The crown was set to arrive in Vilnius in a few days, a piece of information known only to the Grand Duchy's high-ranking officials, yet King Sigismund still felt an involuntary surge of joy.
Of course, he hadn't forgotten Manuel, who had helped him persuade Švitrigaila.
The afternoon after confirming the information was true, he eagerly invited Manuel to the mansion where they had last met, wanting to thank him properly.
Upon receiving the invitation, Manuel pondered for a moment before immediately accepting.
He planned to use this opportunity not only to leverage King Sigismund's connections for a swift audience with Vytautas but also to gauge the potential future rulers of Lithuania's views on the situation in Crimea.
When he arrived at King Sigismund's mansion and met with him, the two exchanged compliments and pleasantries.
Then, King Sigismund smiled and informed him, "Your Excellency Manuel, tomorrow, my brother, the current Duke of Lithuania, will personally grant you an audience.
However, due to various factors, this meeting can only be considered private.
Please forgive us."
So, Vytautas, that old fox, is finally willing to see him, Manuel mused in his heart.
He then returned the greeting, expressing his gratitude, before subtly probing King Sigismund for his views on the situation in Crimea.
When asked about the matter, King Sigismund frowned, shook his head, and said helplessly, "Supporting the Tatar rebels to accelerate the collapse of the Golden Horde is the most important part of my brother's Eastern strategy.
That's why he supported Tokhtamysh back then and is now actively sending troops to help Haji Giray.
But in my humble opinion, this is completely unnecessary.
Those pagan lands should be taken by us Christians, not by supporting pagan Tatar princes as proxies."
Hmm, should I tell him that annexing after supporting a vassal causes less upheaval than directly taking the land myself? This thought popped into Manuel's mind.
But he quickly restrained himself from saying it, for if the other party understood, his own gains would diminish.
King Sigismund continued to complain, "Not to mention, the Tatars are all ambitious, especially that Haji Giray.
My brother even held him when he was a child, and now he wants to use Lithuania's momentum to establish himself.
If he wants to be Khan so badly, why doesn't he go be Khan of Eastern Tataria?
No one there would compete with him for the Khanate."
After he finished speaking, everyone present burst into laughter, and the room was filled with a joyful atmosphere.
By evening, after Manuel returned to the embassy from King Sigismund's mansion, he had largely confirmed the attitude of most Lithuanian nobles: at least the native faction led by King Sigismund was unwilling to provide full support for Crimea.
If Vytautas wasn't holding them back, he would bet that these Lithuanian and Rus' nobles would wish to warp their levied soldiers back to their own fiefdoms.
"Tomorrow, I'll be able to properly confirm Vytautas's attitude," Manuel thought with a smile, feeling that a beautiful future was beckoning him.
However, based on the intelligence he had received, he felt he still needed to remain vigilant.
The next day, led by a servant sent by Vytautas, Manuel confidently stepped into the Lithuanian Duke's palace.
The palace interior was a blend of Baltic and Rus' styles, lavishly decorated, but his keen eye quickly noticed the history of the court treasures displayed there.
It seemed none of the local treasures predated Lithuania's feudal history.
"A nouveau riche?" This thought flashed through Manuel's mind, but he quickly scoffed at himself, "Then what is Theodoro?
Hmm, that doesn't seem right."
He thought carefully; at least the Gavras Family was a renowned noble family with several centuries of history.
As he was lost in thought, he finally met Grand Duke Vytautas, guided by the servant.
After Vytautas waved his hand, the irrelevant servants in the room all withdrew to allow the two of them to converse.
Vytautas, sitting before Manuel, was no longer as energetic as he had been in 1427.
The file of time had etched many marks of vicissitude on the old Duke's face; his age spots were more prominent, his eyes were much cloudier, and his hands trembled slightly.
Even so, his expression was still filled with the solemn authority of an enlightened ruler, commanding respect.
But Manuel still recalled King Sigismund's warning: "Duke is seriously ill.
I suggest you be very careful with your words when you meet him."
Mindful of this, when Manuel saw him, he first performed a very respectful Catholic vassal's bow, then exchanged a few pleasantries with Vytautas.
