Debate

"Representatives from all estates of the Kingdom, the esteemed Emperor Laszlo has summoned you to discuss the following topics," the Archbishop said, taking a scroll from a nearby attendant and slowly unrolling it, reading its contents to the participants of the Imperial Diet. "First, and most importantly, is the question of whether the 'turkey tax' should continue to be levied or be completely abolished.

Previously, disputes and disagreements over this tax created minor rifts between the Royal Family and all of you present.

This was followed by the financial difficulties faced by the Royal Family, which I presume you have all deeply felt in recent days."

People, of course, knew what the Archbishop implied. In recent days, news of the King's second order to disband the border guards had spread like wildfire throughout the country.

Even the farmers least concerned with state affairs knew that the Kingdom's military strength was continuously weakening.

If Laszlo's first reduction of the border guards after the Crusade was intentional, then this second demobilization was entirely to alleviate financial difficulties.

Where did this predicament come from?

It was all because the anti-tax movement initiated by the great nobles quickly spread to the lesser nobles and church properties.

Gradually, all nobles and clerics who should have paid the "turkey tax" refused to do so, with only the Kingdom's free cities, protected by the King, still bearing this responsibility.

Since money could not be collected, maintaining a large army was no longer a wise choice.

Laszlo himself did not lack an army, of course, this was relative to the Imperial princes and Hungarian nobles.

Compared to the Ottoman and France, Laszlo's army was slightly insufficient.

Now, he maintained a mixed cavalry and infantry elite force, completely loyal to him, at a one-to-one ratio, an expense that the Hungarian Royal Family's territorial income could bear.

Although still somewhat difficult, it was enough that Hungary was no longer a burden to Austria.

The Archbishop's speech continued: "The purpose of this tax is singular: to defend against Ottoman invasion.

Both the late Emperor Albrecht and the current ruler of the Kingdom, Emperor Laszlo, have, under the supervision of the Church, reasonably used every single tax payment collected from you.

On this point, I can guarantee it with the honor and faith of the Archbishop of Esztergom.

Although the Ottoman have been temporarily defeated, their threat has not been completely eliminated.

According to intelligence received by the Royal Family, the Ottoman recently achieved a great victory in the war to conquer the Karamanid Beylik, and their strength is gradually recovering.

You should seriously consider that once this tax is abolished, the Kingdom's national defense will be greatly weakened. If the Ottoman return…

"Then we will defeat them again and take back Constantinople!"

Hunyadi Laszlo, proud and successful at a young age, raised his head and arrogantly interrupted the Archbishop's sermon.

Archbishop Veszter looked back at Laszlo, and seeing that he gave no signal, continued: "The Ottoman are the most powerful enemy after the Mongols; they should not be underestimated.

In short, you should carefully consider this resolution and make a truly wise choice.

Once the resolution is passed in the Imperial Diet, any who resist paying taxes will face the wrath of Emperor Laszlo." Chak István snorted disdainfully at the words. He stroked the family crest embroidered on his brocade robe and complained loudly: "Hmph, calling us tax resistors?

The Royal Family has been levying taxes continuously for years, and increasing them multiple times, bringing such a heavy burden to all of Hungary!

This clearly violates the traditions and laws set by the golden bull. If this continues, our territories… all of Hungary will be hollowed out!"

His speech drew agreement from many attendees.

Many of the families and church properties they represented had enjoyed tax exemption privileges for hundreds of years, yet in recent years, taxes had continuously weighed upon them, becoming increasingly heavy.

This had already caused dissatisfaction among many estates, especially with the victory of the Crusade, where the Ottoman threat seemed so distant, while the Emperor's threat to their wallets was so close.

"Silence, silence!" The Archbishop had to tap his crozier on the floor to quiet the gradually noisy discussions in the Imperial Diet hall. "Discussions on the Imperial Diet topics will be completed item by item in the subsequent agenda. There is no need for argument at this moment. Please observe meeting order!

Next is the second topic: requests submitted by some attendees to reduce the commercial trade and autonomous privileges of German immigrants, in order to protect the development of the Kingdom's native commerce and guilds.

Regarding this topic, the esteemed Emperor Laszlo's opinion is that, in accordance with the Kingdom of Hungary's ancient tradition of accepting German immigrants, the Kingdom of Hungary should not interfere with the autonomy and other privileges of the German people."

