Game of Thrones: Royal Game

Chapter 116 The Iron Bank’s Bidding Price Doubles

"And the Moen family that replaced the Targlis family is not a native of Pentos. They started their business as pirates on the Summer Sea."

"Is that Governor Cecito Moen? The cheesemonger who sent me the invitation mentioned that most of the slave trade in Pentos is his business." Ian has an impression of the surname Moen.

"That's right, Cecito Moen first established relationships with many families in Pentos by providing Pentos with a slave transport route that could avoid the search by the Braavos purple fleet. At one point, he obtained the citizenship of Pentos and quickly gained a foothold in the upper class.

Cecito Moen was very generous, and his days in Pentos were filled with banquets, horse races, hunting and tournaments almost every day, which made people wonder whether the wealth he acquired through secret slave trade was enough for him to squander.This doubt lasted until there was a vacancy in the position of Governor of Pentos, and Cecito Moen suddenly announced his candidacy in a high-profile manner. "

"It was only then that you discovered that behind him was Volantis' patron?" Ian guessed.

"Oh?" Mills looked at Ian in surprise, "Yes, at that time Cecito Moen suddenly ran for the election, and then bribed more than half of the members of the Great Council with huge sums of money, and the high number of votes was indisputable He became one of the seven governors of Pentos.

Later, he tried to reveal his purpose in a very vague way, and he began to preach that he would break the shackles that the Braavosi had put on our heads and restore the ancient and glorious slave trade."

"Are you kidding me?" Ian almost blurted out, "Did he think Braavos' purple fleet didn't exist?"

To challenge Braavos, the overlord of the narrow sea, how much would it take to say such a thing?

"91 years have passed since our last war with Braavos, Sir Ian, this is a very long time," Butler Mills smiled wryly and shook his head.

"Most of the people of Pentos have forgotten the horrors of Braavosi's purple fleet, and only feel that the agreement with Braavos is a disgrace to our city. As Cecito Moen said Say, the Braavosi have put a yoke over our heads, and the Pentos want to break it."

How is this similar to the Carthaginians after the Second Punic War?Ian suddenly thought.

It is clear that the Romans gave up their revenge on Carthage after defeating Hannibal with great painstaking efforts. They magnanimously retained Carthage's autonomy, but restricted them from developing their navy and required them not to pass through the Romans. consent shall not declare war.

However, the Carthaginians played with fire and set themselves on fire, actively attacked Rome's ally Numidia, and confronted the investigation team of the Roman Senate face to face. Carthage brought disaster.

No, the situation of Pantos is different from that of Carthage. The Carthaginians killed themselves, and behind Pantos was Volantis, the most powerful city-state of Essos.

The situation in Pentos should be closer to Ermao. So your governors of Pentos were also comedians before?

"I understand that civilians are easy to be incited, but in Pentos, I think civilians shouldn't be ignored, right?" Ian raised his doubts.

"Of course, only the Council of Governors and the Grand Council have the power to make decisions in Pentos, so from the very beginning, Cecito has already tied the two Governors to death on his ship." Mills explained.

"Through the slave trade?"

"The slave trade and the gold of Volantis" Butler Mills answered Ian's question, and then went on to say, "Sissi Moen tied Godin Howcott and Gloro Tetrus through his interests. With the support of the two Governors, and the old Governor Passi Rotalus who was already dissatisfied with the status quo of Pentos, for the first time, the war faction’s right to speak in the Governor’s Council surpassed ours.”

"Yes?" Ian felt a little confused now, "Isn't the Howcott family the so-called 'Braavos Party'? They are the ones who launched this thorough investigation of the slave trade?"

"That's why I told you at the beginning that there are three factions in Pentos."

Ian didn't answer, waiting for Mills to continue.

"The Tetrus family and the Howcott family have always been good allies, and in this generation, the sons and daughters of the two governors even have marriage contracts.

After the slave trader Governor Cecito Moen revealed his true purpose, the two families also fell to Cecito's side. With their efforts, the Governor's Council of Pentos once passed the reconstruction of the fleet and sent A proposal to declare war on Braavos, to be brought to the Grand Council for a vote. "

"But it didn't succeed?" Ian asked curiously. If it had succeeded, the battle would have started long ago, instead of just a 'partisan struggle' as it is now.

"On the day when the 40-family council voted, Governor Godin Howcott and the families behind him turned their backs on the court and voted against the motion to declare war on Braavos."

"why?"

"Because the Iron Bank's asking price is double."

"Pfft." Ian almost couldn't help laughing, this is indeed something that Braavosi people can do.

A Lannister family in Westeros, and a Braavos Iron Bank in a free trade city-state, the ultimate nirvana of these two forces-'adding money'.

No matter how much you give, I will pay double.

It's so arrogant.

"Then why didn't the Tetrus family simply accept Braavosi's money? With higher income, they have no reason to continue to give Volantis a platform."

"Because Braaavos didn't give them," Mills said, he couldn't help laughing, "Instead of sending money to the Tetrus family, Braavos suppressed the Tetrus family's money." Several kinds of business.

Because of this problem, the Tetrus family became the most staunch anti-Braavosi party. They proposed to the parliament to declare war on Braavos time and time again, and were repeatedly defeated by His Excellency Illyrio and the Howcott family. Vetoed, this is the reason why they finally turned against the Howcott family. "

Pull one beat one, Braavosi people are so dirty, Ian snickered.

At first he was still wondering why Braavos didn't directly send a fleet to quell the possible 'rebellion' in Pentos, but now he understands that the people of Pentos can be trapped with a little money that is insignificant to the Iron Bank. Endless internal fighting, what kind of weapons are needed?

"So," butler Mills saw that Ian had no other questions, so he continued, "The Howcott family and the Tetrus family turned against each other, and the Braavos ambassador sponsored the prince's son Hazan Mohalis, so that He speaks for Braavos in the Governor's Council
Then it turned into the situation you see today. In addition to our trade faction, the Volantis party and the Braavosi party appeared in Pentos. "

"So, when I start the investigation, Prince Hazan Moharis or one of the four governors belonging to the two parties will become the enemy I need to face directly?" Ian's attitude became more serious. .

(End of this chapter)