Empire

As the first rays of dawn pierced through the heavy clouds and spilled onto the streets of Padua, the entire city had been redecorated.

The church bells rang out, signaling the official start of the Christmas mass.

The Imperial Army soldiers gathered in the city's central square and nearby streets, awaiting the start of the ceremony.

The Emperor, dressed in magnificent robes and wearing a jeweled crown, entered the church surrounded by a crowd.

The church was filled with the rich scent of incense, and sunlight streaming through the stained-glass windows cast colorful patterns on the floor.

The choir's melodious singing echoed under the church's dome, proclaiming praise to God and prayers for the New Year.

After the ceremony, a grand celebration was held in the square.

Bonfires blazed, illuminating the city and warming the soldiers' hearts.

The enticing aroma of roasted chicken, roasted meat, and other delicacies wafted from the ovens of all the taverns and inns in the city, filling long tables as soldiers gathered around, sharing this rare feast.

Today's grand meal was the Emperor's reward to his soldiers; they laughed and chatted, exchanging blessings, their usually stern faces now beaming with happy smiles.

The Emperor also took the lead in calling upon the churches and wealthy families in the city to distribute food and clothing to the poor, ensuring everyone could enjoy a joyful and festive holiday.

Like Padua, most cities and towns in the Venetia region enjoyed a peaceful and stable Christmas, with the exception of a few cities that were destroyed due to stubborn resistance.

People rejoiced that they had survived another year in these turbulent times, some thanking Jesus for his blessing, others thanking the Emperor for his benevolence.

Laszlo hosted a banquet for the senior officers of the army in his luxurious residence's banquet hall, and some outstanding mercenary commanders were also invited.

The Emperor intended to recruit more military talents to bolster his vision for a professional officer corps.

The core of this officer corps would, of course, be military nobles, but battle-hardened mercenary leaders were also an indispensable part. Laszlo even intended to cultivate some excellent noble officers into mercenary generals.

This would allow for the rapid recruitment of skilled mercenary units within the Empire, who would also be loyal to the Imperial family and possess military talent.

This was the type of versatile talent Laszlo needed—Gunter von Habsburg, the commander of the Independent Army, was a typical example.

This plan is now steadily being implemented. In a few years, when the noble officers trained at the Austria Military Academy enter the army, the professional officer corps system can basically be declared complete.

The banquet here had not yet begun when Joachim approached the Emperor with a report.

"Your Emperor, Florence has been captured!"

The staff officer excitedly reported this great news to the Emperor, clearly there could be no better Christmas gift than this.

Laszlo's face lit up with joy upon hearing this; Adolf had indeed not disappointed him. He inquired about the specific details.

Laszlo was slightly surprised to learn that the Pazzi family had colluded from within to help the Imperial Army capture Florence.

"I remember the Medici family had a marriage alliance with the Pazzi family, didn't they?"

"Your Emperor, the Medici family's co-rule has severely harmed the interests of other factions in the Florence Republic. The Pazzi family was among the most marginalized."

Laszlo nodded gently and asked, "What about the Medici family?"

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"Most members of this family fled to Pisa before the arrival of the main army. Florence's ruler, Cosimo, and his son, Piero, were captured and are now imprisoned, awaiting your decision on how to deal with them."

"Their rule in Florence should end," Laszlo said meaningfully. "They need to know the consequences of rebellion."

"Send someone to convey my order to Adolf: have him confiscate the Medici family's assets, especially the Medici Bank."

"Additionally, have Adolf escort Cosimo and his son to Padua, and have the Pazzi family's spokesperson come to see me as well. I need to have a good talk with them about Florence's future."

"Yes, Your Emperor."

The conversation ended, and the invited generals had all arrived. Guided by Matthias, they lined up in order of rank, standing beside their respective seats, awaiting the Emperor's arrival.

With a loud shout of "The esteemed Roman Emperor has arrived," Laszlo entered the banquet hall, and the generals bowed to the Emperor.

"Alright, generals, take your seats." Only after the Emperor was seated at the head of the table did the generals take their places.

Laszlo smiled, feeling pleased, and raised his glass, saying to everyone, "You have followed me in the Italian War, establishing great military achievements for the Empire. The Empire will not forget your merits."

"Today I host this banquet to encourage all of you. When the ice and snow melt next year, the army will march directly to Milan, expel the Gauls, and consolidate the Empire's rule over Italy. At that time, we shall drink heartily together."

Albrecht exclaimed, "To His Emperor Augustus! You are the cornerstone of the Empire, the protector of the Church.

May the enemies of the Lord all kneel wherever your long sword points."

Karl followed closely: "Long live our Emperor! Even the Alps must bow where your warhorse treads."

In order, next was Ester: "To the great Roman Emperor and King of Hungary, the Hungarian cavalry's scimitars are always willing to drink the blood of your enemies."

The remaining mercenary commanders also offered toasts, praising the Emperor's great achievements. Finally, everyone raised their glasses together and shouted, "May the Emperor enjoy health and longevity."

After a banquet where both hosts and guests enjoyed themselves, the generals successively took their leave of the Emperor.

Almost no one was drunk; after all, they were in the military, so it was impossible to drink as freely as at a true court banquet. This was a basic quality for soldiers.

Laszlo, however, was somewhat overwhelmed by the alcohol. His attendants had procured excellent Tuscan wine in the city, and the Emperor used it to entertain his generals.

Feeling a bit flushed, Laszlo went to the terrace on the second floor of the mansion to clear his head with some fresh air.

Looking at the peaceful and stable scene of Padua, Laszlo's thoughts drifted back to Vienna. He missed Leonor's warm and soft embrace, and he missed the little ones who were growing vigorously.

As he was about to enter his fourth year after ascending the throne, Laszlo felt a slight sense of emotion; time truly flew by quickly.

In the chaotic land of Italy, he harbored ambitions of expanding territory, striking down old enemies, and solidifying the Empire, constantly moving towards his goals.

Only in such quiet and solitary moments did the longing for his family well up in his heart.

He recalled his conversation with Leonor on the eve of his departure and the promises he had made.

Would this be a war to end all wars?

Clearly not. As long as France, Venice, and the Ottoman Empire existed, Austria and Habsburg's hegemony would not be realized.

Before eliminating these enemies, he would probably have to endure countless more wars.

However, if complete victory could be achieved in Italy, Austria would gain a much-needed respite.

Years of continuous warfare had already created strong war-weariness domestically. Although successive victories had quelled some dissenting voices,

Austria undoubtedly needed a long period of recuperation.

The Crusade, the Second Hussite Wars, and even the Prussia War—the deployment and supply of the Imperial Army had been based on multiple extra tax levies, and this Italian War was no exception.

After entering Venetia, although the troops no longer relied on domestic supplies and funding, the replenishment of soldiers still required recruiting young men from Austria, South German, and Hungary to join the army.

Laszlo could only hope to end the war in Italy within the next year, and then thoroughly consolidate the territories he had conquered and reclaimed over the years of war.

Now, the term "Inner and Outer Empire" began to circulate within the Empire, originating from the Electors' slanders against the Emperor.

They propagated that the Emperor was outwardly the Emperor of the German-Holy Roman Empire, but in reality, he was the Emperor of the Austrians and Hungarians.

Laszlo decided to fulfill their expectations. Wouldn't it be interesting to rule one empire with a larger empire?