After continuous high-intensity travel through the Empire and Bohemia, even the energetic Laszlo couldn't help but feel exhausted.
For this, he decided to temporarily rest in Vienna, as he currently had no external threats to deal with and could safely act as the mastermind behind the scenes.
Shortly after his return to Vienna, Anthony of Burgundy, the long-unseen ambassador to Burgundy, arrived in Vienna, bringing Laszlo the latest intelligence.
"I regret to inform Your Majesty that I bring you several bad news."
Anthony's face was filled with worry; he wasn't concerned about the Emperor's reprimand, but rather deeply anxious about the current situation.
Laszlo's brows furrowed upon hearing this, his originally relaxed expression turning solemn.
"I remember when I saw Charles last month, he said the situation wasn't too bad yet. What exactly happened during this time?"
"Not long ago, the King of France's cousin, Charles, Duke of Orléans, passed away, leaving behind an heir who was still in his infancy.
Originally, the old Duke's wife, Marie of Cleves, was supposed to serve as regent until the young Duke came of age.
However, Louis XI, that ruffian, usurped the regency and the guardianship of the young Duke by citing that Lady Marie was from the Empire and colluding with several Orléans retainers he had bribed.
Now Orléans is also controlled by Louis XI, and coupled with Normandy, which he previously reclaimed, the alliance finds it very difficult to contend with him.
Furthermore, the Duke of Alençon, who had remained neutral in the previous war, was again arrested by the King of France on charges of treason and sentenced to death.
Louis XI caged that wavering Duke and hung him from the walls of Paris, an act that terrified many wavering French nobles, who then pledged their loyalty to the King of France."
The news brought by Anthony made Laszlo's mood take a sharp downturn.
It was only last month that his brother-in-law Charles was boasting to him about defeating the King of France and demanding the crown of Burgundy.
How long had it been since the King of France's power had grown even stronger than before the war?
And in contrast, the formidable League of Public Weal was instantly disintegrated under the Spider King's combined overt and covert attacks.
Many resentful French vassals, realizing they could not defeat the King of France head-on, immediately chose to gladly accept the King's minor concessions and then abandoned the alliance.
The Duke of Bourbon and many other nobles thus returned to the King of France's banner.
Now, the Duke of Brittany and the Duke of Berry, who still harbored strong intentions to resist, had previously broken off due to territorial disputes over Normandy.
Although they reunited through the mediation of the Duke of Burgundy, the rift had already appeared and would only grow wider.
"That Spider King truly has good methods. I remember the Duke of Alençon was an important hero during the Hundred Years' War, wasn't he?
He uses such terrifying methods against heroes and important nobles; does no one raise an objection?"
To be honest, Laszlo still admired Louis XI in his heart.
Anyone who saw that guy's ruthless methods couldn't help but be dumbfounded.
As long as he found a weakness, it wouldn't be long before disaster struck.
Facing such a powerful enemy had both advantages and disadvantages for Laszlo.
As long as he wasn't strong enough to pierce through the alliance of Burgundy and Austria, his greatest role was to make the alliance between the two more stable and unbreakable.
Hearing Laszlo's question, Anthony showed a bitter smile, sighed softly, and replied, "Your Majesty, Louis XI's methods have indeed aroused great dissatisfaction domestically, but at the same time, they have also stirred up greater fear in more people.
Moreover, the charge of the Duke of Alençon colluding with the English was one that Charles VII had once placed on him, but at the time, no strong evidence was found.
This time, Louis XI found a casual excuse, and on the grounds that the Duke of Alençon was a member of the Order of the Golden Fleece, he directly condemned the Duke of Alençon.
In court, Louis XI twisted the facts, claiming that the Duke had colluded with England, Burgundy, and the Empire, and the people, incited by his words, abandoned the Duke, believing he deserved his fate."
Laszlo looked down at the exceptionally ornate and exquisite custom-made Golden Fleece medal on his chest and was instantly amused.
The Duke of Alençon was arguably Joan of Arc's closest comrade-in-arms during her lifetime, yet now he was to be hung from the walls of Paris, exposed to the elements and scorned by passersby, dying in humiliation as a traitor.
Louis XI's methods were truly vicious, but the Duke of Alençon's own hesitation also cost him his life.
