The next day, Tower of the Hand.
The morning light fell slantingly on the dark carpet.
Corleone stood quietly in the center of the study, about ten steps away from the huge oak desk of Tywin·Lannister.
Today he wore a dark gray woolen coat without any family crest. It was tailored but not ostentatious. The iconic black hand cape was not added to the body, and he stood tall and relaxed.
His eyes fell calmly on Lord Tywin who was reviewing documents behind the desk, waiting patiently, as if he could stand like this all morning.
Hand of the King's hand holding the pen was as steady as a rock, and he marked quickly, but he seemed to be completely immersed in his work and did not notice the other person in the room.
In this regard, Corleone is no different.
He knew very well that even though he now had a title, there was essentially no difference between knights and civilians in front of Tywin·Lannister, the Seven Kingdoms real core of power.
Time passed, and after about half a quarter of an hour, Tywin put down his pen, raised his green eyes, and landed on Corleone.
"Please take a seat, Sir Corleone."
"No need to be so polite."
He said caring words, but there was no warmth in his tone, but Corleone captured a trace of satisfaction deep in his eyes.
Obviously, the waiting just now was indeed a means of testing.
Tywin is observing whether this new knight, whose reputation and intimidation has soared overnight, will be inflated by last night's victory and whether he will forget his position.
And Corleone's respectful attitude undoubtedly gave the answer Tywin wanted.
At least that's the case on the surface.
"Thank you, my lord."
Corleone then bowed slightly and sat down calmly, without showing any dissatisfaction at being slighted.
"Sir Clegane's injury is very serious." Tywin suddenly spoke. He did not directly get to the point, but mentioned it like a casual chat. "Pycelle Grand Maester spent the whole night, bleeding a lot, and he has been unconscious."
"However, as you said, there is no life-threatening danger at the moment."
Hearing this, Corleone's expression remained unchanged and he responded calmly, "As I said, I am a the Doctor first, sir."
"Understanding the structure of the human body is the basis for making accurate judgments. My statement that his life is not in danger is based on professional assessment."
Tywin nodded almost imperceptibly, as if accepting this explanation.
But then, he changed the topic and said very abruptly, "You and Prince Oberyn Martell seem to have a good relationship?"
As soon as these words came out, Corleone's pupils shrank.
Everyone knows the blood feud between Dorne and Lannister Seven Kingdoms. Last night, Oberyn's hatred towards Tywin and the Mountain was even more undisguised.
Tywin's mention of his relationship with Oberyn at this time is definitely not without purpose.
Corleone's brain was running rapidly, he was considering the words, and responded with a relaxed tone, "Oberyn, His Royal Highness... has a unique personality."
"I made a bet over a trivial matter before, and I won by luck. And he appreciates people who dare to take risks, so he owes me a favor, that's all."
He downplayed the relationship between the two as a matter of admiration for the bet, and hinted that they had no close friendship, let alone a political alliance.
This can be regarded as directly clarifying yourself with words.
Tywin After hearing this, he did not continue to ask, but instead cast his gaze out the window, as if he was lost in memories.
"Sir Corleone, you may not know that when King Robert Baila Theon revolted, we House Lannister were the last ones to join the victors."
"So if you want to gain a firm foothold, you must show enough... sincerity."
He turned back, his tone still calm, and told Ni Ni about the old events of more than ten years ago, "When I wrapped the bodies of the two children Aerys and Targaryen in Lannister's red cloaks and placed them in front of Iron Throne, everyone understood that our family had abandoned Targaryen Dynasty forever."
"Robert himself is most gratified. Even a guy like him knows very well that as long as Rhaegar's bloodline remains in this world, his crown will never be stable."
"Since he likes to think of himself as a hero and a liberator, then... someone has to do the necessary dirty work for him."
The air in the study seemed a little heavy.
Tywin did not shy away from exposing the bloody path behind the rise of House Lannister to Corleone.
This is not a confession, but a warning and education. He is telling Corleone that the road to the top of power is paved with bones, and loyalty and value are often proven and exchanged by performing the most dirty tasks.
Corleone listened quietly without any shock or surprise on his face.
He just pondered for a moment, and then slowly spoke, "Sir, I have always thought that in Game of Thrones, greatness and filth are often synonymous."
"Under every seemingly stable throne, there are buried bones and secrets that are not accessible to outsiders. The crown in the sun needs hands in the shadows to wipe and consolidate it. This is the eternal price."
