Another Crown

In Târgoviște, Vlad III leaned against the Prince's carved throne, the bandages seeping blood that stained his collar red.

His face was incredibly pale due to his severe injuries.

During the ambush in the hunting grounds, his personal guards fought desperately to escort him to safety, and most of them perished in that lush forest.

Even Vlad himself, though he narrowly escaped with his life, was almost struck by an arrow in a vital spot and would have died on the spot.

Vlad would never forget this grudge.

He swore to wash away the shame and hatred with the blood of all rebels.

His despicable uncle, Dan, having failed in his attack, immediately retreated to his fief to gather more troops.

Those treacherous nobles responded one after another, and the rebel army was rapidly expanding, gathering a massive force of over five thousand in just a few days, preparing to march and besiege Târgoviște.

Although Vlad was surprised that there were so many rebellious traitors, he wasn't overly worried.

Those rebels, though claiming to be countless, were in reality just a mob.

If he hadn't been severely injured at the moment, he might have already led his personal guard in a swift advance to suppress the rebels.

Unfortunately, though he had trained a formidable army, he lacked generals capable of leading independently.

Galles, the former commander of Gyurgyovo Fortress, was one of Vlad III's most trusted generals.

However, someone secretly informed Vlad that Galles was secretly colluding with his uncle Dan, intending to instigate a rebellion.

Despite the informant providing only vague evidence, Vlad found a random excuse to execute Galles.

The current commander of the Gyurgyovo border army was his youngest brother, Vlad the Monk, who did not possess much leadership ability.

Vlad III's eldest brother, Mircea, was killed by Janos, and he and his brother Radu the Handsome were sent to the Ottoman Sultan's court as hostages; they also had a younger brother, also named Vlad.

This younger Vlad witnessed the tragic deaths of his father and brother, and then witnessed the endless disputes that erupted within the family for power.

He became disheartened and chose to join the church as an Orthodox monk, hoping to wash away his family's sins through his repentance.

From then on, he was known as Vlad the Monk.

However, Vlad III, who had made enemies everywhere, did not have many people he could fully trust and rely on, and Vlad the Monk was one of them.

He was therefore recalled by his brother and appointed as the new commander of Gyurgyovo.

But while entrusting him with defending the fortress was fine, having him lead the army as the main commander to confront the rebels was, Vlad III knew, not a wise choice.

This was why he was currently so troubled.

Just as he was still struggling with how to deal with the rebels, he received news that the Emperor's envoy had returned.

An attendant led the Emperor's envoy before Vlad III.

"Cough, cough, Mister Envoy, I didn't expect to see you again so soon."

Vlad III coughed heavily a few times, forcing himself to muster his spirits as he spoke to the envoy.

The envoy respectfully bowed to Vlad, showing his deference to the Prince, fearing that he might displease the unpredictable Prince Vlad and lose his life.

He quickly surveyed Vlad, finding him to look very weak, which made him somewhat concerned.

"Your Highness's injuries…."

3

The envoy's concerned words were barely out when they were interrupted by the sound of metal striking the ground.

Though severely wounded, Vlad now leaned on his scepter to stand, the wolf head carving on the ebony staff seeming to bare its fangs at the envoy and the assembled court.

"It's just a minor injury, nothing to worry about." Vlad said calmly and collectedly, without changing his expression, then inquired, "I regret having made the Emperor laugh.

I had intended to respectfully welcome His Majesty, but the current situation is a bit tricky, and I'm afraid it won't allow me to welcome His Majesty to Wallachia for a tour."

Recalling his mission, the envoy quickly said, "Your Highness, His Majesty understands your difficulties and has currently canceled his plan to tour Wallachia.

This time, His Majesty sent me here to inform Your Highness that His Majesty supports your rule over Wallachia; this will not change.

Additionally, His Majesty wishes to ask you if you require the Emperor's assistance in quelling the rebellion."

Vlad's heart stirred slightly; as long as the Emperor supported him, the rebellion would not be a major problem.

As for the assistance the envoy mentioned, Vlad couldn't help but suspect Laszlo had ulterior motives, as there was no such thing as a free lunch in this world.

He pondered for a moment, then confidently replied, "Go back and tell the Emperor that I, Vlad, thank him for his trust and support, and tell him not to worry; I will soon bring all rebels to justice."

"I will convey your reply truthfully to His Majesty."

After completing his mission, the envoy wanted to leave this gloomy and terrifying court almost immediately.

Before the rebels could arrive and besiege the city, he had already left, riding quickly south to report to the Emperor. However, at almost the same time, Laszlo, who was staying in Tarnovo, received an unexpected envoy.

"Your esteemed Emperor, I represent the Serbia Council and come to invite you to come to Serbia soon to inherit the throne, and as the King of the Crusade, lead us to glory."

The envoy from Belgrade presented Laszlo with the resolution of the Serbia Council, which stated everything.

Laszlo immediately read the resolution carefully.

