Through the Pope's introduction, Laszlo successfully met the Portuguese envoy, who also wished to meet him.
In the quiet room, Laszlo saw an old acquaintance, Prince Fernando of Portugal.
Compared to twelve years ago when he participated in the last Crusade, Fernando, who was then still green and full of passion for adventure, now looked more mature and steady, especially with his thick beard, which made Laszlo almost fail to recognize him at first glance.
After the death of Prince Henry the Navigator, Fernando, as his adopted son, inherited the title of Duke of Viseu and the position of Grand Master of the Order of Christ, and also took over the important task of maritime colonial expansion for the Kingdom of Portugal. Currently, the Portuguese Navy is under his command, dedicated to combating the rampant pirates in North Africa.
His visit to Rome this time was, on the one hand, to give the Pope an answer regarding the Crusade, as the Pope had repeatedly written to Alfonso V, and on the other hand, he hoped to use the Pope as a go-between to establish a new alliance with the Emperor.
Previously, the Pope, having agreed to the Emperor's request to persuade the Kingdom of Portugal to participate in the Crusade against the Ottomans, had engaged in close correspondence with Alfonso V.
The Portuguese did not show much enthusiasm for this Crusade.
When Constantinople fell, there was a surge of Crusader fever in Portugal, and it was under the impetus of this wave that the Portuguese sent their navy and army to participate in the Holy War.
In that war, the Portuguese and Papal States navies suffered huge losses due to the betrayal of the Venice Navy, but fortunately, the land Crusade achieved good results, bringing Portugal rich rewards that compensated for the losses.
However, since then, the Portuguese became more concerned with developments in Africa, and the increasingly powerful Portuguese nobility consistently focused on expanding their North African territories, caring little about distant Constantinople.
At that time, the widespread claim that the "Ottoman Empire blocked the Eastern trade routes" actually had little basis.
If the Ottomans could cut off trade between East and West merely by occupying Constantinople, then every European country would be severely exploited.
But the fact was that only the Black Sea trade was affected; the Austrian and Genoese, who relied most on this trade route, naturally hoped to retake Constantinople, a key node controlling the Black Sea exit.
Beyond that, the Eastern Mediterranean trade, which held the vast majority of market share, was never affected by any infidels from beginning to end.
The Venetian firmly dominated this trade route; not to mention Portugal, even Austria and Genoa, which bordered Venice, found it difficult to intervene.
In reality, Portugal's current overseas colonial expansion was not directly related to Eastern trade; their motives were very simple—to expand territory and plunder wealth.
Whether it was black slaves, gold, or spice, anything that could enrich the Kingdom was what the Portuguese pursued.
In previous years, Alfonso V led expeditions to North Africa multiple times, with the first few achieving quite good results, greatly expanding Portugal's territory in North Africa.
However, in the most recent expedition to Tangier, Alfonso V personally led an army to besiege the city for a year without success, and was forced to return home.
Since then, the enthusiasm for conquering North Africa in Portugal seemed to have been doused with cold water, and even Alfonso V began to turn his attention to developing Portugal's colonies on the west coast of Africa, specifically the Gulf of Guinea.
During this period, a civil war broke out in the Kingdom of Castile, which almost immediately drew all of Alfonso V's attention.
Just a year ago, Queen Joanna of Castile, who had been expelled from the palace and was also Alfonso V's sister, gave birth to two illegitimate children for her new lover. King Enrique IV of Castile, the King Enrique, furiously declared their marriage no longer legitimate and sought a divorce from his wife.
If previously the Castilian nobles' suspicion of the illegitimacy of their only daughter, Princess Joanna, was to undermine the King's prestige and create an excuse for civil war, then this time, King Enrique IV's cuckoldry was thoroughly cemented.
As the King of Portugal and Joanna's brother, Alfonso V naturally could not stand idly by and watch such a diplomatic incident unfold.
However, the terms offered by King Enrique IV were too tempting; this King Enrique, the King Enrique, promised to marry his sister Isabella, who had inheritance rights, to Alfonso V, who had been widowed for many years, in exchange for his support.
This immediately ignited Alfonso V's ambition. If he could become co-ruler of Castile, uniting Portugal and Castile, then a new powerful force would soon rise in Europe.
To achieve his ambition, Alfonso V readily agreed to King Enrique's request, even specifically writing a letter to scold his sister for her promiscuity and debauchery.
The divorce was naturally a foregone conclusion; after Ferdinando's mission to Rome this time, Paul II had already decided to grant King Enrique IV's divorce request.
Currently, the civil war in Castile has entered a white-hot stage, with the rebels enthroning King Enrique IV's half-brother Alfonso as the new king, now confronting the royal army.
Alfonso V was still looking for a suitable opportunity to intervene in this war, hoping to secure as much benefit as possible for Portugal.
"So, the Kingdom of Portugal will not be able to participate in this great expedition after all?"
After hearing Fernando's description of the recent situation, Laszlo asked with some regret.
Paul II had tried his best to persuade Alfonso V, but the King ultimately refused to send troops to participate in an expedition of little significance.
Fernando nodded and replied, "With many affairs in Iberia and Africa, we do not have much spare capacity to travel to Constantinople to fight.
However, His Majesty the King specifically emphasized that he greatly values his alliance with you.
Although the tragedy that befell my dear sister Leonor temporarily severed the ties between our two countries, we still have the opportunity to rebuild our former alliance."
"Oh? Alfonso V means…?"
Fernando's words immediately piqued Laszlo's curiosity, and for a moment, he couldn't figure out what the Portuguese were planning.
For Austria, Portugal could be an important ally because Portugal possessed a powerful navy, which was something Laszlo urgently needed.
His marriage to Leonor was presided over by her uncle, King Juan II of Aragon, and introduced by her aunt, Lady Isabella, the wife of Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy. This marriage greatly improved Austria's diplomatic relations with Aragon, Portugal, and Burgundy.
However, after Juan II of the Kingdom of Aragon came to power, Aragon and Austria quickly became hostile due to the Kingdom of Naples' invasion of Sicily.
