In the study room of the Prime Minister's Tower late at night, candlelight is brightly lit.
Tywin Lannister sat behind his desk with three different reports spread out in front of him.
One is the latest assessment of the royal family's debt, and the figures are still shocking. The other is from the Minister of Justice, Kevan, about the preparations for Tyrion's trial, listing no fewer than five witnesses and testimonies.
There is also a copy from Intelligence Chief Varys, which describes the movements of the Redwin fleet in detail.
But at the moment, all three reports have been pushed aside.
Tywin's eyes fell on the man who had just rushed into the study.
Commander of the City Watch Adam·Malbrand Ser, He was still wearing his armor and was sweating profusely. There was a fresh bloodstain on his right cheek, as if he had been scratched by a stone or some kind of projectile.
"Sir." Adam spoke very urgently, "Flea Bottom... is out of control!"
"About an hour ago, a group of civilians tried to rush through the gate, claiming they were going out to buy medicine. The guards blocked the gate and pushed them in accordance with the regulations. Someone threw stones, injuring three of us."
"Then the conflict escalated, and more people poured out from the depths of Flea Bottom. They didn't look like a temporary gathering at all. Sir, those guys were holding torches and shouting slogans. They are now advancing towards each checkpoint in an organized manner. The soldiers can hardly stop them."
As soon as these words came out, the study was quiet for a moment.
The candle flickered.
After a while, Tywin knocked on the table. There was no look of surprise in his green eyes. Instead, he asked lightly, "How many people are there?"
"At least three thousand people, possibly more, and the scale is still expanding!"
Adam swallowed, his voice was a little dry, and he didn't dare to say any more.
Tywin nodded, reached for the silver bell on the corner of the table, and shook it gently. The door opened, and a servant walked in quietly.
"Wine." Tywin said, "Two glasses, Ser Adam must be very thirsty."
The waiter left and soon came back with a tray.
On the tray are two silver cups, which contain deep red wine, which is a collection from Casterly Rock's wine cellar and has been aged for thirty years.
Adam took another glass, his hands were shaking a little, and the wine sloshed out.
Tywin picked up a glass, took a sip slowly, and then said thoughtfully, "Vito·Corleone is still back."
The candlelight danced in his eyes like two cold flames.
Hearing this, Adam nodded hesitantly and replied cautiously, "It seems so, sir. Some soldiers reported that they saw a person who looked like Vito·Corleone at the front of the crowd, but we can't be sure yet."
"And... they are all chanting, we don't want Lannister, we want Black Hand Mafia"... and... we want Corleone"."
As he spoke, Adam's expression became even uglier, and he shook his head. "But it's also possible that someone was pretending, or that the soldiers saw it wrong. After all, according to previous reports, he should have died at sea."
"No, he's not dead."
Tywin's tone was very firm, and his eyes became fierce. "A person who can escape from Harrenhal Roose Bolton and build an underground the Seven Kingdoms under the nose of King's Landing will not die in the sea so easily."
He looked at Adam: "Did your people see him get out of Flea Bottom?"
"Not yet, all the exits have been blocked by us, at least in theory, but the current level of chaos..." Adam shook his head. "If he is really in the crowd, it is not impossible to sneak out during the chaos."
Hearing this, Tywin was silent for a moment.
He looked past Adam and looked at the huge map on the wall of the study. It was the entire map of Westeros. From the Wall to the Dorne border, every inch of the land was clearly marked.
At the location of King's Landing, there is a small dot circled in red ink.
Flea Bottom.
The place that he had always ignored and believed that he only needed to maintain the lowest order at the lowest cost.
Now, there's a fire.
"Ser Adam." After thinking for a moment, Tywin withdrew his gaze and said coldly, "How many people are there in the Capital Guard in and around Flea Bottom?"
"About four hundred, distributed among six main levels and twelve patrol points."
"Not enough." Tywin shook his head and his tone gradually became decisive. "Tease people!"
