Eddard has no choice.
Robert has been assertive since he was a child.
Once a decision is made, no one is allowed to object.
Eddard was unwilling to be prime minister again, but he was even less willing to have Jaime become prime minister.
Jaime is already the Warden of the East.
King Robert felt that Robert Arryn, the Vale of Arryn, was frail and sickly, only six years old, and that his mother, Lysa Tully, was obese and neurotic. So he bestowed the title of Warden of the East upon Jaime.
This made Eddard uneasy, and he had strongly urged the king to change his mind, because this would put Lannister in control of both the West and the East, which would be an unstable factor for the country's security.
But King Robert rejected Eddard's offer.
Jaime is both the Kingsguard and the Warden of the East.
However, Jaime's title of Warden of the East did not gain the support of the Vale people. Lysa Tully privately announced to her vassals that the Warden of the East was her son, Robert Arryn, who declared him the 'true Warden of the East. ' This marked the beginning of a rift in the nation, as two Wardens of the East had emerged within the country: one appointed by the king, and the other by the lord of the Vale of Arryn himself.
King Robert had no time to concern himself with the matter. Jaime himself was serving as Kingsguard in the palace, and with no external enemies at war, he had no need to vie for the title of Warden of the East.
Local defense primarily involves military strategy and planning.
Between a frail, sickly six-year-old boy who knew nothing and a skilled, thirty-something-year-old knight, King Robert chose the thirty-something-year-old knight to guard the eastern border of the country. It's hard to say that this was a mistake!
Since Jaime was both the Warden of the East, Eddard could no longer accept that Jaime was also the King's Prime Minister.
Eddard picked up the ' Hand of the King ' badge, but at the same time, the Mountain's warning echoed in his ears: Winter has come, Lord Eddard, I warned you; watch the North, the White Walkers are coming, stop investigating Jon Arryn's death, or your guards, supervisors, servants, and nuns will all die, die a horrible death!
Eddard watched the king stagger away, his heart heavy.
His men have already begun to die; three are dead: his best captain, Jory Cassel, his best teammate, Weir, and Hayward. The Mountain warns that winter has come, and all his men will perish unless he leaves King's Landing and turns his attention to the North. The Mountain has hinted that this is a great wizarding prophecy.
Vayon Poole entered, carrying steaming hot milk.
Northerners, because of the freezing weather, like to drink steaming hot fresh milk. — But actually, besides fresh milk, northerners insist on all food being steaming hot.
Eddard found it strange. Vayon Poole was a cautious and meticulous steward; he couldn't possibly be unaware that the incidence of disease from milk was extremely high in July and August each year—drinking milk was tantamount to drinking poison. During the peak season for disease outbreaks, nobles would wait and see if the poor contracted illness or death from drinking the milk. If not, then the milk for that year was still safe; if it did cause illness or death, the nobles would not drink it—this was a tacit agreement known to everyone.
"It's not safe to drink milk these days," Eddard warned Vayon Poole.
"My lord, this is ' Jenny ' milk, specially delivered by Grand Maester Pycelle on the orders of the King. It has been sterilized using special technology, and the diseased milk has been transformed into healthy milk. The King and Queen both drink ' Jenny' milk.
" Jenny Milk?"
"Yes, my lord. Jeyne Westerling and her family's Archmaester Assa found a scientific way to turn the diseased milk into healthy milk. In King's Landing, she bought the diseased milk that the dairy farmers were going to dump into the ditches and sent it to the orphanage in Flea Bottom. After being sterilized and processed, it was made into cheese, cakes, and various snacks for the children to eat, and none of them got sick or died."
" Lord Petyr and Lord Varys unanimously recommended Jenny's milk-making technique to the King. The King summoned Jenny and the Mountain to the palace, where Jenny taught the kingdom's chefs and Lord Pycelle. The King then decreed that this milk be called Jenny's Milk."
