The Mountain of Ice and Fire

Grand Maester Pycelle's academic chain was made up of twenty-four different metal links, each representing his mastery of a specific field of knowledge. The heavy chain hung from his neck down to his chest.

Black iron represented ravenry, bronze astronomy, brass history, white gold accounting, white iron warcraft, white steel smithing, silver medicine, tin geography, gold husbandry…

The only metal link Grand Maester Pycelle lacked was Valyrian steel. Valyrian steel represented magic and the occult, and perhaps only one in a hundred scholars at the Citadel of Oldtown possessed a link made of Valyrian steel. In a place filled with scholars, physicians, and scientists, the study of the occult was scorned by most maesters.

The erudite Grand Maester Pycelle was seeing a mercury thermometer for the first time. Unlike any thermometer he knew, this one was slender, with a small bulb at the bottom and a sealed top.

The thermometer had several temperature markings: 0, 50 degrees, 60 degrees, 70 degrees, and 100 degrees.

Julie, who was accompanying her, also brought out an hourglass.

The hourglass measured time in 30-minute increments.

Jeyne said to the King, Queen, Grand Maester, Master of Coin, Master of Whisperers, and others, "The thermometer indicates the temperature needed to kill bacteria. Above 70 degrees, the milk's texture (nutritional structure) will be destroyed. Below 60 degrees, some pathogenic bacteria will survive. The hourglass controls the processing time for sterilization. One full hourglass indicates the milk sterilization process is complete."

The King and Queen were bewildered.

Knowledge could be dry, boring, and confusing.

But none of that mattered. What mattered was whether the milk would still cause illness if they followed these steps.

As for the underlying principles, no one but Maester Pycelle would be truly interested in understanding them.

Soon, a copper pan, charcoal fire, and milk were brought in. Under Lady Jeyne's guidance, a white filter cloth was quickly produced. After the milk was filtered, it was poured into the copper pan, and the charcoal fire was lit.

Jeyne placed the thermometer into the milk. The mercury inside began to rise slowly. When it reached sixty degrees, Jeyne instructed a servant to control the charcoal fire and flipped over an hourglass. The sand inside trickled down. Everyone watched intently as the mercury in the thermometer fluctuated between 60 and 70 degrees.

"Jeyne!" Cersei approached and warmly took Jeyne's hand. She pulled Jeyne aside to speak privately. "I heard that your father has taken you as his daughter?"

"Yes, Your Grace."

Cersei's idol was her own father, Tywin Lannister. She admired him greatly and had always believed that if she were a man, she would be like her father, wielding iron-fisted authority and ruling the Westerlands. Jeyne's beauty and intelligence, and the thermometer she had invented, which had astonished even Grand Maester Pycelle, were all noticed by Cersei. She knew it was a remarkable scientific achievement, so she deliberately embraced her father's adopted daughter.

Cersei had another reason to deliberately embrace Jeyne: the Mountain!

The Mountain and the Hound were both loyal hounds of the Lannister family, but the Mountain was clearly stronger and even had his own band of followers. The stronger the Mountain was, the safer the eldest daughter of the Lannister family felt.

"Don't call me Your Grace, call me sister," Cersei said with a radiant smile. Her beauty was captivating, and her smile made her even more so. Her face was almost a perfect replica of Jaime's, the only difference being their demeanors. Hers was bright and radiant, while Jaime's was sharp and proud.

"Sister!"

"Sister, I wasn't able to make it to your wedding to congratulate you. Please don't take it amiss." Cersei removed an emerald bracelet from her wrist and, with polite insistence, placed it on Jeyne's wrist.

Jeyne took off the pearl necklace from her neck and put it on Cersei, calling her sister as if her lips were smeared with honey.

Both women were exceptionally beautiful, like two flowers of different colors and varieties, each with its own beauty and fragrance.

On the other side, the men were uninterested in the women's friendly exchange and were discussing the important national affairs of milk and the people's livelihood. Littlefinger and Varys both believed that if Lady Jeyne's experiment proved successful, she should be rewarded by the King to acknowledge Lady Jeyne's great contribution to the kingdom.

King Robert was a generous man and readily agreed, although he didn't yet know what to reward Lady Jeyne with.

It seemed like only a short time, the duration of one hourglass. Julie instructed the servants to extinguish the charcoal fire, signaling the end of the milk sterilization time. Grand Maester Pycelle firmly remembered the upper and lower limits of the temperature and the duration of one hourglass. He had already figured out the principle of the thermometer's sealed end: to minimize temperature deviations and achieve accuracy.

After the second pot of milk was filtered and poured into the copper pan, Grand Maester Pycelle personally controlled the fire for the experiment. Once the mercury in the thermometer exceeded 60 degrees, he controlled the fire and simultaneously turned the hourglass over to start the timer.