For King Alfonso V of Portugal, the most likely contender for the Kingdom of Castile was the Kingdom of Aragon, especially since Princess Isabella, who was expected to marry him, had previously been engaged to the Crown Prince of Aragon, thus creating a clear rivalry between them.
Moreover, Aragon and France currently had close ties, and in the future, the Kingdom of France might intervene in the Castilian succession issue.
Based on the principle that an enemy's enemy is a friend, Alfonso V decided to renew his old ties with Austria and forge a new alliance.
"His Majesty the King's idea is to marry his eldest daughter, Princess Joanna, into the Habsburg Imperial Family, establishing a new marriage between the two countries, and on this basis, continuing the old alliance," Fernando slowly stated.
After speaking, he awaited Laszlo's reply with expectant eyes.
In fact, Alfonso V and Fernando were also unsure, as the Empire's power was "known to all from Ireland to Cathay," and compared to this behemoth, the Kingdom of Portugal, always called the "European leftover," was far too weak.
A marriage and alliance with the Empire looked very much like marrying up, but the precedent of Ferdinand I, the King of Naples, filled them with confidence.
If an illegitimate king of unknown origin could secure a marriage with the Habsburg Imperial Family by clinging to a powerful patron, there was no reason why the Portuguese Royal Family couldn't.
Moreover, the Emperor's first wife was a Portuguese princess, so another Portuguese princess shouldn't be a problem, right?
"Joanna?"
Laszlo frowned; he had long wanted to complain about the ridiculous naming habits of the Iberian royal families, always recycling the same few names.
Now, whenever Joanna was mentioned, he couldn't help but think of that dissolute Portuguese princess who had cuckolded the King of Castile countless times.
The Princess Joanna Fernando referred to was not Alfonso V's sister, but his daughter, and one of his only two children. She had received the title of Portuguese Princess Royal very early on and was even groomed as an heir, holding a high position within Portugal.
However, by lineage, she was the niece of the late Leonor, so Laszlo could also call her niece.
In the current Habsburg Family, excluding collateral branches, the only suitable candidate for marriage with Portugal was Laszlo himself. If he were to marry Joanna, wouldn't that mess up the generational Order?
Laszlo then reconsidered. In the original history, Alfonso V himself, after Isabella broke off their engagement, chose a lesser option and married Princess Joanna, the daughter of King Enrique IV and his sister Joanna, using this as an opportunity to ignite the Castilian War of Succession.
One should know that Joanna was his biological niece, related by blood, and there was a thirty-year age difference between them.
Thinking this way, Laszlo's psychological burden was much lighter. After all, it was a political marriage, and there was no need to care about so many things.
Moreover, he vaguely remembered that the main line of the Kingdom of Portugal would die out in the next generation, that is, the generation of João II, Alfonso V's only son, and Portugal would then face a succession crisis.
In the original history, it was Manuel, the youngest son of Prince Fernando, who inherited the vacant Portuguese throne.
If Laszlo truly married Joanna, there might be an opportunity to bring Habsburg rule to Portugal.
Considering this possibility, Laszlo had already made his decision.
"Very well, I agree to marry Princess Joanna and continue the close alliance between Portugal and Austria."
Just like the alliance between Austria and Burgundy, Portugal also had the qualifications to become a long-term ally of Austria.
The Emperor's reply brought joy to Fernando's face. He hadn't expected their family to have the opportunity to produce two empresses, which would undoubtedly greatly enhance the prestige of the Portuguese Royal Family.
A long-term, stable alliance between Portugal and Austria, or rather, with the Habsburg Dynasty, would also have a significant effect on raising Portugal's international standing.
"Emperor, I will report your answer to the King. He once promised that if the alliance could be restored, he would fully support your campaign against the Ottomans.
When the army marches out, Portugal will send a fleet to assist you in fighting those hateful infidels."
Fernando said so, and Laszlo nodded with satisfaction. If such a marriage could secure the support of the Portuguese, it would not be a loss for him in any way.
After concluding his meeting with Fernando, Laszlo participated in a larger conference.
The Pope gathered all the Italian rulers he could summon—the King of Naples, the Northern Italy princes, the Emperor, and even the envoy of the Republic of Venice.
Everyone, after a grand banquet, collectively pledged to provide all possible assistance for the upcoming Crusade, except for the Venetian.
Throughout the banquet, the Venice envoy was completely isolated by everyone, which made him silently drink alone in a corner.
The war between Austria and Venice had been going on for over a year. The Emperor, as the "Defender of the Faith," gave the pretext for the war as punishing the Venetian who had betrayed their faith and colluded with the Ottoman Empire.
Now, everyone understood the dealings between Venice and the Ottoman; no one was willing to trust the Venetian who had once betrayed the Crusade.
During the banquet, the Venice envoy tried to speak to Laszlo, seeking the possibility of peace, but Laszlo directly ignored him.
He still remembered the uncontrollable anger he felt when he first heard that the Crusader fleet was almost completely annihilated.
The frustrated Venice envoy found an excuse to slip away midway through the event, and all remaining participants agreed to the joint demands of the Emperor and the Pope, offering money or troops to support the Crusade.
After settling the matters of the Crusade, Laszlo stayed in Rome for a few more days.
He first reconfirmed the marriage and alliance between the two countries with Ferdinand I, the King of Naples, and then debated a special issue with the Pope.
The Bishop of Breslau from the Rosenberg Family, who was also the church leader of the Silesia region, had recently passed away. Laszlo then appointed Rudolf, the Bishop of Lavant from the Austrian diocese, to succeed him as Bishop of Breslau.
However, the vacant title of Bishop of Lavant caused controversy. Archbishop Georg of Vienna and Archbishop Bernhard of Salzburg jointly nominated another Austrian cleric to succeed as bishop, but Paul II also issued a bull appointing one of his trusted associates to take over the bishopric.
After a fierce debate, Paul II ultimately chose to respect the Emperor's control over the Imperial Church, abandoning his pointless probing.
Regarding the Duchy of Lorraine's refusal to pay the Imperial public tax, Paul II decided to personally write to the Duke of Lorraine, who was currently leading troops in the Kingdom of Aragon.