His answer did not judge right or wrong, but used an almost philosophical tone to acknowledge the rationality and universality of this bloody transaction.
This is not only a recognition of what Tywin has done, but also a subtle expression of his understanding of the nature of the power game.
It is also telling Tywin a fact - that he understands the rules of this game.
Hearing this, a hint of approval flashed deep in Tywin's eyes.
This answer is obviously more to his liking than a simple response or a hypocritical moral accusation.
"That's right." Tywin nodded slightly. "We did the dirty work for King Robert, so in exchange we got a solid alliance between Lannister and Baila Theon."
"And among those "dirty jobs", Sir Clegane contributed the most."
He implicitly admitted the fact that the Mountain killed Elia Martell and her children, but did not explain whose instruction it was.
"Therefore, our relationship with Dorne is not harmonious, and Prince Oberyn's attitude towards hatred is the biggest obstacle."
Listening to Tywin talking about himself, Corleone did not express any opinions because he knew that the other party was beating him up.
Then, give him enough space to speak.
There was a brief silence, and Tywin stared at Corleone quietly for a few seconds. His gaze seemed to penetrate the flesh and look straight into the soul.
"You are very smart, Sir Corleone."
With a chuckle, Tywin spoke again, but there was no praise or criticism in his voice, "Very smart."
"Be good at seizing opportunities, good at using rules, and even better at keeping silent when the time is right."
"But unfortunately, smart people often have a common problem. They are more loyal to their own wisdom and ambitions than to a specific person or family."
At this point, it was already a very direct blow, but Corleone still remained silent and listened quietly.
Seeing his appearance, Tywin leaned forward slightly, and the feeling of oppression suddenly increased. "I did the dirty work for Robert, and after waiting for more than ten years, I finally took the position of Hand of the King and controlled the power of Seven Kingdoms."
"Clegane did my dirty work, so I gave him a knighthood, a fief, and my protection, making him Westerlands's most feared sword."
As he spoke, his green eyes locked on Corleone and asked, "So, Sir Corleone, what have you done for me?"
"How should I trust your loyalty?"
At this point, Tywin decided not to beat around the bush anymore. Every question was like a cold dagger pressed against Corleone's throat, forcing him to answer.
Corleone met his gaze without evading it at all.
He knew that any vague words or gorgeous promises at this moment would be fatal.
He needs to give a clear answer that is enough to convince the other party.
Under the gaze of Tywin, Corleone stood up slowly, solemnly put his right hand on his chest, bowed slightly, and said in a clear and firm voice, "Sir."
"I... will always be your hand in the darkness."
He repeated what he said when he pledged his allegiance to Tywin, and then continued to express his position, "Last night, Sir Gregor·Clegane destroyed the order of my banquet, and also seriously damaged the reputation of House Lannister."
"But considering that he is yours, I finally followed your decision."
Corleone emphasized his motivation for revenge and attributed it to respect for Tywin.
Immediately afterwards, Corleone straightened up with a calm look. "You have given me the title of knight, as well as your recognition and support for the Flea Bottom order."
"And what I want is just the opportunity to continue to serve as this hand for you. I am eager to sit on the seat of Small Council with you one day and listen to your orders!"
He did not ask for any fiefdom or official position, but emphasized that his ultimate ambition was just to seek a Small Council seat.
This not only lowers the posture but also clarifies the appeal, which is very convincing.
Tywin stared at him for a long time, seeming to evaluate how much sincerity and how much calculation there was in Corleone's words.
Finally, he nodded and leaned back on the chair again, feeling the pressure dissipate slightly.
"Very good." He said, his voice returned to its usual calmness. "Remember your words, Sir Corleone."
"Now, tell me about your specific plan, regarding the expansion of Flea Bottom."
Hearing this, Corleone thought to himself, this damn old lion is too suspicious.
But fortunately, the other party still needs to do things for him himself.
He sat down again, took out the PPT... parchment, and began to explain his plan in a clear and logical manner.
This plan Corleone has been designed for a long time, combining the previous concepts and the actual situation of Westeros, from the street grid, water supply and drainage system, functional area division, how to realize commercial interoperability and profit, etc...
His narrative is pragmatic and full of details. He not only focuses on the grand blueprint, but also adds feasible implementation steps in great detail.
Tywin listened quietly, occasionally interrupting to ask one or two critical questions, and Corleone was able to give reasonable and well-founded answers.
