Aegon and Tyrion returned to the inn together, discussing the details of establishing a printing industry chain. Upon entering, the owner told Aegon that a young man had come looking for him that afternoon, asking for money.
"It should be the son of the mine foreman I introduced to you." Aegon thought carefully. Since he hadn't borrowed any money yet, the only person who would come asking him for money was naturally this one: "Perhaps the Dragonglass mine can get started and needs funds... There's too much going on, I almost forgot about this."
"Have Jack send a sum of money over tomorrow," Tyrion said without hesitation. "Sigh... For the first time, I'm realizing—money seems to be, not enough."
"The sign will take two more days to arrive, but we can pick up the seals tomorrow," Aegon said. "Let's try to get the first loan as soon as possible."
"That's the only way. To swindle our own people... Hmm, let me think, who should we start with?"
The two went upstairs while talking. Everyone had had a busy day, and after eating dinner together, they each returned to their rooms to rest.
***
Tyrion might truly be resting, but Aegon wasn't so comfortable. For the Little Imp, all of this might just be an interesting game. If the wealth of the previous generation is the capital for the next generation to make mistakes, then with the Lannister family backing him, he is one of the most qualified people in this world to take risks.
But he couldn't afford to. His parents weren't even in this world. This scam was about his survival in this world going forward... He had to go all out. Anyone who might harm his interests was an enemy.
Pacing back and forth in his room, he racked his brain trying to find a way to prevent Littlefinger from gaining Eddard Stark's trust.
Hour after hour passed, and plan after plan was abandoned. If it were a simple matter of sowing discord, anyone could do it, but this time his opponent was a top player in the Game of Thrones. Either kill him directly, or don't let him discover that you're working against him—otherwise, a slight misstep could result in losing your life. After much thought, Aegon finally had to admit that fighting people was not as enjoyable as Chairman Mao said.
The most direct and violent method would be to inform Eddard Stark of Littlefinger's murder of Jon Arryn, but this matter was somewhat different from the previous false accusation against Joffrey—Petyr instructing Lysa Tully to poison her husband, Lord Arryn, happened while he was at The Wall, and the truth was only known by those involved and the one who instigated it. He couldn't possibly have "heard" the news from somewhere... Moreover, this trick of snitching couldn't be used repeatedly: A Night's Watch soldier not doing his job, spending all day with his ears perked up, hearing all sorts of top-secret information, what would Eddard think?
He wanted to portray himself as an honest and loyal Night's Watch soldier, not the Eight-legged Spider.
So, perhaps he should use the plan he ultimately abandoned during the Winterfell incident last time, an anonymous tip-off?
But how could an anonymous tip-off reach Eddard... In King's Landing, filled with spies, a single oversight could have fatal consequences. Littlefinger might not have confidantes or friends, but at least he had money and connections... while he currently had nothing. If exposed, a cup of poisoned wine, a dagger, or a stray arrow could completely erase his existence.
Passing the message through Arya was also not safe. A ten-year-old girl, completely innocent, she might not intentionally betray her Master, but in front of her closest Father, an unintentional word could expose him.
It was already quiet outside. There was no curfew in King's Landing, but in this era, unless it was a major festival, there was generally no such thing as a night market. Aegon sighed deeply, extinguished the candle, and lay on the bed, hoping that, like the last time in Winterfell, he would think of a solution the moment he woke up tomorrow.
Perhaps because he kept thinking about how to deal with Littlefinger, after closing his eyes, the other party's motto echoed in his ears.
Chaos is a ladder.
...
Chaos is a ladder. This sentence actually makes some sense. In a world like Westeros, where class solidification is almost frozen, the best way for those at the bottom to rise is to create chaos. Chaos will harm the interests of those at the top of society, and where someone suffers, someone else is bound to benefit.
The problem is that in chaos, the beneficiaries should be quite random, even greatly exceeding normal expectations. Littlefinger's skill lies in his ability to use leverage to precisely arrive at the places where the great nobles are "bleeding," catch the "blood" flowing from them, and become the biggest beneficiary of the chaos. In this regard, he even left players of the same level, like Varys, who are good at long-term planning, far behind. To use a stock market analogy, Varys and Littlefinger bought the same stock with a general upward trend. The former profited through long-term holding, while the latter could use micro-management, selling high and buying low, to make his profits far exceed the overall rise of the stock.
This talent left Aegon in awe, admiring him from the bottom of his heart.
But Petyr is by no means without flaws. In the original plot, he fully demonstrated the limit of what a complete pragmatist can achieve, using the political maneuvering of the court to play almost everyone in the palm of his hand. But the problem is, besides pursuing his own ambition for power, he showed no political ideals whatsoever—it might be acceptable in the early stages, but even as the game approached its end, he didn't even "invent" an ideology to attract followers or consolidate the power he had already grasped. Even reckless rebels like Chen Sheng and Wu Guang knew to shout, "Are kings and nobles born that way?" You have nothing, so why do you think you can sit on the Iron Throne?
Littlefinger is very strong when he wants to be. A player skilled in strategy and without moral bottom lines is indeed more likely to rise and become a winner in a chaotic world. But that's it. He is the most powerful destroyer, but he can absolutely not be the ultimate winner—his best outcome would be to help a certain faction rise and unify the realm and then share in the spoils, but he insisted on sitting on the throne, an impossible goal that ultimately cost him his life: Littlefinger's entire power was just himself. If anyone were to kill him with a single blow even at the peak of his life, no one would shed a tear for him, let alone stand up or seek revenge.
If Aegon just wanted to see his end, he only needed to do nothing and wait quietly. Littlefinger would eventually play himself to death. Without Arya, there would be others, like Billya or Celia, who would eventually step forward and take him down. But the tricky part is: what he wants to do now is defeat Littlefinger on the battlefield where he is most at ease, and that's a bit difficult.
...
Chaos is a ladder.
Chaos is a ladder.
Littlefinger wants to create chaos, so he has to maintain stability. Aegon silently repeated his hypothetical opponent's motto in his mind, preparing to fall asleep.
But a voice suddenly emerged from his subconscious: Why? Why must guarding peace mean creating stability? What if you did the opposite, created chaos together, and let the situation in King's Landing intensify to a point beyond control? What would happen if you fought poison with poison? His biggest advantage was knowing the inside story. Giving that up and thinking of playing political games and mind tricks with Littlefinger? Only someone with severe obsessive-compulsive disorder would do that. Since the enemy wants to stir up trouble, why not intervene and stir the waters until no one can see clearly, and see how you benefit!
Aegon was shocked by this bold idea, and for a moment even wondered if it was an idea planted in his mind by the Greenseer or some similar deity. But after careful consideration, he found that this move was feasible! No matter how intense the Game of Thrones became, no matter how fierce the undercurrents, as long as the court intrigue didn't ultimately escalate into war, and the market and people's lives were unaffected, his scam could continue!
Stir this muddy water until it boils, making the situation so complex and chaotic that no Game of Thrones player can profit from it. At that time, he and Tyrion, who are "staying out of it" and honestly and conscientiously playing the game of money, can become the biggest winners!
Many things can cause chaos, but what has the lowest cost?
Rumors.
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