Hunyadi frowned deeply and said coldly: "These German people neither pay taxes nor fulfill any obligations they should as residents of this land, and they also severely harm the interests of local artisans and guilds.

If the privileges held by German immigrants cannot be curtailed, the stability of various regions of the Kingdom may become even more difficult to guarantee."

He tightly clenched his fists, the veins on the back of his hands slightly bulging, seemingly indicating to the Emperor that his resolve was as hard as steel.

Laszlo slightly narrowed his eyes. This Hunyadi fellow certainly did not hide his ambition.

The prosperous free cities established by the Saxons were like tender, delicious fruits, enticing Hunyadi to pluck them.

The city of Kolozsvár, where the two Hunyadi brothers were born, prospered precisely because of the Saxon immigration wave in the 13th-14th centuries, becoming the ruling center of the Hunyadi Family's territory.

There were several other such prosperous cities in Transylvania, but almost all of these cities had gained a high degree of autonomy since the time of Charles I.

During Sigismund's era, the rights of these cities were further strengthened, making it difficult for Hunyadi to easily bring them under his rule.

The Emperor saw through his thoughts but did not expose him, only patiently said with a smile: "Hunyadi, your concerns are not unfounded, and I can understand them.

However, the introduction of immigrants is for the long-term development of Hungary. Hungary is vast and sparsely populated, with abundant resources waiting to be developed. Immigrants can bring a large amount of labor and advanced Imperial craftsmanship—on this point, I am clearer than anyone present—which will undoubtedly promote Hungary's prosperity.

Of course, if you are truly worried that immigrants will affect regional stability, I will strictly limit the geographical scope of immigration, absolutely ensuring that your territories are not affected in any way."

Hunyadi was not very satisfied with this outcome. Of course, he would not reject the arrival of German immigrants.

In this era, population was an absolutely precious resource, especially immigrants from the Empire, who possessed superior craftsmanship and technology and could drive local economic development.

What Hunyadi truly hated were the numerous privileges granted by the Kingdom to German immigrants. If he could limit these immigrants' privileges to a greater extent, or even firmly hold control over the immigrants, that would align with his expectations.

However, it was clear to discerning individuals that the Emperor had made a concession to him. If he continued to insist, it was likely to incur the Emperor's displeasure, ultimately only having an adverse effect on the Hunyadi Family.

So, Hunyadi decisively chose to shut his mouth.

Chak István and others had originally intended to support Hunyadi regarding the disputes with German merchants in the Danube River trade—although they had long-standing conflicts, this did not prevent them from jointly dealing with the Emperor at this time.

However, since Hunyadi fell silent so quickly, Chak did not say much, as there would be plenty of time to debate these matters later.

"Alright, then the third topic is about the issue of establishing a series of military supply stations near the main roads connecting the eastern and western parts of the Kingdom. Some attendees have claimed that constructing such 'public facilities' on their land infringes upon their rights.

Emperor Laszlo's opinion is that he agrees with the claims of those who raised these opinions, but these supply stations have important uses.

For the nobles specifically involved in this matter, His Majesty will provide compensation later, and if a consensus cannot be reached, further arrangements will be made."

No one expressed an opinion on this matter, as it was not a major issue in itself, merely an expression of dissatisfaction with the Emperor's arbitrary requisition of noble land.

Seeing no one speak, Archbishop Veszter handed the paper in his hand back to the attendant and took a second scroll containing the topics from him.

"Fourth topic: the proposal to restrict land annexation…

"Fifth topic: the appointment and dismissal of Royal Family officials, and the promotion qualifications for propertied citizens and lower nobles…"

The Archbishop listed more than ten topics in one breath, involving major affairs in various regions of the Kingdom of Hungary, including the issue of pirate attacks on the coastal areas of Croatia.

Problems accumulated over two years needed to be resolved within a fixed period, and Laszlo's final deadline was seven days.

All proposals had to be voted on within seven days and recorded in the final farewell letter, to be displayed to all citizens.

In reality, the Hungarian Imperial Diet was far less formal. Laszlo directly copied the procedures of the holy Roman Empire Imperial Diet, but in essence, they were largely similar.

