Public Welfare

A gaunt-faced man was brought before Laszlo and his ministers.

Although Jean V, Duke of Armagnac, had mentally prepared himself, he still felt a little nervous facing the young foreign monarch before him.

His fate was entirely in the hands of this powerful Emperor.

Laszlo scrutinized the down-and-out exile before him.

Before being brought in, he had been thoroughly searched; not only were his sword and dagger confiscated, but his chainmail was also stripped off.

Now, he could only wear a somewhat worn velvet doublet, and even though the collar was frayed, it still stubbornly maintained its delicate floral pattern.

The golden lion motif, which he had kept hidden, was now revealed—the symbol of the Armagnac family.

The silver-buckled belt at his waist seemed to be cinched too tightly, outlining his slender waist.

Jean V removed his hood and bowed respectfully to the Emperor.

It was evident that he had endured considerable hardship recently, but his inherent demeanor was unmistakable; he had indeed held a high position previously.

Of course, Laszlo had a simpler, more direct method of identification: he had just seen through the exiled Duke completely.

"You are Jean de Armagnac?"

Even though Laszlo knew everything, he was still curious about this ruthless man who had married his own sister.

Unfortunately, the Empire currently had no professional orthopedic doctors.

"Yes, Your Noble Emperor, thank you very much for granting me an audience."

Jean V took a deep breath, feeling somewhat relieved; he had been very worried that he might be turned away from the palace without even seeing the Emperor.

Thankfully, all those worries did not materialize, and he had his wish of meeting the Emperor.

Laszlo showed a benevolent smile, and his tone softened considerably.

"I heard that you suffered unfair mistreatment and judgment in the French King's court, and for that, I extend my deepest sympathy."

Upon hearing the Emperor's words, Jean V had not yet responded, but Eyczing's expression began to look somewhat unnatural.

After all, this Duke of Armagnac had indeed secretly married his own sister, had children with her, and even threatened a bishop in an attempt to legitimize the marriage.

These were all facts, ironclad evidence, and even the Pope was highly concerned about the matter, making a reversal almost impossible.

Was the Emperor saying this now because he intended to bring the Duke of Armagnac into the court?

Eyczing opposed this; he could not allow such a morally corrupt scoundrel into the Emperor's court to tarnish the Emperor's own reputation.

However, Laszlo gave Eyczing a look, telling him to calm down, indicating that he would handle the matter appropriately. Jean V was slightly moved; he knew very well that he had committed the gravest sin, and the Emperor's words had given him ample face and dignity.

Nevertheless, a bitter smile still touched his lips.

"Your Majesty, I was indeed humiliated by the French King due to some mistakes, and I thank you for your kindness."

"Hmm, now tell me your purpose for coming."

Laszlo did not wish to reopen the other party's wounds, so he chose to get straight to the point.

Although this Duke of Armagnac had personal failings, his abilities were quite good.

His advisor attribute of [Diplomacy: +2], coupled with the extremely rare [Trait (Master Schemer): Significantly increases the success rate of schemes].

Suitable for a spy, like a rat in a sewer—which rather matched his current predicament.

"I am here hoping to receive your protection. My… family has fallen gravely ill and needs treatment. Assassins sent by the French King almost took my life in Naples.

If you can provide us with protection and save us from the French King's persecution, I am willing to devote everything to you."

Upon hearing this, Laszlo raised an eyebrow, intently watching the uneasy Jean V, and displayed a thoughtful expression.

The long-unseen event panel reappeared in his vision.

[Event: The Guilty Exile]

[An exile from the Kingdom of France, the Duke of Armagnac, has appeared in your court.

He was a former high-ranking minister of France and even served as a tutor to Charles, the second prince of France, knowing many French secrets.

Most importantly, he himself has extensive connections in French politics and is closely associated with many vassals who wish to resist the French King.

Now, he claims he is willing to dedicate everything to you, asking only that you rescue him from his hardship and the clutches of the French King.

However, he also carries a heavy burden of sin.

