Game of Thrones: The Impaler of the Blue Fork

Chapter 99: The Iron Ingots of the Twin Towers and the Noose of the Three Parties

The raging spring floodwaters of the Green Fork River roared and surged between two massive, gray-black fortresses.

The water flow crashed against the massive bridge piers spanning the two banks, stirring up large plumes of white foam and sticking a persistent, bone-chilling, damp mist to the thick stone walls of the Twin Rivers.

Not many torches were lit in the main hall of the castle.

The continuous rain made the air here smell like an old wool blanket that had rotted in muddy water, with a musty smell.

In the very center of the hall, on the enormous lord's chair carved from a single piece of heavy black oak, the eighty-one-year-old Marquis Walder Frey sank his withered body deep into a heavy mink cloak that exuded a strong musky scent.

His throat emitted a hoarse, labored breathing sound, like a broken bellows being pulled, each breath feeling like scraping against a rusty iron pipe.

Wad Rivers knelt on the cold, damp stone floor, not daring to lift his head.

This illegitimate son, who went to Blue Fork to check the accounts but was instead blackmailed by William Charlton, is now recounting everything he saw and heard at Blue Fork.

His knees were numb from being soaked in the damp ground.

"The heads of twenty-five cavalrymen, sir."

Wad Rivers swallowed hard, his voice trembling with barely concealed fear in the empty hall.

"Hohenzollern cut them all down, shoved sharpened stakes into their necks, and lined them up in the sandy riverbank. Black blood stained the ground red. He even hung signs in front of those heads, saying they were bandits who polluted the water..."

Steve Frey, standing next to the oak chair, suddenly frowned.

The Twins heir, who was over fifty and known for his caution, subconsciously touched his thinning gray hair.

"Father, that nineteen-year-old baron is a complete madman with no sense."

Steve bent down, put his ear close to old Wald's, and spoke urgently in a very low voice.

"Tethos Blackwood is a veteran who has fought a lifetime of fierce battles. His Rangers were publicly humiliated by being pierced like this. This blood debt will be settled with Hohenzollern sooner or later."

"Moreover, I heard that the Brecken family also took the opportunity to burn down the granaries of Raventree City, so this feud is now irreconcilable."

Steve looked at his father's expressionless face and continued to speak.

"We've already married Maria off to them, so we're nominally allied. But right now, the Blue Fork River is a powder keg that could explode at any moment."

"We should immediately sever all salt trade ties with the Blue Fork River and recall all the Freys, lest Blackwood's wrath reach the Twin Towers bridge."

"madness!"

Old Wade let out a piercing, cold laugh that sent chills down your spine, like the hooting of an owl.

His withered hands, covered in age spots, suddenly emerged from his mink cloak and gripped the hard wooden armrests of the chair like eagle claws.

"A madman? Steve Ren, you're over fifty years old, is your brain filled with nothing but the stench of the Green Fork River?!"

Old Wald coughed heavily twice, his chest heaving violently.

He stuck his head out and spat a mouthful of thick yellow phlegm into the rusty copper basin at his feet with a crisp "clang".

"A madman wouldn't be able to calculate the law so clearly when he's killing someone."

"He could make that old fox Tytos Blackwood cower back to Raventree City without uttering a sound, and make the 'Blackfish' of Riverrun reluctantly take responsibility for his case files, even leaving troops to protect him!"

Old Wade leaned back in his chair, his withered fingers tapping a chilling rhythm on the armrest. A sinister smile spread across his face.

"When has Blackfish ever made a losing deal? The fact that the Tully family is willing to bail him out only proves that there's definitely a money-making opportunity hidden in that muddy Blue Fork River that even we Twin Towers haven't detected!"

"My young grandson-in-law is ruthless and cunning; his schemes are even more sophisticated than the Frey family's! He's just my type!"

Stevieren, his face flushed from his father's scolding, straightened up and asked, puzzled, "So you mean...?"

"Tetos smashed his waterwheels and mills and cut off his trade routes. Now, besides those dead heads, what he lacks most are iron tools and livestock."

Old Wade revealed a few sparse, yellowed, broken teeth.

"Go. Take my warrant and fetch two boatloads of fine iron ingots from the treasury—heavy, solid iron! Then go to the stables and select twenty of the strongest draft horses."

"Send Raymond to personally escort the ship, under my name as 'grandfather,' to the Blue Fork River, saying that I, as his elder, am congratulating him on his achievements in suppressing the bandits and protecting the people! Since he is a good dog that bites, we should feed him more bones."

Steve Renn froze, his eyes wide with disbelief.

"Father, have you gone mad? Not only are we not disclaiming responsibility, but we're also giving away such expensive supplies to Theodore right under his nose?"

"Who said it was given away for free?"

Old Wade looked at his eldest son with the eyes of someone looking at an idiot. His voice dropped to freezing point, every word revealing a ruthless, calculating intent.

"Once the supplies arrive, someone needs to manage the accounts. In the letter that accompanied the ship, tell him that since the Blue Fork River is not peaceful now, in order to protect my dear granddaughter Maria, all foreign trade and shipping arrangements for white salt on the Blue Fork River must be taken over by Maria from now on."

"I will send three of the Frey family's most astute accountants to be her 'assistants'."

Meanwhile, in Haijiang City, located only a hundred miles from the Blue Fork River Valley and bordering Tiemin Bay.

Earl Jason Mellist stood atop the famous Echo Tower.

A cold wind, carrying a strong smell of salt and decaying seaweed, ripped wildly at his indigo robe embroidered with a silver eagle.

