Chapter 16 Chapter Sixteen Tyrion

The queen was in no mood to wait for Varys. "Treason is a crime that cannot be punished," she announced angrily. "And this is the worst kind of villainy. I don't need that bumbling eunuch to teach me how to deal with villains." Tyrion took the letter from his sister and compared it with each other. The content of the letter is exactly the same, but it was written by different people. "The first was received by Maester Franken of Stokeworthburg," explained Grand Maester Pycelle, "and the second was addressed to Lord Gyles." Littlefinger twirled his beard, "Stannis even sent them, so it goes without saying that every noble in the Seven Kingdoms must have a copy."

"I will burn them all, and not keep a single one," said Cersei, "and let not a single word of it reach the ears of my son or my father." "I don't think papa has heard anything but wind," said Tyrion grimly. "Stannis must have sent birds to Casterly Rock and Harrenhal. What's the point? As the saying goes, it's hard to get back the letter you sent out, and let's be honest, what's written in the letter isn't that bad.” Cersei turned and glared at him with wide blue eyes, "Have you any brains? Did you see what he wrote? He called my son 'Joffrey the boy' and how dare he accuse me of incest, adultery and Treason!"

Did he say something wrong?It's eye-opening for Cersei to act like this knowing the allegations are completely true.If we lose this battle, she should switch to acting, she is really talented. "Stannis needs an excuse to legitimize his rebellion. What do you expect him to write? 'Prince Joffrey is my eldest brother's blood and rightful heir, and I will rise against him for the throne'?" "I will never allow others to call me a whore!" Why, sister, he didn't say James paid you.Tyrion gesticulated to read the letter, and saw some trivial lines... "Bless God the light shines," he read. "What a strange word."

Pai Sear cleared his throat, "This sentence often appears in the letters and documents of the Free Trade Cities, and its meaning is similar to 'written under the witness of the gods', the 'Allah' here refers to the red-robed monk who believes in God. I believe it is their customary usage." "I remember what Varys said a few years ago that Mrs. Selyse seems to have followed the advice of the red monk." Littlefinger reminded them. Tyrion flicked the letter, "It seems that her husband has followed suit. We can use this to deal with him, so we ask the archbishop to expose Stannis' betrayal of the righteous gods and the legitimate king..."

"Okay, okay," said the queen mother impatiently, "but first we have to stop this filthy thing from spreading, and issue an order that anyone who dares to speak of incest or accuse Xiao Qiao of being an illegitimate child will have his tongue pulled out." "A wise move." The Grand Master Paicell nodded, and the bachelor's necklace swayed accordingly. "It's all nonsense," Tyrion sighed. "To pull out a man's tongue, instead of proving he's a liar, will show the world how scared you are of what he has to say." "Then tell me, what should we do?" my sister asked.

"Don't do anything, let them talk, and it will disappear after a while. Anyone with a little common sense will regard this as a poor excuse they made up to seize power and usurp the throne. Does Stannis have evidence? It is obviously groundless , where is he going to find evidence?" Tyrion flashed his sweetest smile at his sister. "That's true," she had to say, "but..." "Your Majesty, your brother is right," Petyr Baelish clasped his fingers together. "If we try to stop the rumor, it will only appear to be true. We might as well sneer at it. It's just a ridiculous lie anyway. At the same time, We can treat others in the same way as others."

Cersei looked at him, "How can you treat someone else?" "Make up a story of the same nature, but more convincing. Lord Stannis has been away from his wife for most of the time since his marriage. I don't blame him. I would do the same if I married Selyse. Do. But if we advertise that her daughter is actually a wild man and Stannis is wearing a cuckold, think about it... The common people are always willing to believe all kinds of scandals about their masters, let alone Stannis A proud and ruthless master like Baratheon." "He was never loved by the people, yes," Cersei mused, "so we pay him back in the same way, well, that's a good idea. Who shall we call Lady Selyse's lover? Remember she has two A brother, and an uncle who has been staying with her at Dragonstone..."

