Brühl's ruling was soon transformed into reality.
The Hessian army captured the Electoral Palace of Arnsberg within the Duchy of Westphalia, while Hermann directly led a makeshift army to surround Bonn, forcing the city and its surrounding dozen fortified villages and towns to surrender, finally establishing actual control over the entire Electorate of Cologne.
Afterward, with the economic aid provided by the Cologne city government and the military assistance from his brother, Hermann quickly settled the unrest within the territory and was elected as the new Archbishop of Cologne under the witness of the Holy See and Imperial envoys.
In return, Cologne's autonomous privileges were further confirmed, and Hermann would need to repay a loan of ten thousand florins annually for the next ten years.
On the Hessian side, Hermann ceded most of the estates under his name to his older brother Henry and, in his capacity as Archbishop of Cologne, concluded a defensive alliance with the Landgrave of Hesse.
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Seeing that the tide had turned, Ruprecht chose to retire to Heidelberg; he was over fifty years old and did not intend to make the long journey to Rome again.
Ultimately, through the arrangements of his nephew, Count Palatine Philip, Ruprecht remained in the Palatine court in the capacity of an advisor.
The unexpected nature of this ruling and the speed of its execution were simply staggering; throughout the entire process, the Emperor had not deployed a single soldier to topple the Archbishop of Cologne, who had repeatedly offended his authority.
Support from Rome was, of course, a major factor, but the Pope's support was not given for no reason.
Imagine if it weren't for the Emperor's full support, how would those Italians have ever recognized the election of a Pope originating from the Empire?
The current Pope, Benedict XIII, can almost be said to have been personally installed by the Emperor. He came from an Austrian noble family, served at St. Stephens Cathedral in Vienna in his early years, was later nominated by the Emperor to succeed as Archbishop of Salzburg, served as the chief imperial advisor for many years, and now he has been elected Pope.
As long as this new Pope hasn't lost his mind, it is highly unlikely he would take any action to oppose the Emperor.
The powerful alliance between the Emperor and the Pope was not good news for the many ecclesiastical princes within the Empire.
Previously, when the Emperor dealt with ecclesiastical princes, he would more or less be mindful of the optics and had to consider the attitude of the Holy See.
Now, the Holy See had become the Emperor's toy; these ecclesiastical princes would likely have to submit to the Emperor's authority from now on.
Back during the Avignon Papacy, people mocked that 'the Pope is the French King's pet.' Now the Pope is still in Rome, but in the eyes of many church figures, Rome has become another Avignon.
Unfortunately, the Imperial Church could do nothing about it. A group of important ecclesiastical princes led by the three ecclesiastical Electors, including the Archbishop of Salzburg and the Bishop of Würzburg, were undoubtedly staunch supporters of the Emperor.
Aside from these ecclesiastical princes with direct interests tied to the Emperor, the remaining ecclesiastical Imperial Estates gradually lost any thought of opposing him.
In comparison, the secular princes of the Empire were much more restless.
Among them, the Hohenzollern Family and the House of Wettin had the most ideas.
After leaving Cologne, the two Electors naturally chose to travel back to Upper Saxony together, as if the past tensions between the two families no longer existed.
Previously, the Hohenzollern Family had hoped to overwhelm the House of Wettin and take control of the situation in Upper Saxony.
However, the Elector of Saxony sat firmly as the dominant figure in the northeastern region of the Empire with absolute economic and population advantages, and he was almost impossible to unseat.
To fight for regional dominance, the two sides had broken out in many conflicts, yet now the two Electors appeared quite harmonious.
The easing of relations was not built on mutual understanding, but because they were currently facing even greater external pressure.
On a forest path, the Elector of Brandenburg, Albrecht [Achilles], and the Elector of Saxony, Ernst, rode side by side; such a sight would have been quite rare in the past.
Ernst had a somber expression, his mind constantly replaying the verdict of the Imperial Court of Justice—the Emperor had confirmed the privileges of Halle and announced protection for Halle's New Year's fair.
Even though this protection was merely verbal, Ernst did not dare to make any out-of-line moves.
He did not want to create an excuse, an excuse for the Emperor to take action against Saxony, as that would undoubtedly lead to the most terrible outcome.
