Chapter 238 Preparations for the little devil
"Little Devil" Tyrion Lannister was wearing a thick wool coat, walking in the cold cellar.
"How far?" he asked.
"We are here, my lord." Holding a torch, the fireman Harlem led Tyrion deep into the ground of the Rhaenys Hill.
Tyrion walked patiently for a while, and finally came to a relatively spacious underground hall, with saltpeter all over the damp walls.
The pyromancer stopped at the entrance of the hall, left the torch outside, and walked in cautiously with only a sealed candle oil lamp.
It seems that fire must be treated with extreme caution here.
"My lord, look, this is the substance I told you about."
Tyrion picked up a pot and observed it carefully. It was a fiery red clay round pot, about the size of a palm.
"My lord, be careful, the shell of the clay is very brittle, don't break it." Pyromancer Harlem looked very nervous.
This attitude also made Tyrion cautious. He opened the bottle cap, looked at the green cloudy liquid inside, and asked:
"This is [Wildfire]?"
"Yes, my lord. This is the crystallization of the wisdom of the wise."
This is the madness of "Mad King". Tyrion grumbled to himself.
But now he needs this kind of thing, so he asked: "I heard that once this thing burns, even water can't put it out?"
"That's right. This substance can seep into cloth, wood, leather, and even steel, causing them to burn with them, even water can't douse them, until everything is reduced to ashes."
"Very good. I really like the crystallization of your wisdom. How many jars of this crystallization do you have?"
"About eight thousand cans."
"Eight thousand!" Tyrion was taken aback, "How could there be so many?"
Pyromancer smiled: "The Mad King liked this kind of thing very much, and we made a lot of it."
He hesitated for a moment, not daring to say that the Mad King asked them to bury this kind of thing in every corner of King's Landing, preparing to burn the whole city with a fire.
Tyrion curled his lips and said, "I need this kind of thing. The adults of the capital defense army will come to you later, and you are responsible for teaching them how to safely arrange and use [Wildfire]."
"Yes, my lord."
Leaving the cellar, Tyrion rode a pony to the Red Keep.
As soon as he arrived at the castle, he found a large number of ragged civilians gathered in the square outside the city gate, and they were crying for food.
The accompanying guards became tense, drew their swords, and drove away the civilians.
The gold-cloaked guards in the castle were also dispatched, and Tyrion was ushered in without any risk.
The food in King's Landing has started to have problems. Tyrion understood.
At this time, he could only be extremely thankful that his uncle had pulled away the fifty thousand young men.
Although he sympathizes with those starving civilians, he can't produce food, and now, he has more important things to deal with.
Suppressing these chaotic thoughts, Tyrion stepped into the drawing room of the Prime Minister's Tower, and a group of blacksmiths knelt down to greet him.
Tyrion climbed onto a seat that was a little high for him, motioned everyone to get up, and said:
"Masters, I summoned you here because I have a major task to entrust to you."
The blacksmiths exchanged glances with each other, and then one of them said:
"My lord, please give me your instructions."
Tyrion beckoned, and Bronn came over with a canvas bag and poured out the contents.
Metal clattered dully on the blanket.
"This is your task." Tyrion pointed to something on the ground, and said, "I need a thousand similar steel rings."
A blacksmith picked up the object on the ground and observed it carefully, and found that it was three thick steel chains connected to each other.
"My lord, what do you want this thing for?"
"Don't worry about that." Tyrion waved his hand and said, "I just ask if I can make a thousand in five days."
"It's not difficult to make this thing, but a thousand is a bit too much, and you asked to make it in five days, I'm afraid..."
"One thousand in five days. It must be done!" Tyrion said with a firm attitude, "I want every blacksmith in King's Landing to start making this thing, nonstop day and night, and put aside all other work."
The blacksmith wondered: "But my lord, Her Majesty the Queen Mother has ordered us to speed up the production of more armored knives and axes, saying that it will be used by the newly recruited gold robes..."
"Stop that one first." Tyrion said, "Fix the chain for me first."
"My lord, but Her Majesty the Queen Mother said that if the armor and weapons are not delivered on time, we will smash our hands."
"This kind of thing won't happen. I promise you." Tyrion said, secretly cursing Cersei for always making trouble for herself.
The blacksmiths were relieved, and then asked:
"My lord, the price of iron in the city has been getting higher and higher recently. Forging this chain requires a lot of pig iron and coke."
"Just tell me how much money you need." Tyrion promised, "Lannister, you must pay your debts."
After dealing with these blacksmiths, Tyrion didn't care about rest, got up and left the Prime Minister's Tower, and went to Maegor's Tower.
"Oh, Lancel, my dear cousin, I didn't expect you to have such a moving voice." Tyrion walked briskly to the bed on two short legs.
He suddenly felt worthless for his brother James.
This woman whom my brother loves so much, at his most difficult moment, unexpectedly found a substitute so quickly.
