Burgundy, Brussels.
Inside the magnificent and culturally rich Burgundian palace, Charles the bold had just finished arguing with the representatives of the States General and was now convening his trusted ministers to discuss the invasion of Lorraine.
Using a combination of carrots and sticks, he had forced the provinces of the Low Countries to agree to a special tax to cover the expenses of this war and to assemble levies in Flanders to bolster the strength of the Burgundian army.
Benefiting from the excellent infantry tradition of Flanders, Charles planned to expand his current forces by several thousand more men to ensure he could take Lorraine in one fell swoop.
However, it would take quite some time for the tax funds and troops to be in place, so Charles could only wait anxiously while refining his plans for the War of the Lorrainese Succession.
But the bad news returning from the Empire directly disrupted all of Charles's plans.
"Christopher spearheaded the establishment of the League of Constance? The princes and estates of the western Empire are all preparing for war? What on earth does Laszlo think he's doing!"
In disbelief, Charles handed the secret report sent back by his spies in the Empire to the cabinet members for circulation.
Compared to Charles's surprise, his ministers appeared quite calm, as if they had somewhat expected this.
Among them, Guillaume, the Chief Minister who had accompanied Charles to the tripartite talks, shook his head somewhat helplessly and said, "Your Majesty, the Emperor is truly enraged this time. Your claims to Lorraine have been viewed as a provocation to Imperial authority."
"Imperial authority? That thing... who besides the Emperor even cares about it?"
Charles slammed his fist on the table with a dark expression, his heart filled with indignation.
Wasn't it said that after marrying his daughter to the Emperor's heir, he could freely seize land within the Empire?
How did so many enemies suddenly pop up in the Empire when he wasn't paying attention?
Even the Archbishop of Trier, who used to be his dependent, had sided with the League of Constance, and the Bishop of Metz, whom he controlled, was also making eyes at his opponents.
Furthermore, the leader of this league was his son-in-law. Before this, Christopher's relationship with him had been very harmonious.
Given that Charles still had no other offspring, Mary of Burgundy would be the primary heir to all his property, and Christopher was Mary's husband. This meant that in the future, Christopher would have the opportunity to take over a vast and wealthy Kingdom of Burgundy.
From this perspective, they shouldn't have any conflict of interest.
Unfortunately, Charles's behavior was undoubtedly a massive injury to the Empire. As the King of the Romans and the direct heir to the Emperor, it was not strange for Christopher to ultimately choose to stand on the side of Imperial interests.
"Your Majesty, are we still going to attack Lorraine?"
The words of his close attendant Olivier interrupted Charles's deep thoughts, plunging him into a new dilemma.
"You previously explicitly refused the many demands proposed by the Emperor. Now the alliance between Austria and Burgundy is on the brink of collapse. If an armed conflict breaks out between the two sides at this time over the succession dispute in Lorraine, the alliance will lose any possibility of continuing."
Guillaume, fearing that Charles would make a rash decision to test his strength against the Emperor, quickly offered a reminder.
While the diligent efforts of four generations of monarchs were important for Burgundy's current glory, what truly shaped Burgundy was the chaotic and twisted situation and the monarchs' extremely precise grasp of the times.
During the Hundred Years' War between England and France, the first three dukes repeatedly switched sides between the two camps. At times, they controlled the court in Paris, carrying out massive purges of opposing factions like Orléans and Armagnac; at other times, they joined forces with the English army to repeatedly thwart the counterattacks of the French forces.
Until finally, the French King was forced into a corner and had no choice but to cede large tracts of territory seized by Burgundy and recognize Burgundy's de facto independent status.
After gaining a foothold in the Low Countries through marriage, and taking advantage of the decline of Imperial power and the weakness of surrounding Imperial Princes, the Dukes of Burgundy eventually seized the entire Low Countries. This was a staggering achievement.
Although the complete annexation and integration of the Low Countries was carried out by Charles, who had already been promoted to King, the fate of the Low Countries had actually been determined as early as the end of Philip III's reign.
Through sophisticated diplomatic means, Philip III maximized the expansion of Burgundian lands without provoking friendly states and extracted Burgundy from the quagmire of the Hundred Years' War, making it the most prosperous realm in a troubled world.
As his son, Charles's performance... one couldn't say it was terrible, but it was indeed only mediocre.
Building upon the legacy of the three previous generations, he expanded territory on a large scale, reformed internal affairs, and achieved final victory in the three Franco-Burgundian Wars. He established the High Court, the General Accounting Office, and the New Army, and standardized and controlled the States General. These remarkable innovations highlighted his difference from previous monarchs.
If his personality flaws could be corrected, he might have been the one to lead Burgundy into a new era.
But the problem lay precisely in his personality.
His ancestor Philip II, the founder of the Valois-Burgundy Dynasty, and his father Philip III were both the most astute politicians and diplomats of their era. They could always seize the most benefits for Burgundy in chaotic situations, advancing to control the French court and retreating to ensure their status as independent regional lords.
