Peace Under the Shadow

Inside Hofburg Palace, Laszlo hummed an unknown tune, walking with light steps towards the council hall.

Following him was his newly chosen attendant and private secretary—Albrecht von Wittelsbach, the Elector of Munich's younger brother.

Too many Albrechts filled Laszlo's life—his father, his cousin, his General...

Now even his attendant had the same name.

So, he gave this young attendant the nickname "Al" to differentiate him.

When Laszlo first met Al in Worms, he already had the intention to recruit him.

This young man went to Italy to study in his early teens, graduated from Pavia University at sixteen, and even entered the Milan Church.

He was seventeen this year, fluent in German, French, and Latin, had close ties with the Church, and was the Elector of Munich's closest younger brother.

Such immense advantages made him stand out among other competitors and be chosen by Laszlo as his attendant, filling Matthias's vacancy.

Meanwhile, Eberhard, the son of the Count of Württemberg, his main competitor, deeply regretted this outcome.

To "ease" the friction between the Count of Württemberg and the Margrave of Baden, the Emperor had recently granted the Count of Württemberg the position of General and entrusted him with the Swabian Army.

Although the entire Swabian Imperial Circle only managed to gather two hundred cavalry and over five hundred infantry, at least a usable army was established from scratch.

This army was entirely funded by taxes levied by the Swabian Council on all estates within the Imperial Circle, used to protect the interests of all Imperial estates in Swabia.

According to the intelligence Laszlo obtained, the Swabian Imperial Circle could probably maintain an army of 4,000-6,000 men if fully operational.

If squeezed even harder, an army of ten thousand was also possible.

However, organizing such a large army not entirely under his control was not what he wanted.

And Ulrich V, the Count of Württemberg-Stuttgart, who gained military power, was extremely grateful to Laszlo.

Not long ago, his grand-nephew, Eberhard V, Count of the Württemberg-Urach branch, officially came of age, taking back control of the Urach territory from Ulrich V.

The two branches, temporarily united under Ulrich V, split again, and the Count of Württemberg's strength was greatly diminished, almost losing the qualifications to contend with the Margrave of Baden.

At this moment, the Emperor's assistance was nothing short of a godsend to him.

It was precisely for this reason that he conceived the idea of sending his heir into the Imperial Palace to serve as the Emperor's attendant.

This would both demonstrate loyalty to the Emperor and firmly bind the Württemberg family to the Habsburg Family's chariot.

In the future, his son might, by this means, gain greater power within the Empire.

However, Ulrich V and his son Eberhard never expected that the Wittelsbach family of Munich would get there first.

Laszlo had his own considerations when choosing an attendant.

Firstly, Albrecht, having been educated within the Church system, far surpassed other competitors in knowledge, vision, and many other aspects.

Secondly, Albrecht was very young, which was precisely his advantage.

Compared to Eberhard, who was the same age as him, Laszlo preferred to recruit Albrecht, who was six or seven years younger than him, as his attendant.

Youth meant that many things could be slowly cultivated, such as loyalty and ability.

Thirdly, Albrecht, as the Elector of Munich's younger brother, recruiting him as an attendant could be seen as a gesture of goodwill towards the Elector of Munich.

This was a common "investment" for family advancement.

In the original timeline, during the centuries when the Habsburgs ruled the Empire, the Empire's princes often sent their own sons to the Emperor's court.

Although Albrecht's initial intention upon returning to Munich from Milan was to assist his elder brother in governing the territory, serving as the Emperor's attendant would certainly help his elder brother even more.

Therefore, Albrecht ultimately gladly accepted the Emperor's recruitment and became the next "Emperor's favorite" in the eyes of the world.

At this moment, Al followed behind the Emperor, his mood also becoming cheerful, influenced by Laszlo.

Rather, the entire court became joyful with the Empress's renewed pregnancy.

The new royal baby would heal the war wounds in people's hearts.

However, the Austrians were undoubtedly unfortunate yet fortunate.

