The relaxed and cheerful atmosphere brought by Innsbruck did not last long.
Peace and stability belonged only to the people of Austria; once over the Alps, the landscape was nothing but desolation.
Scattered ruins, deserted villages, and desolate, eerie mass graves reminded people that cruel war was the main theme of this era.
Where was there any tranquility, and what world peace was there to hope for?
It was simply that you happened to live in a powerful homeland.
North and south of the mountains, a living hell.
Brescia, as the second-largest city in the Duchy of Milan, was originally one of the most prosperous cities in Northern Italy.
However, with the invasion of the Venetian, all prosperity turned to smoke.
Brescia had been a large city with a population of over ten thousand decades ago, but now only a few thousand residents still lived there.
Large areas of land around Brescia were abandoned, and people fled this dangerous place with their families.
The city changed hands repeatedly during decades of struggle between Milan and Venice, while on the high ground outside the city, Brescia Fortress—the largest fortress in Italy—stood unyielding, and countless people were buried beneath its sturdy and tall walls.
What was the meaning of their deaths? They were merely innocent victims of Milan and Venice's struggle for hegemony in Northern Italy.
The Milanese had temporarily held their city, but the Venetian army's encampment was just a dozen kilometers east of the city, and it seemed neither side had any intention of backing down.
To ensure safety, Ulrich had previously reached an agreement with the Duke of Milan, stipulating that the Emperor's entourage would not interfere in Milan's internal affairs, while Milan would fully guarantee the Emperor's safety.
Therefore, Laszlo's entourage easily entered Brescia, where the Emperor and Empress were given a "warm" welcome by the citizens.
Dozens of curious citizens gathered on the streets, observing the Emperor's entourage and the subsequent entourages of the Electors, then unanimously concluded that the Emperor's pomp was indeed extraordinary, luxurious, grand, and majestic.
After the excitement, everyone naturally returned home; whether the Emperor came or not had little to do with them, but the Venetian could arrive at any moment, and they lived in daily apprehension, so today they could finally breathe a sigh of relief.
Surely the Venetian wouldn't be so insane as to attack even the Emperor's carriage, would they?
The Venetian did indeed entertain the thought of causing a minor disturbance during the Emperor's coronation journey, as annoying Laszlo would make them happy for a long time.
However, the current situation did not allow them to do so.
On the Italian battlefield, Genoa and Florence had unilaterally withdrawn from the war against Milan, while Savoy, Milan's close ally, was still going to great lengths to assist Milan, and the Venetian gained no advantage, instead suffering severe losses due to the war; even though Mediterranean Sea trade brought them immense profits, they were almost unable to withstand the financial pressure brought by the enormous mercenary expenses.
More importantly, Venice was currently experiencing continuous friction with the Ottomans due to maritime trade disputes, and the two sides had already fought several small-scale naval battles in the Aegean Sea; who knew when the Sultan might send troops to attack in a fit of rage.
Under such circumstances, to actively provoke the Emperor of Austria would truly be seeking death.
Therefore, today's Venetian mercenaries also received a rare holiday, which lasted until the Emperor's entourage left the Brescia region.
Brescia was also a hidden artistic paradise; the Archbishop of the ancient Lombard Kingdom once ruled here, though that was several centuries ago.
In any case, many Gothic-style buildings remained here; some had been severely damaged by war, but there were still well-preserved parts, and Laszlo and Leonor quickly toured the city of Brescia.
This was not a pleasant journey, as traces of war permeated the city.
In 1421, the Venetian began to attack the city, and the Milanese initially retreated, but the Visconti family did not easily relinquish their rule over Brescia.
Numerous wars erupted here again between the two sides, with Venice winning more than losing, gradually stabilizing Brescia and Bergamo, the Milanese territory further west, establishing the de facto occupation of these two regions.
In this timeline, the Milan Duke lived longer, and the Visconti family had not yet gone extinct, continuously leading Milan in the struggle against Venice for hegemony in Northern Italy.
In 1452, the Duke of Milan, Filippo Maria Visconti, with the support of his ally, the Duchy of Savoy, led his army in a comeback, recapturing most of the territories of Bergamo and Brescia in one fell swoop, restoring these two core provinces and eastern gateways of Milan, thereby protecting the city of Milan itself from direct exposure to the Venetian army.
The war between the two sides here lasted for three full years and is still ongoing today, with the Venetian still having some strength, but their allies have all withdrawn, and the Milanese are almost exhausted of manpower and financial resources, though their good ally, the Savoyard, is still providing full assistance.
In such a tense situation, the war continued.
Laszlo, with little enthusiasm, led his entourage out of Brescia, heading west, and arrived in Milan two days later.
When Laszlo's entourage entered the city of Milan, they could still feel the city's tense atmosphere.
The prosperity of the city intertwined with the shadow of war.
Milan's streets were crowded with merchants, citizens, and soldiers, colorful goods piled high in the markets, yet the city walls were adorned with flags symbolizing war.
Laszlo expressed sincere admiration for Milan's prosperity; he and Leonor lingered for a long time in front of Milan Cathedral, showing great interest in this largest Gothic building and church wonder in the world.
He also "piously" prayed inside the cathedral, seemingly to wish for a smooth journey ahead.
However, the unstable situation in Northern Italy remained unsettling.
Nevertheless, these political maelstroms chose to give way due to Laszlo's arrival; envoys sent by the Florentine had already arrived with the Emperor's entourage, warmly inviting the Emperor to visit Florence.
Right there in Milan Cathedral, the Lombard Archbishop personally performed the anointing and coronation for Laszlo and Leonor, declaring Laszlo the Italian King and Leonor the Italian Queen.
After the coronation, Laszlo left the cathedral, and the crown remained there, waiting for the next holy Roman Emperor to be crowned... it felt almost like a game.
Subsequently, Laszlo and Leonor were invited to attend the celebratory banquet hosted by the Duke of Milan, Filippo Maria Visconti.
The Emperor and the Electors, who rarely gathered, all attended the banquet; if someone were to fire a cannon into the banquet hall, the highest echelons of the Holy Roman Empire would be wiped out.
Of course, no one had such thoughts.
It was a banquet that brought joy to everyone.
Midway through the banquet, a servant found Laszlo and quietly told him that the Duke of Milan wished to speak with him upstairs.
This piqued Laszlo's interest; what would this ambitious warlord want to discuss with him?