Return of the King

The spring breeze caressed the land, and everything took on a new look, a vibrant scene that made Laszlo's mood even better.

He rode his steed, proudly raising his head, feeling the bright sunshine, as if all obstacles before him had been swept away.

The army following him stretched like a long snake, marching in an orderly fashion on the wide road, extending as far as the eye could see.

The soldiers were in high spirits, their steps strong, and their formidable appearance was even more impressive than when they set out.

Not far ahead, they would reach Pest, and after crossing the river from Pest to Budapest, they could get some good rest.

Soon, this mighty army arrived at the gates of Pest.

The city gates were wide open, and the Emperor led his army swaggering into the city.

Pest had become even more prosperous in recent days, with merchants from north and south gathering there, all because the Emperor was about to return with his army to convene the long-delayed Hungarian Parliament.

Nobles, clerics, and city representatives from all over the country rushed to Pest to attend the annual grand event.

Every year at this time, Pest, the large metropolis next to the capital, would become lively and prosperous, and this year was no exception.

Laszlo led his army in a triumphal parade through Pest.

Pedestrians and merchants on the road made way for the Emperor's iron hooves, celebrating his victory with cheers and flowers.

In a room on the second floor of a small building beside the street, a middle-aged noble with a scarred face grimly pulled back a corner of the curtain, looking askance with dark eyes at the mighty army passing below, which was drawing cheers from the crowd.

His gaze finally focused on the person leading the way.

That young man was the Emperor, dressed in exquisite carved plate armor, inlaid with gold trim and jewels, looking as flashy and impractical as he himself was.

Károlyi let down the curtain, and the room became dim again, with only the flickering candlelight emitting a faint glow.

His gaze turned to the six or seven prominent grand nobles gathered in the room, whose expressions were equally grim.

Sitting in the center of the group was Count Chak, who had been chosen as their leader.

He was tall, but his back was slightly hunched, and years had etched deep wrinkles on his face, yet his eyes still held a shrewd and ruthless glint.

He slowly put down his wine glass and let out a heavy sigh: "I never thought that the young king would actually kill Hunyadi.

Just for this ruthlessness and decisiveness, he is already stronger than the kings of the past."

"Indeed," Károlyi scoffed with a hint of disdain, "Batthyány, that coward, was originally waiting for Hunyadi to die so he could go to the Emperor to reclaim his salt mine.

Now, let alone going to the Emperor, he doesn't even dare to attend our gathering."

Upon hearing this, everyone's expressions grew even more solemn.

Clearly, Batthyány was not the only one who felt fear; everyone present was terrified of the Emperor's power.

However, their determination to protect their property and rights was even stronger, which was why they gathered here to discuss countermeasures.

Ever since the rumors of so-called economic reforms spread from the Emperor's court, they had lost countless nights of sleep.

During this time, some had even considered raising an army to support Hunyadi and fight the Emperor.

But the Emperor's army swept through like a broken bamboo, quickly cornering Hunyadi, forcing those with ulterior motives to also lay down their arms.

Sitting next to Chak was the young and impetuous Baron Chudár, who had recently inherited vast lands in southern Hungary from his family.

At this moment, his somewhat naive face was filled with anger: "Those cowards don't even have the courage to resist; don't they know that the Emperor's reforms are clearly meant to shake the very foundations of the nobility?"

Count Gereb, who sat opposite him, had been silent. He was a meticulous and observant man.

Now, he stroked his chin and slowly spoke: "The Gara Family has been wiped out, this ancient noble family has now vanished with the power of the Hunyadi Family.

Báthory and Szilágyi, these two most powerful figures, have pretended to be deaf and mute from beginning to end.

That cunning Szilágyi Mihály watched his nephew's downfall with his own eyes, yet he showed no reaction at all.

Báthory István was recently promoted to Royal Inspector; he is now determined to follow the Emperor.

With just us, how can we stop the Emperor?"

As he spoke these words, his gaze was fixed on Count Chak, who was regarded as the backbone of the group.

Among those present, the only truly powerful ones were Count Chak and Baron Károlyi, who was by the window.

Chudár said with great reluctance, "Are we just going to let him succeed? How can our wealth and land, accumulated over generations, be so easily taken by him?"