Their monarch was a young man enthusiastic about war, but at the same time, he understood the pain of war.

At least the flames of war had not truly affected Austria itself, even though the Emperor had waged many wars in just a few years.

Upon arriving at the Imperial Palace and reviewing some important documents, Al felt a deep sense of awe towards the power in the Emperor's hands.

Especially recently, issues regarding the replenishment of the Emperor's four major legions frequently appeared in the documents submitted to the Emperor.

The Bohemia that attacked and occupied Upper Palatinate, the Independent Army that captured Heidelberg, and the Austro-Hungarian Army and Saxon Army that pacified the Hungarian rebellion.

These four forces participated in two wars, showcasing the Emperor's power to the world.

Such a large standing army would probably be enough to crush the entire Empire, wouldn't it?

However, the Emperor would not do that; his army relied heavily on manpower supply from various parts of the Empire.

Those mercenaries wandering within the Empire, risking their lives for money, would accept the Emperor's recruiting officers' invitations to fill the Imperial Army's vacancies.

This made the Emperor's army's replenishment speed extremely fast, incomparable to traditional nobles who still needed to summon knights and serfs to go to war.

Even if there weren't enough mercenaries to fill the vacancies, the training ground established by the Emperor in Vienna New City would accept Imperial youths eager to serve their country.

After unified and rigorous training, they would be assigned to various armies.

The arsenals built by the Emperor in Milan, Innsbruck, Graz, and Slovakia would provide these individuals with equipment.

And the Austria Military Academy, established in Vienna New City, would supplement the army with backbone grassroots noble officers.

This was a terrifying and incredibly resource-intensive war machine formed by integrating multiple mechanisms and systems, appearing quite precise and efficient to Al.

The more he understood the Imperial Army's structure, the more alarmed Al became.

If one day Bavaria also had to face the Emperor's military might, what a terrifying sight would that be?

He didn't dare to imagine such a scene; in any case, it would be extremely bad.

Therefore, Munich, being so close to Austria, must absolutely not rashly resist the Emperor, otherwise, the only outcome would be widespread devastation.

He recalled the desolate scene he witnessed when passing through Palatinate earlier, and his conviction grew stronger.

As things stood, it seemed there was only one path to take: to pledge loyalty to the Emperor!

Al had just snapped out of his thoughts when the Emperor stopped—they had reached the entrance of the council hall.

Al pushed open the door for the Emperor, and after Laszlo entered, he curiously peeked at the Privy Council ministers already waiting inside, then closed the door.

As an attendant, he had no right to listen in on Privy Council meetings, so he could only quietly stand guard at the door, waiting for the Emperor and the ministers to finish their discussions.

Inside, Laszlo sat down at the head of the table with a smile.

This was the fifth Privy Council meeting he had convened since returning to Vienna.

The rule he had previously set of holding a regular meeting once a month was simply too lenient.

Even with more time dedicated to his family, Laszlo would still hold a meeting every half-month, in addition to more frequent, larger-scale court assemblies.

Actually, Laszlo found himself quite perverse; when he was diligently engaged in state affairs, he always wanted to find an opportunity to relax.

But when he actually had the chance to relax, Laszlo felt that being too idle was not a good thing.

He sat quietly in his seat, listening as each minister reported to him in turn.

Now, the year 1463 had already drifted halfway by; it was the height of summer.

The Mainz War had just ended, and the Empire, after immense turmoil, had regained peace, and it seemed this peace would last for a considerable time.

Austria and Bohemia were also managed meticulously by Laszlo's Privy Council.

The expanded mining of the Kuttenberg Silver Mine and the Tyrol Silver Mine could provide the Emperor with nearly 100,000 florins in income annually.

Long-term peace led to increasing prosperity in the territory; agriculture, handicrafts, and commerce developed rapidly, and the population also grew.

Laszlo, in partnership with Fugger, monopolized copper mines across half of Europe, earning immense profits from it.

The proportion of mining taxes increased year by year, gradually becoming an important economic pillar for both Austria and Bohemia.

