Targaryen."

He swallowed the chewed meat paste, moistened his mouth with wine, and then raised his eyes to meet Margery: "The specific method is--invite all the nobles in the Reach, the whole family, all Come to King’s Landing and be a guest for a year or so, to give His Majesty the opportunity to get to know you, feel and experience your loyalty.”

Margery let out a chuckle, and suddenly felt relieved—she was a little uneasy just now, but now she was sure that Iger was teasing her.

"Your Commander-in-Chief, you are joking. There are tens of millions of people in River Bend. If knights are counted as nobles, then this accounts for one percent." She tilted her head seriously, pinching her fingers to match the performance Forget it, I couldn't help but smile, "If you count the whole family, there will be several 10 people. Can King's Landing be crowded with so many people? Is it possible that His Majesty intends to expel all the original citizens to make room for them?" Pick up the guests?"

"There are so many?" Iger showed a surprised expression without any pretense, and then showed embarrassment and guilt, "I'm sorry, I was not accurate just now, knights are definitely not counted, only families that meet certain conditions can get queens Your Majesty's invitation."

He turned his head away: "Maeve, find out the list we made before, and present it to Miss Margaret for review."

-

Chapter 590 Proof of Loyalty

Myrcella at the next table came in response, spread out the wooden file folder that she carried on her chest all day long on the table, deftly flipped through a few pages, lifted the folder, and skillfully pulled out a folder. One, two, three... A stack of documents that were neither thin nor thick was bent over and delivered to Margaery.

The latter watched the girl hand over the list with wide eyes, picked it up and flipped through it, and couldn't help pinching his thigh.

She is no stranger to the things in her hands—whether it is the Night Watchman or the Tyrell family's property, they have been or are producing and selling such things: a few pieces of commercial paper produced by improved and mature techniques, The exact full name is "Decolorized plant fiber paper for high-grade writing".

The paper that was supposed to be as white as the first snow is now "smudged" into a light gray by the densely packed text. The content is so dense and the fonts are so small. If an illiterate saw it at a glance, they would probably think it was some kind of heavenly book full of spells. .

But Margaery was naturally not confused, she was too familiar with the content on the paper—this was something that every core member of the Tyrell family must read and keep in mind: the list of important nobles in the Reach.

At the beginning was Tyrell, followed by Redwyne, Hightower, Oakheart, Rowan, Tarly, Fossoway...with these famous nobles as the first row, and then branched out. Ye, listed the secondary vassals of these families, important offshoots, and powerful distant relatives with fiefdoms and castles, and even noted the number of members, the location of the family castle, the size of the fiefdoms they controlled, and the size of the army that could be recruited.

These few pieces of paper impressively include [-]% of the aristocratic power in the river bay, and even the remaining [-]% that has not been counted has already left a gap between the lines and marked "?", probably information Insufficient sources have yet to be ascertained.

"Only the nobles with the red circles on this list will be invited by Her Majesty the Queen, and will be eligible to be guests of King's Landing with their families. With such a narrowing of the range, there will be a lot fewer people, right?"

Indeed, Margaery made a rough estimate and admitted this point: If only the number of families was reduced, even including the whole family, it would be no more than [-] people, and King's Landing City might be able to accommodate it.

But... wait!

She shuddered, and suddenly realized: This list is actually a list of all the forces in the Reach that can mobilize an army of more than a hundred people.Even if Tyrell, the ruling family of the Reach Land, were to list it, it would be difficult to complete such a document simply by transcribing and summarizing such a document with ready-made information.

For a busy person like Iger who holds an important position, if he just wants to amuse himself, it is absolutely impossible to waste time collecting materials and preparing props!

That said: he's not kidding!

"Why, Miss Margery, are you not familiar with the content on this piece of paper?" Seeing Little Rose in a daze, Iger laughed and said, "It doesn't matter, the Miss Maeve next to me knows the nobles of the Seven Kingdoms like the back of her hand. If you don't know any one, just ask, and she will be happy to answer for you."

Margaery had been in and out of the Red Castle many times in King Robert's era, and Myrcella was not just a one-sided encounter. If you observe carefully, you may be able to see the clues.But now her mind is in a mess, she has no mood to look at the appearance of the other maid.

"Master Iger, are you serious?" Finding that the direction of the negotiation was completely different from what she thought, Little Rose became impatient, "So many nobles came to King's Landing with their families as guests. Land, who will guard the territory and manage the people for His Majesty?"

"Steward, the Tyrell family also prospered from this, must have a deep understanding of this? If it is really not possible, the night watchman industry is also willing to send professionals to help, establish an official system, and help those adults from afar. During the visit of the capitals of the Seven Kingdoms, keep an eye on the castle and manage the fiefdoms, so as to relieve their worries about enjoying the prosperity of King's Landing."

……

This conversation can't go on.

The anger in Margery's heart burst into flames.

There is the most basic common sense in the aristocratic circle: all members of the family must never leave the castle and the fief at the same time.Not to mention war or being a hostage, even outings or tourism in peaceful times are not acceptable, even if it is necessary and there is no one to watch the house, you must never go to the same place at the same time.

