Marburg, southeast of Graz, the residence of Wilhelm Gresser.
Wilhelm was pacing restlessly in his room.
He had been on edge ever since he accidentally overheard Nicholas's conspiracy with his brother, Oswald, some time ago.
After a night of torment and deep thought, Wilhelm finally decided to send a trusted subordinate to report the matter to the Emperor, who was currently stationed in Graz. Between loyalty to the Emperor and loyalty to his brother, he chose the former.
To be fair, the Emperor had treated their Gresser Family well.
Although the Emperor's reforms had caused widespread dissatisfaction among the Austrian aristocracy, the Gresser Family had not suffered much loss from them.
On the contrary, his brother had even become a high-ranking official in the imperial government system, serving as the City Defender of Marburg and an important member of the provincial assembly.
Situations like theirs were common throughout Austria.
Although the Emperor had promoted some professionals, such as imperial subjects from outside Austria, Italians, and even East Roman remnants, local governance still relied on local forces, primarily minor nobles and the Church.
Local strongmen like the Gresser Family were still highly favored by the Emperor.
For this very reason, Wilhelm could not understand why his brother, Oswald, would collude with those dangerous elements.
Even if that Nicholas had sweet-talked Oswald into it, the Emperor's thousands of troops were stationed in Graz, not far from Marburg.
How desperate must one be to join a conspiracy to rebel at such a time?
For the future of his family, Wilhelm made a choice that tormented him.
Now, he was anxiously awaiting the Emperor's response.
Just then, a knock on the door interrupted his thoughts.
"Sir, a cleric named Jorg is requesting an audience. He claims to be from Graz and has something important to deliver to you."
Wilhelm immediately had him brought inside and began a private conversation.
"Lord Wilhelm, I have a secret letter for you. Please read it and give me your reply."
The messenger, Jorg, pulled a letter from a hidden pocket and handed it to Wilhelm. The latter immediately tore open the letter and read it carefully, fearing to miss even a single character.
As he expected, this was a secret letter from the Emperor.
In the letter, the Emperor praised his loyalty and promised him many benefits. In return, he needed to find a way to contact and infiltrate the rebellious organization, and find out who exactly was trying to oppose the Emperor.
When he saw words like "promotion to nobility" and "bestowal of a castle," Wilhelm's breathing quickened.
Initially, he had only hoped to prevent his family from being implicated by his brother, but the Emperor seemed quite pleased with his act of loyalty.
This further strengthened Wilhelm's resolve to serve the Emperor.
He clearly understood that for minor nobles like them to rise, they had to remain loyal to the Emperor and make tangible contributions to Austria.
As for why his brother, Oswald, had gone astray, Wilhelm guessed it might be due to manipulation.
Oswald had always been very close to that Nicholas, and their relationship was even closer than that of Wilhelm and Oswald, who were blood brothers.
Wilhelm was not jealous of this, but Nicholas was now clearly a traitor harming Austria, and he could not stand by and watch his brother step into the abyss.
"It is my honor to serve the Emperor."
Wilhelm carefully hid the letter and then gave his reply.
The messenger pulled out a bag of Imperial florins and placed it on the table, its heavy weight making a dull thud.
"This is the Emperor's reward for your loyalty," the messenger said with a smile. "I will stay in Marburg for a while. If you make any progress, you can inform me, and I will report it to the Emperor."
Wilhelm reached into the bag and grabbed a handful of gleaming florins, then let the coins fall back into the bag through his fingers, a smile gradually becoming impossible to conceal on his face.
"Leave everything to me."
After the messenger left an address and departed, Wilhelm immediately tidied his attire and hurried towards Oswald's mansion.
Meanwhile, in the Graz palace, Laszlo was preoccupied with another matter.
His reforms across Austria had proceeded relatively smoothly, but the reforms in Styria were encountering significant difficulties.
The reason for this was the excessive power of the local nobility and Church in Styria, coupled with the fact that he was not the rightful monarch of Styria, which led to so many obstacles.
The other parts of Austria, Styria, and Carniola formed a nominal single country, but in reality, their relationship was similar to a personal union.
This was the issue of fraternal strife that had existed since Albrecht III and Leopold III split Austria.
The long period of division led to various obstacles to national development between the different regions of Austria, such as non-interoperable laws and internal customs barriers.
To integrate the country and promote trade development, Laszlo made many efforts, including holding the All-Austrian Estates Assembly.
