Disarmament

The Emperor had not yet announced the convocation of the Parliament, but more and more nobles began to gather in Budapest, where they stayed, awaiting Laszlo's summons.

Inside a luxurious mansion in Budapest, two influential figures were leisurely enjoying fine wine and discussing political topics.

"I never thought the King would order the disbandment of the army first. It seems he's truly out of money and plans to give in.

Now we can watch him and those upstart bumpkins fight like dogs."

Chak István's expression was very relaxed, showing not an ounce of respect for Laszlo, the King.

He was even unwilling to address Laszlo as Emperor; whether in Parliament, at court, or in private, he only recognized Laszlo as the King of Hungary.

True Hungarian nobles would never acknowledge the fact that a German barbarian, who had been hostile to the Kingdom of Hungary for centuries, now ruled Hungary.

György Batthyány took a small sip of excellent Burgundy wine, looking at István with some envy.

Unlike the Batinyai Family, which was holed up in the Carpathian Mountains, or most other Hungarian nobles,

the Csák family had controlled the Danube River waterway in Hungary since ancient times.

They earned immense wealth simply by relying on the ports along the river for trade and collecting transit tolls.

The Csák family, by operating a vast Danube River trade network, accumulated enormous wealth and had no need to worry about the Kingdom's instability.

Their only concern was that the Ottomanss, like the Mongols centuries ago, would sweep through Hungary like a hurricane, destroying the vast family fortune they had so painstakingly built.

Now that the Ottomanss had retreated, the Csák family was even more at ease. His current worries were the Károlyi family to the south and the Hunyadi Family to the east, both of whom coveted the Csák family's rich and prosperous territories.

Now it's good; he doesn't even need to act, the King has already started to deal with these upstarts who lack noble upbringing. In his eyes, the Károlyi family and the Hunyadi Family, who rose to prominence through military achievements, were complete upstarts.

They had no semblance of nobility.

Although Magyar nobles have always had a military tradition, how can being full of nothing but fighting and killing be considered "civilized"?

"I think the Emperor has realized that these guys are sucking the royal family's blood, using military funds allocated by the royal family to support their private armies."

Batthyány was quite indignant. The reason he had been constantly oppressed by Hunyadi Laszlo was precisely because he and his uncle controlled Hungary's strongest military force, wasn't it?

Although these troops could nominally only be mobilized by the Emperor, one of the core forces of this army, when it was first formed, was Janos's own private soldiers, and Szilágyi was the commander of Janos's private soldiers.

Now this private army has developed into the Hunyadi Family's own power, but it still bears the name of the Hungarian Border Guard.

The same situation applied to Károlyi, who started as a mercenary general and became a military noble through military achievements.

Now the Emperor, with a wave of his hand, not only cut a third of the army but also demanded back the command of the troops.

This time, those sly upstarts won't look too pleased.

"Hmph, let them fight," István said with a smug smile, "I must show my support for the King in this matter. For example, by donating some grain and timber to support the construction of new garrison camps. Such a beneficial reform for the country and its people cannot be abandoned halfway."

"Then I must go and remind the Emperor," Batthyány also nodded seriously, "to ensure His Majesty doesn't let those parasites off the hook."

The two exchanged glances and burst into laughter, clinking their cups and having a grand time.

The morning mist had not yet fully dispersed, but the military camp on the banks of the Danube River was already bustling like boiling water.

Hunyadi Laszlo stood on the camp's watchtower, his hand on his sword hilt, coldly staring at the group of black-robed officials. They moved through the Border Guard's camp like vultures.

Stacks of officer and soldier rosters were in their hands, and the faint scratching sound of quill pens across the rosters, though small, grated on one's eardrums.

"Seventh Company, archer Philip!"

The old soldier whose name was called felt his legs weaken, but he still stumbled out of formation. His armor was somewhat worn, and a festering leg was visible beneath his patched battle robe.

The official in charge of inspecting this unit pinched his nose and stepped back half a pace, looking at him disdainfully. He pointed to the roster and asked, "You've served for eight years, participated in the Battle of Belgrade, the Battle of Varna, and battles in Bohemia and Italy, yet your kill count is zero?"

"Sir, this…

Kovác's Adam's apple bobbed, and he finally silently removed his armor, walking towards the area where the disbanded soldiers were gathered.

The official hesitated for a moment but still crossed out the soldier's name.

"Sir, old Kovác, he just…"

The company commander had just stepped forward to plead, but the official raised a hand to stop him.

"By order of the Emperor, all those over forty-five years old with no distinguished military achievements shall be dismissed."

The company commander's expression was uncertain. Kovác had been cut by a France soldier in the Italian battlefield while saving him, losing a leg.

However, he immediately heard the official continue, "Don't worry, the Emperor will not mistreat any brave warrior who has contributed to Hungary. He will be properly resettled; the battlefield is no longer suitable for him."

Upon hearing this, the officer's expression softened, and his impression of the Emperor improved somewhat.

The disarmament work was in full swing. Some officials, during their breaks, found Ester, who was in charge of the disarmament, to report on the situation.

"General, just as you expected," an official brought Ester a sleeve from a military uniform, "it has the 'Raven' design you mentioned. It must be a follower of the Hunyadi Family."

Ester nodded lightly and instructed, "Don't be too blatant. Keep an eye on those who haven't been dismissed and mark them. All these rosters will eventually be submitted to His Majesty. You'll have to work hard during this time."

