In November 1472, the Bohemian local assembly, after a week of negotiations with the Emperor's special envoy, agreed to most of the Emperor's demands.
According to the agreement, the Bohemian assembly would receive a number of seats in the pan-Austrian Estates second only to Lower Austria.
This assembly was responsible for coordinating disputes and cooperation between the states, and it also provided a platform for the states to voice their opinions to the Emperor; the Bohemians welcomed such rights.
Following the annexation of Bohemia, High German—commonly used in Austria and Bavaria—along with Czech, became the official languages of Bohemia.
In the process of handling government documents, in addition to the most common Latin, documents were required to be written in German script.
Over a year ago, the French master mint-master Nicolas Jenson, who succeeded the late Gutenberg as the director of the Royal Printing House, designed a more aesthetically pleasing way of writing Latin.
As the design was inspired by ancient Roman inscriptions, Master Nicolas named this typeface Roman, and it was first used in large quantities at the printing house in Vienna.
This innovation made reading Latin printed books much easier and also improved printing efficiency.
Subsequently, Jenson accepted Laszlo's orders and soon designed a German typeface based on Gothic script, used for writing the High German common to Austria and Bavaria, and began applying it to the printing of German books.
Apart from some university textbooks, the 'Lay of the Nibelungs' and the 'Codex Manesse' were the two most printed books; there even appeared deluxe editions specifically for collection, earning quite a few gold coins from nobles with more money than sense.
Laszlo also appointed people to compile and edit a German dictionary, a task that is currently still in progress.
Regarding the mandatory requirements proposed by the Emperor, the Bohemians did not find them too difficult.
The local government of Bohemia was itself jointly established by professional bureaucrats dispatched by the Emperor, local nobles, and clergy.
Bohemia had attracted countless German immigrants over the past two hundred years; although many were killed by the Hussites, Laszlo raised this proportion again and also mandated specialized German courses at Charles University in Prague to teach local students.
After over a hundred years of rule by German monarchs, the Bohemian nobles all took pride in being able to speak German, and a few phrases would often slip out inadvertently when they spoke.
For them, learning Latin was merely the foundation for daily life, but learning German was a necessary means for upward mobility.
Furthermore, ordinary Bohemians did not have the ability to write German documents, which instead created a monopoly on government vacancies among nobles, clergy, wealthy citizens, and university students in Bohemia.
Although the Emperor would plant confidants in some key state government positions, most of the officials executing orders still had to be selected from Bohemia, which mitigated the dissatisfaction of the upper classes.
Several important cities in Bohemia, primarily Prague and Kuttenberg, received direct protection from the Emperor; their autonomous privileges were reconfirmed, and some additional, time-limited commercial privileges were granted to the citizens.
In exchange, the cities of Bohemia were also integrated into the Austrian tax-farming system, beginning to pay taxes directly to the Vienna government just like Austrian cities.
All indirect taxes, including transit taxes, customs duties, and surcharges, along with city annuities, were all delivered directly to the central government through the new system.
Fifty percent of the tribute tax intended for all subjects, which the Bohemian assembly was responsible for apportioning and collecting, would be delivered to the Vienna government in April of the following year as agreed.
The state government, jointly established by the Emperor and the local Estates, would receive the remaining fifty percent along with sixty percent of the revenue from the Bohemian royal domains as necessary funds to maintain government operations.
The remaining royal domain revenue and the minting revenue managed by the royal bailiffs would also be transferred to Vienna together.
This was a huge sum of about 160,000 florins, an amount second only to the massive tax revenue contributed by Lower Austria; however, after subtracting the expenses for maintaining the Bohemian Legion, only about 40,000 florins would remain in the end.
Nevertheless, the fiscal revenue that the Vienna government could obtain had indeed increased significantly.
The single state of Bohemia could support one legion, while another legion stationed in Brno was supported by the tribute from Moravia and the taxes paid by Silesia. Thus, Austria effectively gained two legions that could be deployed at will, along with extra incoming revenue.
Just as Laszlo was rejoicing over this, another piece of good news arrived.
Shortly after Laszlo reached an agreement with the Bohemian local assembly, news came from Silesia that the Governor of Silesia, John von Rosenberg, had passed away from illness while inspecting his jurisdiction, leaving the governorship vacant.
Following in the footsteps of his brother Jobst, the Bishop of Breslau who died early, Governor John also met the same fate, dying in office before the age of forty.
In front of the envoy from Silesia, Laszlo suppressed the corners of his mouth and tried his best to show his grief and regret.
He truly hadn't lifted a finger against the two Rosenberg brothers, yet he hadn't expected them both to return to heaven so early.
Considering what had happened before, probably not many people would suspect Laszlo.
