Viserys got straight to the point: "You intend to offer me the opportunity to obtain a Dothraki army, am I correct, Illyrio?"
"Yes, Your Grace," Illyrio didn't hide it. "That is precisely what I intend to do."
Viserys didn't ask how to obtain it, and seemed to have other ideas, so Illyrio wouldn't be rash enough to talk about it too much.
Viserys asked, "Do you think that if I rely on this foreign army, I can retake the Throne?"
Illyrio replied matter-of-factly, "Your Grace, the Dothraki cavalry is the most valiant army I have ever seen."
Viserys nodded, "I must commend you, Illyrio, for coming up with a plan that seems feasible."
Illyrio's smile faded, and he frowned, asking, "Your Grace, do you think this plan is not feasible?"
He acted as if he was puzzled by the disregard for his plan, his words hinting at a deeper meaning, pressing for Viserys's stance.
At the moment, their relationship was essentially one of "cooperation," the "Ruler-Subject" dynamic only superficial. Since Illyrio's plan was not favored, the subservience in his words lessened, as if he might abandon the cooperation at any moment.
Illyrio's behavior was normal. If the original Viserys were here, he would likely treat Illyrio as just another of the many nobles he had encountered, a lifeline he had barely grasped. He might even be pressured by this attitude, lowering his own stance and flattering him.
"Of course not." Viserys was unconcerned by Illyrio's reaction, continuing to use his own rhetoric. "You are a very discerning merchant, Illyrio, and I still believe that. Your plan is undoubtedly a good one, but it is not suitable for me at the moment."
Illyrio asked seriously, "Does Your Grace have other strategies?"
Viserys spoke with ease, "Illyrio, do you know, what I need most at the moment is not an army, but time."
Illyrio cooperated, "Time?"
"Yes, time." Viserys did not explain, but looked at Illyrio's face and asked, "You don't seem to believe it?"
"…" Illyrio looked up at Viserys, speechless for a moment. Did I show any sign of disbelief? Just say what you have to say!
Illyrio was speechless inwardly, but still pretended to explain in a fluster, "Your Majesty, I do not disbelieve, but please be clear. I wonder what you mean by 'time'?"
Viserys still didn't explain, and instead asked again, "Do you really think the Dothraki army can help me reclaim the Throne?"
Illyrio could only say, "I cannot imagine a king returning to the Throne without an army."
Viserys retracted his gaze from Illyrio's inscrutable face and looked back at the formation of Dothraki cavalry, who were gradually moving away with their "gifts."
Why did Illyrio and Varys arrange the Dothraki for him?
These Dothraki, without armor, dominated the Dothraki grasslands. They were barbaric and brutal, living by plunder, and often slaughtered the towns they raided.
To land in Westeros with such an army was not to restore the kingdom, but to become a target.
Even if he did manage to borrow an army, those borrowed soldiers wouldn't listen to Viserys.
If they slaughtered cities, then "Son of the Mad King" would become the new title for the beggar king, and he might even be attacked by the nobles of Westeros.
While speaking, he asked Illyrio the same question twice, trying to see something amiss in his expression, but this guy was slippery, with no hint of ulterior motives on his face.
"A king, of course, cannot be without an army, but just not now." Viserys' expression became flamboyant.
Illyrio questioned, "May I ask, Your Majesty, where will your army come from?"
"Of course it is..." Viserys instinctively wanted to answer, but quickly stopped himself, shifting the topic, "Tell me, Governor Illyrio, do you understand the situation in Westeros?"
Illyrio didn't seem to mind Viserys changing the subject, just accommodating him, he replied, "I guess Your Majesty is about to tell me."
Viserys was very satisfied with Illyrio's answer, as if showing off a reality that only he had discovered: "Don't you see, Governor Illyrio, that in Westeros today, there are three heirs under the usurper's throne? The Seven Kingdoms are now buried with wildfire pots, and as long as there is a spark, it will ignite a raging wildfire."
Illyrio had expected Viserys to say something earth-shattering, some secret information, and had almost been shocked by Viserys just now. Despite his complex thoughts, he still cooperated and replied, "Your Majesty, please speak plainly. I am just a merchant and don't understand politics very well."
Viserys then said, "When the Dance of the Dragons of House Targaryen occurred, there were only two crown princes, and they fought to the death."
"Your Majesty, forgive my ignorance, but the two crown princes you mentioned in the Dance of the Dragons refer to Rhaenyra and Aegon of the Blacks and Greens? May I ask who the three crown princes are now?"
The Dance of the Dragons was a bloody civil war in the mid-period of the Targaryen dynasty, originating from the struggle between Rhaenyra, the eldest daughter of Viserys I, and Aegon, the eldest son of his second wife, Alicent, for the succession to the Iron Throne. This civil war directly led to the extinction of the dragons of House Targaryen.
Viserys enumerated, "The first crown prince is naturally Joffrey Baratheon, the eldest son and heir of the Usurper. The second is the current Duke of Storm's End, Renly Baratheon, and the third is the current Lord of Dragonstone, Stannis Baratheon."
Even though he had expected to hear some absurd arguments, Illyrio was still surprised after listening: "Where did this come from?"
"This is what you don't know. Storm's End is the seat of House Baratheon, and the recipients of the title have always been the heirs of House Baratheon, but the foolish Usurper didn't grant it to Joffrey, the crown prince he established. Do you know that in the current Westeros, the Usurper's dynasty is called the Baratheon dynasty, but the heir to the seat of House Baratheon is not the crown prince of the Baratheon dynasty."
