Find Your Own Problems

Inside the Imperial Castle in Innsbruck, the princes and envoys who had traveled all the way from the western Holy Roman Empire were anxiously waiting in the great hall for the Emperor to appear.

Laszlo had just bid farewell to Leonor and the children, officially embarking on his tour of Italy.

He had originally intended to go through Inner Austria to Italy, but now he also had to deal with the Holy Roman Empire states in the western Holy Roman Empire.

So he had to make a detour to Tyrol, hold a court assembly in Innsbruck, and then cross the Alps to Northern Italy.

In a conference room on a higher floor of the castle, Laszlo was discussing with his chief minister Eyczing and several other advisors how to deal with these princes who had come to demand an explanation.

"How many people are here now?"

"Dozens of imperial estates, large and small, have arrived. The more important ones include the Archbishop of Cologne, the Archbishop of Trier, the Duke of Guelders, the Count of Cleves, the Duchess of Jülich-Berg, and the city representative of Aachen."

Eyczing's reply made Laszlo frown. Except for the Republic of Friesland, which sought "Frisian freedom," and the Bishop of Münster, almost all the important princes of the western border had come here.

He rested his hands on the table, his gaze fixed on the map spread out, feeling a little irritable.

The locations of the two Low Countries bishoprics were clearly marked, as well as the vast territory of Burgundy.

It truly was a case of not knowing until you saw it, and then being shocked by what you saw.

Unbeknownst to him, Burgundy had, with his indulgence, annexed a large amount of imperial territory and grown into a truly regional power.

It was likely that Burgundy's population and economic scale were almost catching up to the Kingdom of England across the Strait.

Although there was still some gap between it and the Kingdom of France and the Habsburg Monarchy, it was definitely among the top secondary powers on the continent.

It was no wonder that the small states of Rhineland reacted so strongly this time, especially the old Duke Arnold I, who had ruled Guelders for forty years.

Recently, the division and civil unrest within Guelders' territory had become increasingly severe, and the conflict between Arnold and his only son, Adolf, had grown sharper.

The old Duke reasonably suspected that the Duke of Burgundy had sent people to instigate his son to rebel against his father.

And this time, the Emperor directly recognized that Liège and Utrecht, two close neighbors of Guelders, were under the control of the Duke of Burgundy.

It should be known that Guelders' territory was bordered on the east by three states: Brabant, Liège, and Utrecht, all of which were now the Duke of Burgundy's domain.

This directly scared Arnold into rushing to Cologne overnight to see Archbishop Ruprecht, hoping he could speak for the princes in the Low Countries, Rhineland, and Westphalia who were threatened by Burgundy, and make the Emperor truly take this issue seriously.

Ruprecht was already resentful because Laszlo had previously stripped his nephew, Philip, the Elector Palatine, of his electoral seat.

Now, of course, he would not miss this excellent opportunity to make things difficult for the Emperor.

As for Archbishop John II of Trier, Laszlo specifically sought him out to stand by him this time.

While others might have something to say, John II had long ago formed a military alliance with Philip the Good and received so many benefits.

If he were to now come before the Emperor and resist the expansion of the Duke of Burgundy, Philip had a thousand ways to ruin his reputation.

The remaining important figure was Count John I of Cleves, whose territory also bordered Brabant, ruled by the Duke of Burgundy.

However, unlike the Duke of Guelders, who had consistently resisted Burgundy's expansion, John I had actively formed a marriage alliance with Burgundy, maintaining a good relationship.

Despite this, the Emperor's actions still startled him, and after being summoned, he quickly came in person to join the crowd.

Another important figure was Duchess Sophie of Jülich-Berg.

Due to the sudden and rapid deterioration of her husband Gerhard I's health two years ago, which rendered him unable to govern the territory, his wife, Sophie, daughter of the Duke of Saxe-Lauenburg, became the regent of the territory.

This time, it was this Lady Sophie who came to attend the court assembly on behalf of her husband.

This was very rare in the history of the Holy Roman Empire, and it was precisely in this era that many female politicians gradually began to take to the European stage, starting to play more important roles.

Gerhard I's territory originally only bordered the Duke of Burgundy's Luxembourg territory.

However, with Liège changing hands, the entire County of Jülich was exposed to the Burgundians, which made him have to worry about it.

Laszlo had once read a document and knew that the Duke of Jülich-Berg had also made a deal with the late Emperor Albrecht II.

The Duke paid a large sum of money, requesting the Emperor's support for his territorial claims over the Duchy of Guelders.