Henry, the eldest son of Ulrich von Rosenberg, was the former Governor of Silesia and died in 1458; the grief of a parent burying a child severely damaged Marshal Ulrich's spirit, and he died of illness in 1462.
In 1467, the third son Jobst, who served as the Bishop of Breslau, also died in office. Laszlo then appointed Rudolf, the Bishop of Lavant in Austria, to succeed him as the Bishop of Breslau, exerting the Emperor's influence over the various Dukes of Silesia.
Now, Ulrich's second son John, who succeeded as the Governor of Silesia, has also died young, leaving behind only two teenage sons to fight over the family estate.
The powerful Rosenberg family, which originally controlled a vast amount of land in South Bohemia, suddenly lost its voice in the power struggle of Bohemia.
To this, Laszlo could only express regret; perhaps this was the will of heaven.
Before long, Laszlo selected a suitable successor from his own court.
George von Stein, a lower-ranking noble from Tyrol, had served in the army and later became a local official. He once served as the Captain of Pressburg and later became an official in the Styrian state government; because of his outstanding talent, he was recruited by Laszlo into the court as an advisor.
As a mountain noble with a clean background and proven loyalty, he had served in both Hungary and Austria. Now, Laszlo was sending him to the remote Silesia to serve as the Marcher Governor.
With a mix of anticipation and concern for this assignment, another Austrian noble, accompanied by his servants and personal guards, set out on a journey to a foreign land to take up a key position.
And Rudolf, the Bishop of Breslau who had taken office in Silesia a few years before him, was currently awaiting the arrival of his Austrian colleague.
At the end of 1472, weeks before Christmas, the grand market in Vienna unveiled its curtains.
In the designated trading area arranged by the municipal government, various goods from all over were displayed on stalls for sale.
From the port on the Danube River, large carts constantly brought grain, cloth, and other goods to the market for sale.
Imperial goods shipped from Linz upstream, and cheap raw materials like fur, grain, and even timber from the Hungarian cities downstream were all very popular in Vienna.
However, the most attractive items were the maritime trade goods transported all the way from Trieste along the Royal Road, especially rare goods like spice and silk.
In recent years, with the submission of Venice, the variety of luxury goods appearing in Vienna has become increasingly rich.
Although the prices of these goods still made most people shrink back, for the wealthy class pursuing quality of life, such changes were gratifying.
Equally happy were the governments and merchants of Austria, Venice, and Milan.
Although the three countries nominally submitted to the same monarch, they were not soft at all when it came to collecting tariffs from each other.
The Austrian government profited from tariffs, while the governments and merchants of Venice and Milan made money through trade; everyone had a bright future.
Unfortunately, although the local merchants of Austria were also trying their best to develop their own influence, the capital controlled by Venetian merchants and the Augsburg merchant guild headed by the Fugger Family was enough to crush all merchants in Austria.
The mercantilist decrees issued by the Emperor were also riddled with holes due to a series of interest exchanges and exemptions.
Fortunately, they still occupied a considerable advantage in the Hungarian market, thanks to the Emperor's policy protection and Hungary's weak local economy.
As for the Eastern Empire and Serbia, the former was the world of Genoese merchants, and the latter was closely integrated with Ragusa merchants, carving up the vast Habsburg Empire clearly.
The influx of international trade goods, rarely seen on weekdays, into Vienna set off another wave of purchasing among citizens and nobles living in Vienna.
In this wave, the wealthy royal family was the target that all international traders were eyeing.
As long as one could receive the Emperor's favor, making big money would be easy.
However, this year, Venetian silk merchants were worried because the Emperor ordered a reduction in the purchase volume of Eastern silk and turned to purchase Milanese silk that had only recently entered the Vienna market.
Since Bursa, the largest silk market and production base in the East, was conquered by the Crusaders, the local silk industry suffered a devastating blow, and silk from the East became extremely difficult to obtain in the short term.
As the situation among the Ottoman, White Sheep Dynasty, and Mamluks became increasingly tense, raw silk produced in Iran was difficult to transport to the West for processing and sale by the developed silk production industry of the Ottoman Empire.
To this end, the Venetians tried every means to get in touch with Uzun Hasan, Khan of the White Sheep Dynasty, on one hand selling ordnance to the Mamluks for the Emperor, and on the other hand secretly selling firearms to the White Sheep, yet both sides regarded Venice as a "good ally."
Of course, the Ottomans, as traditional allies of Venice, were not forgotten either. Through the Karaman line, the Venetians arduously opened up trade routes with the three major Islamic powers and used this to obtain high-end velvet produced in the East, specifically for the Sultan.
