The siege of Paris was still ongoing, and for most soldiers, the war had begun to feel long and monotonous.
They looked forward to the day the city would fall, and thus were not particularly afraid of the dangers they might encounter in the siege warfare.
After fighting on the battlefield for months, even the new recruits had become veterans, understanding that war inevitably brings casualties.
Risk might indeed make men hesitate, but the potential rewards could also stir their fighting spirit—the wealth of Paris was precisely enough to help them overcome their inner fear.
However, His Majesty the Emperor seemed to have his own considerations and did not rashly order an assault. With the arrival of winter, siege warfare would become quite difficult.
Therefore, except for those troops dispatched to carry out tasks like burning villages or cutting off roads, most soldiers spent their time holed up in the siege camp. Over time, unexpected incidents were prone to occur.
Unlike these energetic soldiers with few outlets, even at the foot of Paris, László could still receive a snowstorm of imperial documents, princely letters, and court files.
As long as he lived, it was unlikely he could escape the entanglement of imperial affairs.
It was hard to imagine just how many imperial matters the Emperor had to handle; it was no exaggeration to say he dealt with everything, big and small.
From the division of princely territories down to what coat of arms imperial nobles used, even the color and pattern of the sealing wax, all fell within his purview.
Although most documents only required his simple judgment and approval, some issues were particularly thorny, like the one happening right under his nose at this moment.
"Brawls? My Field Marshal, how could such things happen so frequently in your camp?" László asked the Elector of Brandenburg with a stern expression.
The very first article in all the military peace ordinances he had issued was to prohibit anyone from initiating disputes without authorization, otherwise they must pay a sufficient fine or even suffer physical punishment.
Yet, barely over a month into this siege, multiple brawls had occurred in the Imperial Army camp. The previous incidents had been suppressed, but this time the matter was too significant and had to be reported to the Emperor for judgment.
"Your Majesty, you know as well that this Imperial Army was primarily recruited from three large districts. Conflict and disputes are always present among Imperial members from the same district... I'm not saying you and the Imperial Court haven't tried hard to resolve Imperial disputes, but oversights are inevitable, and that's what led to this situation," Field Marshal Albrecht replied somewhat helplessly, spreading his hands.
The previous brawls only involved a few minor Imperial Knights, which he could handle himself, but this time the instigators were two Imperial Princes; he was truly out of his depth.
László also sensed that the Field Marshal was subtly criticizing the inefficiency of his Imperial Aulic Court.
But this time, he was truly wronged.
"One mustn't speak carelessly, Field Marshal. The dispute between Landgrave Ludwig of Hesse and his younger brother, involved in this conflict, was resolved over a year ago!"
László firmly denied the Field Marshal's accusation, unwilling to bear such a black mark.
László had a very deep impression of this case, the largest land dispute in the Empire during the interwar period between the Austro-Turkish and Austro-French wars.
Landgrave Ludwig of Hesse and his brother Henry were the same age as László. In 1458, they inherited the Hessian lands from their father, with Ludwig receiving Upper Hesse and Henry receiving Lower Hesse.
It should have been a simple matter of equal division inheritance law, but unfortunately, both sides felt their father was biased, giving the other more and better land, leading to long-standing territorial disputes. Even after Landgrave Ludwig of Hesse was chosen by the Emperor as the Governor of the Upper Rhenish Circle, the dispute remained unresolved.
Eventually, around 1466, land encroachment escalated into armed clashes, which then grew into a small-scale regional war, known as the Hessian Brothers' War.
But this war was only halfway through when László, for his eastern campaign, promulgated the *Land Peace Ordinance* within the Empire, prohibiting private warfare.
Under pressure from the Emperor, both sides temporarily halted the war, using the de facto controlled territories at the time of the ordinance's promulgation as the boundary, which created far more land disputes than before.
Finally, the case was appealed all the way from Frankfurt to Vienna, where the Emperor's court made the ruling.
Coincidentally, there was an advisor in László's court at the time who was well-suited to resolve this issue, so László appointed him as a commissioner with full authority to oversee the redrawing of boundaries between the two parties.
And this commissioner's name was Hermann von Hessen, the youngest brother of Ludwig and Henry.