Beside him, Marshal Albrecht had no interest in admiring the scenery along the way either.
He thought of his hard-fought battles in Bohemia and Varna, the slaughter in Friuli and Ticino; he had enjoyed thirty years of friendship with two Emperors, only to receive in the end an edict ordering the partition of his lands.
Of course, this edict actually meant little to him.
He had already intended to divide the lands among his three sons, because having ruled them personally, he had experienced the hardships of maintaining rule in Franconia and Upper Saxony simultaneously.
What pained him most was the treatment his second older brother, Elector Frederick II, had suffered.
A perfectly good, diligent Elector who had not only restored order within Brandenburg but also reclaimed the freedom of many Hanseatic cities to revitalize the economy, was ultimately tortured to a mental breakdown by years of war, and the Stettin territory that troubled him had still not been fully captured.
At the thought of that Duke of Pomerania who repeatedly curried favor with the Emperor at the Imperial Diet, Albrecht felt a surge of frustration and indignation.
Pomerania should have been in the bag for the Hohenzollern Family—yet the Emperor had ignored his years of support and dedication to the Habsburg Family, turning instead to provide protection and aid to the weak Griffin Family.
The reintegrated Griffin Family now controlled the Duchy of Pomerania and was no longer at the mercy of the Hohenzollern Family.
Furthermore, a year ago, the Lord of Mecklenburg-Werle-Stargard died without an heir, and the lands of the Duchy of Mecklenburg were reunited under a single line after a century of division.
The Duchy of Mecklenburg also took this opportunity to escape the influence of the Hohenzollern Family and used the circle system to compete for power with the Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg in Lower Saxony, showing a strong momentum of rising power.
After fifty years of ruling Brandenburg, the Hohenzollern Family's painstaking efforts in the northern Empire were completely ruined because two families had completed their unification in a short period due to accidents.
Fate always loves to play such tricks.
Under such extremely depressing circumstances, the Emperor had pulled such a big move on them, directly stripping the Elector of Cologne of his title, lands, and power, which provided a great shock to the two Electors.
"The matter of the Archbishop of Cologne is likely just the beginning," Ernst suddenly broke the silence, turning his head to speak to Albrecht.
Albrecht's hand on the reins tightened as he said in a deep voice, "His Majesty's intention is already very clear. The Empire is not ruling this land, but has divided this land.
He hopes to end this state of division. The first step is to gradually reduce the liberties of the various states, and among all the princes, only seven possess the highest liberties..."
Seven people were still too many for the Emperor; the authority to dominate the affairs of the Empire was, for the Emperor, sufficient only if held by him alone.
Ernst nodded in agreement with a complex expression.
Unlike his father, Ernst had done his best to withdraw himself from Imperial affairs after succeeding as Elector.
In his view, his father's active efforts to maintain influence and appeal within the Empire were of little significance; Ernst preferred to focus on the Saxon lands, developing the economy, agriculture, and even cultural endeavors, rather than diverting resources and energy to Imperial matters.
However, what he did not know was that the old Elector of Saxony, who had once linked the Wittelsbach Family and the Hohenzollern Family through marriage and possessed extremely high prestige in the eastern and northern parts of the Empire, had once made Laszlo deeply wary.
His two daughters had married Count of Landshut Ludwig and Margrave of Ansbach Albrecht respectively, and he had mediated disputes in Franconia and Bavaria many times, possessing great popularity throughout the Empire.
It was not until the old Elector died and the young, less prestigious Ernst took power that Laszlo's expansion within the Empire gradually became bolder.
Barely a year after the old Elector of Saxony's death, Laszlo struck a lethal blow against Landshut in the Saxon Triangle, and the short-sighted Ernst did not realize the danger at the time, being brushed off by Laszlo after only a single inquiry.
If the old Elector were still alive, a massive encirclement network against Habsburg expansion might have formed directly within the Empire then.
It was only now, when Saxony's development within the Empire was being deliberately targeted and suppressed by the Emperor, and the Elector's rights were being trampled upon at will, that Ernst realized how serious the situation really was.
He had to do something.
If it were his father, what would he do now? Ernst thought, and a word surfaced in his mind—Alliance.
