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

Chapter 1845 Who is the Murderer?

However, this cabinet member was met with stares from those around him as if he were an idiot.

"Are you kidding me? Aren't we also caught up in a war?"

Prime Minister Earl Derby was also helpless; the war in North America was becoming increasingly intense, and the cost of another war would be too great.

Moreover, at this time, no one in Britain could guarantee victory in this war. Would Russia join the war at the same time as the Austrian Empire? What about the German Confederation? And France, which was caught in the middle?
This uncertainty made the already conservative Earl of Derby even more conservative; he now only wanted to gloriously restore the British Empire's prestige in North America.

As for helping Suveni unify the Omani Empire and locking up the Red Sea, let's talk about that later, since Aden is still in British hands.

In reality, the British were overthinking it. Even if Franz hadn't intervened in the Omani civil war, they still wouldn't have been able to control the Red Sea.

The Omani Empire's invasion of Yemen and the current commander of the region, Wallis, had already surrendered to Franz.

Aden was merely a flaw deliberately presented to the British, and Franz could use this so-called flaw to turn the tables at the crucial moment.

As for Seneca, she also overestimated herself; the information she knew was probably less than one-tenth of what Franz possessed.

Those whom Seneca recruited were probably not even branches in the vast web woven by Franz.

In fact, ever since that naval battle, important families in the Omani Empire have been surrendering to Franz. Some sought refuge, some sought cooperation, and some wanted to take things further.

In short, surprisingly pragmatic, the elite of the Arabian Peninsula were much more open-minded than the lower classes, completely contrary to Franz's previous stereotypes.

Historically, many families and even nations in the Arabian Peninsula actively embraced British rule.

At that time, a jihad was taking place on the Arabian Peninsula, and many families and sheikhs did not want to get involved.

The Austrian Empire demonstrated considerable strength in the war that defeated the Omani Empire. Although Said claimed it was a natural disaster, the survivors knew just how terrifying the Austrian fleet was.

At this time, the Omani Empire was much larger than it had been in history. Saeed had launched several westward campaigns, conquering most of Yemen, as well as the southern regions of the Hejaz and the Somali Peninsula, which is why the Omani civil war was able to break out.

Furthermore, the influence of the Austrian Empire was constantly expanding, and the cultural craze was spreading, which also created many spiritual Austrians and "civilized people" (in Chinese terms, they were practically pseudo-foreigners).

These "enlightened ones" may be despised and looked down upon, but they will quickly become compradors, bureaucrats, factory owners, opinion leaders, and even saviors of the nation.

Although it sounds surreal, this is history that actually happened.

That is why Franz was not in a hurry to act.

Paris France.

At Saint-Lazare station, Napoleon III and Empress Eugénie were enjoying the cheers of the crowd on the platform reserved for the Second French Empire.

In fact, imperial travel is usually a discreet and luxurious performance art, but in order to show that he was different from the emperors of the past, Napoleon III chose to ride a train with the empress and commoners.

In fact, many celebrities went to great lengths to get close to Napoleon III, hoping to secure a seat near the royal family.

After all, Napoleon III claimed that he wanted to share joy with the people, but in reality, they were overthinking it. Not to mention the royal family, even the ministers had dedicated guards and were not people that could be seen by just anyone.

However, a large crowd still gathered, all there to witness Napoleon III and his empress.

In fact, Empress Eugénie led the European fashion scene before Empress Sisi's meteoric rise to fame, and was considered a true fashion icon of that era.

Napoleon III was a man who naturally attracted attention, so their simultaneous appearance was bound to generate a lot of buzz.

On the surface, Napoleon III was going to Toulon to witness the launch of France's first 4000-ton ironclad warship, but in reality, he planned to have a secret meeting with Cavour, the prime minister of Sardinia, at the border.

A luxury train, puffing out white smoke, slowly pulled into the station through the morning mist.

This train represents the pinnacle of technology in the Second French Empire. On the surface, it was developed independently by the French, but in reality, it was technology stolen from Britain and Austria and then modified.

In theory, this train combines speed and comfort, but in reality, the French train cannot match the Austrian one in terms of luxury and comfort, nor the British one in terms of speed, nor the Russian one in terms of load capacity.

