Chapter 29 Chapter 28 Ed

"My lords, all these troubles are caused by the prime minister's tournament." The commander of the capital garrison complained to the imperial meeting. "The King's Tournament," Ned corrected him, frowning. "I assure you, the Prime Minister has no interest in it." "You can say what you want, my lord, but the fact is that knights from all over the country have come one after another. And for every knight, there are two freeriders, three craftsmen, six soldiers, and a dozen merchants." People, two dozen whores, and as for thieves, there are so many that I can't even guess. This damn hot day has already made half the people in the city dizzy, and now there are so many guys... Someone drowned last night, plus a tavern Riots, three knife fights, a rape, two fires, robberies beyond count, and a drunken horse on the Rue des Nuns. The day before yesterday a woman's head was found floating in the In the rainbow pool of the Great Sept, no one knows where that head came from, or whose head it is."

"It's scary." Varys shuddered. Lord Renly Baratheon was less kind. "Let me tell you, Genos, if you can't even maintain order in the city, I'm afraid the city guard will have to replace it with someone who can do it as its commander." Slynt was born with a tall head and a double chin. After hearing this, he immediately became angry like a frog, and his bald head suddenly turned red. "Lord Renly, not even Aegon the Dragon can manage it. I need men." "How many do you want?" Ned asked, leaning forward.As usual, Robert did not attend the meeting, so he, the "Hand of the King", had to speak for him.

"Master Prime Minister, of course, the more the better." "Fifty recruits, then," Ned told him, "and Lord Baelish will take care of the money." "Shall I get some?" said Littlefinger. "That's right. Since you can even raise the 40,000 golden dragon bounty for the champion of the contest, it shouldn't be a problem to get a few more coins to maintain order in the city." Ned turned to Janos Slynt and said, "I Another twenty people from my bodyguard will be sent to you until the group of people in the city leave." "Thank you very much, Prime Minister." Slynt bowed, "I assure you, they will come in handy."

After the commander left, Ned turned to the ministers present: "The sooner this farce is over, the sooner I will be at ease." As if raising funds and the ensuing troubles were not enough for him, all the idlers called this "" Prime Minister's Tournament", which is certainly throwing salt in the wound, as if he was the real culprit.And Robert really thought he should be proud of it! "The kingdom prospers because of this kind of thing, my lord," said Grand Master Pycelle. "For the upper class, this is a great time to seek glory. As for the poor people, it can also temporarily forget their worries. Relieve your worries."

"A lot of people can make a lot of money out of this," Littlefinger added. "The hotels in the city are all full, and the prostitutes can't close their feet when they receive customers, and the copper coins in their pockets jingle when they walk." Lord Renly laughed: "Fortunately, my second brother Stannis is not here. Remember that time he proposed to ban brothels? The king asked him if he would like to ban eating, shitting, and breathing by the way. To tell you the truth, sometimes I wonder how Stannis got that ugly daughter. Brother, he goes to bed as if he were on the battlefield, with serious eyes, determined to do his duty."

Ned didn't follow suit. "I'm also thinking about your brother Stannis. I don't know when he will end his visit to Dragonstone and return to his post." "As long as we drive all the whores into the sea, he will come back immediately." As soon as Littlefinger said this, the others laughed even harder. "I've heard enough about whores for today," Ned said, rising. "That's all." When Ned returned to the Chancellor Tower, Harwin was guarding the gate. "Send Jory to my room, and tell your father to saddle me," Ned told him, a little harshly.

"Yes, sir." He was impatient with the conclave in the Red Keep and this so-called "Handler's Tournament," Ned thought as he climbed the stairs.He missed Catelyn's arms so much now, and the sound of Robb and Jon practicing their swords in the yard, and the cool days and cold nights in the North. After entering the room, he took off the official silk clothes worn by the ministers, sat and read a book for a while, waiting for Jory.The full title of this book is "The Genealogy and History of the Main Nobles of the Seven Kingdoms (with descriptions of many dukes and wives and their children included)", written by Master Merion.Pycelle was right, this stuff was boring.But since Jon Arryn had come to read it, Ned believed there must be a reason.There must be important clues buried among these yellowed and fragile pages, the question is only whether he can delve into the deep meaning.What exactly is that?This book is more than a hundred years old.When Malleon compiled this dusty list of weddings and deaths, hardly anyone alive today had yet been born.

