Outside Paris, the village of Constance had been under the control of Burgundy's army since the previous siege.
To demonstrate his sincerity in negotiations, Louis XI came to meet Charles with only a small escort.
After all, Charles's attitude was still wavering. If Louis XI did not make more concessions, a decisive battle he did not wish to see might still erupt.
Inside the cottage where they had agreed to meet, Charles paced back and forth anxiously.
Accompanying him, besides a few trusted high-ranking officials, were his younger brother Anthony and Jean V, Duke of Armagnac, who had rushed back from Austria.
At this moment, Jean V quietly observed the situation. On his way back to the France front, he had already considered several plans.
What the Emperor feared was nothing more than the exposure of the conspiracy, which would cause everyone to lose face and affect the Emperor's consistently majestic image.
For a politician, reputation is undoubtedly very important, even for the Emperor.
To minimize the possibility of the Emperor being suspected, Jean V decided to abandon the direct assassination method commonly used in political struggles and instead choose a roundabout approach, achieving his and the Emperor's goals through indirect means.
As for who this borrowed 'knife' was, it was naturally Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy.
To prevent Charles from becoming suspicious, Jean V had also made some arrangements. Now, it remained to be seen if Duke Charles, known as 'the Bold,' was truly as bold as rumored.
Soon, Louis XI entered the room with a few attendants.
The King's physique was as gaunt as ever, his eyes deeply set, his chin very pointed, and his hunchback seemed even more severe than before.
He always had a gloomy face, looking as if he was constantly plotting something unspeakable.
The constant military life had left his face haggard and pale. Just seeing that hateful face, the Duke of Armagnac, hiding in the partition, subconsciously reached for the long sword at his waist.
However, thinking about what was about to happen, he suppressed the hatred in his heart, and a cruel smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.
Now, he already foresaw the scene of his great revenge being exacted soon.
Inside the room, negotiations had officially begun.
"Louis, look at the surroundings, does it look familiar?"
Charles's loud voice, tinged with anger, broke the silent atmosphere.
Louis XI's gaze swept around. This humble cottage was where they had signed the Treaty of Constance during the first League of Public Weal war a few years ago.
A few years had passed, and some changes had occurred here. It seemed there were fewer things in the house, and it was more dilapidated. Whether due to the heavy taxes Louis XI imposed on the people or the plundering by the Burgundy army, this small village was almost completely deserted.
"Of course I remember this place. You once brought me great humiliation here. How could I forget?"
Louis XI replied in a low voice.
For him, the signing of the Treaty of Constance actually represented his colossal failure.
The main reason why the participants of the first League of Public Weal chose to observe this war was that Louis XI had promised in the Treaty of Constance to guarantee their independence and privileges.
Although Louis XI later violated the terms of the treaty regarding the Duke of Burgundy, the Duke of Berry, and the Duke of Brittany, he had not yet violated the agreement with the other nobles.
Louis XI was forced to grant them offices and privileges to gain their support, and among them, the Duke of Bourbon became the biggest beneficiary of the entire war.
Before the first League of Public Weal war, he was merely the Governor of Guyenne and Louis XI had even tried to strip him of his power.
After the war, he gained governance over Orléans, Berry, Languedoc, Limousin, and Périgord, thus becoming a loyal supporter of the King of France.
Therefore, Louis XI had actually suffered quite a bit in the first League of Public Weal war.
Fortunately, by tearing up the treaty, he reclaimed Normandy and some territories ceded to Brittany, and he created a core split within the League of Public Weal, which allowed him to stop his losses in time and prevent further erosion of royal authority.
In Charles's eyes, Louis XI was a treacherous villain.
"I brought you humiliation?" Charles, enraged, stood up and slammed his fist on the table. "You broke your oath, reclaimed the promised lands, sowed discord, and wantonly waged war, making me the laughingstock of everyone. I want to ask if there is still a shred of a king's honor in your heart.
I think there probably isn't, otherwise you would surely be ashamed of your actions!"
Looking at Louis XI, whose face was now as calm as water, there was no sign of shame in the face of Charles's accusations.
"Calm down, Charles," Louis XI waved his hand, hoping his old friend would compose himself, then slowly said, "We cannot always dwell on past events; that is of no benefit to solving the current problems.
Listen, this time I hope we can bring lasting peace to France and Burgundy."
"Are you taking me for a fool?" Charles was completely unmoved by Louis XI's sweet talk. He suddenly leaned forward, close to Louis, "This time I will not fall into your trap again!"
"I have already ordered the army to stop advancing. I am sitting here negotiating with you now. Everything is under your control. Are you still worried even so?"
Louis XI knew how to deal with Charles, after all, this newly enthroned Duke of Burgundy was famously someone who responded to gentle persuasion but not force.
Sure enough, this method quickly worked. Charles dropped his aggressive stance, but his tone was still quite impolite.
"Your credibility is truly worrying. I don't think there's anyone on the entire continent who can completely trust you."
"But you still accepted my invitation for peace talks, which means you, like me, do not wish to see a bloody war.
I know all you want is to restore Burgundy's dignity, but are your subjects truly willing to gamble the future of all of Burgundy for a moment of pique?"
Louis XI's gaze swept over the few people standing behind Charles: Count of Nevers—Charles's granduncle Jean II, Duke Anthony of Macedonia, and some Burgundy noble generals standing against the wall.
His gaze lingered on Anthony for a while before moving away. Just like last time, Charles still allowed his brother, who served the Emperor, to participate in the internal affairs of France.
Although he had a slight dissatisfaction with this, he could only tolerate it for now, as Charles trusted his brother without reservation, seemingly not at all worried that his brother would report everything to the Emperor.
Only when Charles's face darkened did the murmuring behind him gradually subside.
