Things are Always so Bad in France

News of the Emperor's campaign against Venice and his defeat of the main Venetian forces spread rapidly, causing an uproar across the European continent.

The German princes were not surprised by this; in the Empire's centuries of history, many emperors had advanced triumphantly, attempting to conquer Italy in one fell swoop, but they had all ultimately returned defeated.

Would this grand expedition break the Empire's curse in Italy?

The Italian states reacted much more strongly; the Northern Italy princes near Venice were shaken by the Emperor's immense power, and couldn't help but feel some apprehension.

While Venice was powerful, it couldn't act recklessly in Italy; the Emperor, however, was a different matter.

Within the Papal States, more and more people worried that the growth of the Emperor's power in Italy would lead to a reduction in the Papacy's authority, and that even the Papacy itself might fall under the Emperor's control.

Pope Pius II tried his best to suppress these dissenting voices, emphasizing that the Emperor was fighting against the enemies of the Papacy and God.

This new Pope recounted the Venetians' sins and reminded people that France was also wreaking havoc in the Italian region, and that the Papacy should stand with the Emperor against the invading French.

This debate continued, and the Papal States maintained a delicate neutrality amidst such arguments.

The war in Naples also changed at this time; the French and Imperial Armies failed to achieve a decisive victory after a series of small-scale battles.

Due to the French's overly well-constructed field fortifications, Adolf was unable to find an opportunity to completely rout the French.

Now, a portion of the elite French forces had received orders to return north to Genoa, preparing to rendezvous with the French King to attack Milan.

The Duke of Lorraine, meanwhile, led his troops to defend Naples, in a stalemate with the Imperial Army, who immediately besieged the city.

Inside the French King's court, Charles VII's expression was one of extreme annoyance.

He had just experienced something extremely vexing, and immediately after scolding his courtiers, a messenger brought news of Venice's crushing defeat.

This powerful monarch, known as "the Victor," now clutched his forehead in agony, while his ministers trembled, not daring to incur the King's wrath.

After a long while, the Duke of Armagnac noticed that the King seemed less angry, and bravely asked, "Your Majesty, regarding the Duke of Alençon's issue…?"

"Charge him with treason! Sentence him to death!" Charles VII roared in reply, "I don't care if he conspired with the English or with the traitors of Burgundy, let him die! All disloyal people must die!"

Not long ago, a nobleman brought a secret letter from the Duke of Alençon to the King, reporting Joan of Arc's old comrade.

The Duke of Alençon was accused of colluding with Burgundy and England, intending to overthrow France.

This was actually an old topic; after Joan of Arc's execution, the Duke of Alençon had been extremely disappointed with Charles, and like the Duke of Orléans, he had joined the Order of the Golden Fleece, becoming a supporter of Philip.

These powerful vassals within France had united under the banner of the Duke of Burgundy, intending to oppose him, the true King of France.

Besides the two mentioned, many other important nobles had also joined the Order of the Golden Fleece; was there any need to explain what they meant?

Speaking of the Duke of Alençon, he was one of the main supporters of the former Dauphin Louis's rebellion.

At that time, Charles VII, considering the widespread implications of the matter, symbolically executed a few minor figures and placed the Dauphin under house arrest to resolve the issue, while the dukes involved in the rebellion were released after paying ransoms and being deprived of some territories.

At such a difficult juncture for France, there were still scoundrels like the Duke of Alençon thinking of colluding with traitors and resisting royal authority, which infuriated Charles VII.

At this very moment, he also received news of the Emperor's great victory over Venice, and the French King's rage terrified his ministers; no one dared to intercede for the Duke of Alençon, even though some knew he was being framed.

The Duke of Armagnac, however, couldn't be happy at all; his court enemies were becoming fewer and fewer, and his own power was becoming increasingly thin.

The King was gradually encroaching on the territories of powerful vassals; the Duke of Anjou had already ceded nearly half of his land, and the Duke of Orléans had also lost a good deal of territory, and now it was the Duke of Alençon's turn.

The powerful Burgundy had already disbanded the Burgundian faction; they no longer needed this faction to manipulate French politics; the Habsburg family only wanted to break away from France and establish their own sovereign state.

Who knew when the King's knife for weakening the feudal lords would fall upon him, the Duke of Armagnac.

At this point, Charles VII also calmed down, and after taking a deep breath, he said, "First, bring the Duke of Alençon to Paris and imprison him. Let him stay in the Louvre and go nowhere until the investigation is clear, then we will pass judgment."

"Your Majesty is wise."

The courtiers breathed a sigh of relief; thankfully, the King was calm enough. If a great noble who had contributed to resisting the English was executed rashly, the political situation in the country would likely become even more chaotic.

"Alright, let's talk about the Italian issue. Although Venice has been defeated, the lake will allow them to continue to linger as before. We must first resolve Milan. Where are Jean de Dunois's troops?"

The Duke of Armagnac immediately replied, "He and the noble levy and mercenaries led by the Duke of Bourbon have already arrived in Brescia and linked up with the Swiss army. After the Duke of Burgundy's failed attack on Chambéry, he retreated to Geneva, and the main army will soon cross the Alps into Northern Italy."

Charles VII nodded, satisfied for once; this was truly the best news he had received recently.

The Duke of Armagnac hesitated to speak, as he actually had some doubts.

The King had kept all of the last five Ordonnance companies of cavalry in the country, not sending out a single lance, and had also temporarily conscripted some militia to strengthen Paris's city defenses.

With such strict precautions, was he worried that the Duke of Burgundy would seize the opportunity to launch a rebellion?

However, Burgundy was currently fighting Savoy, suffering considerable losses, and with Switzerland eyeing them from behind, if Philip dared to attack the French King, he would immediately be caught between two fires.

If he were the Duke of Burgundy, he certainly wouldn't attack the King at this time.

However, His Majesty the King has always been cautious, so it's normal for him to make such a choice.

To deal with the Italians, with so many allies, those more than ten thousand noble levies and mercenaries should be enough.

Not to mention that the Swiss also provided eight thousand reinforcements, and the Duke of Savoy would most likely be unable to send troops to assist, but these forces would certainly be more than enough to take Milan.

Charles VII did not want to cause further complications and conflict with Burgundy at this critical juncture.

He had received a secret report that the Duke of Burgundy's son, Charles, had already led some troops into Outer Austria to assist the local "deposed duke" Sigismund von Habsburg in defending the Austrian territories and blocking the Swiss attacks.

Burgundy and Savoy had been fighting north of the Alps for nearly a year, suffering considerable losses, and with the failed attack on Chambéry this time,

As winter approached, they would likely have to recuperate until the spring of next year before resuming their offensive.

The two sides maintained extreme restraint in this way; the political landscape of France was like a barrel of gunpowder, ready to ignite at any moment.

The French King wanted to gain benefits in Italy and prevent the Emperor's westward expansion.

The Duke of Burgundy hoped to divert the trouble eastward, using the Emperor's power to weaken the French King and ultimately achieve his ambitions.

Neither of the old foxes wanted to turn on their old rival at this time.

The Duke of Burgundy made a concession, but the French King did not relax his guard against him; everyone was waiting for a better opportunity.