Confrontation

In the court of the Kingdom of Budapest, heavy velvet curtains blocked most of the sunlight, leaving only a few faint yellow rays struggling to penetrate, casting mottled shadows on the marble floor.

The atmosphere was almost suffocating.

King of Hungary Laszlo sat on the throne, looking down at the Hunyadi brothers kneeling respectfully at the foot of the steps.

Seeing the worried Matthias, and the spirited Hunyadi, Laszlo couldn't help but frown.

Now, whenever he saw these two brothers, he couldn't help but recall the aged yet still loyal and resolute Janos; that was what he envisioned a minister should be like.

He had originally hoped that Janos's two sons would also inherit their father's noble character and become a great help in stabilizing Hungary.

However, reality was contrary to his wishes; Matthias, through his many years of cultivation, had become his loyal supporter, while Hunyadi's attitude towards him as king had inexplicably changed from 'friendly' to 'vigilant'.

For Janos's sake, he had already given Hunyadi a chance.

But he never expected that even to this day, Hunyadi Laszlo would still be so rampant, not knowing how to cherish the Emperor's trust and favor.

Since that was the case, he wouldn't be polite.

"Rise, Janos's sons," Laszlo waved his hand, saying gravely, "Hunyadi Laszlo, I summoned you to the palace today to discuss the important affairs of the Kingdom of Hungary in detail.

But before that, there are some matters you must give me a reasonable explanation for, otherwise your loyalty will be doubted!"

The sudden tension caused Hunyadi, who had intended to present a joint petition from the nobles to the Emperor, to stiffen. He straightened up somewhat awkwardly, asking in confusion, "Emperor, this… why do you say that? My loyalty to you is beyond question, I swear by God and my father's name…."

"Silence!" Laszlo loudly stopped Hunyadi's faithless oath, saying coldly, "You still have the nerve to mention your father in front of me?

I received news that you are privately collecting heavy taxes in Transylvania under the guise of strengthening border defenses. So, explain to me,

What is this all about?"

The Emperor's direct accusation was like a heavy hammer, striking Hunyadi's chest hard.

His face instantly flushed, then quickly turned pale, and his lips trembled, unable to speak.

Since Janos died at Varna and the Ottoman retreated, the position of Governor of Transylvania in the Kingdom of Hungary had been vacant for several years.

Laszlo's reason was that the Governor of Transylvania was originally established to consolidate border defenses and resist foreign invasions.

Now that the border crisis was resolved, there was naturally no need to rush to appoint a new Governor of Transylvania.

During this period, it was Hunyadi Laszlo who used his father's remaining influence to secretly control the political affairs of Transylvania, continuing to expand the Hunyadi Family's influence in Transylvania.

Laszlo, meanwhile, seized this opportunity to re-establish control over Northern Transylvania.

As for Southern Transylvania, that was the Hunyadi Family's core territory. Laszlo had not yet extended his hand into this area to touch Hunyadi's sensitive nerves. By the time Laszlo had more or less re-established firm royal rule in Northern Transylvania and other royal territories, his conflict with the Hungarian magnates had reached its sharpest point.

Therefore, during the last parliament, Laszlo exchanged the vacant position of Governor of Transylvania for Hunyadi's support.

However, the power of this gubernatorial position was actually halved. At that time, Hunyadi did not yet know that the Emperor had played a trick on him here.

During the last parliament, Laszlo heavily employed and promoted minor nobles from Northern Transylvania.

He entrusted the defense of important royal castles, judicial affairs, and the finances of the royal territories in Northern Transylvania entirely to minor nobles loyal to and dependent on the royal family.

These royal territories had all received special charters personally signed by the Emperor, reporting directly to the Regency Cabinet of the Kingdom of Hungary, and not subject to the Governor's jurisdiction.

As for the many wealthy German immigrant cities in Transylvania, they had enjoyed a high degree of autonomy since ancient times, completely beyond the control of the Governor of Transylvania.

Furthermore, the salt mine dispute between the Hunyadi Family and the Batinyai Family ultimately led to György Batthyány, the leader of the magnate forces in Northern Transylvania, falling out with Hunyadi, even going so far as to side with Emperor Laszlo.

Therefore, as the new Governor of Transylvania, Hunyadi could actually only directly control the territory of Southern Transylvania.

