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

Chapter 1655 Battle of Two Kings
Franz was speechless at Johann Strauss Sr.'s behavior, and could only say, "He was no ordinary man."

Such an incredible feat is something most people couldn't accomplish, but the Austrian Empire was quite tolerant of artistic creation.

As long as there's no open rebellion, they generally won't be bothered too much. Of course, even those who have openly rebelled in the past will be given a chance by Franz; as long as they're willing to sever ties with their past, they can be pardoned.

If things really get too difficult, one can choose to go into exile or develop in a colony.

If they absolutely had to prove themselves, then Franz could only see them off.

Johann Strauss Jr. was young and impetuous, and Franz was genuinely afraid that he might resist to the bitter end if he couldn't control his temper.

Fortunately, Johann Strauss Jr.'s mindset changed significantly after witnessing the great rebellion of 1848, and his view of the world also changed considerably.

He stopped paying attention to certain words and became more pragmatic.

In fact, it was mainly under Franz's immense pressure that the evil within the rebellion was more fully revealed. This was extremely damaging to idealists; their faith in their ideals completely collapsed, and they felt a profound despair at the evil in human nature.

Even after being pardoned by Franz, many people like Johann Strauss Jr. locked themselves in their homes and began to rethink the meaning of their existence and whether their previous actions were right or wrong.

Everyone was fighting for freedom, fairness, justice, and a better tomorrow, but the result was the collapse of order, rampant wolves, and people starving. All the beauty was swallowed up by the cruelty of reality.

Those comrades who once fought alongside you and shared the same lofty ideals eventually became cruel, indifferent, paranoid, and even insane.

They distrusted, schemed against, betrayed, and even killed each other. Ultimately, they became what they hated most: black-and-white logic replaced reason, and tyranny replaced democracy.

Johann Strauss Jr. even doubted what he was actually praising, wondering if he was also an accomplice of them.
When the Austrian army counterattacked, those men behaved even worse, either going mad to their deaths or groveling for mercy.

This deeply humiliated Johann Strauss Jr., and the terrible process and the despairing result made him begin to doubt himself.

Few people can ultimately overcome this. Some become numb and indifferent, some turn to debauchery because their dreams are shattered, and some seek liberation in despair like ancient martyrs.
"There is only one heroism in the world: to see the world as it is, and to love it." — Romain Rolland

Johann Strauss Jr. has successfully moved on from the shadows of his past, but his struggle with his father continues.

The resurgent Johann Strauss Sr. became a guardian of tradition and order, and his style once again leaned towards the classical.

However, this does not mean that Johann Strauss Sr.'s concerts have become stagnant. In fact, as one of the greatest musicians of the 19th century, after experiencing two near-death experiences, his music has reached new heights.

Moreover, that one piece of music, "Radetzky March," alone is enough to ensure that he will leave a lasting mark on this world.

Johann Strauss II, on the other hand, turned to the balance between romance and reality. There may have been struggles, but he was no longer fixated on it. Overall, however, his work was inspiring.

However, the struggle between father and son continues, and both sides are also preparing for the upcoming Vienna New Year's Concert.

This became a major topic of conversation in Vienna and even throughout the entire Austrian Empire. If we consider only the music world, the impact would be even greater.

January 1, 1851, Vienna Royal Opera. The news of a father and son performing together was quite eye-catching, especially since both were true masters, attracting many music lovers and professionals. It was no exaggeration to call it a grand event in the music world.

Both sides made thorough preparations for this showdown. Even before the showdown began, the atmosphere was already tense, with the media battle raging from the streets to newspapers and even professional magazines.

The supporters of both sides were extremely tense, and several fights even broke out in bars. Johann Strauss Sr. even doubled the size of his orchestra for this showdown, reaching the maximum size limit of the opera house.

They spared no expense in purchasing complete performance outfits for each musician and even specially commissioned a batch of medals in order to overwhelm their opponents in terms of presence.

Johann Strauss Jr. was not to be outdone; he personally went to music academies to recruit people and even recruited street performers to join his band.

This behavior was absolutely unconventional at the time, but Johann Strauss Jr. himself didn't seem to care.

In addition, both sides made every effort to use their personal connections to find assistants. Johann Strauss Jr. brought in Lister, while Johann Strauss Sr. brought in Talberg.

Although Talberg is not well-known in later generations, at that time he was definitely the only musician who could rival Liszt.

Talberg once engaged in an eight-year musical duel with Liszt in Paris. The two were evenly matched in terms of playing technique, with Talberg even having a slight advantage.

However, Talberg's musical talent mainly remained superficial, and due to a lack of depth, he was often described by music critics as "all show and no substance," which is a major reason why he is rarely mentioned in modern times.

Ultimately, Talberg admitted defeat and went to the Americas.

However, even as a mere enforcer, Talberg is still above average.

The rivalry between the two kings has now been established, with the Strauss family and their rivals, Thalberg and Liszt, generating considerable buzz.

Tickets for the New Year's Concert are being sold on the black market, even standing room only, for 150 florins. This price is outrageous, considering that standing room tickets usually only cost 20 florins.

（常用货币为 1弗罗林银币=12克罗伊茨=30格罗伸=120芬尼=0.83塔勒）

However, Franz need not worry about this, since the entire Royal Opera House belongs to him.

Of course, there are also some troubles. Because of the royal name, prices cannot be raised at will. The excessively high prices of this grand event will inevitably cause dissatisfaction among many people.

Franz simply kept enough complimentary tickets and sold the rest at the prices of previous years. Although it was a windfall, it was only a drop in the ocean for Franz.

However, whether or not one could actually buy a ticket depended on a lottery, since Vienna had a population of over a million at the time.

Those lucky winners can choose to participate in the event or sell their winnings for a substantial income; either way, they can be considered lucky.

Although ticket prices did not increase, the Austrian Empire devoted more than ten times the extra effort to it.

Such a grand event could easily turn into a funeral if not handled properly, so the Royal Opera House strives to ensure that everything is perfect in every aspect.