He turned to the Lannister family again, deliberately turning the pages slowly, although he knew it was impossible, but still hoped to have a flash of inspiration.House Lannister has a long history, dating back to the trickster "Smart" Lanney in the Age of Heroes.He is as legendary as Brandon the Builder, but more beloved by singers and storytellers.The Lanney of the ballad drove the Casedleys out of Casterly Rock with wit and no sword, and stole gold from the sun to grace his curls.Ned wished he was by his side right now, helping him get the damned secret out of the book. An urgent knock on the door announced the arrival of Jory Cassel.Ned closed Mullion's tome and let him in. "I promise to draw twenty men from my bodyguard to the City Watch until the tourney is over," he told him. "I leave it to you to choose men. Let Alyn lead the team, but make sure they understand that the first task To settle disputes, not create conflict." Ned stood up, opened the cedar chest, and produced a light linen tunic. "Have you found the stable boy?"

"Sir, this City Watcher you speak of," said Jory, "has sworn he'll never touch another horse in his life." "why?" "He said he knew Lord Ayrin very well, and said that the two hit it off right away." Jory snorted, "He said that the Prime Minister would not forget to give a few small coins every time the lads were named. He also said that the Prime Minister is familiar with the nature of horses. , never tires his mounts too much, and often brings carrots and apples to the horses, so they like him very much." "Carrots and apples," Ned repeated.It sounded like this kid could help more than the others, and he was the last of the four that Littlefinger had mentioned.Jory talked to each one individually.Sir Hugh had a hot temper and refused to say much. He was already very proud when he became a knight.According to him, if the Prime Minister wanted to talk to him, he would be happy to meet him, but a mere guard captain is not qualified to interrogate him... Even if this guard captain is ten years older than him, and his sword skills are a hundred times stronger than him, it is useless.The kitchen girl managed to communicate, and she said that Lord Jon was overreading, that he was worried about his youngest son's weakness, and that he was rough with his wife.As for the waiter who now makes a living by pulling carts, he has never spoken to Lord Jon.But he does know a lot of gossip in the kitchen: I heard that the master has often quarreled with the king recently, the master thinks the food is not good, the master plans to send his son to Dragonstone Island as an adopted son, the master suddenly became interested in raising hounds, the master is going to He found a skilled weapon master and entrusted him to make a brand new pair of armor, plated with silver, with a falcon carved in sapphire and a moon made of mother-of-pearl on the chest.The waiter said that it was the king's younger brother who personally accompanied him to choose the materials and patterns, oh no, not Lord Renly, but the other one, Lord Stannis.

"Did the guard mention anything worth noting?" "The lad swears that Lord Jon is as strong as a man half his age, and rides often with Lord Stannis." Stannis again, Ned thought.This is strange, although Jon Arryn and him reciprocate courtesy, but never get close.When Robert North visited Winterfell, Stannis also hid back to Dragonstone Island-the island fortress he took from the Targaryen family many years ago in the name of his brother-and did not say a word. when will you come back. "Where are they all riding?" Ned asked. "The kid said to go to a brothel."