"... " Illyrio opened his mouth, but couldn't speak.
Viserys continued, "And Dragonstone is the seat of my House Targaryen, and the crown princes of every generation have been the Princes of Dragonstone. The Usurper claims to inherit the Throne from the Targaryens, but he granted Dragonstone to Stannis instead of his own crown prince. Think about it, Illyrio, is this not a country with three crown princes, and what might happen between them?"
"…" The statement was so outrageous, so full of holes, that Illyrio didn't know where to begin refuting it. In the end, he followed Viserys's line of thought and asked, "Even if that's the case, King Robert, the usurper, is still young. Even if he doesn't resolve the threat of the 'three heirs' you mentioned during his lifetime, how long will it be before they start fighting amongst themselves?"
Viserys was prepared for this. "Do you really think the Seven Kingdoms are held together by King Robert? Even here in the Free Cities, I can hear rumors of the usurper's neglect of state affairs, his indulgence in wine and women, and his countless bastards. You do business with the Seven Kingdoms; surely you can see that the true maintainer of the realm is the King's Hand, Jon Arryn? He is already very old. I predict that when Jon Arryn dies, the Seven Kingdoms will fall into chaos!"
"…" Illyrio felt speechless, because even though Viserys's words were absurd, even far-fetched, some of his inferences and conclusions were, to a certain extent, correct.
The Seven Kingdoms indeed had many hidden dangers, and it was indeed Jon Arryn who was managing the court.
But the real problems of the Seven Kingdoms were, first, King Robert's extravagance, with a financial deficit of millions of gold dragons; second, the relationship between Cersei and Jaime, and the ambition of the Lannister family they represented. Relying on the gold they lent to the Throne and the Queen's power, Lannisters filled key positions in King's Landing; third, Renly's power did indeed threaten Joffrey's claim to the Throne, Renly had close ties with Highgarden, and he had the support of a large number of Stormlands nobles. As for the true parentage of Robert's three children, that was a pot of Wildfire ready to explode at any moment.
Illyrio had heard that in King's Landing, Stannis, who was currently causing the fewest problems, was secretly investigating King Robert's bastards. The situation in the Seven Kingdoms was indeed complex. The success of the Usurper's War depended on the alliance of the stag, eagle, wolf, and fish houses, and Robert's rule also depended on Jon Arryn to maintain the alliance of the four houses.
But the king thought he ruled the Seven Kingdoms, trying to win over the lion, while the King's Hand was already exhausted just trying to maintain the stability of the country by relying on the advantage of the stag, eagle, wolf, and fish alliance.
Illyrio seemed shocked and couldn't help but ask, "Then, as Your Grace says, are you already preparing troops elsewhere, awaiting the opportune moment?"
"No, no, no," Viserys shook his head. "Illyrio, I've said before, now is not the time to prepare an army."
Illyrio looked puzzled and pressed, "Why? Since Your Grace believes that with the death of the Hand of the King, the Seven Kingdoms will inevitably fall into chaos, why not prepare sooner?"
"Have you ever seen beggars fighting over food, Illyrio?" Viserys didn't answer directly, instead saying, "When a new beggar appears, who do the original beggars attack first? The newcomer!"
Illyrio was stunned: "Does Your Grace mean to do nothing?"
"Of course not," Viserys said matter-of-factly, "Waiting is also a form of action! We wait. Believe me, Illyrio, a rebellion won't happen overnight. When the world changes and the time is right, you will find that waiting is worthwhile."
Illyrio frowned, seemingly still not understanding: "Could an army just fall from the sky then?"
"You are a merchant, Illyrio; long-term investment is a business practice." Viserys didn't answer, but instead asked Illyrio, "Since you are willing to support my restoration, and have made such plans, don't you have the patience to wait for a frail old man to die? When the Seven Kingdoms fall into chaos, I am the True Dragon, why should I worry about not having an army?"
"…" Illyrio's expression became anxious. "If Your Grace has other plans, then what am I in all of this?"
"Illyrio, because of your actions, I trust you, so you don't need to do much," Viserys said, adopting a conciliatory tone. "Providing me with shelter and giving me a better environment to await changes in the Seven Kingdoms is enough. I've met one dignitary after another in exile, and only you have devised a feasible plan for my restoration and brought it this far. For this alone, Illyrio, I promise you, when I reclaim the Throne, you will be my first Finance Minister!"
"…" Illyrio was momentarily speechless.
This is how it works when you seize the initiative; as long as you know you have some power of choice, no matter how absurd your words are, as long as you make the gesture of doing something, you can create maneuvering room.
Viserys knew very well that Illyrio wanted to know where the 'future army' he was so sure of would come from, but he wouldn't say – he kept saying he had no army, but hinted at it everywhere.
Because Viserys himself didn't know where the army would come from, but he just needed to project an air of certainty.
Illyrio would have to guess for himself the basis for Viserys's confidence today.
Even if Illyrio saw through Viserys's deceptive tactics, his empty words, and lack of threat, what could Illyrio do now that the situation had reached this point?
Moreover, Viserys's attitude forced Illyrio to consider a possibility: perhaps Viserys had already obtained a practical plan for restoration from somewhere else.