As the story progressed, a hint of appreciation gradually appeared in his eyes as he looked at Corleone.
As if to say, you are really a fucking genius!
The level of detail in this plan is simply rare in the world, and some of the infrastructure and construction concepts shown in it have never been heard of even by Duke Casterly Rock!
"----That's about it, sir." Corleone finished his explanation and breathed a sigh of relief.
Fortunately, in his previous life, in order to pursue a girl majoring in urban planning, he went to the school next door to accompany her to attend classes every day, otherwise he would have been completely blind to her.
"In principle, I agree with all your plans."
Tywin gave a straightforward affirmative reply, "Clear thinking and thorough consideration are much better than those idiots on Small Council who only argue about budgets and rights and responsibilities."
However, he changed the topic again. "But, I have a problem at the moment, Sir Corleone.
"This may affect the progress of Small Council's support for your plan."
"Please tell me." Corleone knew that the main event was coming, and quickly leaned over to signal.
Hearing this, Tywin slowly stood up, walked around the desk, and walked to the huge Westeros map.
His finger pointed to the lower right corner of the map, an independent island not too far away from King's Landing.
"Stannis·Baila Theon."
Tywin spit out the name with a somewhat cold voice. "Although he lost Battle of the Blackwater Rush, he still occupies Dragonstone and claims that he is the legal king."
"Moreover, Storm's End, the fiefdom of House Baratheon, is still resisting. He himself is constantly harassing the Crownlands coast and colluding with the Narrow Sea's mercenaries on the other side, which is a continuing trouble."
As he spoke, he turned around and looked directly at Corleone with his green eyes. "Originally, I had a task and planned to leave the matter of recovering Dragonstone to Sir Gregor·Clegane to complete."
"But as you can see, with the current situation of Sir Clegane, I am afraid that he will no longer be able to wield his great sword in the short term."
"So, Sir Corleone."
Tywin took a step forward, got closer to Corleone, and asked word for word, "Are you willing to replace him and go to Dragonstone for me to try to persuade Stannis·Baila Theon to surrender?"
As soon as these words came out, Corleone's pupils shrank slightly.
Persuade Stannis to surrender?
That guy who is so stubborn?
Everyone knows this is an almost impossible task.
If Stannis gave in so easily, he would not have persisted with Dragonstone after Robert died and fought against Lannister and the Tyrell coalition.
Persuade to surrender?
It's better to die!
"Of course, I know this mission is difficult, and I won't blame you if you don't want to go."
"But in view of the expansion of Flea Bottom, which may cause chaos similar to the previous two riots, I will order Sir Adam to arrange two hundred City Watch soldiers to help you maintain law and order."
As soon as these words came out, Corleone immediately understood.
Well, this damn old thing is waiting for me here!
They say they are assisting in maintaining law and order, but to put it bluntly, they are clearly spying on and dividing and weakening Corleone's power!
Once the expansion plan is completed, Gold Cloaks will be able to pick peaches smoothly!
For a moment, the air seemed to be completely frozen.
Corleone's brain works at an unprecedented speed.
Refuse to go to Dragonstone?
That means that all the previous expressions of loyalty have become empty words, and that my devoted development in Flea Bottom is very likely to become a wedding dress for others.
Accept?
Almost a narrow escape from death.
"It's okay, Sir Corleone, you can rest assured."
Sensing Corleone's hesitation, a subtle smile flashed in Tywin's eyes, "I know Stannis is a stubborn guy, and it is almost impossible to make him surrender."
"As long as you go to Dragonstone, convey Iron Throne's attitude to him, and tell him that Storm's End will soon be defeated by House Tyrell, and by then his army in Dragonstone will be isolated and helpless."
"Very simple, isn't it?"
What he said was very beautiful, but everyone knows that for Stannis who has just experienced a defeat, if you go to Dragonstone to persuade him to surrender at this time, there is a high chance that the opponent will directly kill him.
No, it's more likely that he burned it on fire and sacrificed it to some practical god.
This is not an option given to Corleone at all, but a reason to make him surrender.
As long as he chooses to refuse, Tywin will have enough reason to take back all the powers previously promised to Corleone, and naturally send Gold Cloaks to settle in Flea Bottom.
But after a while, under the gaze of Tywin, Corleone slowly stood up and looked at him calmly.
After a few seconds, he bowed slightly and responded firmly, "I said, sir, I will always be your hand in the dark."
"Therefore, I am very happy to go and meet this...Dragonstone King for you!"