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

Chapter 1353: The Journey of Pius IX

Franz liked to look out the window because there was a lot outside the palace that he couldn't see.

However, there were some things that made Franz seem uncomfortable, for example, the whole of Vienna was dominated by green at this time.

That's right, green Christmas trees, green ribbons, green Santa Claus, green gift boxes.
Franz also received a green gift box. Under the expectation of Queen Olga and the maids, he opened the box and found a green hat inside.

Franz really wanted to slap these guys to death. The cultural differences were too big. Why not give something else? They actually gave a green hat.
"Hurry up, put it on and see if it fits!"

"Hurry! Hurry!"

The girls looked expectant, which made Franz even more embarrassed.

In fact, in Austria and even in Germany, green is a symbol of health and luck. Even rising stocks are green. By the way, the ancient Romans believed that green symbolized barbarism and violence.

As for the red Christmas costumes we see today, they are actually thanks to Coca-Cola’s advertisements and some fairy tales that came later.

There is an old saying that goes "When in Rome, do as the Romans do", but Franz is not the kind of person who will always be bound by rules.

Franz roared, then rushed towards the crowd with his fangs and claws bared. Seeing this, the women fled in all directions.

He was the emperor at that time, so even if something was absurd, it would be acceptable to people.

It would be fine if it happened to others, but it is too much for my own queen to be cuckolded. She must be severely punished tonight.

Everyone was chasing and playing in the snow, but in fact it did not snow in Vienna on Christmas this year.

Instead, the Austrian Imperial Academy of Sciences had misused their talents again. These people used the most advanced technology at the time, even including generators that were still kept secret, to tinker with a snow-making machine.

However, it is not quite correct to call it a snowmaking machine. To be more precise, it should be a condensed ice crushing machine.

The scientists of the Austrian Empire were very proud of this unknown machine, but Franz could not understand the source of this pride.

The efficiency of this machine is very low, and it can only work at night to ensure maximum efficiency. Although Franz thought it was nothing, under the lights in the palace, these artificial snowflakes looked mysterious.

After all, in the dark night, only the Schönbrunn Palace saw snowflakes falling, which made people think a lot.

In front of the church gate, the royal family, the government and the church distributed special communion to the people, including bread, red wine, and carp.

The carp that Franz had been dreaming about was still unsalable, so he could only reduce his losses in this way.

Leaving aside the Austrian imperial government, the church was very willing to take on this kind of task. After all, even if Franz did not find a reason to ask them for money directly, they would still have to pay. In the church's view, it would be better to take the initiative to use the money to do something rather than pay passively.

In addition to the Eucharist, parish residents were also provided with daily necessities such as coal, matches, Holy Light (bleaching powder), and free medical treatment.

The believers holding baskets were even more pious when they prayed.
However, people were still dying in places that Franz could not see. Although the city of Vienna was neither poor nor cold, many people still died of hunger and cold.

Franz has made a lot of efforts over the years and distributes a considerable amount of relief every winter.

However, for the poor in Vienna, winter is still a disaster. Unlike the nobles who look forward to the romance of snow, the poor are praying that it won’t snow, because the sudden drop in temperature will bring many problems.

The most direct result for the poor was death and bankruptcy. Some people lost their lives to the cold and disease, while others were burdened with debts because of the cold and disease.

Of course, Franz's actions were not completely ineffective. The corpse movers from Ireland all lamented that in such a big city like Vienna, the work was actually easier than in the town where they used to live.

There were also people who went out to give alms to the poor, and even renovated areas where the poor lived or provided work-for-relief like the imperial government did. Their efforts also reduced the death toll.

However, Franz knew very well that the fundamental solution to this problem was to improve social production efficiency, increase the supply of necessities such as food and coal, and increase employment.
With the invention of the generator, the Austrian Empire will enter a new peak. Franz knows that these problems will eventually be solved, but he hopes that day will come sooner. The next day, Hofburg Palace.

Pius IX's donation of land was completely unexpected to Franz. In fact, the latter had never relaxed his vigilance against the former.

After all, in history, Pius IX was a very difficult Pope. In addition to playing with fire by promoting nationalism, he also openly threatened the Austrian Empire and demanded his own secular power.

As for some religious reforms, they are even more bizarre.
But summing up all the information, Franz could determine that Pius IX was a very stingy and vengeful person who had an almost obsessive desire for his own secular power.

Anyway, Franz didn't quite believe that Pius IX would hand over the land of the Papal States, even though there was no land in the Papal States that was completely loyal to the Roman Curia.

Before 1848, during the reign of Metternich, the influence of the Austrian Empire had already penetrated into every aspect of the Papal States. Coupled with a major riot in 1848, the Papal States were almost under the actual control of Austria.

The worst thing was the people's defection. Pius IX was not a popular leader, but Francis was.

At this time, Pius IX came before Franz, and the latter also wanted to hear what the former wanted to do.

"Your Majesty, I have experienced countless life-and-death decisions and tests in the past two years. I think God must have his reasons for arranging this, and I may not be qualified to continue to watch over the herd.

God sent you to me, maybe you are more qualified and more powerful than me."

Franz did not answer. This kind of fantasy and realistic words sounded very strange, but it was in line with Pius IX's usual style.

"I heard from Brother Rauscher that what you said about Elder John might not be a fiction. But our church has also sent many people to search for Elder John but found nothing."

"Is it possible that Elder John hasn't been born yet? Hasn't found his true mission yet?"

Pius IX's eyes lit up.

"Brother Rauscher said that you once received a revelation that there would be a catastrophe in the far east. Is it related to Elder John?"

"I only know that soon an elder who claims to fight for God will appear in the East. I don't know the rest."

"Okay! I'm going to the East to atone for my sins."

Pius IX muttered to himself.

"Good luck, Your Holiness."

Pius IX smiled.

"May God bless you, Your Majesty. But I need to borrow your power in Southeast Asia."

"can."

Pius IX pulled out another scroll.

"I hope you can take on the responsibility of protecting the herd."

"I will."

Pius IX finally found his life goal.

The temptation of Elder John and heaven is something that Pope Pius IX cannot refuse. He will embark on a long journey, and no one knows what the ending will be.