Chapter 404: All Under Heaven
Having been scolded like a child, Daenerys had no desire to retort. After the initial shock of the world-shaking stratagem Egger had presented, a long-lost fluttering sensation returned to her heart. She couldn't tell if this excitement was for the so-called Greater Crownlands Plan or for the sheer charisma of the Lord Commander standing before her, pointing across the realm and commanding the future.
For a Queen like her, who refused to be ordinary and longed to leave her mark on history, to say she didn't yearn for this plan would be a lie. Unfortunately, as much as her heart raced, the blueprint sounded far too much like a fantastical dream. Having fought her way across half the world, she immediately recognized the military flaws: "This 'Greater Crownlands' is indeed rich in resources and population, but such a plain is entirely without natural defenses. How could it be protected against potential foreign invasion?"
"Where would a foreign invasion come from? You are the one who will break the wheel; shouldn't the whole of Westeros be your kingdom? Even if the regions outside the Greater Crownlands aren't under your direct administration, they are all your vassals. The Wardens of the North, South, East, and West should no longer merely acknowledge your status; they should be your stewards, guarding the remote borders on your behalf!" Egger shrugged and continued, "So your question should be: if in the distant future, these remaining Great Lords harbor rebellious thoughts, how should the Royal Government defend itself? That is a good question. Thus, the 'Greater Crownlands Plan' includes a supplementary part—Checks and Balances."
"The conditions for your rule have already been created by your ancestors: before Aegon's Conquest, those kingdoms with harsh climates or poor soil were self-contained, and their populations remained low. But now? Centuries of basic peace in the North, the West, and Dorne have made them accustomed to buying grain from the Reach and the Riverlands; they no longer starve in great numbers due to disaster or winter. While the Vale is barely self-sufficient, that is only because of its fertile soil and high yield per unit area; the narrow terrain and lack of arable land mean this cannot last forever. Population growth makes these four regions stronger, but from another perspective, it makes them more dependent on the outside world. As long as Your Majesty controls the lifeblood that is grain, you hold the throat of every autonomous territory outside the Greater Crownlands."
"Of course, grain alone isn't enough. Your Majesty must place 'shackles' and 'collars' on these four regions to ensure your successors remain worry-free. The North has a hardy folk and a strong military; my suggestion is partition and containment. Grant the Mountain Clans and their lands to the Gift, and simultaneously change the law to declare the end of the fading Night's Watch system. The Wall's garrison should henceforth be dispatched and funded directly by the Crown. By weakening the North, placing a royal garrison at its back, and monitoring every move of the lords, you kill any possibility of them 'gathering an army to march south.' The West: rich in gold and the wealthiest in the world. You must have heard that Lord Tywin issued a 'Gold Control Order' to centralize resources for reconstruction. Your Majesty need only follow suit—but change the rules slightly: the gold of the Seven Kingdoms, regardless of whose house it belongs to, must be kept in the bank if it exceeds a certain amount, and the bank's great vault must be located in the capital. That is to say, the gold of Westeros may not be 'yours' by ownership, but the physical substance must mostly be in your hands. When the owners use it, the gold simply moves from one room to another within the Crownlands. This eliminates the possibility of anyone using wealth to plot conspiracies against your rule at the source."
"The North and the West have always been powerful and require specific strategies... but there is no need to worry too much about the Vale and Dorne. The former, though possessing a good record, succeeded more by picking the right side than by its own strength; it is small and sparsely populated, with middle-tier strength at best. For years, they couldn't even subdue their own Mountain Clans, and the little wealth they saved over the last decade was squandered in the recent rebellion of the Lords Declarant. You need only a garrison at the Bloody Gate and a strong Royal Navy to control shipping and Gulltown's foreign trade. Then, order them to pay tribute to the Crown in fruits, vegetables, and horses—using these non-grain crops to occupy their limited arable land and increase their dependence on outside grain. They won't be able to make a ripple. As for Dorne... ha. The slogan 'Dorne is a land of many sands and many heroes' is loud, and their legend of resisting Aegon is storied, but in the end, the Dornish are merely good at guerrilla warfare in the desert. They win by being the 'man with nothing to lose.' Sparsely populated and resource-poor, they are nothing once they leave their nest. You only need to hold the two mountain passes and control the food supply; they will never be the protagonists in the game of power until the end of the world..."
"Oh, I almost forgot the Iron Islands... hmph. A tiny place, mere jumping clowns; forget them." Once cannons are on ships, the Iron Fleet they take such pride in will be nothing, Egger thought. He took another sip of the now-cold wine and sighed deeply. "But, I must mention—no matter how many tricks or methods Your Majesty prepares in your lifetime, it will all be for naught if your descendants are incompetent. Only one's own strength is an eternal truth. By controlling the wealthiest regions of Westeros and putting a leash on the other four, you can develop productivity. Soon, the Crown will have surplus wealth to maintain a standing army larger than the City Watch. On the foundation of a stable realm, by diligently developing technology and always staying one step ahead, your rule will be secure for ten thousand generations."
