Chapter 202: Shield Money

Inheritance systems in any region are an important tool for maintaining social stability, such as ancestral succession, where the eldest legitimate son inherits political status and sacrificial rights, while the remaining sons share the property with the eldest.

Clearly, this system weakens a family's strength significantly during transition periods, sometimes even causing them to collapse, thereby strengthening the authority of the government, the Emperor, and so on.

Westerosi lords, however, have strived since the time of the First Men to prevent younger sons and children from carving up family assets and lands, which would allow rival families to exploit the situation; thus, usually, one heir receives all the family resources.

When the Andals arrived across the Narrow Sea, carrying the Faith of the Seven and wielding iron weapons, the Andal inheritance law—where the eldest son takes all—began to prevail in Westeros, and quite a few First Men families were influenced by this, also beginning to lower the inheritance priority of eldest daughters.

The region of Dorne, which has Rhoynar influence, is unaffected by this; they still retain an inheritance method where the eldest daughter and eldest son are treated equally.

But whether in Dorne, the five central kingdoms, or The North, younger sons cannot obtain family resources; once their eldest brother's children are born, they lose their status as backup heirs and are driven out of the house to survive on their own.

Of course, the younger sons of great lords do not have to be so wretched; their families can provide positions for younger sons who have received noble military training, allowing them to continue serving the family. However, there are over six hundred unique noble surnames in Westeros, while there are only fifty or sixty great houses; the younger sons of the remaining families can only go out to become wandering knights or mercenaries.

Slightly wealthier and more generous families might give their younger sons a suit of iron armor, or even a warhorse; less wealthy or more iron-blooded families simply drive them out the door, without even a decent set of clothes.

Jule Bracken is a rather non-standard example, because his martial prowess does not match his status as an Armed Noble, but the richness of his wandering experience is not inferior to any younger son.

If this is the case for nobles, the situation for the younger sons of landed knight families is even more cruel; they are born to fight and die for their superior lords.

But fortunately, the younger sons of landed knights do not threaten the eldest son's right of inheritance, so they generally do not need to leave their birthplace too far, and can make do by finding a position in the nearby lord's guard.

For example, The Hound Sandor Clegane joined the Lannister army after his brother The Mountain inherited the family estate, and he achieved significant military success at the age of fourteen during the Usurper's War, which is why Tywin was sent to serve as Cersei's guard, and was later assigned by Cersei to be the personal guard for her eldest son, Prince Joffrey.

"The younger sons, children, and bastards of small families and landed knights often receive decent military training, yet are driven out of their homes because they conflict with the eldest son's right of inheritance, going to the eastern continent to become mercenaries, far away from their homes and relatives for a lifetime, struggling to survive under the rule of city-state people with strange customs. As King, I cannot bear to see this cold-blooded and heartless tradition."

Arthur first expressed his regret for the wandering of younger sons and bastards, then changed the subject, emphasizing that incorporating younger sons into the royal standing army is a win-win situation.

"Therefore, all younger sons and noble bastards over the age of fifteen must, according to the kingdom's act, come to King's Landing to join the royal standing army. The Iron Throne will generously provide them with wages and officer positions, as well as opportunities to rise and obtain land based on military merit."

"Of course, some younger sons are still their brother's heirs; the royal army will consider this situation and provide such people with relatively relaxed clerical or logistical positions."

"This act will be implemented starting from next month, which is the first month of the three-hundredth year of the Aegon's Conquest era; let's call it the Year 300 Second Sons Act!"

Arthur clarified the details of the Second Sons Act one by one, and the expressions of the courtiers changed accordingly; the most obvious change was in Tyrion Lannister.

The newly appointed Duke of Lannister was clearly wise enough; this move by the King would surely win over a large group of excellent warriors who had received military training since childhood but were ranked low in the order of succession.

The strengthening of royal power means the reduction of the lord's power.

Lord Redwyne, who had just put on the Hand of the King badge, did not have Tyrion's wisdom; he only cared about one thing:

"Your Grace, does my son, Hobber, also need to comply with this act?"

Whether his son stayed in King's Landing was secondary; what Paxter cared about was that because of this act, his youngest son, Hobber, lost certain freedoms.

