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

Chapter 1830 A new day

In fact, Baron Eisenheim's idea was to muddy the waters. Whether the emperor kept him as a tool or handed him over, he would win.

The former, Baron Eisenheim, could continue to live, for in his creed there was hope as long as one lived; the latter, Franz, had also violated the so-called principles, so he was no different from Baron Eisenheim, only with a different stance.

As for the possibility that Franz would investigate thoroughly, Baron Eisenheim never considered that he should be the same kind of person as His Majesty the Emperor, only with different backgrounds.

Another secret mentioned by Baron Eisenheim was the abduction of noblewomen, a case involving scumbags who perfectly fit the definition of being bad, stupid, and thrill-seeking.

Franz would not hesitate to wipe them all out.

When Baron Eisenheim was sent to the Senate, he felt a sense of unreality, as if he must have been pushed out by Franz to appease public anger.

Baron Eisenheim forced a smile.

How are you all?

"Fine? Do you know how many people you've harmed because of your cowardly nature?"

Baron Eisenheim was greatly alarmed.

"What do you mean?"

"You know it yourself!"

The next day, Baron Eisenheim was hung in the square, his crimes so numerous that even a single scroll wouldn't suffice.

The dozens of officials implicated by Baron Eisenheim led to the implication of a large number of others, eventually involving over a hundred officials alone, and more than 1,500 people including the smaller fry.

However, many of those gang members had already been eliminated in previous crackdowns, and a number of them chose to commit suicide at home out of fear of punishment, so the execution procession was not too extravagant.

Fortunately, Franz had been expanding the Austrian imperial bureaucracy over the years; otherwise, dealing with so many at once could have caused chaos in the government system.

However, by this time, those people's positions had already been spotted by their subordinates, and some of them had even done their homework.

When the Imperial Oversight Council's spies arrived with the arrest warrant, they immediately began volunteering themselves.

As it turned out, this group was indeed well-prepared, or perhaps the arrested corrupt officials were simply insignificant; in any case, the Austrian imperial government continued to operate smoothly.

Once the bad blood is expelled and the heart's blood is regenerated, everything will become better.

However, the Austrian Empire's church played a very disgraceful role in the entire operation in Vienna.

These priests either neglected their duties or aided and abetted evildoers; some were even participants and organizers themselves.

A few conscientious priests were marginalized or died under mysterious circumstances, but most chose the banality of evil.

Even the oversight body that Franz had previously established within the church failed to function properly.

The only saving grace was that the church leadership was not involved and strongly supported the death penalty for the offending priest.

Soon the trials for crimes committed by clergy began. They were first excommunicated and then subjected to secular punishment.

Due to the Austrian Empire's principle of aggravating crimes committed by nobles, officials, and clergy, these individuals were initially exiled.

Even priests who pretend not to see wrongdoing can be convicted of harboring, dereliction of duty, or even conspiracy, unless it is for emergency avoidance and they report the crime afterward.

This clause does not conflict with the priest's own confidentiality regulations and cannot be considered an abuse of power by Franz.

The clergy of the Austrian Empire still needed further discipline, as times were changing and their old survival wisdom might now be an obstacle to progress.

However, the focus at this time was not the church, so Franz did not devote too much energy to them.

After the police and prison systems in Vienna were purged, the bodies remained hanging in the square, but the city had returned to normal operation.

Before the church bells rang, there was a knock on the bakery door.

"Damn it! This is fucking a ghost!"

The baker, Novak, grumbled as he grabbed a handful of change from his drawer and headed for the door.

"Why are you vampires here so early!"

He was dumbfounded when he opened the door. Instead of beggars coming to collect protection money, he saw a group of college students. Their police uniforms were obviously ill-fitting and must have been made up for at the last minute.

As for why I could tell he was a college student? As a seasoned veteran who has been navigating the complexities of society for many years, it's inevitable to have this feeling when seeing a young person with clear eyes.

However, Novak was now embarrassed, as he hadn't expected that the new police force in Vienna would actually consist of these children.

When he saw the notice from the Vienna government, he and his neighbors thought it was a joke to appoint university students and children of nobles as police officers.

But Novak couldn't laugh at this moment. Based on just that sentence, in the past, he might have been beaten to a pulp and imprisoned by those corrupt cops.

"What are you talking about?"

