-36- Petyr's Words

Red Keep, Tower of the Hand, 2nd floor study.

Jon Arryn held numerous titles: Lord of the Eyrie, Warden of the East, Guardian of the Vale, and Hand of the King to King Robert Baratheon I.

In his youth, Jon Arryn had sandy golden hair, blue eyes, and a hooked nose, with a handsome appearance.

At the age of 52 in the year 297AC, Jon Arryn no longer retained his youthful charm. His once bright and thick golden hair had turned gray and sparse.

Jon Arryn's face was wrinkled, he had lost most of his teeth, his body was stooped, and the torment of illness made him look even older.

Despite his aged appearance, Jon Arryn's murky eyes occasionally sparkled with shrewdness, indicating his firm grip on power in the Red Keep.

The Master of Coins, Petyr Baelish, casually picked up a letter that had already been unsealed. "Lord Arryn, this seems to be a letter from Gulltown."

Petyr Baelish, hailing from the Vale, enjoyed the trust and favor of King's Hand Jon Arryn.

Initially, it was the lord's wife, Lady Lysa Tully, who harbored a secret admiration for Petyr Baelish and persuaded her husband, Jon Arryn, to promote Petyr to the position of tax collector in Gulltown.

With a natural talent for finance and trade, Petyr's tenure as tax collector saw a tenfold increase in revenue for Gulltown, leading to Jon Arryn's repeated promotion of Petyr until he eventually became the Master of Coins in King Robert Baratheon's reign.

Jon Arryn looked up from his pile of documents. "Hmm, is that the letter? I haven't had the chance to read it yet."

"It is said that many people have died in Gulltown."

Petyr intentionally spoke ambiguously, only emphasizing the deaths in Gulltown.

Upon hearing about the deaths, Jon Arryn's attention was piqued. He set aside the documents in his hand.

With respect, Petyr handed the letter to Jon Arryn.

Lord Arryn squinted as he read the contents of the letter. "Crabb... a noble from Crackclaw Point?"

After some thought, Duke Arryn placed the letter on the table. "With such audacity, it's highly likely that Lord Gallen Crabb is the mastermind behind this. Over twenty people in one night; this noble from the Half-Wilds doesn't seem to value human life."

"But, my lord, as the letter describes, we have no direct evidence. Relying on a song from Crackclaw Point, we cannot convict Lord Crabb in the court of Lord Renly."

(Renly Baratheon is King Robert Baratheon's younger brother, Lord of Storm's End, and Master of Laws.)

A hint of anger crept onto Duke Arryn's aged face. "Anyone with discernment can see that he's trying to emulate the old lion of Lannister! Arrange it immediately. Send a raven to Crackclaw Point and instruct him to come to the Red Keep and see me at once. If he still has the honor of a nobleman, he dare not refuse!"

With a slight nod of his head, Petyr, with a hint of a smile on his lips, respectfully said, "My lord, Lord Gallen Crabb is currently in King's Landing."

"Oh? What a coincidence?"

"He followed Her Majesty the Queen and is now one of the Queen's Affair Officer... It is said that Queen Cersei greatly favors him."

Jon Arryn furrowed his brow. "Favors him?"

Petyr had achieved his goal. Through his words, seemingly ambiguous, he had successfully provoked Jon Arryn's displeasure.

Regardless of the circumstances, with his understanding of Jon Arryn, even before meeting him, he had already developed a dislike for Gallen Crabb.

Petyr shook his head slightly. "One could also say she values him greatly. It's not easy to earn the acknowledgement of Her Grace."

With the stubbornness of Queen Cersei having acquired Gallen, the sharp blade, Petyr was somewhat looking forward to the conflict between the Queen and the Hand of the King.

Jon Arryn glanced out the window and saw that night was falling.

"Make the arrangements. Tomorrow morning it is. Let me meet this young guest who has traveled from afar."

"At your command, my lord. I'll make the arrangements right away."

...

King's Landing, the Hook, Gallen's residence, at night.

Having just returned home, Gallen discovered eight bulging bags embroidered with the golden lion of Lannister.

A total of 800 gold dragons, according to the servant, were just delivered as a gift from Her Majesty the Queen's attendants.

Is Queen Cersei pleased?

The impoverished Lord Gallen, receiving such a reward, naturally felt joyous.

At the same time, an odd thought occurred to Gallen. Suddenly, he no longer felt like striving.

Imagining life after attaching himself to a wealthy woman, Gallen shook his head inwardly, then smiled.

At least it's not suitable for me.

Gallen tidied up a bit, changed his clothes, and went to the backyard of the house.

In the backyard, Tyrion and Lancel were drinking cheerfully.

Tyrion nodded towards Gallen as he approached and addressed Lancel, "So, you two should support me. Once I've inherited Casterly Rock, and my first order of business is to restore the lord's right to the first night, heheh!"

Lancel, already feeling tipsy, responded, "Oh, dear cousin, although I like you very much, I can only support you privately because you will definitely be driven out of Casterly Rock by the commoners, and I don't want to be implicated by you."

Gallen sat down, poured himself a drink, and chuckled, "He will be missed. Lord Tyrion sacrificed himself for the greater good."

Tyrion laughed heartily, "Ahaha, such is the way of the world, hmm, the heart of a man. I'm just brave enough to say it out loud."

Lancel raised his glass, "Lord Gallen, you've finally arrived. I've had such a terrible day today. You have to listen to me, I've really had such bad luck."

Hmm, Lancel was babbling after drinking too much.

Although Lancel's speech was all over the place, Gallen still understood what had happened.

Gallen raised his glass towards Tyrion in acknowledgment, "Here's to you, O mighty Lord Tyrion."

Tyrion grinned and took a big sip, then shook off Lancel's hand that had been clinging to his shoulder and dragged his chair closer to Grin. "Aren't you worried about me at all?"

Grin took a sip of his drink and raised an eyebrow, "You're a Lannister, after all, and besides, without inheriting the throne, what can a prince do to you?"

Tyrion smirked and sighed, "Actually, I do hope to be able to teach Joffrey well. Although this child isn't very likable, I've never treated him as an outsider."

Tyrion lowered his voice, "When Joffrey was young, he killed a pregnant cat once. Can you guess why? Just because he was curious about what the kittens in the pregnant cat's belly looked like, so he used a dagger to cut open the poor cat. Joffrey lacks reverence for life and disregards the lives of others. If not corrected in time, he will become the next mad king."

Is this kind of royal secret really good for me to know?

Gallen glanced at Lancel, who was still talking to himself, and said, "You'd better persuade Lancel to find a way to quickly become the King's squire."

Tyrion agreed, "Lancel has left a weak impression on Joffrey. The more weak he appears, the more Joffrey likes to pester him. If he thinks you're not easy to deal with, Joffrey won't dare to provoke you. Haha, this is my dear nephew, the heir to the Iron Throne."