"Two thousand people will be transferred from the Capital Guard, and I will transfer another five hundred from the Lannister Household Guards Battalion, and send them all to Flea Bottom!"
As soon as these words came out, Adam was stunned. "So many people? This is enough to start a war!"
"Execute the order." Tywin interrupted, his voice low, but every word was like nails hammering into wood. "I want you to block all the exits of Flea Bottom, every alley, and every gap that can accommodate people before dawn."
"No matter what method I use, I'm going to turn Flea Bottom into an island!"
"But sir..." Ser Adam, who always carried out orders without compromise, swallowed his saliva at this time and said anxiously, "This will arouse even greater resistance!"
"Those civilians... they are just asking for food and medicine now. If we use the army to surround them to death, they will definitely fight us to death!"
"I'm afraid there won't be 3,000 people by then. Maybe the entire Flea Bottom crowd will participate in the riot!"
Faced with Adam's dissuasion, Tywin stared at him for a long time, and then said, "Ser Adam, in what year were you born?"
Hearing this, Adam was stunned. "Aegon 261, my lord, I am five years older than James."
"Time flies so fast, you are almost forty years old, Adam."
Tywin sighed, "I remember when you were sent to Casterly Rock by your father to be my squire, you were still an ignorant child."
"Your father, Lord Damon Malbrand, he is Earl of Brand City and my most trusted vassal. Did he tell you what happened in the Western Region in the year you were born?"
As soon as these words came out, Adam's expression changed.
Of course he had heard about it, not just him, but every noble in the Western Region had spread the word by word of mouth.
"Castleme..." Ser Adam whispered.
"That's right, Castamere." Tywin walked back to the fireplace, with his back to Adam, looking at the dancing flames. "When I was eighteen, there were two families in the West who thought the Lannister was weak."
"Reynes and Tarbeck, they owe a huge debt to Casterly Rock City. When I went to collect the debt, Reynes Earl said with a smile: "You are not the only Lion in the West. We also have minions, and they are sharp and deadly."
His voice echoed in the study, calm, but full of a certain heavy texture. "They joined forces and tore up their oath of loyalty."
"My father, Duke Tytos, wanted reconciliation and negotiation, and even went to Castelme in person to attend the reconciliation banquet hosted by Reynes Earl". The two parties exchanged gifts, toasted each other, and vowed to be loyal until the end of time."
Having said this, Tywin turned around and looked at Adam: "Do you know how long that reconciliation lasted?"
Adam shook his head.
"Less than a year." Tywin said, "Because Reynes and Tarbeck never intended to truly reconcile. They were just buying time to gather more troops and consolidate their alliance."
"The situation at that time was much more critical than it is now. The Reynes family has been operating in the Western Region for hundreds of years and is deeply rooted. Their castles are strong, their food and grass are sufficient, and their soldiers are well-trained."
"But my father was indecisive and hesitant. The other vassals in the West were waiting to see if the Lannisters were able to quell the rebellion."
He walked to the desk and put his hands on the table. "So I did three things."
"First, I did not negotiate head-on with them. Negotiation is the choice of the weak. It is to admit that the other party has the right to talk to you as an equal, but they are not worthy."
"Second, I chose the weaker one to attack first, the Tarbeck family."
"I pounced on the Tarbeck Hall as quickly as possible and defeated them before they had time to gather all the vassals. After Waldron Tarbeck Earl was captured, he thought I would ask for ransom. I told him, do you want to use Lannister money to redeem yourself?"
As he spoke, Tywin sneered.
"Then I killed him."
"I slew his sons, and all who bore the name of Tarbek, and whoever bore the coat of arms of Tarbek on his shield."
"I put their heads on guns and took them to the Tarbeck Hall. Mrs. Tarbeck stayed behind closed doors and boasted that her walls were impregnable."
"My siege machinery was ready in just one day. A huge boulder flew over the wall and hit Main Holdfast. She was buried inside with her son. Then my army stormed in."
As he said that, he paused. "I burned Tarbeck Hall."
"I still remember that the fire burned for a whole day and night until the castle was reduced to a blackened shell."
