Act

"Eyczing, do you have any information about the successor recommended by Archbishop of Mainz Dietrich?"

Laszlo decided to first study the opponent he was about to face before making a decision.

Eyczing handed Laszlo a piece of paper with detailed information about Dieter von Isenburg.

Laszlo read the investigation report in detail.

Dieter came from a minor noble family; his father was a wealthy Imperial Knight. As Dieter was the second son, he was sent to a monastery to study at a very young age.

When he was a little older, he was sent to Heidelberg University to study theology.

This school was the third university established in the Empire after Prague University and Vienna University, and it was also the most important institution of higher learning in the Rhineland region.

There, Dieter obtained double degrees in theology and law. Therefore, as soon as he arrived in Mainz, he was noticed by the Archbishop and became a junior church deacon.

After a series of promotions by the Archbishop of Mainz, he became the Auxiliary Bishop of Mainz.

When the Archbishop was away, Dieter was responsible for managing the affairs of the Mainz Diocese. More often, the Archbishop sent him as a representative to handle Imperial affairs.

"I remember him attending and presiding over Imperial Conferences as a representative of the Archbishop of Mainz."

Laszlo vaguely remembered seeing a refined, learned, and outstanding clergyman in Nuremberg attending an Imperial Conference as a representative of the Archbishop of Mainz. That was probably Dieter.

Although Dieter seemed good, many of his statements greatly displeased Laszlo.

"Yes, Your Majesty.

He not only attended Imperial Conferences but also repeatedly attacked the idea of Imperial reform in those meetings, claiming it infringed upon the ancient rights of the princes.

He is an excellent orator and can often stir people's emotions."

Eyczing was also quite wary of Dieter, as this person might be a more difficult opponent than Dietrich.

Laszlo, however, became somewhat interested in Dieter. Perhaps out of appreciation for talent, he asked Eyczing: "Do you think it's possible that Dieter is merely the Archbishop's mouthpiece, and he actually holds different views on Imperial reform?"

Eyczing immediately saw what Laszlo was thinking. He sighed lightly and poured cold water on the idea: "Your Majesty, Dieter does indeed hold different views on Imperial reform. He may even have argued with the Archbishop of Mainz because of it. But..."

"But?" Laszlo had initially thought there was hope when he heard Eyczing's earlier words, but that 'but' immediately made his heart sink.

"Dieter's idea is that the Empire cannot be allowed to remain in a state of disorder, and therefore, a prestigious and powerful Imperial government must be established."

"Isn't that good?"

"The problem is that he advocates for an Imperial executive government led by the Electors, strictly limiting the Emperor's power.

To expand the autonomy of the princes while also wanting to achieve centralization, I find it truly hard to imagine that the majority of people in the Empire currently hold such ridiculous ideas."

"Absurd!"

Laszlo snorted coldly. Sure enough, he shouldn't have held any expectations for these fellows. It was better to support a puppet who was easy to manipulate.

"What about information on other competitors?"

"Your Majesty, I can introduce you to another competitor for the position of Archbishop of Mainz," said Jacob, the Minister of Finance, rising. "Adolf von Nassau, the brother of the Count of Nassau, was previously an important bishop in the Mainz Diocese.

Not long ago, he borrowed a huge sum of five thousand rhineland thalers from the Imperial Bank to use as campaign funds.

He mortgaged some properties and a portion of the tithes from his diocese.

This was the largest loan since the establishment of the Imperial Bank, so I looked into it a bit."

"Five thousand gold coins?" Laszlo was a little worried. "Can a bishop afford to repay that much money? This is completely preposterous..."

"Your Majesty, as long as he successfully gets elected as Archbishop of Mainz, there will be plenty of ways to repay this loan," Jacob said with a cunning smile. "At that time, we can take the opportunity to propose offsetting part of the loan with trade privileges. He won't dare to refuse."

Laszlo was a bit helpless. This looked like a risky investment no matter how he viewed it, and Jacob's guts were as big as ever.

