Just then, a thin man in rough grey cloth walked in. His appearance was so ordinary that if he were thrown into a crowd, he might instantly disappear.
His name was 'Grey Rat', Alliser's helper. He was once an informant in Braavos, forced to flee after offending the Sealord, and was then discovered and recruited by Alliser.
"How are things in Westeros?" Viserys asked him.
Grey Rat's voice was hoarse, "Your Majesty, my lords. Robert Baratheon is now even more addicted to alcohol, reportedly drinking a barrel of wine every day. Jon Arryn's health is deteriorating daily, and he often coughs up blood. Tywin Lannister remains secluded in Casterly Rock, but the armies of the Westerlands are secretly mobilizing and deploying along the border."
"Hmm, very good. Continue to gather intelligence on Westeros. We are currently discussing adding some fuel to the fire in Westeros."
Grey Rat looked up, "Does Your Majesty mean...?"
"Rumors." Viserys's lips curved into an arc. "Rumors about the parentage of Robert's three children. Sometimes, rumors are sharper than any weapon."
Then Viserys orally outlined the general plan.
Through sailors on merchant ships and wandering singers, subtle rumors would be simultaneously spread in the five major ports of Westeros. The content should not be too direct, but it should make people thoughtful and then let their imaginations run wild.
"Golden hair, black hair, how strange. Can a stag and a lion produce pure golden lion cubs?"
"I heard the Queen was very close to her brother before she got married. Things like that."
Grey Rat quickly wrote it down, "These can be made into catchy rhymes and songs, making them easier to spread."
"Exactly." Viserys said, "Find a few reliable wandering singers, give them money, and teach them to compose ditties based on this content. The lyrics should be easy to remember."
Grey Rat thought for a moment and immediately hummed a few lines: "Three small lions in a golden den, manes shining like their uncle's. The stag bows its head, antlers thinning, unaware its nest was long stolen."
Viserys laughed upon hearing this. "Excellent. That's the tune. You can compose a few more versions and have them sung in different places. I didn't expect you to have such a talent."
"Your Majesty, I once had a very good friend who was a wandering singer; I learned all this from him. Do we need to send people to monitor the spread and reactions?"
"No." Viserys shook his head. "Let the rumors fly on their own. The wider they spread, the harder it will be to trace their source. However, be wary of other people's informants; don't let them catch anything."
Grey Rat nodded, preparing to leave. After all, with so many important figures present, there must be something significant to discuss.
"Wait." Viserys called him back. "One more thing. Secretly investigate Petyr Baelish's movements for me."
"Littlefinger?" Grey Rat frowned. "Your Majesty, that man is very cautious and slippery. And we previously intercepted some letters between him and Essos, but he used codes, so we couldn't decipher the content."
"I don't need to know the content of every letter, only who he communicates with and through whom it is delivered."
A flash of understanding crossed Grey Rat's eyes. "I understand, Your Majesty. I will do my best."
"Now, let's continue with our previous topic: how to thoroughly consolidate the conquered territories." His eyes swept over everyone at the table.
Duke Arthur Dayne sat at the head of the left side, dressed in deep grey casual clothes. Willem Darry was on the right, his fingers unconsciously rubbing a scratch on the table. Jon Clinton sat next to Arthur, his gaze as sharp as a newly sharpened knife.
Seeing that they remained silent, Viserys spoke first.
"Then let's definitively establish the territories." Viserys picked up a charcoal pen and circled on the map. "The Free Bay Province remains unchanged, Ser Arthur, you are still the governor."
"Yes, Your Majesty." Arthur nodded slightly, without any superfluous expression.
"Volantis and Sothoryos need a temporary governor. I nominate Ser Charlie Lonmouth."
The three of them exchanged glances, then expressed their approval. Charlie Lonmouth was a knight who had followed them since their time on Dragonstone. He lost an arm during the attack on Yunkai, but he was intelligent and relatively fair in his dealings with people and matters.
"Let's appoint him for a one-year probationary period." Viserys continued, "If he does well, the governorship of the Volantis Province will be his. If not, we'll replace him and continue the evaluation. Clinton."
The red-haired man looked up.
"I promised you before, so now Tyrosh and Myr are merged to form the Narrow Sea Province, and you will be its governor. The Golden Company will be reorganized into the 'Golden Legion,' with a strength of fifteen thousand men, also under your command."
Clinton hesitated before saying, "Your Majesty, the people of Myr hate me to the bone."
"Then let them hate you a little more." Viserys's voice was calm. "Or let them learn to revere you. You can choose, with a sword or with your mind. But I suggest the former, as sometimes talking nicely is useless."
"Qarth will still be temporarily managed by Ser Craster Stone, but like Valyria, it will be directly under the King."
Duke William then spoke, "Your Majesty, isn't this structure a bit too loose?"
"That's why we need rules." Viserys interrupted him. "I've set three levels. Those directly under the King will be ruled by the Royal Family. Each province will have autonomy but must abide by the Empire's fundamental laws, pay taxes, and respond to calls to arms during wartime. The remaining Free Cities can be bound by trade treaties."
"Moreover, the armies of the various city-states will be restricted. Besides Ser Clinton's Golden Legion, the dothraki will be reorganized into the'Storm Legion,' with Moro as commander, directly under the Crown. The Unsullied will all be incorporated into the Royal Guard Legion, stationed in Valyria. For the Free Folk Legions, each city-state will only have a quota of five thousand men during peacetime, and no more than fifty thousand during wartime."
"Most importantly, the Empire will unify its currency: the Dragon Coin." Viserys pulled three coins from his pocket and threw them onto the table.
One gold, one silver, and one copper coin. Each bore the engraving of a three-headed dragon on the front and a simplified outline of the Valyrian Peninsula on the back.
"The exchange rate for gold, silver, and copper dragon coin is one to ten to one thousand. The guarantee is Valyria's treasure. I estimate that issuing ten million gold dragon coin is not a problem. The various existing miscellaneous currencies of the city-states will be gradually recalled and re-minted. Merchants coming to trade must also be made to accept and use the Empire's dragon coin."
Arthur frowned, "Will they accept them?"
"They will." Viserys said, "Because from now on, all imperial taxes and official procurements will only use dragon coin. Unless they don't want to do business, they can choose not to."
"Also, an empire cannot be governed by illiterates." Viserys said, "I want to establish an 'Imperial Academy' in every city-state. The first batch will recruit children aged six to twelve, regardless of origin, to teach the Common Tongue, basic arithmetic, and imperial law. Those who pass the assessment upon graduation can enter the provinces as scribes, handle government affairs, or be recommended as squires to nobles."
"These children will be the grassroots of the Empire in the future. Their loyalty to the Empire will be far more reliable than those who surrendered. Moreover, the academy will teach Valyrian history, focusing on the glory of the Targaryen Family and how dragons will bring order and prosperity. This is called 'loyalty education.'"
The meeting lasted a long time. Once Viserys had laid out the general framework, the remaining details were filled in by the few of them together. As night fell, the various resolutions had largely taken shape, and the skeleton of a vast empire gradually became clear.
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