"The Emperor is attempting to seize the supreme authority of the Empire, not only using the Imperial Diet to exploit the whole Empire but also using the supreme adjudicatory power of the Imperial Court of Justice to act willfully within it.
The authority of the court depends on whether its rulings can be properly executed, and forced execution often leads to armed conflict, or even war—"
"And our Emperor happens to be best at exactly that."
Albrecht let out a sigh, mixed with admiration and deep helplessness.
The rulings of the Imperial Court of Justice depended largely on the Emperor's attitude; the lay judges nominated by the various circles had become almost ornamental, as the Emperor had ten thousand ways to bypass them to adjudicate cases.
And once a favorable ruling was produced, the Emperor would not hesitate to send troops to enforce it, leaving no room for any reversal of the case.
This time the situation in Cologne was even more terrifying; the Emperor's newly acquired lackey, Hesse, had directly packed off Archbishop Ruprecht, without even giving the Imperial Army a chance to appear.
"We must change this passive situation, just like the numerous attempts by princes in the history of the Empire, by concluding an alliance large enough to assemble military force capable of rivaling the Habsburg Family, to resist the Emperor's willful actions in the Empire and take back the power we have lost!"
Ernst lowered his voice, but his tone was quite determined.
Clearly, the Emperor had first abandoned the possibility of ruling the Empire peacefully, abandoned the possibility of sharing the Empire with them, and instead embarked on an even more terrifying path.
Albrecht remained silent for a moment; although somewhat moved, being much older than Ernst, he quickly noticed many more realistic problems.
"How should we unite the princes? How can we ensure they will support us?"
To say the least, the three ecclesiastical Electors and the House of Hesse have already firmly sided with the Emperor. The Elector of Bavaria is said to be preparing a marriage with the Emperor's daughter. Both bishops in Franconia have economic ties with the Emperor, and the Duke of Pomerania is a die-hard loyalist.
Looking around, their enemies were clearly more numerous than the allies they could unite.
Ernst looked troubled upon hearing this; he rarely cultivated relationships with other princes, and those he maintained friendly relations with were basically only the two Princes of Anhalt; he had few allies in a broader scope.
Moreover, his brother Albrecht, who co-ruled the Electorate, was a regular guest at the Emperor's court and might not be willing to resist the Emperor with him.
He had originally planned to win over the King of Burgundy, but Charles clearly did not wish to make an enemy of the Emperor.
His latest target was Prince Christopher; just as the Capetian family once destroyed the Plantagenet dynasty, he also intended to let the Habsburg Family fall into chaos, or even destruction, through internal strife.
Back then, Henry the [Young King] of England, even though he had a crown but not an inch of land, still dared to raise a rebellion against his father Henry II, the hegemon of Western Europe. Later, there was Richard the Lionheart, who forced his father Henry II to surrender after years of war, eventually causing the great sovereign to die miserably in a rural monastery.
Unfortunately, Prince Christopher could not even be compared to the [Young King] Henry, let alone the illustrious Richard the Lionheart; he was entirely the Emperor's puppet.
Never mind using the title of King of the Romans to fight for power with his father or even force his father to abdicate—one feared the young prince couldn't even speak clearly in front of his father.
Unable to win over the strong aid of Burgundy, unable to disintegrate the Habsburg Family from within, and even finding it difficult to realize the idea of uniting the princes, this current reality made Ernst feel a sense of sorrow.
However, life must go on.
If they didn't want to continue being bled and oppressed by the Emperor's various schemes, they had to attempt to save themselves.
"Let's look for targets first, keep an eye on those princes who might have the same thoughts as us, contact them privately, and try to form an alliance.
I don't believe everyone is satisfied with the Emperor's arbitrary behavior; there must be someone with rebellious intentions."
"That's all we can do. Do you have any ideal candidates to win over?" Albrecht questioned Ernst with a scrutinizing look.
He had to judge whether this Elector of Saxony was a qualified ally and how much chance of success his plan had.
"I can find a way to persuade the Prince of Anhalt and the Count of Thuringia; perhaps the Count of Brunswick-Lüneburg is also a good target."
