Tywin remained expressionless, but a thought flickered in his mind.
There was no custom of grooming or washing guests outside the city.
This was yet another of Sir Gregor's 'firsts'.
Choosing cosmetics for Jenny as a gift is very much in line with women's love of beauty and psychology. However, for Gregor, a rough man, to have such delicate ideas and to be able to buy the kind of products that women like requires not only thoughtfulness but also insight.
Before entering the city, Jenny was given a bath and makeup, and then told a gift from an adult. Jenny, enjoying the pleasure of her exquisite makeup, had no choice but to accept it.
Furthermore, Gregor used a 'deception,' or rather a 'trick,' that Jenny couldn't bring herself to say. He greeted her in the name of the Duke of Tywin, and Jenny would naturally assume that the ablution and cosmetic gifts were arranged by the Duke of Tywin.
It is indeed impossible to send a gift in Gregor's own name, but it is permissible to send Gregor's greeting in the name of Duke Tywin.
The cleverness of this trick lies in the fact that Lord Tywin cannot deny Gregor's deception because when Julie presented the gift, she only mentioned that it was a gift from Lord Tywin, without explicitly stating that it was from Lord Tywin. The "Lord" Julie referred to was, of course, Lord Gregor.
Jenny couldn't deny the pleasure she felt when receiving the gift; her upbringing, family honor, and self-respect prevented her from negating the good feeling she had when she received it, even after she understood the situation. She had assumed it was an exquisite and high-end gift from the Duke of Tywin, but it wasn't. So she had made a mistake of rash judgment, but she couldn't blame Gregor's 'deception' for it.
It was a simple gift-giving scheme, a simple trick, but a very successful power play.
The simpler the method, the better the results.
Between two points, any slightly complex route will be longer than a straight line; and the shortest straight line is also the simplest line segment.
This little test made Tywin think much more of Gregor.
He promoted Gregor from the rank of warrior to the rank of general. A true general, not just a titled general held by nobles.
Kevan, standing beside Lord Tywin, grew uneasy. How could the Mountain have come up with such a simple, subtle, yet ingenious scheme? If the Mountain could handle such a thorny problem in the clearest and simplest way, was he still the same crude and uncouth Mountain?
Indeed, a heavy sword has no edge, and great skill appears effortless. Gregor's seemingly insignificant gift-giving act embodies this style.
He made a bet with Lord Tywin and won!
Lord Tywin Lannister won too!
He used a trivial matter to achieve his goal and see the true nature of the Mountain. One thing was certain: the Mountain who awoke after several days of severe headaches and unconsciousness was no longer the same warrior he once was.
This did not make Tywin uneasy; unlike Ser Kevan, Tywin possessed a very strong inner strength.
Tywin displayed exceptional military talent at the age of seventeen, and by twenty he had become the Prime Minister of the Seven Kingdoms, second only to the king, governing the kingdoms with remarkable efficiency for twenty years. He never doubted his iron-fisted leadership.
Of the generals of the Seven Kingdoms, two are the most famous. One is Jon Clinton, exiled across the Narrow Sea; the other is Randyll Tarly, serving under Tyrell in the Reach. Both generals were far more skilled in battle than their masters, but their masters remained their masters, and always have been.
Moreover, Gregor is still far from perfect in many aspects, and he still needs to hone his skills and grow after his enlightenment.
Of course, if Gregor doesn't obey, then they'll be eliminated completely. The rainy season of Castamere is a story that has been told throughout the Seven Kingdoms and has even reached the free trading city-states across the Narrow Sea.
Gregor was completely relieved when Jenny said, "Yes, Your Grace." Given Tywin's character of keeping his word, Gregor knew that the only thing he had to do next was to wash the blankets, make the bed, and wait for the beautiful Jenny to obediently get into bed.
If Gregor, who traveled through time, marries Jenny Westerling, who was supposed to marry Robb Stark, then when the War of the Five Kings begins, will the Red Wedding that led to the Stark family's defeat still exist?
Gregor neither knew nor cared about the uncertain future. Meanwhile, the butterfly, having spread its wings, fluttered inadvertently in the air.
*
Night. Lord Tywin's bedroom.
"Your Grace, Earl Gavin requests an audience," said Grand Secretary Potter.
Count Tywin Lannister stood by the window, looking at the stone tower opposite. The seven-story tower embodied the beliefs of the seven gods, and its interior was brightly lit, serving as the residence for the guests.
"not see."
"Yes, sir."
Maester Potter walked quietly out of Lord Tywin's bedroom and gently closed the door. He descended seven steps. Seven corresponds to the Seven Gods, the most auspicious number on the continent of Westeros.
