Treaty of Milan

After the Imperial Army occupied the Brescia fortress in Milan, the Venetian forces in the Verona region were completely trapped, with more than half of their mercenary troops having disintegrated.

The remaining troops decisively chose to negotiate and surrender after the Imperial Army arrived outside Verona.

Inside the Ducal Palace in Milan, Laszlo looked contentedly at the map of Northern Italy before him; this last thorn had finally been removed.

Now the Venetians could only send small units to raid the Adriatic Sea coast to harass the Empire; they dared not penetrate deep into the continent to attack major cities.

While Laszlo was still admiring the beautiful Venetia-Lombardy territory, Matthias came to his side and reminded him, "Your Majesty, everyone has arrived."

"Everyone's here? Good, I'll be right there."

Around the long table in the council hall, people were now seated: the Marquis of Florence from the Pazzi family, as well as the Marquis of Mantua, the Marquis of Montferrat, the Lord of Ferrara, and representatives from the new governments of Bologna, Lucca, Pisa, Siena, and Genoa, all gathered together.

They had all come to attend the Italian Circuit convened by the Emperor.

This was the first Imperial Circuit convened by Laszlo in accordance with ancient Imperial tradition, but the location was Italy, where such circuits had almost never been held.

This meeting was also known as the Milan Conference. The Italian princes, republics, and representatives of free cities, who were already closely related, were now sitting together, and everyone knew that this meeting would decide the fate of Italy.

With a loud shout from the attendant, "Augustus Roman Emperor has arrived!"

Everyone immediately stood up to salute the Emperor. Laszlo walked into the council hall dressed in luxurious and fashionable attire. His purple robe was embroidered with dark black double-headed eagles, symbolizing the supreme authority of the Empire.

Only after he took his seat at the head of the table and spoke did the princes, each with their own agenda, sit down again.

"Gentlemen, I am deeply pained!" As soon as Laszlo spoke, the hearts of everyone present tightened again. "Italy is an inseparable part of the Empire, and it is the treasure of the Empire. As you all know, over the past few centuries, the Empire has invested a lot of resources in Italy."

Indeed, they had invested massive resources to invade Italy.

Everyone secretly grumbled in their hearts, but of course, no one was foolish enough to say it out loud. They could only smile awkwardly.

"However, when the enemies of the Empire gathered to attempt to invade Italy, quite a few Italian states acted as traitors, and the remaining states did not offer any help to me, the Emperor."

Laszlo's gaze swept over everyone present, and many of their faces showed a hint of panic; his gloomy tone had clearly frightened some people.

He continued, "There's a saying I think is very apt: loyalty that isn't absolute is absolutely disloyal! Whether it's the rebels who joined the so-called 'Mantua Alliance' or the so-called 'Imperial loyalists' who remained neutral, in my opinion, none of you have truly regarded me as your Emperor!"

The Emperor's stern words echoed like a great bell in the hall, and the faces of the neutral princes, such as the Marquis of Ferrara, who had previously appeared normal, also changed.

"Your Majesty, I..."

Laszlo raised his hand to interrupt Borso d'Ester, the Lord of Ferrara, who was about to defend himself.

This Duke of Modena and Reggio, who had been enfeoffed by Albrecht II in Vienna, had remained completely neutral throughout the entire war.

Like his brother, he was an art enthusiast, and through the efforts of the two brothers, Ferrara had gradually become another important center of art and culture in the Renaissance movement, besides Florence.

With Florence severely damaged, Ferrara's status might even be higher.

However, this had little to do with Laszlo; he only cared whether the Lord of Ferrara, as a vassal of the Emperor, had fulfilled his duties as a vassal during the war, which he clearly had not.

"Starting from the era of the two Lombard Leagues, Italian princes no longer participated in the Imperial Diet, and rarely fulfilled their feudal obligations to the Emperor. People hardly considered you Italian princes to still be part of the Empire.

This is a completely unacceptable state of disorder!

The turmoil of the Great Interregnum and the subsequent inaction of the Emperors have led you to increasingly disregard the Emperor and the Empire, which is why scoundrels dared to collude with foreign enemies to oppose me, the Emperor. What do you think, Ludovico!"

The Marquis of Mantua hung his head in shame, criticized by name by the Emperor, and in front of all the Italian princes, which made him wish he could find a hole to crawl into.

"My not stripping you and your family of your territories is already the greatest mercy, and all I ask for is your genuine 'loyalty'!"

The newly appointed Marquis of Florence, Jacob de Pazzi, immediately seized the opportunity to pledge loyalty: "Your Majesty, the Florentines have recognized their mistakes, and I am willing to obey all of Your Majesty's decrees and share your burdens."