King Robert patiently watched the first time, but by the second time, he felt it was meaningless. The milk sterilization method was simple and without complicated mysteries. The King began to drink incessantly.

Varys smiled, "Your Majesty, Lady Jeyne's significant contribution is undeniable. What will you reward Lady Jeyne with? Money or a title?"

A title bestowed by the King was more prestigious than one bestowed by Duke Tywin. To ensure that the Mountain received the highest knightly honor, in the year 282 of Aegon's Conquest, Duke Tywin had requested that Prince Rhaegar bestow knighthood upon the Mountain. These small details highlighted the effort Duke Tywin put into winning over the Mountain.

Duke Tywin could naturally bestow knighthood upon the Mountain, but it was more honorable if Prince Rhaegar bestowed it.

Littlefinger smiled, "Lord Varys, I think His Majesty should forgo monetary rewards. The Mountain has won two championships at the tourney and has received plenty of monetary rewards. I think His Majesty should bestow a title upon Lady Jeyne. Lady Jeyne would receive honor, and it wouldn't burden the treasury. A win-win situation!"

King Robert, like the Mountain, valued money and belittled titles. He said, "Since you two have personally confirmed it, I believe Lady Jeyne's method is genuinely effective. Ser Barristan, please invite the Queen and Lady Jeyne over. I want to ask Lady Jeyne what title she desires as a reward."

King Robert was always generous with titles that didn't cost money.

Receiving a title from King Robert would be more honorable and glorious than receiving one from Duke Tywin. However, it was highly unlikely that the King would grant Jeyne land.

Lady Jeyne and the Queen came hand in hand. Julie added honey to the freshly sterilized milk and served it to everyone except the King and Queen.

Littlefinger, Varys, the Grand Maester, Barristan, the Mountain, Lancel, Anguy, Julie herself, and four Clegane knights all drank a bowl of fresh milk.

The honey-sweetened milk, at just the right temperature, was fragrant and delicious, and drinking it brought warmth and comfort.

Then, the King also drank a bowl. The fresh taste of the milk had not been compromised by the high-temperature heating. King Robert felt it was indeed very good.

"Lady Jeyne, your invention of the thermometer has shocked and impressed even Grand Maester Pycelle, and I fully believe that your and Maester Ysabel's science of sterilizing milk to kill pathogens is a great success. Lady, what honorary title do you desire? Speak, and I shall bestow it upon you."

An honorary title meant a mere title without land.

Nevertheless, once a vacant territory became available, Jeyne would have the opportunity to obtain that land.

"Your Majesty, the scientific inspiration for sterilizing milk to kill pathogens came from my husband, Ser Gregor's, unintentional remark. If the King wishes to reward, then bestow the title of Earl upon Ser Gregor. A wife is honored through her husband's nobility. If Ser Gregor becomes wealthy and noble, so will I."

The King's recognition also meant that the scientific method of the thermometer and milk sterilization belonged to the royal family, and they no longer needed to pay for it. This was much more cost-effective than buying patented technology from the Citadel. The treasury was currently stretched to its limit, and any savings were welcome.

King Robert looked at the Mountain and laughed, "Damn it, Mountain, you've married a good wife!"

Queen Cersei smiled slightly. The King had been saying things that hurt her for sixteen years, and she was used to it. Nothing was more abhorrent to Cersei than the King forcefully entering her body on their wedding night while shouting the name Lyanna Stark.

"Damn it, I don't have your good luck, Mountain. Well then, to commend Lady Jeyne's remarkable invention of the thermometer, and the even more remarkable science of sterilizing milk…" A glint of cunning flashed in the King's eyes. "Ser Gregor, kneel before me at once. I shall bestow upon you the honorary title of Lucky Earl of the Kingdom, and grant you a large territory."

Ser Gregor, known for his untamed nature, immediately knelt on one knee, placed his right fist over his heart, bowed his head, and adopted a humble demeanor.

Clang!

King Robert stood up, drew the longsword from Barristan's waist, approached the Mountain, touched the Mountain's right shoulder with the tip of the sword, and proclaimed in a singing voice, "In the name of Robert of the House Baratheon, First of His Name, King of the Andals, the Rhoynar, and the First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and Protector of the Realm, I hereby bestow upon Gregor Clegane the title of Lucky Earl of the Kingdom, and grant you all the lands of Castamere and Tarbeck Hall in the Westerlands…"

Queen Cersei was stunned and unwilling to believe it; Lady Jeyne was also dumbfounded; the Mountain knelt on the ground with his head bowed, but remained impassive!

The abandoned Castamere and Tarbeck Hall were a monument erected by Duke Tywin to intimidate the nobles of the Westerlands, and also the Duke's own sore spot.

*

Ps: Some readers may think that the King has no right to grant land in the Westerlands to the Mountain, but he absolutely does. I won't explain why.