Louis XI pressed on, persuading in the most conciliatory tone: "You and I both know, once France and Burgundy go to war, who will be the biggest beneficiary?
Do you really think those covetous English are trustworthy? Or is the increasingly powerful Holy Roman Empire your greatest reliance?
They would love to see us both suffer heavy losses, then reap the benefits."
"Are you still trying to sow discord between me and my allies?" Charles clenched his fists, but his tone was no longer as firm as before.
"I just hope you consider it more, for the sake of the same blood flowing in our veins.
As long as you withdraw your troops, I promise to faithfully uphold the Treaty of Constance, and the treaty previously signed with the Duke of Berry will also be nullified. How about that?"
His proposal quickly sparked more discussion, and even Charles was somewhat tempted, but his goal had not yet been achieved.
"That alone is not enough. You must immediately stop the war with Brittany, and I also want the territories of Reims and Champagne."
By taking these two territories, Charles would control half of the Champagne region. Coupled with the territories previously taken from the Anjou family, the two parts of Burgundy would be more firmly connected.
Moreover, if Reims Cathedral, the holy site for the coronation of successive French kings, were occupied by Burgundy, it would again deal a huge blow to Louis XI's prestige.
Sure enough, Louis XI for the first time showed agitated emotions: "Charles, you are too greedy!"
If it were other additional conditions, Louis XI might consider it, but in the last war, the Duke of Burgundy had already taken part of the Champagne territory, and this time Charles even intended to extend his hand into the core area of the County of Champagne.
One must know that it was the wealthiest region in all of France; even the value created by prosperous Lyon could not compare to the markets of Champagne.
And Reims, needless to say, if future kings could not be crowned in Reims, their legitimacy would likely be subject to much questioning.
After all, even at the most critical moment of the Hundred Years' War, the maiden named Joan insisted on escorting Charles VII to Reims for his coronation, which shows the importance of Reims to France.
The negotiations immediately fell into a stalemate. Charles was determined to gradually annex the entire Champagne region to achieve complete rule over northeastern France.
Although he very much wanted to continue expanding within the Empire, as that would obviously be easier, both his father and brother strongly dissuaded him, lest he cross the Emperor's bottom line.
In contrast, expanding into France, though more difficult, yielded greater rewards, and it greatly reduced the possibility of him being besieged by surrounding forces due to over-expansion.
Louis XI, however, clearly could not accept such terms. He constantly argued with Charles, hoping to change the conditions and resolve the issue with money.
If it were anyone else, Louis XI's monetary offensive might have worked, but Charles happened to be one of the few people on the entire continent who was not short of money. He now only wanted to expand Burgundy's territory to make it more aesthetically pleasing.
Just then, a messenger from the Low Countries was brought into the room by guards. He handed a secret letter to Charles and whispered a few words by Charles's side.
Charles's face changed almost immediately, and his gaze towards Louis XI became fierce.
He then quickly scanned the contents of the letter, slammed it down in front of Louis XI, and said through gritted teeth: "My 'good brother,' is this your true purpose? My bailiffs caught your spies sent to Liège, and everything is clear now. Your so-called peace talks were just to buy time, waiting for the rebellion in Liège to break out, isn't that right?"
Upon hearing this, Louis XI, who was already pale, now turned ashen. However, he quickly feigned composure and said, "Charles, I don't understand what you mean. There must be some misunderstanding."
The Duke of Armagnac, hidden and observing the negotiations, almost couldn't help but laugh out loud with satisfaction.
He, of course, knew perfectly well how Louis XI's spies had been exposed. He had not directly informed Charles of the intelligence he possessed earlier, precisely to wait for the right moment.
Charles, having received the news, could no longer listen to Louis XI's explanations. He cursed Louis XI for trying to deceive him a second time, then ordered Louis XI to be arrested and imprisoned.
Along with the King's attendants, not one escaped; all were captured by the Duke of Burgundy.
Unfortunately, the scene the Duke of Armagnac had hoped to see did not occur.
Although several Burgundy nobles he had bribed repeatedly suggested that Charles execute Louis XI on the spot and then support Duke Charles of Berry as the new King of France, Charles hesitated and could not bring himself to do it.
Though he lacked political wisdom, he knew what it meant to arrest and execute a king during negotiations.
Such a risky move could make him a target of universal condemnation, despised by the people, and most crucially, hated by the French.
Perhaps people did not greatly love Louis XI, but no one could deny that he was the legitimate King of France.
A legitimate King dying an unnatural death could very likely provoke great outrage among the French, and Burgundy might face cruel retaliation.
Late at night, inside the Duke of Burgundy's military tent, Charles and Anthony sat at a table drinking wine and discussing Louis XI.
"Anthony, what do you think I should do?"
Charles displayed a confusion completely at odds with his usual reckless style. He truly wanted to get rid of Louis XI, this scoundrel who had repeatedly toyed with him, but the thought of potentially being branded a 'regicide' in the future made him hesitate again.
Although Louis XI's actions were devoid of honor and chivalry, Charles did not want to become like Louis. Anthony, at this moment, also could not make a decision.
From the perspective of a member of the Burgundy family, he did not want Charles to rashly execute Louis XI; no one could predict the consequences of doing so.
However, from the perspective of a high-ranking official of the Empire, Anthony believed that Louis XI had to die, as he was one of the few major threats that made the Emperor wary.
It was conceivable that if he could immediately return to Vienna to consult the Emperor, the likely outcome would also be to persuade Charles to act.
"Killing Louis XI will only lead to the situation spiraling out of control, which may not be a good thing for us. But if we can control Louis XI, we will certainly gain more practical benefits."
Ultimately, Anthony made his choice. He couldn't bear to see his brother fall into an unjust situation.
"Alright, it seems I can only spare his dog's life."
Charles sighed softly, his mind already made up.