However, this did not stop the French from cheering for their emperor and empress, even though on the surface Napoleon III seemed to have done nothing, neither participating in any major wars nor making any revolutionary innovations, and even his policies were not particularly outstanding.

But in reality, this is already quite remarkable. The country is stable, the economy is gradually recovering, and science and technology and culture still maintain absolute influence over the country. These factors alone already surpass those of 99% of monarchs.

Moreover, the achievements of Napoleon III's reforms depend on who they are compared to. They cannot be compared to Franz's sweeping reforms in Austria. Apart from that, Napoleon III's reforms were no less impressive than those of any other country at that time.

Empress Eugénie, dressed in a purple gown (displaying her wealth), with a white feather tucked into the brim of her hat, was standing beside Napoleon III.

The accompanying officials all wore top hats, their medals jingling on their chests. Don't ask where those medals came from; there were plenty of reasons.

According to Napoleon III's theory, although medals are not expensive, they can accomplish great things, so they are high-value products and should be produced in large quantities.

As the train doors slowly opened, everyone's faces turned deathly pale. What emerged from the doors were rows of dark gun barrels, and a burst of gunfire erupted like thunder.

The cheers and celebratory music were instantly replaced by screams and panic. However, whether the assassins were too nervous or Napoleon III and Eugénie were truly blessed with good fortune, the hail of bullets had not killed them.

"Help!"

"His Majesty the Emperor is dead!"

French officials and social elites scattered and fled, but the soldiers remained courageous and charged straight to the front.

"Protect Your Majesty!"

What they didn't know was that the assassin was still using a single-shot pistol, which is why the lethality and accuracy were so poor.

However, the assassination attempt was not over; the assassins threw out several more cloth bags, each about the size of a tote bag.

The bag exploded the moment it hit the ground, and the shockwave knocked the surrounding crowd to the ground, sending sharp fragments and rubble flying towards them.

One, two, three... Dozens of explosions rang out in unison, making it impossible for the surrounding soldiers to get close. Fortunately, someone managed to sneak into the train and launch an attack on the assassin in the front carriage.

However, the carriage was too cramped and there were too many obstacles, making it difficult for the French soldiers to hit the assassin with their rifles.

However, the assassins' explosives were their domain here. One assassin threw a sack into the carriage, and with a deafening roar, several French soldiers at the forefront were blasted out of the windows, scattering along with broken glass. Ten minutes after the assassination attempt, the French soldiers finally subdued the last assassin, but they had suffered heavy casualties.

The number of people who died directly from shootings and explosions is already close to 100, and the number of injured is even more difficult to count.

Fortunately, Napoleon III and Empress Eugénie were still alive. Empress Eugénie had been shot in the arm and had two fingers knocked off (it is unclear whether it was from a bullet or from being hit by an explosive device). She also had dozens of abrasions from shrapnel and gravel.

Napoleon III was shot in the outside of his left foot, and a fragment of a lead bullet passed through the guard in front of him and hit him in the chest, causing only minor injuries.

Napoleon III was also affected by the explosives, and he lost hearing in his left ear as a result.

The fact that the two were able to escape unharmed was thanks to the guards around them. These guards clung to the two during the explosion, shielding them from most of the impact and debris. At the cost of this, none of the thirteen guards survived.

In reality, the two men brought twenty guards with them, but most of the others chose to run away.

French police interrogated the assassins overnight. There were eleven assassins in total, six of whom were killed on the spot. The train driver and two other assassins then committed suicide by shooting themselves.

The mastermind was Italian nationalist Felice Orsini, and the others were like-minded people he recruited. They believed that Napoleon III had once joined the Carbonari, but had now betrayed the Carbonari's original intentions.

Felice Orsini believed that killing Napoleon III would spark a new revolution, thereby advancing the Italian cause and driving the Austrians out of Italy, just like the Napoleonic Wars of the past.

Upon learning everything, Napoleon III was not angry; instead, surprisingly, he calmly accepted it all.

The calm was chilling, after all, this assassination attempt was arguably the greatest disgrace since the founding of the Second French Empire.