If he remained stubborn, he would face joint sanctions from the Emperor and the Pope.
After all matters were settled, Laszlo embarked on his return journey with his large entourage.
The successful conclusion of Emperor Laszlo's trip to Rome basically marked the completion of all his preparations for the new Crusade.
Next, he only needed to choose a time, assemble a massive army, and lead them towards Constantinople.
By then, the Empire would rally internally and externally, gathering the strength of half of the Christ world, to deliver a crushing blow to the Ottomans, allowing them to experience the despair of the Eastern Rome people from back then.
If anyone, despite having agreed to the demands of the Emperor and the Pope, chose to retreat at the last minute, Emperor Laszlo would inevitably have to expend more effort to purge the "traitors."
However, the current miserable situation of the Venetian served as the best warning, making those who harbored clever schemes carefully weigh whether they could withstand the Emperor's wrath.
The Venetian Government was now shrouded in an atmosphere of despair, and even the emergency meeting of the Council of Ten was utterly somber.
At this point, neither the war hawks nor the peace advocates had anything to say.
To seek peace?
The Emperor had repeatedly rejected Venice's peace overtures, his stance quite firm, determined to fight them to the very end.
To fight?
With Venice's own strength, how could it possibly confront the vast Empire? Meanwhile, Venice's two most important allies—France and the Ottoman—were currently in dire straits. One was dragged into the quagmire of civil war by Burgundy, a staunch ally of the Emperor, while the other was firmly entangled by Karaman, supported by the Emperor, unable to disengage from the Asia Minor battlefield. Furthermore, the rise of the White Sheep Dynasty was already a foregone conclusion, and the Ottomans would likely face an even more formidable enemy in the future.
The Venetian had actually had contact with the White Sheep Dynasty much earlier, even engaging in some trade, and thus naturally had some understanding of this nation's background.
The White Sheep Dynasty, under a tribal system, was militarily robust, claiming an astonishing 100,000 cavalry at the beginning of Uzun Hasan's reign.
Of course, under the nomadic tradition of every man being a soldier, this number was not actually exaggerated; the true elite numbered only a few thousand.
And Uzun Hasan was a very far-sighted monarch; at the beginning of his reign, he attempted to implement reforms, seeking to replace the loose, inefficient tribal politics with a more complete bureaucratic system.
Based on these reforms, Uzun Hasan implemented benevolent policies, reducing taxes and allocating large sums of money from the treasury to build water conservancy projects, allowing agriculture and handicrafts, which had been damaged by years of war, to recover.
At the same time, Uzun Hasan was also very strict with military training.
For instance, he decreed that anyone who lost weapons or equipment would face the death penalty; those who improperly maintained their weapons, causing rust or damage, would receive 50 heavy lashes; and those whose formations were disorderly would receive 100 heavy lashes each. Such harsh regulations led Venetian envoys who had visited the White Sheep Dynasty to exclaim that the White Sheep Dynasty's Turkmen army was one of the most disciplined and organized armies.
It is regrettable that this army, after dealing with the Black Sheep Dynasty to the east and the remnants of the Timur Empire, will likely launch an attack on the Ottoman Empire.
For no other reason than Uzun Hasan was an extremely talented and arrogant monarch; his ideal was to become the protector of the Caliph and the supreme leader of the entire Islamic world.
For this, he had repeatedly and publicly humiliated the Ottoman Sultan and the Mamluk Sultan, offending the two great powers of the Islamic world, and was preparing to step over the heads of the two Sultans to ascend to the pinnacle of the Islamic world.
From this point alone, it can be confirmed that the hostile stance between the Ottoman and the White Sheep is irreversible, because Mehmed II, after suffering setbacks in Europe, also set the same goal as Uzun Hasan.
Perhaps influenced by the so-called "pacify the internal before resisting the external" ideology of his archenemy, Emperor Laszlo, Mehmed II was now gradually realizing that if he wanted to counterattack the European continent, he must first complete the integration within the Islamic world.
He needed to eliminate those scoundrels who stabbed him in the back while he was waging a holy war against infidels, only then would he have a chance to return to Europe and contend with the Roman Emperor.
As for the scoundrels he identified, first and foremost were the Mamluk who ambushed the Ottoman from behind during the last Crusade, and secondly, the rapidly rising White Sheep Dynasty.
However, compared to Emperor Laszlo's speed in consolidating the Christ world, Mehmed II was already far behind.
While the Ottoman Empire was unable to quickly subdue even Karaman, the Emperor was steadily pressuring Venice, seemingly on the verge of completely eliminating one of the two internal threats to the Christ world.
"The city of Athens can continue to hold out. The Governor of Negroponte reports that the enemy's forces are insufficient to storm Athens, nor can they fully blockade it.
Similarly, our siege of Corinth and Mystras proceeds. Marshal Colleoni hopes for more assistance in artillery and firearms to compensate for his numerical disadvantage."
The councilor reported the current situation in Greece to Doge Moro with a sense of helplessness.
Marshal Bartolomeo Colleoni, the commander of the Venetian army this time, was a seasoned veteran with distinguished military achievements.
His family was originally Milanese nobility, but later exiled by the Visconti Family, they were forced to pledge allegiance to the Republic of Venice.
Marshal Colleoni repeatedly distinguished himself in the Venice-Milan rivalry wars and was appointed Marshal for life of the Republic of Venice, holding a high position of power in Venice.
During the Italian Wars, he was tasked with leading a portion of the army to attack Milan, but due to setbacks suffered by the main Venetian army in Friuli, he had to abandon his plan to attack Milan, and nearly lost his life in a battle with the Imperial Army.
In that war, the Imperial Army's use of chariots, muskets, and cannons left a deep impression on him.
This quickly led Colleoni, who was already innovative, to grasp the potential of gunpowder weapons in field battles. For this reason, in the years following the Italian Wars, he dedicated himself to increasing the proportion of musketeers and the number of light artillery pieces equipped within Venice's standing mercenary forces.
Today, the Venetian army has made significant progress in the use of firearms, and Venice, which controls the saltpeter trade, never has to worry about a shortage of gunpowder.
