Chapter 37 Chapter 37 Tyrion

Varys stood by the brazier, warming his soft hands. "Renly was horribly murdered in the midst of the army. It is unbelievable. The blade sliced ​​through steel and bone like cheese, and cut his throat from ear to ear." "Who did it?" Cersei demanded. "Well, the thing is, too many answers equals no answers. The king dies suddenly, rumors grow like mushrooms in the shadows, and my intelligence doesn't always hold the positions we'd like. one of the Rainbow Guards; a washerwoman claimed that Stannis had infiltrated his brother's camp with his magic sword; some soldiers believed a woman did it, but could not agree on which woman. One of them The murderer was a girl abandoned by Renly, another a camp whore who served the king on the eve of the battle, and a third ventured to guess that Lady Catelyn Stark was the real murderer."

The queen mother was very displeased, "You have to waste our time with these foolish gossip?" "You have paid handsomely for these gossips, my gracious queen." "We are paid for the truth, Lord Varys. Please remember, or this small meeting will only grow smaller." Varys giggled nervously: "Hey, if you continue to compare with your noble brother like this, His Majesty the King will not have an imperial meeting." "In my opinion, it's okay to reduce the number of important ministers in the country," Littlefinger said with a smile. "Dearest Petyr," said Varys, "are you not worried about being next on the Hand's black list?"

"Ahead of you, Varys? I wouldn't dream of that." "Maybe we'll be brothers on the Wall, you and me." Varys giggled again. "Come on, eunuch, if you don't spit out something useful, you won't be far from the Great Wall." Cersei glared at him viciously, as if she wanted to castrate him again. "Could it be a trick?" Littlefinger asked. "If that's the case, it's a brilliant game," Varys said. "Even I was fooled." Tyrion had heard enough. "I'm afraid Jo will be disappointed," he said. "He has such a sharp spear for Renly's head. Anyway, whoever did it, it must have been Stannis. It's obvious that he It is the beneficiary." This is really not good news, he had hoped that the Baratheon brothers would have a bloody battle, and both sides would suffer.A dull ache in my elbow where it had been hit by a meteor hammer, as it always does when the weather is wet."Where's Renly's army?" he asked, rubbing in vain.

"He left the large infantry at Bitterbridge." Varys stepped away from the brazier and took his seat at the council table. "But those lords who followed Lord Renly to Storm's End on a starry night, most of them lowered their flags and surrendered to Stannis. Please note that this represents almost all the cavalry in the south." "I'll bet it was the Florents who took the lead," said Littlefinger. Varyspi smiled and said: "You won, my lord. It was indeed Earl Alister who turned his back first. Many princes followed suit." "Many," Tyrion emphasized, "not all of them?"

"Not all of them," the eunuch confirmed. "Not Loras Tyrell, nor Randyll Tarly, nor Matus Rowan. Besides, the defenders of Storm's End did not surrender, and Ser Cortnay Penrose gave Renly He insisted on guarding the castle in the name of Renly, and refused to believe that the lord was dead. He insisted on seeing the body with his own eyes before he would open the city gate, but Renly's body disappeared inexplicably, and it was probably hidden by someone. About five points of the knights under Renly's command One of them left with Ser Loras, refusing to serve Stannis. It is said that the Knight of Flowers went mad at the sight of the king's body, and in a fit of rage beheaded three of Renly's guards, including Eamon Cue and Robert Royce."

Pity he stopped after three kills, Tyrion thought. "Ser Loras must have gone to Bitterbridge," Varys went on, "his sister—Renly's queen—is still there. Now the situation is that many of the soldiers who remained there have suddenly disappeared. King, I don't know where to go. Many of the lords they serve have joined Stannis in Storm's End. And how will these pawns go? They don't know themselves." Tyrion leaned forward. "The way I see it, this is our chance. Just by winning Loras Tyrell over, we have a chance of absorbing the forces of Mace Tyrell and Highgarden. They Maybe lean towards Stannis for a while, but it's impossible to like that man, or follow him from the beginning."

"Don't they like us better?" Cersei asked. "Improbable," said Tyrion, "it is clear that it was Renly they loved. But Renly is dead, and perhaps we can give some good evidence of the difference between Joffrey and Stannis." . . . and quickly." "What evidence are you going to give?" "Money proof," Littlefinger suggested immediately. Varys clicked his tongue twice, "My dear Petyr, you don't think that these powerful princes and noble knights can be bought and sold like chickens in the market. "Have you been in the market lately, Lord Varys?" Littlefinger asked. "I dare say it's easier to buy a prince than a chicken. Of course, a prince is louder than a chicken, and if you mark the price directly like a merchant They will be disgusted with business, but they are not respectful of gifts...as well as honors, lands, castles, etc.."