A large part of this was still Hunyadi's own fiefdom, and the remaining royal territories had already been controlled by the Hunyadi Family since his father Janos's time.

In Southern Transylvania, some important royal castles were guarded by trusted associates of the Hunyadi Family.

A considerable portion of the tax revenue generated by the royal territories also went into the Hunyadi Family's pockets.

Speaking of which, the Governor of Transylvania, as one of the four great governors of the Kingdom of Hungary, held a position second only to the Emperor within the kingdom.

Locally, the Governor possessed extensive administrative, judicial, and military powers.

Of course, the source of these powers now had only one source, and that was Emperor Laszlo.

When Janos was alive, his exceptionally high prestige and military achievements made people recognize and revere him, thus willing to accept Janos's jurisdiction.

It could be said that if the people of Transylvania were to choose between Janos and the Emperor, they would likely choose Janos.

Fortunately, Janos always remained loyal to the royal family,

And now, this Hunyadi, who stood before Laszlo, lacked the necessary loyalty, yet sought to touch upon his father's power.

Hunyadi's position as Governor, compared to his father's, had shrunk in power by more than just a little.

It was precisely out of fear of the Emperor's immense power that he began to frantically accumulate strength after returning to Transylvania, attempting to thereby increase his say within the kingdom.

Collecting heavy taxes in various parts of Transylvania to supplement the family's finances, and thereby raising more Hunyadi Family armies, was precisely to achieve this goal.

Hunyadi pondered for a long time, and Laszlo was not in a hurry to urge him, but rather planned to see what kind of sophistry he could come up with this time.

In fact, at first, he was quite optimistic about Hunyadi.

After all, Hunyadi was indeed a talented young general and had once served as the commander of his personal guard, so he should have remained loyal to him, the Emperor.

But human hearts are unpredictable. In just a few short years, after inheriting his father's territory and title and becoming an important military commander in Hungary, Hunyadi's ambition began to swell.

Of course, this also had a lot to do with the people he came into contact with.

Before, Hunyadi followed his father, and later followed the Emperor, thinking only of achieving merits on the battlefield and building a good reputation.

But later, he worked with his power-hungry and ill-intentioned uncle Szilágyi, and it was very likely that he was influenced by that person. Just as Laszlo was contemplating in his mind how to deal with Hunyadi and his family, Hunyadi, who had been silent for a long time, finally spoke.

"Emperor, the taxes I collected in Transylvania were indeed for consolidating border defenses," Hunyadi feigned loyalty, crying out to Laszlo, "The Transylvanian border defense zone is long, and many castles and fortresses are dilapidated from years of war.

I collected those taxes precisely to repair those dilapidated fortresses and strengthen border defenses.

Furthermore, this money was also used to recruit Hungarian Border Guard for border fortresses and train reserve militias, all of which are continuations of the measures taken by the previous Emperor and my father."

"Hmph!" Laszlo was almost fooled by this excuse, but he immediately understood the key point and continued to question him sternly, "I have repelled the Ottoman, and now Transylvania's three neighboring countries are all my vassal states. Who exactly are these measures of yours defending against?

Furthermore, at last year's Parliament, wasn't it you who cried out about excessive taxation and demanded that I cancel the 'turkey tax'?

Considering that the people were suffering from the ravages of war and were in dire straits, I agreed to cancel the 'turkey tax' during peacetime.

But you, you no longer have to pay the turkey tax to me, the King, yet you still cleverly find excuses to force the people to pay heavy border defense taxes?

Can such an action be called loyal?

As the Governor of Transylvania, on whom I placed great hopes, what do you consider my national policy of light taxation to be?

Are the monies you extorted from the people really used to strengthen border defenses? I'm afraid not, right?

I think you are just using this as an excuse to seize national wealth and raise your Hunyadi Family's private army!

"Emperor, I... I don't have as many ideas as you say, I just want to govern Transylvania well for you."

Hunyadi Laszlo's face turned pale, and facing the Emperor's relentless pressure, feeling that powerful aura, a sense of powerlessness surged within him.

But in the end, he gritted his teeth and absolutely refused to admit the Emperor's accusations.

Everything he did was well-concealed. What private soldiers? Those were guards of border fortresses, loyal warriors of the Kingdom!

After the Hungarian Border Guard was transferred and disbanded, many border fortresses bordering Serbia were left undefended.

He just filled these fortresses with soldiers of the Hunyadi Family.

