The Mountain of Ice and Fire

Chapter 528: Priceless Gems

(Bonus chapter for Grandmaster [Sending Son Arhat], 5000 words)

*

Littlefinger Petyr Baelish relied on the 'counting coppers' game to rise from a despised sheep-dung earl with nothing to his name to a highly influential member of the Small Council.

After acquiring a legion, the Mountain also began to play the counting coppers game.

Doing business, making a fortune, farming to develop the economy, all had to come after having a strong fist. This was the rule the Mountain followed.

However, the counting coppers game he was playing was unlike anything that had ever appeared in this world.

Although the Iron Bank also engaged in lending and made a fortune by lending to kings, governors, grand dukes, dukes, or great slave masters, it wasn't a true bank in the real sense. They only accepted lending out money to earn exorbitant interest and didn't know about accepting deposits as a way to absorb capital. They also didn't have the whole set of methods for revitalizing 'coppers' with 'banking, monopoly, investment, shareholding, and dividends'.

The Iron Bank had only one branch in the entire world.

Banks, the real new way to play the 'counting coppers' game, were the innovation that the Mountain brought to this world.

The bank was tied to the Great Sept of Baelor, which eliminated the need to spend a lot of time establishing the most difficult thing: credibility.

The credibility of the Great Sept of Baelor was the highest on this continent; no king, duke, or great knight could compare to it.

However, the first Baelor Bank that the Mountain opened in King's Landing was not the first official bank in this world. The first official bank in this world was in the Westerlands.

Clegane Bank was established in Lannisport in the Westerlands.

This bank had two very important partners: Maester Bancroft, the acting castellan of Lannisport, who represented the Osgrey family of Lannisport; and Lady Sharlot of Silverhill—Countess Sheryl Deby, who represented the Sharlot family. But the real boss was Duchess Jeyne Westerling of Clegane.

*

Maester Bancroft stood on the second-floor corridor of the bank, looking at the bank lobby on the first floor.

Outside the bank counter came a timid little girl, about six or seven years old, clutching a few very beautiful little stones in her small hand.

Some of the stones were light red, some were pure white like jade, some had black and white stripes, and some were goose yellow. Each stone was smooth and round, the most beautiful work of nature obtained by pebbles grinding against each other and millions of years of water erosion.

The little girl carefully placed the stones on the counter and stood on tiptoe: "...Madam..." The little girl stammered, her tone full of timidity, "...I...want...to borrow money...These are my collateral, priceless gems..."

The receptionist inside the bank was Lady Eddie: the wife of Master Tobho Mott.

The bank had just opened, and Lady Jeyne, as the bank's owner, was also sitting here. She was in the lounge area on the first floor, with Brienne and Zerigelda standing behind her. Zeri: the wife of Finance Minister Berne Clegane.

"Child, why are you borrowing money?" Lady Eddie asked gently, lightly flicking the colorful pebbles with her fingers.

The pebbles were indeed very beautiful, smooth to the touch, with a faint reflection on the surface.

"My mother is sick, very sick, madam, we need money." The little girl spoke much more fluently. Her timidity was fading away.

"Call your father, child."

"I have never seen my father, madam."

"Then where is your mother?"

"She's at home."

"I can't lend you money, child. Your collateral can't borrow any money. They are just stones from the stream."

"No, madam, they are not ordinary stones, they are very expensive gems, gems that can be exchanged for a lot of money. They are my most precious things, and I have nothing more precious to mortgage besides this."

"Child, I can't lend you money, they are not gems, just ordinary pebbles."

The little girl pursed her lips, and her eyes turned red.

Bancroft glanced at the calm Lady Jeyne, went downstairs, and walked over: "Child, do you and your mother have a house to live in?"

"Yes, we have a house."

"Is the house your own, rented, or abandoned?"

"Our own."

"Child, go home and bring the deed, and we will lend you money," Bancroft said.

"What is a deed?" The little girl was actually very clever.

"Go home and tell your mother, she knows," Bancroft said softly, "If you don't have a deed, you can ask your uncle or brother next door to guarantee you, and we will also lend you money, but we will only give you six copper stars for one silver stag. If you don't repay the money within the specified time, we will sell the house you live in. If someone guarantees you, we will ask the guarantor for it."

In this world, one gold dragon is exchanged for thirty silver stags, and one silver stag is exchanged for seven copper stars.

"Sir, my little stones are all gems, they are very valuable, I'm not lying. My mother said that each of my little stones is a rare gem."

"No, they are not gems, they are just stones, very ordinary stones. There are many such small stones in the pebbles by the river."

"Not many, sir, I assure you, you will find it difficult to find such colorful gems like mine. Very difficult."

Bancroft's face turned displeased: "Child, go home quickly, either find someone with real estate to guarantee you, or bring your own house deed here, and you can borrow money to see a doctor for your mother."

"Sir, I'll give you all my gems, I only need two silver stags." The little girl was about to cry, "The doctor said that only one silver stag can save my mother's illness. With the remaining one silver stag, I want to buy some delicious food for my mother."