For example, the inability to independently control his own whereabouts.

Prince Oberyn, Tyrion, and others sitting at one side of the round table tilted their heads to look at the King, wanting to know to what extent this act would be implemented.

To win the support of House Redwyne, Hobber might not be subject to this restriction, Tyrion thought to himself.

But Tyrion was disappointed.

The King announced clearly and unequivocally: "As Hand of the King and Prime Minister of the Small Council, Lord Paxter must take the lead. Your younger son, Hobber Redwyne, must join the royal standing army."

Lord Paxter's face was uncertain; he could not guess whether this was good or bad.

Arthur noticed this, so he gave him some comfort: "But please rest assured, Hobber, as a member of a top-tier noble family, will naturally not be strictly required like members of small families. He only needs to express his intention to join, and subsequently, in the name of protecting his cousin Queen Margaery, Sir Hobber will be stationed at the Red Keep."

Hearing this arrangement, Paxter finally felt relieved.

"You are truly a wise King!" After his own interests were protected, Lord Redwyne would never be stingy with words of praise.

He had already established his eldest son, the terrifying Sir Horas, as his heir, so Hobber's mission was to consolidate the family's various interests.

As the Queen's cousin, Hobber staying at the Red Keep was the most suitable choice; for one, it could consolidate the relationship with House Tyrell, and for another, it would allow him to become familiar with the royal presence, laying a foundation for successfully entering the Small Council after he grew older.

Tyrion raised the wine cup that was inseparable from his hand and casually echoed: "Cheers to the wise Arthur I!"

The King glanced at him sideways, feeling that this Duke of Lannister's desire to take the opportunity to drink was greater than his desire to flatter.

The matter of the Second Sons Act came to an end, and War Minister Innes was the first to talk about the war in the Stormlands.

"Your Grace, Lord Mathis Rowan's rate of advance is a bit slow; his camp has only reached the edge of the direct territory of Storm's End, and there is no sign of moving south to besiege this castle. Those great families in the northern Stormlands, such as Haystack Hall, Bronzegate, Felwood, and others, have also not sent soldiers to participate in the war."

Lady Shella Errol of Haystack Hall, the lord of Felwood, Haywood Fell, Lord Ralph Buckler of Bronzegate, and others, as well as the lord of Evenfall Hall, the Evening Star Selwyn Tarth, were basically all supporters of Renly first, then turned to Stannis.

After Stannis died, these people turned back to the Iron Throne, that is, Arthur I, who possessed the "orthodox" Targaryen bloodline. The northern Stormland families basically swore oaths around the time of the King's wedding to Queen Margaery, but it seems they are not very supportive of moving south to attack the Golden Company.

The rather stern Lord Randyll Tarly expressed his own point of view: "Your Grace, I suggest sending an envoy of the Iron Throne directly to sternly warn these families that if they do not send troops south, after we finish off the Golden Company, we will lead the army to collect Shield Money from them."

Arthur pondered that the Shield Money in Randyll's mouth was slightly different from the "Shield Money" in his previous life in England.

The Shield Money in Lord Tarly's mouth is a protection fee collected by the Iron Throne. According to the oath made when a lower lord pledges allegiance to a higher lord, the main military interaction between the two parties is that when the higher lord calls, the lower lord must lead troops to participate in the war; when the lower lord is in trouble, the higher lord must come forward to solve it or lead troops to assist.

The Shield Money in ancient England, however, was to exempt the forty days of military service owed to the King, allowing knights who could not participate in the war to pay money to exempt themselves from their service duration.

This reminded Arthur that if the younger sons of wealthy families do not want to join the royal standing army in the future, they can use the method of paying money instead of serving to reduce it.

It is also a way to increase income.

"A reasonable proposal. These families must either send troops or send grain; in any case, it cannot be like it is now." Arthur looked around, "Do you have any suitable candidates to take a trip to the northern Stormlands?"

Tristan Rivers, the Commander of the City Watch who had basically not spoken, cleared his throat and then suggested: "Your Grace, Queen Sansa's guard, Brienne of Tarth, is the most suitable choice. She is the only child of the Evening Star, and the Tarth family's influence in the Stormlands is not low."