Maester Potter looked apologetically at Earl Gavin, who stood at the bottom of the steps: "Your Excellency, I am sorry, Duke Tywin has already retired for the night."
"Asleep?"
"Yes!"
"Oh, I'm so sorry to bother you, Professor. Good night."
"Your Excellency, would you like me to convey your message to His Excellency the Duke first thing tomorrow morning? If so, may I ask what business you have with His Excellency the Duke?"
"...Oh...I just came to say goodnight to His Majesty the Duke."
"real?"
"real!"
"Oh, that's unfortunate, the master is already resting."
"Yes, yes, yes, yes!" Earl Gavin agreed repeatedly.
Grand Scribe Potter didn't believe that Lord Gavin had only come to say goodnight to Duke Tywin, but since the other party said so, he believed it anyway.
The Earl of Gavin came first to express his gratitude, second to complain about Gregor's rudeness when he greeted them that evening, and only third to say goodnight.
He hadn't expected that the Duke of Tywin would be resting so early.
*
"Your Grace, Lord Gregor requests an audience."
"Let him in."
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"Yes, sir."
Gregor ascended the seven steps, pushed open the door, and entered Tywin's bedroom. He glanced at the Grand Maester beside him, who nodded in acknowledgment. The Maester said goodnight and tiptoed out of the room.
"What's up?"
"My lord, Jenny will become your daughter in three days. All the nobles of the Western Territory will come to congratulate you, and Jenny will receive many gifts. I have recently been raising a family cavalry and am in dire need of money. I request that you give me half of Jenny's gifts."
Tywin knew this vicious dog couldn't say anything good, but he really didn't expect Gregor to be so shameless as to ask for money.
Tywin's face hardened. Gregor was even more shameless than before; the old Gregor at least cared about a little bit of honor, which was of no use whatsoever.
"Jenny will indeed receive many congratulatory gifts, but it's her right to choose whom to give them to. Do you want me to order Jenny to share half of the gifts with you?"
"I am her husband and I am entitled to half of the wedding gift. If I don't take it, the Earl of Gavin will take it all. That's very unfair to me."
Tywin's sharp gaze was fixed on Gregor, who stared back at Tywin with shameless arrogance.
"You are not her husband yet."
Gregor said, "Well, I admit I'm not Jenny's husband yet. So I implore Your Grace, for the sake of my future son-in-law, and for the sake of Snow Salt, Military Whistle, and Chopsticks, please lend me one hundred gold dragons."
One hundred gold dragons is already a huge sum of money, equivalent to one million RMB in Earth's civilization.
Gregor was as shameless as ever; he had borrowed money from Duke Tywin and never paid it back. He was also incredibly thick-skinned, never ashamed to borrow money each time, acting as if he had already paid off his debts with righteous indignation. In the past, he would never borrow more than ten gold dragons, but this time he wanted a hundred.
That's going too far!
"Your merits in making snow salt, military whistles, and chopsticks will be rewarded with Jenny, which you insisted on yourself. I will adopt Jenny and then marry her to you, but I will not give you a single golden dragon."
"If you won't lend me the money, then I'll have to find a way myself. If something goes wrong, I'm already your son-in-law, and you can't punish me for tarnishing your honor. I need money to support my family's soldiers, raise my noblewoman, and protect my territory and people. I will never allow my adopted daughter Julie to be forcibly taken up the mountain and raped by the Saloth family to happen again," Gregor said.
Tywin immediately became alert. This vicious dog's previous excuses were all pretexts. He'd gone around in circles, trying to come up with some new way to evade deception. And he dared to use such shameless rhetoric against him. If it were just a minor problem, this guy would have handled it himself.
Alright, let's see what other tricks this vicious dog can pull!
Tywin's competitive spirit is ignited!
Tywin is extremely competitive!
The former king, Aerys Targaryen, defied Tywin Lannister, and Tywin Lannister resigned from his position as Hand of the King, a post he had held for twenty years.
"No cheating or swindling, no forced buying or selling, no extortion, no usury. I support you in finding your own way to make money. Do business, take on jobs, maintain order at Lannisport docks, do whatever you want. If anything goes wrong, you'll have to solve it yourself, but you absolutely cannot tarnish my honor."
Gregor hesitated, remained silent for a while, and then said, "Yes, sir, Gregor will remember it well."
Tywin watched Gregor walk away. He was already used to Gregor's shamelessness, scoundrels and fearlessness, but what did Gregor want to do this time?
In Duke Tywin's cold, ruthless pale green eyes, there was a hint of wariness, scrutiny, ruthlessness, and expectation.
Gregor breathed a sigh of relief as he left Duke Tywin's room. He had already given the 'warnings' and received the Duke's'support,' so it was time to get to work.