It was relying on such military innovations that the Venetian army rapidly swept across the entire Morea principality, encountering almost no decent resistance.
However, the Venetian had not yet witnessed the Imperial Army's latest phalanx tactics, and therefore did not know that their proudly proclaimed "military innovations" were already old news to others.
"Still need more guns and cannons? He only has a total of four thousand men under him, already equipped with over twenty cannons and several hundred muskets. Is that still not enough for him?"
Even Doge Moro, widely known as a good-natured old man, was somewhat annoyed at this point.
Venice's firearms and artillery factories were built within the Grand Arsenal, operating under military management and protection alongside the shipyards, together forming the famous Venetian Arsenal.
The craftsmen possessed excellent gunpowder weapon production technology. Although they couldn't keep up with the faster iteration speed and higher R&D investment of the Graz arsenal in Austria and Burgundy's artillery factories, their level still far surpassed other European countries.
In Asia Minor, Venetian firearms had always been highly sought-after quality armaments.
Despite their mastery of such craftsmanship, the cost of mass-producing muskets and cannons was not low, especially in the face of a strict trade blockade, which made the cost of firearms even more expensive.
In fact, providing better equipment to strengthen the army's combat effectiveness is not unacceptable for a typical government, but here we must mention Venice's peculiar military system.
Long-term mercenary contracts, in essence, outsourced military tasks to private individuals, who would recruit armies, achieve predetermined goals, and thereby receive payment from the government.
For the Venetian Government, Marshal Colleoni was merely one of many mercenary leaders under their employ.
However, due to the heavy losses suffered by other mercenary groups during the Italian Wars, or their unwillingness to continue serving Venice, Colleoni's private army was now the only elite force remaining in Venice.
This led to Colleoni's continuously rising status within the Republic, even being hailed as the last bastion of the Republic.
His several thousand mercenaries were currently tasked with capturing Morea.
To ensure victory, he repeatedly demanded various forms of assistance, such as troops and armaments, from the Venetian Government. However, at the same time, he never truly fought with full effort on the battlefield, resulting in over half a year of fighting without the main Morean forces being destroyed or its two most important cities being lost.
This is not difficult to understand, because Colleoni's current important position is based on the fact that he has soldiers under his command.
If he foolishly sacrificed his mercenary legion, the nobles within the Republic who disliked him or coveted his property would surely hang him in St. Mark's Square in a heartbeat.
In the past, from the Doge to the Great Council, for the sake of the greater good, they tolerated Colleoni's various actions. But this time, the insatiable Colleoni had completely enraged Doge Moro.
"Send someone to tell Colleoni that he can have aid, but only after he takes Corinth and Mystras!"
The exasperated Moro directly laid out his bottom line. At this, even the councilor who was close to Colleoni dared not speak up for him anymore.
The Venetian Government did have some savings and reserves, but the practice of making huge profits during the nation's distress was indeed not honorable, and it had already caused widespread dissatisfaction.
Colleoni's issue filled Moro with anger, but fortunately, the news from Athens was not bad. As long as this crucial node was held, Venice's maritime trade network would not face problems.
Thus far, although the Republic had relinquished all the lands it had seized during the chaos of the past few decades, the most important nodes of the Venetian trade network remained firmly under their control.
The twin ports of Modon-Coron, Crete, and Negroponte, as well as the Aegean Sea islands—as long as these territories were not lost, they still had the ability to persevere.
"Your Excellency, the Emperor, after returning from Rome, will surely waste no time in assembling a new Crusade to launch an Eastern expedition.
If the Crusade can indeed capture Constantinople, then when the Emperor marches south, Athens will likely be unable to resist no matter what, and even Negroponte, Modon, and Coron could fall. We must find a way to respond as soon as possible."
Another councilor spoke up to remind him, and the topic he raised was precisely what the members of the Council of Ten were most concerned about at the moment.
The Bulgarian-Serbian allied army, numbering only one or two tens of thousands, would indeed find it very difficult to take Athens, let alone land on Negroponte.
However, the scale of the Crusade the Emperor was about to launch was almost unimaginable to everyone present.
They could only infer, based on their past understanding of the Ottoman Empire at its peak, that the army the Emperor was mobilizing this time should be no less than 100,000 strong.
If nothing else, if the military force was less than 100,000, taking Constantinople would be almost a fantasy. Given the Emperor's elaborate preparations, he hardly seemed to be planning to do things hastily.
Such a massive army, even if it suffered heavy losses in the battle for Constantinople, would still have enough surviving forces to sweep across the entire Greece region.
Therefore, from the Doge to the councilors, everyone began to panic. "What other options do we have now? Fighting the Emperor on land offers no chance of victory.
All we can do now is continue to blockade the Austria coast, maintain the smooth flow of trade routes, and await a turning point in the war.
If possible, prevent the Crusade fleet from blockading the Bosporus Strait, allowing the Ottomans to hold out a little longer."
At this, Moro's eyes suddenly sharpened, and his tone carried a hint of a gambler's madness.
"If we can turn Constantinople into another Belgrade, and have the Emperor and his Crusade break their spears against its strong walls, wouldn't our opportunity arise then?
The failure of the Crusade would not only greatly damage the Emperor's prestige but also significantly weaken the military strength of the Habsburg Family. This would be the most favorable outcome for us."
"But wouldn't that confirm our crime of colluding with infidels?"
Hesitant voices emerged among the councilors. Although they didn't particularly care about their extremely hollow faith, standing against the entire Christ world in this way was still too bold.
Just then, another councilor expressed support for the Doge's decision.
"So what if we collude with infidels? The Barbo Family and the Pope have both abandoned the Republic, and the Emperor is determined to destroy us. At such a time, clinging to faith is meaningless!
Think of the cry of the great Doge Enrico Dandolo: let us be Venetian first, then Christ.
If even the Republic cannot be preserved, the Emperor will execute all of us. Rather than that, it's better to help the Ottomans defend Constantinople."
As soon as these words were uttered, they immediately resonated widely among the councilors.
They didn't really want to be martyrs for the Republic of Venice either, but the strict scrutiny of the Great Council made it very difficult for them to flee.