As the third son, he had been sent into the church at a very young age, thus losing his inheritance rights to the Hessian lands, allowing him to make a largely impartial judgment.
Hermann first studied at a church school in Cologne, later advanced to the rebuilt Prague Charles University, becoming one of its first graduates after reconstruction. Due to his excellent grades and family background, he was recommended to serve as an advisor in the Emperor's court.
Through his mediation, along with that of an abbot from a certain Hessian monastery, the two brothers ultimately accepted a reconciliation plan and redrew the boundaries—everything should have ended there.
Afterwards, Hermann, having rendered meritorious service, was recommended by László for the vacant position of diocesan administrator of the Archbishopric of Cologne, based in Cologne. His tasks were to establish communication channels between the imperial court and the Free City of Cologne, and another important duty was to closely monitor the actions of the Archbishop of Cologne, collecting evidence of his violations of imperial decrees.
So far, Hermann had performed this task assigned by László quite well, uncovering quite a bit of dirt on Archbishop Ruprecht of Cologne, though not yet enough to topple him.
László wasn't in a hurry; he had plenty of time to deal with that troublesome Archbishop of Cologne. At least before resolving matters in France, he wouldn't rush into action.
He just hadn't expected that the dispute, seemingly resolved by Hermann, now appeared not to be as simple as it seemed on the surface.
"For so many years, the princes have grown accustomed to resolving disputes with the swords in their hands. Your court did make a ruling, but the seeds of conflict were not completely eliminated... Alright, this matter was indeed caused by my oversight."
Seeing the Emperor's face gradually darken, Albrecht ultimately chose to back down and shoulder the responsibility.
"First, tell me what exactly happened," László's expression softened slightly, his tone also easing. "I recall the Landgrave of Hesse was wounded in the previous great battle at Péronne. I visited him not long ago. Why would conflict arise between the brothers at this time?"
"This was actually an accident," the Field Marshal said with a bitter smile, recounting the detailed course of events. "After Count Henry heard his elder brother's condition had worsened, perhaps out of concern, or maybe with some other purpose, he went with a few trusted knights to visit the Landgrave of Hesse in his camp."
"Hmm? Isn't that brotherly affection?" László raised an eyebrow, uttering words even he didn't quite believe.
"Count Ludwig refused his brother's visit. His guards and Count Henry's men then got into a commotion outside the tent. Fortunately, it didn't incite a camp mutiny, nor were there any casualties."
"That's truly... a blessing in disguise. In that case, administer punishment according to the military regulations. Afterwards, I will summon both counts separately to warn them against further conflict."
"I'm afraid you won't need to do that, Your Majesty."
"What do you mean?"
"Earlier today, Count Ludwig unfortunately passed away due to the worsening of his injuries. His two children are still young. According to imperial law, guardianship will fall to Count Henry, and the Landgrave of Hesse's territory will also be managed by Henry on their behalf. The urgent matter now is to quickly appoint a new Governor for the Upper Rhenish Circle to fill the vacancy."
A trace of regret showed on Field Marshal Albrecht's face. Although the two Hessian brothers were young and prone to brawling, they were both rare and valiant warriors within the Empire.
Moreover, the deceased Count Ludwig was also the Governor of an Imperial Circle. His untimely death was truly regrettable.
"Wait... you mean to say, Ludwig couldn't be saved, and I've lost a Circle Governor?"
Even though László had mastered the art of controlling his expressions, he couldn't help but show a complex look at this moment.
The Governor of the Upper Rhenish Circle was wounded fighting the French, received treatment from trained doctors, and then unfortunately died... this sort of thing... felt like there was more to it.
"As hard as it is to accept, that is the fact," the Field Marshal had to confirm the news once more.
"Alright, later I will organize prayers for him by the clergy and soldiers. For now... let's decide on the candidate for the next Governor of the Upper Rhenish Circle," László took the Imperial Register of Ranks from a busy recording advisor beside him and found the list of members for the Upper Rhenish Imperial Circle. "Among the princes suitable to serve as Circle Governor, the first choice is the Duke of Lorraine, followed by the Count Palatine of the Rhine, and then the Landgrave of Hesse... So let Henry succeed his brother in the position."
