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

Chapter 1857 Hallucination
"please wait."

Newly appointed British Foreign Secretary James Harris was somewhat puzzled, believing that he was probably hallucinating due to an overdose of morphine.

James Harris took out an exquisite wooden box with gold foil patterns that gave it a mysterious feel.

With a soft snap, the wooden box was opened, but there was no jewelry or checks inside.

This left Lord Habescu somewhat disappointed; although he might not accept it, the other party couldn't be without such intentions.

In fact, after so many years of dealing with the British, the Austrians were very familiar with the British tactics, and bribery was just a normal practice.

Coercion and bribery are the norm, but while the latter is more often used to bribe envoys of major powers, it is not so polite to smaller countries and private groups.

Inside the box was a silver syringe, which made Lord Habescu's scalp tingle; he had no desire to get a shot.

He could still feel the sensation of his skin being pierced by a sharp object.

The earliest syringes were mostly made of silver, while the syringes of the Austrian Empire were made of glass, because advanced technology allowed high borosilicate glass to be invented earlier.

At this moment, James Harris spat on his hand and then rubbed his saliva-covered fingers on the needle tip.

After making sure it was clean, insert it directly into the small bottle sealed with rubber on the side. As the piston was pulled, the sound of liquid being drawn out could be heard.

Then the Englishman shook the syringe, squeezed out a drop or two of liquid, smelled it, and nodded in satisfaction.

Then he plunged the needle into his shoulder, and as the piston was slowly pushed forward, James Harris showed a look of pleasure on his face, seemingly unaffected by the pain of the needle pricking his skin.

However, the Austrian Foreign Minister standing nearby was horrified, because he could clearly see a small bump forming under the skin where the needle had pierced.

Moreover, James Harris's previous act of touching the needle with his hand was also very unhygienic, and the concept of hygiene was already deeply ingrained in the Austrian Empire.

After all, even a fool like Archduke Franz Karl knew this, so how could a normal Austrian not know?

In fact, hygiene was still a new concept in Europe at that time, and in most countries it was simply seen as a trendy lifestyle.

However, in the Austrian Empire, it was a regulation, enforced by law and the church.

Furthermore, all addictive drugs were strictly controlled in the Austrian Empire, and any abuse or private trading was prohibited.

Meanwhile, because the church declared that any abuse of addictive drugs was a symbol of depravity, addicts would be confined to mental hospitals or even prisons for forced rehabilitation.

The manufacture, sale, or transportation of addictive drugs in private was a serious crime, and the concept of drug trafficking was not widespread in the Austrian Empire.

However, religious crimes such as "inducing depravity," "spreading filth," and "breach of faith" have a very strong influence among the general public.

The so-called sin of leading others to depravity is: enticing, deceiving, teaching, or forcing others to fall into depravity.

This charge is very broad, and can be serious or minor, but it is rarely used for minor offenses. It is usually only used for serious offenses, such as organizing a cult or forcing women into prostitution.

The crime of spreading filth usually does not refer to urinating or defecating in public or throwing garbage into water. Rather, it refers to poisoning, polluting water sources, and spreading extremist ideologies.

In fact, ideological control in the Austrian Empire was not strict. Those who were defined as having extreme ideologies in the Austrian Empire were usually associated with treason, crimes against humanity, and antisocial behavior.

As for the crime of breach of trust, it is also a serious crime.

The fact that drug trafficking is classified as a crime of treason has a basis in reality. On December 29, 1891, the Vatican issued an order explicitly prohibiting Catholics from planting and smoking opium, and regarding it as a betrayal of their faith.

It was the missionary Hammerly in Gansu who pushed this forward; Franz simply brought it forward.

At this time, the concept of anti-drug (opposing and prohibiting drugs) is more likely to take root in people's hearts through the hands of religion than through government propaganda.

As soon as the priests mention it during their sermons, the believers will make their own connections and then expand its influence.

In fact, many ordinary people in the Austrian Empire did not know what drugs were. In their imagination, drugs should smell of sulfur and be injected with poisonous snakes or awls.

