No Successor

In Rome, inside the Vatican Palace, Laszlo followed Cardinal Bessarion, the head of the College of Cardinals, to meet with Pope Pius II, who was already ailing.

The magnificent palace was empty, with only the soft echo of their footsteps.

Laszlo was in a somewhat bad mood; he hadn't received news of Pope Pius II's serious illness before arriving in Rome.

The old Pope was over sixty years old this year, which was considered long-lived for this era, but among successive Popes, he was considered short-lived. If he died, the Grand Duke Conference would automatically disband due to the Pope's passing.

Although the conference had previously passed some reform regulations through his and the Pope's joint efforts, the core issue of church corruption had yet to be resolved.

Pope Pius II wavered between strengthening papal centralization and ceding power to the Grand Duke Conference, greatly slowing down the process of church reform.

At this thought, Laszlo couldn't help but frown.

His gaze shifted slightly to look at Cardinal Bessarion, who was walking in front of him, leading the way.

This Greek was even older than Pope Pius II, but he still looked very healthy.

As an important figure in the church's reform faction, if he could succeed Pope Pius II, everything might still have a chance.

"How is the Pope's condition exactly?"

Hearing Laszlo's urgent question, Cardinal Bessarion turned to look at him and, after a long sigh, gave his answer.

"Emperor, the Pope's condition is very bad.

He already fell ill in Ferrara and later endured his sickness to return to Rome. Now he is critically ill, and the doctors summoned are helpless."

"It's that serious?"

Laszlo didn't know what Nicholas had gone through.

Since being frustrated at the Grand Duke Conference, Laszlo had only paid attention to the Papacy when he needed to leverage the Pope for benefits.

Too many secular affairs consumed his energy, and having him deal with religious problems would probably give him a massive headache.

Fortunately, he wasn't as miserable as Charles V in history.

If he had to simultaneously fight France in Italy and Netherlands, the Ottoman in Hungary, and the Protestant princely coalition within the German Empire, he would rather retire on the spot.

Now, the Reformation had not yet begun, and the Ottomans and French had not reached their peak, so he still had ample time to deal with all of this.

He admitted that he had been too hasty before, wanting everything, but in the end, he could only focus his energy on one thing.

Among the many goals, Laszlo chose the most important one: stabilizing his foundation and developing his dynastic territories.

He would also take time to tame the German princes and secretly trip up the King of France.

The Grand Duke Conference, which he had placed high hopes on, ended up being a mess.

Some people even started bringing up the issue of heresy again, which was an old topic at the Grand Duke Conference.

The attending prelates extensively discussed the heretical sects in Bosnia at the conference and criticized Laszlo's handling of the Orthodox Christians.

Of course, none of this could disturb Laszlo in the slightest.

The most critical point was that, to prevent Pope Pius II from implementing reforms, some busybodies brought up the conciliarism theory again.

Since the fall of Constantinople, the failure of the East-West church union, and the dissolution of the Council of Basel, conciliarism had been relegated to the dustbin of history.

Supporters hoped to establish a permanent Grand Duke Conference as the supreme authority of the church, suppressing the Pope's authority.

And the conciliarism doctrine they advocated was precisely written by Pope Pius II himself in his early years.

Laszlo chose to watch coldly, and he was also curious how Pope Pius II would respond to these calls.

Pope Pius II quickly gave the final answer: he explicitly told people that the Pope's authority within the church should be unlimited.

Anyone who dared to mention conciliarism again would be excommunicated.

Soon after issuing this decree, Pope Pius II fell ill and returned to Rome.

"The Pope senses his time is short and has been hoping for your arrival every day."

Bessarion said mournfully, pushing open the door for Laszlo.

"We have arrived, Emperor."

Laszlo glanced at him, noticed Bessarion had no intention of entering, and stepped into the room.

Cardinal Bessarion thoughtfully closed the door for him.

Laszlo generally surveyed the simple room, which was a complete contrast to the luxurious exterior of the Vatican Palace.

His gaze finally focused on the bedside, where the haggard-faced Pope Pius II was also staring at him.

"Nicholas, long time no see."

"Cough, cough, Emperor is still as vibrant as ever."

Pope Pius II's words seemed to carry a hint of envy.

He was a full forty years older than Laszlo.

The Emperor still had plenty of time to realize his grand ambitions, while he had already entered the countdown of his life.

Topics involving life and death are always so heavy that one doesn't want to touch them.

Laszlo sat on the chair placed by the bed and, after a moment of silence, said, "I heard you wanted to see me?"