If this is also a crime, then he must seek justice from the Emperor.

Matthias, who had been silently observing the two, couldn't help but sigh softly. His elder brother had completely fallen into the Emperor's rhythm.

If this continues, let alone the proposal to restrict serf migration, it's questionable whether his position as Governor of Transylvania can even be retained.

Laszlo suddenly stood up, looked at the frightened and uneasy Hunyadi, and said with a sneer, "You want to govern Transylvania well for me?

If your father Janos were still alive, if he saw you treating the people of Transylvania like this—extorting taxes leading to popular rebellion and large-scale serf escapes—what do you think he would think?

Now, you even brazenly propose a bill to restrict serf migration, instead of thinking about reducing taxes and restoring people's livelihoods during this rare period of peace.

I think you are completely unqualified as the Governor of Transylvania!

You have neither understood nor implemented the will of me, the King, nor have you gained the support and respect of the people. Do you know your crime?"

Hunyadi Laszlo heard Laszlo mention his proposal, and only then did he understand why the Emperor had laid so much groundwork earlier.

He immediately replied, "Emperor, if you insist that I am governing ineptly, I will certainly reform myself in the future.

However, this proposal is not just my idea; it is a petition signed by many nobles. Please take a look."

Matthias took the petition from Hunyadi Laszlo's hand and presented it to Laszlo.

Laszlo, still angry, unfolded the petition and saw dozens of names densely signed on it.

As expected, all the famous and influential Hungarian great nobles were on it, and some clergymen also got involved and signed their names.

Conversely, the newly emerging nobles and small and medium nobles who owned small land areas, enjoyed only partial privileges, and were dependent on the royal family, did not have much resistance to the migration of serfs.

The treacherous ministers have all revealed themselves; is there anything better than this?

Laszlo suppressed the urge to tear up the petition in his hand and began to read its contents.

As expected, Hunyadi Laszlo and other great nobles hoped to strictly restrict the migration of serfs, and even planned to implement an ancient household registration system. They intended to mark the noble ownership of serfs, and once escaped serfs were found, the nobles would be obligated to arrest and return them to their masters.

As for what fate awaited serfs who were caught after escaping, one could imagine without thinking.

Laszlo put down the petition, his gaze towards Hunyadi Laszlo was extremely cold: "So, you insist on not withdrawing this proposal and are unwilling to reduce the taxes in Transylvania?"

"No, no, no, Emperor," Hunyadi Laszlo quickly shook his head in denial, "I have already decided not to continue levying heavy taxes, but as for this proposal, even if I wanted to withdraw it, I'm afraid my colleagues in Parliament would not agree, would they?"

"Do you really think I dare not act against you, dare not strip you of your Governorship?"

Laszlo's voice was much deeper than before, but both Hunyadi Laszlo and Matthias could clearly feel that the Emperor was not bluffing as before; this time, he was truly angry.

Hunyadi Laszlo, at this moment, showed no fear. Thinking that so many nobles supported him, he believed that the Emperor would not dare to do anything to him easily.

Moreover, if it wasn't someone from the Hunyadi Family—if he wasn't the Governor of Transylvania—no matter who took the position, he was confident he could turn the new Governor into a figurehead.

"Emperor, don't forget, the Kingdom's Governor must be a great noble with strong influence in that region. If you rashly appoint someone, I'm afraid it will invite criticism."

Hunyadi Laszlo's confidence grew. Unless Emperor Laszlo immediately seized and beheaded him on the spot, Transylvania would ultimately still be his.

Laszlo shook his head and said, "Have you forgotten that when your father first became the Governor of Transylvania, his status was merely that of an ordinary lower noble?

Could it be that your memory is so poor that in just a dozen years you have forgotten the path your Hunyadi Family took to prominence?

Your power was given by the King! It was my maternal grandfather Sigismund, and my father Albrecht, and me—we gave the Hunyadi Family such great honor.

Of course, your father's own loyalty and bravery were worthy of such trust and reward, but you... I'm afraid you are not so worthy.

If you can show me your loyalty again, I can overlook all these past troubles for your father's sake.

Of course, only this once.

Oh, I forgot to tell you, just recently, György Batthyány also expressed his loyalty to me.

What do you think your life would be like if Batthyány became the Governor of Transylvania?"

