Just after the New Year, Laszlo's life immediately became busy.
With both the Vienna government and the Imperial government serving him in turns, such a blessing was no small matter.
Documents from local regions, allies, and various vassal states drifted in like snowflakes, nearly drowning him.
Not long after the Epiphany Mass had ended, and before he could even leave St. Stephens Cathedral, Laszlo received a new request for an audience.
The two Rosenberg brothers, Peter and Vok, had traveled non-stop from South Bohemia in Krumlov to Vienna, eagerly awaiting the Emperor's investiture.
They arrived much faster than Laszlo had expected; he had originally anticipated the two young men would be fighting tooth and nail over their inheritance.
Though their father, John, the former Governor of Silesia, had died young and quite suddenly, he had managed to leave a will on his deathbed.
The will stipulated that the Rosenberg lands were to be divided equally.
As the elder brother, Peter would receive the core family territories centered around Krumlov, as well as ownership of the Rosenberg properties within the Prague royal city and its surrounding areas.
Meanwhile, the younger brother, Vok, received half of the South Bohemia territories centered on Kaplice, and the Rosenberg estates in Austria were also bequeathed to him.
Overseeing the execution of this will was John's uncle, Peter IV, the former Bohemian Treasurer, who had been dismissed for organizing smuggling and was now living in leisure, managing the family business.
As he was the younger brother of the late Old Marshal Ulrich, his seniority within the Rosenberg family was exceptionally high, and he consequently received a significant portion of the inheritance.
Having benefited himself, Peter IV mediated the dispute between the two brothers with all his heart, delineating the property each would inherit, which prevented the succession from causing a greater upheaval in South Bohemia.
With their conflict temporarily resolved, the two brothers immediately rushed to Vienna to see the Emperor.
Seeing the two vibrant young men appear in court, Laszlo's mood improved considerably.
As the saying goes, "a new year brings a new atmosphere," and the new atmosphere in Bohemia could be glimpsed through these two young men.
Their grandfather, Old Ulrich, had followed three emperors; in his youth, he had fought bitterly against Jan Žižka in South Bohemia, later fought the Poles in Moravia, and in his old age, participated in the crusade against Mehmed II, making him a highly respected and legendary figure.
Their father, John, though not particularly famous, had inherited the political legacy left by his father and elder brother, maintaining the Rosenberg family's position as leaders of the Bohemian nobility.
By the time of this third generation, the elder Peter was born just as Laszlo was crowned Emperor, while the younger Vok was born when Laszlo had already achieved his first crusading victory.
The two youngsters could be said to have grown up listening to stories about the Emperor; like many other second or even third-generation noble children, they held admiration and longing for the Emperor, possessing fewer ulterior motives, which in turn made it easier for Laszlo to exert influence over them.
Although Laszlo had long anticipated outliving several generations of old officials, the speed of the Rosenberg family's generational turnover still surprised him.
With the two young brothers splitting the family lands, Laszlo knew without thinking that the Rosenberg family's status in Bohemia would certainly be greatly affected.
Established Bohemian noble powers such as Leipa and Sternberg would undoubtedly seize this opportunity to occupy high positions once again.
Mutual friction and the struggle for power and profit were almost etched into the genes of the nobility, and this situation was especially prevalent in Bohemia.
However, this also gave Laszlo an opportunity to exploit.
"Poor children, I am saddened by your father's misfortune. I recognize your inheritance and rule over the Rosenberg lands, and I hope you can maintain a precious peace and defend the honor of the Rosenberg family."
Laszlo showed his kind side to the two boys, partly to maintain a friendly relationship, and partly because the donation the brothers had prepared for the audience amounted to over two thousand florins, which was quite substantial.
The Emperor's recognition allowed both Peter and Vok to breathe a sigh of relief, though the distance between them was still visibly apparent.
They had originally intended to have separate audiences, but the Emperor summoned them together, making the scene somewhat awkward.
"Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty. The Rosenberg family will offer you loyalty as it has in the past."
