The Mountain of Ice and Fire

Chapter 426: Turning the World Upside Down (10,000+ Words, Seeking Subscriptions)

(Bonus chapter for MaxW's Lord reward, thank you for your support)

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King's Landing. The Red Keep. The Tower of the Hand.

Morning sunlight streamed through the narrow, high windows, casting a golden bar across the floor of the meeting hall.

"Breach the city in three days?" Lord Tywin Lannister asked, his face expressionless as he examined a piece of charred cloth. On it, a message was written in blood.

It was a secret blood letter from Kingsguard Ser Jacelyn Bywater to Lady Olenna Redwyne, the Queen of Thorns.

Lord Tywin didn't believe a single word of it!

Lord Mace Tyrell had brought the blood letter. Seated with him were his mother, the Queen of Thorns, Lady Olenna Redwyne; his daughter, Margaery Tyrell—the king's betrothed; his second son, the valiant Ser Garlan Tyrell; and the Reach's famed commander, also a renowned commander of the Seven Kingdoms, Lord Randyll Tarly.

Ever since the Mountain had used his navy to cut off King's Landing's sea trade routes and deployed warships to block the Blackwater Rush, severing the supply lines from the Reach, King's Landing's situation had become dire.

Without needing to lay siege, simply blockading the trade routes and cutting off food supplies would quickly incite the city's population of over half a million, along with the tens of thousands of refugees who hadn't yet left, to riot.

They had rioted once before, and a second time would only make them more experienced.

Tyrion Lannister was right: the 'King Hunger' held more power in the people's hearts than loyalty or royal authority, an unstoppable force.

"If I were the Mountain, with my force of twelve thousand, I would never attack the city. I would simply blockade the waterways, cut off the food supply, and wait for the people of King's Landing to riot. This blood letter is nothing more than a trick to sow discord in our ranks," Tywin said, tossing the cloth onto the table. "With the Mountain's cunning, he would never reveal the attack date to Jacelyn Bywater. If he did, it's a trap."

The Queen of Thorns agreed with Tywin's assessment; her thoughts aligned with the Lord's.

*

The meeting hall in the Tower of the Hand was packed.

Lately, meetings were held not in the throne room, but in the Tower of the Hand.

Hand of the King Tywin wanted Randyll Tarly, Tyrion Lannister, and Olenna Redwyne to directly participate in these meetings, but they weren't members of the small council and weren't qualified to attend. Yet, some matters were too sensitive to be discussed openly in the throne room. Tywin believed that many courtiers were secretly in league with the Mountain, acting as his eyes and ears.

Randyll Tarly, a renowned commander of the Seven Kingdoms, was the only man to defeat Robert Baratheon and Eddard Stark's combined forces during Robert's Rebellion seventeen years prior. Tywin needed Randyll Tarly's exceptional military talent.

Tyrion Lannister possessed unique wisdom, and Tywin believed that his insights were needed to resolve the current difficult situation. Perhaps he could find a clever way to solve the problem.

As for Lady Olenna Redwyne, when it came to crucial political affairs, Lord Mace was merely her mouthpiece. Lord Tywin disliked this method of communication; he preferred to discuss matters face-to-face with the Queen of Thorns, which was more efficient and allowed him to directly observe her reactions.

However, Randyll, Tyrion, and Lady Olenna were not members of the small council and had no right to participate in high-level political and military affairs. Therefore, Hand of the King Tywin didn't hold meetings in the throne room but in his own Tower of the Hand, easily circumventing the laws restricting Randyll Tarly, Tyrion, Lady Olenna, and others.

In his own Tower of the Hand, during a private meeting, he was free to summon anyone he wished.

*

Lord Commander of the City Watch, Kevan Lannister, produced a piece of coarse cloth, palm-sized, embroidered with a red smoke beast and an ice sword. "My lord Hand, the information I've received aligns with Jacelyn Bywater's: the Mountain will attack in three days."

"What is this?"

"The Mountain's new sigil, the unicorn and ice sword."

"Is the information reliable?"

"Very reliable. I have informants in the Shoemaker's Square, where the families of the two thousand newly recruited refugee soldiers are gathered. Their families are serving in the Mountain's army."