Hearing this sarcastic compliment, Lancel Lannister suddenly sullenly said, "Tyrion, has the queen summoned you?"
"No." Tyrion admitted, "I'm really sorry to disturb your elegant mood, but I really have something important to discuss with my sister."
Cersei was leaning lazily on the bed at this time, her feet were bare, her golden hair was fluffy and beautiful, she looked up, her beautiful green eyes sparkled with resentment:
"Dwarf, get out!"
"Dear sister, you look so charming tonight." Tyrion first flattered, and then said, "Before you drive me away, should you listen to what I have to say."
Cersei bit her red lips and said viciously:
"What good can you do?"
"It's really not a good thing." Tyrion shrugged, "But it's a matter of life and death, the life and death of all of us, so can you let me talk to you alone?"
Lancel didn't want to leave, but seeing the Queen Mother winking at him, he had no choice but to leave resentfully, but before leaving, he still gave his cousin a fierce look.
Hearing the door slam shut, Tyrion jumped onto the gorgeous bed and laughed:
"I heard Robert died in this bed, and you still have it?"
"It makes me dream again and again." Cersei kicked her younger brother off the bed, "Okay, if you have anything to say, hurry up and get out of here."
Tyrion got up from the ground, rubbed his knee that hurt from the fall, and turned his head, smiling unabated:
"I have received news that Stannis Baratheon has reorganized his army on Dragonstone Island, and it is estimated that he will launch an attack on King's Landing in five or six days."
Cersei jumped up from the bed, crying:
"Damn it! Then you're still here smiling like a pumpkin at a harvest feast! Has the city defense assembled? Has a message been sent to Harrenhal? And Kevan, he shouldn't have been allowed to lead the army before What a damned stormland!"
"Uncle Kevan's 'army' staying in King's Landing will only make the situation in the city worse." Tyrion waved his hand and comforted him, "Okay sister, don't worry, I've made arrangements, as long as Stannis Dare to come, I promise to turn all his fleet into fireworks."
"Really?" Cersei looked at her younger brother with extremely distrustful eyes, "What have you arranged?"
"Didn't I tell you, Fireworks. Oh, by the way, there is also an iron chain." Tyrion smiled mysteriously.
But this smile looked very hateful in Cersei's eyes, so she gave her brother a slap.
"Ow!" Tyrion covered his cheeks and protested angrily, "Do you know that I am trying to save the family and your life?"
"It's up to you." Cersei said disdainfully, "Aside from playing tricks, what else can you do?"
Tyrion was too lazy to bother with her, so he stated the purpose of the trip:
"I have asked the blacksmiths to serve me first, so your armors will wait for the time being."
"Are you asking me to wait?" Cersei was furious and wanted to slap her younger brother again.
This time Tyrion saw that the situation was not good, so he ran away quickly, saying:
"Cersei, father has warned you, listen to me in everything, if you don't want to be married off to the Iron Islands to serve that stinky old squid, you'd better be polite to me."
Hearing that her younger brother moved her father out, Cersei finally calmed down.
But her eyes still flashed with anger, obviously very unconvinced:
"Don't be complacent! Little devil, sooner or later, you will fall into my hands!"
Tyrion shrugged, not taking his sister's threats to heart, and said:
"One more thing. On the day of Stannis' siege, I will need to let the king go to the tower to show his face and boost morale."
"Don't even think about it!" Cersei was suddenly furious, and screamed amazingly.
Tyrion expected that his sister would object, but he didn't expect her reaction to be so intense. He tried to reassure him:
"Don't worry, Tommen is not going to fight. He just needs to appear at the top of the city in armor and under the protection of the Kingsguard. There will be no danger, I promise."
"Impossible!" Cersei still screamed, "You have taken one of my daughters, and now you want to take my last child! Don't you! Don't!"
Tyrion was also angry: "I didn't come to discuss with you, this matter must be done. Think carefully, if King's Landing is unfortunately breached, how can your son be safe? At that time, Stannis will take Tommen, You, and my head hang on the top of the city together."
"No, no!" Cersei broke down and cried.
This time Tyrion was dumbfounded.
He hadn't seen his sister cry in years, and even as a child in Casterly Rock, Cersei hadn't been a crying girl.
When the older sister is crying, the younger brother seems to be comforting her...but...this is Cersei...
Tyrion moved his short legs hesitantly, came to his sister, and patted her shoulder tentatively.
"Don't touch me!" Cersei twisted away.
Tyrion sighed, and said: "I swear to you, if something happens to Tommen, I will pay for his life. Is that all right?"
Cersei sniffed and said angrily:
"If only I was a man. Then I don't need you idiots! Father will give the power to me, not you idiot dwarf!"
Tyrion shrugged: "Okay, dear sister, the idiot dwarf is going to fight for the defense of the city. You should rest earlier. Also, I wish you a second child as soon as possible."
(end of this chapter)