Not long ago, King Ulrich of Serbia passed away from illness, leaving a will on his deathbed to bequeath all the property of the Cilli Family to his nephew, Laszlo.

Following ancient feudal traditions, the Serbian nobles held a royal election after the monarch died without an heir.

This was originally supposed to be a holy ceremony for electing a new king, but this election turned into a mere formality.

All Serbian nobles unanimously voted to elect Laszlo, the successor designated by King Ulrich, as the new King of Serbia.

These nobles were all shrewd individuals; they wouldn't be so foolish as to seek their own demise.

Ulrich's designation of Laszlo as the successor to the King of Serbia on his deathbed was equivalent to giving the Emperor legitimacy to rule Serbia.

If they truly dared to elect another king, it is feared that soon after, the Emperor's grand army would pour into Serbia from all directions.

At that time, Serbia might directly turn into a living hell.

To avoid such a tragic situation, the Serbian nobles made a wise choice.

Moreover, to take a step back, they were also happy to accept the Emperor's rule.

After all, before this, the relationship between Serbia and Austria was very complex, largely maintained by the personal relationship between Ulrich and Laszlo, which was not safe for the country.

Serbia's territory borders the sea on one side, and the remaining three sides are almost entirely surrounded by the Emperor's territory.

As a prominent medium-sized country in the Balkans, the Emperor would absolutely not allow Serbia to exist independently, out of his control.

Under such circumstances, it is better to be proactive and directly integrate into the Habsburg Dynasty; doing so would absolutely be more beneficial than detrimental for the Kingdom of Serbia.

For all the reasons above, Laszlo successfully became the King of Serbia.

He had already lost count of how many crowns he had.

In short, his early arrangements yielded rich rewards, starting with the crown of Serbia.

The allegiance of the Kingdom of Serbia meant that all the lands conquered by the last Crusade were now brought under his rule.

Next were the other properties of the Cilli Family.

As a large family spanning several countries, all of Cilli's inheritance was incorporated into the imperial domain.

The proportion of royal lands in Croatia, Bosnia, and other places significantly increased, and the royal lands within Austria and Hungary would also greatly expand.

Austria would annex Cilli without bloodshed and even gain an Imperial Prince seat for free.

These were still just the properties of the Cilli Family; there was much more other wealth not included in the calculation.

As soon as he thought of this mountain of gains, Laszlo couldn't help but curve his lips upward.

How did that saying go?

"Let others wage war; you, happy Austria, marry! What Mars, the god of war, gives to others, Venus, the goddess of love, will bestow upon you."

His claim to the Serbian succession came from his mother's lineage, while Ulrich's right to rule Serbia came from his marriage to a princess of the fallen Serbian kingdom.

European royal bloodlines are linked to the legitimacy of rule, and legitimacy is thus passed between the various royal houses of the European continent through a series of marriages.

The right to rule Serbia transferred from the now extinct Branković Family to the Cilli Family, and now from the extinct Cilli Family to his Habsburg Family.

It truly makes one marvel at the wonders of the world.

However, Laszlo did not appear overly happy.

All these gains came with the passing of his maternal cousin Ulrich, and Laszlo felt a slight sadness about it.

His old retainers who had assisted him were dying one after another, which meant that it would now be up to him to create a new era.

Laszlo raised his hand and gently wiped away non-existent tears from the corners of his eyes, saying to the envoy, "I will soon go to Belgrade to inherit the throne; before that, the Serbian Parliament should maintain the stability of the kingdom."

"Yes, Emperor."

After the envoy left, Laszlo fell into a brief dilemma.

Should he continue to stay in Bulgaria to monitor the situation in Wallachia, or should he go to Serbia to claim a new crown?

Laszlo quickly made his choice.

The Emperor's entourage set off from Tarnovo, heading in the direction of Belgrade.

Compared to the Kingdom of Serbia, Wallachia was not so important.

Moreover, since Vlad did not die in the rebel ambush, it would probably not be so easy for the rebels to defeat him next.

It would certainly be better if Vlad could quell the rebels on his own, as then he wouldn't need to worry too much about Wallachia—he currently had no desire to pour more resources into his Eastern European territories.

But if both sides fought to a mutual defeat yet still couldn't overcome each other, then Laszlo could enter the fray and reap the benefits.

After quelling the rebels, he could then naturally reduce Wallachia's autonomy and make it bear more vassal obligations, and Vlad would not have much strength to resist him at that time.

If Vlad unfortunately perished at the hands of the rebels, then Laszlo could only tearfully attack Wallachia to avenge him, turning it into a new governorate and making it part of the Habsburg Dynasty's territory.

The costs of these three methods increase sequentially, as do the benefits.

Although Laszlo was willing to provide aid to Vlad, how much and when to provide it, the initiative was in his hands.

Wallachia, embroiled in civil strife, clearly had no room for negotiation.

What's more, it was still uncertain whether the proud Vlad III would be willing to accept his help.