During this, Vytautas highly praised his strategy for retrieving the crown, while Manuel humbly replied multiple times, knowing that his plan was ultimately just seizing an opportunity, not truly changing the overall trend.
"But that's enough.
In any case, I've helped Lithuania take a step forward on its path from a Grand Duchy to a Kingdom.
Duke should grant my small requests.
These aren't excessive for Lithuania either," Manuel thought.
After they had discussed the Lithuanian crown for quite some time, Manuel finally subtly asked Vytautas for his views on the situation in Crimea, especially regarding Haji Giray.
When Haji Giray was mentioned, a spark seemed to ignite in Vytautas's cloudy eyes.
"Haji Giray, ah, I even held that child when he was young."
This statement made Manuel's heart skip a beat, but his face remained impassive as he continued to listen to Vytautas's rambling with a normal expression.
Vytautas then, like any ordinary old man, recounted Haji Giray's life trajectory to Manuel, from his grandfather's death in a power struggle within the Golden Horde when he was young, to his father's death fighting for Lithuania, and then his uncle's death in Sarai.
He also spoke of how Haji, disguised as a shepherd by loyal family retainers, fled to Lithuania as a child, and how his upbringing and abilities earned him the favor of Vytautas and others.
Now, he had finally achieved his wish and returned to his family's ancestral lands.
"All of this is what he deserves," Vytautas said.
"Indeed, it's like the knightly romance stories popular in Western Europe: after enduring hardships and dangers, the noble knight finally marries the beautiful princess, obtains rich territories, and becomes a revered monarch," Manuel agreed, lowering his head, his face hidden in shadow.
Vytautas nodded, smiling contentedly, "Yes, Haji Giray, he has good character, outstanding ability, and a prominent family background.
The Tatars within the Grand Duchy are wholeheartedly helping him.
To be frank, more than thirty percent of the army helping him restore his Khanate this time consists of Tatar soldiers from Lithuania."
"But Duke, ever since Haji Giray took control of Crimea, the number of Tatar bandits on the border has surged, and he even previously called us 'Kafir,'" Manuel said tentatively.
"He has largely dealt with the bandit issue.
As for the word 'Kafir,' that should refer to you, not to us.
His previous replies to me were respectful and polite, you know."
Perhaps due to his poor health, Vytautas blurted out such words.
Upon hearing this, Manuel felt his blood pressure rise, but he still wanted to make another effort, so he continued to respectfully ask, "Duke, forgive my abruptness, but I still wish to know the Grand Duchy's general strategy for the southern Eastern European Great Plains."
When Manuel asked about this, Vytautas's aged body seemed to become somewhat agitated.
He straightened up and provided Manuel with his brief plan: "Defeating the Golden Horde is the Grand Duchy's strategic imperative.
Haji Giray and his territory play an irreplaceable role in this.
Rest assured, once everything settles, everyone will receive their deserved outcome."
"What about us?" Manuel asked abruptly.
"Enough, Your Excellency Manuel.
I personally suggest that the Principality of Theodoro focus on managing its own lands.
I especially advise against you having any covetous thoughts about Haji Giray's territory, whether for your own sake or for the Principality of Theodoro.
You must be self-aware, understand?
My previous dispatch of troops to support you was out of my personal admiration for you.
But within the sphere of Lithuanian influence, I am very clear about what is important and what is not.
Therefore, I do not wish to hear any rumors of Greek-style conspiracies at this critical time, understand?" Vytautas narrowed his cloudy yet sharp eyes, warning him.
"Understood, Duke.
As your loyal vassal, I will certainly not engage in any improper conduct," Manuel concealed his inner emotions and bowed his head in promise.
"I hope Your Excellency remembers this."
"That is certain, Duke."
The conversation thus ended in failure.
On his way back to the embassy, Manuel subtly flinched in an unnoticed spot, then turned with a concerned expression and asked, "By the way, Duke, are your current symptoms gout?"
"Has Your Excellency also studied medicine?" Vytautas exclaimed.
"Yes," he nodded, "and according to what I've read in ancient Greek medical texts, Hippocrates once said that both lead sugar and bloodletting can effectively treat gout."
"Is that so? I will consider it," Vytautas was overjoyed.
"Hmm, may the Lord bless your body," Manuel narrowed his eyes and smiled gently.