"By ordering Lord Tywin to detain Edmure, we will lose 300,000 gold dragons, as well as the honor of House Westerling and House Clegane. We will be despised by the Seven Kingdoms," the Mountain said. "Jane, what do you think we should do?"
"Father benefits, and we suffer losses," Jenny said. Duke Tywin was Jenny's adoptive father.
There were no outsiders here, and Jenny spoke quite frankly. To prevent Mrs. Hipper from gossiping, she wasn't involved in these top secrets.
"I've been with Lord Tywin Lannister since I was twelve," the Mountain said. "For twenty years now, I've come to know his character and his life goals. For the Lannisters' interests, he would sacrifice Cersei's happiness; for the Lannisters' honor, he would sacrifice Tyrion Lannister's life; and for the sake of the entire Lannister family, between Jaime and the Lannisters, he would choose the Lannisters without hesitation and abandon Jaime. He is a ruthless man; the interests and legacy of his family are above all else. If I disobey, he won't do anything to me now because he still needs me, but when he needs me less, or when the other party's interests are greater enough, or when he finds someone to replace me, he will kill me without hesitation for my disobedience today."
The study was very quiet, and everyone's breathing was heavy.
"What legitimate reason could there be to detain Edmure?" said Earl Gavin, a pedantic nobleman who valued honor above all else. Even in his decline, he had sold land and fields to maintain the false and noble facade of the Westerling family. "Earl Edmure and his guards have eaten the bread and salt of the Westerling family, and they have the right to be protected by their ancient guests. I should personally reject Duke Tywin's proposal. He has ruined thousands of years of Westerling honor in an instant. I will reject him on this matter!"
"Neither Westerling nor Clegane can withstand Lord Tywin's wrath, and I certainly don't want the 'Rainy Season of Castamere' to resound in Westerling's Rocky City!" the Mountain said calmly.
*
Three days later, a letter arrived in Cliff Rock.
The letter came from Riverrun in the Riverlands. Duke Horst had agreed to purchase the milk sterilization technology of Cliffrock for 300,000 gold dragons. Secondly, Maester Weyman mentioned that the Duke's condition had worsened and hoped that Edmure could return to Riverrun as soon as possible.
"I must return to Riverrun immediately," Edmure said after reading the letter. "My father's condition has worsened, and I must be by his side."
Edmure is a dissolute scoundrel, but also a devoted son who deeply loves his father.
"Good!" said the Mountain. "Today, Jenny and Maester Assa will immediately teach you the milk sterilization technique, and then tonight we will have a good time. Tomorrow morning, I will personally escort you out of the Westerlands back to Riverrun."
"Alright. Our 300,000 golden dragons have already been sent out from the Riverlands. Lord Demon Mountain personally escorted me out of the Western Territory and was on the way to protect the 300,000 golden dragons to prevent them from being robbed by bandits."
The western region has many things: gold mines, bandits, and more.
Pirates roam the seas, and bandits in the mountains! Bandits are mostly indigenous people from the mountains and miners who lost their jobs and income after the gold mines were depleted.
In the Western Regions, gold mines are becoming increasingly scarce, while the number of idle miners is growing. This is an irreversible trend that is slowly beginning to affect the stability of the entire Western Regions.
*
A large pot, a strainer, a large bucket of snow-white milk, a thermometer with no markings but only two red lines spaced apart, and an hourglass for timing.
Jenny instructed the maid to bring out the milk, pour the fresh milk into the iron pot, and start a fire.
This was the first time Edmund had ever seen a thermometer without any markings.
This was the first time Edmund had ever seen a completely sealed thermometer.
This was the first time I had ever seen such a tiny thermometer.
As the Grand Lord of the Riverlands, Maester Weyman of Riverrun possessed thermometers: both water and alcohol thermometers, with open tops and thick glass tubes.
The thermometer Jenny took out was sealed, and the medium at the bottom was neither water nor alcohol; it was silver in color.
However, this was the first time Edmund had ever seen a liquid silver thermometer medium.
A small thermometer gave Edmund a lot of surprises.
Edmure asked what the medium in the thermometer was, but neither Maester Assa nor Jenny gave a clear answer. Under Edmure's persistent questioning, Maester Assa said that Maester Weyman should know what the medium was, as it was available in the Citadel. If Lord Edmure and Maester Weyman were unable to make their own thermometers after returning, they could purchase them from Cliffrock City for ten gold dragons per thermometer.
The average soldier's salary for about three years could buy such a thermometer.
Edmure then fell silent!
Ten gold dragons are a small sum for someone like Edmure, but the sheer volume of these thermometers is staggering. If the method of sterilizing milk were to be spread to the North and the Vale, hundreds of noble families and wealthy merchants would need around a thousand of these thermometers!
Scholar Assa attached a silver thread to the thermometer and placed the small round bulb at its end into the steaming milk. Edmure watched as the silver thread on the thermometer began to rise, eventually exceeding the height of the first red mark.
The servant in charge of tending the fire began to control the firewood in the stove.
"The temperature must be controlled between the two red markings; it cannot be lower than the lower marking or higher than the upper marking," Scholar Assa emphasized.
Jenny turned the hourglass upside down: "Lord Edmure, once the milk temperature exceeds the mark on the thermometer, you must turn this hourglass upside down. When the hourglass runs dry, the milk in the pot will be turned off, and the sterilization will be complete."
Edmure looked at the straight line of the hourglass: "About how much time does this hourglass hold?"
"About half an incense stick's worth!" was yet another vague answer.
But this didn't stump Edmund; he could easily calculate the hourglass time once he got back. He could also simultaneously place another thermometer in the milk to measure the specific temperature range for sterilization.
Of course, the thermometers he knew and could have at home were all open-mouthed with thick glass tubes.
"This is one way to sterilize milk; there are other ways to preserve it for longer," Jenny said.
It turns out there isn't just one method, and the time it takes to keep milk fresh and fresh is indeed very important.
*
At night, the city of Cliff Rock revels like a festival.
Lord Edmure is departing for home tomorrow, and the Westerling family, being a prestigious clan, will not be impolite. Fine wine, delicious food, and beautiful women will all be provided to please Lord Edmure.
Wandering singers, poets, comedians, magicians, and jugglers all took to the stage.
The entire city of Cliff Rock was bustling with activity.
Edmure and his brothers reveled and enjoyed themselves to the fullest amidst their master's hospitality!