If you choose to accept him, this may lead to a deterioration of your relations with the French King and the Pope.

Are you willing to accept him?]

[Option One: His contributions will be very useful, but we need to ensure the secrecy of this matter.]

[Provide protection for the Duke, his family, and his followers, hiding them and pretending they never came to Austria.]

[Gain Modifier (A Secret): The Duke of Armagnac's attitude towards the Emperor slightly improves; when the secret is revealed, it will lead to a significant decrease in the Emperor's prestige and a deterioration of relations with relevant countries.]

[Option Two: The enemy of our enemy is our friend; we need more friends.]

[Accept the exiled Duke and provide him with long-term protection in exchange for his services.]

[Gain Modifier (No Refusals): The Emperor's prestige slightly decreases; relations with the Kingdom of France severely deteriorate; relations with the Papal States may be affected; the Duke of Armagnac's attitude towards the Emperor greatly improves; defectors from countries hostile to Austria are more inclined to flee to Austria for asylum.]

[Option Three: There is no more room here for a person of bad character.]

[Expel the exiled Duke and forbid them from setting foot on any land under the rule of the Habsburg Family.]

[Gain Modifier (Rejecting Exiles): The Emperor's prestige increases; relations with the Papal States and the Kingdom of France improve; the Duke of Armagnac's attitude towards the Emperor greatly deteriorates; exiles are more inclined to flee to other countries for asylum.]

Option Three was immediately ruled out by Laszlo.

The Duke of Armagnac would definitely be an important chess piece for him to use against France; how could he easily give him up?

So, to choose between one and two, was it to be secretive or open?

Laszlo keenly noticed that in the consequences of Option Two, relations with the Pope might not be affected.

Could it be to bribe Pope Pius II?

However, Pope Pius II was not a greedy person; on the contrary, he had a strong sense of justice, otherwise he would not have pushed for church reforms against all opposition.

This meant that the best solution still had to be found through this Duke.

Laszlo cherished his reputation, so he decided to do a little more.

After a moment of thought, he chose the second option.

"I agree to offer you protection, and in return, you must work for me."

"Your Majesty, I… I truly don't know how to express my gratitude to you—"

"However, I have one more condition."

Laszlo's words made the overjoyed Duke's expression freeze, and his previously relaxed mood became tense again.

"Your Majesty, please speak."

"You must control yourself and break off the forbidden relationship—at least outwardly.

I will place your… sister in a convent, and you must confess your sins to the Archbishop of Vienna. I will personally write to the Pope to discuss granting you clemency.

If you cannot even do this much, then there will be no place for you anywhere my decree can reach."

"Your Majesty, this…"

Jean V showed a pained, conflicted expression, seemingly finding it difficult to decide among the choices the Emperor had given him.

Laszlo felt a bit helpless; this fellow was truly a hopeless romantic.

Marrying his own sister had cost him his territory and title, and led to his exile and wandering, and even now, he couldn't let go of this affection?

No wonder he couldn't outwit the Spider King; it would be a miracle if such a character could outwit Louis XI.

There was no way around it; Laszlo genuinely needed someone with deeper ties to France to help him deal with Louis XI.

He sighed softly and said, "As long as you can complete the tasks I assign you, you will have the chance to reunite with your sister.

It's just that at this stage, I cannot permit someone who has violated taboos and remains unrepentant to stay in my court."

"Very well, Your Majesty, I agree to your terms."

The Emperor's words made the Duke of Armagnac breathe a sigh of relief; he had been pushed to a dead end.

If he couldn't be accepted by the Emperor, he truly didn't know where else he could go.

Although he knew something about the countries further north, whether their monarchs would be willing to accept him was also a mystery.

Laszlo nodded in satisfaction; only those who knew how to make sacrifices could survive in this world.

Jean V only needed to be temporarily separated from his sister, but Laszlo was staking his own reputation.

Although accepting this sister-obsessed fallen Duke wouldn't have too great an impact on him, he really disliked hearing bad things said about himself, especially such unfounded accusations.

