Chapter 13

Of course, Margaery knew that the "Paxter" her grandmother spoke of was the lord of the Arbor Island, Lord Paxter Redwyne. This person was leading the Arbor Island fleet to block Storm's End from the sea.

Now that she had no doubts, she suddenly said, "No wonder 'Onion Knight' Davos was able to drive his smuggling boat into the harbor of Storm's End. It turned out that Earl Paxter did it on purpose..."

"That's right," Madam Olenna affirmed her granddaughter's conjecture and said, "When Storm's End could not be attacked for a long time, Randyll Tarly advised your father to leave a small part of the army to continue the siege and lead the main force of the Riverbend Army northward to join the king's army and jointly fight against the rebels.

But the stupid 'potbellied fish' doesn't know whether he really has so much confidence in the king's army or he is not willing to let his army face the front of the rebels in Storm's End. Not long after that, news came that Prince Rhaegar was killed by Robert with a hammer on the banks of the Trident River, and the situation of the entire war was reversed.

At that time, your father had not yet come to his senses and was still attacking Storm's End. Randyll had no choice but to write me that seemingly inexplicable letter. If it weren't for this letter, Robert's two younger brothers would have starved to death in Storm's End.

If that were the case, do you think that after Robert Baratheon successfully overthrew the Targaryen dynasty, he would have accepted the surrender of the Royalist nobles of the Riverbend so easily?"

Margaery was lost in thought and nodded, "So, at the beginning, Randyll Tarly didn't want to gamble everything, so as to leave room for negotiation."

"Yes. All the nobles of the River Bend should thank Randyll Tarly. He is the one who fought the war. Besides, you should be able to figure out why Randyll didn't go to Paxter himself but wrote to me instead?"

Margaery nodded. "I understand that Randyll is doing this out of caution, and he doesn't want to leave any clues of 'collaborating with the rebels.' He wrote that inexplicable letter because he believed that Madam Olenna could understand his intentions, and that the old lady could see the situation clearly. Moreover, Madam Olenna is the aunt and mother-in-law of Earl Paxter, the fleet commander of Arbor Island.

With these two relationships, it would be safer and more effective for her to persuade Earl Paxter to release the rebels."

"Do you still think Randyll Tarly is a brainless fool?"

Margaery stuck out her cute little tongue. "I never thought that there would be such a secret in the Siege of Storm's End back then. Looking at it this way, Randyll Tarly is indeed very politically minded."

Madam Olenna said with emotion, "You should be glad that Horn Hill is not a wealthy territory, and the Tarly family doesn't have enough influence in the Reach. That's why Randyll has never shown any ambitions. If he was born in Hightower or the Florent family, heh, then I would definitely advise your father to get rid of this person as soon as possible!"

Margaery heard her grandmother and was startled by her cold eyes. But soon, Madam Olenna returned to her benevolent look, as if what she had just said was just a joke. Margaery collected herself and asked, "Grandmother, if that's the case, how could Earl Randyll not see the bright spots in Samwell? Why does he want to deprive him of his right of inheritance?"

"This is also what I can't figure out. It may also be that after being abandoned by the family this time, Samwell came to his senses and changed his temperament drastically." This was the first time Margaery had seen her grandmother so confused and couldn't help but chuckle inwardly.

After laughing, she pointed to the letter in her hand and asked, "Grandma, you haven't told me how to deal with Samwell? Do you really want to continue giving him money?"

"Why not? Apart from roses, what the Tyrell family does not lack most is money." Madam Olenna said without hesitation, "Randyll himself doesn't cherish such a good son, why don't we win him over?"

Thinking of Carter's death, Margaery hesitated and said, "But grandma, aren't you worried that Samwell will get out of control?"

Madam Olenna laughed when she heard this, "A pioneer knight who doesn't even have a territory, how can he jump out of our control? Moreover, how to control the vassals so that they are willing to charge for us is also a skill. Since Samwell is the knight canonized by you, I will leave it to you to practice."

"I'm not qualified to confer a knighthood. I was just acting on behalf of my father..." Margaery murmured a little guiltily, then shook Madam Olenna's arm and said coquettishly, "Grandmother, teach me. If Samwell succeeds in blackmailing this time, what if he intensifies later? I can't keep sending him money, can I?"

"So you have to set the rules instead of being led by his nose."

"How to set the rules?"

"To put it simply, no matter how much he wants, you only give him a certain amount of money every month. To make it more complicated, you can also set reward and punishment rules, such as giving him a monetary reward if the territory development progress reaches a certain level, but if the progress is unfavorable, then deduct the money. In short, the initiative must be in your own hands, and you should not give it every time he writes to ask for money."

I understand." Margaery nodded repeatedly. "Grandma, what was your plan for arranging Samwell before?"

"I thought Samwell was a cowardly person who could be controlled by strong means. But now it seems that this method is no longer feasible.

However, you don't have to worry, just like flowers and plants, they will grow towards the sun, and people will always move closer to interests. If you grasp the line of interests, you can control anyone, especially an ambitious and smart person like Samwell." Margaery's eyes flashed with eagerness, a little excited but also a little apprehensive.

"Grandma, why did you send Samwell there to develop? I only guessed that you were dealing with Dorne, but I couldn't figure out the specific method. So... I was a little worried that it would ruin your plan."

"Haven't you figured out how to deal with Dorne?"

Margaery shook her head.

Madam Olenna said persuasively, "Then think about it, how did the Iron Throne make Dorne submit?"

"It was through marriage."

"Marriage is only the result, not the reason. If marrying a woman can conquer a country, then why do you need an army? When Daeron I conquered Sunspear and shattered the dream of independence for the Dornish people otherwise how could the Martell family be willing to marry Princess Myrah to King's Landing? Think about it carefully, the 'Conqueror' back then, Aegon I, was unable to conquer Dorne by riding three giant dragons, so why did Daeron I complete this feat after the dragons became extinct?"

Margaery fell into deep thought after hearing the words, and after a long while, she spoke with uncertain words and said in a tone:

"Rivers?"

"That's right! With the barrier of the Red Mountains, it is almost impossible to conquer Dorne from land. And rivers are the key to opening the gate of Dorne."

Margaery looked like she had solved a puzzle: "No wonder you suggested to Samwell that the pioneering site is near the mouth of the Turbulent River, but Grandma, what should I do?"

"Don't worry. The most important quality of a good gardener is patience. After planting the seeds, just water and fertilize, and time will give you the answer." Madam Olenna said leisurely, "And Todd told me that Samwell actually said that he can carry out decent business in a barren place like the Red Mountains."

"And I am looking forward to a surprise from him."

[END]