In contrast, Duke John, sandwiched between the two Philips, seemed much more foolish.
He instructed assassins to stab the Duke of Orléans to death in the street and later colluded with English forces to capture Paris, orchestrating a Great Purge in the city that resulted in over ten thousand people being killed or exiled.
Ultimately, he also lost his life to a French assassin because he lowered his guard during negotiations.
Charles inherited none of his father's amazing diplomatic talent; instead, he inherited his grandfather's brutal personality and developed it to an extreme degree.
The number of times he suppressed uprisings in the Low Countries was nearly equal to the total during the reigns of several previous monarchs combined, giving him an extremely poor reputation in the Low Countries and the Empire.
His atrocities, such as frequently slaughtering entire cities, also dealt a devastating blow to the economy and livelihoods of the rebellious regions, but Charles disregarded this entirely.
His army, which was like a pack of wolves, always hoped to obtain all the spoils of war after a city fell, and as their commander, he neither wanted to nor could stop such "legitimate" demands.
Despite possessing such a well-equipped and "powerful" army, Charles had not actually gained an advantage in various disputes.
What truly helped Burgundy break the deadlock was a series of supports provided by the Emperor.
However, after experiencing a long war of attrition and suddenly breaking the deadlock, Charles became increasingly arrogant, even to the point of almost disregarding the Empire.
As Charles's trusted minister, Guillaume had to prevent things from taking a worse turn, even at the risk of enraging his lord.
"Your Majesty, once the alliance breaks, the Imperial Princes with long-standing grievances will surely oppose us under the Emperor's guidance. The territories in the Low Countries will also become extremely unstable. I hope you will consider this matter carefully."
"I know all of this, of course!"
Charles waved his hand somewhat impatiently, his voice suddenly rising and startling the several people around him.
Seeing this, the ministers did not speak again to disturb Charles, waiting for him to consider and reach a conclusion himself.
The ministers present were not madmen; facing the pressure exerted by the Emperor, they naturally felt an urge to retreat.
Just like what happened in the Third Franco-Burgundian War, once the forces supported by the Emperor encountered setbacks in the war, the next thing to worry about was when the Emperor would personally step in to end the war.
The difference was that last time the Emperor was Burgundy's ally, but this time the two sides were on opposite sides.
Even if they crushed the League of Constance in the process of fighting for Lorraine, what use would it be? In the end, they would still have to decide the outcome on the battlefield against the Imperial Army.
Frederick I, the previous Elector Palatine who won a decisive battle but lost the war, is still sitting in a prison in Vienna.
It was said that after the Count Palatine of the Rhine decided to join the League of Constance, the Emperor agreed to release this rebel leader who had been imprisoned for eleven years, though no one knew if it was true or false.
In addition to the Emperor's habitual tactic of using others' strength against them, the Imperial mercenaries who made up a significant portion of the Burgundian army were another point worthy of vigilance.
Once the Emperor issued an edict, the probability of these Imperial soldiers serving Burgundy defecting was not zero.
With the two powers deeply intertwined, their King had forced Burgundy to face the worst diplomatic situation since its founding through a series of unwise moves.
To this, they had no choice but to let out a few helpless sighs. Who told them to serve such a tyrannical monarch?
Charles calculated silently in the eerie silence for a long while before leaning back against his throne with drooping eyelids as if his strength were spent, asking in a low voice: "How much of a chance do you think I have of seizing Lorraine from the Emperor's hands?"
Hearing this, Charles's Chief Minister, the Lord Chancellor, the Finance Minister, and a group of Knights of the Golden Fleece looked at each other, but not one dared to step forward and shatter Charles's delusions.
They either bowed their heads in silence or indicated their pessimistic attitude by shaking their heads and sighing.
Seeing this scene, Charles finally gave up his final struggle.
"Then let's talk. Try to secure a result favorable to Burgundy from the Emperor's hands."
Charles's decision caused the tense atmosphere in the meeting to suddenly ease considerably, and many people breathed a sigh of relief.
As confidants who had served Charles for many years, they knew his headstrong nature very well.
If he did not truly feel fear of the Emperor from the bottom of his heart, the proud King of Burgundy would never choose to back down at such a time.
However, no one would mock his cowardice as being contrary to his nickname "the bold," because only a monarch who truly knows how to judge the situation can better earn the devotion of his subjects.
"Your Majesty, do the taxes and troops negotiated with the assembly need to be returned?" the Finance Minister asked.
"I don't think there's any rush. These are all bargaining chips for our confrontation and negotiations with the Emperor. Besides, Gelre also needs more support; this money can be used exactly for that."
Guillaume was well aware that the Emperor had scattered spies in Burgundy. Even though the Emperor's spymaster, the Duke of Armagnac, had already left Burgundy for the court in Paris, the spy network he left behind was still operational.