As soon as Archbishop Veszter finished reading a series of important proposals, the hall erupted.

"Limiting land mergers? This is practically asking for our noble lives!"

A corpulent, rough-faced count was the first to attack, angrily waving his arms, the fat on his face jiggling.

"It took me so much effort to expand this much land; if mergers are restricted, how can my family develop?"

His words were full of dissatisfaction and threat, his eyes revealing deep hostility towards Emperor Laszlo's reform plan.

An older nobleman sitting next to him echoed, "That's right! The King's action is truly excessive.

The status of prominent families like ours in Hungary has been passed down through history; how can it be changed just like that?

Breaking the monopoly of great nobles on Royal official positions—what capabilities could those minor nobles and commoners possibly have?

They are simply incompetent and will only make the country a mess!"

His voice trembled, seemingly infuriated by Emperor Laszlo's proposal.

The great nobles spoke one after another, expressing their opposition to the reforms.

Their words were full of arrogance and selfishness, considering only their own interests and completely disregarding the overall development of Hungary.

Emperor Laszlo sat at the head of the table, quietly observing everything, sighing inwardly.

The reaction of these great nobles was well within his expectations; they had enjoyed privileges for too long and naturally were unwilling to give them up easily.

But Hungary's current situation could no longer tolerate their continued selfishness.

Emperor Laszlo clenched his fists, a flicker of determination in his eyes.

He needed a stable Hungary now, so he wouldn't implement overly radical reforms, but Hungary was far from stable at the moment. He planned to apply some of the Empire's reform ideas to Hungary's reforms.

It wasn't about turning Hungary into another Holy Roman Empire, but about maintaining the internal balance of the Kingdom of Hungary.

On the other side, the minor nobles whispered among themselves, their eyes gleaming with anticipation.

"If the monopoly of the great nobles can truly be broken, we will have a chance to serve the country."

A young baron said excitedly, his face beaming with longing, as if he saw himself displaying his talents in the government.

"Yes, these years we have been oppressed by the great nobles; this might be an opportunity to change our fate," a knight beside him echoed.

"Everyone, quiet down!" Archbishop Veszter struck the ground heavily with his scepter and shouted loudly.

His voice echoed through the hall, finally quieting the noisy crowd.

"These proposals concern the future of Hungary; everyone should prioritize national interests and discuss them rationally."

Chak István stood up, his eyes full of provocation.

"Emperor Laszlo, these proposals you've put forth, while seemingly for Hungary's development, are in fact infringing upon our rights!

There's no need to mention the turkey tax; no one likes such oppression.

You say you want to limit land mergers—how then are the nobles, who are the pillars of the country, supposed to develop and grow stronger?

And regarding the appointment of Royal officials, do you truly intend to entrust important positions to those inexperienced commoners?"

Emperor Laszlo frowned slightly; he had long anticipated Chak István leading the opposition.

"Chak István, Lord of Pécs, you should be aware that Hungary is currently facing many problems.

Your privileges stem from a weak king, which has led to the Kingdom's current financial difficulties, plunging the entire Kingdom into crisis.

But you should know, the biggest difference between me and the rulers who governed Hungary in the past is that I am stronger than them!

Without making changes, the Kingdom of Hungary will find it very difficult to achieve true stability and prosperity.

When disaster strikes, there will be no opportunity for you to regret it."

Emperor Laszlo's tone was cold and firm; after all, Hungary wasn't his only option, and he wouldn't indulge these arrogant nobles.

"Emperor Laszlo, you are being alarmist!" Chak István showed no weakness. "Hungary has always relied on our support for stable development,

and your current reforms will only destroy this stability."

His words were full of confidence, as if he believed Emperor Laszlo's reforms simply could not be implemented.

The two argued more and more fiercely, and other nobles also joined in.

The great nobles supporting Chak István vehemently criticized Emperor Laszlo's reform plan.

Meanwhile, numerous barons and knights who supported Emperor Laszlo tried to defend the Emperor, their voices coming from all directions, drowning out the accusations of the great nobles.

Hunyadi Laszlo listened quietly from the side, hesitating whether to support the Emperor or remain neutral in this dispute, waiting for the opportune moment.

After all, the Emperor had already granted him the long-coveted position of Governor of Transylvania, which officially meant he had taken over his father's mantle.