"To a brothel?" Ned said. "The Lord of the Eyrie, the Hand to a whore with Stannis Baratheon?" He shook his head in disbelief, wondering what Lord Renly would do if he heard that. reaction.Robert's good sex is well known throughout the country, and people make fun of it all day long, but Stannis is different.Although he was only a year younger than the king, he had a very different personality: stern, humorless, never easy to forgive, and took responsibility to the point of almost ruthlessness. "The young man insisted that it was true. The Prime Minister had brought three guards with him, and the young man said that when he helped them lead the horses afterwards, he heard them joking about it." "Which brothel?" Ned asked. "The young man doesn't know either, those guards should know." "It's a pity that Lysa took them all back to the Vale," said Ned dryly. "The gods really tried their best to stop us. Lady Lysa, Maester Cormon, and Lord Stannis...every possible Anyone who knows the truth is thousands of miles away." "Will you recall Lord Stannis from Dragonstone?" "Not yet," said Ned, "until I know more about the situation and find out which side he's on." It really upset him.Why did Stannis leave?Did he have a hand in the murder of Jon Arryn?Is he afraid?It was hard for Ned to imagine anything that could frighten Stannis Baratheon, who held Storm's End for a year, until the armies of Lord Tyrell and Lord Redwyne surrounded the city , Drinking and having fun all day long, but the city can only survive on eating rat meat and shoe leather. "Bring me the vest, please. The gray one with the direwolf pattern. I want this weapon master to know who I am, so he might be able to speak more easily." Jory went to the wardrobe. "Lord Renly is also the brother of the king and Lord Stannis." "But they rode without him for company," said Ned, though Renly was friendly and smiling, still unable to make out his position.The other day he had taken Ned aside to show him a finely carved gold rose locket containing a vivid Myrish portrait of a man with doe eyes and soft hair. Cute teenage girl with brown hair.Renly seemed eager to know if the girl reminded him of someone, and he seemed rather disappointed when Ned couldn't answer and shrugged.The girl was Margaery, Loras Tyrell's sister, he later confessed, though some said she looked like Lyanna. "It's not like that," Ned told him, confused.Could it be that Renly, who looked like a young Robert, was secretly in love with a girl who looked to him like a young Lyanna?What a strange thing. Jory held out the vest, and Ned put his hands up his arms. "Perhaps Lord Stannis will be back for Robert's tourney," he said, telling Jory to tie a knot at the back for him. "That's a blessing of the gods, sir," said Jory. Ned fastened a longsword. "In other words, it's probably fucking impossible." He smiled helplessly. Jory threw Ned's cloak over his shoulders and fastened it at the throat with the Hand's coat of arms. "The weapons master lives above his shop, in a big house at the top of Steel Street. Alyn knows his way, sir." Ned nodded. "If the cart boy lies, only the gods can save him." Although this is not a reliable clue, the Jon Arryn that Ned Stark knew couldn't wear anything Jeweled silver armor.He said: Armor is armor, used for self-defense, not decoration.Of course, he might change his mind. After staying in the palace for more than ten years, it is impossible for him to be exactly the same as before... However, this change is too big, and Ned really can't let it go. "Is there anything else I can do?" "You're ready to go to the whorehouse." "Master, this is hard work." Jory said with a grin. "I think everyone will be happy to help. Poser couldn't wait, so he went first." Ned's favorite steed was saddled and waiting for him in the yard.He crossed the field, followed by Wally and Jakes, left and right.They must have sweated in steel helmets and armor on a day like this, but they made no complaints.Wearing a long gray and white cloak, Duke Ed rode his horse through the king's gate and entered the stinky city. He immediately felt eyeliner everywhere.He kicked the horse's belly and left in a hurry, followed by two guards. As they shuttled through the crowded streets, he turned his head frequently.Although Tomard and Desmond left the castle early this morning and stood guard on the path they had to pass, responsible for noticing if anyone was following them, Ned was still worried.In the shadow of the king's eight-legged spider and his hawk-hound, he was as frightened as a bride-to-be. Steel Street extends from the market square next to Linhe Gate.This Linhe Gate is the name marked on the map, and the common people usually call it "Mud Gate".On the street, an actor was walking on stilts, striding through the crowd like a giant monster, followed by a large group of barefoot children, screaming strangely.On the other side, two ragged boys about Bran's age were gesticulating with wooden sticks. Some of the onlookers cheered loudly, and some cursed angrily.Finally, an old woman poked her head out of the window and poured a bucket of footwashing water on