After Joan of Arc's wrongful death, this Duke was utterly disappointed with the King of France, and he turned to contact the King of France's many enemies.
Among them were not only the English but also the Duke of Burgundy, the culprit who caused Joan of Arc's death; he even joined the Duke of Burgundy's Order of the Golden Fleece.
Furthermore, he vigorously supported Louis XI's rebellion, participating in two of Louis XI's three rebellions against Charles VII.
Such actions led to his purge by Charles VII after Louis XI was forced to flee France, and he was nearly executed.
However, with Charles VII's death, Louis XI, who ascended the throne, did not forget the Duke of Alençon's past help, choosing to release him and show him goodwill.
Yet, this Duke opposed Louis XI's centralization of power, but also did not truly want to side with the Duke of Burgundy and instigate a rebellion, ultimately maintaining a laughable "neutrality" in the League of Public Weal war.
Thus, it was no surprise that Louis XI, feeling betrayed, would do something to the Duke of Alençon.
The only two important French nobles who had joined the Order of the Golden Fleece due to the Duke of Burgundy's favor, the Duke of Alençon and Charles, Duke of Orléans, had now all exited the stage.
As a result, the Duke of Burgundy's decades of painstaking efforts almost completely came to naught after a hasty war.
Thinking of this, Laszlo's heart sank.
He had originally hoped that the League of Public Weal would fight the King of France to the death, allowing him to reap the benefits.
Who would have thought that this alliance would completely turn into an experience package for the King of France?
Orléans and Alençon were controlled by the King of France, Normandy was quickly reclaimed by him, and the Duke of Bourbon and a host of wavering French nobles quickly sided with Louis XI due to fear and various inducements.
Even the relationship between two of the alliance's three pillars—the Duke of Brittany and the Duke of Berry—rapidly deteriorated, and it was only thanks to the timely intervention of Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, that the alliance was prevented from completely falling apart.
"Since the situation is already so bad, how do Duke Philip and Charles plan to respond?"
The rotten situation in France had already made Laszlo abandon his illusions; he had to prepare to personally intervene and support Burgundy if the war went unfavorably.
"My father believes it is unwise to go to war with the King of France now," Anthony's expression was a bit uncomfortable, and his gaze towards Laszlo became more evasive, "He said that Burgundy has already gained control of Picardy in the last war, and also acquired a portion of Champagne, and should digest the newly acquired territories and wait for an opportunity."
Laszlo raised an eyebrow upon hearing this, almost blurting out some impolite words.
But considering that cursing a son's father would have a bad impact, Laszlo ultimately held back from asking Anthony if his father had developed senile dementia.
"What other opportunity is worth Burgundy waiting for? What is Philip waiting for?"
Laszlo questioned him impolitely, wanting to see if the Duke of Burgundy, who had been shrewd his entire life, was truly senile.
A bead of cold sweat had already appeared on Anthony's forehead, and he answered with forced courage, "My father believes that Burgundy's strength still needs to be further expanded. If we can obtain your permission to annex Bern or Lorraine, then the time for a decisive battle with the King of France will be fully ripe."
Laszlo snorted coldly upon hearing this, his scepter heavily tapping the floor.
"He's coming to me for wishes before Christmas... Does Philip take me for Saint Nicholas?"
"Your Majesty, I apologize to you on behalf of my father. The Anjou family will always respect your exalted position as Emperor."
"You had better. And, Anthony, don't forget you are my subject. From now on, you must clarify your stance.
Such demands that clearly harm the Empire, you should refute them on the spot."
"But Your Majesty, I heard that the Duke of Lorraine harbors resentment towards you daily due to his defeat in Naples and refuses to attend the Imperial Diet.
Lorraine, controlled by the Anjou family, is a threat to both Austria and Burgundy. Why not take this opportunity to eliminate it?
Moreover, you can also take this opportunity to expand the territory of Outer Austria, making your control over the southwest of the Empire more secure, isn't that right?"
Anthony's words made Laszlo begin to consider the feasibility of attacking Lorraine.
Although Lorraine was nominally part of the Empire, due to the extinction of its original ruling family's bloodline, it had now passed into the hands of the prestigious French Anjou family.
The current Duke had even twice sent troops to Naples, engaging in multiple bloody battles with the Imperial Army.