Commodity tariffs and consumption taxes also rose with the prosperity of commerce, and Vienna had clearly become another commercial center in Central Europe besides Augsburg, with the Northern Italy territories contributing significantly.

Of course, the most important was still the agricultural tax. The output of the royal domains was indeed considerable, but many lands and people were controlled by the Austrian nobles.

Laszlo's representatives would negotiate with the estates in each province to have them pay a portion of the regular taxes.

During wartime, they would be required to pay more special taxes to support the Emperor, who would, in turn, grant them certain regional privileges.

Representatives from the four major estates—clergy, nobility, knights, and towns—frequently sent letters to Laszlo, who was thousands of miles away, complaining that the Emperor was constantly disregarding their demands.

Laszlo even received such petitions when he was touring in Bulgaria, which left him somewhat exasperated.

It was not only the Austrian estates that acted this way; even the members of the Swabian Imperial Circle often expressed their dissatisfaction to the Emperor.

They had gradually begun to see themselves as part of the Emperor's subjects—though most of the time it was to seek benefits from him.

But at least they had begun to form an Imperial identity, which was exactly what Laszlo hoped for.

The regency government of the Duchy of Milan was in a semi-autonomous state, almost never appearing except for submitting tribute to the Vienna government annually.

However, the Northern Italy Council, permanently stationed in Milan, and the Milan Army under Piccinino continued to function, helping Laszlo deter the states of Northern Italy.

Laszlo maintained peace and stability in all his territories within the Empire; only the Venetia region experienced some minor disturbances, which were quickly quelled.

As for the eastern territories, with the increase in Hungarian garrisons, the Hungarian nobles, who had been restless due to the Hunyadi rebellion and the promulgation of the new golden bull, settled down again.

But Laszlo remained extremely vigilant at all times; he would not give those Hungarian nobles any chance to strike back.

Once the new tax system was stable for the next two years and the Kingdom of Hungary's revenue increased, he would immediately arrange to expand the Hungarian Border Guard to exert more pressure on the disgruntled nobles.

This cycle would continue, and unless he died suddenly, the Hungarian nobles would never rise again.

Although entrusting Serbia and Bulgaria to his two uncles did not entirely reassure Laszlo, they did manage to establish the Habsburg Family's rule in the Balkans.

The remaining vassal states—Wallachia, Moldavia, and Moria—remained as usual.

Their value lay in serving as a shield in Laszlo's hands, fending off threats from all directions.

Now, on the Balkans, only a few port cities of the Venetians, Albania, Epirus, and scattered Ottoman territories remained in the fringes.

Laszlo was only somewhat interested in Epirus, showing little interest in the other forces.

Constantinople was temporarily beyond his reach, the Venetians were already half-dead, and Albania was notoriously tough.

Only Epirus, a fickle state with little power, had survived for too long.

Whether or not to attack Epirus was not a crucial question for Laszlo.

It was just a remote and rather worthless small state, not worth his excessive attention.

"So, what has Mehmed II been up to lately?"

Laszlo asked Eyczing, the President of the Privy Council and his most trusted chancellor, who was briefing him on the diplomatic situation, posing the question he cared about most.

"According to intelligence from our spies, the Ottoman Empire is engaged in a protracted tug-of-war with the Karamanid Beylik and currently has no time for other matters."

"What a pity. If it weren't for keeping Hungary in check, I'd want to gather a large army right now and launch another Crusade."

Hearing Laszlo's half-joking words, Eyczing smiled helplessly.

"Your Majesty, Constantinople is in the hands of the Ottoman. Even if we use the strength of the entire nation, we might not be able to conquer it…"

Laszlo waved his hand and said, "I understand that, but I still can't let go of that magnificent city in my heart."

For some reason, Laszlo always felt that his obsession with Constantinople was akin to the Ottoman's obsession with Vienna in his original timeline.

That feeling of being so close yet so far was truly agonizing.