"Hmm, I was thinking, our plans in Brno probably can't be realized."

Pope Pius II sighed with regret.

Laszlo also remembered the scene at that time. He and Nicholas, on their way back to Vienna from Poland, met the papal envoy in Brno.

It was there that he incited Nicholas to run for Pope and promote church reform.

Everything proceeded steadily according to plan, but as time passed, the differences between the two grew larger.

Pope Pius II gradually realized that Laszlo merely regarded the Papacy and him, the Pope, as a useful tool.

During the Italian Wars, the Emperor used him to keep the Papal States neutral, preventing them from siding with France or the German Empire. Afterwards, he provided Laszlo with much support, such as sending a large number of missionaries to the Balkans, and influencing the election of the Archbishop of Mainz, which led to the Mainz War.

He also separated Austria from the Archdiocese of Salzburg, greatly strengthening the independence of the Archduchy of Austria.

However, on the issue of church reform, which he cared about, the Emperor did provide some help as agreed, but the actual effect was very limited.

Pope Pius II hoped to achieve top-down reform through a centralized church, thereby saving the precarious faith.

But the Emperor's intention was to place the Habsburg territories and the German church under his control, to be exploited at his will.

"Church reform is, after all, a long and arduous task. Even if we cannot achieve this great goal in the short term.

As long as we find a suitable successor, it will eventually succeed."

Laszlo could only comfort the old Pope in this way, while also subtly hinting at future matters.

Pope Pius II looked at Laszlo with some surprise, his eyes seeming to say, "Do you really think so?"

However, he immediately dispelled the doubts in his heart.

It was Laszlo who had encouraged him with passionate words to run for Pope and reform the church.

Although he had realized that Laszlo's initial intentions were not entirely pure, apart from this German Emperor, he had no other reliable allies.

"A successor... indeed, a successor is needed.

Now, the vast majority of people within the church view reform as a monstrous flood, and they strive to prevent all changes.

It will probably not be easy to find someone among them who is committed to reform."

"So we need an outsider, and you've already found him, haven't you?"

Laszlo and Pope Pius II exchanged glances, meaningly saying.

"So, you've already spoken with Bessarion?"

"Yes, he is a learned and talented Greek, with sufficient merit, and most importantly, a fervent dedication to reforming the church."

"That's precisely why I promoted him to head of the College of Cardinals."

Pope Pius II coughed a few more times, taking a good while to recover before continuing.

"But if you want to put him on the papal throne, it's almost impossible."

Laszlo frowned slightly, puzzled by the Pope's words.

"He is already second only to one in the church. You even recently appointed him Patriarch of Constantinople. By all accounts, he should be the most likely candidate for Pope."

Pope Pius II shook his head somewhat helplessly and began to explain, "I presided over the papal election eight years ago, when Pope Callixtus III of the Borgia Family was elected."

"He was a respected Pope."

Pope Callixtus III also helped Laszlo considerably; launching the Crusade and crushing the Hussite were all his masterpieces.

However, his words immediately drew Pope Pius II's displeasure.

"He is the root of church corruption! Cough, cough, the two nephews he promoted to Cardinal are still lording it over the church, especially Rodrigo Borgia, cough, cough, cough—"

An emotional Pope Pius II clutched his chest, trying to catch his breath, before finally recovering.

Seeing him like this, Laszlo realized he had said the wrong thing.

In fact, he didn't care who the Pope was or what kind of person he was.

As long as he could be used, he was a good tool.

This situation was not common; it was just that the last two Popes had largely aligned interests with him, which made his years go smoothly.

Pope Callixtus III, who was keen on the Eastern Crusade, and Pope Pius II, who was committed to reform, it remained to be seen whether the next Pope could also be used by him.

"Alright, I admit Pope Callixtus III certainly had many shortcomings. Let's continue discussing Bessarion."

"Where were we? Oh, yes, that election eight years ago.

At that time, besides Pope Callixtus III, there were also candidates from the Orsini family and Colonna Family.

In addition, Bessarion also participated in that papal election."

"Oh? How did he lose?"

"At first, it was the French Cardinals who stood up in opposition; they refused to allow a Greek to rule Rome.

Afterward, the Italian Cardinals and the Cardinals from Iberia also unanimously opposed his candidacy for Pope.

Then, when the candidates from the two families were deadlocked, Pope Callixtus III seized the opportunity to persuade the two families to accept him as a compromise choice, and the election results were thus released."

"So, to support him, one must gain the approval of the French, Italian, and Iberian Cardinals?"

