Piece

Upon returning to loyal Vienna, Laszlo was immediately bogged down by a massive backlog of affairs, before he even had a chance to share the joy of his victory with his family and subjects.

These matters were exceptionally complex, including those concerning Austria itself, its vassal states, the Empire, and some special intelligence from foreign nations.

These were all matters that required his personal decision, and Laszlo did not wish to shirk them, so he quickly immersed himself in the busy work.

Besides these chaotic governmental affairs, he also had to set aside time to meet with numerous supplicants.

For instance, at this very moment, two young men of similar age stood below the steps, respectfully bowing to him.

These two brothers were Ernst and Albrecht, the two sons of the late Elector of Saxony, Frederick II.

They had come to Vienna to pay their respects to the Emperor in accordance with Imperial tradition and to receive the Emperor's recognition of their inheritance of their titles.

The one standing more prominently among the two was undoubtedly Ernst, the heir to the Electorate, whose demeanor was steady and gentle.

This stood in stark contrast to Albrecht, who stood behind him and to his side; the younger of the two brothers was clearly more impetuous and youthful.

That being said, apart from the ecclesiastical Electors, many powerful Imperial princes had experienced changes in their rulers.

The two Counts of Württemberg, and now the two Dukes of Saxony before him, the Elector of Munich, the Count Palatine...

These princes were almost all contemporaries of his, and some were even much younger than him. In any case, they were certainly easier to deal with than the old men of the previous era.

Ernst, who was before him, was a typical example.

His abilities were quite mediocre, far from matching his father, and even inferior to his good-for-nothing uncle Frederick, whom Laszlo had always looked down upon.

It was clear that this was a person of no threat; the only thing that could make Laszlo wary was his marriage alliance.

Thinking of this, Laszlo's gaze shifted to his attendant, Al, beside him.

Speaking of which, Ernst was also Al's brother-in-law, meaning the brother-in-law of the Elector of Munich, Sigismund.

The amicable relationship between the two Electors was clearly not a good thing for him, but Laszlo was not too worried.

The mediocre Elector of Munich had to face the pressure from his powerful kinsman, Louis IX "the Rich" of Landshut.

And Ernst, who was even more mediocre, faced an even more complex situation.

The two Saxon brothers' paternal uncle, William III, still controlled Thuringia.

In the era of Frederick II, the old Elector could still suppress his younger brother William.

Now that two younger generations had taken over, William's ambition for Saxony itself would probably soon become uncontrollable.

Furthermore, the two brothers standing before him now were also very likely to experience a farcical sibling rivalry, just like their fathers.

As long as the system of partible inheritance continued, these noble families' internal disputes could not be stopped.

Not every head of a family could suppress potential family infighting through absolute strength, as Laszlo could.

At least Ernst could not; his younger brother Albrecht's "military" attribute value was astonishingly high, enough to leave Ernst far behind.

As the second son, Albrecht had no right to inherit the Electorate; he now held the title of Duke of Saxony.

If he could be won over to suppress his elder brother, that would be ideal.

Moreover, although this Albrecht's administrative and diplomatic abilities were slightly better than a slipper, his military capabilities were absolutely among the best in the Empire.

This immediately ignited Laszlo's desire to recruit talented individuals.

He had always hoped to recruit more good Generals and wise ministers to his command, and this newly appointed Duke of Saxony was a good candidate.

As far as he knew, historically, Duke Albrecht of Saxony had personally led troops to rescue Maximilian I, who was besieged by the rebellious Netherlands.

Subsequently, he was also appointed Regent of the Netherlands, and while Maximilian was fighting the Hungarians, he waged a five-year suppression campaign in the Netherlands.

After his departure, the Netherlands enjoyed decades of peace and stability,

Which showed that this person was capable of great use.

On the other hand, Ernst's life did not leave any noteworthy records, but his descendants brought great trouble to the Empire and the Habsburg Family.

Earlier this year, Ernst's eldest son, Frederick, was born.

If nothing unexpected happened, this child would be the future Frederick III "the Wise".

Historically, he not only attempted to seize the Holy Roman Empire's throne but also openly sheltered the religious reformer Martin Luther, defying the Emperor's decree.

After him, the Saxon Electors of the Saxony-Ernestine line even became the leaders of the Imperial Protestant League.

In contrast, the Dukes of Saxony from the Saxony-Albertine line became loyal supporters of the Emperor.

Finally, in 1547, the Habsburg Family, with the support of the Albertine line, defeated the Ernestine line and captured the Elector of Saxony.

Subsequently, the Electorate of Saxony was transferred to the Albertine line, which had contributed greatly to Emperor Charles V.

However, to everyone's surprise, Duke Maurice of Saxony, who had successfully obtained the Electorate from the Emperor, turned around and allied with the King of France to ambush the Emperor.

This act directly led to the Habsburg Family's inability to react in time, resulting in their defeat in the Imperial Religious Wars and being forced to sign the Peace of Augsburg, establishing the principle of "whose realm, his religion."

