Chapter 95: Emotional Card

In the study at Winterfell, Lady Barbrey protested the Salt Ban of Winterfell to Eddard.

Eddard said calmly, "Those with ulterior motives who use the salt depots to make money are truly too greedy, and greed must pay a price. The price of salt has caused public resentment to boil over; I issued the Salt Ban, and the people of the North clapped and cheered. Many vassals support the Salt Ban."

"Many vassals support it?" Lady Barbrey seemed quite amused, "Such as whom?"

Eddard counted on his fingers, "Lord Medger Cerwyn of Cerwyn is very supportive, as are the Wull clan in the northern mountains, the Flint clan, the Norrey clan, and the Liddle clan."

Lady Barbrey leaned forward, "Lord Medger Cerwyn's lands have no salt pans; Cerwyn is deep inland and has no salt mines. As for the mountain clans, do the people of the mountain tribes know how to sun-dry salt? Lord Eddard, you promised to share the profits of the salt depots with all the lords of the North; those lords far from the sea might be happy, but this is unfair to those who possess coastal lands!"

"My Barrowton is in the area of the Salt Spear; there are many salt depots and private salt pans. Winterfell does not allow private production and sale of salt; this not only harms the interests of the Dustin House of Barrowton, but also harms the interests of many private salt pans."

A cold glint flashed in Eddard's eyes, "I have no doubt that it is precisely these private salt pans that collude with smugglers to drive up the price of salt, or rather, many salt pans are run by smugglers themselves. These smugglers collude with lords to defraud Winterfell of money, making it so the common people cannot afford salt. When smugglers and lords are in league to manipulate the price of salt, the lives of the common people become miserable."

"It is still summer now, but what will happen when winter comes? Lady Barbrey, when the price of salt rose, you were staying in Barrowton the whole time. Even if you did not collude with smugglers, can you guarantee that the others of the Dustin House are all innocent? Some of the smugglers we captured all said that the salt merchants and smugglers of Barrowton are rampant."

Eddard spread his hands, "Perhaps I should heed the call of the people and send men to Barrowton to investigate whether the local nobility is colluding with smugglers to use the salt depots to drive up the price of salt."

A flash of doubt crossed Barbrey's eyes; she was afraid. Eddard was certain that among the Dustin House of Barrowton and the lesser nobles under the Dustin, there were definitely those selling illicit salt. Once Winterfell began an investigation, many lords of Barrowton would face the punishment of having their lands reduced or even being exiled to The Wall.

As a widow, Barbrey ruled Barrowton after the death of her husband, William Dustin. She had won the support of the Dustin House and the lesser nobles under her banner. If she angered Eddard and brought the wrath of Winterfell upon the Dustin House and the lesser nobles, her rule in Barrowton would be like walking on thin ice.

Barbrey pondered for a long while, then gave a bitter smile, "Lord Eddard, I am very saddened that you are stubbornly pushing through the Salt Ban. I am very curious to know, who exactly gave you this idea? Is it the Maester by your side, that Maester called Luwin?"

"Lord Eddard, Maesters cannot be trusted! They are all grey rats. The Citadel trains them to read, write, heal, and answer questions for lords. The Citadel claims that Maesters serve the lords, but what is the result? Maesters only whisper in the ears of lords, interfering with the various decisions the lords make."

"Do you still remember the Maester of Winterfell before Maester Luwin? That was Maester Walys, that grey rat who encouraged your father, Duke Rickard, to develop the influence of House Stark in the South. He persuaded your father to have Brandon betrothed to Catelyn Tully and to have Lady Lyanna betrothed to King Robert Baratheon. Duke Rickard fully believed that the direwolf could run wild in the South, but what was the result?"

"Duke Rickard was burned to death by the Mad King Aerys II Targaryen; Brandon was strangled to death while trying to save his father; your sister Lyanna died at the Tower of Joy—they all died in the South. Countless Northerners, including my husband, were buried with them. All of this was because of the instigation of Maester Walys! Lord Eddard, grey rats are not worth trusting."

Eddard sighed, "Barbrey, the Maester by my side has nothing to do with the Salt Ban. If you really want to know, I can tell you. The Salt Ban was actually Brandon's idea from the beginning."

Upon hearing the name of Brandon Stark, this woman who had been widowed for many years seemed to return to her maiden years in an instant. Barbrey had once been Brandon's lover, reaching the point of marriage. Back then, Barbrey's father, Lord Roderick Dustin of the Rills, proposed a marriage to Duke Rickard, hoping to marry Barbrey to the Heir of Winterfell, Brandon, to expand the influence of the Rills in the North.

However, Duke Rickard had ambitions for the South at the time. The Maester of Winterfell, Walys, strongly urged Rickard that the Heir of Winterfell should not marry a vassal of the North. In the end, Duke Rickard refused the marriage and instead chose to have Brandon betrothed to Catelyn of Riverrun. From that time on, Barbrey hated the Maesters to death.

Although Brandon had been dead for many years, Lady Barbrey's heart still stirred with longing when she recalled her first love. She said emotionally, "Brandon proposed the Salt Ban? Lord Eddard, you must not lie to me."

Eddard said solemnly, "My brother Brandon was the natural-born leader. Compared to Brandon, Brandon was the sun, while I am but a candle flame. He had charisma, ambition, and ability."

"Back then, Brandon once told me that one day, when he inherited Winterfell and became the Duke of the North, he would introduce a Salt Ban. I asked him why, and Brandon told me that only by controlling salt could one unite the North and make the North wealthy and strong. If the North were wealthy and strong, Winterfell would not need to curry favor with the lords of the South, and he would not have been forced by his father, Duke Rickard, to marry Catelyn."

Eddard, as if possessed by a bard, looked at Barbrey before him, "Brandon said that he met a beautiful maiden in the Rills. She rode a chestnut horse, and they rode wildly through the fields together, singing by the streams and the sea, and sleeping in each other's arms under the moonlight. Brandon once fantasized about having many children with you and ruling Winterfell and the North together."

Lady Barbrey's heart was broken. She recalled the past, filled with mixed emotions, and said excitedly, "I knew it! Brandon never looked down on Catelyn Tully; the one he loved was me."

Eddard reached out and gently touched Barbrey's cheek, "Now Brandon has been sleeping underground for more than a decade, and the pure and lovely maiden of the Rills from back then has turned into a bitter and sharp-tongued widow of Barrowton. Brandon would be saddened to see this."

"Barbrey, you were Brandon's lover. I promised to take care of you for Brandon. Believe me, the Salt Ban will absolutely not harm the interests of Barrowton and the noble lords. On the contrary, after Winterfell gains control of the production and management rights of salt, we will find ways to increase salt production, and the lords of the North will all be able to share in more money."

A tear rolled down Barbrey's cheek, "To hell with the Salt Ban, I don't care! Lord Eddard, please take me to the Crypts of Winterfell; I want to visit my Brandon."

Thanks to book friend "Chenzhou" for the monthly ticket, thank you for your support!

(End of this chapter)