Constantinople, Blachernae Palace, was Laszlo's temporary residence.
After the Hungarian army's plundering, this palace, the only one in Constantinople that could be considered relatively intact, was gradually losing its original appearance.
However, this was not the time to be picky, and Laszlo comfortably moved into the former palace of the East Roman Empire.
After several days of revelry and various gatherings, the participants of the Crusaders gradually calmed down from the joy of achieving their goal.
The banner under which the Crusaders launched their expedition was to restore Constantinople, a goal that had now been achieved, and the next step was to discuss the distribution of spoils.
Only at this point did people realize a problem: Constantinople alone was clearly not enough to satisfy the appetite of the entire Crusaders.
The Pope had already recognized the Emperor's absolute sovereignty over Constantinople, and Laszlo subsequently demarcated residential areas and land within the city for the Italian princes, Imperial princes, Portuguese, Neapolitans, and Hungarians.
After multiple catastrophes, Constantinople's population had become very sparse, probably only around 20,000 people.
This led to a large amount of unclaimed land and houses within the city.
The volunteers who hoped to obtain land in the East and start a new life by participating in the expedition were very satisfied with such rewards.
Genoa, Portugal, and Naples gained valuable trade strongholds, and they were generally satisfied with these gains.
In addition to these substantial awards, Laszlo also prepared honorary rewards for the warriors who participated in the Crusaders, including some honorary knighthoods, medals, or commemorative items.
This way, the warriors who planned to return to the West after the expedition felt much more balanced.
They gained the glory of the Holy War and also acquired some wealth during the expedition, which made it easier for them to accept the distribution results.
Considering the land area of Constantinople alone, even if the entire Crusader army were to settle there, it would be more than enough.
However, acquiring some land that had long been abandoned and recently mercilessly plundered did not satisfy everyone.
Those nobles and knights who harbored dreams of becoming Crusader lords, instigated by some ambitious individuals, began to advocate for "continuing the Eastern expedition."
They held some hatred for the Ottomans, mainly stemming from differences in faith and the brutal siege operation that had just ended.
However, the primary motivation for them to do so was probably the large tracts of land on the coast of Asia Minor.
If one were to think deeper, about who would benefit most from continuing the Eastern expedition, the truth would almost certainly be revealed.
Laszlo, as the biggest driving force behind this, was constantly looking for opportunities to persuade the participants of the Crusaders to continue eastward, cross the strait, and fight the Ottomans to the death.
During this period, Laszlo met with the envoy sent by Mehmed II.
He initially thought this was a sign of Mehmed's capitulation, believing the Ottomans intended to seek peace with him.
As it turned out, when the leaders of the Crusaders were gathered to receive the Ottoman envoy, the latter only requested the ransom of Prince Bayezid, and regarding the war between the Crusaders and the Ottoman Empire, the envoy very "arrogantly" stated that they would not fear any threats.
Such an attitude angered most of the Crusader commanders present, who all demanded that Laszlo execute this ignorant Ottoman envoy.
However, Laszlo did not actually kill the Ottoman envoy. After agreeing on a ransom of 150,000 florins for Prince Bayezid, he released him.
Subsequently, an emergency military meeting was held in Blachernae Palace, and the Crusader commanders, who had been furious earlier, were all summoned by the Emperor.
"Gentlemen, our enemy is provoking us. Mehmed II does not intend to surrender to us because of the fall of Constantinople.
If we let him accumulate strength, one day the Ottomans will return.
To prevent history from repeating itself, I believe we must strike the Ottomans with an even heavier blow!"
Laszlo righteously interpreted the Ottoman envoy's attitude as a provocation from Mehmed II, attempting to stir the emotions of the Crusader commanders.
"I will lead a large army across the strait and continue this expedition until the Ottomans are completely subdued."
Faced with the Emperor's public announcement to continue the Eastern expedition, the commanders at the meeting began to whisper and discuss amongst themselves.
"Your Majesty, I am willing to lead the Knights Hospitaller as your vanguard. If we can drive the Ottomans into the Anatolian highland mountains, they will no longer be able to threaten the peace of Christendom."
Grand Master Giovanni was very emotional and was the first to stand up and strongly support the Emperor's decision.
If one were to say who was most likely to support the Emperor in continuing the conquest of Asia Minor, besides the Genoese, only the Knights Hospitaller remained.
The former occupied Lesbos Island and still resented the Ottomans for taking their trade stronghold of Smyrna, while the latter "dominated" Rhodes Island, for a long time only able to engage in piracy, and frequently faced threats from Islamic states.
Giovanni had long wanted to acquire a foothold on the mainland. This time, he also secured a piece of land in Constantinople for the Order to establish a branch, but what he most craved was the coastal land of Asia Minor near Rhodes Island.
In the past, with the formidable strength of the Ottoman Empire, the Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller would never have entertained such an idea.
But now, with an even more powerful Emperor backing them, and the Ottomans having just suffered no small losses in Constantinople, there would be no better time to take advantage of the situation.
Previously, Giovanni had only hinted to the Emperor, hoping that the Emperor could further weaken the Ottoman threat.
It seemed the Emperor had ambitions beyond his imagination.
"Hmm, if we can beat them back to their primitive nomadic tribal state, we will no longer have to worry about threats from the East," Laszlo said with great conviction.
The core area of the Ottoman Empire was along the Aegean Sea and Black Sea coasts. These areas were densely populated, commercially prosperous, and directly controlled by the central government, without overly powerful local forces.
For nearly a century, successive Sultans had focused on these regions, constantly strengthening control.
For remote areas like the Anatolian Plateau, the Sultans adopted a completely different strategy.