Because if this is the case, it is tantamount to putting all the eggs in the same basket. If the basket is accidentally knocked over or the whereabouts of the family members who are in a group are known by the enemy or the enemy, the family will be in danger of disappearing or extinct. up.

The gardener family, the original owners of the Tyrell family, was a bloody lesson.

If the head and heirs are the backbone and roots of a family, then the land and the people are the branches and leaves, the source of strength for the "adults".Once the lord is separated from his fiefdom, he will be slaughtered like a fish out of water, without the power to resist.

Knowing this, most nobles would rather fight to the end than accept such outrageous conditions!

Iger is not even asking for a sky-high price now, he is clearly rejecting his sincerity in negotiating, and pushing himself to the side of little Aegon.Even after Aegon the Conqueror defeated the Gardener-Lannister coalition forces in the Battle of Burning Fire and crushed the nobles of the Reach and the Westlands, he never dared to propose such harsh conditions!

Not only that, he even committed... no, he took the initiative to touch the back of the Tyrell family: he played the stalk of "steward" in front of members of their family to ridicule and humiliate him!

Is it tolerable, which is unbearable? !

Not to mention that I had no intention of joining the queen's side, even if I had, I'm afraid I would switch to the other side angrily after being tossed about by Iger.

(This damn night watchman, did he see through his plans and thoughts, or was his head smashed in the process of fighting against the White Walkers, or was he dazzled by the hero's glory and went crazy?)

Margaery observed Iger carefully, but found that his eyes were clear and sharp, and his expression was calm and calm, without any trace of irrationality or confusion.Not only that, but there seems to be a bit of vengeful banter and a trace of fearless pride—he seems to be telling himself with firm eyes: He is not afraid of battles and dangers, he is not afraid of bloody hands, he is not afraid of crimes and crimes. Infamy, let alone being an enemy of the Tyrell family and the whole world...

A sense of fear and horror suddenly rose from the bottom of my heart for no reason, and spread all over my body in an instant.

Is there something I have overlooked or missed?Margaery suddenly became vigilant: Iger had secretly negotiated terms with the Valley and the West Territory, which had not yet publicly stood in line, and the armies from the two places would soon arrive on the battlefield to cheer for the queen, or was it that Daenerys had already fought with a powerful woman on the other side of the narrow sea? The city-states formed an alliance, obtained astonishing wealth and foreign military aid, so they have nothing to fear?

Wait, what are you afraid of?

Little Rose suddenly came back to her senses.

Even if the Western Territory and the Valley... no, the entire other six kingdoms are tied together, and one more Braavos is dragged, the most is to let the Reach retreat by three points and admit defeat.The power to crush the Tyrell family simply does not exist in this world!

"My lord, since you can make this list of the princes of the River Bend, you must not forget to add one to the last list of 'number of troops that can be recruited,' right?"

"More than 20 is indeed enough to disdain the Seven Kingdoms, and it's not even an extreme mobilization... That's why the queen attaches so much importance to you and is eager to get the proof of loyalty from the nobles of the river bay." Iger replied with a smile, But he said the second half of the sentence with his expression—whether it's [-] or [-], you'd better come all at once, I'm very busy.

Now that he knows the true strength of the Reach, he still treats people with such a frivolous attitude?

Margery became more sullen in her heart, so angry that she became vigilant: maybe her father was right, and this time she really shouldn't act willfully.The mistakes I have made and the time wasted can't be recovered, but now, before I say something stupid that I shouldn't say because I was dazzled by Iger's wantonness, I should leave as soon as possible.

She stood up.

"My lord Egger, Prince Aegon has formally proposed to the Tyrell family. Today, out of respect for Her Majesty the Queen, my affirmation of your abilities and talents, and my concern for the old friendship between us, I'm leaving the other party alone. I don’t care about one side, leaving Lord Jon Connington and the Golden Group’s overtures to come to the industrial park to negotiate with you.” Margaery sighed, resisting the urge to threaten with harsh words, and made a regretful look, "But since Her Majesty the Queen and the Commander-in-Chief have no sincerity to continue the conversation, I will be considered abrupt and disturbing today. Please allow me to resign."

Before she finished speaking, Margaret put the list of nobles in the River Bend on the table, and without even taking a bite of the food under her nose, she turned around and planned to leave.

"Wait a minute—"

Iger suddenly said softly, and the sharp increase in volume not only frightened Margaret, who had already stepped over the bench with half her legs, but also caused the surrounding guards who were eating quietly to stand up and look at this place. Everyone in the restaurant The atmosphere is all condensed.

"Have I agreed to your resignation?" The night watchman wiped the corners of his mouth leisurely with a napkin, his face was already full of gloom, "Miss Margery...couldn't you give me to the camp of the Land Army and the Unsullied?" Treat it as your own backyard, come and leave whenever you want?"

-

Chapter 591 Proof of Loyalty

Worse!

Little Rose's heart skipped a beat, thinking something was wrong.

What are you doing with Young Aegon's proposal?

She wished she could slap herself - she had already realized that something was wrong and should have left as soon as possible, but why she couldn't hold her breath before leaving and said something stupid that shouldn't have been said?

Going back further, even reminding the opponent that Hebend can send out 10,000+ soldiers is already a wrong-headed battle and a reckless move. At that time, it is a smart way to just wave your sleeves and leave!