Everyone in the hall saw Jenny faint.
Lord Tywin's expression remained unchanged.
Earl Gavin trotted over to Jenny, his face beaming. "I'm sorry, Your Grace, Sir Gregor, and all of you. I'm just a little weak and can't get excited. When I get excited, I easily... my body goes weak. It's all because I'm happy. It's alright, it'll be fine soon."
Amidst Lord Gavin's incoherent ramblings, he helped the Lannister maids escort Janie Westerling out of the hall and into the Maester's Tower.
Lord Tywin Lannister's gaze swept across the hall, and the hall fell silent once more.
"Sir Gregor, my daughter Jenny may be suffering from a minor ailment..."
"Your Grace, Gregor thanks you for the marriage. The Clegane family is deeply grateful," Gregor said hastily. He sensed that Duke Tywin was about to offer a 'tactful' explanation, which was unacceptable.
Jenny is a wonderful wife, incredibly talented and beautiful. What's the point of a man if he doesn't marry someone like her?
Even though she fainted upon hearing about the arranged marriage, that didn't mean she should give up. After all, feelings can be cultivated gradually once two people are married!
Inside the hall, all the young, unmarried nobles felt sorry for Jenny, though perhaps not for her, but for themselves.
There were no noblewomen or ladies-in-waiting in the hall. The Westerlands' administrative hall differed from the throne room in Winterfell's Red Keep. In the throne room, during each administrative meeting, besides over a hundred high-ranking nobles and generals, there were also many noblewomen and ladies-in-waiting. But in the Westerlands' administrative hall, Tywin Lannister did not allow his vassals to bring their wives and daughters to participate in any administrative affairs.
Jenny Westerling is an exception today; her presence beside Lord Tywin is itself part of Lord Tywin's political agenda for the day.
The counts, barons, and knights all harbored complex emotions, a mixture of envy, jealousy, and resentment. Jenny Westerling was incomparably beautiful and exceptionally talented. She was picky and unsuccessful in choosing men, but in the end, she married the most infamous man in the Westerlands, the Mountain.
It's worth noting that the Mountain had two wives, both of whom died from broken necks after accidentally falling while walking. Whether they were tortured to death or simply fell and broke their necks, the nobles had differing opinions.
In the hall, dozens of nobles, young and old, were filled with remorse.
They made a bet with the Mountain that Jenny would marry Adeau Sallow instead of the Mountain. After the betting began yesterday, more and more people joined in, and in the end, everyone except Sweet-Talking Ralph and a few drunken guys bet on the Mountain to win; everyone else bet on Sir Adeau to win.
Sir Adorno himself also placed a big bet: Golden Leaf Bay within the Silverhall estate.
Goldenleaf Bay is located at the westernmost edge of Silver Hall, near Clegane's territory, and has remained unmined to this day. Gregor, harboring treacherous intentions, investigated and discovered that Goldenleaf Bay possessed abundant gold reserves. However, Goldenleaf Bay is a small area, merely a corner of Silver Hall's rich gold mines.
The stone slabs that Gregor used to build Crigan Village came from the western stone embankment of Golden Leaf Bay. After the stone slabs were quarried from the embankment, a tunnel was dug downwards, and after a bend, it led into the mining area of Golden Leaf Bay.
Regardless of whether Ador made the bet or not, Golden Leaf Bay was a piece of fat meat right in Gregor's mouth, and he was already determined to have it.
If we win the bet, then we can mine it legitimately and openly.
Even if you lose the bet, or if you don't fall for it at all and don't bet with Gregor, Gregor will still mine, but he'll do it at night and sleep during the day.
One heart, two plans!
Gregor won big in this gamble. Goldleaf Bay became the permanent territory of the Clegane family. If they ever needed money in the future, they could simply dig a hole at the edge of Goldleaf Bay, turn a corner, and enter the Saloth family's gold mine for a quick and easy steal.
Ador Salomon stood in the ranks of the knights, his face ashen.
He was heartbroken to lose Golden Bay, but he was even more heartbroken to lose Jenny Westerling.
Last night, he and Jenny briefly brushed past each other at the Lannister restaurant. Although they only exchanged a few words while standing, they understood each other perfectly and realized their feelings for one another through their passionate gazes.
Back in his room last night, Adoo couldn't sleep a wink, partly due to the alcohol and partly because of Jenny. When Earl Gavin came to propose last time, he hadn't brought Jenny along, so Adoo hadn't seen her in person, only heard of her beauty and talent. After meeting her at the ceremony, he realized that seeing is believing. If he had known Jenny was so beautiful, he would have surely persuaded his parents to agree to the marriage last time.
For a hot-blooded young man, a girl's beauty, if overwhelming enough, can make him overlook her impoverished family background. Besides, the Salomon family is never short of money.
"Hey!" A strong young nobleman next to him nudged Adu lightly. "You made me lose fifty gold dragons to the Mountain, you son of a bitch."
The one who started the insults was Liller Krech from the Rail Hall.
The Kreh family is known for its toughness and strength.
Sir Liller Kreeh was the second son of the Earl of Kreeh. Of the three brothers, he was the tallest and strongest, and was nicknamed "Strong Pig".
His clothes were decorated with a black and white wild boar on a brown background, which was also his family crest.
Although Zhuangzhu was cursing Yadu, it was only mouthing the words.
In the Duke of Tywin's government hall, no one dared to shout or curse at another person.
Ador was in an extremely bad mood; if they weren't in the government hall, he would have already plunged his sword into the belly of the burly pig. But who would dare to act recklessly while Duke Tywin was holding a government meeting?
Nobody dares to.
Adu suppressed his anger and immediately mouthed the challenge: "Idiot, let's duel!"
"Get lost!" the burly pig retorted angrily. "I'd rather lose fifty gold dragons than take your life."
"But I want your life!" Ador was furious.
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"Fine, I'll grant your wish." The strong pig's personality was inherently volatile.
Duke Tywin Lannister was seated very high, seven steps above, looking down over everyone in the hall.
"Sir Leehe," Tywin shouted.
The voice wasn't loud, but it sounded like a thunderclap in the pig's ears.
Being singled out by Duke Tywin is not a good thing.
Lihe Kreh quickly stepped out of the line, placed his right fist on his left chest, and bowed to the lord.
"What are you talking about?" Tywin looked calmly at the burly pig with his pale green eyes.
The burly pig was so frightened that cold sweat broke out on his back. His father, Count Kreh, was also in a panic, his eyes wide with anger as he glared at his arrogant son.
"Your Grace, I was just delighted with the engagement of Lord Gregor and Miss Jenny. I was wondering what kind of gift I should give to them to be worthy of their honor."
"Oh! Sir Ador, were you discussing gifts with Li He just now?"
Ador Sharoth had no choice but to step forward, placing his right fist on his left chest in salute to the lord.
"Yes, Your Grace."
"Very well, since you young people are so excited, Sir Adorno, you should set an example. My daughter Jenny is engaged to Sir Gregor today. How much of a wedding gift are you, Sir Saloth of the Silver Hall, planning to send?"
Adu's mouth was dry, his chest felt like it was on fire, and he was uncomfortably hot. He forced a smile: "Your Grace, the Silver Hall will present Miss Jenny with a pearl necklace, two ruby bracelets, uh!" He glanced at Duke Tywin, sensing the duke's displeasure. He was setting a standard for all the nobles in the Westerlands. Adu's scalp tingled. "An agate coral tree, a pair of jade bowls, and, and two hundred gold dragons. Several baskets of silk and satin, rouge and face powder."