Until the Emperor's intelligence network was cleared out, any major moves they made would be transmitted to the Imperial court. Acting rashly would easily lead to a passive position in negotiations.
Charles also agreed with the Chief Minister's view. He hadn't considered that much; he simply didn't want to return the resources he had obtained.
According to the old tradition of the French Estates-General, if resources collected for a certain national affair were not used up, they were theoretically to be returned.
Of course, cases of return were extremely rare. Often, monarchs would rather bear the infamy and keep the money in their own hands, and Charles, as a powerful monarch, was naturally no exception.
The contents of this meeting were ordered to be kept strictly confidential. Afterward, intense war preparations continued throughout Burgundy, making it appear that the King of Burgundy intended to follow his path to the end.
Only, when people were not paying attention, Charles's envoy had already left Brussels in haste, speeding toward Franche-Comté, intending to negotiate with the Emperor through the mediation of King Christopher.
Shortly after the Burgundian messenger arrived in Besançon, Adolf, the Archbishop of Mainz and Imperial envoy, also arrived.
Upon discovering that both sides showed signs of resolving the dispute peacefully, Christopher happily facilitated a formal negotiation.
The location for the negotiations was set in Verdun. This was a very sensitive place, situated at the border of the Duchy of Bar and the Duchy of Lorraine. The Bishopric of Verdun had been incorporated into the Burgundian sphere of influence along with most of the territory of the Duchy of Bar decades ago.
To reach Verdun from Besançon, the most convenient route was to cross through southern Lorraine and the County of Vaudémont.
Thus, Archbishop Adolf and the Imperial delegation accompanying him chose to march along with the Imperial Army under Christopher's command.
An army of several thousand struck toward Nancy from the border of Franche-Comté and Lorraine, sweeping all before them and encountering basically no effective resistance along the way.
Since the local nobles of Lorraine also harbored doubts about the Count of Vaudémont's rule, most chose to defect to the Imperial Army to avoid being ruthlessly plundered.
In the Count of Vaudémont's territory, the soldiers, freed from the constraints of military regulations, quickly turned the area into scorched earth.
By using the military corridor provided by the Bishop of Metz, the Imperial Army took less than two weeks to fight their way to the vicinity of Nancy.
The progress of the Upper Rhine and Swabian armies was also quite smooth. In particular, the Swabian Army fought its way through the Bishopric of Metz without any hindrance to a position dozens of miles east of Nancy, several days ahead of the other two armies.
The Duke of Baden, filled with desire for Lorraine, commanded his army to charge headlong into Lorraine territory.
When he led his army all the way to the gates of Nancy, the noble council within the city elected representatives to negotiate with him, hoping to surrender to the Empire.
Upon inquiry, the Duke learned that the Count of Vaudémont, who had taken advantage of the vacancy to seize Lorraine, had fled Nancy with his confidants at the very beginning of the Imperial invasion and his whereabouts were still unknown.
This was also the direct reason why the League of Constance army had not encountered any resistance.
The Duke of Baden and the Duke of Württemberg then accepted Nancy's surrender with mixed feelings. After demanding a sum for military expenses, they took control of the city and simultaneously sent messengers to all parties to announce the liberation of Lorraine.
Christopher, who arrived a step late, sent people to escort the Imperial delegation to Verdun while feeling some regret, and then led his army into Nancy to handle subsequent affairs.
The war in Lorraine went so smoothly that it surprised everyone; people could only marvel at how the prestige of the Imperial Army had grown to the point of defeating the enemy without even fighting.
The fleeing Count of Vaudémont, René, had sent messengers to see the Emperor, begging for his understanding and investiture, but Laszlo was only willing to give him a chance to defend himself in the Imperial Court.
Clearly, the young René did not have the courage to face the Emperor; he didn't even dare return to his own territory now, and could only flee all the way to hide in his grandmother's castle.
The Lorraine army, having lost its leader, scattered in all directions, and Lorraine thus became the spoils of the Imperial Army.
However, the Burgundians had made no move so far. It was heard that their King, Charles, was still gathering an army in the Low Countries, which made the high-ranking officers of the Imperial Army, who had just achieved a great victory, extremely nervous.
The negotiations between the Emperor and the King of Burgundy were a secret, and Christopher did not spread this news.
Compared to the high-ranking officers who worried about a Burgundian attack, the low-level soldiers had far fewer concerns.
They rejoiced at the victory, clamoring to conquer more land and seize more spoils.
Many young men who were on the battlefield for the first time were surprised to find that war could be so easy.
They only needed to keep breaking into villages and towns to burn, kill, and loot at will, and then follow the main force as it meandered toward the enemy's headquarters, winning victory without even a proper battle.
This also caused their confidence and greed to swell; the wealth of Lorraine alone could not satisfy them.
Beyond Lorraine, what other target could tempt them?