After suffering successive setbacks in Naples, the Duke of Lorraine was disheartened and remained melancholy all day.
Meanwhile, his father, René, Duke of Anjou (Good King René), who had originally retired to enjoy life, was now wielding significant influence in the political center of the Kingdom of France.
This former King of Naples was unwilling to accept his family's defeat, and thus resolved to use the power of the King of France to try once more, to win the Neapolitan throne for his son.
According to René's agreement with his nephew, Louis XI, as long as René helped the King of France eliminate internal threats, the King of France would send troops to help the Anjou family return to Naples.
Given this, future conflicts with Lorraine were very likely to occur, and if they could preemptively partition Lorraine with Burgundy, it seemed not entirely unacceptable.
Lorraine bordered the Alsace region of Outer Austria. If Lorraine were partitioned with Burgundy, that area might eventually be renamed Alsace-Lorraine.
That name sounds very controversial.
"Regarding the attack on Lorraine, I am not opposed in principle, but before obtaining my permission, Burgundy cannot attack any more Imperial territory.
You must clearly inform Philip of my decision."
Anthony still wanted to persuade, but seeing that the Emperor clearly did not want to discuss this topic that undermined imperial authority, he did not continue.
"Yes, Your Majesty.
Although my father believes that Burgundy should continue to strengthen its power at this stage, my brother Charles believes that Louis XI, who broke his faith, must be punished.
He is currently contacting the Duke of Brittany and King Edward IV of England, hoping to reorganize the League of Public Weal to launch an attack on the King of France.
If Your Majesty could provide some assistance to this alliance, I believe the alliance's chances of victory would greatly increase."
"I have already dealt with the Swiss for him; is that not enough?
In any case, Austria's military strength has not yet recovered, and it will not join the war for now.
However, Charles now understands how to unite the strength of allies, which is indeed a cause for celebration.
Also, has the English civil war ended?"
Upon hearing Laszlo's refusal, Anthony felt helpless, but he did not press further.
The Emperor's decision surely had his reasons, and Anthony was also not optimistic about Charles's revenge plan.
Compared to the cunning and powerful Louis XI, Charles still needed more tempering.
"Yes, in a recent battle, Edward IV defeated and captured the fugitive Henry VI, and he is now imprisoned in the Tower of London.
The English civil war has subsided, and the House of York has achieved the final victory."
"The final victory?"
Laszlo shook his head, denying Anthony's assertion.
After all, the power wielded by Warwick, the "Kingmaker" of England, was far greater than that of most powerful ministers Laszlo had ever seen.
And Edward IV, by marrying a widow last year, had already angered Warwick, who had strongly pushed for an Anglo-French marriage alliance and reconciliation.
It was likely that England would soon fall into a new round of internal strife, completely unable to provide Burgundy with any substantial help.
If the Wars of the Roses only lasted ten years, it would be far from enough to change Britain's destiny.
Although Anthony was very curious as to why the Emperor was so certain that the English civil war had not ended, he did not ask further.
He, in any case, did not believe that the Emperor would understand the situation better than he, who had been an ambassador to England multiple times.
"Let Charles be bold and act. If he falls into a disadvantage in the war against Louis XI, I will do my best to provide assistance."
Laszlo finally made this promise, and Anthony breathed a slight sigh of relief.
Now that the connection between Outer Austria and the Austrian homeland had been established, the Emperor had a secure troop transport route to reinforce Burgundy. This way, the Emperor's promise was no longer empty words.
However, he did not expect Austrian troops to enter Burgundy; unless absolutely necessary, he did not wish for his father and brother to accept the Emperor's aid.
After all, the powerful Imperial Army's appearance fee was very expensive.
Anthony left with Laszlo's reply.
Laszlo left the great hall and walked towards the depths of the imperial palace, contemplating the current situation as he went.
The Ottomanss and the French were both frantically expanding their power, and even the weakened Poles were trying to regain their former glory.
The Venetians... their current sphere of activity had basically shifted eastward to the Aegean Sea, working closely with the Ottomans; they probably had no good intentions either.
Thinking of how diligently his enemies were working, a fighting spirit ignited in Laszlo's heart.
Taking advantage of this precious period of peace, he also had to find ways to develop his own country well, so that he would not be powerless to resist when facing a group attack from his enemies in the future.