"What is the purpose of this sigil?"

"After the Mountain breaches the city, those bearing this sigil will be spared."

Lord Tywin was silent for a moment, then folded the cloth and placed it before him.

Tyrion Lannister said, "My lord father, it seems the Mountain has deliberately leaked the attack date to Jacelyn Bywater out of pride!"

Tywin's face remained expressionless, his gaze towards Tyrion like nails.

"Out of pride?" the Queen of Thorns said. "Lord Tyrion, are you suggesting that the Mountain is confident enough to breach King's Landing with twelve thousand ragtag soldiers? Is he so certain of victory that he doesn't fear us knowing?"

A ripple of laughter went through the meeting hall.

The Reach lords shared a common disdain for the Mountain's 'patchwork' army. The Mountain had few true knights or lords in his ranks; they were mostly mountain men and rabble.

The Tyrell army numbered forty thousand; the City Watch six thousand—the four thousand dismissed by Littlefinger to save royal funds had been re-enlisted; the Westerlands army numbered over eighteen thousand, the Crownlands army over four thousand; the Queen Mother's Guard and the Red Keep Guard numbered over one thousand, totaling seventy thousand professional soldiers, not counting any temporary militia.

Combined with the city's high walls, the Mountain lacked professional siege equipment. This was the source of their confidence!

Petyr Baelish chuckled. "Lord Tyrion, the Mountain is nothing but a rabble. Over thirteen hundred from the Mountains of the Moon; four thousand newly recruited soldiers from Crackclaw Point, lacking proper armor and weapons, who have just joined the Mountain and whose morale is certainly unstable; less than a thousand mercenaries from the Brave Companions and House Lychester of the Westerlands; plus a few hundred Northmen prisoners of war, a disaffected lot; two thousand hastily trained King's Landing refugee spearmen..."

Littlefinger's smug gaze swept across the room. "The Mountain's core force is only over three thousand. Does he really think he can attack King's Landing with just that? I don't need to tell you how high and thick the walls of King's Landing are, do I? Our soldiers can stand on the walls and let them climb up, then chop them down until their arms are sore. When they look down, they'll see five thousand soldiers slowly waiting for them!"

Some of the Westerlands generals and the Reach generals laughed!

They had not experienced the Battle of the Blackwater. By the time they arrived in King's Landing, the Mountain had already beheaded Stannis Baratheon. Except for the people of King's Landing and the centurions of the City Watch, these generals did not revere the Mountain. Envy was more prevalent!

They believed that the Mountain's beheading of Stannis Baratheon was mainly due to the advantageous terrain of the high walls, coupled with personal bravery and luck, rather than any real military talent.

Amidst the laughter, Tyrion Lannister said coldly, "Littlefinger, how do you know the Mountain has no other way to enter the city? What if he doesn't need siege equipment at all?"

"What way?" Tywin immediately sensed something in Tyrion's words.

Lord Tywin was an old fox; give him the slightest scent, and though he was a lion, his nose was sharper than a dog's.

"Tunnels, underground passages," Tyrion said. "What if the Mountain knows about the Red Keep's underground passages? He doesn't need many, just one or two. His suicide squad could suddenly appear inside the Red Keep at night. He wouldn't need to attack King's Landing; he could swiftly take us all. Our soldiers are all on the walls and at the gates of King's Landing, but what if his soldiers suddenly emerge from under the Red Keep?"

The room fell silent, a suffocating silence.

In a moment of crisis, Tyrion had betrayed the Mountain!

Lord Tywin's eyes flickered slightly, then he regained his composure.

Queen Mother Cersei's face changed. "My lords, we must prepare for the worst. Eddard Stark was taken from the secret passages. If the Mountain knows the secrets of the passages, our outer walls, the Red Keep walls, and the walls of Maegor's Holdfast are useless!"

A commotion erupted in the meeting hall! The generals all changed color, whispering among themselves.

"This is terrible," the Queen of Thorns said. "If the Mountain knows about the secret passages into the Red Keep, wouldn't we be sleeping in the Tower of the Hand, right under his blade?"

Boom!

The murmurs in the meeting hall exploded. The great lords were all fearful.

The renowned commander Randyll Tarly also changed color, shifting uneasily in his seat.

