Feint to the East

As everyone's attention was drawn to the succession crisis in Naples, a less-noticed struggle for a ducal throne was about to begin in the distant East.

In Sofia, at Frederick's regency court, the new Regent of Bulgaria hosted two distinguished guests—Vlad and his cousin Stefan.

They had been invited by Frederick, and both knew perfectly well the purpose of their visit.

After a barely luxurious dinner, Frederick led the two into his study, closed the door, and began discussing confidential matters.

"You both must have guessed why I invited you here, haven't you?"

Frederick took a letter from a drawer and spread it on the table.

Stefan's keen gaze immediately focused on the letter, accurately catching the word he hoped to see: "Moldavia."

"Is the wise Emperor finally planning to act?"

Stefan asked expectantly.

Vlad leaned over the table, carefully reading the letter's contents; the conditions proposed were practically a replica of the agreement he had made with Laszlo.

The same protectorate, the same tax exemption policy, the same religious tolerance, but the common defense targets had become Poland and Lithuania, as well as the Ottoman, although the potential threat of the third target could now be largely ignored.

Frederick nodded slightly: "The Emperor's letter makes it very clear that I and Vlad will fully support you in reclaiming the ducal throne of Moldavia. In this process, Peter, who is supported by the Polish, is very likely to seek help from his master. A difficult battle undoubtedly awaits you."

Stefan, who was just nineteen years old at the time, was quite confident: "That fellow is nothing but a spineless dog; his obsequious behavior towards the Polish has long made the Moldavian scorn him. I will defeat him as quickly as possible. Let's discuss the Emperor's conditions instead."

Frederick looked at the spirited Moldavian youth, a hint of worry flashing in his heart.

This Stefan looked like a tiger poised to strike; once he returned to Moldavia, it would be like releasing a tiger into the wild, and it would not be easy to control him later.

Moreover, Moldavia was just north of Bulgaria. If Stefan harbored disloyal intentions, he would certainly collude with Vlad, and then the first to suffer might be him, the Regent of Bulgaria.

These two were both troublesome individuals, a situation that made Frederick begin to inwardly complain about Laszlo.

However, this was precisely the delicate balance Laszlo had meticulously designed: using Wallachia and Moldavia to contain Bulgaria, and using Hungary and Bulgaria to contain Wallachia. This way, neither Vlad nor Frederick dared to act rashly.

As for Moldavia, Laszlo had never intended to fully control Moldavia. After the Ottomans threat was removed, the strategic focus of the Habsburg Dynasty quickly shifted westward. The Holy Roman Empire was what Laszlo truly cared about, and Moldavia was merely a tool to contain Poland.

As long as Moldavia did not submit to Poland or Lithuania, and did not ally with these countries, Stefan's submission was completely unimportant to Laszlo.

Laszlo merely wanted to create some trouble for the Polish in Moldavia, forcing Poland's attention to be diverted, and seizing this opportunity to achieve his true goals.

"The agreement the Emperor offers you is a replica of Vlad's: Moldavia needs to show submission to the Emperor, the Duke's enthronement needs to be consecrated by the Emperor in Vienna, and there's the protectorate clause, with no tribute required. In exchange, in wars against Poland and Lithuania, Moldavia must fully aid the Emperor. Vlad, Wallachia's protectorate obligations have also been modified; I think you will accept them."

Vlad nodded slightly; he had just read this part in the letter. It was only right for the Emperor to protect Wallachia from Ottomans incursions, and for Wallachia to help the Emperor against Poland.

Stefan likewise had no objection.

Frederick continued: "Next are the Emperor's other demands. First, the Emperor hopes that you can attract as much attention from the Polish as possible in the upcoming war. As far as I know, many important castles and fortresses along the Moldavian-Polish border have been occupied by the Polish; those were gifts from Peter. The Emperor hopes you will reclaim all these lost castles. All Polish who are acting tyrannical in Moldavia are to be executed, and envoys are to send the corpses of the Polish to Kraków. In short, the goal is to infuriate Władysław III."

Stefan frowned slightly; he could understand the previous demands, but the last one seemed too deliberate.

This was clearly a blatant provocation of the Polish, forcing them to send troops to attack Moldavia.

"Won't this force the Polish to retaliate?"

Stefan did not wish to do this; he had originally planned to play a balancing act between the King of Poland and the Emperor. If he completely offended the Polish, he would only have the Emperor to rely on.

Frederick, however, sneered: "What, are you afraid of angering the Polish? From the moment you decided to expel Peter and reclaim the throne, you and the Polish were already irreconcilable enemies. Peter would cede land and pay tribute to the Polish, and send troops to assist them in battle. Will you?"

Stefan shook his head; he would not submit to the Polish.

"If that's the case, after you expel Peter, the Polish will inevitably offer him refuge. Applying more pressure on the Polish might make them yield. Currently, the Polish are deeply embroiled in a war with the Teutonic Order. Even if they have some strength left, they might not be able to harm you, especially since you have me, Vlad, and the Emperor's support behind you. With such favorable conditions, will you still hesitate and displease the Emperor? I thought you were a warrior."

Frederick's clumsy taunt did not cause the slightest ripple in Stefan's composure; he was currently calculating various factors in his mind.

What was the Emperor's true intention?

If it was concern that he would waver between the King of Poland and the Emperor, now that he thought about it, that possibility was unfounded from the start. He would not bow to the Polish, and the Polish would not allow a strong neighboring country to emerge in their backyard.

Perhaps the Emperor wanted to use this opportunity to undermine the King of Poland's prestige and reduce Poland's strength?

Stefan could only think of this possibility.

It would be difficult for the Polish to spare forces to deal with him. Although the Teutonic Order's strength was greatly diminished after the Battle of Tannenberg, they had gradually recovered in recent years and were now fighting back and forth with the King of Poland's army in the Prussia region, with neither side able to gain an advantage for the time being.

Faced with such a rare opportunity, how could Stefan be willing to miss it?

He looked at Frederick and said firmly, "Please tell the Emperor that I will not disappoint him."

Frederick showed a satisfied smile. The more thoroughly Stefan offended the Polish, the less he would dare to betray Laszlo, and the safer Frederick's Bulgaria would be.

The three immediately began a more detailed discussion, formulating plans, and the struggle for the ducal throne of Moldavia began to be prepared in full swing.