The Marquis of Montferrat, John IV, immediately followed suit, expressing his willingness to support the Emperor's rule over Italy.

Representatives from Genoa, Pisa, Lucca, and Siena also successively expressed their support for the Emperor.

The Emperor's army was almost done sweeping through Italy; what else was there to say now?

The representative from Bologna, the Lord of Ferrara, and the Marquis of Mantua also declared their support for the Emperor.

Laszlo nodded with satisfaction; indeed, with a strong fist, everything was easier to handle.

"I am pushing for reforms within the Empire, and you are, of course, a part of these reforms. Implementing reforms in Italy won't require endless debates with those people in the Imperial Diet. Since you all expressed support for me, I will state my decisions.

First, I want to establish a permanent Italian Parliament in Milan. All states must send permanent representatives there. After all, permanent diplomats are also an innovation of your Italian states, so I imagine you are not unfamiliar with this.

Second, the Imperial Court of the Empire in Milan is designated as the supreme court of the Kingdom of Italy, enforcing Imperial law—the newly revised Imperial law—in the Italian region. You should be familiar with the reviser of this law; it is none other than Pope Pius II.

The most important of these is the 'Perpetual Public Peace Decree,' which prohibits mutual attacks, annexations, and expansions within the Empire. Any disputes between states must be decided by the supreme court in Milan, and anyone who dares to violate the law will be punished by the Emperor and the other Italian princes!

Third, through deliberation by the Italian Parliament, a 'Military Defense Tax' will be levied within the Italian territories. Each state will need to contribute to the military expenses of the Imperial Army stationed in the Venetia region according to their income proportion, while also reducing their own armies, with their size limited to under two thousand men.

Don't worry, this money won't be for nothing. If the Venetians or other enemies of the Empire attack you, the Imperial Army will certainly protect your safety!

These are the conditions. If you can accept them, please sign this treaty. If you have any opinions, you can also raise them, and I will consider them as appropriate."

The Emperor said opinions could be raised, but that didn't mean they actually could be.

Those present were mostly shrewd individuals. The Emperor's meaning was clear: he had almost entirely transferred the reform measures that could not be implemented in the Empire here.

Montferrat, Florence, and Mantua, who had already become vassals of the Emperor, were the first to sign this reform treaty.

The representative from Genoa initially wanted to haggle with the Emperor over direct taxes and army size, but seeing the Emperor's murderous gaze, he swallowed his words and signed the treaty on behalf of the Republic.

After all, Genoa still had many overseas territories, and if they kept their army overseas, the Emperor couldn't control it.

Moreover, the Emperor's treaty did not restrict fleets at all, which meant the Emperor was encouraging the Italian states to develop their navies.

Considering that the Imperial Army still had over twenty thousand troops stationed in Milan, under such overwhelming pressure, no one dared to defy the Emperor.

The participants of the meeting successively signed the treaty.

This treaty was made in two copies: one was stored in this residence, and the other would be sent back to Vienna for safekeeping.

This treaty was later known as the 'Milan Convention' in the years that followed. It marked the re-filling of the power vacuum of the Roman Emperor in Northern Italy after more than a hundred years since the Great Interregnum.

Now, the Emperor once again imposed his will upon the Italian princes.

After this most important agenda item concluded, Laszlo spoke about the Duke of Savoy, who had chosen to betray the Empire, and demanded that the princes form a joint army to assist the Imperial Army in attacking the traitor.

Montferrat and Genoa, seeing potential profit, naturally responded actively. Mantua and Florence, due to the treaties signed after their defeat, could only send a portion of their troops to aid the Emperor.

The other states, after deliberation, chose to substitute financial obligations for military obligations, providing some supplies and military funds.

Soon, the Imperial Army invaded Savoy from Genoa and Montferrat, successively capturing cities like Nice and Asti, and then besieging Turin.

Laszlo did not personally lead the troops in this war; instead, Marshal Adolf led the army.

It was already approaching April, and Laszlo was considering how the next phase of the war should proceed, and how to further solidify his rule in Milan.

The situation now seemed to be settled, but in reality, he had not yet dealt with any of his true enemies.

A counterattack on mainland France or Switzerland was almost impossible to succeed; it would be best to reach a truce through diplomatic means.

As for the Republic of Venice, Laszlo was somewhat at a loss. Even with the help of the Genoese navy, he had no way to take the city of Venice.

Yet the Venetians had the ability to continuously recruit soldiers and harass the territories he had already occupied.

The Venetians had always made money from Eastern Mediterranean trade, so implementing a trade blockade was simply not feasible.

The plan to buy off moles had also made no progress. Laszlo decided to hold on for a while longer; the large sums of money he had acquired in Italy were enough to sustain the army for a long time.

During this period, if the international situation changed, the war might see a turning point.