Eyczing nodded slightly, and seeing the Emperor's wistful expression, he offered words of comfort: "Perhaps in another ten or so years, we will find an excellent opportunity to liberate that ancient city."

"If only that were true," Laszlo said, resting his chin on his hand and smiling, "Compared to the old geezers of my time, the one thing I have in abundance is time.

The East is not a concern for now. Is there any other valuable intelligence?"

"The messenger from the Lithuanian Grand Duke's wife mentioned that in the Grand Duchy of Moscow to their north, a young new monarch has ascended, known as Ivan III.

It is said that he is a brave and wise ruler, yet also tyrannical and cruel—the Lithuanian Grand Duke is uneasy about this."

"Ivan III…"

Laszlo had heard that name. Ivan III was born in the same year as him, exactly one month older.

According to his memories from his previous life, this divine monarch, commonly known as 'Ivan the Great,' was the founder of Tsarist Russia and the conqueror of Novgorod and the various Rus' principalities.

In his teens, he led an army to conquer the Ryazan Principality. It was rumored that he enjoyed personally executing death row inmates, trying out his sword on a dozen people daily, while also maintaining extremely fair and strict justice.

Such actions earned him mixed reviews among the Rus' principalities.

Overall, this Ivan III's martial prowess was probably even greater than Laszlo's.

If he ascended the throne, Laszlo's second brother-in-law, Kazimierz, would likely suffer sleepless nights.

However, this would also reduce the likelihood of conflict between Lithuania and him, and the northern border would enjoy a long period of peace.

"If the Lithuanian Grand Duke needs help, we might be able to gain some advantages from it," Eyczing calmly analyzed.

Laszlo nodded lightly: "Perhaps in the future, we will have to contend with this young Grand Duke of Moscow, but there's no need to worry for now.

What about the situation in other directions?"

"The King of Naples has sent messengers multiple times, hoping for your support. He has now realized he cannot defeat the Aragonese and has begun to panic."

Laszlo was somewhat speechless. Juan II couldn't even quell the Catalan rebellion and needed the help of the French King.

If such a useless person could still not be defeated by Fernando, then he deserved to be beaten.

Only when Aragon counterattacked the Neapolitan mainland would he be able to intervene and gain some benefits.

Laszlo remembered that the Aragonese King, Juan II, had once served as the witness for his and Leonor's marriage, and now he was completely at the mercy of the French King.

If Alfonso V, the 'Magnanimous,' a hero of his time, knew that his brother and illegitimate son were both like this, he would probably be so angry he'd climb out of his coffin.

"Ignore him for now. They are still fighting on Sicily. We will intervene when the fighting becomes more intense.

Let's talk about our main concern—the Kingdom of France."

"The French King has strengthened royal power through various measures in recent years. Now, almost all of France is under his control.

He has concluded a perpetual alliance with the Swiss and has obtained the right to directly recruit native soldiers in the Swiss cantons.

The ordinance knights have expanded from the 8 surviving companies at the end of the Italian War to 25 companies, and are still expanding."

"Wait," Laszlo's expression finally turned serious, "I remember that during Charles VII's reign, the ordinance knights were at their peak with only 15 companies, right?"

"Yes, Your Majesty," Eyczing replied earnestly, "Louis XI has already raised 2,500 lances."

Laszlo almost ground his teeth. The defeat in Italy was merely a minor inconvenience for France.

This Louis XI had no small ambition, raising so many troops in just a few years.

However, Laszlo's army was larger than his, which was why Louis XI felt unsatisfied and continued to expand his army.

As Laszlo was racking his brain for a strategy against France, Albrecht, who was guarding the door, suddenly pushed it open.

"Your Majesty, a man claiming to be the Duke of Armagnac has arrived outside the palace and wishes to be granted an audience."

Laszlo and Eyczing exchanged glances, and a plan immediately formed in their minds.

This was like someone bringing a pillow when you're just about to fall asleep.

"Have him brought to me here, immediately!"

"Yes, Your Majesty."