Albrecht II was more skilled than Laszlo at selling claims; he immediately accepted the money and agreed to support the Duke in waging war against Guelders.

Although Gerhard I won a great victory in a battle in 1444, he ultimately failed to achieve his wish of capturing Guelders.

This war led to a complete breakdown in relations between the Duke of Jülich-Berg and the Duke of Guelders, and also made the Duke of Guelders no longer trust the Emperor's authority.

However, with the Burgundians right before his eyes, the Duke of Guelders despairingly discovered that there was only one way to preserve his territory—to trust the Emperor.

The next relatively important person was Ignatz, the representative of the Imperial Free City of Aachen.

Aachen's city council was convinced that the Burgundians could not extend their reach to Aachen.

Here lay the tomb of the great Charlemagne, and it was also the holy site for the coronation of the German King.

By all accounts, the Emperor could not abandon Aachen for Burgundy, unless he wanted to face the united resistance of the Holy Roman Empire princes.

That being said, Aachen's city council also hoped that the Emperor could provide an explanation.

Issuing an edict acknowledging the Burgundians' rule over Liège and Utrecht was simply too appalling.

However, it was not the first time the Emperor had done such a thing.

It was just that last time it was Savoy that was sold, and they didn't feel it too much.

This time it was the Low Countries' turn, and the western princes finally panicked.

"Eyczing, the set of arguments we discussed, there shouldn't be any problem, right?"

Laszlo was still a little uneasy.

These states looked aggressive, but in Laszlo's view, they were all scared to death.

He had thought about simply dismissing these people, but Eyczing proposed a better idea.

"Of course not, Your Majesty," Eyczing maintained his calm and confident demeanor, "You must understand that they are begging you for protection, so you are the one in charge, and you certainly cannot be led by the nose by them.

This is a good opportunity for us."

"That makes sense!"

Laszlo realized that he seemed to have gotten stuck in a rut again.

He always had this problem, often getting too deeply into the role of the Holy Roman Emperor, to the point of forgetting that even without the Holy Roman Empire, he still possessed the formidable strength to dominate the entire continent.

And it was hard to say what would become of the Holy Roman Empire princes without him.

If the Holy Roman Empire were to dissolve on the spot now, the monarchs surrounding the Holy Roman Empire would probably go mad with joy, especially the Duke of Burgundy.

If that situation really occurred, he wouldn't even give the princes a chance to challenge him here.

"Following the old tradition of court assemblies, divide the visitors by their respective ranks and bring the leading ones here to see me."

Laszlo sat down in his chair and ordered.

All the advisors left the room, and Eyczing came and sat beside Laszlo. The two then finalized their upcoming talking points.

Soon after, the attendant Al brought in all the people Eyczing had just named.

The two Electors, the calm Archbishop of Trier, sat to Laszlo's right, while the gloomy Archbishop of Cologne sat to Laszlo's left.

The remaining individuals were seated according to their status: prince himself, prince's representative, and free city representative.

Seeing that these princes, especially the two powerful Archbishops, did not quarrel over seating arrangements, Laszlo was quite pleased.

It should be noted that in history, when the Ottoman approached Vienna, there was even a dispute over the seating order of the princes during the Imperial Conference.

This indicated that the current situation was even more critical for those present than the Ottoman advance on Vienna.

This was only natural, after all, if Vienna was taken by the Ottoman, the Emperor would suffer, but if the Low Countries were taken by the Burgundians, they would be the ones to suffer.

"Gentlemen, I still have to tour Italy and pacify the Holy Roman Empire's Northern Italy territories, so we had better resolve this issue quickly."

Although Laszlo did not show impatience, this message was conveyed to everyone present.

"Your Majesty, before we begin, we would like to congratulate you on successfully arranging a marriage with the Burgundy Family. This must be a great joy for the Imperial Family, wouldn't you agree?"

Archbishop Ruprecht of Cologne immediately went all out, and everyone looked at him with admiration.

Laszlo narrowed his eyes slightly upon hearing this, thinking that he had already dealt with Palatinate once, but this family still hadn't learned their lesson.

Ruprecht's brother, Frederick, was still imprisoned in Laszlo's dungeon.

Recently, he heard that Philip, the Elector Palatine, was raising funds to pay his ransom.

Whenever Laszlo thought of this, he couldn't help but sigh that little Philip was indeed a kind child.

Frederick had usurped his electoral and lordly titles, yet he put aside past grievances to try and rescue his uncle, who was in dire straits.

