Princess Daenerys's words immediately silenced Earl Hightower. However, he still wanted to try his best to fight for the Hightower Family.
"Alas! I wish I had never given birth to that bastard!"
"Your Royal Highness, I just tallied the number of direct Hightower Family members who need to go to King's Landing this time, and there are 32 in total. My Hightower Family simply cannot afford that many Gold Dragons!"
"Do you think…?"
Daenerys interrupted Earl Hightower with a cold sneer,
"Earl, are you trying to take advantage of my youth?"
"Oldtown, as Westeros's largest city and trade center, accumulates countless wealth daily. As the master of Oldtown, you tell me the Hightower Family cannot afford a mere less than ten million Gold Dragons?"
At this point, Daenerys stood up directly from her seat, walked coldly to Earl Hightower, her face icy.
"When a Targaryen is still treating you with courtesy, I hope the Earl also knows when to advance and retreat. After all, I don't want to see prosperous Oldtown end up like your Hightower family's garden."
"After all, both stealing Dragon Eggs and hiring Faceless Men to assassinate a Royal Princess are enough to strip your Hightower Family of its title and exterminate it!"
Daenerys's powerful and chilling aura immediately made cold sweat break out on Earl Hightower's forehead.
"P-Princess, we are innocent! We were completely unaware of Mond's actions, and hiring Faceless Men to assassinate the Princess is even more out of the question! That's why our Hightower Family dares to go to King's Landing openly to explain everything clearly to His Majesty!"
Emily also quickly chimed in,
"Your Royal Highness, my father's words are absolutely true. We were also incredibly shocked when we received the news."
"I swear by the Seven Gods, the Hightower Family is absolutely loyal to His Majesty the King and the Targaryen Family!"
Alesha also nervously took Daenerys's hand and pleaded,
"Your Royal Highness, in the letters Mond sent back from Dragonstone, he has endless praise and reverence for you. I believe with your wisdom and kindness, you must also feel his sincerity, so please help our Hightower Family, okay?"
"Please, Your Royal Highness!"
Listening to the father, daughter, and daughter-in-law speaking in unison, Daenerys couldn't help but feel a surge of admiration, and she softened her tone.
"Yes, I think His Majesty the King gave you the opportunity to go to King's Landing for trial precisely because he didn't doubt the Hightower Family's loyalty!"
"Otherwise, under Dragonflame, even if the Hightower Family were truly wronged, where would they have the chance to prove their innocence!"
"Moreover, Mond Hightower's theft of Dragon Eggs is undeniable. I hope the Hightower Family does not betray the Targaryen Royal Family's final mercy!"
After speaking, Daenerys pointed to the prosperous Oldtown below the Hightower, meaningfully continuing,
"Oldtown is truly an extraordinary place, so prosperous, so vibrant! The Starry Sept and the Citadel, one is the spiritual guide of the Seven Kingdoms, and the other monopolizes the knowledge transmission of Westeros."
"Surely no one wishes to see the Hightower Family, who controls these, have any ill intentions?"
"Perhaps, some special force has blinded all of Westeros, and everyone has completely failed to realize how powerful the Hightower Family is?"
Daenerys's words instantly made Earl Hightower and his two daughters feel as if they had fallen into an ice cave. This ten-year-old Royal Princess was indeed very different from the rumors, instead, she somewhat resembled the image in the letters Mond Hightower had written to them.
"It seems Mond's admiration for Princess Daenerys was not entirely due to a young man's youthful adoration for a beautiful princess."
"This Princess is truly not simple! It seems the rumors about Princess Daenerys being highly regarded by King Jaehaerys are not unfounded after all!"
"This Princess must not be offended!"
This was Earl Hightower's greatest realization at this moment, so he said nothing more,
"Thank you, Your Royal Highness, for enlightening this foolish old man. But please, you must believe in the Hightower Family's loyalty."
"We will immediately arrange for the necessary Gold Dragons to be prepared and sent to Your Royal Highness's Holy Flame Fleet."
Seeing that Earl Hightower was finally coming around, Daenerys also resumed her charming, spring-like smile.
Earl Hightower had originally wanted to host a grand banquet for Daenerys, but she politely declined. After all, she wasn't there as a guest. Since she was an unwelcome visitor, Daenerys still wanted to explore a bit first, to see if she could find any more trouble for the Hightower Family.
Earl Hightower's efficiency was quite high. After leaving Daenerys's room, he had people carry boxes of Gold Dragons and ancient gold coins to the Holy Flame Fleet.
Perhaps to deliberately show off to Daenerys, he even personally led people to borrow a lot from the Starry Sept and various merchants. The total amount of gold coins moved to the Holy Flame Fleet actually reached 7 million.
So, in the afternoon, Daenerys changed into men's clothing and, under the protection of Dax and others, strolled through the bustling Oldtown.
Oldtown has always been one of the Seven Kingdoms' most important ports, and also the most important sea and land trade center in the South.
Ships from the Eastern and Western Continents all converge here, with their routes spanning the entire Westeros, Summer Isles, Free Trade Cities, and some other places across the Narrow Sea.
The port was bustling every day, crowded with people and densely packed with various ships.
The architectural style of Oldtown also had a unique charm. Being at the mouth of the Honeywine River, the entire city was crisscrossed with rivers. Whether trickling streams or mighty rivers, along with scattered canals and cobblestone streets, they formed a picturesque scene of a Jiangnan water town, where small bridges, flowing water, and homes were subtly hidden within the city.
Unlike King's Landing, a "dung heap" that became the political center of Westeros due to power, Oldtown's streets were clean and refreshing. However, its various streets, alleys, and lanes molded Oldtown into an exquisite, elegant, and charming maze, with cooking smoke curling up, yet appearing as mountains from one side and peaks from another, simply because one was within the city.
Moreover, monks and nuns could be seen in every street and alley of Oldtown, demonstrating the strong influence of the Seven Gods Church here.
On the west bank of the Honeywine River stood Oldtown's majestic and magnificent City Hall, built along the river. The stable operation of Oldtown on such a scale was largely due to the governing capabilities of the officials within the City Hall.
These officials were mainly composed of Maesters from the Citadel, monks from the Church, and knights from the Hightower Family.
Furthermore, according to the intelligence Daenerys had received, these Maesters and monks also came from the Hightower Family or their in-laws.
Because Daenerys's hair had only grown out a bit, although her figure already had a graceful demeanor. But under the cover of loose men's clothing, others couldn't tell.
It took Daenerys and her companions an entire afternoon to explore only a small part of Oldtown's attractions. As dusk fell, they arrived near the Sailor's Sept at Old Town Wharf.
"The Hightower Family has guarded Oldtown for thousands of years, and we must believe in their noble character."
"We absolutely will not allow the Royal Family to judge our Oldtown guardians with such baseless accusations."
"That Princess who rides a wicked Dragon is simply a cruel Maegor with breasts! The wrath of the Seven Gods will surely descend upon her!"
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