"Bribery may sway some of the lesser lords," Tyrion said, "but it is impossible to buy the whole of Highgarden." "Yes," admitted Littlefinger. "The Knight of Flowers is the point. Mace Tyrell had three sons, and Loras the youngest was his favorite. Win him, and the power of Highgarden is yours." Never give up, Tyrion thought. "I think the late Lord Renly taught us a good lesson. We should use the marriage as he did to win the Tyrell allies." Varys understood the implication immediately. "You want King Joffrey to marry Margaery Tyrell?"

"Yes." He vaguely remembered that Renly's young queen was only fifteen or sixteen years old... a little older than Joffrey, but only a few years older, and she was so beautiful and charming. "Joffrey is engaged to Sansa Stark," Cersei objected. "Engagement can be broken. What good is a king marrying the daughter of a dead traitor?" Littlefinger said: "You can remind your majesty that the Tyrell family is richer than the Stark family, and Margaery is even cuter... so cute that they can share the same bed." "Yes," said Tyrion, "young Jo is concerned about that."

"Nonsense, my son is still young, how can he care about such things?" "You think?" Tyrion shot back. "Cersei, he's thirteen. That's the age I got married." "Your ridiculous story is a collective disgrace! Joffrey's nature is far nobler than yours." "Noble enough for Ser Boros to pick Sansa's clothes?" "He's mad at her." "He was also very angry when the kitchen boy spilled the soup last night, but he didn't take off his clothes." "It's not about spilling the soup—" Yes, it's the boobs.After what happened in the yard, Tyrion and Varys confer that perhaps it is time to arrange for Joffrey to visit Shataya's brothel.Let's hope the boy grows milder after a little sweetness, and is even grateful for it, gods behold, so that Tyrion can move freely with the support of the sovereign.Of course, the key is to keep it secret, and the difficulty lies in how to distract the hounds. "The dog is always at his master's feet," he remarked to Varys, "but a man sleeps, and gambling, whoring, or drinking."