The successive heads of the Tarth family are called the Evening Star.

Tyrion also agreed with this proposal: "Yes, Your Grace. As far as I know, Selwyn and his daughter Brienne themselves also have Targaryen blood; as a representative of the Iron Throne, it could not be more suitable."

Lord Innes Frey, who did not read much, was clearly a little surprised; he widened his brown eyes and asked: "Since when did the Tarth family also have the blood of the true dragon?"

This was also the doubt of several other semi-illiterate nobles.

Prince Oberyn, one of the only two people in the Small Council who read, answered this question: "During the time of Aegon V, there was a Targaryen princess who married into the Tarth family of Evenfall Hall. I remember this princess was the daughter of Daenys Targaryen, the sister of Aegon V."

Daenys had once been engaged to Aegon V, but after Aegon V traveled through the Seven Kingdoms with the legendary knight Duncan the Tall, he fell in love with Beth Blackwood, so Daenys married some unknown character (very likely Duncan the Tall).

The Red Viper himself had Targaryen blood and had read many books, so he could still talk about these convoluted kinship relations.

The King was also surprised by this obscure and cold blood relationship: "Then it will be Brienne. When she successfully gets the Stormland families to send grain and troops this time, I will specifically order a knight with a very good reputation to dub her a true knight."

Arthur himself is not a knight and cannot dub others as knights; even if he forced it, other knights would not recognize it.

The Small Council continued. Regarding the matter that Mathis Rowan sending someone to remind Randyll was very likely problematic, the King had not yet thought about how to deal with it, but before he led the army south, he would definitely find an excuse to eliminate all unstable factors.

The Reach, Oldtown.

Even though deep autumn had already arrived months ago, the green earth still presented a scene of a bountiful harvest, especially in the prosperous Oldtown.

As the sun rose and the morning mist began to disperse, this city, the second largest in Westeros and its largest port, began to brim with vibrant life.

Farmers drove ox carts to transport surplus crops that could not be stored for long into the city to trade for a few spare coins; peddlers carried their poles along the banks of the Honeywine that flowed through Oldtown, calling out their wares; high-headed Septons and Maester apprentices passed through the crowds from time to time, heading from counting houses or taverns toward the Starry Sept or the Citadel; wealthy merchants and sailors from major trading ports searched the streets and alleys with their purses for the services they desired.

The long winter was approaching, yet Oldtown was like a Knight who had shed their Iron Armor, showing off to everyone who came here the proud achievements gained during the long summer.

The war had been going on for nearly a year, yet this place had not been affected much; the only thing that could signal the factors of war was the great iron chain spanning the mouth of the Honeywine.

An iron chain across a river is one of the main means for Westeros to deal with enemies attacking from the sea; far away, hundreds of leagues away in King's Landing, winch towers were also built to facilitate locking the Blackwater River when necessary.

Pate, with a face full of freckles, coldly glanced at the iron chain spanning the river, which shimmered with a metallic luster in the early morning sun, and the towering tower standing at the mouth of the Honeywine, then, bearing the lingering effects of the apple cider, he staggered toward the Citadel.

During the night that had just passed, he and a few apprentices he knew had spent the latter half of the night drinking at the "Quill and Tankard" on a small island in the Honeywine.

He went to this tavern, which had existed for six hundred years, to keep an appointment made with an alchemist, in order to trade a key belonging to Archmaester Walgrave for a Gold Dragon.

"Trade black iron for a Gold Dragon, trade black iron for a Gold Dragon..." the parrot's voice rang out, but when it reached the ears of the guilty Pate, it automatically turned into this sentence.

His purpose for wanting the Gold Dragon was also very simple: as long as he had one Gold Dragon, he could obtain the first night of Rosie, the youngest maid at the "Quill and Tankard."

That was Rosie, oh, the Rosie who would let him play with her tender little feet.

Pate fantasized about the wonderful life of eloping with Rosie afterward, "A donkey would be enough to carry the two of us."

But he did not notice that he had bumped into someone.

"Good morning, Pate!" the person who was bumped into took the initiative to greet him.

