Jaime took a small sip of wine, then continued: "After Hand Jon Connington was defeated in the Battle of the Bells, King Aerys exiled him."
When the Stark-Arryn-Tully forces attacked the royalist army led by Hand Jon Connington at Stoney Sept, all the septs in Stoney Sept rang their bells, warning the populace to lock their doors and windows, hence the battle was named—the Battle of the Bells.
Before the arrival of the Stark-Arryn-Tully forces, Jon Connington could have easily surrounded Robert, who was hiding in Stoney Sept, to end the rebellion before Robert's reinforcements arrived. But Jon Connington deemed it dishonorable to kill innocent men, women, and children, and he ultimately decided… to kill Robert himself in an honorable way. As a result, Robert awaited his reinforcements and routed the royalist army.
After the Battle of the Bells, Aerys II held Jon Connington responsible for the defeat, stripping him of his titles and lands and exiling him.
...
Jaime continued: "At this point, King Aerys realized that Robert was by no means an easily resolved rebellion, but the greatest threat the Targaryen had faced since Daemon Blackfyre. So he harshly reminded Prince Lewyn Martell to pay attention to Princess Ilia's safety, ordering him to immediately travel south along the King's Road, take command of over ten thousand Dorne troops, and march north to support King's Landing."
"At the same time, he dispatched Jonothor Darry and Ser Barristan Selmy to Stoney Sept to gather the remnants of Jon Connington's defeated army. Prince Rhaegar also returned from the south, persuading King Aerys to rein in his pride and summon our father for aid. But… no matter how many ravens were sent to Casterly Rock, there was no reply. King Aerys grew increasingly fearful, trusting no one, and Varys, at that time, fanned the flames, presenting a long list of traitors."
"Finally, King Aerys made up his mind, summoned his favored Pyromancer, and ordered them to bury Wildfire jars throughout King's Landing. From beneath the Great Sept of Baelor to the hovels of Fleabottom, in stables and warehouses, at the seven city gates, in the Dragonpit, and even… in the cellars of the Red Keep, Wildfire jars were placed."
Tyrion couldn't help but exclaim, "Truly the Mad King."
Jaime nodded slightly, saying, "This was top secret, arranged personally by a few of the most favored Pyromancer; even their assistants were unaware. Queen Rhaella at the time had long since stopped paying attention to the King's actions, and Prince Rhaegar, as Commander of the army, was busy preparing for war, but the new Hand, Lord Chelsted, was no idiot; anyone seeing several Pyromancer constantly coming and going would grow suspicious."
Lord Chelsted was the head of House Chelsted of the Crownlands. He was originally Aerys II's Master of Coin, and after Hand Jon Connington was exiled, he was promoted to Hand of the King.
Jaime's memory became clearer and clearer: "Lord Chelsted usually appeared weak, but that day… he bravely confronted King Aerys, pleading with the King to abandon his mad plans. He first reasoned… then joked… then threatened and dissuaded… and finally begged bitterly… When all was ultimately futile, he angrily tore off his Hand's chain and threw it at the King's feet."
A flicker of sadness crossed his eyes: "For this, King Aerys roasted his new Hand alive and bestowed the position of Hand of the King upon his most favored Pyromancer—Rossart."
He gave a self-deprecating laugh: "During this time, I always stood silently beneath the Iron Throne, clad in my white cloak, guarding My King and his adorable little secrets."
Tyrion took a sip of wine and said, "The Mad King only kept you by his side because he didn't trust you."
Jaime nodded: "Because I am Tywin Lannister's son, he wanted me to remain within King Aerys's sight, day and night, without escape. Therefore, I was fully aware of King Aerys's schemes."
Jaime still remembered the madness and excitement that flickered in King Aerys's eyes when Pyromancer Rossart unrolled the map showing the distribution of the buried Wildfire.
He exhaled, then continued: "Later, when news of Prince Rhaegar's death arrived, King Aerys arranged for Queen Rhaella to take Prince Viserys and flee to Dragonstone by night. But he forbade Princess Ilia (Rhaegar's wife) from leaving King's Landing… In his mad mind, he had already attributed Rhaegar's failure to the betrayal of Prince Lewyn Martell (of the Kingsguard), so he kept Princess Ilia, Rhaenys (Rhaegar's daughter), and Aegon (Rhaegar's son) as hostages to secure the loyalty of the Dornish."
"The Usurper will not take my capital… I will leave them a city of ashes… I will turn Robert the traitor into charred bones and roasted flesh…" King Aerys's hoarse shouts still echoed in Jaime's ears.
Tyrion's eyes widened: "I never thought the reason Rhaegar's wife and children didn't go to Dragonstone… was because of something like this? Ha, Lord Tywin used the 'gift' the Mad King left behind to curry favor with Robert, this… hmm, the truth is truly cruel."
"Tyrion, King Aerys didn't actually want to die."
Jaime's voice was filled with sarcasm: "He, like the 'Brightflame' Aerion before him, believed that fire could make him reborn, transforming him into a true dragon to take revenge on the Targaryen's enemies."
Aerion Targaryen, the second son of Maekar I, called himself "Aerion Brightflame." He firmly believed that Wildfire could turn him into a true dragon, and ultimately… he died by directly drinking a jar of Wildfire.
Tyrion silently took a sip of wine. As a child, after reading books about Targaryen dragons, he had also had such thoughts, thankfully he was a coward and very afraid of pain.
After a pause, Jaime continued: "Father sent word to me that the Lannister would stand with the victors. When Rhaegar died in battle, he led the Lannister Army to King's Landing ahead of everyone else; he chose Robert, determined to avenge King Aerys's many years of injustice and past insults. Pycelle deceived King Aerys, making him believe the Lannister had come to defend the Targaryen's Iron Throne, and so the gates of King's Landing were opened wide for our father."
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