It wasn't just because of the massive casualties and destruction, but more importantly, because there were so many witnesses. The media, celebrities, and nobles all witnessed this epic disaster, making it utterly impossible to suppress the matter.

The negative impact of the whole affair was no less than that of a major defeat, representing the greatest negation of the Second French Empire.

Moreover, since both the emperor and empress were injured, it wouldn't be excessive to cut the assassin into a thousand pieces.

However, Napoleon's reply at this point was simply...

"Okay. Ask him if he has any last words."

This made it even more incomprehensible to the officials of the Second French Empire. After all, Italy was occupied by Austria, so why would they choose to assassinate the French emperor?

In fact, at this time they also had an even more terrifying suspicion: could the assassination that had occurred in the Austrian Empire also be related to Italian nationalists?
In fact, not only others couldn't understand it, but even Empress Eugénie couldn't comprehend Napoleon III's actions, which were even more cowardly than the self-deception of the Austrian Empire.

As in history, Felice Orsini included his political testament in the letter to Napoleon III.

"Your Majesty, please remember that Italians shed blood for the great Napoleon... Liberate Italy!"

However, Napoleon III did not make it public at this time because the timing was not good, and there was another letter that was more suitable for public release.

"The people of France."

I swear in the name of Italy that I only want to fight the tyrant who oppresses my homeland.

If my actions have resulted in the deaths of innocent people, I am willing to apologize for it.

I hereby solemnly declare that my sole purpose is to free the great Italy from the shackles and oppression of the Austrian Empire.

May the generous French people one day understand that France's greatness lies in its liberation of humanity, not in replacing one tyrant with another.

May my compatriots be free from oppression and enslavement, and may you understand that the sacrifice, dedication, and unity of the people are the indispensable weapons for reclaiming Italy.

Long live Italy! Long live France! Long live humanity!

Felice Orsini's letter once again put the Austrian Empire in the spotlight, with British and French newspapers collectively condemning the Austrian Empire's actions in Italy.

Major newspapers in England, France, Spain, Portugal, Sweden, and Sardinia all reprinted an article titled "Who is the Murderer?"

They placed all the blame on Austria, as if Franz were the assassin who attacked Napoleon III at the train station with a bomb and a pistol.

The author even shamelessly wrote in the article:
"Franz Joseph I's bayonet was the real culprit behind the tragedy. If Austria had treated the Italians more gently, perhaps Orsini's bomb would never have appeared at the San Lazar station."

Orsini is dead, but his trial has only just begun!

He repeatedly argued that Vienna's peace came at the cost of unrest in other parts of Europe, not just the assassination in Paris.

Almost all the heinous incidents, including but not limited to various natural and man-made disasters, from theft and spitting in public to earthquakes and tsunamis, seem to be the work of Franz alone.

This was undoubtedly absurd in the sphere of influence of the Austrian Empire, as these words were simply illogical.

"Are the British and French out of their minds? They clearly saw terrorists slaughtering innocent people, yet they insist on convicting a completely unrelated third party."

People were talking about it in the cafes and pubs of the Austrian Empire.

"Tyranny? Oppression? How much have those Lombard barbarians benefited from us? Why should their grain be sold at the same price as ours?"
Milan is no less prosperous than Prague or Vienna; those Lombard barbarians are richer than ever before!

"Have you ever been to Venice? The place is famous for its 300-pound fat men. Those rich merchants can eat several months' wages in one meal!"

They were all as big as mountains of flesh, and each one always had three or five mistresses by his side; some even owned railway tracks!

Although this description is somewhat outrageous, Venetian merchants have indeed been incredibly extravagant over the years, flaunting their wealth everywhere they go.

"How ridiculous! Venetians are oppressed? They suffer? Oppressed by little girls?! I'd like a taste of that kind of suffering too!"

The people of the Austrian Empire simply did not believe such things; in their stereotype, Venetians were all very wealthy.

Venice was indeed wealthy, given that it had long served as the only major commercial port of the Austrian Empire, making it difficult for the locals not to be rich.

Excluding bankers and Austrian imperial enterprises, more than fifty of the Austrian Empire's one hundred richest merchants came from the Venetian region.

Seven of the top ten shipping companies are in Trieste, and the remaining one is in Genoa.

(End of this chapter)