Charles the Bold

Duke Anthony of Macedonia, Duke Jean V of Armagnac, and Clement, the Emperor's special envoy, arrived in Dijon together.

As Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, was busy preparing for the first States-General of the Netherlands, he only sent his son Charles back to Dijon to greet them.

They did not stay long in Dijon, and Charles soon personally led his troops to escort them to the Low Countries.

On the road from Dijon to the Low Countries, Charles and Anthony, the brothers, rode slowly ahead, with Clement and Jean V in the carriage following behind them.

A gust of autumn wind blew, dispersing some of the thin mist that enveloped the surroundings.

Hooves rustled on the gravel road, and the wheat fields on both sides of the road were already half harvested, with bundled wheat stacks standing between the furrows, like watchmen draped in sackcloth.

Anthony looked at the scene before him with some nostalgia and suddenly asked, "Is Father really planning to move the ducal residence to Brussels?"

"Yes, Brussels is much better than Dijon."

Charles looked back at Dijon, which was almost disappearing from view. It was his hometown where he had lived for many years, but for the development of Burgundy, he had to bid farewell to it.

Anthony was very puzzled by this.

"You and Father seized all of Savoy's territory north of the Alps a few years ago. Now Burgundy's territory extends from the Alps all the way to the Low Countries.

I thought you would invest more resources in developing Burgundy proper. Why do you have to move to the distant Low Countries?"

Hearing Anthony's question, Charles's face turned gloomy, full of anger.

He tightly gripped the riding crop in his hand and answered the question with some resentment.

"Previously, the councilors of Flanders, Brabant, and Holland proposed to hold the States-General in Bruges. Father was unwilling to escalate the conflict with the Low Countries, so he reluctantly agreed to hold it.

He then decided to move the capital of the Duchy to the Low Countries to better integrate the Low Countries, not limited to the three provinces, but also including Luxembourg, Liège, and Utrecht.

The rich Low Countries are much more valuable than the land beneath our feet. That is the key to Burgundy's rise—that's what Father told me."

"It seems you have a different opinion."

Anthony knew his brother too well; Charles's current demeanor clearly showed some dissatisfaction with his father.

"I think he's too timid. Father always thinks about compromise, but in reality, we have a very strong force. We don't have to leave Dijon; this is the true territory of Burgundy.

When I become Duke in the future, I will annex Lorraine, Swiss, and Champagne, so that the Duchy can be connected into one piece.

If those lowly merchants in the Low Countries are unwilling to pay for Burgundy, I will personally lead troops to take it from their money chests.

Always accommodating them like Father only makes these guys more reckless."

Charles was clearly extremely dissatisfied with the Low Countries councilors who pressured his father, and at the same time, he was angry at his father Philip's lack of assertiveness.

"Father invited representatives from Liège and Utrecht when he was preparing for the States-General, and it was this matter that caused unrest among the local people."

He looked back, and in that carriage sat the Emperor's special envoy, who had come specifically to resolve the issues of Liège and Utrecht.

"Charles, I think Father is right.

You might be able to maintain rule temporarily by force, but to rule the Low Countries peacefully and for a long time, you must learn to bestow your mercy and grace."

"Anthony, talking won't get things done. Swords and cannons are the only truth."

Charles scoffed at his brother's advice, and he was also somewhat dissatisfied with his father's decision.

"Father is old, old and a bit muddled.

He actually used Mary as a condition to exchange for a dry edict from the Emperor. This kind of thing is completely unnecessary.

Just let me lead troops to Liège for a trip, and the rebellion will quickly be quelled."

"And then wait for the next rebellion?"

Anthony's temper was roused by Charles's stubbornness, and they began their usual brotherly squabble.

"Unless you want to completely destroy the Low Countries—or let the Low Countries destroy you—you will always need the Emperor's support to rule there."

Charles shook his head dismissively at this.

"They start a rebellion, and I'll create a massacre until no one dares to rebel anymore.

Moreover, Mary is my only daughter. Is her exchange only for the legitimate right to rule two bishoprics?

This is simply unacceptable!"

"Then what do you want?"

Anthony frowned slightly; he always felt that his brother seemed to be craving something extraordinary.

"A crown! Burgundy's power is already strong enough. At this time, being crowned King of Burgundy is undoubtedly the most suitable.

Oh, and a seat as an Elector. This is a King's right!

