After two years, Laszlo once again set foot in Hungary.
Last time, he achieved a great victory here, not only clearing the greatest domestic threat but also forcing the Hungarians to accept the new version of the golden bull.
However, in recent years, his energy had been mostly consumed by Imperial affairs, and he paid less attention to Hungarian matters, causing some long-anticipated problems to gradually emerge.
This time, Laszlo intended to strike directly at the lifeblood of the Hungarian nobility.
To be on the safe side, he once again led his Guards down the Danube River, where they rendezvoused in Pressburg with a legion of three thousand men from the Saxon Army stationed there. In total, six thousand troops marched together towards Budapest, the capital of Hungary.
The movement of a large army inevitably incurred additional expenses, but for Laszlo, the situation in Hungary allowed him no room for complacency.
After all, if he were to come to Hungary for meetings and affairs without an army, someone might just arrange a Hungarian version of the Honnō-ji Incident for him one day.
Hearts are always fickle, and perhaps one day, a trusted minister might choose to betray him due to certain disagreements.
It was precisely because such events had recurred too many times in history that Laszlo paid extreme attention to his own safety.
Empress Dowager Elizabeth and Vitez accompanied him into Hungary, while Leonor temporarily handled affairs as the nominal regent of Austria.
However, Austrian state affairs were almost entirely managed by the Privy Council system, so the Empress did not need to worry much; her focus remained on caring for her children and indulging her hobbies.
Although Leonor was still unwilling to open her heart to Laszlo, with her showing signs of pregnancy again, Laszlo joyfully reconciled with the Empress, at least in his view.
Leaving Leonor in Austria was also to allow her to rest and nurture the pregnancy, so she could give birth to another healthy heir for Laszlo.
In mid-October 1465, the Emperor's army once again arrived at the increasingly prosperous city of Budapest.
The Buda Legion stationed there, along with two other units, underwent a surprise inspection by Laszlo.
After the change in legion commander, the morale of this Hungarian army had visibly become sharper.
Báthory István, the Royal Inspector-General, who was exceptionally skilled in martial arts and always led from the front in battle, had instilled his brave and magnanimous spirit into this already honor-bound army.
This made Laszlo admit that although Stefan came from a prominent Hungarian noble family, he was a rare talent, well-suited to be a vanguard.
Only after confirming the good condition of the army could Laszlo proceed with his next steps with peace of mind.
His conversation with Vitez had already made him understand what he truly relied on to govern the country.
In Austria, the people had a strong sense of belonging, and the nobility were highly obedient; it could barely be said that the people's will was usable.
In Bohemia, the obedience of the local nobility and the fear of the local populace after the purge of the Hussite helped Laszlo control that country very well. However, in Hungary, the only effective tool he could rely on to govern the country was the army—multiple armies under his control.
It could be said that the reorganized border Guards and the Austrian army were the foundation of Laszlo's rule in Hungary.
All previous reforms were based on the suppression of the Hungarian nobility by a powerful army.
As long as the power of the nobility to resist could not exceed the military strength in Laszlo's hands, he would be able to lead the direction of Hungary according to his will.
This was probably the true meaning of strongman politics. Inside the council hall of the Buda Royal Palace, the towering Gothic ribbed vaulted ceiling cast heavy shadows, enveloping the four figures around the long oak table.
Several thick tallow candles flickered on iron candelabras, their light dancing across Laszlo's tense face.
Several trusted ministers gathered around Laszlo, discussing state affairs with him.
These individuals were Vitez, who returned with Laszlo in an advisory capacity, Regent Archbishop Veszter, and Finance Minister Ernest.
The meeting did not begin immediately until Laszlo grew tired of playing with the saint stephen's crown, which he had not seen for a long time, and placed it on the table. Only then did his confidants perk up.
Laszlo gestured to Vitez, who sat beside him, and the latter immediately pulled out a thick parchment scroll, spreading it open on the table.
Written on it was the first draft of the new edict that was about to bring drastic changes to Hungary.
"Veszter, based on the various reports I have received during this period, your management of the Kingdom of Hungary has somewhat disappointed me."
Laszlo's voice was low and clear, but his words caused Regent Veszter, who sat beside him, to panic.
"Your Majesty, I do not quite understand your meaning.
Hungary should be developing according to your plans, and tax revenues have indeed increased. Do you have any dissatisfaction with this?"
Veszter, as a veteran minister of three reigns in the Kingdom of Hungary, having served Sigismund and Albrecht II, showed no panic in the face of Laszlo's reproach.
Now nearing seventy, he had long wished to retire and enjoy his twilight years. The numerous affairs of Hungary had worn him out.
Maintaining the general stability of Hungary after the Emperor's many reforms was already the limit of what he could achieve.
"Tax revenues have indeed increased, but a portion of the laws concerning the golden bull have not been properly implemented."
