Using a borrowed knife to kill

Westeros doesn't have a system of titles; everyone is referred to as a lord.

That is, what is called an adult.

Commoners have a bit of a verbal tic; they might call someone "Master."

However, in order to make it easier to distinguish their strengths, Joffrey automatically generated titles in his mind.

The rulers of the various kingdoms, such as Eddard and Tywin, are dukes, but House Martell of Dorne is an exception, calling them princes.

Their vassals were earls.

Among the vassals, those with many soldiers, abundant wealth, and strong power, such as Frey of the Twins, Hightoar of Oldtown, or the exterminated Tabek and Reyes, were called marquises.

A baron is a man who owns only a castle and a few villages, and who has emptied his coffers to gather a few hundred soldiers.

Next up are the knights who own property.

They had no right to judge, and were no longer considered lords or lords; they were simply called knights.

The Clinton family went down the ranks from earldom to the bottom.

"My uncle Jon Clinton chose the wrong side back then, bringing shame upon the family," Red Roland said in a deep voice.

"During the Battle of the Bells, he searched the entire city for King Robert, causing widespread discontent and ultimately leading to his defeat. In a fit of rage, the Mad King stripped us of our titles."

"After my father took over as head of the family, he immediately severed ties with him and swore allegiance to King Robert. After the war, the king returned the castle to us."

"His thick red beard is far more imposing than Edmure's," Joffrey thought.

"From a young age, my father always taught me to see clearly who is truly worthy of my loyalty," Red Roland continued to express her strong loyalty.

"After the rebels rose up, I was frustrated by the lack of an opportunity. Fortunately, Lord Varys' visit reminded us of this."

"Therefore, I led my troops to hide among the lords of the Stormlands, taking the opportunity to stir up conflict, in order to do my part for you."

"Your Majesty, please accept the loyalty of the Clinton family."

Joffrey nodded.

Red Roland knelt on the ground and began to recite the long oath: "I swear in the name of the old and new gods..."

After he finished reading, Joffrey helped him up.

At the same time, they didn't forget to guard against a scenario where feigned loyalty turns into a real assassination attempt.

"Please rise. I will give your family the justice they deserve."

Isn't it all about wanting territory?

Give!

Joffrey naturally wanted to set an example for such a vassal who took the initiative to surrender, so he immediately returned the title of Earl.

Then he opened his mouth again and made a bunch of empty promises.

For example, they might tear down the Onion Knight's castle and give it to him.

That place wasn't far from Eagle's Nest. It was granted to the Onion Knight by Stannis after the siege of Storm's End, and it was an enclave of Dragonstone in the Stormlands.

As for the other territories, Joffrey doesn't want to touch them for the time being.

Those were all granted fiefdoms by Robert after the war, belonging to families loyal to Baratheon.

Unfortunately, the one he was loyal to wasn't Joffrey, this Baratheon.

So for now, let's put them under the Clinton family's name and let Red Roland handle it himself.

After all, the war wasn't over yet, and the territory was still in other people's hands. If they wanted it, they would have to work hard and risk their lives.

The same reason.

Joffrey had no intention of letting any of the lords, big or small, on Crab Claw Peninsula off the hook, settling both old and new scores.

Whether or not he joined Stannis, he had already acquired every title imaginable.

But the place was poor and dangerous, and the residents were very xenophobic, so decent people didn't want to go there.

Only the second sons of small families without inheritance rights, or hired knights who wanted to turn their lives around and were ready to take a gamble, would have the courage to agree.

Then they stuffed the whole place into Setiga's hands, regardless of whether he would burst from overeating.

Of course, the lord of that place would not obediently hand over his land, and the crab people would not recognize their new master.

So Joffrey even arranged for helpers.

"A special permit?" The little devil squinted his uneven eyes.

"The national treasury is empty, but the deserved rewards cannot be reduced."

Although the mercenaries were recruited in Cersei's name, the gold should have come from Casterly Rock.

However, Tywin's rear was cut off by Renly, and the situation is unclear. Now is not the time to ask for money.