Things had come to this. To preserve the Republic, to preserve their power and wealth, they could no longer afford to worry about such trivial matters.
Such a sight was truly regrettable. One must remember that when the Eastern Roman Empire fell over a decade ago, the Venetian were not nearly so eager to defend Constantinople.
The Venetian, who had repeatedly harmed and opposed the Eastern Roman Empire, were now once again poised to harm and oppose another Roman Empire. Perhaps history truly is a grand cycle.
German mercenaries, a term now widely believed to have been coined by Emperor Laszlo.
Of course, this term was not meant to be a counterpart to the famous Italian mercenaries or Swiss mercenaries; its original meaning was "servants of the state" or "servants of the homeland."
Within the Empire, where mercenary groups abounded, it was possible to raise an army of ten thousand within two weeks, provided you had enough money and provisions.
Only a very small portion of these mercenaries served the Emperor; the vast majority fought for the Imperial princes, and some even traveled abroad to serve non-Imperial lords.
From an external perspective, they all belonged to the group of German mercenaries. However, the most renowned among them were the Imperial mercenaries who had served or were currently serving the Emperor. Although they were labeled "mercenaries," their composition was no longer purely mercenary; it also included some Austrian and Bohemian commoners eager to join the military.
Well, while they claimed to be eager to join the army and serve the country, in reality, they were forced into military training to serve the Emperor because they couldn't make a living through other means.
During this period in Europe, there was a similar sentiment to "good men don't become soldiers"; people generally discriminated against soldiers, especially mercenaries with low moral standards.
The main reason for this phenomenon was the gradual collapse of the militia conscription system after the Black Death. Population decline led to labor becoming more expensive, and the wages of hired workers had steadily climbed over the past century, showing no signs of stopping even now.
Therefore, even landless peasants working for others might earn more than the pay of a conscripted soldier, leading to a general reluctance among the populace to join the army.
To give a simple example, a bricklayer in Vienna could earn 4 florins a month for hard work, while a lone pikeman joining the army would only receive 2 florins per month for the first two years of service.
If a soldier was fortunate enough to survive the first two years, the equipment issued by the army upon enlistment would become his property. He would then be able to receive a monthly salary of 3-4 florins, just like seasoned mercenaries who brought their own equipment and combat experience to serve the Emperor directly.
With such a comparison, apart from desperate vagrants and criminals, not many people were willing to voluntarily join the Imperial standing army, especially at a time when various industries in Austria were flourishing.
However, it was precisely due to this trend of social development that higher-paying mercenaries became the protagonists of this era, forming the mainstream and backbone of armies across nations.
They generally demanded higher wages, and at the same time, employers continuously raised their demands for the mercenaries' professional skills and level of professionalism.
Employers didn't expect every warrior under their command to be a Sword Saint, but they at least needed them to be able to single-handedly take on two or three able-bodied men and maintain their position and duties within the military formation—this was the most crucial aspect for an army to achieve combat effectiveness.
Of course, the enormous military expenditures brought by mercenary armies also had a profound impact on countries that relied heavily on mercenaries for warfare.
Firstly, the duration of wars generally shortened—though this refers to the actual time when armies gathered and engaged in combat. In a war spanning several years or even over a decade, most of the time was spent by both sides trying to raise sufficient funds and recruit elite armies to continue the conflict.
Secondly, national financial systems began to undergo reforms to extract more taxes to support powerful armies.
In the latter fifty years of the 15th century, the tax revenues of Europe's two major military powers, France and Hungary, directly doubled compared to the preceding fifty years, which was a terrifying increase.
In Austria, the situation was similar, with national financial income steadily rising. To ensure the healthy development of the country during peacetime, Laszlo did not choose to expand the army indefinitely. Instead, he invested more resources into public construction and development.
The benefits of doing so were clear: Austria indeed achieved significant development. However, the reduction in the size of the standing army meant that issues of insufficient military strength would become prominent when actual war broke out.
Under normal circumstances, auxiliary forces from vassal states could solve this problem, but there were times when they couldn't, such as the upcoming Crusade.
Fortunately, Laszlo and the Austrian government had long been prepared for this. In addition to the standing army, they also adopted the conscription system that had developed in Austria in recent years to quickly expand the army's size and cope with wars requiring a large number of troops.
The core of this conscription system was the numerous "professional recruiting officers" under the Court War Council.
The leader of these recruiting officers was an important nobleman from Lower Austria—Count Ulrich von Grafenegg. He was a trusted and highly-regarded mercenary leader appointed by Laszlo.
Although he came from a prominent Austrian aristocratic family, he commanded considerable resources and connections within the mercenary industry.
It was precisely by leveraging this that he gained the Emperor's favor and became an important member of the Court War Council.
As soon as Laszlo returned to Vienna from Rome, he summoned Field Marshal Adolf, the Austrian military commander, and Count Grafenegg to discuss the conscription of an army to launch the Crusade.
Although Laszlo had rallied all the support he could, all parties needed a longer period to prepare. Therefore, the launch of the Crusade was set for the following year.
Seizing this opportunity, Laszlo could also make thorough internal adjustments, mobilizing as much manpower as possible from Austria, Bohemia, and Hungary to ensure the success of this expedition to capture Constantinople.
Inside Hofburg Palace, Count Grafenegg calmly presented a list he had already prepared to the Emperor.
This surprised Laszlo somewhat; clearly, the seasoned warmonger before him had anticipated being summoned and had made some preparations in advance.
Previously, recruiting officers often had to travel to Swabia or even deep into the Imperial heartland to recruit formidable mercenaries to fill gaps in the Imperial Army.
However, after the Swabian War, Laszlo made some adjustments to the army's replenishment system, increasing the proportion of Austrian native soldiers by recruiting them from villages and cities across Austria.
Grafenegg was responsible for executing this task, which was no small challenge for him.
In the past, Grafenegg could easily recruit sufficient troops to fill the army's vacancies by leveraging his connections within the Imperial mercenary circles. In fact, each time, due to the overwhelming number of applicants, he even had to conduct selections to pick the most exceptional warriors to fight for the Emperor.