"General, this is our duty."

The officials noted Ester's instructions, but they were also curious as to why General Ester understood such secret matters so clearly.

Ester had previously followed Janos, then Hunyadi Laszlo, and finally became a trusted confidant of the Emperor.

He naturally knew everything about the Hunyadi Family's affairs.

Especially since he had once been allowed to wear such a raven crest, the raven being the emblem of the Hunyadi Family.

This was once a glorious symbol that made the Hungarian people excited when they saw it.

However, now, people are more in awe and adoration of the Emperor's mighty and holy double-headed eagle.

Overshadowing the lord? That does not exist.

Perhaps Laszlo's father, Albrecht II, was indeed not as good as Janos, but Laszlo was confident that he was much stronger than Hunyadi Laszlo.

As night fell, the campfires crackled, and Hunyadi sat by the fire, contentedly staring at the flickering flames and the roster being burned within them.

More than half of the demobilization work had been completed. Now, one-fifth of the warriors were confirmed to be demobilized, including many who had followed the Hunyadi Family.

Now, they chose a representative to come before Hunyadi.

"General, what should we do?

Many brothers do not plan to return to Transylvania anymore. The people sent by the Emperor said they would distribute land to everyone,

and a severance pay.

Some brothers plan to find a job in the royal domain. I heard that the Emperor is recruiting old soldiers to be sheriffs, catching petty thieves and such, and they can receive a salary. Although it is less than military pay, it is definitely enough to support themselves."

"Alas," Hunyadi wiped the longsword in his hand, turned his head to look at the raven flag in his camp, "Let those who want to leave go. For those who are still willing to follow me, record a new roster. I will grant land to these people and let them settle down.

When the time is right, I will summon them back."

After speaking, Hunyadi put away his longsword and came to the table to begin writing a letter to the steward managing the family's territory, asking him to properly settle these loyal followers.

With the financial resources of the Hunyadi Family, supporting about five thousand soldiers would almost exhaust all their savings. Currently, there are only more than two thousand private soldiers guarding the family's territory.

It was not as cost-effective to use one's own money to raise an army as it was to use the Emperor's money. However, facing the current situation, although Hunyadi had the intention to resist, his uncle Szilágyi's dissuasion still echoed in his ears.

To prevent the family from being destroyed overnight, he still chose to remain rational.

These warriors loyal to the Hunyadi Family were valuable assets, and he certainly would not mistreat them. It was just that the family's finances would be difficult to bear if he raised any more private soldiers.

To earn more money, he did not hesitate to have a bloody conflict with the Batinyai Family to seize the mining rights to the rich Praid salt mine.

Now, he could only temporarily settle these warriors. He could not let his loyal followers be disheartened.

After the representative left, Hunyadi walked out of his tent. He saw some officials counting the "scrap metal" they had collected. Most of this equipment could be used directly.

He could not help but sigh in his heart that the Emperor had acted too ruthlessly and swiftly, both demobilizing the army and relocating their garrisons.

Once they reached Budapest and Pressburg, these troops would be completely out of his and his uncle's control, and their military power would be seized immediately.

The key was that they had absolutely no preparation for this and never expected the Emperor to reduce the army before convening the Parliament.

Moreover, his decree was well-reasoned, stating that the nobles did not prioritize the country and refused to pay taxes, leading to an empty treasury. It also said that now that peace had been established, the soldiers could return to their fields and no longer suffer the hardships of military life.

Afterward, there were various promises and generous terms. In short, the Emperor lacked nothing but money.

The reduction in the size of the army would inevitably lead to a decrease in the number of officers. The Emperor also made corresponding arrangements for this: he selected some excellent grassroots officers to be instructors at his Austria Military Academy, and the rest remained in the army as reserve officers.

Generals at the legion commander level were all invited to Budapest, including Hunyadi and Szilágyi, and other high-ranking generals.

Their rewards would certainly not be small.

However, there would likely be some arguments and even conflicts regarding the three Royal Inspector positions and the issue of military command.

Hunyadi realized that the Emperor did not consider anything in Hungary as important; in reality, it was just one of many bargaining chips in his hand.

He actually did not intend to truly fight the Emperor to the end; tax resistance was merely exercising the natural rights of Hungarian nobles. What truly worried him was the issue of immigration.

As the Prince of Transylvania, he naturally knew Transylvania like the back of his hand. Many different ethnic groups lived mixed together on this land.

Besides the Hungarian, there were two other ethnic groups with strong influence here: the Romanian and the German-Saxons.

He was very surprised the first time he heard the Austrian refer to Transylvania.

The name Transylvania originally meant "across the forest," but the German referred to this land as "Siebenbürgen," or "Seven Forts of Saxony."

This name came from the seven free cities established by Saxon immigrants here, all concentrated in the southeastern border region of Transylvania.

Some of these cities gradually declined after being repeatedly attacked during wars with the Ottomans, but cities like Brașov and Sibiu became important economic centers in the Transylvania region, the most prosperous cities in eastern Hungary.

Now, these cities are still free cities controlled by the German. Hunyadi had always coveted these wealthy cities, and the Emperor's immigration plan made him feel threatened.

If more German immigrants poured into Transylvania, it would certainly further strengthen the German influence and might even lead to instability in the family's rule.

Therefore, unless the Emperor made clear restrictions on the scope and number of immigrants, he would not easily give in.