Eddard remembered that when Edmure Tully was at Prime Ministers Tower, he boasted that he had found a scientific method to turn diseased milk into healthy milk. He said that after he promoted it in the Riverlands and mastered the various techniques, he would pass on this scientific technology to the North and the Vale. At the time, Eddard just smiled and didn't take it to heart.
Eddard knew that Edmure was superficial, boastful, and ambitious, and did not believe that Edmure was telling the truth.
I wonder if Edmure's method for changing the disease-causing milk is the same as Jenny's, or if Edmure's method is Jenny's method. That kid always speaks mysteriously, revealing only half of what he means. Eddard hates this trait of Edmure's —he loves to show off but can't deliver on his promises; many of his statements are unreliable and untrustworthy. It's so different from the straightforward, honest nature of the Northerners.
Eddard slowly finished his warm milk.
"My lord, because Jeyne Westerling invented the mercury thermometer and developed a scientific method for sterilizing milk, the people of the Seven Kingdoms will all benefit from it. In recognition of Lady Jane's contributions, the king not only named the milk Jenny Milk, but also bestowed upon the Mountain the title of Earl and granted him Castamere and Tarbeck Hall in the Westerlands."
Eddard's heart skipped a beat. A few days earlier, in the pouring rain on the street, the Mountain's soldiers had blocked their way. Jaime had ordered the Mountain to kill three of Eddard's guards. At that time, Jaime referred to the Mountain as the Earl.
Castamere is famous in the Seven Kingdoms for the song ' The Rains of Castamere,' which is based on Tywin Lannister's feat of annihilating the two most powerful families in the Westerlands when he was nineteen. It is said that to deter the nobles of the Westerlands from any dissent, Tywin abandoned Castamere and Tarbeck Hall, leaving no one daring to explore or claim them.
King Robert's actions clearly showed he didn't care whether the Mountain actually acquired the two lands; he was deliberately trying to annoy the Duke of Tywin. Regardless of the Duke's consent, nominally and legally, the Mountain already possessed private ownership of the two lands, and Tywin had lost control. Soon, the Duke would receive a decree signed by the King from Grand Maester Pycelle. (P.S.: The King has the power to strip anyone in the kingdom of their titles and lands at any time; this cannot be challenged by any arguments about private ownership. If the King doesn't have this power, then who does?)
The Magic Mountain is no longer the Magic Mountain of legend; Eddard at the Riverlands confirmed this. It was already clear from Ruby Ford. He had a wizard with great prophetic abilities behind him, a beautiful and intelligent wife by his side who had invented the thermometer and researched the science of altering disease-causing milk, which left Eddard with mixed feelings.
In Ruby Ford, the Mountain saved Mycah, the butcher's son, and Eddard thanked him for his kindness; in King's Landing, the Mountain warned him not to investigate Jon Arryn's death, lest he bring about his own demise. Eddard felt threatened, but now it seems like a warning; at the Crossroads, the Mountain killed three of his guards, forging a blood feud, yet he managed to avoid breaking Eddard's bones or injuring him during the attack…
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The Mountain's actions towards the Stark Family were a mixture of good and evil, making Eddard's intentions difficult to fathom.
Eddard decided to consult with Varys about a solution. Varys had said that the two of them were allies, and that this alliance was to save the king from Lannister.
The Mountain is a lackey of the Lannister Family; it's better to beat the master than the dog. The Mountain wants Eddard to stop investigating Jon Arryn's death, but Eddard feels he's found the right person, making it even more necessary to continue the investigation. Varys must know something else, but that guy is too cunning; he's probably the person in the palace who knows the most secrets.
Eddard said to Vayon Poole, "Vayon, call Elin in."
Elin came in quickly.
"Go and invite Lord Varys here. I need to speak with him."
"My lord, Lord Varys has not attended court for the past two days. The king is furious and refuses to see him. We are afraid we will not be able to find him."
Eddard's heart skipped a beat. Varys was gone? Did Lannister find out about their collaboration and make the first move against Varys?
"We'll go look for it even if we can't find it," Eddard said, growing increasingly anxious.
"Yes, sir!"