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

Chapter 1580 The Cause and Effect (Part 2)

"Who had those opposition nobles been in contact with before?"

"It is Lord Palmerston."

"what?"

John Russell sat up immediately; he hadn't expected that guy to still be haunting him.

But at this moment, John Russell finally connected all the clues and concluded that Palmerston was the mastermind behind it all.

The reason, of course, is to seek revenge on himself and to reclaim the political rights that belong to him.

Having successfully convinced himself, John Russell broke out in a cold sweat.

Do you know what they were talking about?

John Russell continued to ask.

"It's still unclear."

"Keep a close eye on them."

"Yes."

Not to mention how John Russell outwitted Palmerston.

A new round of entrapment operations has been launched within the Austrian Empire.
Many people have received similar letters.

"I am Kossuth Séchenyi. I am not dead and I urgently need start-up capital to overthrow the corrupt Habsburg dynasty."

Please transfer the funds to the account “XXX1848Long Live Hungary”.

After this is accomplished, I will reward you with official rank and title.

Although it was a letter that made people laugh, many people still sent him money.

According to the banking rules at the time, the remittance amount could not be less than 10 florins, which was equivalent to several thousand dollars in modern terms, and was not a small amount.

Therefore, it is highly likely that those who send money to them are not just doing it for fun, which greatly eliminates the possibility of innocent people being wronged.

On the other hand, there are rumors that the Magyars will launch an uprising simultaneously in certain locations at a certain time on a certain day a month from now, calling on all those who want to overthrow the Habsburg dynasty to join in the great cause.

A month later, in a raid, the Austrian Empire arrested more than 4000 suspected Magyar terrorists.

There must be many people who have been wronged. Some may have been just curious, some wanted to take advantage of the situation, and some were simply bored and wanted to find something to do.

However, the secret police of the Austrian Empire would not let them go. With the help of the Great Memory Restoration Technique, the remaining Magyarist organizations within the Austrian Empire were almost completely wiped out.

Some may question the Austrian Empire's practice of fishing enforcement, but in reality, modern society has not completely banned fishing enforcement.

Entrapment operations have always existed against drug traffickers and terrorists. Even in countries with high "human rights" standards, predatory operations targeting children exist.

For highly organized and secretive societies and criminals, entrapment is the most effective method.

Of course, this method should only be used on a case-by-case basis; if it is used as a regular method, it will only cause social disorder.

Of these remaining Magyarists, apart from a very few who were hanged, most were sentenced to exile or hard labor.

Simply put, men were forced into hard labor for thirty years, while women were exiled to the colonies. The remaining children were sent to churches and colonies for reformation.

Vienna, Hofburg Palace.

"Your Majesty, may I say that you are a bad person?"

Mia Arties placed the completed report on the table and joked, she never imagined that the deep-seated problems within the Austrian Empire could be dismantled by such childish means. However, she genuinely admired the emperor before her, not just for family interests, but because the emperor was unlike the incompetent and foolish figures in history books, but more like a hero from mythology.

Didn't you say you liked bad guys?

Franz chuckled as he flipped through the intelligence reports from various places.

Freigliova chimed in with a smile.

“Mia, you probably don’t know what bad things bad people can do. Our Emperor can be very tolerant in some things, but he can’t tolerate some things for even a moment.”

Mia Artie's face immediately turned red to the tips of her ears.

Franz sighed. Mia Arties's cultivation level was still not up to par; her current state would likely affect her work.

"Miss Mia, you should go and rest today. Let Miss Diana take over your work."

Being Franz's secretary was no easy job. Although most of the work was done by the clerks, problems could easily arise if one's mind wasn't clear.

Moreover, it was unrealistic to put a woman in charge entirely; in fact, Franz had three secretaries at the time: two women and one man.

Mia Arties realized she had been somewhat out of line, so she tidied up the documents and left the room.

Franz felt a little tired, so he lay down on the cot next to him. Although he had chosen this life himself, some of his habits were really too much of a jerk.

If it weren't for their status and position, they would probably be tortured to death by PUA.

Freigliova tactfully leaned over and began reading the report.

After an unknown amount of time, Franz finally realized that something was wrong.

"Who is behind this large-scale lottery operation in the Austrian Empire?"

Franz was somewhat puzzled, as he abolished the lottery shortly after taking office.

Franz did not share Joseph II's moral fastidious view that lotteries were a shameful exploitation of the dreams of the poor; he simply felt that the returns from lotteries were not as high as those from casinos.

Some people will surely say that lotteries are for public good, while casinos are evil and profit-driven.

But this was the Austrian Empire, and Franz had plenty of ways to turn an evil casino into a charitable gambling den.

Franz dared to disclose all the casino's revenue and the details of its cash flow, revealing that apart from a small portion used for the casino's operating expenses, all other funds would be used for public works and charitable causes.

This alone makes it far superior to all lotteries and casinos before the mid-19th century, since most lotteries and casinos were not open, transparent, or charitable.

Furthermore, the Austrian Empire's charitable casinos did not allow betting on real estate or children. Those who could not repay their gambling debts were instead given years of service in the colonies. This not only helped them repay their debts but also helped them quit gambling. In addition, it also contributed to the Austrian Empire's colonial endeavors.

Because Austrian Empire law stipulated that gambling debts could not be repaid with real estate or children, it is no exaggeration to say that Austrian Empire's charitable casinos were like a colonial express train.

Franz is also narrowing the gap between the rich and the poor. The rich spend money, the poor contribute their labor, and the country benefits. It's a win-win situation.

Under Franz's dual blows, both material and psychological, the number of gamblers in the Austrian Empire is steadily decreasing year by year.

Although there are lucky individuals who become rich overnight in casinos, their stories are forbidden to be publicized, and their books are also banned from publication.

The praise has decreased, and the propaganda from the church and the government has made people more rational.

However, in an effort to promote football and unite and divide the Austrians, Franz did introduce a lottery: a football lottery. Lotteries were publicly available whenever teams from different cities played against each other.

However, Franz's lottery was more like a lucky draw; in addition to the winning prizes, he would also draw a few special numbers and give away gifts.

The so-called gifts range from large items like sewing machines and bicycles to smaller items like clothes, shoes, and hats, and even special prizes like autographed sports stars and jerseys.