Game of Thrones: The Bronze and Fire Lord.

Chapter 254: Are they going to make a move against Helena?

"Wait a minute, why should the position of Grand Secretary be postponed?"

Imon raised an eyebrow.

Appointing a new Grand Master is clearly faster than the marriage alliance with Aegon.

Viserys was interrupted, and his expression turned somewhat unfriendly.

"That's right, Your Highness."

Leonor quickly chimed in, explaining, "Meros is still able to move around and has no intention of resigning from his position as Grand Secretary. He once told His Majesty that he would burn out like a candle until the very end."

In other words, they stubbornly refuse to leave.

Aemon's mind automatically translated, and he scoffed, "Some people stirred up palace intrigue, and now that their positions are in jeopardy, they're playing the role of loyal ministers."

"The Grand Scholar has contributed far more to the Kingdom than you can imagine, Aemon!"

Viserys rebuked him in a deep voice.

Imon rolled his eyes, too lazy to say anything more.

He disagreed with his uncle's methods of managing his subordinates.

The members of the Imperial Council are all top-notch talents, possessing the wisdom to govern a region.

From the Sea Serpent and Otto to Leonor and Tyrannosaurus.

No one can find fault with their governance.

But these people working under my uncle were incredibly perfunctory in their attitude, and they even had time to sit at a table and argue.

Before the Sea Serpent returned to the Imperial Council, the Imperial Council was privately referred to both inside and outside the palace as a "good-for-nothing" or "incompetent fool."

Ultimately, it all boils down to two words: indulgence.

Unconditional leniency, regardless of what mistakes the ministers made.

Loyal or treacherous.

As long as one meets the criteria of the eldest uncle's nepotism, he is a good minister of the kingdom.

But he never considered the negative impact that the "loyal ministers" in his eyes, who were actually treacherous and wicked, would have on his children.

Blood Dragon Dance!
Apart from the old man Lin Man, every single member of the current Imperial Council could be beheaded without question.

Leonor, you too.

Amon stared intently at the taciturn Leonor.

Leaving aside the original world, he and his uncle pretended to be fools and created three illegitimate heirs for the Iron Throne.

At this very moment, he is the Hand of the King, the Prime Minister of a nation.

In terms of civil administration, he couldn't control the two ambitious men, Otto and the Sea Serpent. In terms of military prowess, his eldest son, Harwin, was removed from his position as commander of the Golden Robe, and the defenses of Harrenhal were weakened.

They possess great wisdom, but lack the ability to take initiative.

Like a donkey pulling a millstone, it only moves one step when whipped, and can never become the one holding the whip.

Seeing him looking at him like that, Leonor felt uncomfortable all over, his chubby face tense: "Grand Scholar is a lifetime position, and is recommended by the City of Academia. This is a rule from a long time ago."

very good!

Very Leonor's statement.

Aemon turned his back on him and asked, "When Aegon married a girl from the Reach, wasn't he initially more interested in Miss Johanna of The Rock?"

Leonor: ...

Viserys was also taken aback by his nephew's increasingly "Daimon-like" mental state, and turned to exchange a glance with Sir Harold standing behind him.

Sir Harold, holding his helmet, calmly said, "Perhaps Johanna is simply not fortunate enough."

"I do not believe."

Amon shook his head.

Viserys: ...

At this moment, Mouth stepped in on behalf of Leonor and carefully explained, "Compared to the nobles of the West, the nobles of the Reach are much wealthier and have a more advantageous status."

Aemon blinked, and the translation was successful in his mind once again.

Cliff City is poor!
Like the Lannisters of Casterly Rock, the Westerlings of Cragstone once lived a wealthy life thanks to their gold mines.

However, the gold mines of Cliff Rock were depleted many years ago.

Having lost its main economic pillar, and with successive family heads not being capable of expanding the territory, they could only watch helplessly as the family declined.

Westeros is a vast continent with a distinct aristocratic class.

If we divide nobles into different classes...

The Lannisters of the Westerlands, the Arryn of the Eyrie, and the Baratheons of Storm's End—these families, who were once kings and later appointed dukes of the Westerlands, can be considered top-tier.

of course there are exceptions.

The Tyrells of Highgarden and the Tullys of Riverrun were ducal families appointed by Aegon the Conqueror after the War of the Conquerors, and they did not possess overwhelming power over their vassals.

He can only be considered a top-tier, elite goalkeeper.

A little below that are the most prestigious first-tier nobles.

Typical examples include the old town of Hightower, Rowan in the Reach, Grafson in Seagulltown, Royce in the Valley, Blackwood in the Riverlands, and the Brecken family...

Secondly, there are the second-tier noble families with long-standing traditions.

Redford of Red Fortress, Bolton of Dreadfort, Dondelion of Black Harbor, the Sven family of Stonehelm...

Finally, there are the numerous minor nobles struggling between the lower levels of the second tier and the third tier.

Such as Casway of Bitterbridge, Carguel of the Royal Country, and the Staunton family of Ravenhill...

Based on historical strength, the Westerling family of Cliff Rock is comparable to a near-first-tier noble family.

Today, they are almost out of the circle of second-tier aristocrats.

Aegon's marriage to House Westerling offered the royal family very little substantial support.

Imon shook his head regretfully.

Aegon was not inherently bad; although he appeared unruly and dissolute, he could distinguish right from wrong.

Having a wife who is well-educated, reasonable, and preferably has a strong personality will greatly improve his behavior and guide him in a positive direction.

