Chapter 72: The Rumor
With Arya's departure, only Aeg and Tyrion remained in the room. Aeg turned his gaze to Tyrion and inquired, "How did you arrange things with that papermaking inventor?"
"It's a bit more intricate than you might imagine," Tyrion replied. "It wasn't just one person attempting to make paper, but a family that earns their living from weaving. more precisely, the youngest pair of siblings in the family."
"The sister discovered that the residue from washing cloth often formed small paper-like fragments, prompting her to have a sudden inspiration to boil and pulverize a bolt of cloth in water and then dry the water to create a complete sheet of paper," Tyrion continued.
"Quite a remarkable woman," Aeg said, his interest piqued. "Then, she and her brother tried to make paper with other materials?"
"Yes, they did manage to make paper, but it was more akin to hardened cloth. To be frank, it was of such poor quality that it wasn't even suitable for wiping one's behind. Moreover, the cloth they wove wasn't enough to make clothes and earn money to support the family, let alone produce paper in large quantities."
Tyrion went on, "The weaving and clothing industries haven't been faring well recently. It's a struggle for them just to support themselves. Although their family didn't object, they didn't have many resources to support their new invention. The brother attempted to sell their creation to paper merchants and borrow money to refine the technique, but was turned down. In the end, we stepped in."
So that's how it was. It wasn't that the working people of the ice and fire world weren't using their brains, but their inventions and creations were being suppressed by short-sighted resource owners! "Did you bring them back?" Aeg asked.
"Yes, I told them to abandon weaving and relocate their entire family to the city. I've rented a large courtyard in an area with lower land prices for them. I'll cover their food, drink, and all expenses for papermaking. They just need to produce usable paper as soon as possible."
"Yes, that's good," Aeg agreed.
"What about this confidentiality agreement you mentioned?" Tyrion asked.
"It's nothing new or mysterious, just a formal agreement. Make it clear to him. and his entire family. that we will support his family, reimburse all his experimental expenses, and there will be a bonus once usable paper is developed. However, once the papermaking technique is perfected, it must not be leaked or sold to another buyer. It can only serve our plan. If not, House Lannister, the Night's Watch, and even the Hand of the King will hold them accountable."
"That sounds a bit exaggerated. How can the Night's Watch and I hold him accountable? And the Hand of the King might not even be concerned with this matter."
"A commoner, presented with a document signed and sealed by the Lord Commander of the Night's Watch and the Hand of the King, along with your esteemed self, should be sufficiently intimidated," Aeg mused. "Of course, the best approach is still to satisfy our inventor so they have no second thoughts. Provide the siblings with equipment and materials, produce a batch of paper for me to see as soon as possible, and then we'll make specific decisions."
"Alright, I'll follow your instructions," Tyrion nodded. "Aren't you heading back to the inn yet? There doesn't seem to be anything left to do at the office."
"There's still some minor work to attend to. You go ahead, I'll return later. Don't go to sleep too early. We still need to discuss hiring matters tonight."
"Understood," Tyrion acknowledged.
"You're managing the funds, so take the money with you."
"Yes," Tyrion agreed.
Aeg saw Arya, Tyrion, and their attendants off, leaving the Night's Watch office once again in the solitude of a single occupant. Dusk was approaching, and he had an important task that could only be undertaken after dark. He lacked assistants, but even with more subordinates or employees, he wouldn't entrust this to anyone else.
It was still summer, and daylight lingered. Aeg waited for the hours to pass, enduring as the sky gradually darkened. He dined at a small restaurant near the guard camp and then lingered in the office a while longer. Finally, the outside world was as dark as ink.
It was about time.
He exited the office, locking the door behind him as any merchant might after closing shop late. He mounted his horse and began his journey toward the Albatross Inn. There were no street lamps in King's Landing, and this area was not like Silk Street, where "business" could continue after nightfall. The shops on both sides had already closed, and the streets were nearly devoid of pedestrians. Aeg sat tall on his horse, his head slightly tilted as he surveyed his surroundings, ensuring there were no other living beings within dozens of meters.
Then, he quietly reached into his bag, pulled out a small rolled-up piece of paper, and placed it by his side. He took a breath and let go of it.
