A wise man submits to circumstances.
The original meaning of this saying is that only clever people who can recognize the trend of the times can be considered talented and outstanding figures. It is clearly entirely positive... Unfortunately, because it is often used by villains in stories and plays as a plea for surrender, its connotation has been severely tainted.
Whether one admires or disdains a "wise man who submits to circumstances" actually depends entirely on one's position.
In the eyes of the riverlords, the Tyrells, who had just been holding high the banner of resistance and then immediately surrendered to Daenerys, were naturally despicable traitors who had broken faith.
But for Aegor, Highgarden's clarity and rationality saved him countless worries and efforts.
A short family history, long experience as loyal dogs of the dragon family, and the consistently harsh environment of the Reach, where powerful vassals were numerous and challenges lurked everywhere... These complex factors prevented the Tyrells from having the inexplicable stubbornness and arrogant burden unique to old noble families. After surrendering and changing their banner, Highgarden did not hesitate or put on airs at all, but stripped itself bare and threw itself cleanly into Daenerys's embrace. Not only did they quickly accept their status as the defeated side and complete the transformation and adjustment of their position and mindset, but in the subsequent phase of submitting their "pledge of loyalty," they also devoted themselves wholeheartedly and without reservation, fulfilling the duties and obligations of loyal subjects very effectively.
The auxiliary personnel bearing the rose emblem not only guided Daenerys's army as it continued to suppress stubborn nobles, but also actively ran around promoting Daenerys's tax exemption and burden reduction policies to stabilize the people's hearts for the new dynasty. They even provided manpower and resources to cooperate fully with the sudden "religious reform" initiated by Aegor this time, taking the lead in launching the first wave of purges and persecution against the clergy in various parts of the Reach.
This was exactly what Aegor wanted.
Ignorant and simple villagers and townspeople often held respect for educated and cultivated clergy who represented the glory of the gods. If Aegor had simply issued an order for people to conduct "self-purification" without providing any guidance, the religious revolution he envisioned would either never have started, or it would have been long delayed, giving the target subjects ample opportunity to transfer assets, counterattack, and respond.
Only when the first group took the lead and set an example, successfully carrying out property liquidation and political struggle against the clerical class, could the later groups, whether greedy or already resentful of the clergy, take over the baton, spontaneously add fuel to the fire, and turn the religious reform from scattered sparks into a raging inferno. This would not only suppress and damage the sacred and inviolable image and status of the Faith, but also confiscate the clergy's property, either nationalizing it or dividing it up to improve their own lives, thus creating a good example.
He had already prepared the corresponding script for the event, but he had not expected that before he even issued it, someone in House Tyrell would figure out his intentions and start doing it ahead of time.
Without needing to think, this "expert" was either Margaery, that vixen, or her even shrewder and wiser grandmother.
Aegor had originally kept a close eye on House Tyrell's ideological movements, ready to prod this cluster of roses at any time and remind them of the status and role they should play. Who would have thought that after observing them for a period of time, he would find that they had severed themselves from the Reach's noble class quite thoroughly and decisively, and deeply understood the way to survive in chaotic times... Not only were they honest and obedient, they also knew how to draw inferences and proactively please him.
...
While the fire of "religious reform" slowly spread outward from Oldtown as its origin point, Aegor, recuperating in the Hightower, also gradually recovered from his injuries.
Surviving a great disaster was sure to bring future blessings.
This saying was quite fitting for Aegor's current situation.
He had been severely wounded in the assassination attempt, and two poisoned crossbow bolts were still in his leg when he was carried back to the Hightower. Although he did not suffer any substantial threat thanks to R'hllor's gift, it still startled everyone around him.
Consequently, the expected surge of protests and opposition after initiating the "religious reform" barely surfaced. Not because everyone had no objections, but because no one dared to court disaster and test his patience and temper at this critical juncture when he had narrowly escaped death, or to question his resolve to suppress the power of the Faith.
The mastermind behind the hostile action clearly surpassed the nascent Targaryen Dynasty in terms of intelligence organization. Not only did his guards fail to capture anyone alive at the assassination scene, but the large-scale search in King's Landing a thousand miles away also yielded little. Besides a few low-level contacts who confessed that the "assassination order came from across the Narrow Sea," a piece of information that was essentially useless, there was hardly any intelligence that could point to the clear source of the assassination.
But this terrifying attack, which was absolutely real and impossible to fake, instantly cleared Aegor of suspicion in the "Winterfell poisoning incident" and greatly diluted the impression of incompetence he had shown by being unable to find the true murderer. Daenerys expressed genuine concern and condolences in a handwritten letter, and the message conveyed between the lines was clear. It was fine if he could not find the real culprit. Just hit every suspected city-state, and he would be right.
Arriving at the same time as the letter of condolence was a piece of good news, though he did not know whether to be happy or worried about it. The Slave Masters' Alliance had assembled a fleet and launched a large-scale invasion of Dragonstone almost at the same time the assassination occurred. Although they were undoubtedly defeated and repelled by the combined efforts of the fleet and coastal batteries, the enemy had actually used cannons in the engagement. However, because their performance was too poor, they had not played any role at all.
"Alas." Aegor sighed deeply and put down the letter.
"Why the sigh, my lord?" Myrcella, who refused to take off her red dress once she had put it on, knelt beside him, changing the gauze on his leg, and asked curiously, "Isn't this good news? After this battle, the eastern coast will be quiet for a long time, and you won't need to rush back with the Westerlands fleet to assist the Queen. You can rest well for a while."
"Good news is naturally good news, but have you thought about the biggest factor in this easy victory? It was actually the enemy using counterfeit cannons," Aegor patiently explained this time. Myrcella's intelligent and brave actions during the assassination attempt, which had almost saved his life, had completely earned his trust. "This actually shows one thing. The strategic deception I arranged earlier worked. After stealing the fake blueprints, the enemy relaxed their efforts to continue infiltrating us and stealing the real secrets."
"Hmm... Is there a problem with that?"
"The problem is that this trick can only work once. And this single excellent opportunity was not fully capitalized on by the Dragonstone fleet, because they fought alone without support from the Reach and Iron Islands fleets, failing to eliminate all the enemies who delivered themselves to their doorstep. The majority of the remaining enemies who escaped learned their lesson. The slave masters, realizing that the information they obtained was problematic, will definitely not be so foolish as to send counterfeit firearms to their deaths next time. They will either restart their espionage to obtain the secrets of firearms, which is hard to prevent once production is scaled up, or they will retreat into their strongholds, making the subsequent battles difficult."
"If they don't come out, then my lord can just go kill them at their doorstep!" Myrcella said with full confidence. After saying this, she finished unwrapping a layer of gauze, her eyes lit up, and she cried out in surprise, "Oh... it has already scabbed over and healed!"
"It's thanks to Melisandre's magic." Aegor naturally would not reveal the trump card of the red god's gift. He moved the girl's small hand, which was fumbling near the wound, pulled down his trouser leg to cover his thigh, and pointed toward the table. "Bring the draft over. Today, we continue writing the Scripture of Truth."
(To be continued.)