In the blink of an eye, half a month had passed since Laena's funeral.
Ever since Rhaenyra was settled on Dragonstone, Alicent had seized every opportunity to weaken the Black Party's influence at court.
Coupled with Vhagar, Dreamfyre, and Tessarion circling King's Landing three times earlier,
Many wavering nobles began to take sides, and many others chose to directly switch allegiance to the Greens!
Rhaenys's Hill, above the Dragonpit, the Great Sept.
"Do kinslayers truly meet a bad end?" Aegon knelt before the idol, asking in his heart.
He knew the seven gods would definitely not answer him, and he didn't need the seven gods' answer!
If Aegon truly wanted an answer from the gods, he wouldn't have sought out the seven gods.
As everyone knows, in the world of 'A Song of Ice and Fire', the only gods who can accomplish things are the Lord of Light, the Heart of Holy Flame, the God of Shadow and Fire—R'hllor!
"You seem to have something on your mind, Prince." Someone spoke, interrupting Aegon's pious prayer.
Aegon had long sensed someone beside him, but he had ignored the person until now.
"Larys, I didn't expect to run into you here, what a surprise!
You actually have time to come to the Great Sept instead of diligently studying how to climb the ladder of power in your room."
Aegon's words were clearly unexpected by Larys.
However, Larys quickly composed himself and smiled:
"Power is a good thing. If I were the heir of Harrenhal, perhaps no one would mock my limp."
"Heh heh."
Aegon chuckled softly.
He stood up and walked outside, speaking as he went.
"What if you were the heir of Harrenhal?
If I wanted to call you a useless cripple, what could you do?
Would you have your group of rats assassinate me?"
Larys's heart sank. He had expected Aegon to be difficult to deal with, but he hadn't expected him to be this difficult!
Just from his words, he felt that Aegon was a hundred times more dangerous than Alicent!
"Prince, please believe me, I had no such intention."
Larys said hastily.
"In fact, I noticed you long ago. Do you remember the banquet in 111 AC, celebrating His Majesty and the Queen's fifth wedding anniversary?"
Aegon narrowed his eyes slightly, suddenly stopped, and stood in the corridor, scrutinizing Larys from head to toe.
"Of course I remember that banquet. I gave my father a dazzling black gem, which he liked very much and still keeps safely."
Larys nodded solemnly, deliberately speaking mysteriously:
"Hmm—, I also believe His Majesty must have liked it, because that black gem was truly dazzling.
But at that banquet, I discovered something far more dazzling than the black gem!"
"Something more dazzling?" Aegon looked at Larys with a half-smile.
Larys thought he had gained control of the conversation and was about to continue, but then he saw Aegon suddenly drop his smile.
"So you're saying the gift I gave wasn't good?" Aegon's tone was cold. "Hugh, snap his neck, then chop him up and feed him to the dogs!"
Larys's face instantly turned pale.
"Wait—wait—, you've misunderstood, Your Highness, I was talking about your intelligence!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Aegon slightly raised his right hand, and Hugh immediately withdrew his halfway-extended arm.
"You mean... my intelligence?"
Aegon suddenly thought of something and looked at Larys with interest.
Larys took a deep breath and lowered his head, saying: "Yes, your intelligence. Princess Rhaenyra is so much older than you, yet..."
"Heh, so that's it." Aegon scoffed.
He finally knew what Larys was trying to do.
If he hadn't guessed wrong, Larys must have witnessed the way he disgusted Rhaenyra that year.
Coupled with the fact that the Greens are now led by Aegon, this led Larys to the idea of showing off his intelligence-gathering abilities to him.
After all, for a landless second son like Larys,
The earlier he connected with Aegon, the easier it would be to gain an advantage in the power struggles within the Small Council after Aegon ascended the throne!
Since he had no inheritance rights, he could only rely on himself to strive for everything!
In Larys's view, a conflict between the Greens and the Black Party was inevitable. Once civil war broke out, the Seven Kingdoms would descend into chaos.
And chaos represented opportunity!
"Your Highness, there is now a saying circulating throughout the Seven Kingdoms that 'His Majesty is preparing to change the heir'. I believe His Majesty has seen your perfection.
But you cannot become complacent because of this. Although Princess Rhaenyra is confined to Dragonstone, there are still many voices supporting her within the court."
"So?" Aegon smiled again.
"I can help you investigate these voices, and I can also help you monitor them!" Larys was full of confidence.
Aegon chuckled: "You're just a cripple, how can you help me?
Will you lean on your cane to spy on Lord Lyman Beesbury?
Come on, that old man might need to steal your cane in a few years."
"You are right, Your Highness, I am just a cripple, so I naturally cannot personally monitor others, but I have many eyes, and my mind is very agile."
Larys lowered his posture, even starting to call himself a cripple.
Aegon suddenly looked at the book in Larys's hand, reaching out directly to take it.
"'The Edge of the World', a work by Maester Barth from five hundred years ago. You like reading very much?" Aegon flipped through the book.
"Yes, I like reading very much.
My physical body cannot provide me with enough strength, so I can only arm myself with knowledge.
I have always firmly believed that knowledge is power!"
Aegon looked up at Larys with a half-smile, and suddenly ordered: "Hugh, slit his throat!"
Larys was stunned, clearly not expecting Aegon to change his expression so quickly.
However, the moment Larys was stunned, Hugh had already stepped forward, grabbing the back of Larys's head like he was grabbing a chick.
Drawing the dagger from his waist, Hugh was preparing to strike.
"Stop, I've changed my mind now, let him go."
Aegon ordered, and Hugh immediately released Larys.
Larys looked at Aegon with a pale face, his hands trembling.
"Power is power!" Aegon came before Larys and said lightly.
Larys swallowed, but Aegon suddenly burst into laughter.
"Just kidding, you're not mad, are you, Larys?"
Larys forced a smile and shook his head: "Of course not. It is my honor that you can joke with me."
Aegon smiled and patted Larys on the shoulder.
"Since you've decided to take a side, spend less effort trying to please me and more effort stealing more useful information.
Although you are a cripple, who knows if in the future, you might tap your cane and make the Seven Kingdoms tremble three times?"
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