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

Chapter 1354 My stupid brother!
After the Pope left, Maximilian came to visit.

Franz is now very troubled by his younger brother, whose behavior is a good example of what it means to be insatiable.

When Franz first proposed that Maximilian be made King of the Two Sicilies, the latter could not believe that he could become king. He expressed his endless gratitude to the former and even wrote a poem.

However, because it was too corny, Franz decided not to write it.

In fact, Franz had planned to let Maximilian be the King of the Two Sicilies long ago. After all, the Austrian Empire needed to be careful about its appearance, and the Habsburg family also needed its so-called reputation. It could not scare the small countries around it, nor give Britain, France, and Prussia an excuse to attack itself.

Of course, Franz also wanted to fulfill Madame Sophie's wish: to make Maximilian a king.

This was not difficult for Franz to do, and when the opportunity came he chose to go with the flow.

In addition, it can also prevent Maximilian from corrupting the customs of Venice. No matter which province of the Austrian Empire, if a guy like Maximilian serves as viceroy, it will cause big problems.

In fact, Madame Sophie rarely cared about political affairs. After all, Franz was capable enough, and the former felt that his level could not help the latter, so he simply devoted himself to family affairs and the fashion business.

However, Maximilian's initial excitement did not last long. He was eager to take office in the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, but the Bourbon royal family had not yet completed their move.

In order to prevent Maximilian from getting things out of control, Franz had to keep him in Vienna for the time being.

As the Pope gave Rome to Francis, Maximilian had a new idea and thought it would be a good idea to make Rome the capital of the Kingdom of Italy.
"The entire Austrian Empire is already yours. Can't you give me a little Rome?"

"Isn't the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies' 110,000 square kilometers enough for you to mess around with?"

"It's 11.19. And my country is called Italy."

Maximilian corrected smugly, but was slammed against the wall by Franz the next second, the latter's elbow digging into the former's throat.

"Damn Italy! Your delusions will kill you! Do you know that?"

Franz's sudden rage made Maximilian feel the fear of death, but the latter still stiffened his neck. He was just a little unconvinced that he could not block a single blow even though he was exercising every day.

Looking at Maximilian's expression, Franz increased the strength of his arms.

"If I hear you say Italy is a country again, I will kill you myself. Do you understand?"

Maximilian's face quickly turned red, and he finally uttered a word with difficulty.

"I understand."

Franz then let go of Maximilian, who sat against the wall, breathing heavily.

The aide-de-camp, Bordeaux, was standing at the door, looking at a loss.

"Get out!"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Bordeaux quickly retreated and closed the door.

Maximilian said as soon as he caught his breath.

"Why won't you give me Rome? What are you afraid of? Are you afraid that I will surpass you?"

Franz really didn't want to explain to the guy in front of him. According to his ancestral teachings, he shouldn't explain to his subjects or brothers.

But Franz softened his heart.

"I'm not afraid of you surpassing me. It's just that you are not worthy, your talent is not worthy of your ambition. If you just make trouble in a place like the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, I can still save you. If I give you Rome, you may be dead before my army arrives."

What Franz did not say was that for the happiness of the people of the Austrian Empire, an exploitable and comparable semi-colonial country was very important.

There were too many Italians in the Austrian Empire, and they valued their land and cultural traditions.

This was a disaster for a multi-ethnic country, but fortunately the Austrian Empire had a strong central government at that time.

On the other hand, the Italians in the Austrian Empire lived too happily. They enjoyed the Austrian Empire's advanced technology, stable social environment, and national policy leanings, and almost monopolized the Austrian Empire's external channels.

However, in the past 1848, Franz did not see the "loyalty" he deserved. After investigation, if Franz had not acted early at the time, I am afraid that the Italian coalition army would have far exceeded one million.

If Franz had not invested heavily in Trieste, the Austrian Empire would have been cut off from all external ties at the beginning of the rebellion, and famine caused by the war would have been inevitable, and it would also have been impossible to prevent other countries from taking advantage of the situation.

So Franz needed a mirror to help his people see the situation outside clearly.

Maximilian sneered.

"Do you think I'm as hated as you are? Do you know what people call you?"

"Tyrannical King. But only a small number of people in a very small circle would say that."

Franz said without hesitation.

"Humph! That's because people don't know the truth! Your cruelty is known to everyone from California to Japan.

I won’t be like you!”

Maximilian had blood flowing from his mouth, but he still spoke with great pride as if he was venting his dissatisfaction over the years.

Franz picked up Maximilian again.

"My brother, you should be thankful that we were born in Vienna. If it were in the East, you would know what cruelty is."

Franz pushed Maximilian against the wall and patted him on the shoulder.

"Make good use of your talents. My country and people need you. Go ahead and do it. I will save you. I won't let you become a stain on the family."

Maximilian tried to stand up again in anger, but was caught by Franz and thrown against the wall.

Franz took out a handkerchief and wiped the blood off his body, then rang the bell.

"Miss Mia, Archduke Maximilian unfortunately tripped and fell. Take him to see a doctor."

"I can walk by myself!"

Maximilian pushed the man away.

For Franz, the best option for the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies was not to join the Austrian Empire at this time. The infrastructure of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies was too backward and the terrain was too complex. The funds and energy required to consolidate and develop this region were too huge.

If they are just partners, it is enough to build a few railways leading to key ports. For example, Taranto, the gateway to the Adriatic Sea, is not only a gateway to the Adriatic Sea, but also an excellent military port.

In addition, ports such as Catania and Syracuse on the Two Sicilies can also directly threaten the British Island of Malta.

If the Austrian Empire wanted to break out of the Mediterranean, it had to conquer this bathing basin first.