The Mountain of Ice and Fire

Tywin's face remained impassive, but his heart stirred.

Welcoming guests didn't usually involve a grooming ceremony outside the city.

This was another of Ser Gregor's 'innovations'.

The gift for Jeyne, focusing on noble ladies' cosmetics, was perfectly suited to a woman's love of beauty and her psychology. But for Gregor, a boorish brute, to have such delicate thoughts and choose items that women would like required not only thoughtfulness but also insight.

Before entering the city, Jeyne would be groomed and made up, then presented with the gift with the words 'a gift from my lord'. Delighted by the exquisite makeup, Jeyne would have no choice but to accept.

Moreover, Gregor used a 'deception' that Jeyne couldn't voice, a kind of 'trick'. He greeted her in the name of Lord Tywin, so the grooming ceremony and the makeup gift would naturally be seen as arranged by Lord Tywin.

In Gregor's own name, he couldn't have given the gift, but in the name of Lord Tywin, Gregor's gesture became acceptable.

The brilliance of this trick lay in the fact that Lord Tywin couldn't deny Gregor's deception, because when Julie presented the gift, she only said it was 'from my lord', without specifying Lord Tywin. The 'lord' Julie mentioned naturally referred to Lord Gregor.

Jeyne couldn't deny her delight upon receiving the gift either. Her upbringing, family honor, and self-respect wouldn't allow her to reject the good feeling she had when accepting the gift, even after understanding the truth. She believed it was an exquisite and high-end gift from Lord Tywin, but it wasn't. Thus, she had made a hasty judgment but couldn't blame Gregor's 'deception' for her own mistake.

A simple gift-giving, a simple trick, but a very successful piece of political maneuvering.

The simpler the method, the better the results.

Between two points, any slightly complex route will be longer than a straight line; and the shortest straight line is also the simplest line segment.

This small test raised Tywin's opinion of Gregor by a level.

He promoted Gregor from the rank of a brute to that of a general. A true general, not just one with a noble title.

Kevan, standing beside Lord Tywin, felt uneasy. How could the Mountain come up with such a simple, seamless, yet ingenious scheme? If the Mountain could handle thorny issues in the clearest and simplest way, was he still the same uncouth Mountain?

Indeed, a great sword has no edge, and great skill appears effortless. Gregor's seemingly insignificant gift-giving had this quality.

He had bet with Lord Tywin and won!

Lord Tywin had also won!

He had used a small matter to achieve his goal, to see the Mountain clearly. He was certain that the Mountain who had woken up after suffering from severe headaches and unconsciousness for days was no longer the brute he once was.

This didn't make Tywin uneasy. Unlike Ser Kevan, Tywin was extremely strong-willed.

Tywin had shown rare military talent at the age of seventeen. At twenty, he became the Hand of the King, second only to the king and above all others, managing the kingdom in an orderly manner for twenty years. He never doubted his ability to rule with an iron fist.

Among the famous generals of the Seven Kingdoms, two were the most renowned: Jon Connington, who had been exiled to the other side of the Narrow Sea, and Randyll Tarly, under the command of Tyrell in the Reach. Both military geniuses were far more capable than their masters, yet their masters remained their masters, and always would be.

Besides, Gregor was still far behind in many aspects. The enlightened Gregor still needed training and growth.

Of course, if Gregor disobeyed, he would be eliminated. The Rains of Castamere continued to be sung throughout the Seven Kingdoms and had even spread to the Free Cities across the Narrow Sea.

When Jeyne said, 'Yes, my lord,' Gregor was completely relieved. Knowing Tywin's character of honoring his bets and keeping his word, Gregor knew that the only thing he needed to do next was to wash the bedding, make the bed, and wait for the beautiful Jeyne to obediently get into bed.

The transmigrated Gregor had married Jeyne Westerling, who was originally supposed to marry Robb Stark. So, when the War of the Five Kings began, would the Red Wedding that led to the Stark family's great defeat still occur?

Gregor didn't know, and he didn't care about things that couldn't be determined in the future. Although, that butterfly had spread its wings and inadvertently flapped them in the air.

*

Night. Lord Tywin's bedroom.

"My lord, Earl Gawen seeks an audience," Maester Potter said.

Standing by the window, Earl Tywin looked at the stone tower opposite. The stone tower had seven floors, containing the meaning of the Faith of the Seven. The tower was brightly lit, where the guests resided.

"Decline."

"Yes, my lord."

Maester Potter walked lightly out of Lord Tywin's bedroom and gently closed the door. He walked down a total of seven steps. Seven corresponded to the Faith of the Seven, the most auspicious number in Westeros.