"Ser Axell Florent is her acting castellan." Although Tyrion was extremely reluctant to admit it, he had to agree that Littlefinger's strategy was feasible.Stannis was estranged from his wife, but he was as sensitive as a hedgehog when it came to reputation, and he was naturally suspicious.If the seeds of suspicion can be planted between him and the Florens family, it will be beneficial and harmless to them. "I heard their daughter had a pair of Florent's ears." Littlefinger waved his hand lazily. "A trade envoy from Lys once told me: "My lord, Lord Stannis must love his daughter very much. See how he erected hundreds of statue. ''Well, my lord,' I had to answer, 'those are all gargoyles. ’” He smiled, “Sir Axell can certainly be Shireen’s father, but according to my experience, the more bizarre the story, the easier it is for word of mouth to pass on.Didn't Stannis have a simple-minded jester with a tattooed face? "

Grand Maester Pacelle looked horrified, and opened his mouth wide, "You don't mean that Mrs. Selyse is having an affair with a fool, do you?" "Only a fool would want to sleep with Selyse Florent," Littlefinger said. "It's bound to remind her of Stannis. Besides, the best lies often hide a little truth in them, enough to make listeners You see, this fool is devoted to the princess, and he is inseparable from this little girl, and they even look a bit alike, isn't Shirene's face mottled and half numb?" Now Pycelle was confused. "But it's the aftereffects of greyscale, poor child. That disease almost killed her when she was a child."

"I like my idea better," Littlefinger said, "I believe the common people will agree. Do you know? They also believe that if a woman eats rabbit meat when she is pregnant, the child will grow ears." Cersei gave the smile she usually only reserved for Jaime, "Lord Petyr, you are wicked to the core." "Thank you for the compliment, Your Majesty the Queen Mother." "You're really good at lying," Tyrion added, but without Cersei's enthusiasm.This guy is far more dangerous than I ever knew, he thought. Littlefinger opened his gray-green eyes, and met the dwarf's eyes of different sizes, with no uneasiness on his face. "We all have something in us, my lord."