"What if he doesn't get elected? Won't that money be wasted? If he dares to embezzle church funds to repay the debt, it will cause a lot of trouble for the bank."

"Your Majesty, don't you think Adolf von Nassau is an excellent candidate?

If you want to gain the support of the Archbishop of Mainz in the Imperial Diet, the best way is to support an Archbishop who is easy to control, isn't it?"

Watching Jacob, who had relapsed into his old habit of talking business, Laszlo felt like cursing, but he also felt that there was some truth in what he said.

After a moment of hesitation, Laszlo still sternly warned Jacob: "Next time, you must consider such matters carefully and, if possible, report them promptly.

Although I have entrusted you with the management of the Imperial Bank, this does not mean you can use this opportunity to bind me into providing additional support for the bank!

Political transactions require additional leverage, and you should be very clear about that."

"Yes, Your Majesty, I promise there won't be a next time."

Jacob's heart tightened. His little scheme had been completely seen through by the Emperor.

However, he was not worried about the Emperor's final choice, because this problem only had one option.

"What is Adolf von Nassau's attitude towards me, and towards Imperial reform?"

Eyczing shook his head and said: "Your Majesty, we have not found any clues to prove that he is concerned about Imperial reform.

As for his attitude towards you, if you truly agree to help him secure the throne of Archbishop of Mainz, he will undoubtedly pledge his loyalty to you."

"Alright, at least he's better than Dieter. Let's support Adolf von Nassau then..."

Just then, a servant suddenly entered the conference hall and reported to Laszlo: "Your Majesty, there is an urgent dispatch from Mainz."

Laszlo took the letter from the servant, opened it, and raising an eyebrow, said to the curious ministers: "The election results are out. Dieter won and will succeed as Archbishop of Mainz."

"This leaves us no time to maneuver."

Jacob was unwilling and was about to say something, but Eyczing spoke before him: "Your Majesty, although Dieter won the election, whether he ultimately succeeds as Archbishop of Mainz is still up to you!"

Eyczing's tone was unusually firm, which gave Laszlo more confidence.

Marshal Adolf said confidently: "Your Majesty, as long as you give the order, I am confident I can capture Mainz for you!"

"Don't say such things!" Laszlo quickly interrupted him. "I understand what you mean, but what would I do with Mainz?

The princes now fear me like a tiger. If I directly attack the Elector Palatine of Mainz, I'm afraid the princes will immediately elect a rival Emperor and fight me to the death."

Jacob quickly stepped forward to persuade him: "Your Majesty, if you support Adolf von Nassau in contending for the Archbishop's throne, that would be an internal affair of Mainz. What does it have to do with you?

You would merely be making a just ruling according to Imperial law, nothing more."

These fellows weren't even pretending anymore. Before, they were considering how to manipulate the election remotely, but now they were thinking about how to militarily intervene in the election.

Aeneas snapped out of his contemplation and reminded him: "Your Majesty, don't forget the role of Your Majesty.

If you can gain the support of Your Majesty and issue an edict together to nullify the election results of the Archbishop of Mainz, we will have a more legitimate excuse to intervene in this matter."

Laszlo's eyes lit up, and he nodded repeatedly: "Good idea. After the meeting, I will personally write a letter to Your Majesty to gain his support.

When the time is right, I will issue an edict to nullify the election results of the Archbishop of Mainz, and then..."

The rest of the words were left unsaid, but everyone understood.

As the biggest stumbling block on the path of Imperial reform, the Archbishop of Mainz must be completely dominated by the Emperor.

After the meeting, the Austria government immediately began planning, continuously collecting intelligence, appeasing the Imperial princes, contacting key figures, and awaiting further developments.

This matter, while important, Laszlo found didn't even require the mobilization of troops, because Mainz's strength couldn't even withstand an attack from one Imperial Army legion.

The real headache was how to ensure the intervention was justified and legitimate, as only then could people's fear and suspicion be quelled.