The War Court and Lap Pillow, Austria's Mandate of Heaven

Chapter 1348 Wedding (Part )

Above the sparkling water, the huge "Franz Joseph" blew its whistle. The onlookers cheered one after another. They had never seen such a ship, such people, or such a wedding.
Both banks were filled with people who wanted to catch a glimpse of the Emperor and the Empress. Franz and Olga came to the bow of the ship, and the salute that had been prepared on the shore suddenly sounded, and people exclaimed excitedly again.

Although Olga was exhausted by the heavy wedding dress and crown, she still waved her arms tenaciously to greet the people on both sides of the strait.

Franz on the side seemed calm and composed, which made Olga's eyes unconsciously become a little resentful.

Franz also noticed this and consoled her.

"In fact, if you had chosen less jewelry, the situation would be very different now."

"Humph."

Olga did not speak. She still needed to maintain her strength. God knew when this torture would end. As a Russian princess and the empress of the Austrian Empire, her sense of responsibility made her dare not slack off.

"In ten minutes, we can go to the cabin and rest for a while."

"uh-huh?"

Olga's eyes immediately lit up, and she finally saw hope.

"Let's eat something and take a short rest to replenish our energy."

"really?"

Olga asked excitedly.

Franz nodded.

"real."

The space inside the cabin is surprisingly large. The white jade ceiling is decorated with a gorgeous crystal chandelier, and the velvet floor makes people feel indescribably warm.

But Olga didn't have the mind to look at all this now. The first thing she did was to take off this deadly armor on her body, and then quickly eat something to replenish her strength.

After a while, Olga found Franz sitting opposite her and looking at her. As they sat opposite each other, Olga couldn't help but think of the scene when she left the church.

The moment the two walked out of the church, petals fell like rain, cheers sounded like thunder, and the bells of all Vienna rang for them.

Thinking of this, her cheeks turned red and she became embarrassed.

"Why don't you eat?"

"If you eat too much, your reaction will be slow."

"Then you still drink!"

Olga asked, staring at the wine glass in Franz's hand, and Franz answered seriously.

“It’s rose water.”

"."

In a blink of an eye, the rest time was over, and several maids came in to help Olga wash, put on makeup again, and change into the light pink wedding dress she brought from St. Petersburg.

Franz also took off his dress and put on a marshal's uniform.

The dock was already crowded with people before the ship docked, and the band, reporters, painters and photographers were all ready.

While Franz and Olga were taking a nap on the boat, a grand prayer ceremony was held throughout the city, involving almost all the residents of Vienna.

During this period, two hundred couples also got married, because holding a wedding on this day would receive the emperor's blessing (a gift of 1000 florins).

As the capital of art, how can Vienna be without art?
On this day, Franz provided an extra job for more than 20,000 musicians and 10,000 painters, which was to add atmosphere to the wedding, and each of them would receive a reward of 100 florins.

If their works are appreciated by the royal family, they will be hired by the royal family and receive a large sum of money.

Of course, most people were assigned to various corners of the city to improve the atmosphere, and only a few famous people could get the best positions, or even the qualification to accompany the royal family. In addition, poetry, stories, novels, and essays are also being collected, but they need to be reviewed before the bonus can be released.
Franz's wedding was a feast for the cultural circles of the Austrian Empire. One reason why he was so generous was that he needed to support the cultural industry of the Austrian Empire.

On the other hand, these guys will most likely spend the money after getting it, which will stimulate the economic development and boost consumption. In the long run, it will promote the circulation of wealth.

The Austrian Empire also made some benevolent gestures in history, but the intensity was quite limited. A total of 40 florins were allocated to alleviate poverty in the country.

Of these, 50,000 were given to Bohemia, mainly for the poor in the mountains and Prague; 12,000 florins were given to Moravia; 8,000 to Silesia; 50,000 to Galicia; 100,000 to Tyrol, mainly to help the wine growers in South Tyrol; 20,000 to Croatia; and 30,000 each to the coastal areas and Dalmatia.
The last 100,000 was used to offset the rising prices in Vienna.
Franz was naturally not so stingy. His order was to create 0.5 jobs and primary schools across the country, and all farmers in the country would pay groschen ( florins) less.