Thinking of the potential 100,000 florin ransom that might soon be in his account, tears of emotion flowed from Laszlo's lips.

As for Archbishop Ruprecht, seeing him act so passive-aggressively now, Laszlo wished he could also arrest him and throw him in jail to keep his brother company.

"This is all for the sake of maintaining the Holy Roman Empire's stability and simultaneously limiting the expansion of the Kingdom of France."

Laszlo spoke with righteous indignation, completely disregarding the disdainful thoughts of those present, because the purpose of the two families' marriage alliance was indeed precisely that.

"But how can maintaining the Holy Roman Empire's stability lead to its constituent states falling into foreign hands?"

Old Duke Arnold of Guelders rose to his feet, agitated, and demanded an answer.

After Brabant came Liège and Utrecht, and after that, Burgundy's target would not be anyone else, but his Guelders.

He and his son were already on the verge of drawing swords against each other.

If the Burgundians were to interfere again, using a small amount of profit to bribe the Emperor, and have the Emperor sell Guelders as well, then he and his family would be completely finished.

"I know you're in a hurry, but don't rush just yet."

Laszlo raised a hand, signaling the old Duke to calm down; it would be a huge joke if he had a heart attack here.

"Your words are somewhat biased; Louis de Bourbon and David de Bron were both elected through legitimate means.

Pope Callixtus III himself even affirmed this point, didn't he, Archbishop John?"

The Archbishop of Trier, who had been sitting calmly to the side, was startled by the Emperor's sudden direct address.

"Yes... yes, at that time, there was a Papal Legate supervising the election on site, so there wouldn't be any problems whatsoever.

Furthermore, nothing in it violated the Holy Roman Empire's laws.

As for your claim that the Burgundians are occupying Imperial territory, that is pure nonsense.

After these two bishops, Liège and Utrecht will still elect new bishops according to Imperial law and Church election law; they have always been a part of the Holy Roman Empire."

"Then what about the Burgundian army wantonly committing massacres in Liège?"

An elegant and pleasant voice drifted over, and Laszlo's gaze followed the sound to a noblewoman of similar age to Leonor.

Presumably, she was Sophie, the wife of the Duke of Jülich-Berg, and also the regent of the Duchy.

Her steady and capable demeanor was no less than that of any seasoned politician, and her stats were astonishing: [Administration 6, Diplomacy 4, Military 2].

Such stats could no longer be simply described as luxurious; she was undoubtedly an outstanding female politician.

"This is undoubtedly the Duke of Burgundy's effort to maintain peace in the Low Countries."

Laszlo would not give them more opportunities to refute; he directly settled the matter.

"Since Louis and David were legitimately elected bishops, then those who deliberately instigated unrest are undoubtedly criminals.

Moreover, just recently, the Duke of Burgundy obtained the latest intelligence from some rioters—the uprisings in Liège and Utrecht were instigated by the King of France.

Gentlemen, Louis XI of France constantly seeks to destroy our Holy Roman Empire.

If the French succeed, then there will no longer be a brave Emperor to protect your freedom and privileges."

"Are you protecting them well now?"

Ignitz, the representative of the Aachen City Council, suddenly interjected.

"Of course, I am confident that I am protecting them very well, and the evidence is that all of you can now sit here peacefully and speak your minds to me."

Laszlo revealed a slight smile, his rather smug expression making Archbishop Ruprecht grind his teeth, and Duke Arnold of Guelders also felt very disappointed.

"Gentlemen, I showed you a clear path long ago, but you scoffed at it.

How many years have passed since I first attempted to push for Imperial reform?

Was the construction of the Imperial Circles supported?

Was a standing army to defend the Holy Roman Empire established?

You always oppose this and that at the Imperial Conference; if you had listened to me earlier and established the Imperial Circles, just like the attempt I made in Swabia, you wouldn't have to worry now.

Even if you had made only some small efforts, it would have brought me great comfort, but you merely engaged in endless infighting.

When disaster strikes, you suddenly remember that there is an Emperor like me, and you come to me for help.

Sometimes, you should look for your own problems more. Of course, I can protect you.

I can make a promise right now: the rights and interests of everyone present will be guaranteed by the Habsburg Family.

But what about in the future? My enemies are spread across the entire continent; there will always be times when I cannot attend to everything, won't there?

Therefore, perhaps you really should seriously consider establishing Imperial administrative districts; this is my final advice to you as Emperor."

"This..."

Upon hearing this, the Duke of Guelders hesitated for a moment, and he turned to meet the gaze of Madam Sophie.

