Aegor had no personal experience sailing between Westeros and Essos, but he had long heard of the terrible weather and sea conditions of the Narrow Sea. What was more, from Braavos to the Gift, the fleet had to travel much farther than just across the Narrow Sea. Even after successfully crossing the storm-ridden northern Narrow Sea, the ships would still have to sail thousands of miles along the eastern coast of the North through the endless Shivering Sea to finally reach the easternmost point of the Wall.
In this age, a voyage of several dozen days would exhaust the strength and patience of any captain or sailor. No ship would be willing to travel thousands of miles only to be forced to wait at sea outside the port upon arrival because the one meant to receive them could not control the port, especially after they had already received the Iron Bank's freight.
The Braavosi grain ships were bound to arrive at Eastwatch-by-the-Sea in the coming days. And he not only had to do everything possible to ensure these loaned grains were successfully unloaded, but also ensure they were not seized by the conservatives, and that they were transported to Crown Town and added to the granaries for the resettlement plan. Perhaps not all the Free Folk loved the King-Beyond-the-Wall, but every one of them absolutely needed food. If there was a problem with the food supply, the trouble would be far greater than an assassination attempt on Mance Rayder.
The crucial point was that before he officially won the election for Lord Commander, he was not the superior of the Commander of Eastwatch-by-the-Sea. At this moment, he could only request cooperation as Chief Logistics Officer, a peer. This meant that if Cotter Pyke wanted to cause trouble, he could openly oppose him without even needing to think up an excuse.
Two paths lay before Aegor: negotiate with his opponent, paying a price to ensure that he would not interfere, or find a way to deal with him so that it became impossible for him to become a problem.
Reason told Aegor that he should at least try the former option first, but intuition made him recall another matter, one that was not entirely related.
Back in King's Landing, he had been similarly forced to offend others and had his weakness seized, leaving him in a passive position. When the Night's Watch Industry clashed with the City Watch Commander of King's Landing and communication broke down, leading to conflict, Tyrion Lannister had used his "noble" style, or rather, "politician's" style of strategy to deal with the enemy. He had advanced steadily and cautiously, relying on the greater trend to push Janos Slynt, step by step, into a corner. It had been a textbook example of political maneuvering.
But what had been the final outcome?
Just when it seemed a complete victory was within reach, the opponent's desperate counterattack had almost succeeded in turning the tables. Aegor had nearly lost his life, and it was only with the help of experts and friends that he had managed to avert disaster.
The world is unpredictable. Conservative, safe, and rational approaches are not necessarily the best choices at crucial moments where no mistakes can be afforded.
Choosing negotiation leaves the outcome half dependent on the other party's thoughts. Choosing to deal with an opponent places the situation entirely under one's own control. It is difficult to judge which is better without knowing the circumstances, but this time, a voice deep inside him made Aegor decide instantly.
He chose to take the initiative.
---
"Joy, go pour a drink for our brother from Crown Town." Aegor lowered his hands from his head, leaned back into the chair, and motioned for the messenger not to rush. "Let me think for a moment, then I will give you a reply."
As an employee of the Night's Watch Industry, how could the messenger dare to rush his superior? The attendant poured hot drinks for both of them. The messenger held the cup, sipping slowly, waiting quietly.
The key to striking first lies in the word "first." Having chosen this path, he had to be fast. Aegor cleared his mind of everything irrelevant and devoted all his thoughts to devising a plan.
Time passed second by second. About half an hour passed in reality, but to the waiting man, it felt like a century. Aegor finally broke out of his statue-like state, looked up, and asked, "What exactly did the Iron Bank envoy say? Does Castle Black know about the impending arrival of the grain ships?"
"The ones who came this time are the 'observers' mentioned in the contract you signed with the Iron Bank, my lord. Their task is to supervise the Night's Watch and ensure the loan is used to defend the Wall and protect the Seven Kingdoms, rather than being embezzled or misappropriated by the high command. There are eight envoys in total, two groups of four, stationed at the three major castles and Crown Town. As for the task of transporting the grain, the Iron Bank outsourced it to a Braavosi fleet. They are not directly connected to the Iron Bank."
It was not a direct answer, but Aegor quickly extracted the information he needed from the other man's words. "I see. Can I take it to mean that the news about the grain ships this time is just a friendly reminder from one of the two 'observers' sent to Crown Town, and not an official notification from the Iron Bank to the Night's Watch?"
"Yes, my lord. That envoy also said that the ship carrying them has little connection with the grain fleet. They did not depart on the same day, nor from the same port. He was simply giving you a personal reminder that you need to prepare in advance."
Excellent. If that was the case, Aegor could assume optimistically that Cotter Pyke, currently at Castle Black, had not received the news before him. Given that he was still dueling Jaime beneath Hardin's Tower this morning, just packing up and preparing would take half a day. The weather along the Wall was terrible now, so he was unlikely to travel back to his base at night through the wind and snow.