I heard that Laszlo recently sold the Palatinate's Elector seat. I'm sure he wouldn't mind making a deal with me."

Anthony was stunned by Charles's bold statement, staring intently at his brother's face, and it was a while before he looked away.

No wonder he wasn't given the wrong nickname; Charles truly lived up to the name 'the Bold'.

Then, after recovering from his shock, Anthony began to seriously consider Charles's demands.

Granting the title of King of Burgundy to the Duke of Burgundy?

Such a thing had never happened in history.

Granting a King's title subordinate to the Empire to a foreign monarch, if this really happened, it would definitely cause a sensation in the Empire, and even throughout the entire European continent.

If his father Philip was willing to go to Vienna, kneel at the Emperor's feet to accept the enfeoffment and pledge allegiance to the Emperor,

and lead Burgundy to join the Empire, the Emperor might actually agree to this.

At that time, the King of France would probably be sleepless with worry.

"But Father rejected my proposal. He saw another path, which is to defeat Louis XI and thereby strive for Burgundy's complete independence."

Charles was full of helplessness. He now only hoped that he could inherit the ducal title soon and then create a great achievement.

"Pope Callixtus III once promised to give him a crown, a throne equal to the King of France, the King of England, and the monarchs of those other kingdoms.

It was for this reason that Father was so enthusiastic about participating in the Crusade against the Ottoman.

But the Pope broke his word; he never fulfilled his promise until his death, and Father's grand ambition to rebuild the lost kingdom also came to nothing.

Lotharingia? It's been gone for so many years.

Now there is only one way to become King, and that is to obtain the Crown of Burgundy from the Emperor.

Anthony, just watch, one day I will become a true King."

"Then I wish you an early realization of your wish."

What else could Anthony say?

This might even be a good thing for the Empire and the Emperor, but not necessarily for Burgundy.

If Burgundy were no longer a vassal of France, but a member of the Empire, it wouldn't be long before a furious Louis XI would recklessly start a war.

The House of Burgundy was a branch of the House of Valois. Tracing back three generations, Louis XI and Charles's great-grandfather were biological brothers, and the Duchy of Burgundy (proper) was also French territory.

Louis XI, who was determined to rule the entire kingdom, would never allow such a thing to happen.

And Emperor Laszlo could sit in Vienna and watch the fire from across the bank, waiting for Burgundy and France to fight each other to a pulp, so he could come out and reap the benefits.

Anthony thought, this was probably why his father was unwilling to directly demand the throne of Burgundy from the Emperor.

Philip still needed time to unite the various forces opposing the King of France, and only when everything was ready and the odds of victory were maximized would he choose to act.

If it were Charles, he would probably scan his neighbors with bloodshot eyes like a berserker, then bite them like a mad dog, and finally bring about his own destruction.

The two brothers ended their somewhat unpleasant conversation.

In any case, Charles ultimately accepted his father's arrangement.

Some time later, the party arrived in Brussels, where Philip received the visitors from afar in his magnificent and luxurious new ducal palace.

"Greetings, Duke of Armagnac, and this gentleman—I presume you are the Emperor's special envoy?"

Philip, already 67 years old, still looked energetic, greeting the guests with a smile, excluding his two sons.

"Yes, I am Clement, the Emperor's special envoy, here for the matters of Liège and Utrecht."

Clement respectfully bowed to the Duke of Burgundy, not becoming arrogant because of his status as the Emperor's special envoy.

Hearing Clement's words, Philip nodded slightly with satisfaction, his smile widening.

"I imagine you have brought the Emperor's edict for me."

"Indeed, it's right here."

Clement took out the edict he carried with him and presented it to Philip.

Philip took the edict and unhurriedly read its contents.

Laszlo had put a lot of effort into this edict, choosing every word carefully.

Although the edict did not mention Burgundy at all, it firmly stated one point: the rule of Philip's two agents over Liège and Utrecht was legitimate and lawful, and had received the approval of both the Pope and the Emperor.

As for how they would rule Liège and Utrecht, that was not the Emperor's concern.

"Very good," Philip handed the edict to Charles, and said amidst his son's puzzled gaze, "I will not let Mister Envoy go to Liège and Utrecht alone; the rioters there are too dangerous."

Saying that, he instructed someone to bring something over, which was an envelope, with something sealed inside.