To adapt to the new replenishment mechanism, Grafenegg dispatched his recruiting officers throughout Austria, dividing conscription zones by administrative region: three in Lower Austria, one in Upper Austria, four in Styria, two in Tyrol. Outer Austria and Venetia were more complex, and troops were generally not directly recruited from these two regions.
In the corresponding conscription zones, recruiting officers established conscription rosters and specified the number of soldiers each zone needed to provide.
The list Grafenegg presented to Laszlo was a simplified, summarized version of these conscription rosters.
Laszlo was quickly dazzled by the string of "Hans" names on the list. The first three recruiting officers at the beginning of the list—Hans Weidochs, Hans Moser, and Hans Heiden—were responsible for conscription in Vienna Neustadt.
The first Hans was responsible for conscripting 50 able-bodied mounted men, who needed to bring their own horses. The latter two Hanses were responsible for conscripting 200 able-bodied footmen. These men would receive standard military equipment transported from the armory at an assembly point designated by the Emperor, and then traditionally serve Laszlo for one season.
A season here was roughly 13 weeks, the longest service period since the Middle Ages. Freemen, tenant farmers, serfs, and townspeople all had an obligation to serve the Emperor in the military.
Although the frequency of such service gradually decreased after the Black Death, it did not completely disappear. Most people were reluctant, but they had no choice but to comply.
Unlike recruiting mercenaries, which typically required an upfront recruitment fee of 1 florin, these conscripted soldiers generally received no enlistment fee.
Moreover, their pay was pitifully low: cavalry received 9 shillings per week, while infantry received 4 and a half shillings. Converted, a cavalryman's monthly pay was less than 2 florins, and an infantryman's monthly pay was less than 1 florin.
However, if the Emperor wished to continue conscripting them to fight after their season of service ended, he would need to pay additional wages, usually double their pay during mandatory service.
Vienna Neustadt alone could provide two hundred and fifty conscripts, and the theoretical number of conscripts for all of Austria reached around twenty thousand people.
Of course, this was far from Austria's limit. If Laszlo wished, he could even order the conscription of 30,000-40,000 people. However, such a massive army, let alone making it to Constantinople, might largely disintegrate before even reaching Budapest, and could even lead to mutiny.
Moreover, to conscript such a huge army, Austria's recruiting officers might not even be able to gather them all.
Back when King Edward III of England issued a conscription order based on the conscription rolls before his expedition to Scotland, intending to assemble a 16,000-strong army to invade Scotland, only 3,500 men answered the call by the appointed time. A month later, that number dropped to 2,000.
Later, military outsourcing contracts, prevalent in England and France during the Hundred Years' War, began to spread across continental Europe.
Monarchs directly contracted with officers, paying them the cost of raising an army and tasking them with providing the contracted forces at specific times and locations for the monarch.
This method supplemented traditional conscription but still couldn't solve the problem of insufficient recruits, forcing monarchs to become increasingly reliant on professional mercenaries.
The conscription method currently used in Austria is similar to the first one; in fact, recruiting officers are much like tax collectors, also operating on a contracting system.
Whenever the army needed to recruit soldiers, they would receive a corresponding quota based on their assigned region. For every qualified soldier they recruited, they would receive a certain amount of remuneration.
In the past, most of the soldiers they recruited were volunteers. However, this time, the conscripts were farmers and townspeople who were required to serve, which made Laszlo somewhat concerned about whether the recruiting officers could complete their task.
"This is the first large-scale conscription of civilians to form an army in the Archduchy of Austria; it can be called a national mobilization.
Although we rarely need to go to such lengths, there will inevitably be times in the future when military strength is insufficient.
Let's use this opportunity to test Austria's true war potential."
Laszlo put away the list and then looked at Grafenegg, who was subtly excited.
The Count was now thrilled to be entrusted with such a significant task. It was a massive army of twenty thousand men, and if he completed this mission, the Emperor would surely bestow generous rewards upon him.
"Grafenegg, you and your recruiting officers have never conducted a conscription of this scale.
Do you have enough confidence in this task, or do you require some additional assistance to successfully complete it?"
"No need, Your Majesty," Grafenegg quickly waved his hand, confident in his abilities, "This conscription is for the Crusade. We just need the priests to do more propaganda, telling the farmers that participating in the expedition can wash away their sins, and they will absolutely besiege the recruitment offices."
"That's true."
Laszlo nodded, affirming Grafenegg's statement. After all, faith was the best means of coaxing farmers; this was almost an ironclad rule of the Middle Ages.
"How long do you think it will take to assemble this army?"
"No later than two months. Conscription in Tyrol is the most time-consuming; armies from other places can be assembled quickly."
Grafenegg confidently assured the Emperor.
Such speed was already fast enough. They still had over half a year to prepare, so there was no need to rush.
"Then, before the Crusade officially begins, I will have the Church conduct some propaganda first to lighten your workload."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
After Grafenegg withdrew, Field Marshal Adolf then spoke with some concern, "Your Majesty, won't conscripting twenty thousand men be too many?"
For the old Field Marshal, the stronger Austria's military power, the better, of course.
However, both he and the Emperor knew very well that these conscripts were merely expendable cannon fodder, material to pave the way for the capture of Constantinople.
The Ottomanss had consumed a full forty thousand men to capture a poorly defended Constantinople back then, so the casualties of this Crusade would only be greater.
Only when enough defensive forces had been depleted by the cannon fodder would the true elite troops be committed to the brutal siege warfare, seizing the world-renowned ancient city of a thousand years in one fell swoop.
Therefore, it would be extremely difficult for these conscripts to survive the upcoming Crusade.
This would result in extremely heavy casualties for Austria, potentially even shaking the foundations of the nation, which was the reason for the old Field Marshal's concern.
"Everyone's eyes are on us," Laszlo sighed softly. "If Austria doesn't set an example, those princes, vassals, and allies with ulterior motives will have an excuse to respond passively.
Only by showing them my attitude can we obtain enough support and have a chance to take that great city.
Rest assured, I know what I'm doing."
Laszlo would not give up until the last drop of Hungarian blood was shed.
