Game of Thrones: Viserys the Three-Headed Dragon.

Chapter 13: Viserys's Rhetoric

Viserys got to the point. "You intend to offer me the opportunity to gain a Dothraki army. Am I correct, Illyrio?"

"Yes, sire," Illyrio said, without disguising. "That is what I intend to do."

Viserys didn't talk about how to get it, and seemed to have other ideas, so Illyrio wouldn't be rash enough to talk about it.

"Do you think I can regain my throne with this foreign army?" Viserys asked.

Illyrio replied matter-of-factly: "My lord, the Dothraki are the most powerful army I have ever seen."

Viserys nodded. "I must commend you, Illyrio, for coming up with a plausible plan out of this."

Illyrio dropped his smile and frowned, "Your Majesty, do you think this plan is unfeasible?"

He acted as if he was confused because his plan was being underestimated, and his words were full of ulterior motives, forcing Viserys to question his attitude.

The essence of their current relationship is "cooperation", and the "king and subject" relationship is only superficial. Since Illyrio's plan is not favored, the timidity in his words has been restrained, and it seems that he will give up cooperation at any time.

Illyrio's behavior was normal. If his original self were here, he would probably just regard him as one of the many powerful people he had met, a life-saving straw that he had finally grasped. Forced by this attitude, he might even lower his attitude and flatter him.

"Of course not." Viserys was unimpressed by Illyrio's reaction and continued with his own words. "You are a very good businessman, Illyrio. I still think so. Your plan is undoubtedly a good one, but it does not apply to me at this time."

"Does your majesty have another plan?" Illyrio asked solemnly.

Viserys said: "Illyrio, you know what I need most is not an army, but time."

Illyrio was cooperative. "Time?"

"Yes, time." Viserys did not explain. Instead, he looked at Illyrio's face and asked, "You do not seem to believe it?"

"." Illyrio looked up at Viserys, speechless for a moment: [Did I show any disbelief? If you have something to say, please say it.]

Illyrio was speechless, but he hurriedly explained, "Your Majesty, I do not disbelieve you. I only ask what you mean by 'time'?"

Viserys still did not explain. "Do you really think that the Dothraki army can help me restore my kingdom?"

Illyrio said only: "I cannot imagine a king returning to his throne without an army at his side."

Viserys withdrew his gaze from Illyrio's unreadable face and looked back at the formation of Dothraki cavalry carrying the "gift" gradually moving away in front of him.

Why did Illyrio and Varys give him Dothraki?

These Dothraki were unarmored and dominated the Dothraki grasslands. They were savage and brutal, living on looting and often slaughtering towns they plundered.

Landing in Westeros with such an army is not to restore the country, but to become a target.

Even if they could borrow troops, they would not listen to Viserys.

As long as these people massacre the city, "Son of the Mad King" will become the new title of the Beggar King, and he might even be attacked by the nobles of Westeros.

As he spoke, he asked Illyrio the same question twice, one after the other, trying to see something unusual in his expression, but the guy was very slippery and there was no sign of any other intention on his face.

"A king cannot be without an army, but not now." Viserys looked proud.

Illyrio asked, "Where does your majesty's army come from?"

"Of course," Viserys was about to answer, but he quickly stopped and changed the subject. "Tell me, Magister Illyrio, do you know anything about the situation in Westeros?"

Illyrio seemed not to mind Viserys's change of subject. He responded, "I suppose your Grace is about to tell me."

Viserys was pleased with Illyrio's answer, as if he were showing off a fact that only he could see. "Can't you see, Magister Illyrio, that there are three heirs to the throne of Westeros? There are pots of wildfire buried beneath the Seven Kingdoms. A single spark would start a raging wildfire."

Illyrio thought Viserys would say something shocking, secret information, and was almost shocked by Viserys just now. Although his thoughts were complicated, he still cooperated and replied: "Your Majesty, please be clear, I am just a businessman and don't know much about politics."

Viserys then said, "When the Dance of the Dragons of the Targaryen family occurred, there were only two crown princes, and they fought each other to the point of bloodshed." "Your Majesty, forgive my ignorance, but the two crown princes during the Dance of the Dragons you mentioned are Rhaenyra and Aegon from the Black and Green factions? I wonder who the three crown princes today are?"

The Dance with the Dragons was a bloody civil war in the middle of the Targaryen dynasty. It originated from the struggle for succession to the Iron Throne between Rhaenyra, the eldest daughter of Viserys I, and Aegon, the eldest son of his second wife Alicent. This civil war directly led to the extinction of the Targaryen family's dragons.

Viserys enumerated them one by one: "The first crown prince is naturally Joffrey Baratheon, the eldest son and heir of the usurper. The second is the current Lord of Storm's End, Renly Baratheon. As for the third, it is the current Lord of Dragonstone, Stannis Baratheon."

Although he expected to hear an outrageous argument, Illyrio was still surprised after hearing it. "Where did you get this from?"

"This is what you don't know. Storm's End is the seat of House Baratheon. The recipients of the throne have always been the heirs of House Baratheon. The foolish usurper did not give it to Joffrey, the crown prince he had appointed. You know, in Westeros today, the usurper dynasty is called the Baratheon dynasty, but the heir to the seat of House Baratheon is not the crown prince of the Baratheon dynasty."