Peter immediately set himself up as the representative and leader of the Rosenberg family; he expected to inherit the romantic nickname "Lord of the Rose City" in the future, and was currently showing off smugly to his brother.
Vok gritted his teeth in anger but was helpless; such was the fate of being the second son.
He felt a bit resentful toward his father for giving him Kaplice of all places as a fief.
Kaplice was less than fifteen kilometers from Krumlov, a distance one could ride back and forth several times a day.
The thought of having to see his elder brother constantly made Vok feel quite uncomfortable.
Perhaps their father hoped the two brothers would get along harmoniously, but the relationship between Peter and Vok could hardly be called close.
Thus, Vok made a bold decision.
"Your Majesty, I request your permission to join your court. I wish to demonstrate my loyalty by serving you."
Laszlo nodded calmly, not at all surprised by Vok's choice.
Although he did not have particularly outstanding talent, he had the advantage of being young with plenty of room for growth, and his loyalty was not in question.
"Then from now on, you shall serve as one of my personal attendants, following me and awaiting my orders."
"Thank you for your favor, Your Majesty."
Vok said joyfully, not forgetting to glance at his brother, but Peter's reaction disappointed him.
He thought his elder brother would show some envy, but Peter was clearly relieved.
With the two of them far apart, the dispute between the brothers was largely resolved.
As the saying goes, "one mountain cannot hold two tigers"; the small region of South Bohemia could ultimately only accommodate one local ruler, and it seemed that person would be Peter.
Vok's proactive withdrawal from the competition for family dominance wasn't entirely because he feared he couldn't beat his brother and thus sought the Emperor's protection in the imperial court.
He held several territories in Upper Austria, such as Haslach and Rossberg, and not long ago, according to an engagement set over ten years ago, he had married the only daughter of Ruprecht, the Lord of Wallsee.
The Wallsee family was a prominent clan in Lower Austria with many territories, one of which was right next to Vienna, where the Wallsee family resided.
Being close to the Archduke, like the Ebersdorf family who lived in Vienna and held the hereditary position of Court Steward, the Wallsee family also held a hereditary post: the Grand Marshal of Austria.
Just as the Leipa family monopolized the title of Grand Marshal of the Kingdom in Bohemia, by now these court positions were little more than names; their specific powers depended on the Emperor's arrangements.
Vok's father-in-law, Ruprecht, was the Security Chief of all Lower Austria and a trusted advisor to the Emperor, responsible for managing local garrison forces, dealing with bandits, maintaining order, and executing court rulings.
Vok's mother-in-law came from the prominent Starhemberg family of Upper Austria and was the sister of the current Governor of Upper Austria, Ulrich von Starhemberg.
The Lord of Wallsee had a daughter late in life and was unlikely to have another heir, so he placed great importance on his daughter's marriage.
Years ago, shortly after Vok was born, Old Marshal Ulrich personally visited the Lord of Wallsee to arrange this marriage.
The marriage took place as scheduled recently, and at that time, Ruprecht had persuaded Vok to abandon his status as a Bohemian noble and integrate into the Austrian noble circles, bringing with him the Rosenberg properties in Austria along with the inheritance the Wallsee family could leave him.
After an intense internal struggle, Vok ultimately chose to follow his father-in-law's advice.
There was no other way; their father was gone, and staying in Bohemia without a protector would leave them vulnerable to oppression by the established nobility.
In Austria, with a high-born wife to enhance his reputation, a father-in-law in a key position to help him, and the ability to remain at the core of power, it was a smooth path forward for Vok.
With his horizons expanded, Vok was no longer limited to South Bohemia, or even Bohemia itself; his gaze broadened to the entire empire and then narrowed back to its core—the court in Vienna.
Some people waste half their lives still lost in confusion, while others find their destination for the rest of their lives in their teens.
Vok clearly belonged to the latter.
Laszlo did not know Vok's thoughts, but even if he did, he would only be pleased.