the heads of the two boys, which ended the fight.In the shadow of the city walls, farmers stood beside their wagons, shouting out, "Apples, the best apples, cheap at twice the price," or "Blood melons, oh my dear!" Sweet as honey!" and "Turnips, onions, potatoes, come here, turnips, onions, potatoes, come here!" The mud gate was wide open, and a small group of city guards stood under the gate with their standard golden cloaks on their shoulders and leaning on spears.Seeing a group of people galloping in a file on horseback coming from the west, the guards hurriedly issued orders to drive away the carts and pedestrians blocking the road, so that the knight and his entourage could pass.Those who passed through the gate first held up a long black banner, a banner of silk that fluttered in the wind like a living thing.Embroidered on the flag is a purple lightning bolt streaking across the night sky. "Lord Bailey is here! Dodge quickly!" The visitor shouted, "Lord Bailey is here! Dodge quickly!" Followed by the young nobleman with golden red hair, he was wearing a black satin star pattern Cloak, riding a black horse, full of flashy appearance. "Are you here for the Prime Minister's Tournament, my lord?" a guard called after him. "I'm here to win the tournament championship!" Earl Bailey responded loudly amidst the cheers of the crowd. Ned left the square and turned into Steel Street, riding up the long Visennian hills along winding lanes, passing blacksmiths at forges, freeriders haggling with their armor, and gray-haired, Iron dealers with all kinds of old iron knives on the carriage.The higher they climbed, the taller the buildings were. Most of the blacksmiths in the city were here.The man they were looking for lived on the top of the hill, in a huge house of wood and plaster high enough to overlook the narrow alleyway below.The two gates of the house are made of ebony and weirwood, with a hunting picture carved on them. A pair of stone knights stand guard on both sides of the entrance, wearing red steel armor with imaginative shapes, giving them a Gryphon and unicorn form.Ned handed the horse to Jax and stepped sideways into the house. The thin, sharp-eyed maid immediately recognized Ned's coat of arms and the family coat of arms on his vest, and it wasn't long before the owner hurried out to greet him, smiling and bowing. "Pour the Prime Minister's drink," he said to the girl, and motioned for Ned to take a seat on the bench. "My lord, my name is Tob Mott. Please sit down and make this place your own home." He wore a black velvet coat with hammers embroidered with silver thread on the sleeves, and a heavy cloak around his neck. A silver chain with a sapphire the size of a pigeon's egg. "If you need new armor to wear at the Prime Minister's Tournament, you are in the right place." Ned was too lazy to correct. "My lord, I command a high price for what I make, as I admit," he said, filling two paired silver goblets. "However, I can assure you that there is no one in the seven kingdoms whose craftsmanship can compare with mine. If you don't believe me, you can go to every blacksmith in King's Landing and compare yourself. Actually, you can make a piece of armor casually. A country blacksmith can do it. What I type is a work of art." Ned sipped his wine, listening to him go on.According to Tob's bragging, not only the entire set of armor of the Knight of Flowers was bought here, but also many official lords who really know the goods are regular customers, not to mention His Majesty's younger brother, Lord Renly.I wonder if the Prime Minister has seen Lord Renly's new outfit?It was the green armor and the gold antler helmet.No other weapons master in the city could make such a deep green except him, because he learned the secret of soaking the color into the steel as a boy as an apprentice in Cohor, compared to painting or enamelling. It's just child's play.Or should the prime minister want a good sword?Toub said that he also learned the art of forging Valyrian steel in Qohor, and that only those who know the right spells can make old weapons new again. "The coat of arms of the Stark family is the direwolf, right? I can help you top the direwolf helmet, and keep the children running when they walk on the road." He patted his chest and promised. Ned smiled slightly. "So, you also gave Lord Arryn a falcon helmet?" Tob Mott paused for a long time when he heard the words, and finally he put down his glass: "My lord Prime Minister, he came to me and came with His Majesty's eldest brother, Lord Stannis. It's a pity that I don't have that honor, Never worked for them." Ned looked at him calmly, said nothing, just waited quietly.Over the years, he had found that silence was often more effective than asking questions, and that was the case now. "They said they wanted to see the boy," said the weapon master, "so I took them to the forge." "The boy," Ned repeated.He had no idea who the kid was. "I want to see that kid too." Tob Mott gave him a cool, cautious look. "Yes, my lord." His previous friendly tone was gone.He led Ned out the back door, across a long narrow courtyard, and into