The queen mother was completely intoxicated in the revenge plan, and did not pay attention to the communication between the two. "Wife cheating on stupid jester! Stannis will be the laughing stock of the whole country." "Stories are not for us to tell," said Tyrion, "otherwise they will be fabricated lies." Though it doesn't matter whether they are true or not. Littlefinger answered again, "Prostitutes like to gossip about people, and I happen to own a few brothels. As for taverns and hotels, I believe Varys can spread the rumors." "Speaking of Varys," Cersei frowned, "where is the other?" "Your Majesty, I have been wondering too." "Day and night the octospider weaves his secret web," said Pycelle solemnly. "My lords, I do not trust this man." "He speaks well of you a lot." Tyrion pushed back his chair and stood up.In fact, he was well aware of the eunuch's actions, but he could not let other important ministers know. "My lords, please allow me to leave first, I still have things to do." Cersei immediately became suspicious, "What about the king?" "I won't bother you." "No, I have to know." "Why don't you let me surprise you?" said Tyrion. "I'm working on a present for Joffrey. Just a little chain." "What does he want chains for? He has so many gold and silver chains that he can't wear them out, and you're thinking of trying to buy Joffrey's heart—" "Oh, why bother? His heart is mine, just like mine is his. And this chain, I believe he will cherish it very much one day." He bowed and walked out the door waddlingly. Bronn was waiting outside the chamber, ready to escort him back to the Chancellor Tower. "The blacksmiths are in the reception room, waiting for your visit," he said as they walked through the inner courtyard. "Waiting for my visit? Bronn, I like this sentence. You are becoming more and more like a court orderer, and you are going to kneel down to accept the order?" "Fuck you, midget." "Hey, that's Shae's job." Tyrion pretended not to notice when Countess Tanda called his name kindly from the top of the spiral staircase, and walked faster with his feet swaying. "Go and get the sedan chair ready. I'll leave the city when I'm done." Two moonmen guarded the door, and Tyrion greeted them happily. Then he frowned when he thought of climbing the stairs back to the bedroom. A long journey always made his feet sore. In the bedroom, a twelve-year-old boy, his attendant, was spreading his clothes on the bed.Podrick Payne was too shy by nature, so that he always acted a little sneaky.Tyrion always suspected that the reason why his father gave him the child was a malicious joke. "Here are your clothes, my lord," the boy murmured, dropping his eyes to his shoes as soon as Tyrion entered.Pod just can't muster the courage to look you in the eye. "I will wear it when I meet guests later. And your necklace, the Prime Minister's necklace." "Very good, come and help me get dressed." The coat was made of black velvet, covered with gold buckles in the shape of lion heads, and the necklace was made of solid gold hands linked together, with the fingers interlocking with the wrist.Pod also put on a crimson silk cloak with gold trim, which was specially tailored for him. If it was worn by ordinary people, it would probably only be regarded as a short cloak. The Prime Minister's private drawing room was much smaller than the King's, and certainly not comparable to the Throne Room, but Tyrion liked the Myrish rugs, the hangings on the walls, and the certain intimacy.As soon as he entered, the Steward called, "My lord Tyrion Lannister, the King!" He liked it, too.The group of blacksmiths, weapons masters, and hardware dealers gathered by Bronn knelt down. He climbed up to the high seat under the golden round window and motioned them to stand up. "Masters, I know you are busy with business, so I will not talk nonsense. Pod, please." The boy handed a canvas bag, and Tyrion pulled He opened the belt and poured out the contents of the bag, and the metal made a vague "boom" sound on the blanket. "This is what I ordered the castle's blacksmith to forge. I want a thousand more similar things." A blacksmith bent over to examine carefully: three thick steel chains twisted together. "Very stiff chain." "Stiffness is hardness, but it's too short," replied the dwarf. "It's kind of like me. I want the finished product to be much longer than that. By the way, what's your name?" "My lord, everyone calls me 'Iron Belly'." The blacksmith was not tall, but he was very thick. He was wearing ordinary wool and leather clothes, but his arms were as thick as the neck of a cow. "I want every iron shop in King's Landing to start making this kind of chain, and then string it together, leaving all other work behind; I want everyone who knows how to blacksmith to devote themselves to this work, whether they are apprentices or not. When I Riding through Steel Street, I expect to hear hammers beating day and night. I need someone else, someone capable, to oversee this. Master Ironbelly, do you think you are such a person?" "Even if I want to, my lord, what about the armor and swords that the Queen Mother wants?" Another blacksmith spoke: "His Majesty the Queen Mother ordered us to speed up the manufacture of armored knives and axes. There are a huge number of them. It is said that they will be used by the newly recruited gold-cloaked soldiers, my lord." "There's no hurry for that," said Tyrion. "Fix the chain first." "My lord, I beg