The Mountain of Ice and Fire

"Mountain, I should return," Edmure said. "Let's talk about how we should cooperate."

"Tell me about it," the Mountain said.

"I'll provide the money, and you teach us the technique," Edmure said. "A flat price of one hundred thousand gold dragons. This is definitely better than you contributing the technique to the Citadel."

*

The old fellows at the Citadel research and test a new production technique, they sell it to the king, and the king sells it to the nobles at a high price. The nobles then teach it to the people in their territory. When the people learn the new production technique, they improve productivity and can pay more taxes to the lords.

Janei and Ysa could contribute the milk sterilization method to the Citadel and receive rewards and honors from the Citadel, but this is not practical. The honors given by the Citadel are often greater than the actual benefits, and the Mountain also despises the honors given by the Citadel, he values practicality more.

*

Edmure is willing to pay 300,000 gold dragons to buy out the milk sterilization technique, a flat price.

Lord Gawen, Lady Sybell, Rofer, Burney and Bull Zelleri were all surprised.

One hundred thousand gold dragons could buy one hundred thousand cows. And in the Westerlands, there are at most twenty thousand cows.

Obviously, this price is too high, ridiculously high.

Even if all the milk in the entire Westerlands were poured out this season, the loss for the entire Westerlands would only be worth ten thousand gold dragons. Of course, the Riverlands has the highest milk production in the country, and also supplies the Crownlands and King's Landing, which has nearly a million people. If they were to pour it all out in July, August, or even September, the cost would be as high as tens of thousands of gold dragons. Moreover, in other months, minor illnesses and epidemics, such as diarrhea from drinking milk, often occur. This is an invisible giant hand that restricts the development of the dairy industry.

The Mountain glanced at Janei. Janei's eyes rolled, although excited, she could restrain herself from showing it.

The Mountain looked at Edmure: "Lord Edmure, one hundred thousand gold dragons is a lot of money. Using this money to buy out the new milk sterilization technique researched by Janei and Maester Ysa is indeed a high price, but it's not enough."

Edmure 'ah'ed and said, "Mountain, this is the highest price I can offer. When I return to the Riverlands, my father may not even approve it. One hundred thousand gold dragons is enough for us to buy many years of milk."

The Mountain stared at Edmure: "Lord Edmure, if Lord Hoster is unwilling to pay this money, I won't force it."

Edmure was surprised and said: "Lord Mountain, do you mean you are unwilling to earn my one hundred thousand gold dragons?"

"I'm not earning your money, I'm helping you earn money. Lord Edmure, let me calculate something for you. We sell the milk sterilization method to you, and you pay one hundred thousand gold dragons, which is indeed a lot of money. Will you pass this technique on to the North? Lady Catelyn is your own sister, and the North also has a lot of cows. Milk is also an indispensable high-nutrient food in the lives of Northerners. Will the North give you one hundred thousand gold dragons? Let me calculate, there are more than twelve major noble families and more than thirty minor noble families in the North. Is House Stark willing to order its vassals to pay for this technology? Of course, they will. Once this kind of technology is learned, it is a good technology that can be used for ten years, a hundred years, or a thousand years. Hmm, besides the North, there is also the Vale. The Vale has more noble families and a larger population than the North. The Lord of the Vale, Duke Robert Arryn, is your nephew. The Duke's mother is your sister Lysa Tully. Hehe, if you divide it up like this, the cost of one hundred thousand gold dragons will almost be gone."

Edmure stood up with a whoosh, his eyes widened, and he couldn't speak for a while, his face showing anger.

It is estimated that he himself is not as shrewd and far-sighted as the Mountain thought. He may feel humiliated.

But it is also very likely that this is acting! Edmure has a rogue personality from being in society, and this little trick is not difficult for him. He looks rough, but he is not a reckless person, in fact, he is very meticulous in many things!

Lord Gawen quickly smoothed things over and laughed: "Ser Gregor, Lord Edmure, come, come, let's have a drink first. There can be various forms of cooperation, and it doesn't necessarily have to be a flat price buyout."

