Aegon listened patiently to Lord Buckwell's account and finally understood the main sources of the "trouble"—morale and military pay.
These two points, though seemingly simple, required a lengthy explanation.
***
When the coalition army's over thirty thousand soldiers, following King Robert's command, rushed out of the main camp to various locations, dispersing into groups of several thousand to besiege the numerous castles and strongholds outside the Vale of Arryn, a strange situation arose: no matter which family's castle it was, as soon as the army arrived, before even establishing a firm foothold, the surrender flag would immediately be raised on the battlements. When the army loyal to Robert cautiously entered the city, they were dumbfounded: only a few servants responsible for cleaning and guarding were left inside the castle. Regardless of whether they were core or non-core, important or not... any family members with status had already left the castles with their valuables and disappeared without a trace when Robert was reorganizing the Crownlands army outside King's Landing. It was estimated that they were already safe within the Vale of Arryn by now.
Not getting valuable war spoils was acceptable; the Six Kingdoms weren't gathered here for looting—but without noble captives, there was no way to demand ransom, much less force the "rebels" to surrender using hostages. Robert's plan to pressure the League of the Righteous by clearing strongholds had failed. If he still refused to compromise, the only option was to assault the Bloody Gate.
If they wanted to launch an assault, difficulties arose: as the saying goes, strike while the iron is hot, then slacken, then exhaust. The coalition army had been stationed in the fertile plain outside the Bloody Gate for ten days to a month. Apart from the first two days when Robert personally commanded the army in a few decent assaults, later on, the nobles ate and drank lavishly, formed connections, and discussed marriages, while the soldiers spent their days reading novels and explicit books or even holding jousts to pass the time, only taking to the field once every six days. Even when it was their turn, it was like an exercise, charging forward to shoot some arrows, forcing a few casualties, and immediately sounding the retreat...
After several such rounds, the shortcomings in the army's structure and training level were immediately exposed: Robert's reputation was indeed extremely high and shook the world, but this kind of morale, sustained by the ruler's personal fame and charisma, was not long-lasting. Facing a dangerous pass like the Bloody Gate, if they didn't immediately fight to the death and delayed even slightly, the soldiers' fighting spirit would drain away like water from a bamboo basket.
If they had used human wave tactics from the start, disregarding casualties, and were willing to pay the price of several thousand or even ten thousand casualties, Robert might already be in the Eyrie giving some Vale girls a 'coming of age' ceremony. But now, even organizing a strong assault might be somewhat difficult.
...
Morale was the lesser of the two major troubles. Although it had decreased significantly due to the lack of success in assaults, at least they hadn't suffered any major defeats that would drop it into negative values. With excellent generals from the Six Kingdoms gathered here, they could probably figure out a way to boost it. But the other trouble was more practical: military pay.
In this era of Westeros, joining the army when a lord issued a levy was considered a public "corvée" that the populace should fulfill. The rewards for responders mainly came from seizing war spoils, rewards from the lord after victory, tax exemptions for their families that year, and promotions after meritorious service.
Except for personal guards and standing garrison troops, most peasants levied during wartime did not receive military pay. A wealthier lord might provide equipment; in poorer areas like the North, even weapons had to be brought by the soldiers themselves—peasants fought for nobles, essentially risking their lives for free until victory!
Existence is reasonable; this seemingly unreasonable system of levied soldiers could be implemented because it had limitations: it was only applicable for defensive operations within the lord's territory to protect their homeland, and only for a limited time, that military pay could be completely withheld. This time, the army of the Six Kingdoms left their homes and came to the Vale to put down the rebellion for King Robert and Lord Arryn. Not only did the lords have to bear the cost of travel and transportation, but once the time limit was exceeded, they also had to pay military pay!
According to the different customs and traditions of various regions, the time limit for levied soldiers in the Six Kingdoms ranged from forty to sixty days. Aegon had been so busy promoting the Night's Watch Industry that he hadn't noticed the passage of time, but in reality, this rebellion suppression war had unknowingly exceeded the time limit, and the lords from various regions were about to start worrying about military pay!
And this was why Robert had Littlefinger go to the Iron Bank to borrow money in advance—not only would the soldiers the King himself levied from King's Landing demand money, but the military pay the lords paid to the soldiers after the time limit, legally speaking, they also had the right to demand reimbursement from the King!
***
"The Master of Coin defected?"
"It can't be considered a defection. Petyr disappeared as soon as he disembarked in Braavos; he didn't take the loan from the Iron Bank... At most, it can only be considered fleeing in fear of punishment." Lord Buckwell sighed, "This matter is very troublesome, and it's not just the problem of not getting the loan. I heard that the Iron Bank is preparing to send people to King's Landing to investigate the financial situation of the Iron Throne."
Aegon had expected that Littlefinger wouldn't dare to touch the Iron Bank's wealth. The rulers of Braavos deliberately built up the Faceless Men's reputation and deterrent power precisely to use them at critical moments. He shrugged, "If I were the Iron Bank, I'd also be nervous if something like this happened to a client."
"And that's not all. Littlefinger's flight is tantamount to admitting guilt, telling everyone that Lysa Tully did indeed conspire with him to murder the old Lord Arryn... Now, even our rebellion suppression coalition army is in a dilemma."
