Chapter 87: The Salt Ban of Firmness and Flexibility

Eddard and Maester Luwin returned to the Maester's Tower in Winterfell; Eddard sat in a chair, while a raven nearby cawed incessantly.

"Lord Eddard, do you truly intend to announce a ban on the production and sale of private salt to the North's vassals? The vassals will likely complain, and may even protest!"

Eddard picked up a cat's paw. "Reform will certainly encounter resistance. Winter is Coming; one cannot accomplish anything by being timid. When the time comes, my people will only be left to starve and suffer in the ice and snow. Of course, my ban will not be so crude; I will give the vassals some sweeteners."

Maester Luwin sat in the chair opposite Eddard. "What sweeteners?"

Eddard thought for a moment. "Winterfell will not pursue the matter of lords colluding with salt merchants to profit from salt pans. We will only severely punish the salt merchants and smugglers."

Luwin wore an approving smile. "During the period when salt prices skyrocketed, many lords followed Lord Eddard on the expedition to Skagos. If Lord Eddard were to investigate, these lords would certainly shift the blame onto their Acting Castellan. By letting bygones be bygones, the lords will be grateful for House Stark's magnanimity."

Eddard added, "I do not expect the vassals to send the property confiscated from the salt merchants they capture to Winterfell; they may keep it in their own coffers, and I will turn a blind eye. Some lords may gain a windfall. They only need to hand the criminals over to Winterfell for disposal. Beyond this, you must clarify in the letter, telling the Northern vassals that House Stark guarantees they will always be able to obtain salt gifted by Winterfell for free. The maintenance costs of the salt pans will be borne by Winterfell, and the lords may share in the profits of the salt pans."

Maester Luwin stroked his Chain. "Lord Eddard, your policy can truly be called a combination of firmness and flexibility; only in this way can you win people's hearts."

The North reveres the "Guest Right." When a guest visits under a host's roof, as long as the guest has consumed the host's bread and salt, the host must ensure the guest suffers no harm under their roof. The descendants of the First Men believe that anyone who violates the Guest Right will suffer divine punishment and heavenly retribution.

Winterfell has seized the production and management rights of salt in the North. By gifting salt to the vassals in the future, the vassals will strengthen their relationship with Winterfell while eating the salt of the Starks.

Maester Luwin wrote over a dozen letters that day. Ravens carried these letters to White Harbor, Greywater Watch, Bear Island, Barrowton, Dreadfort, Last Hearth, Karhold, the Northern Mountain Clans, and Widow's Watch; the ravens would bring the news to every vassal family in the North.

Eddard did not send the Salt Ban to the Rockborn; after all, the Rockborn had only just knelt in submission, and the lives of the Rockborn on the island were difficult. Eddard would not disturb the lives of the Rockborn at this time.

Sir Herman Tallhart of Torrhen's Square, Lord Medger Cerwyn of Cerwyn, and Galbart Glover of Deepwood Motte had always been firm supporters of Winterfell; these families would support Winterfell's policy.

Even though Eddard had included some preferential policies in the salt policy, there were still some powerful vassals, such as Roose Bolton of the Dreadfort, Lady Barbrey Dustin of Barrowton, and Lord Wyman, who might protest Winterfell's policy.

However, Roose Bolton and Lord Wyman were currently attacking each other over the use of salt pans to earn illicit money, and the Northern lords were taking sides. The opposition between the Dreadfort and White Harbor meant the vassals were destined to be unable to unite in protest. Eddard believed that even if there was resistance, the reform could still be pushed forward.

Once the vassals accepted Eddard's policy and Winterfell controlled the production and management rights of salt in the North, Eddard would introduce a method for improving salt. In Westeros, whether it was sun-dried salt or salt dug from mines, it was all coarse salt. This coarse salt had many impurities and tasted poor, but this could not stump the Chuanzhe Eddard. He would refine the salt, allowing the North to be the first to eat "snowflake salt."

Refining fine salt required a simple filter. Eddard picked up the cat's paw, drew a structural diagram of a simple filter, and handed it to Maester Luwin.

"What is this?" Maester Luwin stared in bewilderment.

"In the future, by relying on this filter, we can refine coarse salt into edible salt. We have plenty of coarse salt in our warehouses; you should first build this filter according to my design."

Maester Luwin stared at the drawing. "It requires bamboo tubes, fine gauze, small pebbles, fine sand, and cotton wool... Lord Eddard has drawn it very carefully; give me a few days, and I can make it. But can this thing really refine fine salt? I am not optimistic."

"Just do as I say."

Eddard left the Maester's Tower. The financial advisor Klar walked over. "Lord Eddard, the glassblower has arrived."

"Finally here." Eddard smiled. "As long as this glassblower from Myr is willing to work for Winterfell, I can use glass to build our glass gardens."

Klar smiled awkwardly. "Lord Eddard, this glassblower is not Ortega from Myr. Ortega is still on the road; it will likely take a few more days for him to arrive at Winterfell. This is a glassblower from White Harbor. He heard that Winterfell was recruiting glassblowers and came on his own."

Eddard was somewhat disappointed. "A White Harbor glassblower? The silversmiths of White Harbor are very famous in the Seven Kingdoms; this is the first time I've heard that White Harbor has glassblowers."

In the living room, Eddard met this glassblower. He was skin and bones, wearing a filthy sheepskin coat, with a mop of messy blonde hair like a chicken's nest, and he wore a fawning smile.

"Lord Eddard, I am Ginter; it is an honor to serve you!"

Eddard sized Ginter up. "You don't look like a glassblower!" Artisans usually had high incomes; Ginter's clothes were tattered and old, and he did not look like a wealthy man at all.

Ginter smiled broadly. "To be honest, I am not a professional glassblower; I come from the Alchemists' Guild."

The "Mad King" Aerys had a morbid obsession with fire and liked to burn those who angered him to death. The Alchemists' Guild relied on Wildfire to please the Mad King; at that time, alchemists had high incomes.

However, ever since Robert Baratheon ascended the throne, the status of alchemists had plummeted. The Alchemists' Guild could not obtain funding from the royal family or the nobility and became increasingly impoverished, which explained why Ginter looked so wretched.

Alchemists had never been welcomed in Winterfell. As everyone knew, back then, Eddard's father, Duke Rickard Stark, was burned to death by the alchemists of the "Mad King" Aerys, and Eddard's brother Brandon was strangled to death by a torture device while trying to save his father.

Although the Chuanzhe Eddard had never met Duke Rickard or Brandon, this body retained some of the memories of the Starks, which made Eddard somewhat dislike the alchemist Ginter before him.

"I am sorry, Winterfell is recruiting glassblowers, not alchemists."

Ginter hurriedly took out a piece of glass. "Lord Eddard, this is the glass I made; take a look!"

Eddard took the glass, and with a squeeze, the glass dented like soft mud. "This is the quality? You have the nerve to show this off?"

Ginter apologized with a smile. "I admit the craftsmanship needs improvement, but I have Wildfire."

Ginter pulled a small iron canister from his pocket and touched it with a flint; a blue-green flame burst out from inside.

Thanks to book friend "20220826102301782" for the monthly ticket, and thanks to everyone for the recommendations and follow-up reading; thank you for your support!

(End of chapter)