Beyond the enormous floor-to-ceiling windows lay a busy harbor. Farther away, a vast town rose from the ground.
"Petyr Baelish, on Lord Tyrion's orders, pays his respects to Your Majesty on behalf of the Iron Throne."
Littlefinger bowed gracefully.
His gaze swept quickly over the hall's lavish decorations and the stirring scene outside the windows, and shock surged through him.
In less than two years.
The man before him had built such a magnificent castle and city from nothing in the Disputed Lands of the Three Daughters.
Such speed-such power-it was simply inhuman!
What alarmed him even more was that, along the way, he had seen large numbers of women of clearly Yidi and Lysene descent, their bellies swollen, evidently pregnant.
What did that mean?
It meant Liu Qian was not merely building at a frenzied pace, but bringing in immigrants just as frantically.
He was turning this desolate land into a firm foundation for himself.
This Easterner's ambitions certainly extended beyond dominating the Narrow Sea.
"Lord Baelish, surely the Iron Throne did not send you across the seas just to admire my castle."
Liu Qian's voice pulled Littlefinger from his thoughts.
Littlefinger immediately put on a sincere smile. "Your Majesty, your achievements are breathtaking. The grandeur of Conqueror's Holdfast is enough to put the Red Keep in King's Landing to shame... The Seven Kingdoms are now mired in war. The capital, King's Landing, has a large population, but the fighting has sent grain prices soaring. That is why I was specially dispatched to implore Your Majesty's assistance. The Seven Kingdoms are willing to purchase a large quantity of grain from you at thirty percent above market price."
Liu Qian sneered inwardly. As expected, they had come for grain.
Yet a gentle smile appeared on his face. "I see. I