Lord Haberscu, being a high-ranking official, naturally knew what drugs were, so he considered Foreign Secretary James Harris's behavior an insult to his eyes.

"Are all British people so depraved?"

Lord Habescu's words immediately made James Harris realize that his assessment was insufficient; what nonsense was the other party spouting?
Such a refined hobby, shouldn't the pinnacle of human technology and civilization be admired?
James Harris took out another pre-prepared vial and prepared to give himself another injection.

"Enough! I'm here to discuss serious business, not to watch a circus performance!"

Lord Habescu spoke in a strong tone; as a nationalist, he already held the British in low regard, and now he looked down on them even more.

At this moment, James Harris suddenly woke up and reluctantly put down the silver syringe in his hand.

Could you please repeat the purpose of your visit today?

Lord Habescu was also somewhat taken aback, but he patiently repeated what he had said before.

"Our country hopes to purchase your country's Cape Colony in South Africa."

"."

James Harris remained silent for a while, confirming that he hadn't misheard.

But James Harris found it even more absurd at this moment. He had never heard of any intention from the higher-ups to sell the Cape Colony. What was wrong with this Austrian man who was spouting nonsense here?

"My Lord, our country has no intention of selling the Cape Colony. Your intelligence is probably wrong."

Lord Habescu naturally had no intelligence, but that was his job, so whether he had intelligence or not didn't really make much difference.

"Actually, that's not important. The price is negotiable. Your country bought it from the Kingdom of the Netherlands for six million pounds back then. Now, our country is willing to pay five times that price, thirty million pounds, to redeem it."

Lord Habescu was telling the truth.

According to the most common modern account, Britain purchased the Cape Colony for £600 million through the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1814.

However, the land that Britain purchased for £600 million through the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1814 was not only the Cape Colony, but also Demerara, Essequibo, and Bebes (British Guiana), as well as Ceylon (Sri Lanka). Moreover, the British had already occupied these lands before purchasing them. As to whether it was purchased or seized, that is a matter of opinion.

Although it was called a redemption, Franz had actually reached an agreement with King William III of the Netherlands to make the redeemed territory a confederate colony, with the Kingdom of the Netherlands sharing the colony's customs revenue for the next thirty years with the Austrian Empire.

King William III of the Netherlands was very power-hungry and greedy, but he was commonly referred to as a gorilla and was considered a synonym for rudeness and incompetence.

However, such people are relatively easy for Franz to communicate with; as long as the interests are aligned, there is nothing that cannot be discussed.

Even if Franz didn't share the spoils with William III, the latter wouldn't dare refuse the former's proposal. After all, the Kingdom of the Netherlands relied on the power of the Austrian Empire, both within the confederation and overseas, to gain influence.

However, obtaining authorization from the Netherlands would make it seem more legitimate.
"You must be joking. That's impossible! The Cape Colony is already British territory; it no longer belongs to the Netherlands, much less Austria."

James Harris was also starting to lose his composure. He felt that the Austrian Empire's request was so rude and an offense to British national honor.

However, James Harris had already instructed them beforehand not to provoke the Austrians and to try to meet their demands.

"Don't be so quick to refuse. As far as I know, your country's debt is already twenty times your annual income. 60% of your annual income is used to pay interest, and that's only after your Ministry of Finance has reached an agreement with financial groups."

If those people are prepared to overturn the table, then your government will probably have to use its entire annual revenue to pay off the debt.

"So what? This is an internal matter for Britain, and it's none of your country's business to interfere."

James Harris didn't want to continue the conversation. In his view, the other party was not only absurd but also rude, and even trying to make fun of him.

"Given your country's current financial situation, you can't even maintain a balance of payments, let alone continue the war, can you?"
Please consider how your country can resolve such a massive debt, especially given the ever-increasing fiscal deficit?

Is this a gradual process of turning the British government from a manager of the UK into an employee of financial groups?
You'd better ask where that ten million pounds from the West Indies deal went.

Lord Habscue's words made James Harris hesitate, and he also sensed that the whole of Britain seemed to be slowly dying.