At the assembly, he attempted to pass some national laws and forcibly abolished the tax collection checkpoints between the states.
Although the assembly passed these resolutions after much effort, their implementation was not as effective as desired.
Especially in the Styria region, the nobles and clerics there continued to operate according to the old rules of the feudal system.
Although they feared Laszlo's power, they would still seize opportunities to exploit loopholes for their own benefit, and such incidents were repeatedly prohibited but never stopped.
To completely conquer Styria and transform Austria from a fragmented federal state into a centralized entity, Laszlo racked his brains trying to weaken the power of the local nobility and Church.
Originally, his current tour did not target the nobility, as he had not yet figured out how to deal with the complex noble forces there.
However, those rebels had handed him an opportunity, and he would not let this excellent chance to weaken the nobility slip through his fingers.
But even with this unexpected situation, Laszlo still did not forget his original goal: to weaken the Styrian Church's power.
In Styria, besides the local Church under the jurisdiction of the Archbishop of Vienna, there were two other highly influential external forces: the Prince-Archbishopric of Salzburg and the Prince-Bishopric of Bamberg.
Many of the properties owned by the Salzburg Archbishop in Styria were granted by Laszlo's father, Albrecht II.
These properties were the reason for the near-armed conflict between the Styrian nobility and the Salzburg Archbishop some time ago.
To win over the Salzburg Archbishop, Laszlo temporarily decided not to reclaim these lands, but merely summoned the Salzburg Archbishop to the court to serve him.
As for the Bishop of Bamberg, far away in Franconia, Laszlo sent him an invitation to come to Graz to discuss the issue of these enclaves.
"Your Majesty, the Bishop of Bamberg has arrived, and an envoy from the Bishop of Würzburg has also come."
The attendant, Albrecht, reported to Laszlo, who was reviewing Styrian affairs.
"Würzburg?" The uninvited guest slightly puzzled Laszlo, but he didn't dwell on it. "Let's go, take me to them."
Soon, Laszlo met Georg, the Bishop of Bamberg, clad in purple vestments, in the reception room.
This bishop, in his early forties, was already among the ranks of Church princes, indicating an unlimited future.
However, at this moment, Bishop Georg's expression was very serious. Seeing the Emperor's arrival, he bowed slightly to show respect: "Your Majesty,
It is an honor to be summoned by you."
Next to him, the envoy of the Bishop of Würzburg, an old cleric, held a letter in his hand, his eyes eagerly fixed on Laszlo.
Behind him were two attendants, who were jointly carrying a heavy wooden box, looking quite strenuous.
This piqued Laszlo's curiosity, so he directly asked: "I hear this is an envoy from the Bishop of Würzburg. I know the Bishop of Würzburg and the Bishop of Bamberg have always had a close relationship, but I only invited Bishop Georg for discussions this time.
What is the matter with this envoy?"
"Your Majesty, we have come by our bishop's command to request your assistance."
The old cleric presented the letter he held, and Laszlo's gaze quickly scanned it.
The Bishop of Würzburg, located in the Franconia region, was also an important Imperial Prince, though slightly less powerful than the Emperor's confidant, the Margrave of Ansbach, and thus missed out on the position of Governor of Franconia.
It was said that Bishop Rudolf had been unhappy about this for a long time.
This time, he sent an envoy to resolve the financial problems plaguing the Bishopric of Würzburg.
Bishop Rudolf had almost exhausted the wealth accumulated by previous bishops to build churches and monasteries.
Now, he sought out Laszlo, hoping to resolve the financial crisis of the Bishopric of Würzburg through privileges granted by the Emperor.
Specifically, the Bishop of Würzburg hoped that Laszlo could grant him a special taxing privilege called "Gold Tariff."
He would use this to tax all wine brewed within Würzburg's jurisdiction in the Franconian Imperial Circle, at a rate of one florin per fuder—roughly per six barrels.
"Selling indulgences and donations from nobles are no longer enough to fill your coffers? Now you're eyeing the Empire's taxes. The Bishop of Würzburg certainly has a large appetite."
Laszlo raised an eyebrow slightly, not intending to easily grant such a privilege to the Bishop of Würzburg.
One must know that Würzburg's jurisdiction covered more than half of the Franconian Imperial Circle. Granting him the right to tax wine would certainly cause resentment among the members of the Imperial Circle.