Although he felt the position of Governor should have been his all along, he wouldn't deny that it was a favor bestowed upon him by Emperor Laszlo.

One point worth noting here is that over half of Transylvania's land was Royal territory.

Surrounding it were various noble lords, large and small, such as the Hunyadi Family, the Batinyai Family, or the Rozgonyi Family.

The Governor of Transylvania actually gained administrative control over these Royal territories and regional nobles.

However, as Janos held this position for a long time, the Transylvania region gradually became the de facto controlled territory of the Hunyadi Family.

But for the Hunyadi Family to continue exercising authority in this land, they had to use the King's name, meaning only a Governor appointed by the King could be recognized and have legitimate rule.

Now the Emperor had granted him this honor, which was both compensation for stripping him of his military power and a reminder of the true source of the Hunyadi Family's rising power and status.

Without the favor of three generations of kings, how could the Hunyadi Family, as lower-level nobles, possibly leap to become the most powerful nobles in Hungary?

"Emperor Laszlo, I believe restricting land mergers is necessary," said Royal Marshal Szécsényi, one of the middle-ranking nobles Emperor Laszlo had won over. "Now the great nobles are accumulating more and more land, while the lower-ranking nobles are struggling.

In the long run, the Kingdom will only grow weaker."

His words were clear and to the point, causing some minor nobles to nod in agreement.

Chak István's face darkened, and he looked at Count Szécsényi, his eyes full of menace.

"Szécsényi, don't forget your place; how dare you speak so boldly here!"

Batthyány, standing on the same side as Chak, tried to verbally suppress Szécsényi and make him shut up; the two also had some personal grievances regarding their territories.

Szécsényi's face paled slightly, but he still gathered his courage and said firmly, "Lord Chak, I am only stating the facts. I believe Emperor Laszlo's reforms are for the future of Hungary, and we should support him."

At this point, the atmosphere in the hall was already tense, with conflict potentially erupting at any moment.

Emperor Laszlo knew that if the argument continued, the meeting would make no progress.

He decided to take some measures to speed up the meeting's process.

"Everyone, calm down first," Emperor Laszlo stood up and said loudly, "We are here today to solve problems, not to argue.

Regarding these issues, we can first divide into different small groups for discussion, and then summarize our opinions.

This will not only fully listen to all voices but also improve the efficiency of the meeting."

When the nobles heard Emperor Laszlo's proposal, they stopped arguing.

Although they still had dissatisfaction in their hearts, they also felt that this proposal made some sense.

Thus, under the arrangement of Archbishop Veszter, the participants were divided into four groups: high-ranking nobles, lower-ranking nobles, clergy, and citizen representatives, and began to discuss various issues.

Among them, the nobles held absolute dominance, and although the clergy and citizens had some influence, their impact on the Kingdom of Hungary was limited compared to the nobles.

In one of the groups, Hunyadi Laszlo and Szilágyi Mihály sat together.

Around them were some nobles who supported the Hunyadi Family.

"Uncle, what do you think we should do?" Hunyadi Laszlo asked in a low voice, "Emperor Laszlo's reforms have some impact on our family, but apart from the turkey tax and the issue of immigrant autonomy, I don't want to have any more conflicts with Emperor Laszlo."

Szilágyi Mihály pondered for a moment and then said, "We cannot easily express our stance. The situation is unclear now.

Let's first observe the attitudes of other nobles.

If most people oppose Emperor Laszlo's reforms, then we can consider stepping forward.

If many people support Emperor Laszlo, we cannot completely stand aside.

After all, we still have to consider the future of our family."

His words were calm and rational, giving Hunyadi Laszlo some reassurance.

Hunyadi Laszlo nodded slightly; they had to act cautiously and not make decisions lightly.

On the other side of the same group, Chak István and his supporters sat together.

He said to Batthyány with a gloomy face, "Emperor Laszlo is talking about so many irrelevant things this time just to divide the power of the nobles. Those fools are so stupid to side with the Royal Family for a few small favors!

No matter what, any unreasonable taxes must be abolished. As for the other proposals, we cannot let him succeed so easily."

Batthyány nodded in agreement: "Lord Chak is right. However, we must also act carefully and not let Emperor Laszlo catch us."