"With just those few allies, united they probably couldn't even deal with Bohemia, let alone Austria, or even Hungary." Albrecht shook his head.
Having served as a Marshal commanding the Imperial Army for many years, accompanying the Emperor on campaigns in the Balkans, Asia Minor, Italy, and France, he possessed a much clearer understanding of the military strength of the various Imperial states than others, and thus quickly provided his assessment.
"What about the Count Palatine of the Rhine?"
"Are you talking about that Palatinate, surrounded on all sides by the Emperor's hounds?" As one of the hounds who had once surrounded the Palatinate, Albrecht scoffed at this.
"I heard that the Duke of Württemberg recently had a dispute with the Emperor over some issues; he is also a potential candidate we could win over."
"He would be a good ally, but he is right under the Emperor's nose; I fear he lacks the courage."
Ernst, who had been constantly doused with cold water by Albrecht, could take it no longer and angrily retorted: "Are we to lose the courage to defend our own privileges because of these difficulties?"
Albrecht sighed helplessly and said earnestly: "Do not be impetuous; I simply value calm thinking and careful planning more."
"I was fighting the Hussite on the battlefield when I was seventeen, while you, I fear, have never even set foot on one. Therefore, you do not understand that courage does not always determine the outcome of a war; most of the time, exquisite planning and thorough preparation are the keys to victory."
"Then what do you suggest we do?" Ernst was at a loss; he knew it was too late to notice the Emperor's threat now, but he was not one to sit and wait for death.
"Wait. We cannot reveal our true intentions too early. Only when the Emperor takes that step will most of the estates within the Empire stand on our side. When that time comes, our opportunity will arrive."
"Before that, find a way to win over those princes and Imperial estates who are already dissatisfied. It would be best to conclude secret treaties to strengthen our ability to protect ourselves."
Albrecht analyzed the situation calmly and offered his advice.
Although Ernst was unwilling, he had no choice but to nod in agreement.
When his father was alive, he highly valued Albrecht and often mentioned to Ernst that he hoped his son could be like this Imperial Marshal nicknamed "Achilles," famous for his valor in his youth and his wisdom in his maturity.
For this reason, the old Elector of Saxony even married his daughter to Albrecht, so Ernst had to call him brother-in-law.
As someone who had been present for every civil and foreign war the Empire had experienced in recent decades, Ernst admitted that Albrecht indeed possessed many extraordinary qualities.
In the end, the two Electors launched a new faction with a secret treaty of mutual defense between Brandenburg and Saxony.
...
On the banks of the Rhine River, the Emperor's traveling party crossed the river from Mainz, intending to turn east from there, passing through Franconia and Bavaria to return to Austria.
King of the Romans Christopher bid a reluctant farewell to his father here, planning to continue south along the Rhine River, preparing to return to his jurisdiction.
Before the father and son parted ways, they received good news from the south.
The Imperial Army, having set out from Lyon, used Avignon, which was occupied by the troops of the Papal States, as an outpost to launch a sudden incursion into the poorly defended Provence.
René of Anjou, the Count of Provence who led his army in a futile attempt to resist, was soundly defeated and ultimately fled by ship from Marseille.
Because the Black Death had been raging in Provence and the surrounding areas for over half a year, and Genoa and Naples had been maintaining a continuous naval blockade of Marseille, major strongholds such as Aix-en-Provence, Arles, Toulon, and Marseille were on the verge of collapse.
After the Imperial Army led by the Count of Fürstenberg and General Gunter routed René's forces, the cities surrendered upon sight of them, one after another expressing their willingness to accept the Emperor's rule.
Several large salt warehouses and salt pans along the Rhône River were also immediately occupied by the Imperial Army.
This was a very fine gift; as a congratulatory present for Christopher's coronation as King of the Romans, Laszlo immediately granted Christopher the title of Count of Provence.
Below the count's title and fief, those Imperial soldiers who had contributed to the conquest of Provence would be granted fiefs and rewards by Christopher in his own name.
Although the gift arrived a bit late, it was of no consequence.
To confirm the situation in his new fief and to establish a new governing system there, and to remove the remnants of the House of Anjou, Christopher planned a trip to Lyon and Provence.