This is where he is better than Imond.

That kid doesn't consider the consequences of his actions; he's driven entirely by his emotions.

“It’s not what you think, Your Highness,” Sir Harold said.

"Oh?"

Immon was surprised; what other ulterior motives were they plotting?

"The marriage alliance with Dorne is temporarily shelved. Lord Tyran can appease people for the time being, but an explanation is still needed."

Leonor's expression turned grave as he said, "The Dornish people have close ties with the Ironborn, and the southwest of the kingdom needs stability."

Upon hearing this, Imon understood.

This was in case Dorne invaded, and the Ironborn attacked Oldtown and the Shield Isles to take advantage of the chaos, so they were trying to win over the hearts and minds of the Reach in advance.

"Yes, that's very necessary."

Imon nodded to himself.

In fact, he believed that a marriage alliance with a River Reef nobleman would also help him better guard against the Western nobles.

The Targaryen dynasty lasted 121 years, a mere page in the long history of Westeros.

Even now, many nobles still privately resent the Targaryen family, believing them to be foreign invaders who rely on the power of dragons to rule the continent.

To prevent a rebellion in the kingdom, Aegon the Conqueror devised a plan during the Wars of the Conquerors.

Oris Baratheon, the bastard brother, attacks Storm's End, marries the only daughter of the last Storm King, and inherits everything in Stormlands.

He personally promoted Tully and Tyrell, two first-rate nobles, to a super-first-rate status that did not originally belong to them.

The two families could neither overpower the vassals nor relinquish their legitimate title as dukes of a region, so they could only rely on the protection of the royal family.

The Riverlands, the Reach, and the Stormlands occupy the central, southwestern, and southeastern regions of the kingdom. The first two are connected, blocking the western and northern borders, while the latter two are heavily guarding the southeastern Dorne territory.

During his great-grandfather's reign, he married his daughter Daenerys Targaryen to the Vale and also arranged for his uncle to marry Daenerys's only daughter, Emma Arryn.

Thus, the royal family now had the bloodline of House Arryn of the Eyrie.

Based on this blood relationship alone, the Vale will stand firmly on the side of the Targaryens.

By uniting with the Riverlands, they completely blocked the north's southward advance.

This is why we have the stable situation we have today, where the North and West are highly independent and Dorne has never yielded, yet the Targaryens are still able to sit firmly on the Iron Throne.

After Aemon entered the Vale and became the Prince of the Vale.

The situation has undergone a slight change.

With the fall of the Three Women's Kingdom, it became a free trading city-state under Targaryen rule.

The situation is changing more and more dramatically.

Aemon founded the Targaryen lineage of the Vale, who stood guard and supported the Targaryen of King's Landing.

Forget about advancing south; facing the natural barrier of Neck Marsh and the naval fleet of Seagull Town, any semblance of rebellion in the North would be nipped in the bud.

The North was completely isolated.

This is also the main reason why Aemon does not intend to interfere with the Kregan Stark succession, thereby affecting the North.

They're poor and remote, why are you bullying them?

With the threat from the North eliminated, the Tully family's influence in the Riverlands will diminish.

But the reduction was too much, after all, there was Golden Tooth City in the western border to guard.

Golden Tooth City is a vital passage from the west to the east.

The change of allegiance of the Three Kingdoms blocked Dorne's external trade and reduced the importance of Stormlands.

Since they don't share the same surname, Baratheon of Storm's End can't be relied upon.

Judging from the "Dance of the Dragons" and the later "War of the Usurpers," House Baratheon was inherently rebellious.

The Three Women's Kingdom and the Stone Steps Islands control the fjord and also monitor the storm zone.

but!

The reduced impact of Stormlands on Dorne does not mean that the impact of Reach on Dorne is reduced.

Dorne has launched a rebellion with three paths.

Prince's Pass leads directly to the Reach, Bone Road to Stormlands, and the sea route to Sunspear.

Dorne has now lost control of the Bone Road and sea routes.

Prince's Pass became the last route for Dorne's invasion.

The river bend behind the Prince's Pass then became much more useful.

The importance of Aegon's marriage to the Reach nobles thus became apparent.

It would yield a hundred times more than marrying into a second-tier noble family in the Western Territory.

"The nobles of the Reach have always been loyal to the king's orders. Most of the fruits and wines you eat come from there."

Viserys raised his head and said, "With so many loyal subjects, how can the royal family turn a blind eye?"

Indeed, there are no random occurrences in politics.

Every step was meticulously planned.

Aemon leaned back and asked, "Have you picked someone for Aegon yet?"

"not yet."

Viserys responded swiftly and decisively.

Upon hearing this, Imon frowned, disbelievingly saying, "You haven't even chosen anyone yet, and you've already sent Lord Linman out?"

Is this old man old enough to withstand the arduous journey?

As soon as he finished speaking, the atmosphere in the hall became somewhat subtle.

Leonor's face was solemn, and he raised his head at a 45-degree angle.

Viserys' eyes darted away, glancing somewhat guiltily at the Prime Minister.

"Yes, or no?"

Immanuel noticed the problem and pressed for more information.

Viserys, annoyed by the questions, waved his hand, signaling for the Prime Minister to speak.

Leonor paused for a moment, then said helplessly, "Prince Aegon does not currently have a marriage partner, but according to past practice, there are two potential marriage partners chosen for Princess Helena."

! ! ?

(End of this chapter)