Just a few months earlier, during the suppression of the rebellion, he had personally killed Rodrik Greyjoy of the Iron Islands beneath these formidable walls.

But at this moment, his right hand, which gripped the hilt of the greatsword and had severed the heads of countless Ironmen, was bulging with veins due to extreme rage.

He had just finished listening to the detailed report brought back by the scouts from Haijiang City about the mudflats of the Blue Fork River.

"Beheading and piercing... to smear the enemy's regular army as bandits, and even to nail heads to the beach to demonstrate to the great nobles."

Jason's cold face was tense. He gritted his teeth, crumpled the sheepskin roll in his hand into a ball, and slammed it hard onto the rough stone floor.

"Sir, this is the kind of barbaric act that only the Bolton family, those skinning perverts, or those uneducated Ironbreds would commit."

The head guard behind him stepped forward and spoke in a low voice, his tone filled with concern for his neighbor.

"That Otto Hohenzollern is becoming more and more like a bloodthirsty beast that has gone out of control. With such a neighbor who knows no bounds to the north, I'm afraid our business dealings will never be peaceful."

"He is not a beast; he is a poisoned dagger in the hands of Duke Horst, used to disgust people."

Jason Mellist turned around and coldly interrupted the head guard.

But he could not tolerate such brutal and unscrupulous behavior spreading under his nose.

This not only undermines the decorum that lords should maintain even in battle, but also challenges his bottom line as a defender of peace and the king.

"Since he likes to kill people in the name of suppressing bandits and spouts nonsense about maintaining order, let's go and help him out."

Jason walked to the edge of the tower, looking down at the well-equipped heavy infantry of the Sea Frontier City training on the parade ground. His voice carried an undeniable authority.

"Pass on my military orders. Deploy three hundred long-halberd soldiers from the coastal city, plus one hundred rangers."

"In the name of 'responding to the call of Riverrun, protecting the northern trade routes, and preventing the remaining bandits from fleeing north,' immediately break camp and set up camp on all the necessary roads north of the Blue Fork River leading to Twin Rivers and Seafront City."

The head guard immediately understood the count's intention, his eyes lighting up: "Your Excellency intends to..."

"Heavily guarded checkpoints were set up along the route."

Jason coldly issued this silent lockdown order.

"Any caravan, refugees, or even a packhorse entering or leaving the Blue Fork River must undergo strict inspection by the Haijiang City army. Without my personal written order, not a single grain of salt is allowed to be transported north, nor a single piece of iron is allowed to go south."

On the south bank of Raventree City, which had just been ruthlessly plundered by the Brecken family.

Tytus Blackwood sat in a makeshift marching tent.

Outside, the sounds of craftsmen hammering away as they repaired the burned-down mill filled the air, along with the acrid smell of burnt wood and roasted animal meat.

The veteran general, a man of many battles, wore an undisguised weariness. His short, gray beard was covered in soot, but the sharpness in his eagle eyes remained undiminished.

He didn't fly into a rage like a sore loser, nor did he order a fight to the death against the Brecken family.

He calmly swallowed the mouthful of blood mixed with broken teeth, mentally tallying the chips he had lost this spring.

"My lord, the men who went to Rushing City to gather information have returned."

One of his most trusted lieutenants lifted the tent flap, strode over to Tethos, and handed him a secret scroll.

"The Blackfish of Riverrun has gone to the Bluefork River. Not only did he not punish Hohenzollern, but he also left a garrison of twenty halberdiers. And..."

The lieutenant hesitated for a moment, then lowered his voice even further.

"Our sources in the Twins say that old Walder Frey is also preparing to send a large number of iron ingots and horses to Bluefork, under the guise of a marriage alliance to win over that little beast."

After hearing this, Tethos gave a cold laugh.

"Blackfish wants to use him as a shield against us, and that old geezer Wald wants to swallow his money bag. They all think they can keep that mad dog in check."

Tethos stood up and slowly walked to a corner of the tent. There lay a wooden box covered with a rough black cloth.

He lifted the black cloth, revealing the belongings of his twenty-five elite cavalrymen that had been recovered.

There was a sword with a chipped blade, a red robe stained with dried black blood, and a silver family crest blackened by mud.

Tytus reached out and touched the cold silver badge, the pent-up anger in his chest rising again, causing him to cough heavily. But he forced the metallic taste back down.

He knew that it was no longer possible to militarily bypass the garrison in Riverrun and eliminate Otto directly.

"Go to King's Landing. Or go to Oldtown."

Tethos turned around and gave the lieutenant a secret order to die.

"Take enough gold and investigate the Braavos Iron Treasury's agent in Westeros. Go to the docks of the Twins and investigate all the undercover agents who handled the smuggling of linen and white salt from the East Tower. Find every smuggler that 'Blind Petyr' contacted in his lifetime."

Since I can't break through your gray stone wall head-on, I'll follow the scent of your money and dig up the roots beneath your territory that bury the dead.

"That little bastard has at most five hundred farmers, which is far from enough to support thirty heavily armored infantrymen, let alone buy mercenaries from the Golden Company! He must have a huge, clandestine black market silver network!"

Tethos clutched the silver badge tightly in his hand, its sharp edges piercing the skin of his palm, but he seemed not to feel the pain.

"Once we find irrefutable evidence of his illegal silver mining and concealment of taxes from Riverrun and the Iron Throne, King Robert of King's Landing, and that law-abiding Jason Mellist to the north, will personally lead their armies and skin him alive without me lifting a finger!"