Maester Potter was full of apologies to Earl Gawen, who was standing at the bottom of the steps: "Earl, I'm very sorry, Lord Tywin has already retired for the night."

"Asleep?"

"Yes!"

"Oh, I'm truly disturbing you, Maester. I apologize, good night."

"Earl, would you like me to convey your matter to my lord first thing in the morning? If so, you can tell me now what you're looking for Lord Tywin for?"

…Oh…I just came to wish Lord Tywin good night."

"Really?"

"Really!"

"Oh, that's unfortunate, my lord has already retired."

"Yes, yes, yes!" Earl Gawen repeatedly agreed.

Maester Potter didn't believe that Earl Gawen had only come to wish Lord Tywin good night, but since that's what the other party said, he believed it.

Earl Gawen's purpose in coming was first to express gratitude, second to complain about Gregor's rudeness when welcoming them in the evening, and third to wish him good night.

He didn't expect Lord Tywin to retire so early.

*

"My lord, Lord Gregor seeks an audience."

"Tell him to come in."

"Yes, my lord."

Gregor walked up the seven steps, pushed open the door, and entered Lord Tywin's bedroom. He glanced at the Maester beside him. Tywin understood and nodded to the Maester. The Maester said good night and tiptoed out of the room.

"What is it?"

"My lord, in three days, Jeyne will become your daughter. The great and small nobles of the Westerlands will come to congratulate her. Jeyne will receive many gifts. I've recently been raising a family cavalry, and I'm very short of money. I request that you give me half of Jeyne's gifts."

Tywin knew that this vicious dog wouldn't say anything good, but he really didn't expect Gregor to shamelessly ask for money.

Tywin's face was stern. Gregor was more shameless than before. The former Gregor at least valued some useless honor.

"Jeyne will indeed receive many gifts, but it is her right to give them to whomever she wants and not give them to whomever she doesn't want. Are you asking me to order Jeyne to give you half of her gifts?"

"I'm her husband and have the right to half of her gifts. If I don't take them, Earl Gawen will take all of her gifts. This is very unfair to me."

Tywin's sharp gaze stared at Gregor, and Gregor fearlessly looked at Tywin with his shamelessness.

"You are not her husband yet."

Gregor said, "Alright, I admit that I'm not Jeyne's husband yet, so please, my lord, look at me as your future son-in-law, and for the sake of the snow salt, military whistles, and chopsticks, lend me one hundred gold dragons."

One hundred gold dragons was already a huge sum, equivalent to one million RMB in Earth's civilization.

Gregor was consistently shameless. He had borrowed money from Lord Tywin and never paid it back once. His skin was also very thick. He never felt ashamed to borrow money, as if he had already paid off his debts and was justifiably confident. In the past, he would borrow no more than ten gold dragons, but this time he wanted one hundred.

This was too much!

"Your reward for the snow salt, military whistles, and chopsticks is Jeyne. This is what you firmly demanded yourself. I will adopt Jeyne and then marry her to you, but I won't give you another gold dragon."

"If you don't lend me money, then I'll have to find a way myself. If there are any small troubles at that time, I'm already your son-in-law. You can't punish me for tarnishing your honor. I need money to support my family soldiers, raise a wife from a noble family, and protect my territory and people. I will never allow what happened to my adopted daughter Julie, who was forcibly taken up the mountain and raped by the Sharlot family, to happen again," Gregor said.

Tywin immediately became alert. All of this vicious dog's words were pretexts! After going in a circle, he had thought of another way to deceive and swindle? He even dared to use rogue-like rhetoric on him. If it was really just a little trouble, this guy would have solved it himself.

Alright, let's see what tricks this vicious dog can play!

Tywin's competitive spirit was aroused!

Tywin was very competitive!

Once, King Aerys Targaryen defied Tywin, and he resolutely resigned from the position of Hand of the King, which he had held for twenty years.

"No cheating, no coercion, no extortion, no running usurious loans. I support you in finding your own way to make money. Do business, take on mercenary jobs, maintain order at Lannisport docks, do whatever you want. If anything goes wrong, solve it yourself, but absolutely do not let it affect my honor."

Gregor hesitated. He was silent for a long time and said, "Yes, my lord, Gregor has remembered it well."

Tywin watched Gregor walk out. He was already accustomed to Gregor's shamelessness, rascality, and fearlessness, but this time, what did Gregor want to do?

In Lord Tywin's cold and ruthless pale green eyes, there was three parts vigilance, three parts scrutiny, three parts iron blood, and one part anticipation.

Gregor breathed a sigh of relief as he walked out of Lord Tywin's room. The 'greeting' had been given, and he had received the Duke's 'support', so it was time to start.