The only answer left was Burgundy; apart from Burgundy, the independent territories bordering Lorraine were basically members of the alliance.
But no one had the guts to manufacture border conflicts to provoke a war.
The generals specifically issued orders forbidding the active provocation of disputes. Furthermore, the Burgundian side was quite vigilant at the border, remaining constantly on guard against the locust-like Imperial Army.
Staying in Nancy indefinitely waiting for Burgundy to act was not an option, so the leadership of the alliance gathered at the residence of the Duke of Lorraine to hold a meeting to discuss the division of the spoils.
The arbitration results given by the Emperor were final and would not be changed: the two duchies of the House of Anjou, Bar and Lorraine, would be reclaimed by the Empire, and the status of the Meuse River as a natural border was now null and void.
This time, the border between the Empire and France was not pushed east from the Meuse River to the Rhine River, but rather pushed west to the source of the Seine River.
The Duchy of Bar was awarded to Charles of Burgundy, while Lorraine was awarded to the Duke of Baden, Karl. As compensation, Karl was required to perform an act of homage to the King of Burgundy in his capacity as the Duke of Lorraine.
As for the previously mentioned demand to abolish the Imperial Diet seats for Bar and Lorraine, that was still under discussion.
Laszlo had been trying to suppress the multiple votes of the powerful princes represented by Burgundy, but with little success.
To this end, he began trying to increase Austria's vote count through reclassification, but the effect was not very good; it was far less convenient than recruiting subordinates.
This war of succession was a good opportunity; the Imperial Diet was fragmented and ineffective, and the succession crisis involved many parties, giving him room to maneuver.
The disposal of the duchies was already clear, and the participants in the alliance were allocated some land or property according to their respective contributions.
These assets used for distribution basically came from those Lorraine nobles who were not very submissive, or were simply looted by the army along the way.
While Christopher presided over the noisy meeting to discuss the distribution of spoils, in Verdun, not far from Nancy, an important negotiation was taking place that would truly determine the course of the war.
"Archbishop Adolf, I didn't expect that you would actually be the one serving as the Emperor's envoy."
Guillaume, representing Charles for the negotiations, bowed with some surprise to the distinguished Imperial Chancellor.
The two had met before in Augsburg. At that time, Guillaume only considered the Archbishop a political ally of the Emperor, but now it seemed the other party had completely become the Emperor's subordinate.
However, it wasn't surprising when one thought about it. That tragic Mainz War had caused a massive shift in the political situation along the Rhine River, and had also indirectly caused Burgundy's current predicament of being unable to move an inch on the Empire's western border.
"His Majesty the Emperor attaches great importance to Burgundian affairs, which is why I have come to represent him in negotiations with the King of Burgundy."
Adolf scanned the Burgundian delegation with displeasure and did not see Charles, which immediately made him dissatisfied.
As the Imperial Chancellor and Chief Elector, he also had his pride.
He had originally intended to negotiate face-to-face with the King of Burgundy, his equal in rank, but to his surprise, Charles hadn't come at all. This was a complete disregard for the Emperor and the Empire!
"Where is your King? I am here to negotiate with him; His Majesty the Emperor's arbitration needs to be personally confirmed by him."
"Ahem, His Majesty the King's party is a bit slower and might not arrive here until tomorrow," Guillaume could barely maintain his solemn expression, but he still had to press on. "You can certainly inform us of the conditions proposed by His Majesty the Emperor first, and we will relay them to the King afterward."
"I now seriously doubt King Charles's sincerity regarding peace talks. Could it be that you are actually looking forward to a war with the Empire?"
"..."
"No, no, no, how could that be? Archbishop, we have no intention of offending His Majesty the Emperor's dignity. You will be able to see our King tomorrow. In any case, war benefits no one. Austria and Burgundy have been friendly neighbors for many years; if a war were to break out between the two sides, it would only please our enemies."
"Previously in Augsburg, His Majesty Charles didn't say that."
"At that time, His Majesty had just received news that Lorraine had been occupied by rebels. In his haste, he chose to return to Burgundy first to gather troops to help the Empire suppress the rebellion; he had no intention of coming into conflict with the Empire."
Even in the heat of summer, Guillaume could feel himself breaking into a cold sweat.
Despite it being somewhat rude, he still secretly grumbled about Charles in his heart.
In just the short duration of an Imperial Diet, this man could thoroughly offend an ally of more than ten years who had been like a brother; one had to say that this was also a unique kind of talent.
Seeing the Archbishop's aggressive stance, he began to realize that this negotiation was far from as simple as they had originally thought.
"Whether you had such intentions, you know best in your hearts."
The Archbishop gave a mocking smile and ordered someone to hand the list of the Emperor's demands to the other side.
Compared to the Emperor's initial demands, this document had been slightly embellished, which was also to facilitate the subsequent back-and-forth.
Guillaume took the document with curiosity, and after a few glances, he was completely stunned.