And Maurice, due to his early betrayal of his family and Protestantism, was given the highly sarcastic nickname "Judas of Meissen."

Laszlo was quite familiar with the history of the two major branches of the Saxon family repeatedly changing sides.

He summarized the following pattern: before obtaining the Electorate, the princes were clearly trustworthy;

But after obtaining the Electorate, regardless of their stance, they were very likely to join the opposing camp and resist the Emperor.

Laszlo achieved this by supporting the rebellious members of various major Imperial families while cultivating loyal princely forces to counter the Electors' interference with him.

So far, his method had been quite successful.

The two brothers of the Hohenzollern Family had a very poor relationship due to their opposing stances on supporting and opposing him.

The Elector of Munich, whom he had carefully selected, now had a pitifully small chance of resisting him.

He now decided to apply the same method he used on the Hohenzollern Family to the Saxony-Wettin Family.

"Most honorable Emperor of Rome, your loyal servants Ernst, and my brother Albrecht, hereby pay our highest respects to you.

Our father, Frederick II, unfortunately passed away previously, and his territories, titles, and all powers should be inherited by us two according to Imperial law.

We come today not only to swear eternal loyalty to Your Majesty but also to humbly request Your Majesty's gracious confirmation of our right of inheritance, so that I may continue to govern the territories in your name and serve the Empire."

Ernst expressed his purpose to Laszlo with a very humble and respectful demeanor.

"Ernst, I am aware of your father's merits and your legitimate right of inheritance.

As one of the pillars of the Empire, the Elector of Saxony bears an extremely important mission.

You must diligently fulfill your duties, defend Imperial territory, participate in the Imperial Conference, and answer my call to collectively resist the enemies of the Empire and the Roman Church.

I hereby formally confirm you as the legitimate lord of Saxony, the Elector of Saxony, and appoint you as the new General of the Empire."

"Thank you for Your Majesty's gracious permission."

Ernst did not propose any additional conditions or engage in a quid pro quo with the Emperor, as was customary in feudal tradition.

After all, such things were normal in regular feudal states, but the Holy Roman Empire was not a normal state at all, so this step was naturally absent.

Laszlo then turned his gaze to Albrecht, who stood silently behind his elder brother.

It was clear that this tall young man was indeed not very articulate.

"Albrecht, I hear that you and your brother are currently co-ruling Saxony. Is this true?"

"That is indeed the case, honorable Emperor."

Albrecht looked at the Emperor with some anticipation.

Since his brother had already inherited the Electorate, he naturally needed to find another path to advancement to raise his own status.

And this newly opened path to advancement was well-known throughout the Empire: to serve the Emperor.

Usually, it was on the battlefield, but it could also be in the court of Vienna.

From a young age, Albrecht was exceptionally brave and had studied ancient Roman military tactics, considering himself no weaker than the Generals the Emperor valued.

He even believed he possessed the talent to become a Grand Marshal of the Empire.

But all of this depended on whether the Emperor was worthy of his loyalty and whether he would give him the opportunity to serve.

"Since that is the case, I hereby bestow upon you the title of Duke of Saxony, ranking below the Seven Electors and above all other Dukes of the Empire.

From now on, you must also be dutiful, serving as an example to the other princes, and together with your elder brother, maintain the stability of the Empire."

"Thank you, Your Majesty, I will always be loyal to you!"

The joy on Albrecht's face was impossible to hide.

He hadn't expected the Emperor to give him such a great gift on their first meeting.

The Emperor's words just now were not mere talk; they had legal effect.

This meant that in future Imperial Conferences, his position would always be after the Seven Electors and before all other Imperial princes.

In the Holy Roman Empire, with its strict hierarchy and emphasis on political precedence, the seating order of the princes during grand assemblies almost directly reflected their power, prestige, and political influence within the Empire.

Since the Emperor placed such high hopes on him, he naturally would not disappoint the Emperor.

Ernst also noticed his younger brother's joy, secretly wishing him well in his heart, and at the same time, feeling a slight relief for the further consolidation of the Wettin Family's position.

After all, his father had defied the Emperor many times during his lifetime, and coming to Vienna this time, he had already prepared himself to face the Emperor's difficulties.

Perhaps it was because the Emperor had achieved a great victory in Switzerland that he did not trouble the two brothers.

At this time, the relationship between the two Saxon brothers was still very close.

The naive Ernst would never have thought that Laszlo had already begun to plot in his mind how to turn the two brothers against each other.

After sending off the two young, powerful princes, Laszlo was about to take a break and go to the palace to spend time with his family when a servant reported from outside the door.

"Your Majesty, the Duke of Armagnac requests an audience."

"He's returned from France? Let him come in to see me quickly."

Laszlo frowned slightly; although he was somewhat displeased, he still knew which was more important, state affairs or family matters.

Soon after, Jean V, the Duke of Armagnac, who looked even more haggard than when he left Austria, came before Laszlo.

"Welcome back, Jean, I have learned of your great achievements from the letters of Anthony and Philip; you have indeed not failed my expectations."

