Redd waved his hand, "Let Otto be the villain, and let Viserys bear the pressure of betraying an important minister."
We just need to... add some fuel to the fire when the time is right,
Or, when House Velaryon is at his most desperate and angry, hand him a seemingly life-saving straw."
He looked in the direction of Driftmark with deep eyes.
Corlys and Rhaenys... When you chose to wait and see or even oppose each other, did you ever think that today would happen?
When loyalty is exchanged for suspicion and credit becomes a burden, what choice will you make?
In Iron Throne's game, the knockout rounds are underway. For the time being, he and Rhaenyra can sit back and watch the fight, accumulate strength, and wait for the best time to enter.
After all, when cranes and clams fight, only the fisherman can profit.
However, fate is always full of drama, and opportunities often come unexpectedly.
On this day, Redd and Rhaenyra received a special invitation - they were invited to attend an important Small Council!
Moreover, this invitation also comes with a strict requirement: you must be there on time and you must not be absent.
Ever since Rhaenyra was pregnant with Liujia and her figure gradually appeared, she no longer dared to sleep on the same bed as Redd.
After all, this man was so energetic that he would make noises until midnight every night, almost torturing people to death.
Looking at Rhaenyra's highly bulging belly, Redd secretly sighed in his heart: Such hard work must be rewarded!
Although Rhaenyra avoided Redd every night, the latter did not remain alone because of this.
On the contrary, Mesalia would come to spend the long Long Night with him every night to prevent him from feeling lonely and having nothing to do.
As the meeting was about to begin, Mesalia revealed to Redd a series of recent events, both major and minor, as well as some confidential information obtained through secret investigation.
It turned out that in the past month, King Viserys had frequently summoned several other ministers in private, but turned a blind eye to Master of Ships Corlys.
Not only that, in the middle of the night, the king even ordered his brother Prince Daemon to prepare to form a brand new Blackwater Bay fleet.
Small Council In the hall, the atmosphere was so solemn that it could make water boil.
Beside the long table, Hand of the King Otto·Hai Tarth, Master of Coin, Master of Laws, Grand Maester and other important ministers were seated one after another. Their expressions were either serious or subtle, or they looked at the nose and the nose and looked at the heart.
Corlys·Varylian Earl is sitting in the position of Master of Ships, with his back straight and his face as calm as water, but upon closer inspection, there is suppressed anger and coldness deep in his eyes.
Redd and Rhaenyra, as special attendees, were arranged slightly further away on one side of the long table.
Rhaenyra wore a loose palace dress, which cleverly covered her slightly bulging belly, but her pregnancy was still vaguely visible.
Her expression was calm, and her eyes occasionally swept over the people present, especially pausing for a moment on the faces of Corlys and Otto.
Redd seemed more relaxed, even with a hint of playfulness, as if he was enjoying a good show that was about to begin.
At the beginning of the meeting, King Viserys asked about some daily affairs of the kingdom as usual. His tone was calm, but it was obvious that he was absent-minded.
When the topic turned to the recent piracy activities of the Narrow Sea and the defense of Blackwater Bay, the atmosphere suddenly became acrimonious.
Otto·Hai Tarth was the first to speak, with a heavy tone of "concern for the country and the people":
"Your Majesty, my lords, pirate activities in Stepstones and nearby waters have become increasingly rampant recently, and have even begun to threaten the main trade routes leading to King's Landing.
Merchants complained, and tax revenues were affected. The kingdom's navy... seemed unable to effectively stem the tide."
His words were not directed at Corlys, but the pointed look and pause were enough for everyone to understand who he was talking about.
Corlys remained calm and responded in a deep voice, "Sir Otto, the navy has been actively patrolling and suppressing bandits.
But the pirates are cunning and rely on the complex terrain of Stepstones to appear and disappear.
Cleanup takes time, more resources and... unified command." He specifically emphasized the word "unified command."
Viserys cleared his throat and his eyes flickered. "I have already considered strengthening Blackwater Bay's defense.
Prince Daemon took the initiative to ask for help and was willing to share the worries of the kingdom.
It has been decided that he will be responsible for the preparation and command of a new 'Blackwater Bay fleet', specifically responsible for the defense of King's Landing offshore and ports."
As soon as this statement came out, everyone was shocked.
Form a new fleet and be led by the king's younger brother, Prince Daemon, who is related by marriage to the current Master of Ships Corlys (and also owns a dragon)?
This is not only a decentralization of power, it is a slap in the face of Corlys, and it also blatantly weakens Driftmark's monopoly on the royal navy.
Corlys's face finally darkened uncontrollably, and he clenched his hands slightly on the table.
"Your Majesty, Blackwater Bay's defense has always been taken care of by the Driftmark fleet, and it has never failed for many years.
Daemon Prince is indeed brave, but commanding a fleet is different from riding a dragon, requiring experience and a deep understanding of maritime affairs.
Hastily forming a new fleet and appointing new personnel may... not necessarily improve defense, but may cause confusion and waste of resources."
His rebuttal was well-founded, but Viserys had clearly made up his mind.
"Daemon is also Targaryen, and his loyalty to the kingdom is unquestionable.
Experience can be accumulated, and Driftmark fleet can also 'help with training', right?"
The king's tone was unquestionable, and he even directly pointed out the previous secret arrangements. This was undoubtedly telling Corlys:
I know exactly what you are doing. Letting you help with training is enough to give you face, so don't think about bargaining.
Corlys's heart sank to the bottom.
The king not only distrusts him, but is also wary of him. He has even begun to deprive him of his power and support his son-in-law (and potential contender for the throne) Daemon.
The so-called "helping training" is just to let him personally cultivate a knife that can replace his own power.
Otto duly added, "Your Majesty is wise.
Blackwater Bay is the gateway to the kingdom and does need a more direct and loyal defense force.
Prince Daemon has a noble status and owns the dragon 'Caraxes', which is enough to deter any threats from the sea."
He cleverly used Daemon's dragon as a reason to further squeeze Corlys's space.
Redd watched this scene with great interest.
The cooperation between Viserys and Otto can be described as a tacit understanding. One exerts pressure and the other beats the drum, forcing Corlys into a dilemma.
Open opposition is disobedience and disrespect, and it solidifies the suspicion of "ambition";
Accepting it obediently means that the maritime hegemony that House Velaryon has maintained for generations will be openly torn apart, its prestige will be ruined, and its power will be substantially weakened.