Although Laszlo did not care much about their attitude, out of a sense of "responsibility" as Emperor, he still decided to refuse this request.
"Your Majesty, building churches and spreading the faith is, after all, a considerable expense, and the Bishop's request for your help is out of necessity."
The old cleric explained with a forced smile, at the same time giving a look to the attendants behind him. The two attendants immediately understood and placed the heavy box they were carrying on the table in front of Laszlo.
As the box opened, Laszlo first saw a debt document, and then a large box of florin gold coins beneath the document.
The box contained three thousand florins, as well as a debt document signed and sealed by Bishop Rudolf.
"As long as you agree to grant Bishop Rudolf the Gold Tariff privilege, for the next eight years, including this year, on every Saint Peter's Day, the Bishop and his successors will pay you three thousand florins.
Once all payments are completed, you will need to return the debt document. Until then, Bishop Rudolf will be considered to possess this privilege.
What do you think of these terms...?"
"Good."
Laszlo picked up the debt document. As the envoy had stated, it stipulated that the Bishop of Würzburg would pay the Emperor a total of twenty-four thousand florins over the next eight years in exchange for the Gold Tariff privilege.
After the recent demobilization, Austria's financial situation had significantly improved.
However, with so many places needing money—promoting agricultural technological innovation, water management, maintaining and building Austrian trade routes, investing in the development of urban handicrafts and commerce—Laszlo naturally would not complain about having too much money.
Before even receiving the three thousand florins, Laszlo had already planned how to spend the money.
He could order a batch of Saxon wheeled plows from Graz and then provide them for a fee to the manors and communes that still could not afford heavy iron plows.
Alternatively, he could invest this money into the armory as research funds for the craftsmen.
However, their research funds were already quite high, and significant progress had been made in the research of heavy matchlock guns. It would be better to invest more money into people's livelihoods and national development.
"Such terms are indeed good, but before formally granting Bishop Rudolf this privilege, I still have one question: what is the meaning of the signature here?"
Laszlo placed the debt document and Bishop Rudolf's letter on the table, staring meaningfully at the old cleric before him.
At the signature line of the letter, it clearly read "Duke of Franconia, Bishop of Würzburg, Rudolf II."
The smile on the old cleric's face stiffened, but he did not panic. Instead, he calmly replied: "Your Majesty, the Bishop of Würzburg is undoubtedly the most legitimate heir to the Duke of Franconia. This was personally appointed by the great Emperor Frederick I, so there should be no problem with using this title, right?"
Laszlo stared sternly at the ducal title on both documents. This undoubtedly implied the Bishop of Würzburg's dissatisfaction.
As the Duke of Franconia but not the Governor of Franconia, Bishop Rudolf seemed to be protesting to him through this.
But Albrecht, the Margrave of Ansbach from the Hohenzollern Family, was a staunch supporter of Laszlo, and after merging Ansbach and Bayreuth, he was already the most powerful prince in the entire Franconian Imperial Circle. Laszlo's choice of him was entirely reasonable.
After a moment of thought, Laszlo sighed lightly and nodded, saying: "Alright, you have a point, but please convey a message to Bishop Rudolf for me: the selection of the Imperial Administrative District Governor is made after careful consideration and will not be easily changed.
As for the taxing privilege, I will order a decree to be drafted granting Bishop Rudolf this right.
If he encounters obstacles in the process of taxation, he should seek help from the Governor of Franconia, Margrave Albrecht.
If that still doesn't work, then he should come to Vienna to find me."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
The old cleric saw an opportunity to resolve the financial crisis, and Laszlo gained another sum from the Empire. Both sides were delighted.
After dismissing the envoy from the Bishop of Würzburg, Laszlo finally had time to converse with his true guest of the day, the Bishop of Bamberg.
"Bishop Georg, regarding what just happened..."
"You exercised the Emperor's legitimate rights, nothing more."
Georg replied calmly.
The Bishopric of Bamberg was separated from the Bishopric of Würzburg, and the bishops of the two dioceses had always been closely related. How could he be unaware of this transaction?
He also had a share in it, so he naturally had no objection to the Emperor's transaction with the Bishop of Würzburg.
"Let's discuss the alliance you mentioned in your letter."
Laszlo no longer dwelled on the matter and immediately began discussing the governance of Bamberg's enclaves in Austria with the Bishop of Bamberg.