Hearing the Emperor's reply, the old Field Marshal could only nod in agreement.
After the Rome conference concluded, many nations preparing to join the Crusade began their preparations, and Austria, which had been at war with Venice, announced that it would commit all its strength to fulfilling the Crusade's mission.
In addition to the 20,000 troops Austria was expected to conscript, Laszlo, after negotiating with Hungary's regency cabinet, set the conscription number at a full 30,000 troops.
This was only for Hungary itself; areas like Croatia, Bosnia, and Transylvania were not included.
Such a massive troop movement required a large amount of supplies and money, so Austria and its vassal states began preparations from this point onward.
These developments naturally could not be hidden from the eyes of other nations, and soon the Imperial princes and monarchs of other countries heard the relevant intelligence.
The Emperor seemed determined to recapture Constantinople this time. People were curious whether the Ottoman Empire would be able to exhaust the Emperor's army, or if the Emperor would take Constantinople in one fell swoop, transforming into the Scourge of Europe and completely expelling the infidels.
Far away in Western Europe, in Amiens on the Somme River, there were also people constantly monitoring the Emperor's movements.
The Duke of Burgundy's banners were planted all over the ramparts of this border town, and the Duke's army was stationed not far outside the city, ready at any moment to advance towards Paris, which was just over a hundred kilometers away.
This was the border between Burgundy and France, and also the bridgehead Charles had chosen for his attack on Paris.
King Louis XI had tried many times to capture Amiens. He had offered 400,000 florins to buy the territory but was refused by Philip the Good. Later, he tried to take it by force but was forced to return the territory in the Treaty of Conflans.
Now, Charles led over 16,000 of the new Burgundy army and 3,000 Imperial "auxiliary troops" into the city, immediately putting immense pressure on King Louis XI's flank and rear.
To slow down the advance of the Burgundy army, King Louis XI also pulled out all the stops, but the effect was not ideal.
In the square of Amiens, Charles the Bold, the Duke of Burgundy, personally presided over a judicial trial. Several French spies who attempted to incite rebellion among the Amiens populace were sentenced to death.
As the executioner's blade fell and the spies' heads rolled, the surrounding onlookers were all as silent as cicadas in winter, no one wishing to attract the attention of the fully armed, fierce-looking soldiers.
The citizens had all heard about the tragedy that had occurred in Ghent a few days prior.
The Duke had revoked the privileges of several Low Countries cities and forcefully demanded that they pay more taxes to support the impending war, leading to rebellions in several cities, including Ghent.
The Burgundy army quickly suppressed the rebellions and carried out multiple massacres in the rebellious cities.
For a time, the people of Burgundy were all fearful of the Duke's bloody rule.
Therefore, when King Louis XI's spies infiltrated several towns along the Somme River attempting to incite rebellion, no one responded to them.
Not only that, but the citizens of Amiens directly captured several spies and handed them over to Charles, hoping to show their loyalty to the new Duke.
They had no choice; Amiens had changed hands multiple times between Burgundy and France. If Duke Charles suspected them of rebellious intentions because of this, he might let his army destroy the city.
Charles was clearly very satisfied with these loyal subjects. After all, compared to the constantly rebellious cities of the Low Countries and Flanders, the territories of Burgundy located within the Kingdom of France rarely experienced rebellions that caused him headaches.
After dealing with the spies sent by the insidious King Louis XI, Charles had just returned to his camp when he received the latest news about the Emperor's trip to Rome.
"Emperor Laszlo is as energetic as ever," Charles remarked casually. Although his own energy was not much less than the Emperor's, Laszlo's continuous high-intensity long-distance travel truly impressed Charles.
Perhaps the Emperor's backside was made of iron, otherwise, constantly touring various parts of Europe must be extremely tiring.
Charles, who had been with the army since the new army began to be formed, knew the hardships involved. Touring everywhere and leading troops in battle were not easy tasks.
He then continued to read the Emperor's letter brought by his younger brother, Anthony, gaining a deeper understanding of his ally's recent situation. "The Emperor is going to enter a second marriage? The object is... Princess Joanna of Portugal."
Speaking of which, this princess had some kinship with Charles.
Charles's mother, Lady Isabella, was the paternal aunt of King Alfonso V of Portugal, making Charles and Alfonso cousins.
Therefore, Alfonso's daughter was naturally Charles's grandniece. The Burgundy Family had always maintained close ties with the Portuguese Royal Family. Now, the Habsburg Family of Austria had also established a connection with the Portuguese Royal Family through Burgundy, and the destinies of the three families were tightly intertwined.
Charles was naturally pleased about the marriage between Burgundy's two allies. With everyone being related, it would make interactions much easier.
"Brother, Emperor has already emerged from his grief. Shouldn't you also..."
Anthony, standing nearby, chuckled playfully.
From his understanding of his brother, Charles probably never truly loved the Emperor's sister. Otherwise, he wouldn't have stayed in the army, busy with military reforms, only rushing back to see her one last time at the very end of her life.
However, this was probably the norm for political marriages; their union brought only an alliance between two families and two nations, not personal happiness.
Since there wasn't much affection, there naturally wouldn't be too much sorrow.
As for why Charles had not remarried to this day, it was mainly because he had not found a suitable candidate previously.
However, just recently, Charles received a letter from King Edward IV of England, hoping to marry the King's sister, Princess Marie of England, to Charles.
If this marriage could restore the England-Burgundy alliance, then Charles, allied with Edward IV on one side and Emperor Laszlo on the other, wouldn't King Louis XI be utterly insignificant?
Charles was very interested in this proposal, but he had not yet responded.
Seeing that the Emperor had already chosen to remarry to extend the alliance, Charles no longer hesitated.
"Alright, I will write a reply to Edward IV, telling him that I am willing to be his brother-in-law," Charles pondered for a moment, then continued, "If this marriage can be successfully concluded, I hope Edward can provide me with more military assistance.
Anthony, this time you will personally go to England. You must finalize this matter."
"Leave it to me."
When discussing serious matters, Anthony immediately shed his cynical demeanor and solemnly accepted the task.