In the frontier mountainous regions of Anatolia, local forces were relatively strong, and in some places, the Sultan even had to resort to a policy of loose control, which limited the Ottoman imperial government's ability to control these areas.
However, the benefits were also very obvious, just like the Székely of Hungary protected by Laszlo, the Ottomans of the Anatolian Plateau also had to defend the empire's eastern frontier and provide troops for the empire during wartime.
Before the Crusaders destroyed the Ottoman Empire's rule over its European parts, the Ottoman Empire's strategic position gave the Ottomans a great advantage.
Over the past hundred years, among all opponents, only Timur had led an army deep into their territory, crushing the Ottoman army and its rule.
Unfortunately, even though Timur deliberately created a divided Ottoman state, this resilient empire reunified after a prolonged civil war.
Since then, no one had been able to threaten the Ottoman heartland in the Balkans and along the coast of Asia Minor.
However, the situation had once again undergone a drastic change. The last time the Crusaders destroyed the Ottoman rule over Bulgaria, and this time they even captured Constantinople.
The complete loss of European territories was a major blow to the Ottomans, but what worried them even more was that the core of the Ottoman Empire was now completely exposed to the threat of the Crusaders.
Laszlo precisely saw this point, which is why he was determined to continue eastward.
If he could stab deep into the Ottomans' main artery, then facing a completely weakened Ottoman Empire, those fellow Muslims who had been oppressed by the Ottomans would complete the mop-up work for Laszlo.
"But, Your Majesty, the Ottomans are not lambs to be slaughtered, and Mehmed II cannot possibly wait for us to destroy his empire without any defenses.
To capture Constantinople, we have already paid the heavy price of tens of thousands of casualties.
If we continue to advance eastward, how can the logistics of the army be guaranteed? Once the Ottomans put up strong resistance, can anyone guarantee victory?"
Margrave Albrecht of Ansbach, the Marshal in charge of commanding the Imperial Army, was not very keen on the Emperor's proposal.
However, Duke Albrecht of Saxony, another Imperial Marshal sitting next to him, appeared eager.
If it had been in the past, the Margrave of Ansbach would not have raised any objections to the Emperor's decision, as he himself possessed considerable religious fervor, having participated in the Hussite Crusaders and the previous Crusader against the Ottoman Empire.
However, in recent days, his brother, Elector Frederick II of Brandenburg, had been sending him letters from Berlin, in which Frederick repeatedly expressed his wish to abdicate and transfer the Electorate and territories to his brother, the Margrave of Ansbach.
According to reports from trusted confidants the Margrave of Ansbach had placed by his brother's side, the Elector of Brandenburg's mental state had become increasingly unstable recently, often suffering from insomnia all night, seemingly tormented by his defeat in the Stettin War.
Regardless, this Imperial Marshal's mind was now entirely focused on returning to the Holy Roman Empire, to his brother's side, perhaps one day he could take over the position of Elector of Brandenburg, achieving a leap in status while consolidating the Hohenzollern Family's territories.
Laszlo had also heard a little about his situation, so he replied, "Firstly, our goal for this Eastern expedition is the western coastal regions of Asia Minor. Advancing further inland, as you said, logistics will be very difficult, and Ottoman resistance will make us suffer immensely.
However, even just occupying the coastal areas would be considered a major blow to the Ottomans.
You should know that the coastal regions of Asia Minor are the richest lands of the Ottoman Empire. Cities like Nicaea and Bursa might even be richer and more prosperous than the declining Constantinople.
Are you truly satisfied with stopping at Constantinople? Right before our eyes, there is more land waiting for us to conquer, and more wealth waiting for us to seize."
These words resonated with everyone. If they had known before coming that Constantinople was so impoverished, many would probably not have been willing to participate in this expedition.
Now the most difficult hurdle had been overcome, and what lay before them was a completely smooth path.
At this point, the desire to retreat in everyone's hearts gradually dissipated, leaving only a craving for land, wealth, and honor, interspersed with some religious factors, though far less pure than when the Crusaders set out from various places.
"Defending the faith and striking the Ottomans is precisely why we are here."
"If the Ottoman threat can be eliminated, then this war is worthwhile."
"Your Majesty, give the Order!"
Many Crusader commanders quickly reached a consensus, and the result of the military council was also produced.
The Crusaders now had a brand new objective: the large territories of the Ottoman Empire on the western coast of Asia Minor, the most important of which was the city of Bursa near the Sea of Marmara.
That was the new capital chosen by Mehmed II, and it was now the political and economic center of the Ottoman Empire.
Mehmed II's choice of this place as his capital also showed that his covetousness for European territory had never faded.
And now, Laszlo swore he would make Mehmed II regret choosing this as his capital. He would lead the Crusaders to force the Ottomans to relocate their capital a second time, driving them back to the barren Anatolian Plateau, making the Ottomans live a nomadic life rich in Turkic characteristics.
The revelry after the city's fall came to an end, and the Crusader contingents began preparations for the next expedition.
During this process, the Crusader army underwent some streamlining and adjustments.
Some people returned to the West first, including the Margrave of Ansbach, who voluntarily relinquished his command of the Imperial Army. Another part of the conscripted laborers and peasant soldiers chose to settle in Constantinople and quickly began work on the city's reconstruction. Some of their companions were selected to be incorporated into the Emperor's standing army.
Finally, an army of approximately 30,000 men, along with the Crusader Fleet still cruising near Constantinople, jointly formed the expeditionary force to Asia Minor.
The departure of the grand army was set after a grand ceremony, which was Laszlo's coronation with the East Roman crown, becoming the Emperor of the Latin Empire.
Therefore, preparations for the coronation ceremony were also proceeding in parallel with other tasks, everything advancing in an orderly manner.