Tyrion Lannister, between his lord father and the Mountain, made a choice... he chose his lord father, whom he loathed, resented, and hated.

He had rescued Sansa Stark with guidance from the Mountain's people, using a secret passage leading directly to the Blackwater Rush.

But he only knew that one passage leading out of the city. According to his reading of history books, the Red Keep had many passages leading in and out of the city, a vast network. It was an underground maze meticulously constructed by Maegor I Targaryen as an escape route, but now this life-saving maze had become a deadly one, its true purpose completely reversed.

Tywin remained expressionless, as steady as a mountain, his breathing even.

"Lord Baelish, do you know the secrets of the underground passages?" Tywin asked calmly.

"My lord Hand, I only know of one passage leading to the dragon skulls in the dungeons. The person who truly knew the secrets of the passages was the former spymaster, Varys, who has disappeared."

Tywin was silent, and the murmurs in the room subsided.

"What about you, Tyrion? Since you thought of the underground passages, do you know anything about them?"

"My lord father, I only thought of this possibility because Eddard Stark suddenly disappeared from the dungeons." No one mentioned Sansa Stark's disappearance; it was a taboo subject. "However, if my lord father would give me a force, I would be willing to go down into the tunnels and explore, and perhaps find one, two, or three passages and block them up first."

"How many men do you need?"

"A hundred, but they must all be agile."

"Very well, I will give you a hundred men. Choose them yourself from the City Watch. Ser Addam Marbrand, give Tyrion command."

"Yes, my lord Hand."

"Heh!" A mocking sneer.

Everyone looked over. King Joffrey sat high on his seat, the right corner of his mouth raised in a sneer, his face full of contempt.

"Your Grace, do you have any objections?" Lord Hand Tywin asked, his voice calm, his expression blank.

"The Mountain's signal arrow shot into the city made it clear long ago that it's only about the culprits, and has nothing to do with anyone else. Nothing to do with King's Landing, nothing to do with the royal family, nothing to do with Lord Tyrell, and nothing to do with the City Watch," Joffrey said loudly, his eyes provocatively looking at his grandfather.

Cersei was startled and quickly tugged at Joffrey's sleeve under the table. Joffrey ignored her.

Lord Tywin slowly looked at King Joffrey, and King Joffrey stared back at him. The meeting hall became terrifyingly silent.

The Queen of Thorns, Olenna Redwyne, her eyes flickering, constantly shifted her gaze between Tywin and the king.

"Your Grace, who do you think the Mountain considers the culprits?" Tywin asked calmly.

The atmosphere suddenly became tense, and everyone's hearts were in their throats.

"Grandfather, you are the Hand of the King who controls all military and political affairs, and you are also the great man whom the Mad King named 'Hand for Life.' Who do you think the Mountain considers the culprits?"

Cersei stood up. "My lords, I recall there is a very important matter that requires His Grace to return to Maegor's Holdfast to deal with. We must take our leave."

"Is there anything more important than dealing with the Mountain's siege? Queen Mother!" Joffrey said sarcastically. He had golden hair and blue eyes, and a handsome appearance. The corner of his raised right mouth was filled with mockery and contempt.

Cersei was immediately embarrassed, as if she had been slapped in the face, her expression turning green and white.

The meeting hall once again fell into an awkward silence.

The courtiers and generals were all apprehensive.

Only one person remained calm. Tywin didn't panic, and said lightly, "Your Grace, tell us who you think the culprits are. I would also like to know."

"Whoever killed the people of the Clegane lands is the culprit. The Mountain isn't attacking the city; he's just seeking revenge."

The atmosphere in the meeting hall was extremely tense.

Kevan, Tyrion, Littlefinger, the Queen of Thorns, and other clever and intelligent people were all silent, as if they were mutes. No one came forward to mediate. No one said a word.

The Hand of the King and the King were clashing head-on, which was very dangerous!

Archmaester Qyburn suddenly chuckled and said, "My lord Hand, His Grace's meaning is very clear: the murderers of the people in the Clegane lands are obviously in the Westerlands and cannot possibly be inside King's Landing."

As soon as these words were spoken, a subtle atmosphere appeared.

Tyrion and the others all exchanged meaningful glances!

