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

Chapter 1805 School Examination
In the children's room, Carl Augustus had already begun his studies. Although he was diligent, he still only had a vague understanding of the teachers' explanations.

The main problem was that Franz set a bad precedent, and the royal family and the teachers were eager to produce another emperor like Franz.

If we could mass-produce Holy Rulers, that would be perfect for this country and our family.

Alexander, who lives next door, receives a traditional aristocratic education, and a gentle and beautiful tutor is telling him stories.

However, Alexander was clearly more interested in the toys nearby, and the nanny and maidservants did as they pleased. After all, Alexander was not the eldest son; he didn't need that much knowledge and ability, and could at most be considered a backup.

Alexander himself seemed to know this, and those around him had no expectations of him; all he needed to do was grow up healthy and not disgrace the royal family.

Franz was somewhat helpless. He now felt that Mrs. Sophie's plan was more reliable. Olga's educational methods were too mild and too easy to hurt people's self-esteem.

While Mrs. Sophie's parenting style might lead the second son to develop unrealistic fantasies and increase competition among brothers, it certainly prevented his talents from being wasted.

It is indeed cruel to tell such a young child that he is just his brother's backup, but the advantage is that his status is clearly defined from a young age, and it is less likely for conflicts to arise between the brothers.

"Alexander."

"Greetings, Your Majesty the Emperor."

Alexander said respectfully.

"You little rascal. Who taught you that?"

"Mother."

Alexander pressed on with more questions.

"Your Majesty, what has happened to my mother? She hasn't come to see me. The maids won't let me leave either."

"Children are very perceptive," Franz said with a helpless sigh.

"Your mother is sick and can't see you right now. But why are you always slacking off?"

Alexander said calmly.

“Your Majesty, I am not slacking off. It’s just that I have already learned the knowledge. Miss Hilde’s story can only lull me to sleep.”

Franz sat down.

"Okay, let me test you: what is 16 + 11?"

Alexander answered without hesitation.

"27. Your Majesty."

Miss Hilde, who was standing nearby, noticed the surprise in Franz's eyes and quickly spoke up.

"Grand Prince Alexander is very talented in mathematics; he has already learned simple multiplication."

Clearly, Miss Hilde was eager to showcase her teaching achievements.

Franz smiled.

“Miss Hilde, please stand in the doorway.”

Franz was actually quite skeptical; Alexander was, after all, too young. Franz feared that Alexander's development was based on conditioned reflexes, which would be a real headache for him.

Although Hilde didn't understand why, she still stood at the door as ordered.

Alexander, however, remained completely calm.

"Please ask, Your Majesty."

"Okay. What is 2 * 3?"

"6."

What about 8*6?

"48."

Franz asked several questions in succession, and Alexander was able to answer them quickly, seemingly quite proficient. "You're very capable."

"Thank you for your compliment, Your Majesty."

Don't you want a reward?

What would you like to reward me with?

"Why don't you study with your brother? The two of you will keep each other company and prevent you from being bored all the time."

Franz said that Alexander's gaze unconsciously drifted towards the doorway.

Franz understood immediately and said so directly.

“Miss Hilde will remain your governess. If you can’t handle the pressure or feel bored, you can apply for a leave of absence. I can give you three chances to change your mind.”

After that, if you want to study again, you'll have to have a separate classroom.

"Okay, Your Majesty."

Only then did Alexander begin to resemble a child.

Franz was also helpless, wondering how his two sons could have turned out this way. The problem actually lay with Franz himself, because the various miracles attributed to him had become public knowledge.

Therefore, everyone is trying their best to develop the two young dukes in the direction of the legend.
Franz then called Hilde over.

“Miss Hilde, your teaching is excellent. I hope you will continue to do so. This check for ten thousand florins should be more than enough to recognize your achievements.”

(Ten thousand florins was historically equivalent to a hundred years' wages for an ordinary worker. Although the income of the people of the Austrian Empire had increased significantly at this time, ten thousand florins was still a considerable fortune, enough to buy a house and settle down in cities like Vienna and Venice.)
"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Hilde was clearly excited, and she asked tentatively.

"Your Majesty, may I ask for some other reward?"

"explain."

Franz was quite magnanimous. In fact, many people had encountered unsolvable problems or suffered injustices that could not be resolved, and had no choice but to resort to this method to seek a glimmer of hope.

"I would like to have dinner with you."

Hilde's face flushed slightly as she finished speaking.

Only then did Franz begin to take a closer look at the person in front of him. The governess was dressed reasonably well and had decent manners. Above her slender waist was a curve that seemed about to burst out. Her face was not particularly beautiful, but it had a gentle and approachable quality that made people want to get closer to her.

"Please accept the reward. It's just a family dinner; there will be plenty of opportunities in the future."

Franz stuffed the check back into Hilde's hand; he had no such intention now, and even if he were there, he wouldn't do it.

Alexander is almost old enough to leave the nursery; there will be plenty of opportunities for him to eat in the future.

Of course, that could only have been a family dinner.

As for state banquets, a mere private tutor is probably not qualified.

Talia, far away at the Royal Women's Academy, sneezed. To be honest, she was starting to regret it; she should have listened to Franz and made up a fake resume.

Now, a group of graduates have written on their graduation applications that they want to work in the royal palace.

"These brats! Do they think I'm a wishing well? The palace isn't a marketplace where you can just walk in whenever you want."

To work in the palace, one must first meet a host of extremely demanding requirements; even a low-ranking clerk or maid position is not open to just anyone.

If it weren't for the palace's continuous expansion in recent years, Talia wouldn't have been able to squeeze people in.

But precisely because of this, Talia was now regarded as a powerful noblewoman, even more powerful than the chief steward.

After all, the palace steward could only assign some menial tasks, and specifically for women, they were called dishwashing maids (but in reality, they had to do all sorts of dirty and tiring work and could not move around freely within the palace).
Talia assigned her to practical positions, especially tutors for the two young dukes, a task that would be fiercely contested.

Talia picked up the files, and to be honest, she felt that the graduates of the Royal Women's Academy were getting better and better each year; her students were indeed her pride.