Aegon nodded thoughtfully, "It is indeed troublesome. If it were me, I would definitely choose to accept the League of the Righteous's terms and end the war honorably."
"But Your Majesty is not you after all." Lord Buckwell shook his head with a bitter smile.
Aegon also smiled; he could imagine Robert's furious reaction in the war council. Such a blatant slap in the face would likely make Westeros's most short-tempered 'old brother' completely lose his mind. Now, he would be even less likely to accept a compromise. "But there really isn't any money. He can't force the lords of various kingdoms to keep people here just to make up numbers, can he? The rules of the game don't allow for that."
"Indeed, it's not allowed. Robb Stark... I don't know if you know him, the Hand of the King's son, has already stated in the war council that he will first dismiss some of the peasant soldiers with insufficient training level to go home and farm. He himself will lead the remaining knights and the elites from various houses to continue assisting."
Ultimately, it boils down to the issue of productivity—society in this era cannot support 1% of the total male youth population being long-term non-productive. Reality is this harsh; even in a world with magic, fundamental laws must still be followed.
...
"The Stark family is not only a great contributor in Robert's eyes, but they also didn't take too many benefits after His Majesty overthrew the Targaryen family. For such a meritorious family, Robert has no reason to force them to stay and do hard labor for him." Aegon suddenly understood, vaguely realizing the predicament Lord Buckwell was facing: the treatment of meritorious officials and guilty officials would be completely different.
"That's right, the Stark family and the Tully family are His Majesty's loyal allies. His Majesty cannot force them to stay and risk their lives without pay." The old man frowned tightly, "The Tully family is alright; Lady Lysa, who is trapped in the Eyrie, is family, so at the very least they will keep ten thousand people here to maintain appearances. But the Stark family... if they can even keep five thousand people here, it would show remarkable loyalty. In the North, if they miss the crucial farming season, people will starve."
"Let me predict—the army from the Stormlands will probably also shrink by half, but since they are the King's own family, the elites should not leave; the Lannisters are the King's in-laws and are not short of money, so they should hold their ground, but the cost of military pay will definitely be added to the debt His Majesty owes Lord Tywin." Aegon's mind stirred, the brain that hadn't been used in the jousting earlier began to work, and he continued his analysis, "The only army that might just pack up and leave is the Dornish. The Martell family has always been indifferent to the Iron Throne. They sent troops out of legal and moral obligation, but when the levy period is up and the King can't provide military pay, I'm afraid they'll leave in groups within a few days. As for the Tyrell family... they are trying every means to get into the center of power in King's Landing, so they definitely won't give up this opportunity to perform. Seven Gods... I finally understand why the Riverlands has so many people, yet Highgarden only sent five thousand elites. It's because this way they can continuously perform hymns of loyalty under the King's nose without having to pay too much military pay!"
The rules of the game are simple and blunt: if the King is fighting a war and you don't go, you are a rebel, which gives others leverage. But once the time is up, staying is loyalty, and going home to farm is perfectly fine—the King can resent you and make things difficult for you because of this, but he cannot make a fuss about it to cause trouble! The problem is: among the Seven Kingdoms, only Dorne is not afraid of Robert's resentment!
The North sent ten thousand people, half left mid-war leaving five thousand. Robert might not say it to their face, but he might feel uncomfortable inside. However, Highgarden only sent five thousand but persisted until the end, and they might even win the King's good impression. What clever scheme! The human heart is such a strange thing. One wonders if the Tyrell family stumbled upon this strategy by chance or if they calculated it so precisely?
"You are absolutely right, but you missed the houses of the Crownlands." Lord Buckwell nodded in agreement with Aegon's analysis, "We not only sided incorrectly during His Majesty's rebellion but are also directly under the Iron Throne's jurisdiction. This is an opportunity for us to atone for our sins by performing meritorious service and showing loyalty. Not only do we not dare to leave, but we hardly dare to ask the King for the military pay either!"
...
Damn it, if it weren't for Yoren and Lord Buckwell being present, Aegon would have slapped his thigh—he suddenly realized that this rebellion suppression war had gotten somewhat out of control due to Robert's absurd actions. Now, its outcome was no longer unrelated to his own interests!
"How long can Buckwell's resources last?"
"Fortunately, the Tyrell family covered the provisions, which relieved a lot of pressure. I calculated that we can last a month without problem. By selling off some family property, the limit is two months. Beyond that, let alone fulfilling the investment I promised you, even my own family will have to borrow money to eat."
Trouble, it's truly trouble. Among the clients Aegon had already secured, many were nobles from the Riverlands and the Crownlands. If the armies from these two regions burned their own money to hold on because they didn't dare offend Robert, soon, countless sums of money that should have been invested in the Night's Watch Industry would completely evaporate because they were trapped in the quagmire of war. Although the money didn't disappear, it would be extremely difficult to extract it from the soldiers' hands.
For an entrepreneur, a businessman, this was an unbearable loss!
Aegon took a breath, the air making a "hiss—" sound as it passed through his teeth. After thinking for a while, he clenched his fist: position determines perspective. For the sake of profit, he had to interfere slightly.
"Alright, I'll give you an idea. You can present it to the King at the next war council. It might end the war sooner and reduce losses."
—