your forgiveness, but Her Majesty said that whoever fails to complete the work on time will have his hands smashed." The nervous blacksmith continued, "And he smashed it with his own anvil. His Majesty's will." Cersei, you really are here, trying every means to make the common people love us? "It won't happen, I assure you." "Besides, the price of iron has been getting higher and higher recently," said Iron Belly. "Forging this chain requires a lot of pig iron, as well as coke for the fire." "Just ask Lord Baelish for how much money you need." Tyrion made a promise, secretly hoping that Littlefinger would not disappoint him. "Besides, I will order the City Guard to help you search for pig iron, and if necessary, melt every horseshoe in the city." At this time, an older man stepped forward, wearing a gorgeous silver-trimmed brocade coat and a fox-fur cloak.He knelt down and examined Tyrion's massive steel chain on the ground. "My lord," he announced solemnly, "this is rough work at best, without any skill at all. Of course, it is no problem to leave it to ordinary blacksmiths who make shoes and teapots, but I am a master of armor. My lord, don't Think I'm arrogant, but this is not what we do. The swords we strike cut iron like mud, and the armor we make is as good as a god, we don't do such things." Tyrion tilted his head and took a good look at the other party with his eyes of different sizes. "Master of Armor, may I ask your name?" "Return to my lord, the younger one's name is Sharolien. If the Prime Minister is willing, I will be very honored to build you a suit of armor that suits your family and official position." The two blacksmiths next to him sneered, but Sharolien didn't realize it. He continued, "What do you think of a set of scale armor? The scales are plated with gold, shining like the sun, and the armor itself is painted with a deep red glaze representing the Lannister family. For the helmet, I suggest making it a demon head The shape, plus two long golden horns, wait for you to ride on the battlefield, and the enemy will flee after seeing it.” Devil's head?Tyrion thought ruefully, what do people think of me? "Master Sharolien, I plan to sit on this chair and direct the battle, and what I want is a refined iron chain, not horns on my head. So let me put it this way: You can either make iron chains or wear iron chains, whichever you choose is your own choice." .” After speaking, he stood up and left without looking back. Bronn led a group of Black Ears on horseback by the litter at the gate. "I'll tell you how to get there," Tyrion told him, and asked him to give him a hand.He has fed the starving city as best he can—he sent hundreds of carpenters who built trebuchets to build fishing boats, opened the royal forest to any hunter who dared to cross the river, and even sent gold robes to the west. Collecting food from the south and the south—but no matter where he rode his horse, he still saw eyes full of accusations and resentment.Fortunately, the clean curtain of the sedan chair blocked all this for him and gave him room to think. They walked slowly along the winding Nightshade Lane, toward the foot of Aegon's High Hill.Tyrion recalled the court meeting, and his sister was blinded by anger, ignoring the point of Stannis Baratheon's letter.Since he had no evidence in his hands, all the accusations were of course insignificant, and the real thing to note was his claim to be king.How would Renly feel now?They can't sit side by side on the Iron Throne. He casually opened the curtain a few inches and peered out at the street scene.Bronn led the way, and the Black Ears accompanied the litter on either side, and around their necks hung terrible necklaces of human ears.He watched the people on the side of the road staring at him, and tried to guess who was the eyeliner, so as to entertain himself.Suspicious people are often innocent, and I should be wary of people who seem innocent, he decided secretly. His destination was far behind the Reynis Hills, and the streets were very crowded, so the sedan chair wobbled and stopped after walking for nearly an hour.Tyrion was dozing off at first, but when the sedan chair stopped, he woke up with a start, rubbed his sleepy eyes, and asked Bronn to help him down. The house has two floors, the first floor is made of stone, the second floor is made of wood, and a circular tower is pulled up from one corner of the building.Many of the windows of the house were leaded, and over the gate hung an ornate gilt globe lantern of deep red glass. "It's a brothel," said Bronn. "What are you doing here?" "What are you doing in the brothel?" The mercenary laughed, "Having Shae is not enough?" "Based on the standard of a camp prostitute, she is enough, but I am not in the army now. As the saying goes: a small man has a big appetite. I heard that the women here can charm even the king." "Is that kid old enough?" "I don't mean Joffrey, I mean Robert. He used to love this whorehouse." It was interesting, then, that Joffrey was about the same age. "If you and the people in Black Ears want to have some fun, feel free to do it yourself, but I have something to say first, the price of this store in Sataya is very high, and any other store on this street is cheaper than this one. Anyway, you leave someone here Wait for me, when the time comes, he will find a way to find everyone else." Bronn nodded, "No problem." Everyone in the black ears laughed. When he entered, a tall