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

Chapter 1820 The Sufferings of the People
Historically, Franz Joseph I greatly admired this kind of "people-friendly" activity. Even when he was very busy, he would take a few days each year to experience the "hardships of the common people." He even had a cot in his office.

Although his food and lodging were not as varied or luxurious as Franz's at the time, they were still much better than those of civilians and soldiers during wartime.

After all, ordinary soldiers don't have separate tents during wartime marches, or they don't even have tents at all.

Military rations are unlikely to be of high quality, and there is no chef to prepare them carefully. There is even a possibility of eating expired or spoiled food.

However, compared to the soldiers' basic needs, the lives of ordinary people are only worse.

In 1848, Franz led his army through a manor whose owner was known as a great philanthropist by the local people because he was willing to give his own swill to the poor.

In fact, it was not uncommon for nobles to give leftover food to the poor or servants after banquets.

Franz had expected a rather modest meal, since this small place certainly couldn't compare to Vienna.

However, when Franz saw what was in the bucket, he realized that it was not leftovers or a feast, but rather solid swill.

The bloated soup, the strange oil film, and the sour, rotten smell it emitted made those who had come with Franz to join in the fun vomit.

So much so that many people still remember it vividly.

At this point, the food cart in front of Franz was even further removed from the lives of ordinary people.

If the truly impoverished could freely choose their favorite food every day, they would probably think that's the life of an emperor.

However, since he had already arrived at the military camp, Franz casually picked out a few dishes to eat.

Well, although there was no plating, Franz could still tell that these were the work of the chefs.

It's a waste to have chefs make these dishes. Although the ingredients and chefs are top-notch, the potential of these dishes is not very high to begin with, so it's really a bit of a waste.

After the meal, the iron bed next to him was no problem for Franz, after all, Franz had been sleeping on an iron bed before his wedding.

At this moment, the curtains on the left and right sides of the tent were lifted by a white silk glove and a black leather glove, respectively.

Two beautiful women, dressed in army and navy uniforms respectively, walked in, their gait elegant and their boots landing with a resounding thud.

His military uniform was also carefully tailored, making him look both presentable and able to accentuate his physique.

The woman on the left had her long black hair piled up behind her head, and her magnificent cavalry uniform was impeccably styled.

Her face also carried the aloofness characteristic of a restrained beauty, but the two rows of gold threads used to secure her chest seemed to be under some strain.

The woman on the right has a head of dazzling golden wavy hair that is being held down by a military cap worn at an angle, with a few strands of hair hanging down beside her ears and her chin slightly upturned.

Add to that a pair of bold, direct blue eyes, and that pride isn't off-putting; rather, it has a fatal attraction for men.

After they stood still, they straightened their backs and gave Franz a military salute.

"Greetings, sir."

Franz was somewhat helpless. He wasn't quite sure what his men were thinking. Had they been going to too many masquerade balls? Had they started doing cosplay?
In fact, many legends about Franz circulated among the noble circles of the Austrian Empire, such as how he subdued the French heroine on the battlefield.

Louis-Philippe and the remnants of the July Monarchy had hoped to seize the opportunity to mold Fanny Cotter into a savior heroine similar to Joan of Arc.

However, the rumors surrounding Fanny Cotter and Franz made them abandon the idea.

In fact, Franz was also helping Fanny Cotter, since the French political arena was far too complex for a political novice with only patriotic fervor. However, at this point, the Austrian military clearly felt that Franz wanted to relive his past glory, and many people also wanted to see what Franz was capable of.

So this group of people spent money to hire two socialites and give them some training, which led to the scene we see today.

Although the fact that the two socialites were able to approach him at this point meant that they had undergone a full medical examination, Franz had no interest in that at the moment.

Richard Metternich's advice to Franz regarding the true state of the country was to find out by visiting a few women.

Because many of those socialites come from humble backgrounds, they have worked their way up and should theoretically understand the hardships of those at the bottom of society the most.

However, the reality is that once these people from the lower classes climb to high positions, they immediately sever ties with their past and desperately try to cover it up.

The answer she received was mostly from a fallen aristocrat, much like the excuse Adjani used back then. Although decades have passed, it remains timeless; perhaps this is what makes it a classic.

Perhaps it was because of the strong influence of Britain at that time, but every time Franz asked about the lives of the lower classes...

They would inadvertently reveal their disdain and attribute the suffering of the lower classes to laziness and stupidity, while attributing their success to their own hard work and wisdom.

Franz didn't want flattery; he wanted the truth.

He felt that the only way to get closer to the truth was to experience it firsthand.

So Franz returned to his privately run theater after a long absence, where he was less restricted and the repertoire was naturally more diverse.

Unlike the classic dramas and operas in mainstream theaters, there are also some more popular light operas and light comedies, and even plays and folk crosstalk.

Because the censorship is not so strict, profanity and vulgar jokes are rampant.

Franz didn't care that much, but he was sarcastic that the repertoire of plays featuring him, the Austrian government, and the church was less than he had imagined.

It seems that Franz's intelligence department has indeed not been negligent, and the program schedules they report are more numerous than those he has heard.

Because of the rapid pace of economic development and the country's strength, although wars are frequent, the country is relatively stable and people's welfare is relatively good.

In addition, with a sufficient variety of cultural and artistic activities, the public's resentment was not very strong overall.

The main issues focus on freedom and the sense of powerlessness in the face of powerful states and emperors.

From Franz's perspective, these two questions were deliberately guided.

Because these two issues directly addressed the core of the Austrian Empire's rule and the foundation of the state, Franz was simply not going to back down.

If Franz were to change the country into a constitutional monarchy, his visionary reforms would be scrapped within six months.

At that point, the fate of the entire country will likely be none of his concern.

Then, a major power struggle will likely erupt among the dozen or so ethnic groups and hundreds of factions within the Austrian Empire, and the final result could very well be a repeat of history.

In fact, establishing a consultative parliament was already the limit for Franz; otherwise, given the situation in the Austrian Empire, the administrative costs alone would have been frighteningly high, and the administrative efficiency would have been abysmal.

Unlike many modern nations, the Austrian Empire maintained its national unity primarily through the imperial system and the emperor himself.

To try to apply the model of modern states to the Austrian Empire is to force a bad situation upon itself.

Those beautiful words would tear the entire Austrian Empire apart before good things even arrived, and what awaited them was a weak, helpless, and pitiful fate.