"The French Cardinals would never agree.

They only recognize Romans and French as Popes; whether German or Greek, they are their mortal enemies."

"What about the two families?"

"Same as always, the Colonna Family, who are close to the German Empire, can be won over.

But the Orsini family, your army completely destroyed their decades of work in Naples.

Their influence in the south also completely declined with the defeat of the Anjou Family.

In light of this, they will surely unite with the French to oppose you."

Laszlo nodded; the situation was largely as he expected.

The Colonna Family had always been friendly with the Emperor.

In the original timeline, during the Sack of Rome, when Emperor Charles V of the Habsburg Family's army destroyed half of Rome, the Colonna Palace was spared from this disaster and even provided refuge for three thousand Roman citizens, precisely because of its friendship with the Emperor.

Of course, for Laszlo, the fundamental reason for this friendship was that the Colonna Family and the Orsini family had been feuding for centuries.

Laszlo supported the King of Naples in repelling the French Anjou Family's invasion, causing heavy losses for the Orsini family, who had staked everything on the Anjou Family.

The enemy of my enemy is my friend, and Laszlo's friendship with the Colonna Family stemmed from this.

The Orsini family suffered heavy losses in Naples, and even the family's rare military talent, Piccinino, died in Naples.

This Piccinino was the elder brother of the Milan Army commander, Little Piccinino; both belonged to the Orsini family.

However, after Little Piccinino pledged allegiance to Laszlo, he was already disowned by the family, which shows the depth of the Orsini family's hatred for Laszlo.

Moreover, the Habsburg Family and the Orsini family also had a hidden connection.

Pope Nicholas III, who came from the Orsini family, once forced Rudolf I, the founder of the Habsburg Family, to cede the Romagna region to the Papacy.

Afterward, he also made the Habsburg Family withdraw from the competition for the Sicilian throne, allowing the vast Anjou Dynasty to be established.

Centuries later, Laszlo inherited the legacy of the Hungarian Anjou Dynasty from the Luxembourg Family and helped Ferdinand I repel the counterattack of the Naples Anjou Dynasty.

This could probably be considered leading his family to ultimate victory in a dispute that lasted for centuries.

"So, at most, I can only gain the support of the Colonna Family and the German Cardinals?"

Laszlo pondered with some distress.

"Yes, that's still far from a two-thirds absolute majority."

Pope Pius II gently shook his head, but he already had a plan in mind.

"I want Bessarion to become the Imperial Envoy, permanently stationed in Vienna to assist you in handling the church affairs of the German Empire, as well as the religious affairs of the Balkans.

He might not be of much use for the German church, but for the religious affairs of the Balkans, his status as Patriarch of Constantinople will certainly be of great benefit."

Laszlo's eyes widened suddenly, not expecting Pope Pius II to have thought so far ahead.

No wonder he gave Bessarion the title of Patriarch of Constantinople after promoting him to head of the College of Cardinals.

He had initially thought this was a routine humiliation by the Roman Church towards the Church of Constantinople, but now it seemed that was not the case.

The Orthodox Patriarch Gennadius, who had succumbed to the Ottomans, had become a laughingstock.

If Bessarion, a Greek, were to become the religious leader of the East, he could separate the Eastern church affairs from the control of the Roman Papacy.

Thinking of this, he looked at Pope Pius II with some emotion.

Back at the Imperial Conference in Nuremberg, when Nicholas presented that astonishing plan for Imperial reform, Laszlo knew that Nicholas would be a great help to him.

Facts proved that his judgment was entirely correct.

However, there was still one last question.

"So, the candidate for the next Pope...?"

Pope Pius II knew very well that the Emperor wanted to ask about a successor who could continue to support church reform.

Unfortunately, besides Bessarion, it was difficult to find anyone else to entrust with the task.

The old Pope lowered his eyes, responding to the Emperor's inquiry with silence.

"So, there isn't one?"

The result was as expected. Laszlo also knew very well that after Pope Pius II, it would be incredibly difficult to control the Papacy.

Not only would the local Italian powers not allow such a thing to happen, but France and the Iberian states would also not want to face the combination of imperial and papal authority.

It seemed that the first attempt at church reform would inevitably end in failure.

However, Laszlo was not at all discouraged.

He was still very young, and his future was still long. Who could predict what would happen next?

After concluding his meeting with the Pope, Laszlo toured the city of Rome and also met with important figures from the Colonna Family,

maintaining a friendly cooperative relationship with this prominent Roman noble family.