A new police officer asked with some confusion, explaining that they had just finished patrolling all night and were looking for a place to eat, and had come here because they smelled the aroma of bread.

Novak immediately changed his tune.

"I thought it was those Beggars' Gang again. I didn't mean to say you were beggars."

Novak realized he was making things worse by explaining, so he gritted his teeth and stomped his foot.

"I mean I should get more money."

Novak simply grabbed the entire money box; all he wanted now was to pay up to avoid further trouble.

The new police officers exchanged bewildered glances; they had never witnessed bribery before. However, they did know what fate awaited corrupt cops who accepted bribes—it happened in the square, and it also happened in the nameless cemeteries outside the city.

"Take it away! This is blatant bribery of a public official!"

Novak's face turned pale instantly, and his wife, who was kneading dough nearby, even fainted from fright.

"Don't scare him! We just want to buy some bread, we'll pay for it. We've been walking all night, and we're starving."

Another policeman helped the fallen woman up and said.

Novak then realized what was happening and hurriedly took the baking tray out of the oven. At this moment, the woman also slowly woke up and immediately cried out.

"Don't arrest him, arrest me instead. I'll give you all my money."

"Please don't get agitated. We won't arrest anyone; we're just here to eat."

The policemen grabbed the bread, paid for it, and quickly left, though they felt a little uneasy about it.

Most of these people came from wealthy families, and even those who came from poor backgrounds had smooth sailing all the way.

I had heard from the instructors that the people were being oppressed and they didn't really feel it. In their imagination, at most, it was just like when they saw the school bully, they didn't dare to look him in the eye.

But the reality is that, let alone making eye contact, even though they did nothing, the couple who own the bakery were about to hand over their entire fortune.

Even when the woman demanded all the money, the baker, as her husband, trembled and didn't dare utter a single word.

What humiliation, what suffering! If they couldn't even protect their own property and women, they might as well fight to the death. Of course, some people also tasted the pleasure of power, and dirty thoughts immediately arose.

They are already so powerful as low-ranking patrol officers. What will they be like if they become detectives, senior detectives, detectives, senior detectives, or even regional or national governors?
One hundred and seventy million florins—a sum an ordinary person couldn't earn in a million years! Not to mention the immense power he wields. A true man should be like this.
But when he saw the corpses in the square, his body trembled violently again.

Inside the bakery, a couple embraced and wept, just as a patrol of hunters passed by.

"What happen to you guys?"

The couple still felt some fear upon seeing the soldiers carrying guns.

"Nothing."

The leading officer looked around and, finding nothing unusual, spoke.

"It's good that you're alright. If those gang members come back, you can call the police. If you're still worried, you can go to the city defense force and the city hall. If all else fails, there's an anonymous tip-off mailbox."

"Don't be afraid, at least His Majesty the Emperor is on our side."

Novak nodded gratefully, and the officer nodded in return.

Things will get better.

The officer led the hunters away, and Novak was still somewhat incredulous, as he and his wife had worked diligently for over a decade.

"Eighteen years! Eighteen years! Those bastards have been taking 30% of our profits every month! They even slept with my daughter! Right there in that hotel! She's only just turned 18!"

Novak broke down in tears, unable to control himself. He had no choice; his old friend Hancock and his family had offended a detective, resulting in the destruction of their family and Hancock himself being confined to a mental hospital.

At that moment, a figure appeared before Novak—his old friend Hancock.

"That's wonderful! Thank you, Your Majesty, there is still hope in this world."

A black carriage belonging to the Bureau of Supervision pulled up by the roadside, and several young men dressed in black uniforms, black shoes, and black hats got out.

Unlike the burly, swaggering police officers of the past, their clean-cut faces and upright postures left a similar impression.

The group knocked on the door of a secondhand shop. Everyone knew it was a den of thieves, a place that laundered money for gangsters.

But no one dared to mess with that fat man with a body full of fat, though he was currently being held between two men in black like a little chick.

"You must be mistaken. I have many big clients; let's compare their backgrounds."

The burly boss struggled and begged at the same time.

"You are suspected of colluding with gangs, receiving stolen goods, selling stolen goods, and selling state information. This is an arrest warrant."

The leader of the men in black produced a petition with a clearly visible red seal. The burly boss, his heart sinking, suddenly began to struggle violently, like a wild beast's final, desperate attack.

