The Mountain of Ice and Fire

"Yes, Your Grace!" Master Buz was visibly nervous.

He fumbled in his pockets three times, and with the help of his granddaughter, Esther, finally pulled out three gold dragons. His fingers trembled slightly as he gently placed them before Duke Tywin.

Duke Tywin's gaze made both Buz and Esther tense up.

The room was silent, save for the sound of uncontrollable swallowing and heavy breathing.

These were unofficial 'counterfeit coins'.

This was the first time such a thing had appeared in the Westerlands.

It was Gregor Clegane who had created them.

Three gold dragons of different years and images.

The first gold dragon was very new, with the head of King Robert Baratheon on the front. Duke Tywin glanced at the maester, and Maester Potter immediately produced an identical gold dragon to place beside the 'counterfeit'.

No matter how you looked at it, the king on the counterfeit coin and the brightness of the gold dragon itself were slightly more pleasing to the eye than the genuine gold dragon, and the quality was also better.

Turning the two gold dragons over, the backs featured the same three-headed dragon. From the perspective of the engraving's relief and visual aesthetics, the counterfeit surpassed the real coin.

In terms of color, the counterfeit's brightness was also higher, with a very faint reddish-bright color in the golden yellow, which added to the texture.

Duke Tywin was very knowledgeable about coins, but he couldn't figure out how the very faint reddish-bright color in the counterfeit, which was even more real than the real coin, was made.

"Did Master Buz make the model?" Duke Tywin was surprised by the craftsman's skill.

"Yes, Master Tob also helped and participated," Master Buz said. He felt as if an invisible iron plate was pressing on his chest.

This was also the reason why Master Tob was here; he had also participated in the production of the counterfeit coins. Buz's granddaughter had also participated, so she was also here. Jeyne Westerling was their master, so Jeyne Westerling was also here. Arya, who cooked noodles, was unaware of this secret and was left in the kitchen.

Privately minting coins was a capital offense for a commoner! For nobles, it meant confiscation of property and deprivation of knighthood.

But the kind old man Buz was forced to do it! Forced by the Mountain!

His little granddaughter had also been forced to marry the neurotic Polliver.

Privately minting gold dragons was a major crime, but after the master Mountain had made the model and tried to produce the first 'counterfeit coin', he sent them to Duke Tywin to report on their work.

Master Buz's mind went blank the moment he received the 'order'.

This should have been a secret crime, but the Mountain was not afraid of death and actually asked Master Buz, his granddaughter Esther, and Master Tob to report to His Grace the Duke. Although the old man was half-scared to death, he still had the strength and courage to stand firm because of his mistress Jeyne being here.

The old man was sure that he completely didn't understand the tricks played by the high-ranking nobles.

But they were the knife and he was the fish.

The old man could only take a deep breath, adjusting his 'fiery' heart and churning 'emotions'.

Looking at the 'fake gold dragon' that was even more real than the real coin, Duke Tywin's piercing gaze gradually softened.

"How is this bright silver color made?" Tywin asked. His eyes swept over everyone present.

"A little copper is added!" the old man said. He glanced timidly at Jeyne Westerling and swallowed the second half of his sentence. - The technique of adding copper was completed under the guidance of Lord Mountain.

Adding a certain proportion of copper instead of gold, firstly, reduced the actual cost; secondly, it was more beautiful, better-looking, and more textured than genuine coins made with general techniques, even more genuine than genuine coins. If circulated on the market, people would be more willing to use this kind of gold dragon. No one could tell with the naked eye that the counterfeit gold dragon contained copper, and the technology of this era couldn't detect it either. This was a black technology secret.

"Lord Mountain's idea, I presume," Tywin asked. He looked at his foster daughter Jeyne beside him.

"Yes, Father."

Not only was it Lord Mountain's idea, but the technique of adding copper was also guided by the Mountain.

Tywin was expressionless.

In the eyes of the simple old man Buz, Tywin was a serious and upright in appearance, but actually a terrible old thief with a sinister heart. In contrast, the old man felt that the Duke was more terrifying, more frightening, and more chilling to him than the Mountain.

Tywin picked up the second gold dragon. This was a gold dragon that was completely indistinguishable from what he remembered. The front of the gold dragon was printed with the head of his former friend - the Mad King Aerys Targaryen - Aerys was the last king of the Targaryen dynasty. Sixteen years ago, Duke Tywin personally sent his dynasty and royal family to the dark hell.

Maester Potter took out a gold dragon from the same era, and the two gold dragons were placed together. Duke Tywin, whose familiarity with gold was unmatched, couldn't tell which one was real and which one was fake.

In fact, both gold dragons were real, but one came from the king's mint and the other from the Mountain's private mint.

Both were genuine gold and silver! Both used the same minting techniques! Only the minters were different.

"There's no copper added to this?"

"…Added, Your Grace…" Master Buz's anxiety gradually calmed down.

"Oh!" Duke Tywin picked up the two gold dragons again to look at them. So even if copper was added, the gold dragon wouldn't show the slightly bright red texture. The master was indeed a mint master who had worked in the mint outside King's Landing for his entire life.

The era engraved on the third gold dragon was even older, an old gold coin from the era of the cruel Maegor I, more than two hundred years ago. The gold coin had aged, worn, lost its luster, and partially turned black.

This was a technique that required antiquing.

Duke Tywin knew that this 'counterfeit coin' had only just been minted. Although he didn't show it, this antiquing technique surprised him again.

But the antiquing technique was also taught to old Buz by the Mountain. Old Buz didn't tell Tywin this.

Daily use or environmental factors can cause gold to lose its bright color. This is because it is impossible for gold to be completely free of impurities, and this backward semi-pastoral, semi-agricultural era cannot refine 100% pure gold.

When a large amount of fine dust in the dry air falls on the gold dragon, and when the sweat and other substances discharged from the human body come into contact with the silver or copper contained in the gold itself, a chemical reaction will occur, producing silver chloride and copper sulfide, which appear dark black.

Only 100% pure gold will become brighter with use.

The minting and gold refining techniques of the Targaryen royal family two hundred years ago were worse than they are now.

If these three gold dragons of different eras and appearances were taken out for use, no one would think that they were 'counterfeit coins' produced by Clegane's village. Tywin was very sure of this.

"Maester, reward Master Buz with two gold dragons," Duke Tywin said.

"Yes, Your Grace!"

The heart that Master Buz had been holding finally landed.

Now that the gold dragon model had been made and he could mint them himself, the Duke could completely kill him to silence him.

Duke Tywin kept the three 'counterfeit coins' and waved for old man Buz, Esther, and Master Tob to leave.

Duke Tywin stared at Jeyne as if a tiger was looking at a little sheep grazing, completely unaware of the danger.

"Jeyne, you shouldn't have known about this?"

Jeyne sighed quietly: "…Father…I've already married Clegane…"

The room was quiet for a while.

"I don't know anything about the Mountain minting gold dragons, understand? And Gavin can't know either."

"Yes, Father."

"Tell Gregor to hand over the noodle business to Earl Othell to take care of. He just needs to share the money. Mint gold dragons, focusing on new coins."

"Yes, Father."

Thanks to book friend 20181119103851016 for the reward, thank you!