Listening to Tywin's story, Adam felt that his throat was a little dry, and he quickly took a sip of wine to moisten his throat.
He just felt that the study room was so quiet at this time that he could almost hear his own heartbeat.
Immediately afterwards, Tywin spoke again, "While I was dealing with Tarbeck, the Reynes family was rushing to my aid at starry night."
"But they arrived too late and saw only huge fires. Roger Reynes, the Red Lion, rushed towards my camp with two thousand people. I had three times as many people as him, and I was waiting for work."
"He was defeated in only one battle. A crossbow bolt pierced his back armor. The fellow struggled to ride half a league, fell off his horse, and was taken back to Castelme by his men."
"Castleme is a special castle. Nine-tenths of the buildings are underground and were converted from mines. The Reynes family retreated underground, thinking that it was impregnable."
"So I did the third thing."
He raised his head, his light green eyes shining coldly in the candlelight. "I had people block all the exits of the mine, using stones, soil, and everything I could find, so that not even a squirrel could get out."
"Then we built a dam and spent two days directing the stream water to the nearest mine entrance."
"Reynes family has more than three hundred people, and not one of them has come out of the mine."
"Since then," Tywin continued, "No one in the West has dared to openly resist the Lannister, not because they love us, but because they are afraid, afraid to the core."
"They will remember the principle that when you challenge the Lannister, you don't get negotiated, you get a second chance."
As he finished speaking, Adam felt sweat flowing down his back.
He had heard of Castame and that song, which was the deepest fear in everyone's heart in the West.
"Now."
"There are three thousand people in Flea Bottom, maybe more. They are holding torches, shouting slogans, and attacking my army."
"What do you think I should do, Ser Adam, negotiate with them, agree to their demands, and then wait until tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, for more people to come forward and make more demands?"
Having said this, Tywin sat on the chair and sneered, shaking his head slightly. "No, resistance is like the plague. You must cut off the source of infection as soon as the first symptom appears, using the most thorough method."
"But sir," Adam lowered his head and struggled to persuade, his voice trembling. "Flea Bottom is not Castelme, it is part of King's Landing. There are thousands of innocent civilians there, and it is their home. We cannot try to drive these innocent people out of their homes, and expect them to do nothing...
"Innocent?" Tywin interrupted, and for the first time there was an obvious coldness in his expression. "When the first person raised the torch, the second person followed, and the third person shouted, they all made a choice."
"Choose to be on the opposite side of the Lannister."
He walked back to the desk, sat down, and picked up the quill again. He picked up the quill and wrote quickly on the parchment.
After finishing writing, Tywin stamped the Prime Minister's seal and handed it to Adam: "This is an official order."
"Move troops to blockade Flea Bottom, and the herald must read the announcement at each blockade point for everyone to hear!"
Adam took the order.
The parchment was very light, but he felt it was as heavy as a stone. The content was short and cold:
By order of Prime Minister Lord Tywin Lannister, Flea Bottom will be under martial law immediately. Anyone who storms the checkpoint with weapons, sets fire,
Those who attack soldiers will be killed without mercy. Civilians should return to their homes and are not allowed to gather in groups. Violators will be punished as rebellion.
"Also." Tywin added, "Move the archers and crossbows on the roof so that the civilians can see clearly. It is best to make them retreat out of fear."
"Then what if..." Adam asked with difficulty, "What if they continue to attack?"
Tywin raised his head and looked at him, his green eyes showing an almost absolute certainty that he was right and that his own way was the only effective way in this cruel world.
"Then let them charge." He said coldly, "Let them see if flesh and blood can break through steel."
"But if you kill civilians in the capital, how will the Seven Kingdoms think about it?"
Tywin tilted his head slightly, as if he heard some childish question, "Ser Adam, what do you think the Seven Kingdoms think now?"
"I...
"The North is in civil strife, and Bolton is still fighting for control with many diehard Stark loyalists."
