King of The Wall

2021-10-15

Chapter 660 Heavyweights

Everyone knows that the so-called "Targaryen bond" is just a blank sheet of paper , it can't be compared with the real gold and white silver lent by the Iron Vault, and there should be no controversy about "acceptance or not".

However, they give too much.

Profits and profits, the arrears to the Iron Vault by the former thieves have accumulated to more than 2.3 million Golden Dragon with principal and interest, considering that the Baratheon Dynasty is rebellious in the eyes of House Targaryen Instead of the previous dynasty, Daenerys is "taking back" rather than "taking over" the regime. There are sufficient legal and moral arguments to refuse to inherit the debt. Whether it is the Iron Vault or the Keyholders Association behind it, they have done enough psychological construction and prepared accept a certain loss.

They discounted and adjusted the expected recovery amount to 1.8 million Golden Dragon, and set aside a PR budget of 300,000 Golden Dragon to "take down" Petyr, Varys and Igor, the Queen's staff They - that is to say, the people in power of Braavos have already prepared the expectation that this loan can only be recovered by 1.5 million... Although it lost a lot of money, it is at least much better than losing everything.

But this is the plan that has reached the bottom line, and is still slapped back by Dragon Queen ruthless, but it is her nephew, Aegon Targaryen, whose authenticity is doubtful, and happily agrees to this. The price tag, not even the public relations expenses, they don't need to spend.

The only fly in the ointment is that the Iron Vault has to support him in Iron Throne first.

The Keyholders Association is still planning plans and mobilizing resources, trying to match the two Targaryen to push Aegon to the throne, but the Queen has won two victories at Blackwater Rush and King's Landing with lightning speed. , quite the posture of swallowing mountains and rivers. But just when the entire known world, including Braavos, was at a loss as to how to stop and slow down its momentum, very suddenly... The Queen, who had already broken with the Free Cities system, absorbed a new Master in front of her. After of Coin, the diplomatic style changed drastically, and the policy suddenly became rational and moderate.

Tyrion Lannister took the initiative to send an envoy, expressing his willingness to inherit the debt of the Baratheon Dynasty.

Not some, but all—even the principal and interest, a copper plate is not bad. The Westeros messenger group even traveled up and down the entire city-state, spreading tens of thousands of gold coins and countless promises, winning over a large number of powerful classes and letting them replace new students at decision-making meetings within Braavos The Queen's regime's kind words, let the creditor agree - accept the debtor and then repay the money! ?
There is only one condition: all debts are converted into "Targaryen Bonds", and subsequent repayment and interest accrual are carried out according to the established rules of the bond.

……

When things go wrong, there must be demons. The list of members of the Keyholders Association is not hereditary and fixed, but may and does change slowly with the rise and fall of the family—— As evidenced by the fact that the Keyholders family, which is still in the organization today, has dropped from the original twenty-three to seventeen. And this system also means that there are few fools in the ruling class of Braavos, and each member must be an elite who has been carefully educated and cultivated by a Great Family and selected by merit.

How could such a group of people fail to see the obvious fact that "2.3 million bonds issued by others will never be worth 1.5 million in cash"?

Of course impossible!
However, firstly——they had already realized that they could not get the money back, and what was sent to the door was purely for nothing. It was a windfall. The espionage network all returned to Braavos information about the firearms' astonishing formidable power.

Targaryen Bonds can be used to purchase gunpowder weapons! This temptation is so huge that it is unbelievable that everyone can smell the conspiracy, but there are still a considerable number of members who firmly support the deal, and by the way, are also firmly opposed to fighting the Dragon Queen...

This debate over Westeros policy has been raging for more than ten days, and the scope has also spread from the secret "Keyholders Club" to the management of the Iron Vault and even sinks to the entire Braavos court and opposition. At the most exaggerated time, the total proportion of the pro-Queen faction + the Lord and the faction was close to half of the total number of decision-makers. Although this proportion occurred in the "Night's Watch Arsenal leak incident" and "Linhemen massacre", the Pentos diplomatic ambassador killed King's Landing , It is said that the blueprint of gunpowder formula and thermal weapons production technology also declined significantly after it flowed out to Braavos, but the rejection party has never been able to form a suppression to the level stipulated in the charter, that is, the Keyholders will never be able to play a role in the "strategy of Westeros". ” to achieve overwhelming majority consistency.