"Oh, and remember to sound out Edward. If he wants to counterattack the Continent and restart the Hundred Years' War, tell him that I will support his territorial claims.
Whether it's Gascony or Normandy, these should all rightfully be the King of England's territories—that's what you'll tell him."
A cunning smile appeared on Charles's face, making Anthony look at him in surprised wonder.
God save us, Charles was actually starting to use his brain; this was terrifying.
Anthony thought this to himself and immediately understood Charles's plan.
The League of Public Weal's strength was still too weak. After many feudal lords left the League, the remaining Burgundy, Berry, and Brittany still found it difficult to resist the King of France.
Just as Charles was suppressing the rebellions in Ghent and other places, Duke Charles of Berry had already succumbed under the fierce attack of the French.
The spineless Duke of Berry quickly chose to betray the League under the coercion and inducements of his brother, King Louis XI, even leading an army to assist King Louis XI in attacking Brittany.
Originally, the banner raised by the League of Public Weal was to enthrone the Duke of Berry as the new King of France. Now, the person they were supposed to enthrone had turned around and joined the King.
Upon hearing the news, the Duke of Brittany had also initially intended to surrender, but Burgundy transported a considerable amount of aid and reinforcements to Brittany by sea, which temporarily stabilized the Duke and prevented Burgundy from quickly falling into an isolated and helpless situation.
However, unless Charles could quickly take Paris or force King Louis XI to abandon his attack on Brittany, the collapse of Brittany was only a matter of time.
In this situation, bringing England into the fray was undoubtedly an excellent choice.
Not to mention restarting the Hundred Years' War to create an opportunity for Burgundy to fish in troubled waters, as long as English troops landed on the French coast, King Louis XI would have to disperse his forces, which would greatly increase Charles's chances of victory.
Unfortunately, the internal situation in the Kingdom of England was currently very tense, on the verge of another civil war, and Charles's and Anthony's plans were destined to fall through.
However, they were not yet aware of this, and even if they had some understanding, Charles could not give up any opportunity to gain more support.
"I will try my best to persuade Edward IV to launch an attack on the Kingdom of France," Anthony replied. Charles nodded, then continued to read the Emperor's letter.
"The Emperor has gained so much support; I hope he can successfully capture Constantinople as he wishes."
Charles saw a long list of forces from the Italian region, all supporters of the Crusade, which made Charles feel a little envious.
When would he also achieve such high prestige and status, where a single call on the Continent would be met with universal response and respect?
To achieve such a grand goal, the first step was to defeat the great enemy before him, King Louis XI of France.
"Let's first consider how to capture Paris ahead. This city won't be much easier to take than attacking Constantinople."
Anthony's reminder pulled Charles back to reality from his dazzling fantasies.
"The main French army led by King Louis XI is currently launching a fierce attack on Brittany, so the defenses within Paris must be very weak.
If we act fast enough, we might be able to take the city before King Louis XI can return with reinforcements."
Charles's character had barely changed; he was still as rash as ever, and thus often liked to engage in extremely dangerous military adventures.
This made Anthony say with some worry, "This is too risky! Charles, have you forgotten father Philip's dying admonition?"
Philip, at the end of his life, still tried to warn Charles not to blindly trust his own strength and to always remain calm.
But Charles clearly would not take these words to heart. In his opinion, his father Philip's military capabilities were lacking, which was why he always liked to play schemes and tricks like that hateful King Louis.
A "renowned general of his era" who often compared himself to Caesar and Alexander would naturally have to defeat his enemies honorably on the battlefield.
"Alright, Anthony, don't treat me like a fool; I know what to do," Charles waved his hand impatiently. "If there's really no opportunity, I certainly won't take the risk.
But you know the current situation very well. Brittany could collapse at any time. If I don't pose some substantial threat to Paris, how will King Louis XI abandon Brittany and return to reinforce it?
This is our best way to save Brittany."
Although Charles was irritable, prone to anger, and liked excessive drinking, easily getting carried away in war, it was undeniable that he did possess some military talent.
By his bedside lay a widely circulated military treatise, Charles's favorite, 'Commentaries on the Gallic War'.
He had indeed learned some practical things from numerous military books.
Hearing Charles's explanation, Anthony's unease lessened slightly. He was truly afraid that Charles would charge headfirst and directly lead his army to assault Paris.
Since Charles had his own plan, Anthony said nothing more.
The letter in Charles's hand had been turned to the last page, and on the paper, Charles almost immediately caught a name he had been longing for.
"The Duke of Lorraine, because he refused to pay the public contribution tax, is very likely to be punished by both the Empire and the Papacy?"
Upon reading this passage, Charles's heart tightened instantly.
If it were in the past, he would have been ecstatic, because this was simply a godsend for Burgundy, for him.
He had coveted the territory of Lorraine for a long time. As long as he could take Lorraine, the passage between Burgundy proper and the Low Countries would become smoother, and there would almost no longer be a risk of it being cut off.
But now he was leading a large army on the front lines, preparing to attack France, and precisely at this time, this matter concerning Lorraine arose.
"Is the Emperor perhaps planning to take Lorraine for himself?"
"I don't think the Emperor would forcefully annex the Duchy of Lorraine at this point in time. Perhaps he just wants to teach the Duke of Lorraine a lesson, after all, that Duke has publicly contradicted His Majesty many times."
Anthony made this analysis based on his understanding of the Emperor.
In terms of territorial expansion, the Emperor had always been very restrained. Unless the Duke of Lorraine courted death himself, it was unlikely that the Emperor would act directly without regard for appearances.
After all, the Landshut War had already caused considerable damage to the Emperor's reputation. Many princes believed that the Emperor was abusing his power, but no one dared to point this out publicly.
Charles put down the letter and looked at the map spread on the table, his doubts quickly dispelled.
What was Lorraine? As long as he could defeat King Louis XI, he could even swallow the entire County of Champagne. That way, the two major parts of the Duchy of Burgundy would not only be connected but also greatly weaken the power of France.
The ambitious Charles did not stay in Amiens for too long. Early the next morning, he led his nearly 20,000 strong army out, heading straight for Paris.