The Emperor awarded the Duchy of Bar to Burgundy and required the Duke of Lorraine to submit to the King of Burgundy; in exchange, the Imperial Diet seats for these two duchies would be revoked.
This was basically consistent with Burgundy's expectations, so it wasn't a big problem.
The key lay in the subsequent clauses.
"The position of hereditary Governor of Friesland?"
Such compensation was simply too generous, to the point that even the usually calm Guillaume couldn't help but cry out.
Did the Emperor still harbor feelings for his friendship with King Charles in his heart?
"This is conditional, and they are conditions on which no concessions will be made!"
The Archbishop immediately doused the Burgundians with a bucket of cold water.
Guillaume's heart sank, and he quickly turned to the next page, which read: The King of Burgundy is required to sign the Public Donation Tax Ordinance; both the Emperor and the King of Burgundy need to reaffirm the treaties signed when Burgundy joined the Empire; and the King of Burgundy must actively fulfill his imperial obligations and shall not violate the contract again in any form.
Back at the King of Burgundy's coronation, Laszlo and Charles had signed the Treaty of Trier, which stipulated a series of privileges and responsibilities for the Kingdom of Burgundy.
Among them, independent judicial jurisdiction and triple the imperial donation tax were set down in black and white.
Under the witness of the Archbishop of Trier, Charles had once placed his hand on the Bible and sworn not to violate the agreement; Laszlo had made a monarch's oath in the same manner and subsequently fulfilled it by protecting Burgundy from the French.
It had only been a few years, and Charles was already making a fuss about breaking the agreement, wanting to maintain his original special status while also thinking about reducing his imperial obligations, even willing to turn against the Emperor for it.
To give him a lesson he would remember, Laszlo changed the witness this time, letting the Archbishop of Mainz, the 'Holy See of the North,' watch him and making him place his hand on the Bible to swear again before God.
Perhaps Charles wasn't afraid of going to hell, but breaking an agreement multiple times was not only shameful but would also leave his reputation in tatters, which for Charles was probably the most difficult thing to accept.
He liked people to worship him like a hero, and indeed, many imperial nobles were attracted by Charles's strength and determination, becoming his admirers.
However, there was a certain element of superficiality in this admiration.
In regions truly close to Burgundy, people often preferred the 'Burgundian Ottoman theory' proposed by the Swiss, comparing the beast-like expansion of Burgundy to the Ottoman Empire.
This metaphor might seem somewhat inappropriate now, but it was quite fitting a dozen years ago.
Reaffirming the original agreement was clearly one of the Emperor's many efforts to restore the imperial framework.
The imperial system maintained with the Imperial Diet as its base had collapsed after the Augsburg meeting, and what the Emperor was doing now was rebuilding a new structure for the Empire on a more solid foundation.
Compared to maintaining the original structure through compromise and concessions, the Emperor chose a more difficult but also more rewarding path.
The biggest obstacles on this path were the Electors of the opposition, followed by the Kingdom of Burgundy with its special status.
Now the Emperor intended to sew Burgundy, this largest puzzle piece, into the new system of the Empire; this was likely the true focus of this negotiation.
"I will relay these conditions to His Majesty the King. I hope tomorrow's negotiations will have a good result."
The negotiations had to be temporarily postponed due to Charles's absence, but this also gave both sides a buffer period.
Charles, who arrived in Verdun later that day, received the conditions proposed by the Empire from his subordinates.
The arbitration result was the same as before, with each side taking half: Burgundy got the title, and Baden got the territory.
In fact, it wasn't that there wasn't a better solution; at the beginning, the Emperor had proposed that Charles pay a huge sum to induce the Duke of Baden to give up his claim to Lorraine, but Charles had thought it too expensive at the time and did not accept the condition.
Later, the Emperor made a ruling that neither side accepted.
Charles had thought the Emperor would continue to change the arbitration results until both sides were satisfied, but to his surprise, the Emperor's temper had flared up, and he began to insist on his final arbitration and instead demanded obedience from both Burgundy and Baden.
This was undoubtedly a bold attempt to display the Emperor's authority; if neither side yielded, the one who would ultimately be embarrassed would certainly be the Emperor.
But from the current situation, the Emperor's attempt was soon to be successful.
What would people say then? Look at that arrogant King of Burgundy; in the end, didn't he have to obediently submit to the Emperor?
In Charles's heart, there was unwillingness and resentment, but no regret.
He had become King, crushed his old enemy Louis XI, and brought Burgundy to unprecedented heights.
Laszlo had been reminding him to know restraint in their past correspondence, and it was only now that he felt it.
Just as Charles's ever-expanding ambition was falling into silence, the words 'Governor of Friesland' caught his eye, and other things were quickly pushed to the back of his mind.
He didn't have many other hobbies in this life: refined arts were one, the military life that tempered courage and strength was another, and what made him most addicted was the thrill of conquest.