The room fell silent. Egger had said all he needed to say. He sat quietly in his place, relaxed, shaking his leg, and contentedly sipping his wine while admiring the stunning beauty and thinking expression of the most powerful young Queen in the world—and the wonderful gap moe created between the two.
Why did Egger choose to annoy Daenerys rather than offer these strategies when they met on Dragonstone? Why did he feel a secret joy when he successfully coaxed her off her dragon and into the tower at Queenscrown? Why did he insist on not telling anyone else about today's conversation?
It was simple: this grand blueprint, which seemed to consider Daenerys at every turn and was tailor-made for her ideal of breaking the wheel, actually contained a large amount of private goods. He had glossed over the negatives and focused only on the positives. It was more than enough to fool a young Queen with limited experience, but if an old hand like Varys or Petyr Baelish were present, they would have immediately pointed out the flaws and omissions in his high-flown discourse. It wasn't just about losing the chance to show off; if he were debunked and lost face, everything would be over.
Egger was well aware of his own weight: aside from his superior vision and knowledge, his skill in intrigue and political maneuvering could never compare to the Eunuch or Littlefinger. The best effect he wanted to achieve from this play was to make Daenerys believe she had found a like-minded comrade and a world-class sage. He wanted her to realize that there was another person in the world who could give her things no one else could, thereby gaining a significant position in her heart despite meeting her much later than others.
To fully achieve this goal, the meeting had to be one-on-one without any outside interference. If it could be on Egger's turf, giving him the psychological advantage of a host over a guest, it would be even better.
This small tower in Queenscrown couldn't be more perfect.
No lofty slogan or cause can win loyalty better than interest. Developing productivity makes the cake larger, but a share will never turn from 100% to 101%. To get a piece of the action in this game, Egger—who was currently marginalized and not even at the table—first had to eliminate a portion of the noble class. He had to kick some players off the table to make room for himself and the Night's Watch forces that followed him.
The reason he advocated for a Greater Crownlands rather than conquering the whole realm and sprinting directly into a centralized era was manifold. Jumping from feudal fragmentation to centralization theoretically maximizes benefits, but while a unified empire looks beautiful, it has a major drawback: the rules change from a complex system of distribution, exchange, and checks to a simple winner takes all. This lack of restraint would raise the cruelty of power struggles to unprecedented levels.
If the Seven Kingdoms were a card room, Egger, the transmigrator, was a God of Gamblers who had suddenly burst in. With the advantage of knowing the plot, character traits, and his own vision, he had god-like card skills. But as good as his technique was, he was an absolute outsider in this card room. As long as everyone played by the rules at the table, he could make a fortune... but once the table was flipped and the room turned into a free-for-all, his lack of foundation meant he wouldn't necessarily be the one left standing.
These four autonomous territories left over... publicly, they were the anchor and ballast to stabilize royal power, allowing the governance of Westeros to transition smoothly from one model to another. Privately, they were Egger's personal insurance: if he succeeded in the future, these four unsubdued nations were the bandits he would keep to maintain his own importance—his reliance to avoid being discarded once the hunt is over. Not to mention, he had quite a bit of history with the North and the West among those four.
...
As a foreigner, even if he held deadly weapons and was famous throughout the Seven Kingdoms, Egger couldn't suddenly jump onto the table as the dealer without a title or status. He needed a springboard to jump out of the Gift. Supporting King Stannis was the worst choice—all work and no reward. He knew nothing about young Aegon in the South, so that could end in nothing. The Joffrey Baratheon in his hands was a good pawn, but if he claimed him as legitimate and raised an army... he would be fighting a lonely war until he broke through the North and Riverlands to meet Tywin, and the incest reputation penalty would make the game Hell Difficulty.
Taking everything into account, Daenerys was the best choice. Egger had some understanding of her temperament, and she possessed a respectable armed force. Most importantly...
Egger took a deep breath and helplessly admitted: the Queen's cheat had worked on him. Although he remained normal on the surface of his reason... deep in his subconscious, he realized he had already made joining the Dragon Queen his primary, even final, decision. He was almost impatient to serve her. If she extended an olive branch one more time, he would certainly take it.
However, looking up at Daenerys's conflicted expression, Egger smiled: they were two of a kind. You hooked me with that unexplainable attraction, but didn't I also hook you by offering an incredibly beautiful future? Though Littlefinger and Varys were top-tier players, limited by their vision, interests, and class, no matter how they racked their brains, they could never offer the Queen a strategy more captivating than the Greater Crownlands Plan.
He had seized this opportunity while Daenerys was away from her advisors to stuff her with a feast of delicacies... it is hard to go from luxury to simple living. From now on, no matter how fragrant and sweet the other two players made the feudal lord cornbread, she would only find it tasteless.
Egger was certain that no matter how the Queen weighed the pros and cons, she would eventually succumb to the strong desire and yearning in her subconscious and walk the path he had drawn for her!
Support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/MistaQuartz
On Patreon, you can explore Extra Chapters in advance!