These precious luxury goods, mixed with some silk produced by the Italians, and packaged with stories, could be sold at higher prices than ever before.
Venetian merchants engaged in this business believed that the princes and nobles of Austria and the Empire would generously pay for it.
Unfortunately, the Milanese who intervened disrupted their beautiful vision.
A gift from Prince Maximilian changed the Emperor's mind.
"Look, this piece is a silk textile produced in the East, and this piece is from Como, the city of silk in Milan."
Laszlo showed the two pieces of velvet fabric with a good feel to Joanna, whose eyes were full of longing.
Perhaps because the Venetians wanted to increase the attractiveness of their fabric, the already precious velvet was embroidered with a small amount of gold and silver thread as decoration.
Although the fabric from Como also had a very good texture and excellent pattern printing and dyeing, the disadvantage was somewhat obvious when compared.
"The silk from the East looks superior."
Joanna did not hide her love for this kind of high-end fabric. She gently stroked the smooth fabric, obviously wanting to ask someone to tailor a new dress.
Laszlo smiled helplessly, shook his head and said: "If Maximilian heard you say that, he would be sad."
"Maximilian?" Joanna looked at her husband with some confusion.
"This is the first gift he sent you after taking office as the Governor of Milan, of course, it also contains some small thoughts."
Laszlo shook the silk fabric from Como and explained.
After thousands of years of transmission, sericulture and silk weaving technology took root in Italy in the 13th century along the trade routes of Central Asia and Byzantium.
At that time, cities such as Venice, Lucca, and Florence all tried to vigorously develop the silk industry.
After hundreds of years of development, the production and trade of silk had become a trend in Italian cities.
More than a hundred years ago, craftsmen in Lucca designed an advanced silk reeling machine; the efficiency of one machine working for a day could equal that of more than a dozen workers, which brought the Italian silk industry to a new peak.
However, with the spread of new technologies, craftsmen in Como, based on the technological innovation of Lucca, brought pattern printing and dyeing to a new height, and gradually replaced Lucca as the largest silk industry center in Europe.
I don't know if Maximilian heard that his elder brother decided to vigorously develop the salt and silk industries in Provence after touring there, but he now also intends to continue to expand the silk production, weaving, and trade in Como, firmly grasping Milan's first-mover advantage.
And to further promote the development of Como, commercial privileges are essential, and expanding the market is also quite important.
Therefore, this kid soon had an idea about his father, not only getting the opportunity for Milan's specialty silk to enter the Vienna market but also planning to promote Milan's high-quality goods to the Vienna court.
In addition to silk, Milan's most famous plate armor was also a key object of Maximilian's attention.
As the two big cash cows of the Milanese government, they must be taken care of.
However, the Milan Arsenal was directly responsible to the Emperor, and even though Maximilian was a prince and governor, Antonio Misaglia, who had a close personal relationship with the Emperor, did not pay much attention to him.
Although he had been in Milan for less than a year, Maximilian's clever brain had already begun to exert his talent.
In addition to supervising the construction of the Milan Cathedral and arranging for people to survey the geographical environment to demonstrate the feasibility of expanding the canal network, he was also looking for more opportunities to develop Milan.
Under the guidance and help of his new mentor, the Marquis of Montferrat William, Maximilian initially mastered the Milan Governor's Office and began to learn to govern the duchy with local elites.
Regarding his son's growth, Laszlo was naturally happy, and he did not have too much resistance to deepening the economic ties between Milan and Austria.
Therefore, the high-end textiles of Como got the opportunity to enter Vienna for exhibition and trade and enjoyed certain preferential treatment.
However, if he had to choose between the two fabrics, he would make the same choice as Joanna.
After all, the silk products offered by the Venetians were said to be fabrics exclusively for the Ottoman court and were rarely sold to the outside world.
Although Laszlo could directly go to Muhammad and his son, who were under house arrest in the Hofburg Palace, to ask if this was true, that would undoubtedly be too inhumane.
"He also put his heart into it. Actually, if you look closely, this gift is also very exquisite and precious. I will write a letter to thank him."
"The fabric sold by the Venetians is good, and the fabric sold by the Milanese is cheap. Both sides have their own advantages. How about we place an order for both?"
Joanna nodded repeatedly, took the fabric from Laszlo, and began to consider what style of dress to tailor to match the dignity of the Queen.
...
Just as a large number of merchants poured into Vienna, representatives from various Austrian states arrived in Vienna one after another.
Vienna, which was already prosperous, was now bustling, a scene of peace and happiness.
As the capital favored by the most powerful monarch in Europe, since the Emperor began to implement a series of special policies and privileges to develop Vienna, the urban population had been rising, and now it had begun to hit the 60,000 mark.