Although he lost the chance to rule Lorraine directly, he gained a new goal.
However, this legal claim to Friesland was not given for free by the Emperor.
Charles had to make a choice between the Emperor and the opposition princes: either honestly acknowledge the imperial system led by the Emperor to maintain the alliance, or resist to the end and cause the alliance to break.
France was already divided, but had the threat of Burgundy really disappeared?
The possibility of Louis XI making a comeback not only existed but seemed quite high.
Charles VIII had recently written to beg him for assistance, but he had not replied. Now his good ally should be facing Louis XI's army alone on the front line, and the situation was certainly not very good.
Moreover, if the forces within the Empire that opposed Burgundy also had the Emperor's support, it would definitely be enough to give him a hard time.
The more things he worried about, the more Charles found it difficult to maintain Burgundy's independence.
His daughter was married to the Emperor's son; there was really no need to have a falling out over this.
Everything returned to how it used to be: his swelling ambition turned in the direction the Emperor pointed out for him, the pressure from within the Empire was handled for him by the Emperor, and the two sides joined forces to deal with the threat from France.
This was probably the easiest choice for Charles.
Even if Charles was a mad dog, the Emperor had still found a leash for him—or rather, this leash was handed to the Emperor by Charles himself, all for the bait called the Burgundian Crown.
The next day's negotiations quickly reached a consensus after a brief period of bargaining.
The subsequently signed Verdun Succession Agreement served as a supplement to the Treaty of Trier on one hand, and on the other hand, it was merged with the Ulm Succession Agreement signed by the Duke of Baden into a complete Lorraine Succession Agreement.
Charles recognized and returned to the Emperor's camp, which directly averted a worrying and cruel war and caused the next year's budget for the imperial treasury to increase directly by nearly twenty thousand florins.
This sum was equivalent to one-sixth of the normal annual imperial tax revenue, which was why Charles had always been resentful about the public donation tax.
But forced by the situation, he also had to make concessions, though at least he had the claim to Friesland as compensation.
The results of the peace talks in Verdun were quickly transmitted to nearby Nancy. Imperial messengers loudly proclaimed the arrival of peace, sparking bursts of cheering.
Under the guidance of those with ulterior motives, the people vied to praise the Emperor's benevolence. The members of the League of Constance, having had a false alarm, breathed a sigh of relief and began to celebrate this rare victory.
In the past, when facing the incursions of Burgundy, when had these weak forces ever achieved such a stunning victory? They had actually frightened the Burgundians into choosing peace talks to resolve the dispute.
Although this claim smacked of acting with borrowed authority, this complex Imperial Army had indeed played a crucial role in opposing Burgundy, allowing Charles to feel firsthand how much he was loathed and feared within the Empire.
Ownership of Lorraine was fully confirmed, the House of Anjou from France was ousted, and the rule of Imperial nobles replaced that of French nobles.
The Burgundian retreat became the hottest topic along the Rhine River in recent days.
Messengers transmitted the news at top speed back to the Imperial court in Innsbruck, which was still awaiting word.
"Majesty, the Burgundians have agreed to the many conditions you proposed; the conflict in the western part of the Empire has subsided."
Matthias found the Emperor with the negotiation results and a copy of the treaty rushed back by the messengers.
Laszlo nodded with satisfaction upon hearing this, taking the copy of the treaty from Matthias to examine it closely.
He had been somewhat anxious before; after all, Charles's past performance proved that he would sometimes do anything for the sake of some petty gains.
Fortunately, Charles was relatively clear-headed this time, or perhaps those trusted high officials by his side had exerted their influence, finally reining in the bull-headed Charles.
By means of diverting the trouble to the east, Laszlo had found a new direction for Charles to release his expansionist ambitions: Friesland to the north of the Low Countries, the final piece of the puzzle for the Seventeen Provinces of the Netherlands.
Judging from the results, Charles was quite satisfied with this compensation, even abandoning his plan to continue the confrontation with the Emperor over the public donation tax issue they had been arguing about.
However, Laszlo could almost foresee that in a few years, Charles would likely start stirring up trouble again.
Do not be fooled by his current submission; that was only because he was bogged down by a yet-to-be-assimilated Gelre, while simultaneously facing double pressure from the League of Constance and the Emperor.
If Burgundy had a strong army and ample provisions at this time, with no risk of internal rebellion or threat from external enemies, he would definitely have the confidence to continue confronting the Emperor, even at the cost of starting a war.
Regrettably, given Charles's crude governance and diplomatic methods, internal rebellions were almost endless, and his external allies were each more useless than the last, and far fewer than his enemies.
This time, it was also because the Emperor did not intend to break out into war with Burgundy that Charles did not end up in the worst possible situation.
After the Emperor proposed relatively generous compensation terms, Charles very readily agreed to terminate all previous disputes.
Laszlo, of course, would not give benefits to the Burgundians for no reason; he was worried that if things dragged on too long, the situation might change.