With that, he slammed his fist on the table, and the flickering candlelight illuminated his flushed face.

"He has now dealt with the most powerful noble in the Kingdom, and he returns with the prestige of a great victory to implement reforms. I can't think of any way to deal with him."

Gereb's words made the atmosphere in the room even more oppressive.

Chak nodded slightly, his gaze directed towards the window, which was tightly covered by velvet curtains.

Although the light was blocked outside the window, the cheers of the people clearly reached inside the room.

"We certainly cannot act blindly," Chak sighed softly, "The Emperor has already gained widespread support from the new nobility and urban commoners; they all yearn to break the existing structure and gain more benefits."

"Those upstarts and paupers!" Chudár spat disdainfully, "What do they know?

We are the foundation of this country; if not for us, Hungary would have been completely destroyed when the Mongols arrived!"

The nobles generally agreed with his words, but only Károlyi showed a sarcastic smile.

Originally, after the golden bull was signed, the succeeding king had briefly regained control of the situation, and there was a glimmer of hope to reorganize Hungary's political landscape.

It was precisely the Mongol invasion of the West that completely destroyed the Kingdom of Hungary's castle defense network, allowing local nobles to almost completely break free from royal constraints, gradually growing into their current state.

So, these fellows had to thank those fleeting Mongols for being able to enjoy over two hundred years of privilege.

And Károlyi, as a new military noble, was naturally not on the same page as them.

However, by status, Károlyi was also one of these grand nobles, and coupled with his dissatisfaction with the Emperor, he chose to attend this gathering.

Chak evidently noticed Károlyi's attitude, and he frowned, saying, "The support of these people is one thing, but the Emperor has already shown us his trump card—those more than ten thousand Austrian troops, we simply cannot handle them.

And those Croatians, they are now very willing to serve the Emperor; even the arrogant Hunyadi ultimately died at the hands of the Croatians.

The support we can gain is simply too little..."

"Are we just going to sit here and wait to die?" Chudár asked anxiously.

Gereb suggested, "We cannot confront the Emperor directly. The best way is to temporarily retreat and wait for the right moment—for instance, when the Emperor's reforms infringe upon the interests of more people. Then we can strike a fatal blow, sweeping all those so-called reforms into the trash."

Chak pondered for a moment upon hearing this, a hint of ferocity flashing in his eyes, and agreed, "This is the only way now.

Everyone, at the upcoming Hungarian Parliament, express your opinions as tactfully as possible. Do not create overly sharp conflicts with the Emperor.

The previous method of coercing him to cancel the 'turkey tax' is no longer effective.

Think carefully before you speak. There are now over ten thousand troops stationed outside Budapest, and no one knows what the Emperor might do."

Everyone nodded in agreement; the situation was stronger than them now.

After the fall of the Hunyadi Family, those truly influential figures who could sway the Kingdom of Hungary's politics either prostrated themselves before the Emperor or hid away, doing nothing.

With their limited power, they couldn't stop the Emperor at all; they could only temporarily yield and wait for an opportunity to challenge him again.

Inside Budapest Royal Palace, Laszlo had not yet had time to discuss the promulgation of the new golden bull and the promotion of economic reforms with his cabinet when he received news of the arrival of an envoy from Vienna.

When the envoy entered the great hall to pay respects to the Emperor, Laszlo recognized the newcomer at a glance.

"Clemens?"

Laszlo looked at the visitor with some surprise. If it weren't for a major event, Eyczing would not have sent his most capable deputy as a messenger.

Thinking of this, he quickly asked, "Has something major happened in Austria?"

"Something major has happened in the Empire, Emperor," Clemens reported, barely concealing his excitement. "After a year-long siege, Heidelberg has finally fallen.

Now, Elector Palatine Frederick I and the deposed Elector Philip are being escorted to Vienna and will arrive within days.

The imperial princes are shocked by this matter. The Elector of Saxony has demanded a meeting of the Electors to discuss the handling of the Elector Palatine."

"Hmph, a meeting of the Electors?" Laszlo sneered twice. "The Elector Palatine is my prisoner. The Archbishops of Trier and Mainz both stand with me. As long as I can win over the Archbishop of Cologne or the Elector of Brandenburg, won't this meeting of the Electors be my personal domain?"