The journey only required passing through Burgundy, and he and Mary could travel through Burgundian territory virtually unimpeded.
In truth, Christopher had not wanted to go; he was tired of travel itself and could not understand why his father was always so keen on touring everywhere.
But now Laszlo required him to do so and had imparted to him quite a few insights on consolidating new territories.
Laszlo even selected several assistants from the court advisory group to provide Christopher with advice and help.
Under his father's expectations, Christopher promised that he would properly handle the Provence territory.
After sending Christopher off, Laszlo did not forget to send people to keep a close watch on the situation in Lorraine.
René was the grandfather of the Duke of Lorraine, Nicholas I.
His own grandfather had been soundly thrashed by the Emperor's army, yet this Duke of Lorraine, who had always been pro-French, did not jump up in anger this time.
Previously, at Christopher's coronation, the Duke of Lorraine had not attended in person but had sent a representative.
The Duke's explanation for this was that his health was poor, and therefore he could not travel far.
Laszlo had initially thought this was merely an excuse, but he did not expect that Duke Nicholas was telling the truth.
The Duke was only twenty-four years old, yet his health was worrying; his body was very weak, and he had yet to marry.
As the sole heir to the main branch of the House of Anjou, it seemed all his luck had been used up on his birth.
If nothing unexpected happened, in addition to the Lorraine he had already inherited, he could potentially obtain Provence and Anjou in the future, and even the title of King of Naples.
Unfortunately, Naples had been lost by René, Provence was now occupied by the Emperor, and even Anjou—due to France being mired in civil war—he was unlikely to smoothly inherit that crucial territory located at the intersection of two forces.
Moreover, his health would likely not be sufficient to sustain him until the day he inherited his grandfather's territories.
The pitiful House of Anjou would likely not escape the fate of extinction in the end.
Speaking of Anjou, Laszlo recalled the Queen Dowager Margaret, who was currently controlling the Kingdom of England; she should now be considered the most powerful member of the House of Anjou.
Instigating internal strife within the Hanseatic League, suppressing the York Family, and allying with Louis XI to threaten the rear of the alliance of the two Charleses—she was undoubtedly the greatest variable and obstacle in the Western European landscape that Laszlo had fostered.
Such a family, destined for extinction, was now causing him such a huge obstacle; Laszlo felt helpless about this.
Regarding the request for aid from Edward IV, other than agreeing to let his third son, Albrecht, marry the English Princess Elizabeth, he did not agree to provide much substantial help.
Authorizing Edward IV to recruit mercenaries within the Empire was the limit. Asking Laszlo to both pay money and provide troops... did he look like the kind of person who had nothing better to do?
Although England could pose a threat to Northern France and Burgundy, that would require a stable England; the current England would likely need a long time to restore stability.
Laszlo had very irresponsibly let the various forces mired in chaos in Western Europe fend for themselves.
To him, Western Europe was not important, but whether Western Europe was in chaos was crucial to him.
If England, France, and Burgundy could not fight until they were battered and bruised, how could he realize his grand ambition of reforming the Empire?
After exhausting every effort to eliminate threats outside the Empire, Laszlo finally lifted his self-restraint.
In the Electorate of Cologne, he finally did something he had long wanted to do, and now he was very curious about what kind of reaction this would produce after it spread and fermented within the Empire.
When the party reached Nuremberg, the Austrian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Clement, who had been ordered to collect intelligence on the various Imperial states, brought back the answer for Laszlo.
Inside the palace, Laszlo flipped through the intelligence sent back by the spies and officials planted in the major regions, and after reading for a while, he felt a lack of interest.
"Why is everything so calm? I thought a few more targets would jump out."
"The intelligence we have gathered is far from comprehensive; perhaps there are still ambitious people plotting conspiracies against the reforms in the shadows, they just haven't been discovered yet."
"From a general perspective, the princes of the Empire have all begun to feel fear toward your actions. When the next Imperial Diet is convened, I fear you will no longer be able to get them to pass your proposals through speeches and concessions."
Clement said with a pointed meaning.
"The 'Imperial Peace Decree' is about to expire, and this November will be the last time the public donation tax is collected."