Lady Sybell, on the other hand, was already very satisfied with the price of one hundred thousand gold dragons. It had been a long time since she had heard of one hundred thousand gold dragons at once. She felt that receiving the money into her pocket first was the most practical and correct thing to do. As for how many years the milk sterilization technology could be used, she didn't consider it. Why should people consider things so far away?

Lady Sybell had no concept of selling technology for money. Lord Gawen, Burney, and Zelleri were the same.

"Lord Edmure, don't be angry, I can see your sincerity, everyone sit down and talk slowly." Sybell walked over and gently pressed Edmure's shoulder, letting Edmure sit down. This is a big moneybags, with a solid family background, and it's not difficult to take out a million gold dragons.

The Mountain said lightly: "Lord Edmure, even if you don't plan to sell the milk technology to the North and the Vale, I will still calculate it this way. Because once the technology is told to you, it has already been leaked, and we can no longer control it. If you want to sell it to the Iron Islands, to the Stormlands in the south, the Reach, or even across the Narrow Sea, I have no way to stop you."

"I can swear to keep it a secret, and we can also sign a legal agreement in the Sept," Edmure said angrily, staring at the Mountain.

"I can believe your oath and agreement, but I can't believe the people around you, your technicians, your hundreds of workers, servants, and maids. For example, Maester Ysa's original mercury thermometer manufacturing technology, as soon as you know it, you can immediately ask a glass factory to produce a hundred identical thermometers."

Maester Ysa interjected: "Ser Gregor, I have already sent a letter to the Citadel about the thermometer. After verification, the Citadel will sell the technology to the king and sell it to the lords of the country through the power of the royal family."

Janei said: "Ser Gregor, why don't we just hand over the milk sterilization technology to the Citadel as well. The Citadel will then sell it to the royal family, and the royal family will sell it to the nobles of the country. We won't get one hundred thousand gold dragons at once, but over the years, it will also be a lot of money, and we can also get the friendship of the Citadel and priority access to new technologies from the Citadel."

"And permanent honors recorded in history!" Maester Ysa said enthusiastically.

"If this is the case, the happiest person will be King Robert. He will definitely make a fortune because of this new technology, but I'd rather do it myself! Lord Edmure, I offer you a second plan. We will send people to the Riverlands to open shops to buy milk, buy milk in various big cities, produce fresh milk and cheese, and then sell it. The money earned from buying and selling will be split evenly between House Westerling and House Tully."

The idea of splitting the money evenly between House Westerling and House Tully made Lord Gawen and Lady Sybell love this evil son-in-law of theirs to death! Although they knew it was impossible, it sounded so comfortable!

"No, my father will definitely not agree to people from the Westerlands entering the Riverlands to monopolize the milk business," Edmure directly brought out his father to block the pot. He knew very well that this technology is not only used in July and August, the months when diseases concentrate and break out, but can be used all year round to ensure that milk is never poured out throughout the year. Calculated in this way, the benefits are terrible. Milk is a very popular food. In addition to the hundreds of thousands of people in the Riverlands, it also supplies the millions of people in King's Landing and the Crownlands. It's just that diseases often break out, which firmly restricts the development of the dairy industry in the Riverlands. Once the problem of milk causing illness or even death is solved, the milk production in the Riverlands will be the same as the wine and fishing industries in the Riverlands. The product output and sales volume can be quickly doubled, truly forming the three major economic pillars of the Riverlands: first, milk; second, wine; third, freshwater fishing.

Moreover, the Mountain is really not stupid. Edmure has no reason not to export the milk sterilization technology to the North and the Vale once he obtains it.

One hundred thousand gold dragons divided into three parts, he only needs to pay more than thirty thousand gold dragons.

More than thirty thousand gold dragons, for a super lord like Tully, is small money!

King Robert, who squanders money as an honor, is going to hold a national tournament, and the gold dragons awarded to the first place champion are forty thousand gold dragons.

"Alright, Mountain, give me a price and let me hear it!" Edmure shook his head and said unhappily, with a hint of wanting to give up in his tone.