He handed the envelope to Charles and continued to instruct: "Charles, take your army and escort the envoy to Liège and Utrecht, and maintain order there according to the Emperor's edict.

This envelope contains a list of criminals who threaten the stability of the region; remember to pay special attention to the Brederode brothers in Utrecht."

Charles looked at his still-calm father with some surprise, not understanding how his usually soft-spoken father had suddenly become so ruthless.

"Your trip this time is as a guard for the Imperial Envoy, to assist Mister Envoy in representing the Emperor to eradicate dangerous elements that threaten regional stability, understand?"

"This... I understand, Father!"

Charles nodded vigorously, a cruel smile playing on his lips.

It seemed his father hadn't completely lost his mind, he thought, mentally planning how he would torment those who had led the unrest.

Philip turned his gaze to Anthony; he wanted to embrace his favorite illegitimate son, but considering there were quite a few people present, he dismissed the idea.

"Father, what about the Imperial Prince's engagement to Marie—"

"It will be signed immediately after the discussion ends."

"Alright."

Anthony breathed a sigh of relief; the marriage was finally settled. He had not failed the expectations of the Emperor and his father, truly becoming a bridge connecting the two great families.

Compared to Emperor Laszlo's three-year negotiation for an engagement, he only took less than three months to arrange the marriage between Austria and Burgundy, which could be called efficient in this era.

Of course, another reason was that many of the detailed clauses in the engagement directly adopted those from Charles's marriage to Laszlo's sister Anne, so there was no need for both parties to repeatedly haggle over them.

Having resolved the second matter, Philip looked at Jean V, the Duke of Armagnac, who stood somewhat awkwardly to the side.

They had met several times before, but their relationship had always been rather cold, as there were unresolved grievances between their two families.

Jean V's grandfather, Bernard VII, had once been the leader of the Armagnac faction.

In 1418, Duke John the Fearless of Burgundy and the English army breached Paris, and on the second day after the city fell, Bernard VII was beheaded in the street, while Charles VII narrowly escaped.

Subsequently, during a negotiation between John and Charles VII, an assassin from the Armagnac faction, seeking revenge for Bernard VII, publicly assassinated John.

John was Philip's father, and this assassination caused Philip and Charles VII to become mortal enemies, also severely deteriorating relations with the Armagnac family.

Thereafter, the Armagnac-Burgundy factional war continued for over a decade, finally ending with the de facto independence of the Duchy of Burgundy from France.

It was precisely because of this tragic history of mutual slaughter that Jean V felt uneasy upon seeing Philip.

However, Philip had long since let go of past enmities; after the Hundred Years' War, he had come to terms with many things, and his diplomatic bottom line became more flexible than before.

He noticed Jean V's unease, then spoke a few words of comfort and inquired about his purpose.

When he heard that the Duke of Armagnac had been sent by the Emperor to help him form an alliance against Louis XI, he warmly welcomed it and promised to provide support.

Prior to this, he had already completed much work.

It was confirmed that the Duke of Brittany had agreed to join this alliance.

King Edward IV of England was currently mopping up the remnants of the House of Lancaster, but he also showed considerable interest in this alliance against the King of France.

One main reason was that Philip had provided significant assistance a few years earlier when the House of York had been defeated and fled to Calais.

With the dual support of the Emperor and the Duke of Burgundy, the Duke of Armagnac quietly infiltrated France and began to work tirelessly for the cause against France.

In the Low Countries, Charles and Clement, upon arriving in Liège, immediately launched a large-scale hunt for the elite citizens and local nobles who opposed Burgundian rule, quickly quelling the local unrest.

In Utrecht, Charles followed suit, uprooting the "Hook Party" formed by the local nobles of Utrecht, and its leaders, the Brederode brothers, were imprisoned and escorted to Burgundy.

After hearing that the Emperor had sold Liège and Utrecht to Burgundy, the wave of resistance from the people of the bishopric quickly began to subside.

Once those who firmly resisted Burgundy were purged, the resistance against the Burgundians was completely quelled.

News of the Emperor's decision quickly spread to the neighboring princes of Guelders, Cleves, Cologne, and Trier.

The panic originally directed at the Duke of Burgundy now entirely shifted to accusations against the Emperor for selling out the Empire.

In desperation, Laszlo could only summon the princes of the Rhineland and Westphalia to a meeting in Innsbruck to discuss the matter.