Pate, who was brushing the mud off his only robe, looked up and saw a tall figure wearing a brown hooded cloak.

Although the oncoming sunlight made it impossible for him to see the person's face clearly, the voice allowed him to recognize that this was that "alchemist."

"You missed our appointment!" Pate was a little angry, but he dared not show his anger in his tone.

After all, he still really needed this Gold Dragon.

"I arrived there early, but seeing you gathering with your companions, I did not disturb you."

The former "Jaqen H'ghar," now the alchemist, stared at Pate with a casual yet firm gaze, and without waiting for the apprentice to speak, he turned and walked toward a deep alley to the side.

Pate, anxious to use the Gold Dragon, had no choice but to follow.

If he missed this time, he would have no chance to get a real Gold Dragon, and Rosie's flowering period was coming to an end; another apprentice Pate hated, Leo Tyrell, also claimed he would take Rosie's first night.

The two, one after the other, walked into the deepest part of the alley.

"The key is here, where is the Gold Dragon?"

Pate, who was ultimately anxious for the Gold Dragon, could not hold his composure and broke the silence between the two first.

The alchemist, having pulled back his hood, reached into the purse at his waist, fished out the largest kind of coin, and tossed it to the apprentice who was watching eagerly.

Pate caught the gold coin that traced a perfect arc, "This isn't theft, this is just an exchange, trading black iron for gold."

He used a clumsy excuse to comfort himself, then began to verify the authenticity of the Gold Dragon coin.

Like all Gold Dragon coins in Westeros, this gold coin also had the three-headed dragon emblem printed on one side and the upper body of a tall, handsome Targaryen king on the other.

Among the existing Gold Dragon coins, those printed with the upper body pattern of Jaehaerys I, who reigned the longest, were the most numerous, while those of other kings were much fewer.

Although Pate had seen the portraits of all the Targaryen kings, at this moment he could not figure out whose upper body portrait was printed on the Gold Dragon coin in his hand.

Pate, of course, would not know that the owner of this portrait, Daemon Blackfyre I, had never ascended the Iron Throne.

The one in his hand was a commemorative currency issued by the Golden Company in Essos.

Feeling the alchemist staring at him again, in order to pretend to be very experienced, Pate had to learn the method others used to verify gold coins, putting it into his mouth and biting it hard with his molars.

Taking out the gold coin, there was indeed a bite mark.

"A real gold coin!" With the Gold Dragon in hand, Pate suddenly hesitated a little, "Are you going to steal books?"

Archmaester Walgrave's key could open a cellar, in which some of the world's last remaining Valyria scrolls were locked.

"None of your business!" the alchemist said coldly.

With the Gold Dragon coin in hand, Pate only thought about playing with Rosie, "Oh, then it's a deal!"

He handed the stolen key to this person and then turned to leave.

Only the cobblestone road under his feet suddenly floated up, "What is this, I don't understand."

"You will never understand," someone replied.

A few breaths later, Pate fell in the deep alley, and then the alchemist walked over quickly, switched the hooded cloak on his body to Pate, and then began to peel off the face of this poor apprentice.

Before the morning mist had completely dispersed, a new Pate reappeared on the streets of Oldtown; he mimicked the staggering movements Pate had made after drinking apple cider and slowly moved toward the massive building complex of the Citadel.

The "new Pate," who had scouted the Citadel for two months, was far more familiar with this place than the previous owner of this face; he entered Archmaester Walgrave's residence with ease.

The Archmaester had been elected as the Steward of the Citadel this year, but due to his elderly body, he had a middle-aged Archmaester named Theobald serve as the Steward.

The new Pate walked silently to the door of the Archmaester's bedroom, listening to the conversation inside.

"Yes, Marwyn cannot be trusted; his head is full of magic, which completely goes against the philosophy of our Citadel," a low voice said.

"I also support Archmaester Ryam; he is a firm anti-magic faction member, and it is most appropriate for him to go to King's Landing."

The second, panting voice was clearly Archmaester Walgrave.

After the people in the bedroom finished their conversation, the new Pate left quickly.

PS: Seeking recommendation votes and monthly votes.

(End of this chapter)