Now that he had decided to accept Jean V, Laszlo eagerly began to ask about the real business.

"I heard that the King of France has been expanding his army recently, which makes me very worried that he will threaten the peace of the whole of Europe.

Moreover, the Duke of Burgundy's messenger told me that Louis XI's various atrocities in France have caused chaos, and now many people want to unite to resist his tyranny.

You understand the situation in France best; please tell me about it."

Jean V's expression became serious. He knew that the Emperor was testing his abilities.

"Louis XI has indeed caused much discontent.

First, his succession violated his predecessor's last wishes, and I suspect he conspired to murder the former king!"

"Oh? Charles VII was killed by Louis XI? And what about the last wishes? Tell me in detail."

Laszlo began to get excited. He didn't expect Jean V to throw out such a bombshell as soon as he started.

The ministers present also pricked up their ears. They didn't know much about the death of Charles VII, far less than Jean V, who was a direct participant.

Jean V felt a little sad, but he didn't show it in front of everyone.

Compared to the tyrannical Louis XI, Charles VII could be said to have shown him, the Duke of Armagnac, great favor.

Therefore, he often missed that great "Victorious King" in his heart.

The more he missed him, the deeper his hatred for Louis XI became.

"Before Charles VII's death, I asked him who he wished to inherit the throne. When Charles was mentioned, the former king nodded in affirmation.

Louis XI is merely a treacherous villain who constantly incited rebellion by taking advantage of the former king's leniency, and later usurped the Kingdom.

After the former king's death, I observed that his illness was not normal; it might have been caused by poison.

Later, Louis XI brought troops to control the funeral procession and executed all the court doctors on the spot.

This matter is very suspicious."

"So, this is just your speculation," Laszlo said with some disappointment, "Although I also think a cold-blooded fellow like Louis XI wouldn't kill those doctors out of anger over his father's death, there's no evidence for this matter anymore.

You just said that Charles VII wanted his younger son, Charles, to inherit the throne?"

"Yes, Your Majesty, we even formed an alliance for this."

"The Duke of Burgundy also mentioned this. You plan to force Louis XI to hand over Charles and then resist Louis XI's tyranny?"

"Exactly," Jean V said somewhat dejectedly, "That's what we initially planned, and we also intended to win over more allies.

However, I was shamefully betrayed, and thus I was expelled by Louis XI and had my territories confiscated."

"Besides the Duke of Burgundy and the Duke of Brittany, who else might join this alliance?"

"The Duke of Alençon. He was arrested by the former king for secretly colluding with the English. Louis XI released him after his accession,

but imposed very harsh conditions.

Before I left France, the Duke of Alençon hinted to me that he was dissatisfied with Louis XI.

Then there's the Duke of Bourbon. He's a pure soldier, rarely taking sides in political conflicts.

Louis XI didn't let him off; after stabilizing the domestic situation, he stripped him of his position as governor of two provinces and imprisoned him.

He and I served the former king together and were deeply trusted by the King, which is why Louis XI repeatedly targeted him.

The Count of Foix might support the alliance, or he might not.

Although he was targeted by the King of France, he later reconciled with Louis XI over the issue of the Kingdom of Navarre.

The remaining important nobles are the Count of Albret, the Duke of Orléans, the Duke of Anjou, and the Count of Maine; they are all Louis XI's confidants.

However, speaking of confidants, not long ago, Louis XI showed interest in the Maine territory because the Count of Maine still doesn't have a male heir.

The Count of Maine's territory and title were ceded to him by his brother, the Duke of Anjou, René. If he dies without an heir, they should rightfully be inherited by the Duke of Anjou or his descendants.

But Louis XI insists that by law he has the right to reclaim Maine. Furthermore, he has shown interest in Anjou, Provence, and even Lorraine.

This will certainly cause panic among his two uncles. If a suitable opportunity arises, I am confident I can persuade the Count of Maine to withdraw his support for Louis XI.