woman in a loose silk dress was waiting for him. Her skin was the color of ebony, and her eyes were the color of sandalwood. "I am Sataya," she sang, taking a deep bow, "and you are—" "Let's not talk about that, names are dangerous things." The air smelled of exotic spices, and the mosaic floor beneath was a picture of two women having sex. "You are beautiful here." "This is the goal I am committed to pursuing. I am very glad that the Prime Minister likes it." Her voice was like flowing amber, with a few accents from the Midsummer Islands. "Titles are dangerous, too," Tyrion warned her. "Get some girls out and show me." "If you will, you will find them all gentle and beautiful, masters of all the arts of love." She spun gracefully away, and Tyrion followed, swaying legs only half her length. They stepped behind an ornate Myrish screen and peered out.The screen is carved with exotic flowers and plants, as well as patterns of a dreaming girl.In the hall of the brothel, an old man was playing light music on a flute.A drunken Tyroshi with a purple beard sat in an alcove filled with cushions, caressing a plump maiden on his lap.He had undid the lace of her blouse and was pouring wine from a glass over her breasts, licking it off with his tongue.Two other girls sat playing tile chess under the leaded glass window, the one with freckles had honey-colored hair with blue wreaths around it, the other had skin as smooth as polished jet , with big dark eyes and small, pointed breasts.The loose silk dresses they wore were tied at the waist with sash made of beads, and the sunlight streamed in through the stained glass windows, and through the light shirts, they outlined the curves of their young and graceful bodies.Tyrion felt a sudden swelling in his crotch. "If you don't mind, I recommend that dark-skinned girl." Sataya said. "She's so young." "My lord, she is sixteen years old." Just right for Joffrey, he thought, remembering what Bronn had just said.Tyrion's first time was younger, and he remembered how shy she looked when he undressed her for the first time.She's got long black hair and blue eyes that you can't get out of your head, and he really does.It was a long time ago... Dwarf, you are hopelessly stupid. "This girl...is from your hometown?" "My lord, my daughter was born in King's Landing even though her body is full of the blood of Midsummer Kingdom." Presumably his surprise was evident, Shataya continued, "My nation does not think it is shameful to sell jokes in brothels Actually, in the Midsummer Islands, people who are good at bedding skills are respected. Many noble men and women will enter Huamen Liuhu to serve for several years after the spring tide comes, so as to glorify the gods in the sky." "What does this have to do with the gods in the sky?" "Our bodies and our souls are given by the gods, don't they? They give us voices, that we may worship by singing; hands, that we may build temples by labor; and they give We desire so that we may honor the gods through copulation." "Remember to remind me to tell the archbishop," Tyrion said, "If you can also worship, I must be a pious person." He waved his hand, "I am happy to accept your choice." "I'm going to call my daughter here, please go this way." The girl who met him at the foot of the stairs was taller than Shae and slightly shorter than her mother.She had to kneel before Tyrion could kiss her. "My name is Ailaya." Unlike her mother, she only had a slight foreign accent. "My lord, please follow me." She took his hand, walked up two flights of stairs, and then passed through a spacious hall.There are many closed doors on both sides, and there are gasps and screams of joy from behind one door, and laughter and whispers from the other door.Tyrion's words hardened, and he clung to his trousers.It will lose face if this continues, he thought as he followed Alayaya up another staircase to the turret room.There was only one door here, and Elayaya led him in and locked it.It contained a large, curtained bed, a tall wardrobe (carved with voluptuous and fiery designs), and a narrow window of leaded glass painted in the shape of red and yellow diamonds. "Ella Yaya, you are so beautiful," Tyrion said to her after they were alone, "from head to toe, every inch of your body is amazing, but now, the part of you that attracts me the most, But your tongue." "My lord, my tongue has been well trained. I have learned from childhood when to use it and when not to use it." "Fine," Tyrion smiled. "What shall we do next? Do you have any suggestions?" "Yes," she said, "you just have to open your wardrobe and you'll find what you're looking for." Tyrion kissed her hand lightly, and climbed into the empty wardrobe, with Alayaya closing the door behind him.He reached out and groped in the dark for the wainscot behind the closet, which began to move under his hands and was pushed aside in its entirety.There was nothing but darkness behind the wall, but after a while of probing, he finally touched the metal.So he held the iron ladder with one hand, found the next step with his feet, and began to climb down.It wasn't until deep into the street that the originally vertical well-shaped passageway turned into a sloping dirt tunnel. Varys was waiting for him with a candle in his hand. This Varys was very different from the old one, with a scarred face, a spiked steel helmet with a little black stubble showing, a leather vest with chain mail, and a dagger and short