In the lower-ranking noble group, which generally supported Emperor Laszlo, the atmosphere was somewhat lively.

They all expressed their support for Emperor Laszlo's reforms, believing this was an opportunity to change their fate.

"Emperor Laszlo's reforms are truly excellent! If they can truly break the monopoly of the great nobles on Royal Family official positions, we will have the opportunity to enter the government and serve the Kingdom of Hungary."

"Yes, and restricting land annexation can also ensure our land, so we no longer have to worry about being swallowed by the great nobles."

"However, regarding the turkey tax, how should we choose?"

"Everyone, don't forget, Emperor Laszlo is not only the King of Hungary; he has more crowns than our drinking cups and definitely has enough power to protect Hungary. So I think this tax can be…

This statement was supported by a group of lower-ranking nobles. Thinking carefully, he is a great Emperor Laszlo, so a little less tax from them shouldn't matter, right?

However, some far-sighted participants raised different opinions, proposing a compromise that neither offended Emperor Laszlo nor sacrificed their interests.

They proposed that the "turkey tax" not be completely abolished, but that it only be levied during wars with the Ottoman.

This proposal received unanimous approval and was later put forward in the collective meeting and adopted by the King.

With hundreds of people arguing over a few of the dozen or so issues, the meeting continued for seven days with continuous group and collective meetings.

Emperor Laszlo had no choice but to order the doors of the council hall to be closed. No one was allowed to leave until all proposals had been decided.

The meeting continued until the evening of the seventh day. Some participants almost fainted from hunger, and all resolutions finally had results.

Two Hungarian scribes and one Austrian scribe wrote a total of three identical meeting reports, written in Latin, Hungarian, and Austrian German.

The more important contents included the following:

Emperor Laszlo agreed to levy the "turkey tax" only when fighting the Ottoman.

Regarding the immigration issue, Emperor Laszlo promised to limit the scope of immigration, but preferential conditions had already been offered, so privileges would definitely not be reduced.

Lower-ranking nobles and loyal citizens who "made outstanding contributions to the Royal Family" would have the opportunity to enter the Royal Family administrative system.

Wealthy merchants only needed to donate two thousand florin gold coins to the Royal Family to exchange for an "honorary knight" title, and ten thousand florin could buy an "honorary baron" title, along with Royal Family decree certification.

Although these titles could not be inherited, they could enjoy corresponding noble privileges, and this resolution immediately turned the citizen representatives into loyal supporters of Emperor Laszlo.

The final resolution passed for the proposal to limit land annexation was the establishment of the Hungarian Royal Territory Court.

Regardless of noble status, one only needed to pay a small "court tax" based on the amount of land in their family territory to register their property with a Hungarian herald specifically appointed by Emperor Laszlo and obtain certification as a direct Royal Family noble.

Thereafter, once a territorial dispute arose, as long as it involved registered property, it could be transferred to the court for handling, and Emperor Laszlo would uphold justice.

Regarding the military supply station issue, all nobles involved, after negotiation, agreed to accept Emperor Laszlo's economic compensation and requested some restrictions and supervision on the supply stations. This matter was also perfectly resolved.

Most of the remaining resolutions only involved the interests of certain regions, so reasonable solutions were easily passed.

Soon, a "Hungarian Parliament Farewell Letter" regarding the results of this Parliament spread throughout Hungary.

For the struggling Hungarian old farmers, this did not have much impact on their lives.

They only heard from their parish priest that the King had agreed to reduce taxes and were happy for a moment.

But after their happiness, they found that taxes had not decreased at all. Only those living on church estates and in the Kingdom's cities truly experienced the joy of reduced burdens.

Just as later scholars described the peasants within the Hungarian noble territories— "a considerable portion of them did not know the King at all, only the lord who ruled them."

After all resolutions were announced, the Royal Family quickly collected a large sum of money, partly from the "court tax" paid by the nobles.

This tax was a one-time payment for a noble's lifetime; only upon inheritance of the territory would the heir need to pay a new "court tax."

The remaining money came from the wealthy citizens; even a lifetime noble title was enough to make them flock to it.

By the end of June, the disarmament work was fully completed. After Emperor Laszlo confirmed that he had full command of the three Hungarian legions, he immediately left Budapest with a large entourage and set off to return to Vienna.