The Rosenberg family was the undisputed premier noble house of Bohemia; even if they were temporarily in decline, the scale of their family estates still far outstripped other Bohemian nobles, and even the Dukes of Silesia were not necessarily stronger than the Rosenbergs.
Now, someone intended to take half of the Rosenberg estates out of the small Bohemian circle and into the larger Austrian one; this was something to be widely publicized as a model.
The so-called Austrian noble circle did not narrowly refer to the Austrian nobility itself, but rather a trans-national stratum composed of many nobles from various vassal states within the Habsburg Empire who were loyal to the Emperor.
Although this was currently just a concept of Laszlo's, if it could one day be realized, the resistance to integrating the personal union would undoubtedly be greatly reduced.
Therefore, people like Vok were naturally the more the better for Laszlo.
After confirming Vok's inclusion in the inner court, Laszlo assigned Wolfgang from the Elector of Bavaria's house to take his new colleague to familiarize himself with the work environment and duties.
After Vok left, Peter was also preparing to take his leave, but Laszlo kept him back.
"Your Majesty, do you have any further instructions?" Peter asked with a mix of curiosity and trepidation.
He was currently eager to return to Bohemia to assert his power and had not guessed the Emperor's intentions.
"You probably haven't attended a formal session of the Bohemian Diet yet, have you?"
"I attended a session for the first time not long ago. At that time, the meeting was discussing taxes and the Pan-Austrian Estates Diet."
Hearing Peter's answer, Laszlo nodded and asked, "What do you think of the Bohemian Diet? I mean its atmosphere, efficiency, and such."
"I only found it very noisy. After arguing for half the day, no practical results were reached. People from different places often hold opposing views; there's really no efficiency to speak of."
Peter had nothing to hide and directly voiced his impressions.
Due to age restrictions, he had not yet gained the right to speak in the Diet; his great-uncle Peter IV had spoken on his behalf as his guardian. Unfortunately, the Bohemian nobles were no longer willing to be submissive to the Rosenberg family's stance.
"It seems our thoughts are very similar," Laszlo explained further. "The composition of the Bohemian Diet is too complex, and the scope of its jurisdiction is so large that the boundaries of public interest have become blurred. Do you wish to discuss your own interests together with representatives from Lusatia?"
Peter shook his head repeatedly in denial.
South Bohemia, North Bohemia, and a bunch of peripheral areas included—this span was simply too large for a regional government.
Even if Peter didn't understand profound principles, he realized what the Emperor was trying to convey.
"Are you planning to partition Bohemia?"
The Emperor had previously split the Kingdom of Bohemia into three; now the remaining main body of Bohemia was facing a second partition. Peter didn't know if this was good or bad.
However, the Emperor soon gave him a clear standard for judgment.
"Bohemia indeed needs to be partitioned. I am currently planning to divide Bohemia into northern and southern parts, plus a border region, according to custom.
And as the preeminent great noble of South Bohemia, the rights of the Rosenberg family will be respected."
"Your Majesty, please speak plainly. What should I do?" Peter's mind was sharp enough to quickly realize that South Bohemia would become the exclusive domain of the Rosenberg family.
If a new state could truly be partitioned, the position of governor could only be intended for him.
Representing the Emperor locally to govern subjects and using the opportunity to expand the Rosenberg family's power—nothing could be more satisfying.
"I need you to use your family's influence to lobby for the partition of the Bohemian Diet and its lands.
This task can be taken slowly. I will issue a decree to partition Bohemia at the appropriate time; until then, I need you to work hard on it."
Laszlo did not place his hopes entirely on this young man from the Rosenberg family; he had his own forces in Bohemia who could also push things along, both openly and covertly.
As the absolute leaders of the Bohemian Catholic Noble League in earlier years, the Rosenberg family's influence, even if diminished, was still not to be underestimated.
With their support, partitioning Bohemia would no longer be a difficult task.
"I will definitely not let you down," Peter promised, patting his chest.
A secret deal was thus reached; after the annihilation of the Hussites, the Emperor and the Rosenberg family were collaborating once again.