"This..." Hunyadi Laszlo never expected that fellow Batthyány would betray the great noble faction and side with the Emperor.

Whether Batthyány would be loyal to the Emperor after taking power, he didn't know, but targeting the Hunyadi Family was inevitable.

The hatred from seizing the salt mines, the Batinyai Family would never let it go, no matter what.

Now, as the Governor of Transylvania, Hunyadi Laszlo naturally didn't have to worry about Batthyány's revenge, but what if the situation reversed...

"Emperor," Hunyadi Laszlo said with difficulty, "I understand. I am willing to withdraw this proposal, and I hope you can forgive my rudeness."

Laszlo raised an eyebrow; he still preferred the arrogant look this fellow had just now.

"I don't want to hear any bad news from Transylvania next time," Laszlo warned finally, "I will secretly dispatch royal bailiffs to investigate Transylvania. If you still feign compliance with my decree, I will not be so lenient with you again, understood?"

"Yes, Emperor."

The audience ended there. Hunyadi Laszlo had already forgotten how he returned from the royal palace to the Hunyadi residence. When he came to his senses, his back was already drenched in cold sweat.

At the residence, Szilágyi, who had been waiting for him for a long time, immediately pulled Hunyadi Laszlo into a private conversation.

Meanwhile, in the royal palace garden, Laszlo also had a conversation with Matthias, a talk between monarch and subject, concerning the Hunyadi Family.

Laszlo had some new ideas.

In the palace garden, Leonor was strolling through the snow with Empress Dowager Elizabeth, holding her daughter Helena.

As for Laszlo's two sons, Christopher and Maximilian, they had already begun receiving instruction from various teachers from Italy, Austria, Bohemia, and Hungary.

At the age of four or five, they should be exposed to some basic education.

It wasn't expected that the two little ones would master German, Latin, Hungarian, or even French in the future, but at least they should be able to communicate normally with people from various subject states.

On the other side of the garden, Laszlo watched his relaxed and happy family from afar, and the anger he had just felt from Hunyadi's defiance dissipated considerably.

Matthias stood beside Laszlo, somewhat curious as to what the Emperor wanted to discuss with him by calling him here specifically.

"Matthias, it's been a long time since we've had a private conversation like this, hasn't it?" Laszlo said with some emotion.

Matthias nodded and said, "Yes, Your Majesty. A few years ago, I set out with you from here on a difficult and long journey.

Too many problems plagued you, such a vast territory needed your wisdom to govern, and numerous affairs consumed your energy.

Even at this very moment, there are still many matters that require your attention, and I truly wish I could help you alleviate your worries."

Laszlo smiled slightly. Matthias was indeed much better than his troublesome older brother.

After all, he was a trusted minister whom he had personally nurtured, and he was certainly better than those ambitious individuals.

However, Matthias's words were exactly what Laszlo wanted; he truly needed Matthias to help him alleviate his worries.

"This year marks the seventh year you've followed me, correct?"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"According to Hungarian tradition, you are now officially an adult, correct?"

"Yes, Your Majesty," Matthias looked at Laszlo with some confusion, "May I ask, is there a problem?"

Laszlo nodded with satisfaction and said, "It's good that you're an adult. If you're an adult, you should reclaim the family property that belongs to you."

"Your Majesty, do you mean…

One,

"You and your brother are both sons of Janos, and you should rightfully inherit a portion of his estate," Laszlo turned to look at Matthias, his gaze serious, "I intend to secure a territory for you. What do you think?"

Matthias lowered his head slightly, pondering for a moment, his eyes showing composure and wisdom.

He began to consider the Emperor's true intentions in proposing such an idea at this time.

Actually, the Emperor's thoughts were not difficult to guess; he probably intended to use this matter to further weaken Hunyadi's strength and power.

For Matthias, he didn't mind being the Emperor's tool to restrict his brother.

In fact, he himself also hoped to obtain his rightful share from the abundant inheritance left by his father.

Moreover, only through such a division of the family could the Emperor's suspicion and hostility towards the Hunyadi Family be reduced.

The Hunyadi Family's territory was vast, spanning four counties, and in terms of land size within the entire Kingdom of Hungary, it was second only to the royal family.

Within its territory, there were 28 castles, 57 towns, and over a thousand villages, and this was after excluding the royal territories actually controlled by the Hunyadi Family.

Who would have thought that two generations ago, the Hunyadi brothers' grandfather, Voicu, was just an unknown minor frontier knight.