The Duke of Guelders' resentment towards the Duke of Jülich-Berg had not yet faded; asking them to abandon their past grievances and work together in an Imperial Circle would be even more unbearable than killing him.

However, the Emperor's words were already very clear: further opposition to Imperial reform might lead to becoming the next commodity to be sold.

"I actually think Emperor has a lot of sense."

Count John I of Cleves, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke out in support of the Emperor.

He was the least anxious among them.

Not long ago, his mother, Mary of Burgundy, passed away from illness, and Duke Philip the Good of Burgundy even specifically instructed his two sons, the Bishop of Utrecht and Charles the Bold, to come and mourn.

Mary was Philip the Good's older sister, so Philip the Good was actually Count John of Cleves' uncle.

Moreover, John's sister, Mary of Cleves, was married to Charles I, Duke of Orléans of the French royal family, through Philip the Good's introduction, and she gave birth to the Duke of Orléans' only heir, Louis, a year ago.

Now, his sister's position was very stable; she even served as regent of the Duchy of Orléans for a time.

Charles I was already nearing seventy and was often summoned by his cousin, King Louis XI of France; now, almost all of the Duke of Orléans' household was managed by Count of Cleves' sister.

Imagine him, a Holy Roman Empire prince, yet closely related to the two most powerful collateral branches of the French royal family.

The Duke of Orléans was his brother-in-law, and the Duke of Burgundy was his uncle; with such connections, he had nothing to worry about at all.

Before attending this meeting, he had been entrusted by his uncle Philip the Good to support the Emperor as much as possible, and he indeed did so.

Subsequently, the Archbishop of Trier, who had been bribed by Philip the Good with money, also agreed with the Emperor's statement.

Originally, they were questioning the Emperor about why he hadn't protected Imperial territory, but now it had turned into the Emperor questioning them about why they opposed Imperial reform.

The Archbishop of Cologne still wanted to cause trouble, but the Emperor had already promised to protect their interests, and Liège and Utrecht had indeed elected new bishops through legitimate means.

Although the unspeakable darkness and corruption of Church elections lay behind this, Archbishop Ruprecht did not have the courage to expose it, because his own means of being elected Archbishop of Cologne were equally dishonorable.

Rather, there were few bishops genuinely elected in this era. Moreover, those present were not united.

The Count of Cleves and the Archbishop of Trier were clearly bribed by the Emperor and the Duke of Burgundy, becoming traitors.

The war between the Duke of Guelders and the Duke of Jülich-Berg during the time of Albrecht II ultimately led to deep-seated enmity.

In this way, Albrecht II's arbitrary behavior of accepting money and stamping forged claim documents indirectly helped his son Laszlo more than a decade later.

The remaining Free Imperial City of Aachen was easily placated by the Emperor; they themselves were not overly worried.

Unless the Emperor wanted to become an eternal sinner cursed by the entire Holy Roman Empire and future Emperors, he would not be so foolish as to abandon Aachen.

Soon, the people in the conference room were appeased; they were forced to accept the Emperor's explanation.

Everything that happened in Liège and Utrecht was normal and reasonable, and the Emperor would protect every member of the Holy Roman Empire.

The remaining dozens of Imperial Estates, such as monasteries and Imperial Knights, were even easier to deal with.

All Laszlo needed to do was promise, promise, and promise again.

If verbal promises were not enough, then he would use written ones, and could even add some insignificant privileges; after all, there were many ways to exploit loopholes.

After this incident, more and more Imperial Estates in the Rhineland and Westphalia regions began to pay attention to the establishment of Imperial administrative districts and Imperial Circle councils.

They had long heard that an Imperial Circle council, comprising over seventy Imperial Estates, had been established in the Swabia region, along with a "formidable" army numbering several hundred.

Perhaps they also needed such things to protect their own interests.

The Emperor's explanation ultimately appeased the anxieties in most people's hearts; presumably, only the Duke of Guelders and the Archbishop of Cologne felt frustrated about it.

The aged Duke rode his warhorse, accompanied by several attendants, out of the Royal Castle gates.

As soon as he closed his eyes, his son's rebellious face appeared in his mind, which immediately caused him to show an expression of sadness and pain.

What would Guelders become in the future?

It would probably also become a part of Burgundy, the old Duke had such a premonition, and he was quite certain of it.

On the city wall, Laszlo gazed at the retreating back of the last departing old Duke, and he spread his arms in satisfaction, enjoying the feeling of the autumn wind blowing.

Next, it was time to go to Northern Italy.