If the olive branch extended by the opposition forces within the Empire moved Charles, he would have to deal with enemies from two directions, which was the last thing he wanted to see.
Looking back at the many strategies he had employed, the most important and common one was to divide the enemies and then defeat them one by one.
Only by suppressing Burgundy first could he concentrate all his energy on dealing with the traitors within the Empire.
"This additional clause is..."
Laszlo's attention was drawn to the content recorded on the final page of the treaty.
The clause stated that Charles invited the Duke of Baden and Christopher to join the Order of the Golden Fleece; the invitation to the former was mandatory, while the latter was Charles's personal decision.
Charles then consulted the invitees themselves, and both agreed to join the King of Burgundy's Order.
The Order of the Golden Fleece was a collective of pro-Burgundian nobles with a clear political label.
Joining the Order meant entering the inner circle of the Burgundian monarch, which included his trusted subjects, generals, and allied monarchs who were on friendly terms with Burgundy.
As the most famous member of the Order of the Golden Fleece since its founding forty years ago, Laszlo was naturally no stranger to such tactics.
He no longer needed that magnificent Golden Fleece collar to demonstrate the solid alliance between Austria and Burgundy; now, the Order was benefiting from his prestige, and its value had been significantly elevated.
Of course, after rebuilding the Dragon Knight Order, Laszlo had actually violated the charter of the Order of the Golden Fleece by establishing and leading another noble Order, but no one would care about such a small detail.
What surprised Laszlo was that Charles had finally learned a thing or two, beginning to emulate his father's methods to appease people and maintain friendly relations.
Charles's invitation to the Duke of Baden did not come as a surprise to Laszlo.
Just as several counts from the Low Countries and the King of Burgundy's close direct vassals like the Count of Nevers were core members of the Order, the Duke of Baden joining this circle in his capacity as the Duke of Lorraine could be seen as Charles recognizing his inheritance of Lorraine.
Correspondingly, after joining the Order, the Duke of Baden, as a Burgundian vassal, would also have to assume certain obligations; Charles would never allow the Duke of Lorraine to submit to him in name only.
These non-military means had never been Charles's forte, but Philip III had demonstrated them so many times while he was alive that it was not strange for Charles to have learned the basics.
The key lay in Charles's invitation to Christopher; such a tactic was unlikely to have been devised by Charles himself, though it was also possible that this conflict had led Charles to make some progress.
"Majesty, is the King of Burgundy showing his goodwill to you? This should be an olive branch he has thrown out to repair the relationship between Burgundy and Austria."
"Yes, Christopher himself already bore the heavy responsibility of maintaining the friendly relationship between the House of Burgundy and the Habsburg Family, and this is a good opportunity. "
"Unfortunately, Charles is the kind of person who never learns, otherwise he wouldn't have been played so many times by Louis XI. I don't know how long this warming of the alliance will last."
"You have already bought time for the present; isn't that enough?"
"True enough," Laszlo's expression turned stern. "Since the conflict in the west is resolved, it's time to clean up the mess in the east."
Laszlo put away the copy of the treaty and then took out several Imperial documents submitted by the Privy Council.
These documents recorded various chaotic phenomena in the Franconia District.
The Bishop of Würzburg and the Bishop of Bamberg accused each other of allowing their subordinate knights to plunder villages and manors, resulting in over a thousand deaths.
Furthermore, the powerful Franconian Robber Knight groups had caused a near-total paralysis of public security in the District. The local Knights League and other Imperial Estates had suffered greatly and subsequently submitted petitions to the Emperor one after another, hoping to use the Empire's power to restore peace and Order.
Meanwhile, Albrecht, Elector of Brandenburg, who had been ordered by the Emperor to clear the District of bandits, currently had no intention of fulfilling his duties.
All his energy was focused on his dispute with the Nuremberg city government.
The dispute was over an Imperial Barony called Brauneck. A few years ago, the Brauneck family line went extinct, and the land was returned to the Emperor for redistribution.
Although the Elector of Brandenburg claimed he had the right to inherit the territory as the lord of the lands surrounding Nuremberg, Laszlo had leased the territory to the city of Nuremberg instead.
Considering the Elector of Brandenburg's opposition, Laszlo did not grant the territory directly to Nuremberg but instead signed a three-year lease with the Free City. The annual annuity the city needed to pay was slightly increased, and in exchange, the city government gained the right to use this ownerless territory.
Now that the lease had expired, both sides had begun to clash again over the ownership of the territory.
The Elector of Brandenburg was restrained enough; as early as the Nuremberg Alliance War over a decade ago, he had suffered defeat due to underestimating the enemy, and this time he did not intend to rashly start a war.
However, while having territorial disputes with the Free City, he no longer fulfilled his duties as District Governor, which had led to Franconia becoming the most chaotic District in the Empire.