Furthermore, messages sent by raven had to be reviewed by a Maester, and using home advantage to deal with someone was hardly an honorable move. Even if Cotter learned about the arrival of the grain ships and decided to cause trouble, he would most likely choose to return in person to take charge, rather than using Castle Black's ravens to notify his subordinates at Eastwatch-by-the-Sea to prepare.
He still had a chance to seize the initiative.
Thinking of this, Aegor suddenly felt something strange. How was it that the people from the Iron Bank always seemed to help him by chance? Was it Jaqen H'ghar, who had changed his identity and knew him, lending a hidden hand, or was it for some other reason?
"How much grain is in this shipment?"
"Not sure, but the Iron Bank envoy said it is worth about ten thousand gold dragons. If we budget carefully, it will be enough for the entire Gift to eat for two or three months."
The Iron Bank was indeed generous, shipping so much grain in the first batch. The Gift itself had reserves of meat and vegetables. Through hunting, gathering, and buying as much as possible from the North and the Riverlands, this first batch of loaned grain could sustain the entire Gift for half a year.
With such a large quantity, nothing could be allowed to go wrong. There was no need to hesitate any longer.
Aegor looked up at the Night's Watch Industry employee before him, a man he had personally brought from King's Landing. The face looked somewhat familiar, but he could not recall the name, and he realized he was being a bit impolite. "Very well, young man, what is your name?"
"Kent, my lord."
"Kent, ravens do not fly at night," Aegor said with a serious expression. "Yam sent you here by fast horse today to report to me, which means he thinks you are reliable. Now, I am going to give you a difficult task, an opportunity to prove your ability. It will require you to travel all night without rest. Are you ready?"
Speaking face-to-face with the big boss for the first time, and being entrusted with a heavy responsibility, the young man's blood immediately boiled. He clenched his fists and sprang to his feet. "I am willing to serve, my lord!"
"Sit down. I will now issue several transfer orders and certifications. You need to rush back to Crown Town tonight as quickly as possible to deliver them to Yam and Humfrey, and inform them of the details of my plan." Aegor took out paper, a pen, and an inkpad, and began writing as he spoke, quickly finishing the first one. "This one: have Yam mobilize all available troops in Crown Town right now, veterans and recruits alike, the more the better. They are to depart tonight along the King's Road heading north, and arrive before dawn to surround Castle Black. Block the gate, guard the entire perimeter wall, and do not let even a mouse leave Castle Black before I finish accompanying the Northerners on their inspection and return."
"Ah?" Kent was startled. He had thought the so-called difficult task was just to deliver another urgent message. Who would have thought this was the posture of a mutiny? Tense, he immediately began to stammer. "But... L-Lord, what are we going to do? Are we going to war with the Night's Watch garrison there? Although Castle Black only has five hundred men, they are all veterans. Crown Town is probably no match for them."
"You do not need to be a match. This is not a combat mission, just a blockade. The core task is to ensure that Cotter Pyke cannot return to Eastwatch-by-the-Sea." No matter how strong the soldiers, without a leader, they are just scattered sand. Moreover, how could the soldiers at Eastwatch-by-the-Sea be called dragons? Aegor shook his head. "Doing this requires a reason. We will claim it is the order of Robb Stark, Warden of the North. No one is allowed to leave Castle Black before Lord Stark returns to deal with today's Night's Watch infighting."
"Did Lord Stark really give this order?"
What a foolish question. Aegor rolled his eyes, but at this critical moment, he could not scold him for being stupid. "No, but I can say I thought he hinted at it, that I misinterpreted his intentions, that I 'got the wrong idea,' understand? We absolutely cannot make a move. This is very important. If there are no casualties, I can handle it. Tell Yam that the Kingslayer can participate to show support, but be sure to have a calm and cautious person lead and command the team. No mistakes are allowed."
Kent nodded, trembling. "Understood. But what about the top of the Wall? If Castle Black is blockaded, Lord Cotter can still return to Eastwatch-by-the-Sea via the ice path on top of the Wall, can't he?"
Indeed. It seemed this young man was not as stupid as Aegor had thought.
"That is not a problem. So, the second task is to send word to the two major Mountain Clans stationed at Queen's Gate and Black Sable Hall to also block the east-west passages on top of the Wall at Castle Black." Aegor nodded, acknowledging the reminder, and quickly finished writing the second document. "Not only do we need to prevent Cotter Pyke from leaving Castle Black to return to Eastwatch-by-the-Sea, I also need to prevent anyone inside Castle Black from sending word of what is happening there."
"Understood." The panic gradually subsided, and Aegor's decisive expression inspired Kent. A sense of passion refilled his entire body, and he nodded heavily. "But Castle Black has many ravens. People cannot leave, but what if they send messages by raven?"
"Out of the nineteen castles along the Wall, sixteen of the ravenries are under my control. The only one I need to worry about is Ser Denys Mallister's Shadow Tower. But that old fox sees the situation more clearly than anyone else in the Night's Watch." Aegor narrowed his eyes. "I hope he will be wise and adapt to the circumstances, but if not, I will have an explanation for Robb Stark. You do not need to worry about that."