It seemed there were three choices, but in reality, the answer could only be that one. Both László and Albrecht were well aware of this.
The Duke of Lorraine's stance had always been a hot topic of debate among the Imperial Princes. In recent years, Lorraine had also fulfilled some imperial obligations, but its pro-French stance had never been reversed, making it a natural target during this special period.
As for the Count Palatine of the Rhine, if not for the Mainz War, this formidable prince should be within the Rhenish Electoral Circle, not the Upper Rhenish Circle.
Due to the Palatinate's history of rebellion, it was naturally excluded.
As for Hesse, although the brothers were not exactly harmonious and had caused trouble, for the Empire, they hadn't committed any intolerable offense.
Moreover, the Landgrave of Hesse had just given his life for the Empire, and his brother immediately gained the Emperor's favor. Didn't this show that serving the Empire brings rewards?—At least for the House of Hesse, that was certainly the case.
Once the Emperor made the decision, the accompanying scribe immediately drafted an appointment document and sent it to the Circle Diet in Frankfurt.
Count Henry, who was at a loss whether to cry or laugh over his brother's sudden death, was overjoyed upon receiving the Governor's appointment. He promptly paid the fine, then took over his brother's camp, merging the armies of Upper and Lower Hesse into one. He thus leapt to become the prince contributing the most troops among the three circles, second only to Field Marshal Albrecht himself.
Meanwhile, in the Emperor's grand tent, the discussion between László and Albrecht was not yet over.
Beside the warm stove, László and Field Marshal Albrecht sat facing each other, warming themselves while discussing the upcoming war plans.
"Your Majesty, do you truly intend to continue the siege like this? You've seen it yourself; our army is so massive. Various unexpected incidents happen every day. Fights and brawls are minor issues. If a plague breaks out, or if logistics fail to keep up, it could lead to the collapse of the entire army."
"Why not take advantage that the weather isn't too severe yet and attempt to organize a strong assault? Perhaps it would be enough to capture the city," the Field Marshal suggested.
After all, the army besieging Paris mainly consisted of the Emperor's and the Burgundian King's troops. No matter how many died, he wouldn't suffer too much loss. And once Paris fell, he could plunder until his hands were sore.
László was well aware of what he was thinking and immediately shook his head to reject the proposal.
Replenishing troops was no simple task. Although his Military Aulic Council had transformed into a large-scale recruitment department capable of filling army vacancies at the fastest speed, how could hastily trained new recruits compare to seasoned veterans?
An assault meant consuming the backbone of the army against tall, sturdy city walls. With the city's defenders clearly determined to resist, he was unwilling to make such a decision.
"The larger the army, the more it needs clear disciplinary constraints; otherwise, it's just a pack of highly destructive beasts. And this requires the army's commanders to pay close attention. Don't you agree, Field Marshal?"
"You are right, Your Majesty."
"As for logistical issues, the King of Burgundy and that Duke of Berry will handle them. There's no need for excessive worry."
"As for the strong assault, let's talk about it when the people in the city are about to break."
Excluding the Parisian citizens who had already fled, there were conservatively over 150,000 citizens left in the city. Their daily consumption was undoubtedly enormous.
Every day, people were driven out of the city. Once outside, they were captured by the Imperial Army and then handed over to the accompanying "Ransom Brokers," which also provided extra income for many soldiers.
Even with such brutal methods, conditions within the city continued to deteriorate.
With winter's arrival, the scarcity of food, textiles, and firewood was extremely deadly. If many people died, coupled with worsening sanitary conditions, an outbreak of disease was only a matter of time.
In addition, Burgundian spies lurking within the city were also causing sabotage and creating chaos everywhere, trying to destroy the Parisian citizens' psychological defenses.
Those violent citizens had destroyed the Artois Palace and the Burgundian Duke's Tower within Paris, hoping to show their determination to resist the House of Burgundy, but fear and despair were growing and spreading day by day.
László, who had once besieged Prague, understood such changes all too well. He had ample patience; he just wondered if the city's inhabitants could withstand the allied soldiers's full wrath and greed when the time came.
"Alright, I will closely monitor the situation of the Imperial Army to ensure the stability of the siege camp."
"Then I leave it to you."
The siege would continue until despair completely consumed this city named Paris.