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

Chapter 1608 A Letter from Afar

Although Franz rejected the land cruiser plan, the Austrian Imperial military did not give up on research into large land machinery.

The land-based cruiser, which was 25 meters long, 8 meters wide, and had a combat weight of 320 tons, was towed back and repurposed into a mobile hunting platform.

The Austrian Imperial Weapons Development Office made comprehensive improvements in response to the problems raised by Franz. Although significant issues still exist, substantial progress has been made.

Of course, such a bulky contraption was of little use in actual combat, but it was different at this time, serving as a way to flaunt the strength of the Austrian Empire to the other German princes.

After a morning of hunting, the young royals from various countries had a great time, mainly thanks to the Austrian Empire providing a large quantity of game in the hunting grounds.

Almost everyone's catch exceeded double digits, but Franz had the biggest harvest, which exceeded triple digits, including brown bears and lions.

As for how there were lions in Bohemia, you'd have to ask the Austrian Empire's chief forestry officer and hunting ground officials.

Franz posed for a photo next to the mountain of prey, and at that moment the hornmen sounded their loudest horns to announce the end of the hunt.

According to tradition, Franz would personally cut off a piece of meat from the largest beast he had hunted and give it to his confidants or guests as a sign of favor.

Franz cut off a large chunk of flesh from the lion's chest and gave it to Field Marshal Radetzky, a veteran of the Austrian Empire.

Franz's move seemed unusual to others, given that it was a crucial moment in the reform of the gold standard, and as the emperor of the Austrian Empire, he should have been trying to win over powerful allies. Instead, Franz bestowed this favor upon an elderly "servant".

This is not merely a piece of meat, but the highest honor symbolizing bravery and strength, the ultimate affirmation of Field Marshal Radetzky's lifelong military service and loyalty to the Habsburg family and the Austrian Empire.

No medal or reward can compare to this, after all, this is usually the treatment reserved for feudal lords.

Marshal Radecki, already 87 years old, lived up to expectations and straightened his back once again, stepping forward and extending his hands to receive the warm flesh. He could feel that the lion seemed to still be alive.

Marshal Radetzky received countless military orders, swords, and reins throughout his life, but this was the most solemn one he had ever received.

"This honor is far too heavy for me. But I accept it! Not for myself, but for all the warriors who are loyal to the Empire!"

Throughout my long military career, I have witnessed too many victories and too many deaths. It can be said that every victory I experienced was bought with the sacrifice of countless soldiers.

"Your Majesty, I will not keep this honor to myself. I implore you to allow me to take it back to pay tribute to those soldiers who cannot return home."

Radecki's statement was perfectly reasonable. If he had simply described it as a personal honor and accepted it gladly, it could easily have been interpreted as Franz showing favoritism, disregarding the royal family while valuing a servant.

However, if this is elevated to the level of the entire Austrian Imperial Army, then those princes can hardly say anything more.

This was certainly not an impromptu performance by Radecki; such a major national event could not possibly have been rehearsed without prior planning.

Franz did not believe that a piece of meat could buy the hearts of other monarchs, but he knew it would be enough to win over the soldiers.

Just look at the enthusiastic soldiers and young officers around him; their pride was practically overflowing. However, Franz's actions were bound to provoke the displeasure of some traditional monarchs, who, in their view, no matter what honors a nobleman achieved, could only ever be a "servant" and could never compare to royalty.

Of course, people who truly believe in these theories and have a stable inner world won't think much of it; at most, they might just think that Franz is going a bit too far with his showmanship.

However, there will always be a group of people who feel insulted but dare not speak out.

The civil officials of the Austrian Empire did not think that Franz was valuing military officers and suppressing civil officials, after all, Franz was never stingy with rewards.

In the palace next to the royal hunting grounds, hundreds of chefs from various courts were busily preparing dishes from all the game before sunset to present to Franz and the kings.

There will undoubtedly be a grand banquet at the Prague Palace tonight, but even the royal families and their retinues (nobles) combined could not possibly consume so much of the hunt.

Therefore, apart from a few delicacies that can be served at tonight's banquet, the vast majority of dishes will be given to the common people watching from outside the hunting grounds.

The flames roared and the sizzling sound of roasting meat filled the air, already making everyone's mouths water. As is customary, the hunting grounds would also provide wine for the crowd, but they had to bring their own glasses.

Countless people are sharing fine wine and delicacies at this moment, truly giving one the feeling of sharing food and drink among their own people.

What Franz didn't know was that hunting dinners were usually not this large; enough food for a hundred people was already considered a great favor.

In some dire years, only a few dishes could be provided to ordinary people.

However, this time, more than a hundred barrels of beer and wine were prepared, which shows how large the scale was.

It was obvious that this was another vanity project, but given the good economic situation of the Austrian Empire at the time, the fact that it had not fought a major war for several years, and that Prague was one of the most economically developed regions in the Austrian Empire, the imperial government was bound to choose to hold a grand event.

In the midst of the banquet, Franz received a letter from St. Petersburg.

As expected, the armistice agreement between the Holy League and the Ottoman Empire was set to expire, and Nicholas I had already decided to continue his attack on the Ottoman Empire.

"The cold winds of St. Petersburg cannot extinguish my passion for the sacred duty I bear. The time has come for us, monarchs bearing a sacred mission, to lay the foundation for peace in Europe with swift and decisive action."

The Ottoman Empire, the "sick man of West Asia," is beyond saving; its collapse is God's will and also what we need. Austria should now join forces with Russia to eliminate this great scourge and ensure lasting peace for all of Europe.

The recapture of Constantinople has been a long-cherished wish of my family. If we obtain this ancient city, I guarantee with the reputation of the Romanov family that the Habsburg eagle will soar over the Mediterranean, upholding the friendship between the Eastern and Western Roman Empires.”

Nicholas I's stated claim was that Russia would seize Constantinople, while the Austrian Empire would gain the Eastern Aegean Sea.

These include: Samos, Chios, Lesbos, Lemnos, Sassos, Samothrace, Pusala, Fourni Islands, Rhodes, Cyprus, and other islands.

However, in reality, after Russia acquired Eastern Thrace (Constantinople), it effectively blocked the Austrian Empire from continuing its eastward expansion, and the legacy of the Ottoman Empire was naturally also accepted.

The so-called Eastern Aegean Sea, however, had to be fought for by the Austrian Empire itself; at the very least, Franz had to get past the British first.