Laszlo tapped the table, his words carrying an undeniable force, stirring a faint echo in the empty stone hall.
"Farmers, not just freemen, I am referring to all farmers except slaves, their rights have not been protected.
In other words, the edicts I formulated in the golden bull to restrict the excessive exploitation and arbitrary taxation by the nobility have not had their intended effect.
From some regional reports I have received, unregulated temporary taxes are widespread throughout the Kingdom, and neither the Regency Cabinet nor the Royal Court of Justice has seriously addressed this issue."
Upon hearing this, Archbishop Veszter paused slightly, and a hint of surprise finally appeared on his usually impassive face.
He had thought that the Emperor had always turned a blind eye to this, to appease the nobility's dissatisfaction with tax reforms.
Unexpectedly, the Emperor had been waiting for such an opportunity to pull the rug out from under the nobility.
Considering that the Church exploited the farmers on its lands even more severely, Veszter decided to dissuade the Emperor from his radical idea.
"Your Majesty, as you know, the Kingdom's finances are needed to maintain the operation of the government and your vast standing army.
Therefore, it is inevitable for farmers to bear heavy taxes, and the worst that will happen is some serfs fleeing or some small-scale uprisings.
Your army can easily suppress them and will not cause any impact on the stability of the Kingdom of Hungary."
Upon hearing this, Laszlo's expression instantly darkened, but Veszter seemed oblivious.
He did not believe that the Emperor would ultimately target only the nobility; once the noble power was completely suppressed, the Church would also inevitably have to make concessions.
As for Laszlo, a hint of shame arose in his heart, because he had just instinctively agreed with Veszter's opinion.
Although his human conscience had been eaten by dogs, the last shred of his conscience ultimately led him to decide to improve the lives of the vast majority of ordinary farmers.
Even if the ultimate goal of doing so was to further suppress the noble power, he could still comfort himself by saying that this was for the welfare of the farmers, seeking a clear conscience.
Moreover, if he remembered correctly, the largest peasant uprising in Hungarian history seemed to have been triggered by a peasant Crusade.
The time was probably fifty years later.
Those impoverished serfs eagerly volunteered to join the Crusade against the Ottomans to gain freedom; their desire for freedom surpassed their fear of death.
However, the Hungarian nobility, who were useless at everything except causing trouble, worried that the assembled farmers would threaten their safety, and despite the Pope's condemnation, demanded the disbandment of the peasant Crusade.
The forty thousand Hungarian peasants who had gathered immediately defected, and under the leadership of a low-ranking noble knight, they fought their way through the Kingdom of Hungary, only being suppressed when they reached the vicinity of the capital, Budapest.
Subsequently, the nobles issued unimaginably harsh laws, stripping serfs of all freedom, which led to the gradual decline of Hungary's national strength.
Just ten years after that, the Kingdom of Hungary was annihilated by the Ottomans in a single battle.
Laszlo felt that if he stayed with these parasites who constantly thought about how to exploit peasants, he would sooner or later face a similar crisis.
For this, he decided to transform the kind treatment of peasants from a slogan into a system through law, not allowing the powerful Kingdom of Hungary to be destroyed by those corrupt parasites.
"You are wrong, Veszter. Peasants should be treated kindly; they are born noble, just like those who consider themselves nobles.
The land in Hungary is fertile, but the development of agriculture and animal husbandry is quite backward. Excluding vassal states like Croatia and Transylvania, it's questionable whether the native population can even reach 3 million.
Under these conditions, if we want to increase tax revenue, can we not just impose heavier taxes on the peasants?
We must ensure that peasants can farm with peace of mind, instead of using all their time and energy to perform labor for their lords. Only then can Hungary become better and better."
Veszter was stunned by Laszlo's grand discourse. After he recovered, he secretly chuckled, thinking that the Emperor was truly playing a good game.
He allowed himself to levy heavy taxes on peasants through the gradually maturing tax system to maintain the army and government, but then turned around and restricted nobles from wantonly exploiting the serfs on their own lands. What a domineering monarch!
Compared to the fifteen-year-old boy he once was, the Emperor now looked completely different.
"Allow all serfs, half-serfs, and freemen, except slaves, to migrate freely according to their own will, and no one shall restrict them.
As long as they fulfill their obligations for their plots, they can take their families, farm tools, and other personal property to any place they wish to make a living."
Laszlo's gaze swept over Veszter's deeply worried face, then turned to the Finance Minister, Ernest.
"Another clause is a restriction on land rent levied by nobles, which shall not exceed one-tenth of the peasants' plot income, and labor rent shall not exceed three days per week."
Vitez, sitting to Laszlo's right, though excessively thin, had a fervent light shining in his eyes.
He immediately interjected, his voice filled with barely suppressed excitement: "Gentlemen, please note that while this decree stems from the Emperor's benevolence, it is not a simple handout—this is the cornerstone of the Kingdom of Hungary's survival.
