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

Chapter 1638 Choice
Giuseppe Verdi wanted to denounce the other party for talking nonsense, but the problem was that he had once lived in Rome and witnessed the entire process of a regime from its birth to its madness and then to its destruction.

The changes brought about by the Austrian Empire are obvious, but he will not easily admit defeat.

"Your so-called peaceful life is nothing but being a prisoner of peace and a slave to tranquility! Your so-called wealth is nothing but fodder for domestication!"

I admit that Austria gave them bread and jobs, schools and hospitals, order and security, and opportunities to become officials and make money, but you have deprived us of the very right to breathe free air!

"Enough, I'm not here to debate with you. You should go debate with the masters of Vienna; they would be happy to have an academic discussion with you."

You have crossed the line for the Empire, but His Majesty the Emperor is merciful.

We have two options for you to choose from, and we kindly request that you allow us to make some minor modifications to your script to make it suitable for a wider audience.

"Don't even think about it."

Giuseppe Verdi answered without hesitation.

Baron Palvin showed no surprise and continued.

"Our second option is that we buy your works and all your property, and you can choose to go into exile overseas, whether it is England or France, we can send you there."

The Empire acknowledges your artistic talent, but your art is not suited to the Austrian Empire.

"If I remember correctly, this is the Duchy of Parma."

Baron Palvin smiled.

"But it is currently under the administration of the Austrian Empire, so you still have to abide by our laws."

What if I still refuse?

Giuseppe Verdi asked tentatively.

"Then I have nothing more to say. I must remind you that this is His Majesty's mercy, not a deal that can be negotiated."

I will wait for you at the city hall for 48 hours. If you miss it, you will be responsible for all the consequences.

After saying this, Baron Palvin put on his hat and left without looking back.

Giuseppe Verdi stood still until the carriage disappeared from his sight.

A month later, Giuseppe Verdi died in a brothel during a duel with an unknown customer.

Vienna, Hofburg Palace.

Is it really necessary to go through all this trouble?

Olga asked, puzzled.

“I am not narrow-minded, but there is no choice between so-called poetry and the country.”

Franz's answer puzzled Olga, but there was no doubt that Franz had made the right choice.

In fact, many people chose to stand against the empire around 1848, but apart from soldiers, nobles and officials, Franz did not carry out a large-scale purge.

They are usually given a choice, since many people's choices are driven by impulse or by necessity.

To choose loyalty or exile.

Franz will keep his promises no matter what the other party chooses, but he will show no mercy to those who refuse the conditions and continue to cause trouble in the Austrian Empire.

As Emperor of the Austrian Empire, Franz had his own duties to fulfill.
"Actually, I wrote 'Vienna Café'."

Franz scratched his head and said.

“Oh, so you’re the biggest traitor in the entire Austrian Empire!” Olga said with a sudden realization, then chuckled.

Franz always believed that without freedom of criticism, praise was meaningless. However, some people openly disagreed, so he couldn't be blamed.

"If criticism is not free, then praise is meaningless. If I suppress speech too much, people will only become more extreme."

A nation without intellectual stimulation, a people that stifles creativity, is destined for decline.

“Good, good, well said.” Olga said with a smile, “But I don’t think things are that complicated. One of his operas promotes rebellion, and the other uses prostitutes to satirize the nobility.”

No matter how you look at it, he is both disloyal and immoral. Allowing such a person to live is the greatest irresponsibility towards the public.

Franz said earnestly.

"Social morality is not static."

However, those who advocate division and hatred should indeed be killed. The Austrian Empire had more than a dozen ethnic groups and hundreds of dialects. There were four Christian faiths alone. If you include other sects and various branches, there could be at least several hundred different faiths.

Our country cannot withstand such turmoil.

Olga blinked. Franz was too complicated in her eyes, but she agreed that the person in front of her was no ordinary person.

"I'm sorry, I don't understand what you're saying, but as your wife, I will always support you."

Olga said very sincerely.

"Thank you."

Franz was already quite pleased with this.

At that time, Italy was just a geographical term, and different regions discriminated against each other. The so-called Italian language simply did not exist.

Especially in southern Italy, Neapolitan, Sicilian, and Calabrian languages ​​are heavily influenced by Greek and Arabic.

Sardinian is highly rejected by Italians because it has very little mutual intelligibility with other dialects of Italian, so it is considered the language of the French. But the problem is that the French can't understand it either.

In addition to Sardinian, Northern Italy also has Lombard, Ligurian, and Venetian languages.

In central Italy, Tuscan, Umbrian, and Romanese are the main languages ​​spoken.

Modern Italian is derived from Tuscan, a fact attributed to a certain Habsburg ancestor.

If it weren't for him, the Italian high society would still be communicating in French, but due to his enlightened rule, an additional language was unexpectedly added to the Italian high society.

As time went on, more and more prominent figures in Italy came to speak Tuscan, eventually sparking a revolution at a particular juncture.

In fact, not only language, but even the written language varies from region to region in Italy. Italian dictionaries compiled in Tuscany during the Renaissance, based on the local dialect, were never recognized by other regions even after Italian unification.

Here's something really absurd: even during the Renaissance, many Italian books and historical materials were written in French.

Ultimately, it was only through the unification of Italy by the Kingdom of Sardinia in 1861, followed by strong government support, that the Italian language as we know it today came into being.

People only know that Germany is disorganized, but little do they know that Italy is no better.

If Franz persists in promoting German and using education to improve the younger generation, he believes that decades later, Italians will be able to proudly say, "All of Italy has been part of the Austrian Empire since ancient times."

As for so-called nationalism, it was just a newborn at this time, unknown and misunderstood by most people.

Most so-called nationalists are nothing more than profit-driven speculators. To deal with them, simply make the risks outweigh the rewards, and they will reveal their weakness and duplicity.

Franz had countless ways to deal with those pure idealists, and he could even use them to his advantage.