"By next year, the Empire's peace and taxes must continue indefinitely, until the Empire ceases to exist."
Other reforms could be discussed, but as the foundation of the state, Laszlo would not back down on the Imperial Peace and the Imperial taxation.
If these two things could not be fixed, the authority of the Imperial Court of Justice would be greatly weakened, and the Imperial government would also rapidly collapse due to financial difficulties.
"They will agree to these, provided that you can make concessions that satisfy them, such as handing over the Imperial Court of Justice, or transferring more power to the Imperial government."
"Ten years ago they didn't have the courage, and now they have the courage instead?" Laszlo scoffed, but he was seriously thinking about this question in his heart.
Back then, he had been extremely forceful, and the princes had not figured out his true intentions and the stakes of the reforms, which was why they were led by the nose into the pit.
Now, as he had forcefully declared the return of imperial power in Cologne, some people must have come to their senses and realized that something was not right.
If this situation were allowed to continue, or even if the current state of affairs were permanently solidified, I fear many people would find it hard to accept.
At this moment, Laszlo had to give them a reason they had to accept.
"People are always fickle, Your Majesty," Clement shook his head, "In your confrontations with the princes, you should always remain vigilant, especially toward your 'allies'."
"What rumors have you heard again?" Laszlo asked.
"The Duke of Baden and the Duke of Württemberg seem to be conducting joint activities recently; it is suspected that Charles, King of Burgundy, has had some contact with the Electors in private, and even the Elector of Bavaria, who is about to marry your daughter, is not necessarily resting easy."
"You have shown an excessive desire for control over the Empire, which will equally bring fear to all the princes..."
"Alright, I understand what you mean," Laszlo raised his hand to stop Clement from continuing, "Do not reveal today's conversation to anyone."
"Yes, Your Majesty." Clement obediently took his leave of the Emperor.
No sooner had Clement left than Matthias walked in, before Laszlo could even carefully reflect on the topic just discussed.
"Your Majesty, the preliminary results for the vacancies in ecclesiastical offices that you previously ordered me to collect are in. The dioceses of Strasbourg, Trier, Cologne, and Mainz will all have vacancies in prebendal positions. Among them, the vacancy in Strasbourg is for a canon of the cathedral, originally intended to be inherited by a member of the Wittelsbach Family."
"I recall that the Bishop of Strasbourg is also one of those people from the Palatinate, right?"
"Yes, that bishop comes from the Wittelsbach-Simmern branch, and another person from that branch recently succeeded as the Archbishop of Magdeburg."
"How persistent; I just wiped out the line of the Archbishop of Cologne, and yet so many remain? They have almost turned the ecclesiastical princes into a hereditary succession, haven't they?" Laszlo said irritably.
The Wittelsbach Family is truly strong; their influence once spread throughout the entire Empire, and today the family's investment in the ecclesiastical sphere far exceeds that of other noble families within the Empire.
Although no matter how well they do, they cannot affect the balance of power between the two sides, Laszlo still felt a sense of disgust at this.
"I will show the recommendation documents to the Archbishop of Mainz later. All vacant prebends within the Empire will be handled by the Imperial Court; there is no need to worry about the attitude of those Imperial bishops."
"I understand."
Matthias was not at all surprised by the Emperor's decision.
After all, the Emperor had only recently dealt with an Elector from the Wittelsbach Family; would he be afraid of a mere bishop from this family now?
He presented the list of vacant ecclesiastical offices to the Emperor, and Laszlo began to select from among his court advisors.
A considerable portion of his court advisors were members of the church; in fact, it did not matter if they were not members of the church, because these prebends could actually be held in absentia, as long as someone was arranged to do the work.
At that time, the ecclesiastical office and income would serve as a reward for the advisors, and for the specific positions, it would suffice to arrange for some trusted agents to go there.
Laszlo quickly selected several advisors who had performed well in their daily duties, including Matthias, who also received a prebend—the very vacancy in Strasbourg—as a reward for him.
Soon, Laszlo called over the Archbishop of Mainz, who was organizing Imperial affairs, and after handing the documents to him for stamping, sent people to deliver them to the Imperial monasteries and churches where the vacancies had occurred.