In 1457 Vlad helped his cousin take Moldavia, thus ending an alliance with Stephen the Great. History proves, however, that Vlad was to be betrayed by his cousin in one of the hardest moments.
In an attempt to help Wallachian merchants increase their income, he decided to close the roads for the foreigners that enjoyed free pass until then. He allowed them to participate with their goods [but only in large volumes] in three exhibitions at the border; called in documents “store cities” : Targoviste, Campulung and Targsor.
Hence commerce in Wallachia would be made only by local vendors.
Accustomed with frequent changes of rulers, of which in fact they were not estranged, the Germans decided to ignore these orders, so Vlad sent his personal army on their trail.
This type of army was something new and represented the Wallachian prince’s personal guard. Because he had noticed how those in job for the sultan acted, he adapted this new form of organization and hired mercenaries that answered directly to him. These soldiers were hardened in the “art” of war and made up the military elite. To ensure that it will not betray him, Vlad allowed them to steal from the enemy when they attacked settlements at his command.
The Germans captured on Wallachian roads were impaled and their possessions confiscated.
Shortly after this episode, Matthias received letters from the desperate Saxons of Brasov and Sibiu; they complained that they had been attacked by Vlad. What they “forgot” to mention, however, is that he had previously asked them to stop aiding the pretenders to his throne. In fact he was banished himself from Brasov in 1452 because of the same reason.
The refusal to have his opponents banished led to raids in a couple of regions near Brasov and Sibiu! There were many casualties and property damage.
Vlad continued to pay tribute up until 1459 when the sultan asked for 500 of his young for his contingents of janissaries.
This was unprecedented for the Romanian Country because this requirement was specific only to regions under Turkish occupancy and Wallachia retain its autonomy. Vlad paid only a sum calculated according to annual production.
If he had “delivered” the young boys it would have been equivalent to him accepting the integration into the Ottoman political and administrative structures – so occupation.
But even if Wallachia paid tribute it kept its internal autonomy, landowners had the right to choose the ruler, and people practice their own religion without restriction. The Turks had no right to settle permanently [by in possession of houses, buy land or build mosques on the territory]. The only foreigners were tolerated Catholics, but they lived in closed communities and were forbidden to practice any religious rituals in public. Instead, the Orthodox were welcome. Gypsies had slave status and adopted the religion of the majority.
Three years would still pass until the outbreak of war between Vlad the Impaler and the Conqueror of Constantinople.

๑۞๑ Related:๑۞๑
† Vlad the Impaler
† Count Dracula