The banquet at Riverrun ended in a strange atmosphere. Afterward, Robb sought out Roman, as the Young Wolf wanted to discuss their subsequent plans.
Robb: "Ser Roman, you've truly done something major! My grandfather is both anxious and furious right now, yet he's completely helpless. What exactly do you intend to do next?"
Roman hadn't expected the Young Wolf to be so straightforward. For a moment, he didn't know whether to praise him or laugh at him, but one thing was certain.
He was indeed an heir raised by Eddard Stark.
"Ser Robb, you should understand one thing: some words cannot be spoken too bluntly, otherwise they easily invite disaster."
The Young Wolf looked puzzled, but before he could speak, Roman continued:
"According to intelligence, Lord Eddard once had the chance to take control of King's Landing, but he chose to confront Cersei directly after King Robert's death, which led to his subsequent control by House Lannister."
Roman paused and looked at Robb, saying:
"If you want to obtain intelligence, you should learn to be deceptive and cunning, waiting for the right moment to strike, just like your uncle Brandon."
Roman was still speaking when the Young Wolf interrupted him directly:
"Ser Roman, wouldn't it be easier if you just told me directly? Why do we need to play games between our two families?"
"You!..."
Roman was out of options. It seemed Robb would only pay attention to his conduct after suffering a major setback. The children Eddard raised, except for Arya, were all a bit too straightforward.
"Ser Robb, you should already be clear about my goals, so there's no need to ask."
"Do you really intend to continue pushing those... centralization policies in your territory? The nobles of Westeros have quite a few complaints about you."
Roman: "I have my own considerations. The old ways cannot save the Hean Family, nor can they save Harrenhal."
The two of them chatted idly for a while. Roman discovered that Robb didn't truly want to stand up for his grandfather, as Hoster himself had already given up; he was merely testing whether Roman would affect the North.
After all, in Robb's view, the wildlings still highly valued Roman's orders, and the deterrence and favorable treatment House Stark provided them were not enough.
Roman reassured Robb: "The North has been managed by Northerners since ancient times. I'd have to be out of my mind as a Southerner to go there and make a fool of myself."
"Furthermore, I am close friends with both King Robert and Lord Eddard. The new and old gods would not forgive the crime of attacking a friend."
Seeing that the time was right, Roman bid farewell to the North and the Tully family before leading his troops back to Harrenhal.
Hoster and Catelyn could only let out a long sigh in the end. Their only hope was that they would not have to face Roman in battle in the future.
Catelyn: "In the current situation, I'm afraid Sansa needs to marry into the Hean Family to ensure everything is foolproof."
Hoster: "Little Cat, would Sansa be willing? Besides, Roman still has a marriage contract with Myrcella."
Catelyn, however, was full of confidence: "Father, Sansa is dying to marry Roman. The way she looks at him is practically dripping with affection."
"And you've forgotten Cersei. That stupid woman will ruin the only chance for reconciliation between the Hean Family and House Lannister."
————
Harrenhal
A fat man dressed in linen was sitting in a tavern gnawing on lamb chops. This brown-haired, black-eyed poor soul, who had fled from The Reach, was devouring the food on his plate.
Wilson was originally just a helper in an orchard in The Reach. He had fled because he was still being conscripted even after paying his way out.
As he got closer to Harrenhal, various voices kept flashing through Wilson's mind, telling him to find Roman and serve the demonic dragon of Harrenhal.
But Wilson cast all of that aside; right now, he just wanted to eat.
Wilson was surprised to find that the prices in Harrenhal were incredibly low. Here, even an ordinary family could afford to eat meat three times a week.
And someone like him, who had worked in The Reach and had a small amount of savings, could even order some meat with every meal to satisfy his cravings.
"Abundant products, peace and prosperity, and a strong populace. No wonder Lord Roman can fight on two fronts without falling behind!"
Wilson's time in Harrenhal was quite pleasant. He first had a hearty meal at a restaurant, then went to the public baths to enjoy a subsidized low-cost bath, and finally found a cheap inn to rest.
Lying on the bed, Wilson sniffed the entire room: "Ah! A Harrenhal with such a large castle town can actually be this clean. In those cities in The Reach, except for the manors of the noble lords, whose house isn't stinking?"
His observations during this period made Wilson even more certain that he wanted to stay and live in the Hean Family's territory. This place was simply a paradise for commoners like them!
There were no exorbitant taxes like poll taxes, and one wouldn't be extorted when entering or leaving towns. The subjects of the Hean Family enjoyed policies of light taxes and low labor requirements. Wealth accumulated and circulated among the people, which also attracted merchants from all over to trade.
With the help of various talents, Roman had also established multiple industrial lines suited to local conditions. As long as they were willing to work, a couple could easily support four children.
Added to that were the public medical care, public education, and various apprentice workshops Roman had established. A child would also be protected by the law and constables. As long as they were slightly ambitious, they could become elite members of society elsewhere in Westeros after finishing their studies, but in Harrenhal, such children were as numerous as the hair on an ox.
Wilson also put in quite a bit of effort before finally finding a job in an herb garden.
But before Wilson could be happy for more than a few days, someone from Harrenhal came to invite him for a detailed talk with Roman.
Wilson arrived at Harrenhal with an apprehensive heart. After walking past the magnificent walls and palaces, he finally saw Roman—he saw that human-shaped demonic dragon.
Roman was reading in his study at the time, with Fili serving tea by his side. Hearing the noise, he turned his head to look at Wilson.
"I heard that an extraordinary person has come to the herb garden. Why don't you introduce yourself first?"
In Roman's vision, Wilson's spark of life was dazzlingly bright, just like when he first met Fili.
Moreover, Roman had heard from the herb garden workers that in the area where Wilson was located, the growth rate of those herbs would greatly accelerate.
So Roman suspected that Wilson's ability was related to plants, and thus called him over.
It was Wilson's first time meeting such a famous person, and for a moment he forgot how to speak, only able to stutteringly introduce his name and life story.
After listening patiently, Roman got straight to the point: "Wilson, I heard you can accelerate the growth of plants. Is this true?"
Wilson: "Lord Roman, it is indeed true. The plants around me always grow faster. Once, after I stayed in an orchard for a long time, the Wild Grass on the ground grew like crazy. My colleagues even gave me this nickname."
Roman nodded, then stepped forward and patted Wilson on the shoulder:
"I intend to have you work at the Harrenhal Academy Agricultural Research Institute. What do you think?"
"Ah?!"
In the end, Wilson didn't understand why he could directly enter Harrenhal's key academy and become a colleague to a bunch of people who looked like maesters.
The main work of the Agricultural Research Institute now was seed breeding. With Roman's advanced knowledge for guidance, Harrenhal's breeding technology was developing rapidly, but breeding was a long process after all; one had to wait for the crops to complete their entire life cycle.
But Wilson's arrival changed all that. The researchers were pleasantly surprised to find that the crops around Wilson grew extremely fast. Crops that originally needed several months to bear fruit now had that time significantly shortened.
This meant they could conduct breeding more times within the same period, greatly improving breeding efficiency.
Now, the way the agricultural researchers looked at Wilson was as burning as the gaze of a poor person in the slums seeing a Gold Dragon.
Listening to the agricultural researchers' daily reports, Roman happily lifted Fili above his head and said:
"Fili, in the future, the people in our territory truly won't have to go hungry anymore!"
.
more chapter available in p@tréøñ(Atoki_29)
30% offer on annual membership also