Facing the Emperor's praise, Jean V forced a smile that was uglier than crying, showing that he had suffered a great blow.

"This is all what I should do, Your Majesty," Jean V paused, letting out a helpless sigh, "and yet I ultimately failed to achieve the goal you set, and your praise makes me feel ashamed."

Jean V's pessimistic words made Laszlo's brow furrow even tighter.

He now desperately wanted to know what had caused such a significant blow to this unyielding duke who doted on his sister.

After a moment of thought, Laszlo realized a puzzling point that had bothered him before.

"Before you tell me what happened in France, allow me to ask you a question," Laszlo gazed at the dejected Duke, "The Treaty of Conflans doesn't seem to have any clause about the return of the Armagnac territories. What's going on?"

"Your Majesty, that was nothing but a piece of waste paper," Jean V said as if a raw nerve had been touched, feeling even more indignant and wronged in his heart, "But even if it was waste paper, it cannot conceal the fact that I was betrayed again.

The Duke of Brittany, the Duke of Normandy, and the Duke of Burgundy all got what they wanted from the treaty.

Because they couldn't capture Paris, they gave up on claiming my territories and instead, impatiently signed a treaty with the damned Louis XI."

Laszlo looked at the poor fellow before him with some sympathy.

How tragic; his allies had just sold him out.

Although this was not honorable, it was the wisest choice for the participants of the League of Public Weal.

The King of France had already conceded many benefits to most of the powerful princes; they had no reason to press the King of France relentlessly for the Duke of Armagnac.

Louis XI was truly worthy of his title, "The Universal Spider"; he was indeed a master at manipulating people's hearts.

This caused the Duke of Armagnac to leave Burgundy and the League of Public Weal in anger, running back to Vienna to complain to him.

However, was he truly just back to complain?

Laszlo was skeptical.

"They also have their difficulties, but rest assured, I will not forget your contributions.

I have prepared a fief for you in Milan, enough for you to live a dignified life with your family in the future."

"Thank you for your generosity, benevolent and magnanimous Emperor."

Laszlo's words almost brought tears to the eyes of the utterly unlucky Duke of Armagnac.

"This is your deserved reward.

Now, tell me, you just said the Treaty of Conflans was a piece of waste paper. What's that about?"

"Your Majesty, less than two months after the treaty was signed, the Count of Maine had a conflict with the Duke of Brittany over territorial disputes.

Louis XI likely knew that his uncle had sided with the alliance on the battlefield due to my persuasion, so he deliberately ceded his territory to the Duke of Brittany as punishment.

At the same time, Louis XI also played a trick in the treaty, creating many disputed territories between Normandy and Brittany."

The Duke of Armagnac was now utterly disappointed with both Louis XI and the League of Public Weal; only the generous Emperor was worthy of his allegiance.

Therefore, he began to mercilessly expose the shameful behavior of his former allies.

"Prince Charles and the Duke of Brittany were at daggers drawn, on the verge of a major conflict.

Louis XI seized this opportunity to directly send troops from Paris to garrison Normandy, and also conveniently captured the Duke of Alençon, who had previously remained neutral, and imprisoned him in the Louvre.

And the Duke of Bourbon and General Dunois turned to support the King due to Louis XI's inducements.

My foolish cousin, Jacques, gained some advantages in the war, but his territory is now experiencing a serious rebellion.

I suspect Louis XI's shadow is behind this as well.

The Duke of Burgundy, who obtained the Somme territories and a part of the County of Champagne, is now busy consolidating his new territories and guarding against internal unrest in the Low Countries, completely unconcerned with the situation of his allies."

Jean V's series of words made Laszlo's eyes gradually widen, finally leaving him utterly dumbfounded.

"You mean, two months after the war, the League of Public Weal shattered? And that treaty became toilet paper?"

"Toilet paper… Although I don't know what that is, it feels like a very vivid metaphor.

Your Majesty, Louis XI is now working to reclaim the territories he previously ceded and suppress all those with dissenting intentions.

This war barely affected him at all."

Jean V hung his head in dejection; he already sensed that he might never reclaim his family's territories in this lifetime.

Actually, being an Austrian noble wasn't bad at all.

Laszlo, however, shook his head gently upon hearing his words; if the League of Public Weal hadn't restrained Louis XI, how could he have so easily dealt with Switzerland?

Now, in the southwestern region of the Empire, Savoy and Switzerland, who were close to the King of France, had both been crushed by him.

Laszlo wanted to see who in the Empire would dare to collude with the King of France in the future.

"Alright, don't be disheartened; our war with Louis XI has only just begun, and the final outcome is still far off."

Laszlo stood up, walked over to Jean V, patted his shoulder, and offered some words of comfort.

"The Pope has absolved you of your sins, and you have also gained my recognition through your merits; go and bring your wife and children back.

Be careful this time, and don't let anyone see you."

The Emperor's words made the Duke of Armagnac's old face flush, but they indeed restored his spirit and fighting will.

After thanking the Emperor, Jean V quickly left the Imperial Palace as if fleeing.