However, it was all in vain. The man in black knocked him unconscious with the butt of his gun, tied his hands and feet, and threw him into the carriage.

There was no nonsense, and no haggling.

Perhaps this is the order they want.
As the morning bells toll, the sacred hymns from the church, accompanied by the music of street performers, once again echo throughout the city.

The air in early spring is still cold, but people no longer feel that oppressive chill.

The people of Vienna even began to celebrate spontaneously, and several commentators who smeared the emperor and the anti-gang campaign were arrested on suspicion of money transactions, spreading rumors, defaming the royal family, and espionage.

The jubilant citizens went all out, and the escorts had already changed into raincoats so that the crowd could unleash their jubilation.

"You damned beasts! You've finally met your match!"

Actually, there were people who stood up for justice before, but most of them were insignificant, had little background, or were not deeply involved in the matter.

Many of them were wrongfully killed by these writers using fabricated "facts" or by distorting the statements and positions of their targets through selective quoting.

A priest noticed an increase in missing children cases and published an article hoping to draw the attention of relevant authorities.

But those writers, ignoring the facts, went on to claim that the priest had pedophilic tendencies.

The public's attention was quickly drawn to the fabricated pedophilia, and the immense pressure eventually drove the priest insane.

A prosecutor who exposed a group of bribes among Vienna police officers was questioned about his motives because his father was French, and he was eventually forced to resign.

As for those with Jewish, Gypsy, or Hungarian ancestry, their fate was even more tragic. These writers knew how to attack people and kill without shedding a drop of blood.

Most ordinary people are unaware that they have become accomplices, and may even develop a leader complex towards these individuals, feeling proud of their actions.

Of course, there are also some people who enjoy driving people crazy and watching them go insane.

Franz also bears some responsibility. He was so afraid that no one would dare to speak the truth that he had a very high tolerance for all kinds of criticism and sarcasm, to an extent that seemed absurd to officials.

Therefore, some people take advantage of this to act recklessly and engage in deep cooperation with some officials and gangs.

Their pledge of allegiance to the gangs and officials was to legally kill an honest, law-abiding businessman. A bookseller of Jewish descent in Vienna named Ben Joseph became their test subject.

Ben Joseph's family had long since converted to Catholicism, and after several generations of intermarriage, he no longer had any Jewish characteristics.

A critic known as the "Vienna Viper," Mosel, claimed that Ben Joseph had been secretly distributing toxic banned books and was colluding with foreigners to corrupt the people of Vienna with money and intrigue. He also provided the address of Ben Joseph's bookstore.

Led by several plainclothes officers, a group of angry people stormed into Ben Joseph's bookstore, beat Ben Joseph and his wife to death, and then burned the entire bookstore down.

For some reason, the Vienna police arrived forty minutes later, and by then the perpetrator had already disappeared.

In the end, no one knew whether the poisoned book actually existed, but the fact remained that Ben Joseph's bookstore was destroyed and he died.

What's even more terrifying is that he died without ever knowing what he had done wrong or why he was beaten.

At this point, these old cases were all brought up one by one, and people learned the truth. They felt they had been fooled, and while praising the emperor, they became even more furious.

The church and the government naturally wouldn't miss this opportunity for propaganda.

"Trust the Imperial Government, trust the Church, and do not easily trust any individual or group!"

Justice may be delayed, but it will never be absent!

A frozen carp head slammed down on Mosel's head, instantly causing a large bump to swell up on his forehead.

"This is your royalties! You devil! You say my husband plagiarized your article, but he can't even read! Aren't you slandering an innocent person?!"

A woman, weeping, smashed more fish heads at Mosel, while others threw whatever they were holding at the Viennese pundits.

"Disgusting bastard! My granddaughter was defiled by your young master, and you actually said she dressed provocatively to seduce men, and even published her photos in the newspaper. She had no choice but to jump into the river."

An old butcher had been waiting for a long time. He really wanted to stab this bastard to death with his knife, but the old butcher knew that this bastard would soon get his comeuppance.

So the old butcher didn't intend to trade his life for another; he specifically asked his fellow butchers for a few pig bladders for today's event.

A pig bladder filled with urine suddenly exploded on Mosel's face, and the stench instantly filled the entire room.

Only then did the escort team understand why they had to wear raincoats and why they were being charged extra.