Aegor decided that later, at the Flint Clan welcome dinner, he would first give Robb a heads-up, revealing a little about the impending arrival of the Iron Bank's grain ships, while subtly expressing his concern that "that small group of volatile individuals" might tamper with the food, and telling him that he planned to take preventative measures. This way, if the news could not be kept hidden and Robb found out beforehand, Aegor would have an excuse for his actions.
But that was something to consider later. For now, his hands did not stop, and he quickly signed the third transfer order.
"This one is the plan for Eastwatch-by-the-Sea. After you return to Crown Town, have Yam gather the warriors blockading Castle Black, then have Humfrey arrange a transport team overnight, and organize another shipment of meat. Depart overnight for Eastwatch-by-the-Sea in the name of rewarding the garrison. When passing Black Sable Hall and the Beacon Tower along the way, gather as many Mountain Clans warriors as possible from these two castles. Eastwatch-by-the-Sea has two hundred Night's Watchmen, and we need a similar number of people to ensure control of the port," Aegor said. "If so many people go directly, it might arouse suspicion. We can consider letting the transport team enter Eastwatch-by-the-Sea first, and then coordinate from inside and outside to open the gate. Regardless of the method, the goal is to get our people inside the walls of Eastwatch-by-the-Sea and control the port to ensure we have control of the situation when the grain ships arrive."
Walls surrounded every castle along the Wall, so Aegor could easily prevent Cotter Pyke from leaving simply by blockading the gate of Castle Black. However, he also faced the predicament of potentially being unable to enter Eastwatch-by-the-Sea. Now, he could only hope that the advantage of seizing the initiative would be enough.
"All right, repeat what I need you to do."
"One, return to Crown Town tonight, and on the way, notify the two Mountain Clans castles adjacent to Castle Black to cut off the passages on top of the Wall. Two, upon arrival, inform Lord Yam to mobilize troops overnight to surround and blockade Castle Black, and absolutely prevent Lord Cotter Pyke from returning to Eastwatch-by-the-Sea. Three, have Lord Humfrey organize a transport team to Eastwatch-by-the-Sea, trick open the castle gate, control the port, and ensure smooth unloading when the grain ships arrive."
"Very complete. Remember, mobilizing troops is a means of deterrence. I do not want any direct conflict or casualties. If it is absolutely unavoidable, the impact must be kept to a minimum. For this, tell Yam and Humfrey: in this operation, try not to use the New Gift People. The people participating in the operation should be recruited from the Logistics Department, Night's Watch Industry employees, and the Mountain Clans."
"But… to ensure sufficient deterrence, we need to mobilize at least a thousand warriors. The Mountain Clans people from Crown Town and east of Castle Black cannot provide that many, can they?"
"Then find smart and reliable New Gift People to impersonate Mountain Clansmen. Anyway, they look similar. But outwardly, we must still announce that everyone is a Mountain Clans warrior, lest someone say that I not only let Free Folk in, but also helped them deal with their own brothers."
"Understood." Kent nodded with a serious expression, though he still seemed a bit hesitant. "But my lord… it is just a batch of grain. Is it necessary for us to take such a big risk? You already have a lead in the election and are about to win. If you do this now, will many Night's Watchmen not think it reckless and cause you to lose a lot of votes?"
Kent's concern was reasonable, but Aegor knew that a commander could not show hesitation in front of his subordinates.
"If I had to feed four hundred people, the Night's Watch Industry could occasionally ship some grain from King's Landing. If I had to feed four thousand people, as long as I maintained good relations with the North and the Riverlands, they could support such grain consumption. But now I have to feed forty thousand people. Do you understand what that means? The North and the Riverlands need to save grain for winter, and the Reach, which has a surplus, cannot possibly help. If there is a problem with the loaned grain, even if I had immense power, I cannot conjure food out of nothing. I would only be able to watch the small society of the Wall and the Gift that I worked so hard to build collapse, descend into chaos, and turn into a living hell. Yes, doing this is quite risky and very detrimental to my campaign for Lord Commander, but compared to the risk of tens of thousands of people starving, rebelling, killing each other, and the Gift being devastated, I am willing to bear the consequences. Now, I need you to execute the order. Do you understand?"
Although he still had doubts, the training he had received in King's Landing and the instinct to obey orders developed over more than a year of work took over. Kent stood up, straightened his chest, and said, "Yes, my lord! I will depart immediately!"
"Do not rush. Although time is tight, this little bit will not make a difference. Since you have decided to stay up all night, you cannot travel on an empty stomach." Aegor also stood up. "I will take you to see Lord Flint now and have him arrange a team of guards for you, in case of any accidents that could ruin this important mission. Then, have Joy take you to the kitchen. Eat whatever you want, fill your stomach, and then depart. As long as you are still breathing, deliver the order to me."
(To be continued.)
***
For every 200 PS = 1 extra chapter. Support me on P/treon to read 30+ advanced chapters: p-atreon.c-om/Blownleaves
(Just remove the hyphen to access normally.)