Littlefinger was the first to laugh, a sly smile. "Archmaester Qyburn is right. Who killed the people of Clegane, this is a public case that needs to be thoroughly investigated. I guess the culprit must be in the Westerlands. He cannot possibly be in King's Landing; King's Landing is thousands of miles away from the Westerlands, and even more unlikely to be in Dorne or Oldtown, which are even further away."

The tense atmosphere eased, and someone chuckled, dissolving the suffocating weight.

"Stop guessing. Your guesses disgust me," Joffrey said coldly. "The people who did it are indeed in the Westerlands, but the person who gave the order is here." He threw a parchment letter on the table. "I received this letter long ago. Whoever gave the order should be responsible for this matter."

Tywin picked up the letter from the table, tore it gently, and with a ripping sound, the letter became two halves. He rolled them up and tore them again, and again, until the letter was in pieces. "Your Majesty, whether a bloodbath actually occurred in the Clegane lands, none of us know for sure right now. This requires sending the King's Justice to the Westerlands for a thorough investigation. Second, anyone with a pen, who can write, and has a raven, can send such slanderous letters. Letters without any evidence, I won't believe a word of them, and I hope Your Majesty will also be wise and not lightly believe any raven messages."

Joffrey choked with anger. He stood up abruptly, unable to find a rebuttal, his mouth agape, his handsome face alternating between green and white.

Tywin remained calm and composed: "Tyrion, the search for the secret passages is now being handled by Commander Addam Marbrand. You, Lord Petyr Baelish, and Maester Qyburn will go and see the Mountain. The three of you must convince the Mountain that the bloodbath in the Clegane lands is likely a misunderstanding, perhaps it never even happened. He needs to give me time to investigate. If it really did happen, I assure him that I will catch the real culprit and hold a public trial in the throne room. The Mountain attacked Dragonstone, crushed Stannis's remnants, and achieved further military merit. His Majesty is very pleased, and the Mountain's generals and soldiers, every single one of them, will be handsomely rewarded."

Everyone in the council chamber exchanged glances.

"Lord Petyr Baelish, how many gold dragons are left in the treasury?"

"Very few, Lord Hand. Only one hundred and twenty thousand gold dragons."

"Very well, I will take out one hundred thousand gold dragons first. You, Tyrion, and Maester Qyburn will take them together to reward the Mountain's soldiers. As long as the Mountain calms down and refrains from attacking the city, you will have performed a great service. I hope the Mountain will send a general to conduct a public investigation in the Westerlands together with our King's Justice."

Tywin's gaze slowly swept across the room: "The three of you must tell the Mountain's soldiers that as long as everyone is willing to sit down and investigate the truth, His Majesty will reward all the soldiers with another two hundred thousand gold dragons. The Mountain's soldiers have performed outstanding feats in the Battle of the Blackwater and the Dragonstone campaign. Knights will be promoted to barons; centurions will be granted knighthood; and every soldier will receive generous land grants and become propertied citizens."

Littlefinger and the Imp exchanged glances, their expressions complex. Maester Qyburn listened attentively, his demeanor respectful.

Tywin said softly: "Tyrion Lannister, if you can persuade the Mountain to sit down first, I will consider giving you the inheritance of Casterly Rock. Lord Petyr Baelish, I have always greatly admired your abilities. After this matter is over, I will send troops to help you take Harrenhal. Maester Qyburn, your abilities have been underestimated. If you handle this matter well, the position of Grand Maester, vacant after Pycelle, will be yours."

Generous rewards, everyone has a price!

Littlefinger smiled: "Lord Hand, what if the Mountain doesn't believe us?"

"Then you won't need to return to the city!" Tywin said softly. "I will annihilate the Mountain and his followers, and announce the Mountain's rebellion to the Seven Kingdoms. As for the Clegane lands case, I will thoroughly investigate it, enforce the law impartially, catch the culprits, and hold a public trial to clear my name."

*

ps: The city will be attacked tomorrow. Guess whether Tywin will die or not. A kiss will be rewarded for those who guess correctly, and those who guess incorrectly should consciously subscribe to all chapters or give a one yuan tip. One guess per person, invalid if both sides are guessed.

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