After parting ways with Alicent, Aegon summoned Tyland House Lannister separately.
Maegor's Holdfast, Aegon's private study.
Tyland sat upright. This was the first time Aegon had summoned him privately, making him feel like he had finally become one of Aegon's 'confidants'.
"I am grateful that Lord Tyman House Lannister supported His Majesty at the Great Council of 101 AC."
Aegon motioned for the maid to pour wine.
He raised his glass, and Tyland quickly raised his to clink.
"Your Highness need not be so. The Lannister Family follows tradition, and so do my brother and I."
Although Tyland's words were very subtle, they were actually telling Aegon one thing:
The way our father supported Viserys back then is the way we will support you now!
"I trust you. The Lannister Family has always been a pillar of the Kingdom."
"Thank you for your praise, Your Highness. The Lannister Family is honored by this!" Tyland's smile was radiant.
"What do you think of His Majesty's arrangements?"
After some pleasantries, Aegon steered the conversation to the main topic.
"I think His Majesty is acting unilaterally," Tyland took a sip of wine and observed Aegon's expression.
Seeing no change in Aegon's face, he continued:
"Any intelligent person can see that His Majesty wants to keep you away from King's Landing to pave the way for Rhaenyra.
It's just... I just don't understand, Your Highness, why you don't seem surprised at all. Did you know about this long ago?"
"Of course I knew. I even know how many bites of bread His Majesty ate this morning and how many sips of milk he drank," Aegon chuckled softly.
Tyland's eyelids twitched. No way, you even know that?
No wonder Viserys wants to keep Aegon away from King's Landing.
Aegon's control over King's Landing is probably more terrifying than Viserys's, right?
Tyland subtly swallowed, then pretended to be thirsty and took a sip of wine to mask his nervousness.
"Then, what are Your Highness's thoughts?" Tyland rubbed his right thumb against his index finger joint.
"I think this is an opportunity, a rare opportunity that has presented itself!" Aegon said seriously. "But I need support. I need to clear the Stepstones of external forces!"
Tyland instantly showed a look of "I understand."
"Your Highness, please rest assured. I have already written to my brother about this.
When I return, I will send another letter. I believe it won't be long before my brother sends all sorts of aid!"
"Good!" Aegon heavily patted Tyland's shoulder. "Once I clear the Stepstones of foreign forces, I will exempt the Lannister Family from transit taxes for three years."
The so-called transit tax was essentially a toll.
Once Aegon becomes the Duke of the Stepstones, he will certainly levy high tolls.
At the very least, he would wait until after the Dance of the Dragons before considering whether to lower the transit tax.
However, Tyland's emotions remained calm. For the Lannister Family, the transit tax was negligible.
The Lannister Family valued the political resource returns that Aegon's successful ascension to the throne would bring more.
-----------------
Three days later.
Reach, Oldtown.
"I read Alicent's letter and have prepared some supplies for Aegon, Uncle."
Mond Hightower and Otto were inspecting the Oldtown harbor together.
Perhaps feeling a bit ashamed, Mond pointed to twenty cargo ships and explained:
"This is just the first batch of supplies. Four more batches will be sent to the Stepstones successively.
Including five thousand sets of armor, two hundred thousand gold dragons, one thousand sailors, and a large amount of war materials.
In addition, considering that the Stepstones also need to build fortifications, I have also gathered dozens of various craftsmen."
"So much?" Otto was a little surprised.
Although Oldtown is the wealthiest city in Westeros, with a population not lower than King's Landing, what Mond gave was indeed a bit excessive.
"Not at all. If Aegon can control the Stepstones, it will also be a good thing for Oldtown.
Moreover, nothing can happen to Aegon. That place, the Stepstones, is currently plagued by constant warfare and is full of danger!"
Oldtown's maritime transport is extremely developed, making it the second most important port in Westeros.
Merchant ships from other parts of Westeros, the nine Free Cities, the Summer Isles, and Qarth are docked in the harbor, with frequent trade exchanges with Qarth as well.
In fact, Oldtown is affected by the war in the Stepstones no less than Driftmark.
It's just that the Hightower Family also owns a large amount of land, which is why they are not as anxious as the Velaryon Family.
Mond Hightower was born in 102 AC. He is Otto's nephew and inherited Oldtown at a young age.
Otto has taught him a lot during the years he returned to Oldtown, so Mond has great respect for Otto.
Now that Aegon is asking for aid, he naturally won't be stingy.
Furthermore, Aegon is the hope for the Hightower Family to advance further. Being stingy at this time would be tantamount to walking a tightrope!
"Uncle, you just need to depart with the fleet. I have already arranged everything.
Bring that boy Lyonel with you too. He is also old enough to be a cupbearer. Let him learn from you for a few years."
Lyonel Hightower was born in 115 AC.
He is the son of Mond and his first wife, who died in childbirth a year ago.
He also has two younger brothers, Martyn and Garmond, and a sister, Bethany.
"I understand. Lyonel is a great young man and worth cultivating," Otto nodded.
"I heard Alicent say that Aegon is very strong in King's Landing. Is that true?" Mond suddenly asked.
Otto frowned slightly. Alicent had indeed said so.
But he still found it a bit hard to believe that a thirteen or fourteen-year-old child could have such strong methods?
"Alicent did say so, but the truth of the matter still needs to be seen with one's own eyes."
Mond nodded thoughtfully. Indeed, everything still needed to be seen in person.
-----------------
Westerlands, Lannisterport.
"My lord, as you requested, there are a total of twenty large ships, fifteen hundred men, one hundred fifty thousand gold dragons, and a large amount of supplies."
The maester counted on his fingers and reported in detail one by one.
"Will this be too little?" A hint of hesitation flashed in Jason House Lannister's eyes.
"Compared to our Westerlands, these things are indeed not much. You can consider it," the maester replied.
"Alright, prepare two more sets of this scale!"
Jason gritted his teeth, ready to invest heavily in Aegon this time!
"Aegon, Aegon, I hope you are truly as capable as Tyland says, even stronger than the 'Conqueror', otherwise I will lose a fortune!"
Taking sides in the struggle for the heir apparent is inherently a huge gamble.
Especially in a situation like Aegon and Rhaenyra's.
As long as the heir apparent one supports successfully ascends to the throne, the political resource returns will be unparalleled!
Thinking of this, Jason took a deep breath and decided to go all in!
"Pass down my order: Have Loren and Tybolt lead fifteen warships to the Stepstones to support Prince Aegon!"
Warships and cargo ships are completely different concepts.
The value of the former is several times that of the latter, and what is even more precious are the soldiers on the warships.
Professional naval soldiers and sailors are also two different concepts.
A qualified naval soldier requires years of training, while sailors can be trained in large numbers in a short time.
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