"The Riverlands are in ruins, House Tully is dead in name only, the Stormlands are leaderless, the Vale is shut in, Highgarden...
." Tywin sneered: "The Tyrell family is busy giving their daughter to Tommen, so that the woman can safely become Queen."
He leaned forward and put his hands on the table. "No one cares how many civilians died in Flea Bottom!"
"They only care about one thing, and that is whether Tywin Lannister can absolutely control King's Landing, now that another king has died!"
"If I show weakness, if I hesitate, if I let a mob do whatever they want on the streets of the capital."
"Then tomorrow, there will be a second and third Corleone" popping up in other cities. The day after tomorrow, vassals will begin to question the authority of the Iron Throne. The day after tomorrow, this the Seven Kingdoms that was just barely stitched together will crack again!"
Adam was silent.
He knew Tywin was right.
In Game of Thrones, weakness is death.
But he still couldn't accept it.
He is Commander of the City Watch, and his duty is to protect King's Landing, even if those guys live in Flea Bottom, even if they are poor, dirty and troublesome, to send soldiers to carry out such a large-scale massacre is against the spirit of chivalry...
This was the first time Tywin had seen Adam Malbrand, who stood in front of the Prime Minister's desk in silence for a long time. He was so hesitant.
Tywin stared at him coldly for a long time, and then suddenly said coldly.
"Ser Adam, your father is my most trusted vassal. He sent you to me in the hope that you can grow up and take on greater responsibilities."
"Don't let me down."
"Don't let your father down either."
Adam felt a chill rising from the soles of his feet and spreading throughout his body instantly.
His voice was calm, but Adam heard what was inside. The Prime Minister was reminding him of his identity, his position, and who gave him everything.
Taking a deep breath, Adam straightened his chest, made a fist with his right hand and hit it hard on his chest. "As you command, sir!"
After saying that, he turned around and walked towards the door without hesitation, opened the door and walked out.
The study door is closed.
Tywin put down his quill, leaned back in his chair, narrowed his eyes slightly and continued to think.
Joffrey is dead and Tyrion is in prison awaiting trial.
Cersei is hysterical all day long, as if she is getting more and more crazy. Tommen is still a child, but at least he is more obedient than Joffrey.
Marga li·Tyrell and her grandmother sniffed around the Red Keep for opportunities, the betrayal of the Redwyne fleet.
The royal family is heavily in debt, and there are problems everywhere in the North, the Riverlands, and Dragonstone.
But it doesn't matter.
As long as he is in King's Landing, the Hand of the King will still be Tywin Lannister.
Westeros is always under control.
Tywin opened his eyes and looked at the red circle on the map.
He remembered the first time he heard this name, a Farmer who came back from the Riverlands, cured James' injury, and got the pass from Luce Bolton.
At that time, he thought it was a tool that could be used. It was smart, had Medicine, and had some influence at the bottom level, allowing him to handle some dirty work.
So he gave Corleone a chance as Hands in the Dark.
Corleone is well done, even a little too good.
He cleaned up Flea Bottom, established order, cracked down on competitors, and helped deal with Gyles Rossby, but then...Corleone's influence grew too fast, and even got out of control.
Now, at least several thousand people are willing to take to the streets holding torches for him.
Tywin stood up and walked to the window.
From the high windows of the Prime Minister's Tower, you can overlook almost half of King's Landing.
At this moment, the sky was faintly glowing with orange-red light, not dawn, but torches, thousands of torches.
The flea nest seemed to be on fire.
Tywin looked at it for a long time.
Then he turned around, walked back to the desk, and shook the silver bell.
The attendant appeared again quietly.
"Go to Red Keep Dungeons, bring the Dothraki and hold him in solitary confinement until I order him."
"Yes, sir."
The attendant withdrew.
Tywin turned around and walked back to his desk.
He sat down, closed his eyes, and began to wait.
Wait for Adam to execute the order, the troops to assemble, and then the flames of Flea Bottom are extinguished, leaving no other options.
Because he is Tywin Lannister.
As for Lannister, all debts must be paid.