"There is no doubt that the Hound is proficient in all these things." "You don't go around in circles," said Tyrion. "My question is, when will he do these things?" Varys put a finger to his cheek and smiled mysteriously. "My lord, a suspicious person would think that you wished to do harm to the boy while Sandor Clegane was not at His Majesty's side to protect him." "Surely you do not misunderstand, Lord Varys," said Tyrion. "Ah, all I do is to please him?" The eunuch promised to keep an eye on the matter.But the war had its needs now, and Joffrey's rite of passage had to be put on hold. "You know your son better than I do, of course," he forced himself to say against his will, "but in any case, marrying Tyrell is worth a try, because it may be the only way to keep Joffrey alive to the wedding night." Methods." Littlefinger agreed: "Sweet as a Stark girl is, she's useless to Joffrey except for her body; unlike Margaery Tyrell, she has fifty thousand men and all of Highgarden's power." Power as a dowry." "That makes sense." Varys put a limp hand on the queen's sleeve. "Your Majesty, you have a loving mother's heart, and I understand that His Majesty the King loves his little sweetheart very much. But those of us who are presumptuous in politics must put the well-being of the people of the country as the priority in everything, and temporarily put aside our own desires. In my opinion. , this marriage is imperative." The queen mother drew her arms away from the eunuch's hand. "You wouldn't say that if you were a woman. Say what you want, my lords, but Joffrey is proud, and he will never be content with Renly's scraps, and he will never agree to this marriage." Tyrion shrugged, "Your Majesty will come of age in three years, and then he will be able to govern on his own. Before that, you are his regent, and I am his prime minister. He will marry whomever we ask him to marry. You can only make do with it." Cersei was still struggling needlessly: "Go ahead and propose marriage. If this matter offends little Joe, you will have to ask the gods to bless you." "I am glad we all agreed," said Tyrion. "Which of us will go to Bitterbridge, then? Our price must be communicated to Ser Loras before he cools down." "Are you going to send members of the Imperial Council?" "I hardly expect the Knight of Flowers to deal with Bronn or Shagar, do I? The Tyrells are always proud." The sister didn't waste any opportunity, "Ser Jacelyn Bywater was of noble birth, we sent him." Tyrion shook his head, "What we want is not a megaphone. The envoys we send must be able to speak on behalf of the king and the imperial council, and get things done quickly." "The Hand is the king's voice." The candles burned like green wildfire in Cersei's eyes. "We should send you, Tyrion, so that it would be as good as Joffrey's presence. Who better? You speak as well as Jaime wields a sword." Are you so anxious to drive me out of the capital, Cersei? "It's really a compliment, sister. In fact, in my opinion, mothers are more suitable than uncles to arrange marriages for children. Besides, you have a talent for making friends, which I can't match." Her eyes narrowed into a line, "Xiao Qiao needs me by her side." "Your Majesty the Queen Mother, Your Excellency the Prime Minister," Littlefinger said, "The king needs you two by his side, so let me go there on your behalf." "You?" What good did you find in it?Tyrion wondered. "Although I am a member of the Queen's Council, I am not a blood relative of the king, so being a hostage is of little value. I knew Ser Loras well when he was at court, and he has no reason to refuse me. Besides, as far as I know Well, Mace Tyrell is not hostile to me, and - may I say this without shame - I know a thing or two about negotiating." He can convince us.Tyrion didn't trust Petyr Baelish and didn't want him out of sight, but did he have a choice?It was up to him or Littlefinger to intervene in this matter, and he knew full well that all his hard work would be in vain if he stepped out of King's Landing, no matter how long it took. "It's a treacherous road to Bitterbridge," he said cautiously. "I'm sure Lord Stannis will unleash his own sheepdogs on his brother's wayward lambs." "I'm not afraid of the sheepdogs, I only care about the lambs. Of course, the guards are indispensable." "I can spare a hundred gold cloaks," said Tyrion. "five hundred." "three hundred." "Three hundred and forty—plus twenty knights and the same number of squires. I'll have to draw a decent line before the Tyrells will take me seriously." Quite right. "agree." "Ser Dread and Ser Drooling must be included in the ranks, and I must send them back to my lord father as a gesture of goodwill. Paxter Redwyne is not only an old friend of Mace Tyrell's, but also powerful in his own right , we need his support." "He is a traitor," the queen retorted. "If I hadn't threatened him with Redwyne's cub, the Arbor would have followed suit and gone to Renly." "Renly is dead, Your Grace," Littlefinger pointed out, "and neither Stannis nor Lord Paxter will forget that it was Redwyne's fleet that blocked the seas during the Siege of Storm's End. Twins, we may win Redwyne's favor." Cersei refused to admit defeat, "The White Walker wants his favor! I only want his army and ships to hold the twins, so he will be obedient." Tyrion came to smooth things over. "Then send Ser Hooper back, and keep Ser Horace. I think Lord Paxter is smart enough to understand the meaning." No one objected to this proposal, but Littlefinger didn't finish his sentence, "We still need horses, strong and fast horses. There will be frequent wars along the way, and it may be difficult to change mounts. In addition, sufficient money must be provided for the purchase of our first horses. the aforementioned gift." "Take as much as you want. Anyway, if the capital is not secured, Stannis will have to take all the money." "Finally, I need a written commission. This document not only allows Mace Tyrell to dispel any doubts about my authority, but more importantly, it gives me full negotiating power to negotiate the marriage contract and its related affairs. Arrange everything, and make an oath in the king's name. This paper will be signed by Joffrey and all the ministers, and stamped with everyone's seal." Tyrion shifted uneasily. "It's settled. That's all? I warn you, it's a long way to Bitterbridge." "I'll start before dawn." Littlefinger stood up. "I believe that when I return, the king will be grateful and reward me for my heroic service?" Varys chuckled and said, "We Joffrey is a king who knows how to reciprocate, so you can go at ease, my valiant lord." The Queen spoke directly: "What do you want, Petyr?" With a sly smile on his face, Littlefinger glanced at Tyrion, "Let me think about it, I'll figure it out." He bowed slyly, turned around and left, as relaxed as if he was going to visit his own brothel. Tyrion looked out the window.The fog was so thick that the outer wall could not be seen across the courtyard, and there were a few faint yellow lights flickering in the darkness.Today's weather is really not suitable for going out, he thought, fortunately it was Petyr Baelish who was going. "Begin the papers. Lord Varys, send for the parchment and quill, and wake Joffrey." When the meeting finally came to an end, it was still murky and dark.Varys hurried away alone, his soft slippers rubbed silently.The Lannisters lingered at the door for a moment. "How is your chain, brother?" asked the Queen Mother, as Ser Preston fastened the silver squirrel-trimmed cloak around her shoulders. "Ring by ring, growing. Ser Cortnay Penrose is obstinate, we should thank the gods. Stannis is a cautious man, and he will never go north until Storm's End is taken. " "Tyrion, although we often disagree, I think my opinion of you seemed a bit biased in the past. You are not such a fool as I thought, and in fact, you have been a great help to me. I thank you You, if I have said anything harsh to you before, please forgive me." "Please forgive me?" He shrugged and smiled at her, "Dear sister, you didn't say anything that needs to be forgiven." "You mean today?" They both laughed in unison... and then Cersei leaned over and gave him a quick, light kiss on the forehead. Tyrion, speechless in astonishment, could only watch as she marched from the hall, escorted by Ser Preston. "Am I crazy? My sister just kissed me?" he asked Bronn when she was gone. "How sweet is this kiss?" "It's not sweetness...it's accidental." Cersei's recent behavior has been weird, and Tyrion is a little uneasy. "I'm remembering the last time she kissed me. I think I was six or seven, and James made her do it." "It seems that you have grown up so much, this woman has finally discovered your charm." "No," said Tyrion, "no, the woman is up to something. Find out, Bronn, I hate accidents, you know."