He noticed that Rhaenyra's hand under the table was also slightly clenched.
Although she was dissatisfied with Corlys for not supporting her, she must have mixed feelings in her heart when she saw her father suppressing an important minister and the head of an allied family so mercilessly.
This made her see more clearly how fragile family ties and merit are in the face of power.
Corlys was silent for a long time, the veins on his forehead beating faintly.
Finally, he slowly loosened his clenched fists, and his voice seemed to be squeezed out from between his teeth:
"Since it is His Majesty's will... the Driftmark fleet should... try its best to assist Prince Daemon."
He did not say "obey", but said "assistance", retaining the last trace of dignity and weak initiative, but everyone could hear the humiliation and resentment in it.
Viserys also seemed to be relieved, not wanting to get too entangled in this matter, and quickly changed the topic.
But in the rest of the meeting, Corlys said almost nothing, sitting there like a sculpture, exuding a cold aura.
After the meeting, everyone left one after another. Corlys left very quickly, without even greeting other ministers as usual.
Redd and Rhaenyra walked behind. Rhaenyra whispered to Redd, "What my father did... is too obvious. Corlys Earl probably won't let it go."
"Of course he won't." A sneer appeared at the corner of Redd's mouth, "How could a 'Sea Snake' who was forced into a corner and had sharp teeth and a giant beast be allowed to be slaughtered?
The fun has just begun."
He glanced at the back of Viserys who was walking in front and chatting in a low voice with Otto.
The king thought he was consolidating his power, but he didn't know that he was lighting a powder keg with his own hands.
Daemon's ambition, Corlys's resentment, House Velaryon's rebound, plus the power of him and Rhaenyra who are watching covetously from the sidelines...
King's Landing's peace may not last long.
What he has to do is to ensure that he and Rhaenyra are in the safest and most profitable position when this barrel of gunpowder explodes.
Perhaps, it's time for Mysaria to have some "private" contact with the angry "Sea Snake".
After all, the enemy of your enemy can, at a certain moment, become a temporary friend, or... a useful chess piece.
King Viserys's order was like an extremely sharp sword, mercilessly cutting off the fragile bond between Daemon and Corlys.
This father-in-law actually allowed his son-in-law, Prince Daemon, to build a brand new fleet!
In this way, the power that Corlys Earl holds in his hands will undoubtedly be torn apart.
And the king's use of such methods is really extremely clever!
You know, if Daemon wants to control this newly emerging powerful naval force, he will inevitably have a fierce conflict with Corlys, who is Master of Ships.
After all, no one is willing to give up easily the sphere of influence that they have worked hard for many years.
I have to admit that the king's move is really insidious and cunning, it is simply a plan to kill two birds with one stone:
This not only weakened the power of Corlys, but also provoked the conflict between the father-in-law and his son-in-law.
At this moment, Daemon and Laena already had a grudge against each other over some trivial matters. Now coupled with their father-in-law's unclear attitude, I'm afraid the rift between them will only get deeper and deeper.
From this point of view, if even Corlys Earl no longer supports Daemon, then it may be difficult for this ambitious prince to achieve his goal with the help of House Velaryon!
Just as Redd stepped out of the throne room, Otto hurriedly caught up with him and told him a shocking news:
It turned out that the king specially summoned Redd himself alone.
When Otto·Hai Tarth caught up and said that the king summoned him alone, Redd was indeed a little surprised.
He thought he was just here to watch today, watching how Viserys beat Corlys, and observing the reactions of all parties.
He patted Rhaenyra's hand reassuringly (there was obvious concern in the latter's eyes),
He motioned to Mysaria to accompany her back first, and then followed Otto into the solemn side room of the throne room again.
Viserys has already retreated from the screen, leaving only Otto beside.
He looked even more tired than at the meeting just now, but there was an almost paranoid anxiety deep in his eyes.
"Redd," Viserys skipped the pleasantries and went straight to the point, his voice a little hoarse, "You also saw what happened in the meeting just now.
The kingdom faces internal and external troubles, and pirates are rampant, threatening the country.
Corlys Earl... Sigh, he may have his difficulties, but it is also true that the navy is not effective in eradicating them."
Redd remained calm and nodded slightly to show that he was listening.
Viserys took a deep breath, as if he had made a lot of determination. "You are powerful in the east, with as many powerful men as you command, and you even have an unparalleled dragon.
That pirate Tormund, entrenched in Stepstones, brought disaster to the Narrow Sea, and may even be... connected with certain forces (he mentioned it vaguely, but the meaning was obvious).
Conventional naval campaigns are time-consuming and labor-intensive, and can easily arouse the enemy.
I have thought about it a lot, and only with the help of your power can I completely eradicate this cancer with the power of thunder."
He looked at Redd with burning eyes. "I hope that you - as the ruler of the East and the husband of Rhaenyra - will lead your forces to Stepstones and destroy Tormund and his gang members.
If you succeed, I will be rewarded heavily, including royal treasury, fiefdom and title, you can choose from them.
This will not only eliminate maritime dangers, but also demonstrate the unity and strength within our House Targaryen..."
Redd almost laughed out loud. What a trick to kill someone with a borrowed knife and divert trouble to the east!
Viserys's calculation is really shrewd. Let him, an "outsider", deal with Tormund. Regardless of success or failure, it will be beneficial to the royal family:
1. If successful: eliminate the hidden danger at sea that may threaten the throne (or at least make the king sleepless and sleepless),
It attacked the forces involved with Corlys (regardless of whether the evidence is conclusive or not, the king has already confirmed it in his heart), weakening House Velaryon's potential foreign aid.
At the same time, the shopping competition between Redd and Tormund will inevitably lead to a loss of strength. No matter who wins, the royal family will be happy to see the result.
The so-called "hefty reward" is nothing more than a blank check for appeasement afterwards. It can also add Redd's "contributions" to the royal family's credit book and enhance the royal family's prestige.
2. If it fails or suffers heavy losses: Redd's power is weakened, and the threat to Viserys and his possible future prince heirs is reduced.
Tormund will also be severely damaged, which is also in the interests of the royal family.
Even if Redd loses the dragon in the battle (for example, King Ghidorah is injured), it will be even more unexpected.
3. Transferring conflicts: Partially transfer domestic dissatisfaction with Corlys and fear of pirates to Redd who came "invited".