1

(Map of the Kingdom of France situation—not just the Holy Roman Empire shattered into pieces! The territories of Savoy and Lorraine in the map differ from this book's timeline and can be ignored.)

Eyczing and Laszlo both showed knowing expressions.

Indeed, no matter how carefully they collected intelligence, the French understood French affairs best.

Many of the things Jean V just mentioned did not appear in Laszlo's correspondence with Philip the Good.

This meant that Philip likely had some oversights, and Jean V's analysis instantly clarified the situation.

Who was an enemy, who was a friend, and who had value in being won over, became clear at a glance.

Just a few sentences outlined the framework of an alliance against Louis XI.

Laszlo knew that it was the so-called "League of the Public Weal."

It was just that the time was not yet fully ripe, so the alliance could not be formally established.

"Even as King, that Louis still can't change his impetuous nature," Laszlo said, shaking his head with a smile.

"He's a Crown Prince who dared to rebel at 17, and he rebelled three times in total. Such a Crown Prince is rare throughout history.

Now that he's King, he's using such impetuous methods to suppress his vassals. Should one say he's a great strategist, or that he's acting recklessly?"

Based on the results known from his previous life, Louis XI was undoubtedly a monarch of great strategy.

He continuously used such high-pressure tactics, yet he was able to quell crises of vassals forcing his hand multiple times, eventually almost unifying all of France.

His enemies and allies did not end well.

The Duke of Alençon was stripped of everything and died miserably in the dungeons of the Louvre; the Duke of Armagnac and his cousin Jacques were executed, their heads sent to Paris.

The leader of the alliance, "Bold" Charles, was "skull-cracked" by the Swiss.

Louis XI's own brother, the nominal leader of the alliance, Charles, also died mysteriously at a young age.

The Duke of Brittany, the Duke of Anjou, and the Count of Maine were all ultimately devoured by Louis XI and his son, leaving no heirs.

The surviving Count of Foix and Count of Albret were both loyal to the Crown and entangled with the Kingdom of Navarre, ultimately being swallowed by France along with the northern part of the Kingdom of Navarre.

Only the Duke of Orléans was an exception; his only son, Louis, later inherited the royal line, ascended the throne as King,

and continued the House of Valois-Orléans, known as Louis XII.

However, Laszlo would not allow such an outcome to occur. Although he did not intend to directly intervene in the conflict between the League of the Public Weal and Louis XI from the outset, he could certainly stir up trouble from behind the scenes.

Originally, he had planned to assign this task to Anthony of Burgundy, the "Great Bastard," who was specifically responsible for liaison with Burgundy.

But now, it seemed he had a more suitable candidate.

"Duke Jean, I happen to need a secret diplomat to handle affairs in France for me. Are you willing to undertake this responsibility?"

"I am willing to serve you, Your Noble Emperor. I am willing to put forth all my efforts to bring down Louis XI!"

His words were incredibly firm, and Laszlo was certain that his last sentence was absolutely from the heart.

"You will have a colleague to complete this work with, Anthony of Burgundy. You know him, don't you?"

"Of course, the Crusader Knight, the Duke of Macedonia, the "Great Bastard." Few people in France don't know him."

"You settle down in Vienna first; I will handle the Pope's side.

Once Anthony returns to Vienna, you will go with him to Outer Austria, and from there, secretly infiltrate France.

I need you to persuade as many people as possible to join the alliance against Louis XI.

Then, you must assist the Duke of Burgundy in rescuing Charles, and then, according to the plan, raise an army against the King of France.

This is a dangerous job; you must always remain vigilant. I will give you full support—money,

and spies are not a problem.

If you can accomplish the task I assign you, I promise you a generous reward."

If he could truly bring down France, then sending this Duke back to France would also be an excellent choice.

Jean V was well-prepared for the task Laszlo proposed, so he immediately agreed.

Thus, the Duke of Armagnac, who had wandered for a long time, received the Emperor's protection.

And Laszlo obtained a poisoned dagger to stab Louis XI.