"Indeed, Emperor," Clemens pulled out a letter and presented it to the Emperor. "The Archbishop of Cologne hopes you can help him regain control of Cologne, and in return, he will support all your decisions."

Laszlo was slightly surprised by this and, after carefully reading the letter in his hand, asked Clemens, "Is this Eyczing's doing?"

Clemens nodded affirmatively, "Lord Eyczing had anticipated the matter of the Electors' meeting early on, and thus preemptively contacted the Archbishop of Cologne and reached a deal.

However, if you are dissatisfied with such a deal, you can refuse.

You have already secured the support of three seats in the Electors' meeting, and the Archbishop of Mainz and you jointly exercise the right of judgment, which can also decide the fate of the Elector Palatine."

"Good," Laszlo said, nodding with satisfaction. "Regarding the Archbishop of Cologne's request, it can be granted, but it would be best to use this to gain his support for the imperial reforms.

After all, Cologne is an important city of the Hanseatic League.

Although its acquisition of free city status involved illegal means like rebellion and the arrest of the Archbishop, by now, few people care about this matter.

Reclaiming Cologne won't be an easy task—at least, the Archbishop must feel that it won't be easy, and then it will be easier to negotiate terms.

Regarding the Electors' meeting, I will convene it naturally after returning to the Empire. Tell the princes to be patient and wait for me to settle Hungary first.

Convey my words to Eyczing."

"Yes, Emperor."

After Clemens departed, Laszlo quickly summoned the regency cabinet of the Kingdom of Hungary and some other important officials. Having just returned victorious, Laszlo immediately plunged into the affairs of Hungary's economic reform, so busy that he had little time to spend with his family.

Half a month later, the Hungarian Parliament, delayed by nearly half a year, was held as scheduled.

This time, the Hungarian Parliament was not held in Budapest but was moved to the City Hall in Pest.

The scale of the Hungarian Parliament was also the largest in recent years, even surpassing the grand event of 1460.

In recent years, the number of seats for lower nobility and urban representatives in the Hungarian Parliament had noticeably increased, while the political space for the great nobles was squeezed.

Only the clergy seemed to be independent of the Kingdom of Hungary's politics, almost unaffected.

Inside the hall, the atmosphere was so heavy it felt like water could be wrung out of it.

Sunlight struggled to penetrate the stained-glass windows, casting mottled light and shadow on the floor, yet it couldn't dispel the pervasive oppression in the room.

Inside and outside the City Hall stood many fully armed Imperial Guard swordsmen, and behind the Emperor stood a dozen great swordsmen with fierce gazes.

They still carried an undissipated aura of killing intent, reminding the members of the Hungarian Parliament that these soldiers had recently participated in the war to suppress the Hunyadi rebels.

Laszlo, dressed in magnificent royal robes, sat on the throne, his gaze stern and resolute, like a sharp sword sweeping over the nobles below.

"Gentlemen," Laszlo began his customary opening speech for the Hungarian Parliament, "I presume you have all heard the news of the Hunyadi Family's downfall.

The current Kingdom of Hungary fills me with worry.

The Kingdom of Hungary's economy is in decline, the people live in hardship, and the Ottoman are eyeing us like a tiger, ready to make a comeback.

At such a critical time, my most trusted chief noble dared to incite rebellion, which shocked me."

The members of the Hungarian Parliament were as silent as cicadas in winter, though many muttered inwardly that the Hunyadi rebellion was probably exactly what this strong Emperor had hoped for.

"Some of you, during the Hunyadi rebellion, probably harbored small intentions as well. I am well aware of this."

At these words, the members of the Hungarian Parliament exchanged glances, and several individuals with ulterior motives, such as Count Chak, suddenly felt a pang of lingering fear.

Perhaps news of economic reforms was released by the Emperor to incite resistance from those who were dissatisfied.

Fortunately, they maintained sufficient restraint, otherwise, many more might have suffered the same fate as the Hunyadi Family.

"Since you are all able to sit here properly, it means you acknowledge my rule.

I intend to implement reforms in the Kingdom of Hungary to enrich the nation and strengthen the military, to resist foreign enemies, and I hope you will cooperate fully."

The Emperor's words were resounding, striking the hearts of the nobles like heavy hammers.