The other party is right. The huge annual fiscal deficit is tying the hands and feet of officials, leaving the country in a near-paralyzed state.

No matter how noble the officials' character is or how valuable their opinions are, a single sentence of "no money" can extinguish everything.

That's how it is in Britain; it's not just ordinary people, but the national government as well—it can't get anything done without money.

Besides, how could someone of noble birth work for those bankers?

"I need to consult with my superiors."

This is London, and Earl James Harris has no reason not to consult the Prime Minister, since he can't make such a decision on his own.

"Of course, no problem. You can even have a short meeting."

Lord Haberscu, however, remained unperturbed, taking a sip of his coffee. He was well aware of how the British government operated. This matter would likely be discussed by the British for weeks.

However, Lord Habescu was not worried, because Franz had not set a time limit.

In reality, purchasing the Cape colony was merely a side move for the Austrian Empire; success would be ideal, but failure wouldn't matter much, as there were always backup plans.

In short, Franz did not intend to let the British off so easily; he wanted to take this opportunity to make the British bleed more.

Earl Harris was very unhappy, but he could only say one thing.

"Thanks for understanding."

At this point, the British high command was extremely conflicted, with one victory and one defeat, and even the number of enemy casualties they had inflicted was twice that of the enemy.

But no one could be happy. How could anyone be happy about exchanging 40,000 main force troops for 100,000 militiamen!
Of course, this was just the propaganda line. In reality, after this series of battles, the British army suffered nearly 80,000 casualties, which was more than a quarter of the total British forces in North America.

The total number of U.S. military casualties is unclear because even the Americans themselves cannot keep track of them. Their command system is too chaotic, and many U.S. deserters did not return to their units but went straight back to their hometowns in the south.

In reality, the British army was facing the main force of the US military, but the US military's performance was not worthy of the name of the main force. The British would not believe that farmers who could not even stand in formation could be the main force of the US military.

Codrington in the West achieved an unprecedented victory in Pittsburgh at minimal cost.

However, William Roden's main force in the east was almost completely annihilated, and the fall of Trenton led to the loss of a large amount of surrounding land, causing the defensive line set up by Codrington to collapse completely.

"Perhaps we should end the war with dignity now."

The speaker was British Chancellor of the Exchequer Gladstone, and his words represented the views of a considerable number of people.

"The cost of war is too high. We don't know how much longer the Americans can endure it, but we are about to reach our limit."

The Earl of Derby was in a terrible predicament. He was in a real bind because Codrington had actually disobeyed the British government's orders, and William Roden, who had carried out the orders, had died outside Washington.

This does not mean that the British government's order was wrong; on the contrary, it was Codrington's disobedience that led to William Roden's death and the failure of the entire plan.

Codrington's victory at Pittsburgh could not make up for the British losses in the East, yet the victors were spared from condemnation.

Therefore, all the blame was placed on the Earl of Derby, who was now the culprit behind General William Rodden's death, and the North American war situation was also attributed to his misjudgments.

From a postwar perspective, even if Codrington hadn't supported Pittsburgh, the U.S. military wouldn't have been able to take it. It would have been better to use the main force to execute William Rhoden's plan.

In fact, the US military was fighting haphazardly at the time, like headless flies. Apart from Robert E. Lee in Harrisburg who was constantly fighting William Rhoden, the other US forces were doing their own thing. Jackson even attacked Trenton with two other US generals at the first opportunity.

William Rodden's immediate severing of Washington's connection with the outside world caused chaos within the U.S. Eastern Command, but the numerical advantage made the situation still dangerous once someone reacted.

Of course, if William Rhoden hadn't been so stubborn, the outcome might have been different. If he had obediently chosen to retreat, the British losses might not have been so great.

But the loss of a large amount of land was certain, because Jackson had already taken action the moment he learned that Trenton's forces were depleted.

"We've invested too much in the North American chessboard, and it's probably too late to back out now. We need to get enough spoils to give back to our country."

Perhaps we can try negotiating with the Americans.

The Earl of Derby now finds himself becoming more and more like his predecessors, because neither Britain nor he can afford to lose.