Next is the issue of amnesty that people are most concerned about. When Franz ascended the throne in 1848, he did not grant amnesty. His reason at the time was that it was a time of war.

At this time, the Austrian Empire had already defeated all its internal and external enemies. Franz couldn't continue to use this excuse, right?

In fact, many people are waiting for this amnesty. The core members and leaders of some families and organizations were arrested by the Austrian Imperial Government, leaving them leaderless. But as long as those people can be pardoned, they still have a chance to make a comeback.

Others, however, took advantage of Franz's upcoming wedding and tried to fish in troubled waters with a fluke mentality. They thought that the emperor would grant amnesty anyway, so the cost of their crime would be low, so they might as well not commit the crime.

In addition, there are some people wanted by the Austrian Imperial Government who have not left Austria, and some people even provide them with asylum, betting on this amnesty.

Franz naturally knew what these people were thinking, so how could he let them have their way? However, traditions should still be respected.

Franz's order was to halve the sentences of those political prisoners. These people were either sentenced to death or life imprisonment anyway, so halving them would not change the outcome.

As for petty thieves, they can all be sent to the colonies. Serious criminals who have performed well for many years can also be pardoned and sent to the colonies, but they need someone to act as a guarantor.

Other criminals can be transferred to labor camps as long as they behave well and repent actively. If they behave poorly, they will be sent to the colonies for reform.

The prisons of the Austrian Empire were cleared, and the people praised the emperor for his kindness.

The parade passed through Central Park and finally returned to Schönbrunn Palace. The setting sun cast a golden glow over the entire city, but the enthusiasm of the people remained unabated. After all, every location the parade passed through was new, the music was exciting, and the candies were delicious.

The kids picked up more candy than they had eaten in all the previous years combined, and of course it wasn't just the kids who picked up candy.

On the lawn of Schönbrunn Palace, a three-meter-high wedding cake stood in front of everyone, immediately winning applause.

In this era, even most princes and nobles had never seen a cake more than 1 meter high. After all, in this era when sugar can be associated with luxury goods, no one would do such a wasteful thing.

In fact, Franz was not interested in this kind of thing. After all, in his impression, the bigger it was, the less delicious it was, or even impossible to eat it at all.

No one had ever done this before, but there were so many distinguished guests coming to Vienna at this time that even if each person only got a small piece of the largest cake known at the time, it would not be enough.

In order to avoid this embarrassment, Franz's sister Maria Anna took the ladies of the Vienna Women's Academy and after repeated experiments, they finally pieced together the largest cake in history.

As for the cost, experts like Babbage, who had blood sugar problems, were directly hospitalized.

After the cake was divided, it was getting dark. This was a good time to set off fireworks. Franz and Olga stood on the balcony to enjoy the fireworks, and the flames exploded in the night.

As a burst of magnesium powder was ignited and emitted an intense white light, the picture was frozen at this moment.

Franz and Olga finally breathed a sigh of relief together, the long day was finally over.

The two looked at each other for a long time in the light of the fireworks. Olga finally took the initiative to hug Franz's neck and gave him a tentative kiss.

Franz lifted Olga's legs and picked her up, then walked towards the bedroom.
"Is there a woman in the world who can make people feel noble even if she is naked?"

Olga unconsciously expressed the doubts in her heart. In her mind, the man in front of her was too mysterious, dangerous, and perfect.

Olga wondered how he would have answered differently.

"Of course there are. Venus, Lady Godiva, they are all. Some are pure and beautiful, some are noble and beautiful. People should not look down on them just because they are naked."

"what about me?"

(Lady Godiva was an Anglo-Saxon noblewoman in England who, according to legend, rode naked through the streets of Coventry in an effort to secure a reduction in the heavy taxes her husband had imposed on the citizens.)