But the mercenaries' money can't be delayed.

Those people might really turn against us if pushed too far. Joffrey will still need them in the future, so setting up a trap to renege on the debt is the worst possible strategy.

However, Joffrey intends to renege on his debt to the Tyrells.

And the Lannisters.

Just call him Grandpa a few more times; we're all family.

So Joffrey came up with the idea of ​​using someone else to do his dirty work.

Mercenaries want money, give them a chance; Setiga wants territory, give him a group of thugs.

First, let's use a little gold dragon as a token of sincerity.

Then a charter was issued, sending them to Crab Claw Peninsula to help the Red Crab deal with those lords who still refused to bow down.

Everything they stole belonged to them.

As for whether innocent people will be harmed, the answer is yes.

Joffrey didn't try to make amends for himself.

The crab people used to support the Targaryens, but now they support Stannis; they're traitors.

This is an immoral thing to do.

But this was the best way he could think of to save money and appease both sides.

As for the soldiers, Ed is in charge.

Under the advanced feudal system, it was the common people's duty to be loyal to the king, and it was an honor to fight at their own expense.

Most people who wanted to make a profit relied on the spoils of war.

Ed is in charge of how to allocate the resources; Joffrey will just distribute them and get a good reputation for it.

But he wanted to go even further.

The war is not over yet, and the newly recruited soldiers cannot be let go.

While their fighting spirit is still intact, they were directly reorganized and transformed into another force in King's Landing.

The golden-robed guards who stay at home are called the City Guard, but those who will follow Joffrey across the river to reclaim lost territory are called…

Let's call them the Capital Commando Team.

Regardless of their motives, they all followed Joffrey out of the city to meet the enemy in the end, so they deserve to be commended.

The little gold left in the national treasury will also be spent on them.

gold.

Gold, gold, gold.

Robert, that spendthrift father, didn't forget to take a large bag of gold with him when he left, leaving Joffrey nothing but a tattered piece of paper.

Renly wouldn't have dared to become king if he hadn't known he wasn't dead.

In the Stormlands and the Reach, there will definitely be more supporters of Renly.

Sigh, I have to borrow money again.

Or they might sell official positions.

Joffrey had a sudden inspiration and pulled over another uncle.

"Sir Edmure, why don't you become First Lord of the Sea?"

The nearly thirty-year-old Duke-designate of Riverrun City gaped, exclaiming, "Huh?"

"what!"

Then he nodded vigorously in agreement.

However, this matter still needs to be decided by the Imperial Council, and it is likely that no one will object.

Those two Lannisters inside won't stick together at all, and they'll even push more Lannisters in. A mere kid won't affect their interests.

The remaining two were old men who wouldn't offer any opinions, and a bald man who was unwilling to express his opinion.

The prime minister is related to him.

Edmure's status is also more than qualified.

What else is there to say?

Moreover, King's Landing's fleet is completely destroyed, and Joffrey has no plans to rebuild it for the time being; this is purely a nominal position.

It's just a tool to scam money and gain support.

Joffrey, who was in charge of the people's livelihood, handed over the six seats in the Council of Kings to his capable assistants, such as Eddard and Tyrion.

Leave the military matters to these idiots.

They don't even understand what rights they have.

Now it is wartime, a special time, and Joffrey, with the help of Ed, has firmly grasped military power in his own hands.

Without his orders, the army cannot be mobilized at will.

It's a pity that Blackfish went to the Wall; otherwise, with him in charge of Riverrun, Joffrey wouldn't have to worry about Edmure's vassals causing trouble while he was away from the Riverlands.

But then I thought, Edmure wouldn't be of any use even in Riverrun.

The commander of the reinforcements was Robb, a boy half his age.

Edmure wasn't surprised at all by this.

Then, thinking of Robb, Robb arrived.

"The Iron Islands have rebelled again." He came over and immediately delivered bad news.

That's not surprising.

"A letter from Theon Greyjoy."

That's not surprising... Who delivered the message?