"." Illyrio opened his mouth, but no words came out.

Viserys added, "Dragonstone is the seat of my House Targaryen, and each of the Crown Princes has been a Prince of Dragonstone. The Usurper claimed the throne as the Targaryen, but gave Dragonstone to Stannis instead of his own Crown Prince. Think about it, Illyrio. Is this a country with three Crown Princes, and what will happen between them?"

"." This statement was too outrageous and full of loopholes. Illyrio didn't know where to start to refute it for a moment. In the end, he followed Viserys's train of thought and asked, "Even if it is true, King Robert the Usurper is still very young. Even if he doesn't solve the hidden danger of the 'three crown princes' mentioned by Your Majesty in his lifetime, who knows how long it will take for them to fight among themselves?"

Viserys was prepared for this: "You actually think that the Seven Kingdoms today are maintained by King Robert? I am in the Free Cities, and I can hear rumors that the usurper neglects state affairs, indulges in wine and women, and has countless illegitimate children. You should also be doing business in the Seven Kingdoms. Can't you see that the real maintainer of the Seven Kingdoms today is the Hand of the King, Jon Arryn? He is very old. I predict that once Jon Arryn dies, the Seven Kingdoms will be in chaos!"

"." Illyrio felt speechless, because even though Viserys's words were outrageous and far-fetched, some of his inferences and conclusions were actually correct to some extent.

There are indeed many hidden dangers in the Seven Kingdoms today, and Jon Arryn is indeed in charge of the court.

But the real problems of the Seven Kingdoms are, first, King Robert's extravagant spending, with a fiscal deficit of millions of gold dragons; second, the relationship between Cersei and Jaime, and the ambitions of the Lannister family they represent. Relying on the gold lent to the throne and the power of the queen, Lannisters are present in all important positions in King's Landing; third, Renly's power does threaten the throne of Crown Prince Joffrey. Renly has a close relationship with Highgarden and has the support of a large number of Stormland nobles.
As for the true origins of Robert's three children, it is a can of wildfire that can explode at any time.

Illyrio heard that Stannis, who currently has the least problems in King's Landing, is secretly investigating King Robert's illegitimate child.
The situation in the Seven Kingdoms is indeed complicated. The success of the Usurper's War relied on the alliance of the four major families of Stag, Eagle, Wolf and Fish. Robert's rule also relied on Jon Arryn to maintain the alliance of the four major families.

But the king believes that he rules seven kingdoms and is trying to win over the lions, and the King's Hand is already straining to maintain the stability of the country with just the advantages of the alliance of deer, eagle, wolf and fish.

Illyrio seemed shocked. "Then, as Your Majesty said, you have been preparing troops with him, waiting for the right time?"

"No, no, no." Viserys shook his head. "Illyrio, I told you, now is not the time to raise an army."

Illyrio looked puzzled. "Why? If Your Majesty is sure that the Seven Kingdoms will be in chaos once the old King's Hand dies, why didn't you prepare for it earlier?"

"Have you ever seen beggars fighting over food, Illyrio?" Viserys said, without answering directly. "When a new beggar appears, who do the original beggars fight against first? The newcomer!"

Illyrio was stunned. "Your Majesty, are you planning to do nothing?"

"Of course not," Viserys said matter-of-factly. "Waiting is also an act! We wait. Believe me, Illyrio. The riot will not happen overnight. When the world changes and the time comes, you will find that the wait is worth it."

Illyrio looked worried, as if he was still confused. "Will the army fall from the sky?"

"You are a businessman, Illyrio. Long-term investment is a business behavior." Viserys did not answer, but asked Illyrio, "Since you are willing to fund my restoration and make such a plan, don't you have the patience to wait for an old man to die? If the Seven Kingdoms are in chaos, I am a real dragon, so I don't need an army."

"If your majesty has other plans, then what does that mean for me?" Illyrio said anxiously.

"Illyrio, I trust you for what you did this time, so you don't need to do anything more," Viserys said, trying to win me over. "Provide me with shelter and a better environment to wait for changes in the Seven Kingdoms. That's enough. I met many powerful people in exile, but you were the only one who made a feasible plan for me to restore my country and did this. For this reason, Illyrio, I promise you that when I return to the throne in the future, you will be my first finance minister!"

"." Illyrio was speechless for a moment.

This is what it means to seize the right to speak. As long as you know that you have a certain degree of choice, no matter how outrageous the words you use, as long as you make a gesture to do it, you can use it to create space.

Viserys knew very well that Illyrio wanted to know where the 'army in the future' that he was so sure of would come from, but he just wouldn't say - he kept saying there was no army, but he hinted at it everywhere.

Because Viserys himself didn't know where the army would come from, but he just had to show confidence.

Illyrio would have to guess for himself where Viserys got the confidence to behave like this today.

Even if Illyrio saw through Viserys's deliberate deception and nonsense and posed no threat, what could Illyrio do when things had already come to this?
Moreover, Viserys's attitude forced Illyrio to consider a possibility: perhaps Viserys had obtained a practical plan for restoration of the country from somewhere else.

(End of this chapter)