Doctors, monks, nuns, wizards, and maesters are all professionals in this world who can help people see doctors. Among them, monks and maesters have the greatest reputation, and doctors mostly serve the poor and common people. Great nobles use maesters, and for some difficult and complicated diseases involving gods and ghosts, everyone asks monks or wizards.

Bancroft glanced at Lady Jeyne and said, "Guards, take the little girl out."

On both sides of the bank's gate, there were two guards each, two Clegane soldiers, and two soldiers from the Lannisport garrison. They were all fully armed, making people afraid to approach.

*

The little girl was actually very brave to come in here to borrow money.

Many adults dare not approach here. They looked towards here from across the street.

Although the bank was promoted by the acting castellan through administrative orders, almost no one patronized it.

Next, Jeyne had her own astonishing plan for operating the bank.

First, the bank had to lend money out; second, it had to get money in.

*

A Clegane soldier strode in to throw the little girl out.

Jeyne shook her head slightly, the soldier stopped, then bowed, turned around and went back to continue guarding. Jeyne felt that the soldiers standing guard outside the door seemed not gentle enough. She considered not using soldiers on both sides of the bank's gate tomorrow. The soldiers could be on the opposite side or nearby, or all inside the store, in the cubicle, so that people couldn't see them.

There were many mercenaries in Lannisport from all over the world. These people were ruthless bandits. Jeyne had to take precautions. They didn't dare to move during the day, but at night, that was not certain. As long as someone incited them by saying that a large number of gold dragons, silver stags, and copper stars were placed in the bank, someone would have evil thoughts.

*

"Child, how did you know that there was a bank here where you could borrow money?"

"I went to my uncle to borrow money, and my uncle told me that I could borrow money here. My uncle said that the lady and the castellan opened a bank to lend money to poor people to see doctors, do business, and buy oxen; and also lend money to nobles to hire knights, build large ships, and do maritime trade."

The little girl's words were so clear and clever.

Jeyne liked this little girl.

*

It seemed that the publicity in the past few days had been effective, but everyone was watching. There were almost no people borrowing money, and no one came to deposit money.

The letter that the Mountain gave to Jeyne asked her to spend the first month on publicity, and it would be a success if there were five customers in the second month, and it would be fine if there were ten customers in the third month. Starting from the fourth month, the bank would be used as a channel to bundle various businesses with the bank, start monopolizing the Westerlands' unique commodities, and expand trade to the outside world.

The Mountain's main energy was to first develop the banking business in King's Landing. Lannisport in the Westerlands was a small branch.

But Jeyne didn't want that.

She was ambitious and planned to have at least 100,000 gold dragons in deposits in the first month, and lend out even more. She did a few days of publicity through the acting castellan Bancroft to see everyone's reaction. Everyone was very polite, but the reaction was not enthusiastic. However, Jeyne had her own way.

*

"Child, your gems are too precious, we can't take them," Jeyne said, the child's tears were swirling in her eyes, "But, I will lend you two silver stags, but I can't rest assured if I give you the money. You won't be far from the bank gate before someone snatches it away."

The little girl's tears sparkled in her eyes, and she stared blankly at Lady Jeyne.

Jeyne walked out, took the little girl's hand, and pointed outside: "Child, do you see those people across the street?"

The little girl nodded vigorously.

"They are all here to see something new. There has never been a bank in Lannisport. After hearing about it, they came here to see something new when they had nothing to do. Among them are knights, mercenaries, thieves, poor people, and free people. If they see you holding two silver stags in your hand, the bad guys among them will follow you and then snatch your silver stags."

The little girl stared at Jeyne with wide eyes, unable to speak.

Lady Jeyne was so beautiful, and what she said made so much sense, but what should she do?

"The bank will lend you two silver stags and escort you home, do you agree?"

The little girl was stunned for a long time, then nodded heavily.

Bancroft, Lady Eddie, and the two female generals protecting the duchess: Brienne of Tarth, and Griselda the Bull—were all looking at each other.

Two silver stags were a lot of money for a poor family.

Moreover, Bancroft did not agree with lending money to poor people, but out of consideration for Lady Jeyne's face, he was embarrassed to say 'no'. Even opening this bank, Bancroft and Lady Sharlot of Silverhill were both 'forced' to do so, belonging to being forced, not willingly. They were unwilling.

As expected, a few days after the bank opened, there were many onlookers, and almost no one deposited or borrowed money.

This little girl was obviously fooled into borrowing money. Behind her, I don't know how many people were waiting to see a joke. The little girl was completely ignorant, and Lady Jeyne couldn't do such charity. There were many poor people in the world, and the bank's money belonged to the three families jointly, not exclusively to the Clegane family.

If it could not be profitable after one year, Bancroft and Lady Sharlot would both preserve their capital and withdraw their investment, and if there were any losses, the Clegane family would bear it alone.

These were all agreed upon in advance, and everyone had sworn a solemn oath in the Sept in the name of the Seven Gods.

*

A moment later, the little girl picked up the pen and wrote her name for the first time in her life on the documents she couldn't understand—a small circle, and then her priceless colored gems were put into her pocket by Lady Jeyne, and two silver stags with Lady Eddie's hand warmth were placed in the palm of the little girl's hand.