In the tranquil night, the rolled-up piece of paper slipped from the man's palm, rolled along the horse's back, brushed against the horse's hair a few times, spun, and fell to the ground. It was then kicked by the hind leg of Aeg's mount, which happened to be stepping over, and flew lightly for half a meter before rolling into a corner of the cobblestone road. Silently, the carrier of a rumor blended into the darkness, and no one knew its origin.
Avoiding the night watchmen, Aeg deliberately took a roundabout route, carefully dropping a small piece of paper every few dozen meters like a bomber dropping bombs. After dozens of such actions, he had thrown away all the stock he had made the previous night.
The content of the paper strips was simple. They told a simple yet sensational story in the tone of a young knight from the Vale.
***
[My name is Hugh, and I served as a squire for the late Hand of the King, Jon Arryn, for many years. When someone sees this paper strip, I am sure I will already be dead.
Several months ago, I inadvertently discovered the affair between Jon's wife, Lysa Tully, and the Master of Coin, Petyr Baelish. Lysa threatened me not to tell anyone about this, or she would definitely have me beheaded. Lord Baelish promised me that as long as I kept quiet, he would ensure I had endless wealth and glory.
Under the influence of fear and greed, I did not immediately inform my lord of my discovery. until he suddenly "fell ill" and passed away.
Lord Jon was old, and falling ill seemed quite normal, but upon closer inspection, I noticed that the frequency of meetings between those two increased around the time of his death. This led me to suspect that it was Littlefinger who instigated Lysa to poison Lord Jon.
I have no evidence, and although I was knighted as Lord Baelish promised, I have always felt uneasy: If my suspicions are true, someone like me, even with a noble title, is probably still just an ant that can be crushed at will by a powerful figure like Littlefinger.
So, I wrote down what I knew and gave it to a reliable friend. If I die unexpectedly one day, it must be because Littlefinger plotted to murder me. My death would further prove that Lord Jon's passing was not natural. I am a small person, and my hesitation led to the death of a noble lord. My life is not worth much, but the truth must be revealed, and the guilty must be punished.]
***
The deed was done, and now he could only hope that it wouldn't rain in the next couple of days and that some of these paper strips would fall into the hands of literate and curious people.
Due to his low status, the death of Ser Hugh did not cause a stir or an investigation, but the mystery surrounding his death was no less than that of Bran's assassination attempt. Aeg learned through casual conversation with Jack that his time travel had not changed the fate of this young man from the Vale. The newly knighted Hugh still died a few days before Aeg's arrival in King's Landing, his throat pierced by the lance of Ser Gregor Clegane during a joust.
There were many questions: Was there cheating in the draw that determined the order of the jousting competitors? If so, was Gregor given orders to kill his opponent? If so, who gave the order and what was the purpose? Was Ser Hugh really aware of some secret, or was it just to confuse Eddard Stark?
These questions remained unknown even to Aeg, but they didn't matter. He wasn't seeking the truth now; he hoped the paper strip would cause trouble for his enemies.
The story on the paper strip was almost entirely fabricated, except for Jon's cause of death, but rumors have an interesting characteristic: as long as part of it is true, people will subconsciously believe the rest. Whether Lysa and Littlefinger had an affair in King's Landing, whether Hugh really knew some secret he shouldn't have, or whether his death was just a coincidence. it didn't matter. As long as it was true that Lysa and Littlefinger had known each other since childhood, that Jon Arryn had suddenly died, and that Ser Hugh had died in the joust. then the paper strip would be enough to give the accused a hard time.
Even better, Littlefinger had boasted about taking the virginity of the Tully sisters, making the gossip part of the paper strip more convincing. Aeg wondered if the young Baelish, who had once bragged about this and felt proud of it, would regret his youth and foolishness in the coming days.
Littlefinger could stir up trouble in King's Landing with his clever mind, but a more important and fundamental reason was the "disdain" of most people. born into a declining minor noble family on the Fingers, with no martial prowess, running a brothel that respectable people disdained, and showing little ambition. Many "important figures," while interacting with him on equal terms on the surface and even relying on his financial skills, deeply disdained him in their hearts and subconscious. This was the most important factor that allowed him to successfully stir up trouble and cause turmoil in the Seven Kingdoms.
But now, someone who knew him and intended to deal with him had arrived in King's Landing. His good days should be over.