Who Will Win?

"Your Majesty, I believe that if we can force the Elector Palatine to submit through diplomatic means, it will not only reduce our investment but also demonstrate the Emperor's prestige. That would be the perfect conclusion to this struggle for the Archbishop of Mainz."

This was also Eyczing's consistent philosophy: diplomacy first, cautious use of military force.

Anything that could be resolved through dialogue and negotiation, or accomplished by subordinates, should not deplete Austria's national strength.

Laszlo glanced at Eyczing. He and his capable chief minister had a difference of opinion at this point.

"Eyczing, you're thinking too simply," Laszlo said, shaking his head. "Perhaps the Elector Palatine sending envoys for peace is merely a delaying tactic. His true purpose is to gain a greater war advantage while we are slow to react. We cannot relax our vigilance."

Eyczing agreed with Laszlo's words but still held to his own view: "Your Majesty, the Elector Palatine still commands over six thousand troops, and this army has won battle after battle, with morale high.

If we can force the Elector Palatine to submit through negotiation, it will undoubtedly greatly reduce our casualties and expenditures.

If we must defeat the Elector Palatine on the battlefield, I fear the cost will far outweigh the gains from this war."

Laszlo took a sip of wine, his eyes fixed on the remaining food on the plate, and asked enigmatically:

"What do you think we will ultimately gain from this war?"

Eyczing answered without hesitation: "Prestige, the awe of the princes, control of the Archbishop of Mainz, and…

...the weakening of the Elector Palatine?"

"Even so, it's not enough," Laszlo's finger tapped lightly on the table. "This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to strike at both the Elector Palatine and the Archbishop of Mainz simultaneously.

Do you know what this Mainz-Palatinate alliance reminds me of?"

Laszlo's words were disjointed, leaving Eyczing somewhat bewildered. He could only say: "Forgive my ignorance,

Please enlighten Your Majesty."

"Do you remember a major event that happened in the Empire sixty years ago?" Laszlo prompted.

Eyczing's eyes shifted, and he immediately understood what Laszlo was referring to: "Are you referring to the Electoral College's vote to depose Emperor Wenceslaus IV?"

"Precisely!" Laszlo's tone suddenly turned cold. "Since the founding of the Empire, there have been numerous instances of rival emperors, and the most recent one was Wenceslaus IV.

Speaking of which, he was my maternal grandfather's elder brother, so he can be considered my elder.

And as the son of Charles IV, he was betrayed by the Electors. Who was behind all of this?"

Eyczing now began to analyze seriously: "As far as I know, records of this matter are quite scarce. At the time, people only said that the decision was made by the Electoral College.

And at that time, Elector of Brandenburg Sigismund had just been utterly defeated by the Ottoman at Nicopolis.

He himself was still imprisoned by Hungarian nobles and needed Wenceslaus IV's assistance, so he could not oppose his elder brother.

That is to say, almost all the remaining Electors participated in this 'rebellion'."

Eyczing very shrewdly referred to the Electors' deposition of Wenceslaus IV as a 'rebellion'. As expected, Laszlo's face showed a satisfied expression.

He exhaled, then continued: "And afterwards, we can see that Elector Palatine Ruprecht III was elected as the new Emperor.

This means that the Elector Palatine must have put in a lot of effort.

And as the head of the seven Electors, the Archbishop of Mainz, without his strong support, the Electoral College could not have passed such a treasonous resolution to depose the Emperor.

So, is this your true goal? You want to control the Archbishop of Mainz and the Elector Palatine,

thereby removing the threat of the Electors to your throne?"

Laszlo nodded heavily and said: "I've even heard a common rumor that people say the Elector Palatine and the Archbishop of Mainz can jointly establish another emperor.

Actually, the appearance of false emperors has been rare since the end of the Great Interregnum. My ancestor, Albrecht I, personally slew a false emperor from the House of Nassau.

I am not afraid of them setting up another incompetent to oppose me—those princes with their own agendas will only choose a puppet; they won't truly choose a master for themselves.

That being said, I still hope to maintain the stability of the Empire as much as possible and complete the Empire's reforms on that basis. I have no choice; I control too many territories outside the Empire, and enemies from all directions are eyeing Austria covetously. I cannot let the Empire consume too much of my energy.

So the simplest method is obvious: to control the Archbishop of Mainz and the Elector Palatine. No, after this war, the Palatinate may no longer be an Elector Palatine.

Since the Elector's power is so great, I must bring that power under my influence."

"Your Majesty, this…" Eyczing's face showed difficulty upon hearing Laszlo's bold words. "The selection of Electors is determined by the golden bull, which has the highest legal authority in the Empire.

If you wish to strip the Count Palatine of the Rhine of his Elector Palatine status, I fear it will provoke opposition from the princes."

Laszlo took a deep breath, silently grumbled a few words to himself, and then asked helplessly: "Then how do you think I should deal with the Elector Palatine?"

"The Elector Palatine's claim is illegitimate. Perhaps we can depose him as Elector Palatine and let Philip, who should have rightfully ascended, become the Elector Palatine.

This is completely reasonable and will not cause panic or opposition among the princes.

You can also use this opportunity to demand guardianship over the young Elector, cultivating a new Elector loyal to you.

"This method certainly sounds good. Compared to directly stripping him of his Elector Palatine status, it seems a bit gentler, but it still doesn't reassure me.

I wish to directly strip the Count Palatine of the Rhine of his Elector Palatine status and bestow it upon a loyal servant of the Empire."

Seeing that he couldn't persuade the Emperor, Eyczing could only ask: "Your Majesty, to whom do you think this Elector Palatine status should be transferred?"

"How about the Margrave of Ansbach?"

"Having the Hohenzollern occupy two Elector seats would not be a wise move."

"Then, to the Margrave of Baden?"

"Insufficient strength, undeserving of the position, it will inevitably lead to disputes."

"Am I to give the Elector Palatine status to the Duke of Landshut? No, giving it to the ambitious Duke of Landshut is worse than keeping the Palatinate. How about the Count of Munich?"

"Munich is currently ruled by two brothers, its power is weakened, far less than the other two branches of the Wittelsbach family, Palatinate and Landshut, making it easier to control.

However, choosing them would preserve an Elector seat for the Wittelsbach family, which might reduce some criticism.

It's just that the Count of Munich has made no significant contributions to the Empire, and if we were to ask them to buy this Elector seat, they probably couldn't afford it."

"That's right, this Elector seat could also be sold for a profit," Laszlo said, waving his hand, having found an unexpected bonus. "No matter, if they can't afford it, we can give the Count of Munich a discount and then trick them into taking out a loan to buy it.

Not everyone gets the chance to buy an Elector seat; there are so many who want to buy it, but I won't sell it!"

"But then, we would have to continue fighting the rebels in the Palatinate until complete victory."

Looking at Eyczing's worried expression, Laszlo stated emphatically: "Eyczing, you must remember, what cannot be gained on the battlefield will never be gained at the negotiating table!

It is Frederick I who should truly worry about the war. Although he is the most powerful prince in the Rhineland, in my eyes, he is merely a slightly larger stumbling block.

I have a premonition that missing this opportunity will lead to endless troubles. The threat of the Electors to the throne and the stability of the Empire must be eliminated at all costs!"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

The secret conversation between the monarch and his minister ended there. Laszlo decided to hear what the Palatinate's envoy had to say tomorrow, but he had already made up his mind.