Although the onlookers across the street could not see the details clearly, they could guess the general situation, and everyone was talking about it. Two knights simply came over to the gate to watch the excitement. Under the great reputation of the Clegane army, the actions of the two knights made many people sweat.

Lady Jeyne took the little girl into the carriage, and the curtains were hung up, she wanted people to see this scene. Brienne and Griselda rode their warhorses to protect the lady's carriage on the left and right, a team of Clegane cavalry totaling twelve people, escorted the little girl home.

In fact, it was not escorting the little girl, the warriors were protecting Lady Jeyne.

Nobles traveled with guards, and people in this world would not be surprised or strange because of this.

But because there was a poor little girl in the carriage, this matter attracted people's special attention and discussion. If it were placed in the civilized world before the Mountain crossed over, it might become a headline of a show and be despised.

The little girl's home was in the West City.

There was a place in the West City where poor people lived, and most of the poor people here worked at the port docks. The port was the third largest port in the Seven Kingdoms, and it needed many laborers to do handling and other chores at the docks.

Jeyne was a blood witch, and although she didn't wear a witch's robe, it didn't change her secret identity. She simply did a good deed to treat the little girl's mother, anyway, she was idle sitting in the bank.

It was difficult for even great nobles to hire a blood witch to treat a disease.

This matter was just a piece of cake for Jeyne.

Anyway, she was idle.

Along the way, the number of onlookers increased. When they arrived at the poor street in the West City, all the poor people in the entire street came to watch.

—Trist's daughter, who was seriously ill, borrowed money from the bank, and the duchess personally sent her back.—The poor people in the poor street were very dense, and many people heard a new word for the first time through this incident: bank. Through this incident, the people in the poor street also learned what a bank was, that is, a place where you can borrow and deposit money.

Jeyne got out of the car, took the little girl's hand and entered Trist's small dark room...The blood witch from the witch inheritance personally treated Trist, and in the future, the people on this street will talk about it with relish and pass it on as gossip...

In a matter of days, the entire West City knew that Lady Janei had cured a woman named Trist in the slum district, and Trist's daughter had gone to the 'bank' opened by the Duchess and borrowed two silver stags.

The publicity effect this time was surprisingly good!

Undeniably, everyone in West City, including captains, mercenaries, knights, garrison soldiers, the poor, servants, laborers, and wealthy merchants, knew the term 'bank' originated from Janei lending the little girl two silver stags, personally escorting her home, and treating Trist's illness.

However, Janei had no intention of relying on this kind of publicity to make people aware of the term 'bank'; she had her own complete set of forceful plans.

*

The sound of hooves echoed as a banner with a red smoke beast and an ice sword fluttered in the wind, followed by the banner of Earl Ode of Lannisport: a sword and harbor on a blue background.

Leading the group were three women, with Janei Westerling in the center. She wore no armor or weapons, dressed in noblewoman's attire, and sat upon her horse, unparalleled in beauty. On her left and right were Brienne of Tarth and Grizelda the Bull, both fully armed. Behind them were two companies of a hundred men each. These two companies were the most elite warriors of Big Head Chiswyck, all born and raised in Lannisport. After two years of baptism in blood and fire, they had transformed into the Clegane's most formidable warriors.

In addition, there was another group beside Janei, led by Acting City Lord Bancroft, with his left and right guard captains, leading two garrison companies of a hundred men each.

This procession appeared at the West City harbor, attracting the attention of everyone on the ships and on the shore.

The procession halted right on the high dock.

The herald's voice rang out: "All captains of merchant ships, both local and from around the world, are requested to come ashore and attend a meeting in Earl Ode's castle hall."

Lady Janei's first step in her 'commercial operation plan' was launched. She herself didn't know that this plan aligned with 'commercial operation'; she only knew that doing so was the fastest way to promote the banking industry.

Scholar Bancroft was actually filled with doubts, but under Lady Janei's assurance and the coercion of the Clegane's unseen military power, he decided to try the new business. If it succeeded, it would bring a new way of making money to Lannisport; if it failed, Lady Janei would bear the loss.

Janei was determined to bring Bancroft, who was full of doubts, on board, precisely to promote banking through administrative orders.

With power in hand, why worry about business not being good?

Absolutely not.

The Mountain wanted Janei to slow down and not rush, after all, the Westerlands didn't have the advantageous conditions of the 'Great Sept of Baelor'. Janei needed to patiently wait for an 'explosive' growth in the banking business, but Janei only listened perfunctorily.

Everything is difficult at the beginning. People find it hard to accept a completely new thing, but if there is a strong push from 'administrative orders', Janei believes that the development of her Westerlands bank will easily surpass the Mountain's 'Baelor Bank' in King's Landing.

Janei knew that getting people to accept the bank was just a small start in the Mountain's plan. Since it was a small start, of course, the faster the better, with decisive action.

Thanks to [为人而为人], [水丘界九], and [Chau534] for their support and rewards, thank you, handshake!