It wasn't that he didn't want to fulfill his duties; in fact, it was because he had refused the Emperor's requests at the Imperial Diet. Therefore, the Emperor's supporters no longer viewed him as the Emperor's direct representative in the District, and the title of Governor naturally lost its effectiveness.
Now, it was not an easy task for the Elector of Brandenburg even to convene a District Diet in Franconia.
As the Elector's long-time political rival, the status and prestige of the Bishop of Würzburg had been steadily rising during this period, which also threatened the Elector's position.
Laszlo had recently been considering appointing a new governor, but looking at the situation in Franconia, it wouldn't matter who was appointed.
"Troubles come one after another; we must first find a suitable target to start with."
Laszlo laid out several Imperial documents before him, trying to untangle the chaotic situation.
Matthias, standing aside, thought for a moment and offered his insight: "The dispute between Bamberg and Würzburg can be mediated; they are both your supporters. The dispute between the Free City of Nuremberg and the Elector of Brandenburg, while present, has a limited scope of impact. "
"Therefore, the urgent task is still to organize the Imperial Army to wipe out the bandits, restoring stable Order to the District first. Only then can we sort out the situation and resolve the disputes."
Hearing this, Laszlo's eyes lit up, and he nodded repeatedly in approval.
"I was just wondering how to deal with the League of Constance, and look, hasn't the opportunity arrived?"
From its formation to the completion of its final goal, the League of Constance had taken less than three months; one could even say it was a speedrun.
Now the Burgundian invaders they were meant to oppose had retreated, yet the League's army was still gathered in Lorraine and had not yet disbanded.
Rather than letting these soldiers, who had just experienced a brief war, leave the battlefield and trigger new social unrest, it would be better to find them a new job.
Gathering an army composed of the Imperial Estates was no easy feat. Since everyone was already gathered together, what was the harm in doing a bit more work before disbanding?
In the spirit of putting everything to its best use, Laszlo had already begun considering the wording of the edict.
Laszlo was all too familiar with what kind of rhetoric to use to mobilize the ambitions of officers and soldiers in pursuit of honor and loot.
"You plan to deploy the army of the League of Constance to attack the Robber Knight groups in Franconia?"
"Isn't it perfectly suitable? Many in that army live on loot and pay; keeping them away from the battlefield would instead make their lives difficult. Finding opportunities for them to take to the battlefield is also an important means of maintaining Imperial stability."
Laszlo pulled out the petition from the Free City of Nuremberg, which clearly pointed out that the Robber Knights' stronghold was located at the junction of the four Districts of Franconia, Swabia, the Upper Rhine, and Bavaria, entirely within the League of Constance's range of intervention.
There were several major transportation routes there. After the collapse of the District system in Franconia, the local knights, who were already desperate for money, began to wantonly plunder passing merchants and travelers, even attacking and burning down a town.
This was, after all, their original way of life.
The knights did not engage in production and did not understand commerce; the income from serf manors alone was insufficient to support the expenses of knightly families. Robbery, extortion, and murder had become the primary sources of income for some.
The promulgation and implementation of the Imperial Peace Decree had made them poor, and they grew even poorer as wars decreased.
Furthermore, the Imperial Chamber Court Ordinance had caused them to lose their absolute sense of free judicial power, as they began to be restricted by Imperial laws, especially the threat of an Imperial Ban that the Emperor could issue at any time.
Those who were hit with a ban due to serious criminal offenses generally never met a good end.
The Empire's new system was continuously reducing the political influence and economic power of the knights, which directly led to the violent backlash seen today.
Laszlo did not care if these scoundrels, who were keen on committing crimes, had any grievances.
Daring to attack caravans traveling between Nuremberg and Augsburg, and even daring to intercept and kill the Emperor's messengers—everything they did was a suicidal endeavor.
"Will the League members agree to your request? They are, after all, just a temporary alliance organized to resist the Burgundians."
"It is indeed possible that some will not be interested in crusading against the bandits of Franconia, but we can always retain some troops. Having them cooperate with our army to clear out the Robber Knights should not be a problem."
Laszlo quickly set his next goal.
"Arrange for people to go to Franconia later to gather specific intelligence on the Robber Knights, including their strongholds, numbers, and the knightly families involved. I hope the army can complete the task of clearing the bandits as quickly as possible afterward."
"Yes, Majesty."
"And as for the issue of the League of Constance, it seems a bit of a waste to just disband it like this."
"Then how about trying to merge the Swabian League and the League of Constance?"
"That's a good idea, but we can do it in a different way."
Laszlo hesitated for a moment but still chose to end the League of Constance, just like the Swabian League whose influence he had gradually eliminated.
The old era of alliances has passed; the Districts must assume the same or even more complete functions to replace various unions of forces.
Merging the League of Constance and the Swabian League could actually be phrased another way: cross-District cooperation between Swabia and the Upper Rhine. This would be a topic of great discussion value.