Unable to reach an agreement, this is undoubtedly the most fearful situation for a group decision-making system such as the Keyholders meeting, and the decision-making involving the National Movement has a characteristic: bad decision-making is better than no decision-making. So Braavos has always had an unwritten rule: when the Keyholders will be able to reach the consensus of all or the overwhelming majority, Sealord will implement the former decision, and when not... Sealord will make decisions based on oneself's judgment.

In one word, when the Keyholders have a consensus--execution, when the Keyholders have disagreements--oneself calls the shots.

And that's why Sealord looks like a puppet, but is actually still a real ruler.

Unfortunately, the current Sealord Ferrego Antaryon is an indecisive old man. He has been very ill for a while, and he really does not have the physical and mental strength to make a bold and decisive decision in the short term. The governing bodies of Braavos on the surface and in the shadows have both failed!

Just when the entire Braavos was immersed in doubts about its own camp and policy, the members of the Keyholders Association suddenly received a notice that they would hold an internal meeting again.

In the dull Conference Hall, repressed whispers interweave into humming background sounds, and communication is infrequent—both parties have had enough discussions and debates, and both parties I have nothing to say to the dissidents. The reason why I am still willing to participate in this boring meeting that is mostly fruitless is because the person who convened this meeting is a former member of the Legendary of the Keyholders meeting. An old man who no one dares to give face.

......

After waiting for a while, the reinforced wooden door slowly opened to both sides with a creaking sound, and a luxurious and exquisite wheelchair was in the two beautiful Maiden's. Pushing left and right to enter the room smoothly and steadily, the master finally appeared.

Gordon Gallonier, former Keyholders member, one of the longest serving presidents in the organization's history. How old is his seniority? There are so many dignitaries who jointly control the fate of Braavos. The oldest are his children, and some even have to call him grandfather... Even the current Sealord Ferrego Antaryon has to respect him when he sees him." Uncle". What's interesting is that he is obviously a dozen years older than Ferrego Antaryon, but his body is much tougher than the latter. Looking at his straight back and sharp eyes even though he is in a wheelchair, you can tell that he is not a dagger. old!
What has this person accomplished?

In a word: During his reign, he led the Keyholders Association, commanded the Iron Vault and various departments of the city-state, and used all means, either overt or covert, civil or military, to repel several very bad companies from other Free Cities. The challenge of the strong rising star banks knocked them down from the same level as themselves, re-established their unshakable financial center status, and made Braavos, which was almost in decline at the time, great again!

In ancient times, this is the proper "Lord of Resurgence"!
Gordon Gallonier's status and prestige in Braavos is no less than Tywin Lannister's in the Westerlands or House Lannister, the difference between the two is this: Gordon Gallonier didn't go against the grain Centralized power, and then slapped fiercely in the face by a youngster who popped up in his old age and rushed to the Wall. After he became famous, he voluntarily resigned as the chairman of the Keyholders Association and gave up the seat of oneself to the younger generation in the clan, leaving the power center to enjoy his old age (there is a rumor - "decisive decentralization" is also the main reason for his long and healthy life) .

And this series of reasons also led to: as an old man who is obviously no longer a member, he was able to convene the Keyholders meeting again in the name of oneself. There are so many departments and industries in the house. The powerful, don't even dare to put one more fart.

The current president of the Keyholders Association stood up and moved the first seat belonging to oneself to the side to make room for Gordon's wheelchair. The white-haired and wrinkled old man thanked him for nodded, swaying. It was not until the wheelchair was pushed to the table that he sat up with his hands folded and his face helplessly shaking his head, and the words were startling.

"The older generation has re-stabilized the country, I originally thought that no matter how stupid you are, it will be no problem to keep a generation."

"Who thinks, some people's Stupidity, and far surpasses my imagination!"

——

(end of this chapter)