Since Laszlo took over Austria, the population of Vienna had doubled several times in more than ten years, and this did not include the diversion of the satellite city, Vienna New City.
Perhaps compared to the unified dynasties in the East, this speed was very slow. After all, relying on administrative orders and forced migration, plus political and social stability, and the convenience of water transport trade hubs, it was not difficult to raise the population without causing social unrest.
However, for Europe, where the feudal system was deeply rooted, such a precious resource as population was not so easy to gather.
Paris took a hundred years to grow from 50,000 to 250,000, while Laszlo only spent a week bringing the population of Paris back to less than 100,000.
Compared to destroying a prosperous city, creating the prosperity of Vienna brought Laszlo greater satisfaction.
In this bustling Vienna, in the Small Friar Square adjacent to the Hofburg Palace, the venue originally belonging to the Lower Austria Estates Assembly was crowded with people.
According to what the Emperor promised in the "Adjournment Agreement," the All-Austria Conference should be held at least once a year. Representatives from the estates of various Austrian states had the right to question the Emperor on government affairs and represent their own estates to file petitions, demanding that the Emperor meet their needs.
Because the Emperor was often away from Austria, he had to miss the conference many times.
Except for a few occasions authorized by the Emperor and convened and presided over by Archbishop Georg, the conference was usually convened by the Queen to listen to the demands of various estates.
The time of the conference was also limited to the end of November to early December after the payment of taxes in the second half of the year.
For this conference, the representatives had two more expectations: one was that a new state would be incorporated into the All-Austria Conference system, and the other was that the Emperor had stayed in Vienna for a long time, so it was very likely that he would attend the upcoming national estate representative conference.
The result was just as they expected; the Emperor and the Queen attended this unprecedented grand meeting together.
For the Bohemians who attended the All-Austria Conference for the first time, it was difficult for them to integrate into this mixed circle.
Therefore, the representatives from Bohemia—mainly German nobles transplanted to Northern Bohemia, plus a small number of local Bohemian nobles—chose to actively communicate with the representatives of Moravia, who had merged into Austria ahead of them, and the representatives of Lower Austria, who had deep interest dealings with the state of Bohemia.
After chatting for a while, they found that everyone was the same.
Except for the representatives of the three western states of Tyrol, Outer Austria, and Venetia who huddled together for warmth, almost all other states only valued their relationship with Lower Austria.
As a directly administered state that could hold meetings at the Emperor's doorstep and complain directly to the Emperor, Lower Austria contributed nearly one-fifth of the national tax revenue and became the touchstone for the Emperor's decrees.
In order to avoid some decrees detrimental to the interests of the estates being applied to their own states, representatives of various states kept probing the attitude of the Lower Austria representatives.
And the topic they discussed the most was the "imperial code" that the Emperor had introduced and continuously improved in recent years, especially the civil law part, which included many laws issued by the Emperor that were beneficial to imperial power, as well as those laws that provided protection for citizens and farmers.
For the feudal customary laws that widely existed in villages, manors, and church territories, the Emperor's attitude seemed not very friendly.
Although the scope of the Emperor's traveling court was relatively limited, it still brought considerable sense of crisis to nobles and clergy.
According to feudal tradition, manor courts, lord courts, and church courts should enjoy complete territorial jurisdiction and be able to arbitrarily decide all disputes within the territory.
However, since the Imperial Court of Justice was built and expanded based on resolutions at the imperial level, the Emperor's judicial power had also expanded accordingly.
This expansion was not just in the narrow scope of Austria, but in the entire Empire. As the Emperor, he had the right to handle appeals from all subjects, especially those who were dissatisfied with the judgments of subordinate courts; the Emperor was willing to listen to their appeals most of the time.
The expansion of power at a higher level caused panic among the upper classes of Austria.
Although the Emperor had not yet explicitly announced the abolition of the feudal customary laws that had been inherited from generation to generation, the Emperor's judges were increasingly gathering judicial power.
The Emperor's efforts in legislation, under the banner of the entire Empire, excluded the opinions of the Austrian estates, but in essence, the Emperor was formulating state laws for Austria, which many people knew well.
Gradually, everyone came to their senses. The Emperor was deceiving the Imperial Diet and the vast imperial subjects on one hand, and setting aside the Austrian nobles on the other, gathering with a group of close advisors and legal experts to discuss and formulate new laws to control the entire Austria.
And this soon aroused the strong dissatisfaction of the Austrian estate representatives.
Representatives from multiple states filed petitions to the Emperor regarding the compilation of the code, hoping that the Emperor would respect traditional customary law.
On the first day of the conference, the talks between the estate representatives and the Emperor fell into a stalemate.