sword at his waist. "My lord, are you satisfied with Shataya's brothel?" "Very satisfied," said Tyrion. "Are you sure this woman is trustworthy?" "My lord, in this unpredictable and unpredictable world, I'm not sure about anything. However, Shataya has never liked the queen mother, and she also knows the reason why she can get rid of Alar Dim. Damn it, it's all thanks to you. Shall we go?" He strode toward the far end of the tunnel. He even walked differently, Tyrion noticed.Varys smelled of bad wine and garlic instead of the usual lavender. "I quite like your new outfit," Tyrion said on the way. "My job does not allow me to walk through the streets surrounded by a large number of knights, so every time I go out of the city, I pretend to be a different identity, so that I can live a long time and continue to serve you." "I think the leather jacket suits you quite well, and you should wear it next time." "My lord, I'm afraid Lingjie disagrees." "My sister will pee her pants in fear." He smiled in the dark, "From what I can see along the way, her eyeliner didn't follow me." "My lord, I'm very happy to hear you say that. Most of Lingjie's subordinates are also mine, but she doesn't know that's all. If they are clumsy and found out, I won't like it." "Hey, I wouldn't like it if I suffocated my desire and spent a lot of time crawling through the closet, but it turned out to be useless." "Won't be useless," Varys assured him. "They do know you're here, but I can't say if anyone would be bold enough to pretend to be a client and break into Shataya's brothel. But it’s always right to be cautious.” "Why does this brothel happen to have a secret passage?" "The passage was dug by another prime minister. Because of his identity, he was unwilling to come here openly. Sataya kept a tight-lipped mouth about this passage." "But you do." "Little birds always fly into dark passages. Be careful, the stairs are steep." They walked out through a secret door behind a stable, about three streets below Rhaenys Hill.Tyrion slammed the door shut, and a horse neighed from inside the stall.Varys blew out the candle and put it on the beam.Tyrion looked around. There was a donkey and three horses in the stable.He limped over to the piebald horse and looked at its teeth. "It's an old horse," he said, "and I'm afraid it will die at a run." "It's not really war stuff," Varys replied, "but it's good enough for walking without being noticeable. The others are the same, and as for the stable boy, he sees it with his eyes and hears it with his ears." only animals." The eunuch took down a cloak from a wall-hanging nail. The cloak was made of rough cloth, faded by the sun, and worn out, but the cut was very loose. "I hope you don't dislike it." He said, putting the cloak on Tyrion, covering him from head to toe, and pulling the hood down, so that his face was immersed in shadow. "Generally, people only see what they want to see," Varys said as he dressed him. "Dwarfs are not as common as children, so all they see is a little boy in an old cloak." Boy, go out and run errands for daddy on his horse. Having said that, you'd be safer coming at night." "It's exactly what I want... I will definitely accept it in the future. At this moment, Shae is waiting for me." He settled her in a large house in the northeast corner of King's Landing. The house was surrounded by walls and not far from the sea, but he did not Dare to visit her there for fear of being followed. "Which horse are you riding?" Tyrion shrugged. "That's all." "I'll saddle you." Varys took the bridle from the peg. Tyrion adjusted his heavy cloak and paced restlessly. "You missed a very lively meeting, and Stannis seems to have made himself king." "I know." "He accused my elder sister and elder brother of incest and adultery. I really don't understand how he found out about it." "Perhaps he read something, and saw the hair color of Robert's bastard, like Ned Stark, and Jon Arryn before him. Or maybe someone told him." The eunuch laughed Not his usual giggle, but a deeper, rougher sound. "For example, someone like you?" "You doubt me? No, I didn't say that." "Even if you said it, would you admit it?" "No, but why should I tell it when I've kept it so long? It's easy to deceive a king, but it's not so easy to deceive a cricket in the grass and a small bird in a chimney. More What's more, those illegitimate children are placed there, can't everyone see them?" "Robert's bastards? What's the matter with them?" "He had eight, as far as I know," said Varys, fiddling with the saddle bridle, "and it doesn't matter whether the mother's hair was bronze, honey, chestnut, or cream, all the children were born with black hair." Like the crows... as much luck as the crows' news, if you will. You see Joffrey, Myrcella, and Tommen, when they popped out of the womb of their sister, each one with hair as golden as the sun, Isn't the fact obvious?" Tyrion shook his head.All she needs to do is bear a child for her husband, and that's enough to dispel the rumors... but then again, it's not like Cersei. "It's not what you said, who is that?" "You know, he must be a traitor." Varys tightened the girth of the saddle. "Littlefinger?" "I didn't say that." Tyrion asked the eunuch to help him mount. "Lord Varys," he said from the saddle, "sometimes I think you're my best friend in all of King's Landing, and sometimes I think you're My worst enemy." "That's wonderful, my lord. We are really each other."