the spacious stone barn where the actual work of the smithy took place.As soon as the weapons master opened the door, a gust of hot air gushed out, making Ned feel as if he were stepping into the mouth of a fire dragon.A forge blazed around every corner, and the air stank of smoke and brimstone.The blacksmith raised his head for a glance, and only had time to wipe the sweat from his brow before continuing to wield the hammer and pliers, while the shirtless apprentice worked hard to stir the blast furnace. The weapons master called over a tall boy about Robb's age, with strong muscles in his arms and chest. "This is Lord Stark, the king's new Hand," the boy listened, studying Ned with dark blue eyes and pushing back his sweat-soaked hair with his fingers.His hair was coarse, thick, matted and black as ink.He had just grown some black stubble on his chin. "This is Gendry. He is strong for his age, and he works hard. Boy, let the Prime Minister see that helmet you made." The boy shyly led them to his bench, Show Ned a helmet shaped like a bull's head, with two curved horns. Ned played with it over and over again. The helmet was made of rough steel, uncarved, but the shape was expertly done. "Well done, would you like to sell it to me?" The boy snatched the helmet from his hand. "It's not for sale." Tob Mott looked terrified. "Boy, this is Mr. Prime Minister. His Excellency has his eyes on him. Why don't you hurry up and give it to him? He's already giving you face just by asking." "I made it for myself," said the boy stubbornly. "My lord, I'm so sorry," his master said hastily to Ned, "that boy is as stubborn as pig iron, and pig iron needs to be beaten. But this helmet is not a very valuable thing, and if you will forgive him, I will Guaranteed to give you a top-notch cap that has never been seen before." "He did nothing wrong, and I have nothing to forgive. Gendry, what did you say when Lord Arryn came to see you?" "My lord, he just asked some questions." "what is the problem?" The boy shrugged and said, "Ask me how I am, how my master treats me, whether I like this job, and about my mother, who she is and what she looks like." "How do you answer?" The boy brushed back a lock of newly falling black hair. "She died when I was little. All I remember is she had yellow hair and would sing to me sometimes. She worked in pubs." "Did Lord Stannis ask you a question, too?" "The one with the bald head? No, he didn't ask. He didn't talk, just stared at me like I fucked his daughter." "Talk carefully," said the master, "you are talking to the King's Prime Minister." The boy bowed his head. "This kid is smart, but he is obstinate. Look at this helmet... When people call him a bull, he puts on a bull helmet to anger them." Ned stroked the boy's head, brushing his thick black hair. "Gendry, look at me." The little apprentice looked up, and Ned studied the line of his jaw, and his icy blue eyes.Yes, he thought, I see. "Go to work, lad. Sorry to bother you." He followed the weapons master back into the house. "Who paid this kid's apprenticeship fee?" He asked lightly. Mott looked rather frightened. "You have seen it yourself, this kid is very strong, and his hands are born to be blacksmiths. This kid has potential, so I forfeited the apprenticeship fee." "Tell me the truth," Ned urged him, "the streets are full of strong lads. Unless the Wall comes down, there's no way you're not taking apprentice fees. Who's paying?" "It's a gentleman," said the weapons master reluctantly. "He didn't say his name, and he didn't have a coat of arms on his coat. What he took out was gold, and he paid double the usual amount, saying half of it was gold." The other half of the child's apprenticeship fee is for me not to speak out." "Tell me what he looks like." "He was stocky, broad-shouldered, but not as tall as you. Brown beard, tinged with red, it seemed. I do remember his cloak, high-end, solid purple velvet, trimmed with silver, with a hood I can't see his face clearly." He hesitated for a moment. "My lord, I don't want to cause trouble." "Nobody wants to be in trouble. But I'm afraid these are troubled times, Master Mott," said Ned. "You know exactly who this boy is." "My lord, I'm just a weapon master, I don't know anything I shouldn't know." "You know exactly who the boy is," Ned repeated patiently. "I'm not asking if you know." "The boy is my apprentice," said the weapons master.He met Ned's gaze, hard as steel. "Who he was before he came to me is none of my business." Ned nodded, feeling that he liked Tobe Mott, a master of weapons. "Someday if Gendry doesn't want to continue making swords and wants to actually get a knife for fun, tell him to come to me, I think he's a soldier. Until then, Master Mott, I thank you for looking after him .I promise you, if I ever want to get a helmet to scare a kid, I'll be the first one to come to you." His guards were waiting outside with their horses. "Sir, have you found anything?" Jakes asked as Ned mounted his horse. "Yes," Ned told him, but his own thoughts were preoccupied.What is Jon Arryn doing with the king's bastard?What is it worth paying for his life?