Jason Liu had known for some time that King Robert would be coming, but he hadn't expected it to be so soon.
"Yes, Lord Jason, our information is absolutely reliable. His Majesty the King is traveling north to invite Lord Eddard Stark, Duke of Winterfell and Warden of the North, to become the new Hand of the King. This news has already spread across King's Landing!"
A wealthy merchant spoke with certainty.
He was so confident because this information came directly from one of his servants working in his shop in King's Landing. The servant had taken a fast boat to catch up with the merchant's fleet and relay the news.
Now, this piece of confidential information—soon to be common knowledge—was being shared with Lord Jason. It was an opportunity to win his favor.
After all, in this era of slow and unreliable communication, such inside knowledge about the affairs of Westeros was not something ordinary people could easily obtain.
Jason Liu appeared surprised, expressing his gratitude to the merchant, though inwardly he felt no particular excitement. However, since these men had access to some of the best intelligence in the capital, he saw no reason not to gather more useful information.
The merchant, eager to strengthen ties with Jason, was more than willing to answer his questions.
Through this conversation, Jason confirmed many details from his own knowledge of the story. For example, Lady Lysa Arryn, the widow of the late Hand of the King, Jon Arryn, had secretly left King's Landing. She had returned to the Eyrie in the Vale, taking her five-year-old son, Robert Arryn, with her.
King Robert was furious when he learned of this. However, remembering the loyalty and service Jon Arryn had shown him over the years, the king ultimately let the matter go. He merely cursed a few times, smashed a few jugs of wine, and chose not to pursue Lysa or demand the return of young Robert Arryn, whom he had sworn to protect.
Jason also learned that Queen Cersei's younger brother, the infamous Tyrion Lannister—known across Westeros as the "Imp"—had arrived in King's Landing. He had joined the king's procession heading north.
Then there was news about Stannis Baratheon, the king's second brother. Stannis, who commanded the Royal Fleet, had stationed himself at Dragonstone and refused to return to King's Landing despite the king's orders. Many believed Stannis was displeased that Robert had chosen Eddard Stark as the new Hand instead of him.
King Robert was undoubtedly aware of his brother's resentment. But being who he was, the king didn't concern himself too much with it.
Additionally, there were rumors about the last surviving Targaryens—Prince Viserys and Princess Daenerys—who had been sighted in Pentos across the Narrow Sea. These two were the only known heirs of the Mad King, Aerys II.
Jason compared this information with the events he remembered and found everything still unfolding according to the original story. So far, his presence in this world had not altered the main timeline.
That was to be expected. After all, he had spent the past few months in the winter market town outside Winterfell, focused solely on business. He had avoided making unnecessary trouble and had not interfered with key events, so there was no reason for anything to change drastically.
The only real difference was the introduction of modern conveniences like paper, pens, and soap, which had begun spreading across Westeros.
Did that count as a contribution to the cultural and hygienic advancement of Westeros?
Jason chuckled at the thought but quickly shifted his focus back to business.
A Lucrative Trade Deal
The merchants from King's Landing were eager to buy his goods, almost sweeping through his entire stock.
300,000 gel pens and 1.5 million refills for 10,500 golden dragons
2 million sheets of A4 paper and 100,000 sheets of A3 paper for 1,500 golden dragons
300,000 bars of soap and 1 million small soap pieces for 8,000 golden dragons
200,000 toothbrushes and 200,000 tubes of toothpaste for 4,000 golden dragons
The total transaction amounted to 24,000 golden dragons.
The nobles of King's Landing and the surrounding regions clearly had deep pockets. This single transaction would be enough to supply the entire capital and its neighboring territories.
Meanwhile, the merchants from Sunspear, the capital of Dorne, could only watch as the traders from King's Landing bought up most of the stock.
They managed to purchase:
60,000 gel pens and 370,000 refills for 2,450 golden dragons
300,000 sheets of A4 paper and 70,000 sheets of A3 paper for 500 golden dragons
30,000 bars of soap and 50,000 small soap pieces for 550 golden dragons
100,000 toothbrushes and 100,000 tubes of toothpaste for 2,000 golden dragons
Their total purchase came to 5,500 golden dragons—a much smaller amount compared to the King's Landing merchants. Still, they were eager to buy more, but unfortunately, the highly popular soap had sold out. They would have to wait for the next shipment.
It took over two hours to count and load all the goods.
Jason Liu secured the 29,500 golden dragons from the transactions in his personal safe.
After calculating his earnings—including money from carriages and lighting equipment ordered by the northern lords—Jason realized he now had close to 100,000 golden dragons.
That was a massive fortune!
It was probably half of the Stark family's entire cash reserves in Winterfell. In terms of liquid wealth, Jason was richer than several noble houses in the North, including those on Bear Island and Deepwood Motte.
With this much gold, he could now move forward with his ambitious plans—establishing a logging farm, purchasing trees from the Stark family, and even expanding his private forces.
Money gave him power and confidence!
Feeling pleased with himself, Jason turned to the merchants from King's Landing and Sunspear with a bright smile.
"Gentlemen, I have two other premium goods that I believe will interest you."
He spoke with an air of mystery, immediately capturing their attention.
Curious and eager, the merchants leaned in and asked what he had to offer.
Without wasting time, Jason led them to the castle's training yard. There, Barlow and a few stable hands unveiled two luxurious four-wheeled carriages—one large, one small.
"What a magnificent carriage!"
"It's so smooth—there's barely any bumping!"
"Incredible! This luxurious, steel-framed four-wheeled carriage will definitely be in high demand among the nobles in King's Landing!"
"Lord Jason, how many of these do you have? I want to buy ten of each!"
"I'll take five of each! These carriages are perfect for the nobility!"
Jason had once again captured the attention of Westeros's wealthiest merchants, and another lucrative deal was about to unfold.
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