The Art of Diplomacy

"Emperor, from our country's perspective, stabilizing Ferdinando's throne offers significant benefits."

"Oh? How so?" Laszlo humbly inquired.

Eyczing slowly explained, "Emperor, the King of Aragon will most likely not intervene in this conflict because Juan II is actually more interested in interfering with the internal affairs of the Kingdom of Castile. His own Kingdom of Navarre is also plagued by frequent rebellions, and... it is rumored that Alfonso V forced Juan II to swear an oath not to contend for the throne of Naples before his death. Whether this intelligence is true or false is unknown, but considering various factors, the Kingdom of Aragon will most likely not intervene."

"So, the biggest contender for the throne is 'Good King' René?"

Laszlo immediately reacted, rubbing his chin and continuing this line of thought, "René is backed by Charles VII, which means he is supported by the French. If the French control Naples, the situation in Italy will be very unfavorable for the Empire. Moreover, René is not only the Duke of Anjou, Count of Provence, he is also an Imperial Prince, the Duke of Lorraine... Why is this great French noble an Imperial Prince? Is no one managing this?"

"Ahem, Emperor, the current Duke of Lorraine is John II, Duke René's son. Duke René had already passed Lorraine to his son a few years ago; he himself rules in Provence. Your analysis was very correct; if the French seize Naples, it would be a huge diplomatic failure for us."

"But, directly allying with Naples and sending troops to aid them seems a bit unworthy."

"Emperor, haven't you been troubled by the diplomatic blockade from France, Venice, and Poland? This is a good opportunity. As long as we bring Naples over to our side, the balance of power in the Italian region will be broken, and the scales of victory will tip in our favor."

Eyczing seemed to have a good plan, confidently persuading Laszlo.

"What's your idea?"

"Emperor, we can completely take the lead in forming a Pan-Adriatic Alliance. The purpose of this alliance is to win over Naples and its allies and prevent the French from controlling Naples."

Laszlo considered the feasibility of this method, and after a while, he said, "The only one I can think of winning over is the Papal States. I think the Pope certainly doesn't want a French-controlled country appearing south of him; the tragedy of Avignon is still fresh in mind."

Eyczing looked at Laszlo with delight, not expecting the Emperor to have such keen insight. He continued, "Yes, Emperor, besides the Papal States, there are two other very promising targets to win over: Alfonso V's staunch ally, the Duchy of Milan, and Skanderbeg of Albania."

"Oh? Tell me more."

"Yes, Emperor. The Duchy of Milan certainly does not want to lose the Kingdom of Aragon, a powerful ally, but Juan II is not concerned with Northern Italy's affairs. In this situation, the Duke of Milan can only settle for contacting Naples. As for Skanderbeg, he recognized Naples as his suzerain six years ago, begging for aid to counter the Ottomans and the Venetian. Although he has now reconciled with the Venetian due to pressure from our country, I believe he will certainly wish to maintain friendly alliance with the Neapolitans."

"Good, good. This way, we've even found muscle. We might not even need to personally deal with the French; we just need to facilitate such a small-scale anti-French alliance. We'll be the behind-the-scenes boss, reaping the benefits. It's simply brilliant. Eyczing, can you handle this?"

"Emperor, of course, there's no problem. However, to earn the trust of the King of Naples and his allies, we need to promise military aid. Not too much, perhaps a single legion's worth of troops would be enough. This is a great opportunity to deplete French strength and diminish the French King's prestige."

"Good, I'll leave this matter to you. Form this alliance as soon as possible. I can't wait to see the French King's ugly expression, hehe."

"Yes, Emperor."

Eyczing was very pleased that his suggestion was once again adopted by the King.

Recently, many jealous individuals had sent letters of impeachment against him to the Emperor's desk, all of which Laszlo had thrown into the trash can like waste paper.

Wasn't this trust and appreciation what he sought?

Look at him now; after only a little over a year of serving the Emperor, he had reached the pinnacle of power, arguably second only to the Emperor and above everyone else.

Those great nobles who used to look down on him now had no choice but to bow to him. His family had also risen due to his power.

Eyczing vigorously pushed for the reforms Laszlo demanded, sometimes even causing widespread complaints from nobles and clerics. He didn't care about these at all, because centralization of power was a shared desire between him and the Emperor. With the monarch and his minister united, the dissenters could only suppress their bitterness.

He thought of his former master, Frederick, and wondered how he was doing in Bulgaria. He heard that the environment there was very harsh, and the destruction caused by the war would take a long time to recover from.

Thinking that such a useless person could also receive such recognition, his determination to fight for the Emperor became even stronger. Perhaps in many years, he could gain the favor of the Habsburg Family and receive great rewards from the Emperor, becoming a regional lord?

The Privy Council meeting concluded, and Austria's reforms and diplomatic affairs progressed steadily.

The increasingly perfected administrative system steadily improved the administrative efficiency and tax collection capabilities of the Archduchy of Austria, and the power of nobles and clerics, the landholders, was continuously shrinking.

The influx of freemen and the prosperity of free cities gradually began to change the structure of the provincial estates. The balance of the original four estates—knights, nobles, clerics, and towns—was subtly shifting.

Freemen protected by the Emperor had the legal right to purchase the right to use uncultivated royal land at a fixed and very affordable price.

Citizens enjoyed commercial privileges and tax exemptions.

They became staunch supporters of the Emperor.

The nobles had already begun to seek new avenues for advancement, with many turning their attention to the military, which had now become a coveted place for nobles eager to achieve merit and seek rewards.

To compensate the nobles, the Emperor granted noble officers privileges, allowing them to gain promotions more easily in the military. This move aimed to reconcile conflicts while encouraging nobles to join the military and serve the country.

As for the clerics? Laszlo chose to restrict their privileges, prohibiting them from expanding church lands. The tithe and clerical tax exemptions had not yet been touched, but the enormous economic benefits of these two privileges greatly tempted Laszlo.

The Austrian had previously given much, and now Laszlo began to reciprocate, gaining the support of the majority. With this, the estates' resistance to additional taxes would not be as great, and Laszlo could raise more funds, saving himself from bankruptcy.

These reforms were only implemented within Austria. In other areas of the Habsburg Dynasty, the Emperor's influence was gradually deepening, but this aroused the vigilance and apprehension of many.