The astute Petyr felt that he and Glynn had underestimated Duke Stannis's combat prowess.
Duke Jon's eyes were weakly closed at this moment, and his breathing was extremely faint.
If Glynn were here, he might be even happier that Duke Jon was so stimulated he directly fell ill and passed away.
However, the result Petyr sought was for Duke Jon to remain bedridden so he could continue to usurp the Hand's power, not for him to die on the spot.
...
Petyr stepped forward, his usual elegant smile long gone from his face, his gaze fixed on Duke Stannis as he said in a low voice, "Duke Stannis, as you can see, I think our discussion for today can conclude."
Duke Stannis snorted coldly and said, "Petyr, do you think there's a problem with what I said?"
Petyr shook his head slightly: "Duke Stannis, I am merely the Master of Coin; I do not pass judgment."
Petyr had no desire to discuss right or wrong with Duke Stannis; he only wanted to send him away immediately, as Duke Jon desperately needed rest.
...
Stannis rose from his chair, and perhaps it was his tall stature that made the average-sized Petyr feel pressured.
Duke Stannis said coldly, "The kingdom is actually controlled by you lot of incompetent officials!"
Duke Stannis's eyes shifted to Duke Jon, who was weakly leaning against the back of the chair, his gaze chilling: "Weakness should not be an excuse to disregard the law! If you won't listen to my words, then think more for the kingdom."
After Duke Stannis finished speaking, his cold gaze flickered to Petyr, then he said no more, bowed to Duke Jon, and turned neatly to leave the Hand's chambers directly.
...
Outside the Prime Minister's Tower, Duke Stannis stood still, his sharp gaze looking towards the direction of the Throne Room.
Duke Stannis thought of the Hand of the King, whom King Robert relied on, and a faint sense of powerlessness arose within him, but this feeling of weakness was only fleeting.
At least he was still here, Stannis was still here!
Duke Stannis resumed his steps, his stride firm, his heart like iron; he was an unshakeable man!
...
Not long after Stannis left, Duke Jon opened his eyes.
Duke Jon appeared to have returned to normal on the surface, but Petyr, who understood Duke Jon, immediately saw through Duke Jon's current outward strength but inner weakness.
Petyr subtly curved his lips, it seemed Duke Stannis's stimulation of Duke Jon was not small, and this degree was just right.
...
Duke Jon sighed deeply, his voice filled with weariness: "Stannis, his temper is still the same, stubborn and unyielding."
Petyr asked with a worried expression: "Your Grace, your health?"
Duke Jon exhaled, his face tired: "It seems my official duties will have to be moved back to the bedroom."
Petyr's body stirred as if to move: "I will go invite Maester Pycelle..."
Duke Jon waved his hand weakly, stopping Petyr, who had abandoned his usual composure and looked anxious.
"Call Pycelle over when there are fewer people tonight."
After a moment of hesitation, Petyr nodded silently in agreement.
"Petyr, do not mind Stannis's words, he..."
Duke Jon pondered for a moment, then spoke again: "Though he is stubborn and unyielding, and easily makes people dislike him, he is also hard to hate."
Duke Jon sighed again: "He is too obsessive about the law, and his subordinates all suffer terribly."
After a pause, Duke Jon said to Petyr: "Many people feel that King Robert favors his youngest brother, granting Storm's End to Renly, while Stannis, who rendered great service, was..."
"There is a reason for this. If the Stormlands were given to Stannis, with his strictness, the Baratheon vassals would soon be in chaos, and the kingdom urgently needed stability at that time."
"According to King Robert's words, throwing the ill-tempered Stannis into Dragonstone was the best choice; it's surrounded by the sea, allowing him to cause whatever trouble he wished there."
"Unfortunately, with King Robert's temperament, he later did not put his mind to appeasing Stannis, and the Baratheon brothers almost became enemies."
"Petyr, I tell you these things hoping your eyes can see deeper."
Petyr bowed with his hand over his chest, respectfully saying: "Yes, Your Grace, I will remember your teachings."
...
In the Royal Forest, a Gold Cloaks officer named Ser Stepan met with an accident.
In a corner of the camp, Glynn looked at the bloody, mangled Gold Cloaks corpse and frowned slightly.
The first thing Glynn did after withdrawing his gaze was to issue a gag order.
Although Gold Cloaks Ser Stepan's death was an accident, it was still a death, and allowing it to spread easily caused panic.
"He got drunk and went deep into the dense forest by himself?"
A Gold Cloaks replied to Glynn's question: "Yes, my lord! Ser Stepan was very strong and skilled in swordsmanship. Although he drank too much, we didn't worry about him leaving the camp."
"That's right, he always held his liquor well, and in the past, he would just go out for a walk and sober up when he returned."
"Yes, we never thought he would go into the depths of the forest alone."
...
Glynn's gaze shifted, and he asked: "How did you find him? Was he still alive when you found him?"
A Lannister's Red Cloaks spoke up and answered: "Lord Glynn, our squad found him. We were responsible for patrolling that area according to your orders."
Glynn nodded slightly: "You did very well. Tell me what happened at the time?"
"We rushed over immediately after hearing the commotion, but Ser Stepan was already dead when we arrived. There was blood everywhere, and he was almost disfigured by a wild boar."
...
Glynn nodded, his gaze returning to the corpse on the ground.
Glynn had had a few brief encounters with Ser Stepan, and in his impression, Ser Stepan indeed looked tall and strong.
By this point, Glynn had confirmed that the drunken Ser Stepan had been attacked and killed by a wild boar.
Glynn shook his head slightly, sighing inwardly with regret. Ser Stepan was not old and was already a mid-level officer; his future in the City Watch should have been promising.
Never enter a forest when drunk, even if...
King Robert's name suddenly flashed through Glynn's mind.
...
"Your Majesty!"
"Your Majesty!"
"Your Majesty!"
Hearing the commotion in the distance, Glynn stopped his thoughts.
Queen Cersei, escorted by Jaime, was walking towards Glynn's direction.
Tsk, those two are out for a wild excursion again!
Everyone bowed in greeting, and Glynn stepped forward to report Ser Stepan's death to Queen Cersei.
"The rest will be handled by the City Watch; let them deal with it themselves."
Queen Cersei glanced sideways at Glynn and asked: "Ser Stepan was very strong?"
Glynn's heart stirred: "I have met him; Ser Stepan was as strong as an ox."
Queen Cersei stared at the bloody, mangled "Ser Stepan," her beautiful eyes a little brighter than usual, yet her face showed no change in expression.