The peeking at the letter did not expose them; the Empress was completely unaware, and Laszlo, after a few days of trepidation, stopped worrying.
He rewarded the messenger with a large sum of money, and the latter also satisfied him by selectively forgetting the incident. In fact, the messenger himself was not privy to more inside information, only assuming it was a power struggle between important figures, and this matter would forever be buried in his heart, never to be told to anyone.
A new visitor arrived before Laszlo, a guest Laszlo was not unfamiliar with, even quite familiar.
Ulrich von Eyczing, an Austrian nobleman, and also his uncle's chief advisor.
Logically, Ulrich was a key minister under Frederick, and any matter should have been reported directly to Frederick. However, his seeking an audience with Laszlo alone today was quite interesting.
"Ulrich... I'll just call you Eyczing. Is there something you wish to see me about?"
Laszlo observed the man before him. His panel belonged to the third type, the advisor panel.
The rarer panels were composite panels, possessed by capable individuals like Janos and Mehmed II, who could excel in both governing and leading armies. Incompetents like Frederick, or simple warriors like Gunter, only possessed single-category panels.
Laszlo had no idea where Matthias's panel came from, but he guessed that Matthias himself was naturally gifted, thus possessing a ruler panel from birth.
Generally, panel types were determined by a person's identity.
Only rulers, regents, military commanders, active advisors, or those with exceptional talent were deemed worthy of having a panel.
"Character: Ulrich von Eyczing"
"Identity: Chief Advisor to the Archduke of Austria, Representative of Lower Austria's Nobility"
"Attitude: Loyal"
"Advisor Attribute: Diplomacy +3"
"Trait: Astute Diplomat (Improve Relations +10%)"
"Trait: Silver-Tongued Persuader (Unreasonable Demands Acceptance +10%)"
Wow, top-tier attributes! This value was the highest among all the advisors Laszlo had seen. Even Laszlo's cousin and chief advisor, Ulrich of Cilli, was far inferior to him, and this one even had two heaven-defying traits.
So, Uncle Frederick had been enjoying such good benefits all this time? Laszlo thought with a bit of annoyance. Frederick himself had 5 points in diplomacy, and with this advisor, it was no wonder he always received unanimous praise for handling Imperial affairs. It turned out they were the true succubi.
Such a talent, not bringing him into the advisory council was truly itching... However, Laszlo's cousin, Ulrich of Cilli, also happened to be an advisor with a diplomatic trait; his ability was only "Advisor Attribute: Diplomacy +2."
In other words, the functions of Eyczing and Ulrich seemed to conflict... But who said one could only have one diplomatic advisor at a time?
Laszlo stated that only children make choices; he wanted both.
"Your Majesty, I heard from the Count of Cilli that you are preparing to convene a temporary Imperial Conference, with the topic being a new Crusade?"
"Indeed, I am troubled by this matter. Those lords are all concerned only with their own territories and completely disregard me, the Emperor. It is truly not easy to persuade them to provide aid."
Laszlo rubbed his temples. Convening the Imperial Conference was not the goal; persuading the lords to provide aid was. He needed a talented person to help him achieve his goal. If things were discussed beforehand, there would be less bickering at the Imperial Conference.
At this point, the role of an Imperial envoy became apparent. Maintaining good diplomatic relations and negotiating with the lords were delicate tasks that not just anyone could handle.
Of course, the Emperor was usually the one being flattered; a little favor could make those minor lords grateful. This did not mean the Emperor's diplomat was unimportant. Although relations between nations were much more complex than between people, one thing was common: maintaining relations required mutual effort.
"I believe I can alleviate Your Majesty's worries."
Eyczing sighed, thinking this was truly a godsend opportunity to enter His Majesty's sight. Working with a good-for-nothing like Frederick, the heights he could reach were extremely limited. Once Frederick lost power, he would also rise and fall with his old master. But the Emperor was different; as long as he was not a particularly muddle-headed monarch, his rule was relatively stable, and Eyczing could gain more room for advancement.
Laszlo raised an eyebrow. This was blatant betrayal of Frederick. He had originally been thinking about how to poach his uncle's talent, but he didn't expect him to offer himself up. Not accepting him now would seem impolite.
"You should still have quite a bit of work under Frederick, shouldn't you? Do you have enough energy to resolve such an important matter for me?"
"Your Majesty, people strive for higher places, and water flows to lower places. I believe Lord Frederick will understand my sincere desire to serve Your Majesty, and furthermore, I submitted my resignation to Lord Frederick today."
"You're that confident I'll employ you?" Laszlo looked at Eyczing with surprise.
The excellent diplomat wore a confident smile on his face and calmly replied, "I believe that my merit in securing the Imperial throne for Your Majesty should be sufficient to earn your appreciation."
"So you were the one who handled that matter, that's right, Frederick has always relied on your talent. Good, I agree to you becoming my advisor. The matter of lobbying the lords and presiding over the Imperial Conference will be entrusted to you. If you handle it well, you will be further rewarded."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
Eyczing left the Imperial Palace, highly pleased. Next, he would tour various parts of the Empire, lobbying the various lords.
For him, this was just work similar to his usual routine. Figuring out the preferences of those dukes and counts, a small valuable gift, coupled with the flattery they loved to hear, could make these people lose themselves and be easily manipulated.
Appealing to people's interests was far more effective than persuading them with reason, and he happened to be well-versed in this art.
Laszlo, having gained another talent, was still a little worried. He had just poached Frederick's chief advisor; would he throw a tantrum? Would his regency court be able to function without a chief advisor?
After all, Laszlo was about to leave Vienna to begin his European tour, and if Frederick messed up, things would turn out badly.
However, Frederick should not be stumped by such a minor matter. Although he was a good-for-nothing, Frederick was capable in governing his territory. It was just a chief advisor...
What changes would Frederick's attitude towards him undergo? Displeasure? Anger?
Laszlo cared, but only a little.
Resolving the issue of fraternal strife was at the lowest priority on Laszlo's list of goals. Of course, if Frederick himself couldn't resist making small moves, Laszlo would not show mercy.
His covetousness for Inner Austria was greater than his desire for Bohemia. After all, Bohemia was merely next to his bed, but Inner Austria was one of the cores of Austria. If there was a problem with the core, the fun would be great.
Laszlo was not entirely unprepared for Frederick. Placing his own people in Frederick's advisory council was a precaution. Frederick himself had no other military forces besides his miniature guard.
Most of Austria's nobility only obeyed the Archduke's summons; only when Laszlo left Vienna could Frederick temporarily exercise the Archduke of Austria's authority.
For such an almost harmless uncle, Laszlo still hoped to arrange a good future for him.
Even if he were to be stripped of the title and territory of the Duke of Inner Austria, a good place should be arranged for him—Alsace would be good. The Habsburg Family's ancestral property in Aargau, located in the Alps, had beautiful scenery and a pleasant environment, along with the company of "kind and friendly" Swiss mountaineers, suitable for tourism, retirement, house arrest... Ahem, it's too early to consider these things now.
At this moment, the only thing troubling Laszlo was the matter of Bohemia.
Iri would still, as usual, hand over one-tenth of Bohemia's taxes to Vienna, but expecting him to fulfill military obligations would be somewhat humorous.
Bohemia, as a territory of the Habsburg Family, provided very little tax revenue and manpower. This state of apparent harmony but actual estrangement was unbearable for Laszlo, but for now, he should focus on the Eastern Front.