Those lords who control vast lands, with all due respect, their greed is sharper than the Ottomans's scimitars.
The repeal of the old golden bull merely clipped their claws that endangered royal power; now, we must completely sever the poisonous tubes through which they suck the blood and sweat of the peasants."
This decree was the result of the Emperor and him discussing it together, and Vitez burst forth with astonishing enthusiasm for it.
He had always supported the establishment of a strong royal power in Hungary, which would make the Kingdom increasingly powerful, and he too could realize his political ambitions in this process.
He used to think that the Hunyadi Family had the potential to achieve this feat, but unfortunately, they failed.
Now, the Emperor, whom he had always considered weak, had unknowingly completely reversed the king's decline against the great nobles, so he too had to redouble his efforts for himself and for this country.
"Look at those villages and manors, how many serfs are driven like livestock to perform overtime labor.
The lord's private soldiers use swords that should be used to defend the country to force them to pay land rent far exceeding the legal amount, just to make up for their so-called 'losses' incurred from paying the Emperor's new taxes.
Peasants are also restricted in their personal freedom, preventing them from moving towards a better life.
This is a naked betrayal of the country and of the Emperor! We must change all of this, and this decree is the beginning of the Kingdom's transformation."
Indeed, it is the beginning of a transformation; once peasants are allowed to migrate freely, there will be two foreseeable impacts.
One is that the slave trade might experience its most prosperous period in Hungary's history:
The second is that to retain their subjects, nobles will be forced to treat their peasants well.
This is like a form of internal competition: if you levy high taxes and the neighboring lord levies low taxes, the ultimate result is that all the people flee to other territories, creating wealth for other lords.
Of course, it is more likely that many lords will stand together and resist this internal competition, using the same methods to exploit peasants.
And this is where the value of the second clause of the decree lies: directly limiting the maximum extent to which nobles can levy taxes and conscript labor.
After abolishing tax exemptions, the Emperor finally thrust his second sword towards the economic privileges of the nobility.
These were the immediate consequences that Ernest, who was in charge of finance, could think of, and perhaps there would be even more impacts.
Archbishop Veszter, bearing immense pressure, slowly raised his head. His crimson cardinal's robe reflected his solemn mood, and on his face, usually marked by compassion and gentleness, every wrinkle now etched deep worry.
His hands were clasped on the smooth tabletop, fingertips slightly pale.
"Your Majesty, your heart shines with compassion for the weak like a saint, which is deeply moving."
His voice was calm and low, but combined with his expression, it seemed to carry a hint of warning,
"However, the Kingdom is like a precise machine, and any violent vibration could break its fragile balance.
You only ended the bloody rebellion two years ago, and with the army's prestige, you pushed through tax reforms and even abolished the golden bull that had existed for over two hundred years.
The accumulated anger and fear in the hearts of nobles, and even peasants, are like molten lava underground, just waiting for an eruption point.
You have brought new life to the Kingdom with your wisdom and courage, but your father and grandfather both knew how to resolve differences and conflicts through cooperation, yet you have always been at loggerheads with the great nobles.
In the past, they would back down, but this time, I fear it will be..."
Laszlo was expressionless and calmly replied, "Now, apart from the chaos in Hungary, almost nothing can worry me. Do you think I will shrink back because of their anger?"
If those nobles, every single one of them, behaved themselves, it would be fine. If they continued to act recklessly, then they shouldn't blame him for using special means to bring peace and order to Hungary.
"Well, Your Majesty, the intention of the decree is good, but how can we ensure its effective implementation?"
Seeing Archbishop Veszter defeated, Ernest, as a member of his faction, bravely brought up another challenge to the Emperor.
"The Kingdom's Royal Court can undertake this work. Teams consisting of the Kingdom's army and circuit judges will travel to every corner of the Kingdom.
The Emperor's bailiffs will secretly gather information.
Besides excessive exploitation of peasants, unauthorized toll collection and other illegal acts must also be investigated.
If anyone dares to feign compliance while acting contrary, they must be punished by the Kingdom's laws."
Vitez already had a plan for this, and Laszlo also nodded in agreement.
Hungary proper has only sixty-odd counties, and there are a full fifteen thousand troops stationed in Hungary proper, not counting the Croatian army that can be mobilized immediately.
With these armies, Laszlo could sweep through the entire Hungary.
Seeing the Emperor's mind made up, Archbishop Veszter sighed deeply and immediately expressed his support for the Emperor's decision.
Subsequently, Laszlo and Veszter signed and sealed the decree.
The ink was dry, the imprint was set, the decree was made.
To turn the dry words on the parchment into effective laws still required more effort.
It was an excuse, and also a sharp sword. Where its blade pointed was both the greedy nobles and the unknown fate of the Kingdom of Hungary.