Because he desperately protected the King on the battlefield, a grateful Sigismund bestowed Hunyadi Castle upon him, and from then on, this family became known as the Hunyadi Family.

By this generation, one of the two brothers was the powerful Governor of Transylvania, and the other was a trusted minister close to the Emperor.

Such favor and honor were unmatched in the entire Kingdom of Hungary, and even within the entire Habsburg Dynasty's territory.

Even those Hungarian great nobles with hundreds of years of lineage could not compare to the Hunyadi Family today.

Not to mention the small and medium-sized Hungarian nobles who were inspired by the Hunyadi Family's rise to power to pledge loyalty to the King.

Those great nobles who harbored resentment and disdain for the "nouveau riche" Hunyadi Family were now gathering around Hunyadi, attempting to resist the King's authority.

But the more prominent the family became, the more worried Matthias felt inside.

He saw his brother's ambition growing daily, and this was very likely to be the Hunyadi Family's death knell.

Hunyadi had forgotten that loyalty was the only way to gain the King's trust and favor, and instead attempted to force the King to yield through power and force.

He could not let his father's lifelong struggle be ruined by his elder brother's foolish actions.

Thinking of this, Matthias raised his head and said with a firm gaze, "Your Majesty, this is my reasonable request, and I hope you can decide for me." Laszlo nodded with satisfaction, then continued, "I will discuss this matter further with your brother, but I have one condition."

Matthias's gaze narrowed; as he expected, the Emperor's idea would certainly not be so simple.

"Please speak, Your Majesty."

"I hope that after I secure territory for you, we can reach a territory exchange agreement.

Your territory in Hungary will be ceded to the royal family, and I will give you an Austrian territory of equal value, along with additional financial compensation.

Thereafter, you and your descendants will enjoy privileges as nobles of Austria, and no longer as Hungarian nobles.

Are you willing to accept such terms?"

Laszlo gazed intently at Matthias, awaiting his answer.

To be honest, he was well aware that his request could even be described as unreasonable.

After all, what kind of treatment did Hungarian nobles receive? And what kind of treatment did Austrian nobles receive?

Hungarian nobles possessed far superior economic and military privileges than Austrian nobles, and the difference in their privileges was particularly evident on the political level.

Most Austrian nobles were firmly bound to the royal family; apart from internal strife within the Habsburg family itself, Austria had almost never experienced noble rebellions.

Hungarian nobles, however, according to the golden bull of 1222, could "legally" rebel if the King violated the bull.

If there was one area where Austrian nobles were better off than Hungarian nobles, it was probably that Austrian nobles could enjoy a more stable life.

Moreover, as the center of the Habsburg Dynasty, Austria offered more opportunities to participate in the political life of the dynasty.

After weighing the pros and cons, Matthias immediately understood what choice he should make.

Based on his observation and understanding of the Emperor, it was likely that the Kingdom of Hungary would soon be plunged into a bloodbath.

If he continued to stay in Hungary, he might get caught up in the chaos, and one wrong step could lead to eternal damnation.

Don't put all your eggs in one basket—this was a truth known to all nobles.

The Emperor clearly intended to promote the intermingling of Austrian and Hungarian nobles.

As a member of Hungary's most prominent noble family, he could also serve as an example.

Moreover, by agreeing to the Emperor's request, he would gain more of the Emperor's trust—Austrian nobles would undoubtedly receive the Emperor's greatest trust, while Hungarian nobles would be subject to the Emperor's greatest suspicion.

"Your Majesty, I agree to your request."

Hearing Matthias's answer, Laszlo turned and gently patted Matthias's shoulder, extremely pleased with his wise choice: "Very good, Matthias.

I see Janos's shadow in you; you truly haven't disappointed me."

The conversation concluded here, and Laszlo prepared to discuss the division of the family's territory with Hunyadi after the Parliament ended.

The re-enfeoffment of nobles was common in the East but relatively rare in Europe; only France and England had previously used this method to strengthen royal authority.

And after Laszlo came to power, he had already completed a large-scale territorial transfer through "coercion," effectively kicking his uncle Frederick to Bulgaria.

Such cross-national transfers were unprecedented in European history.

And Matthias would undoubtedly become the second noble to accept a cross-national transfer, transitioning from a Hungarian noble to an Austrian noble.